The Flaw-Maker (World/Chronicles of Darkness Concept)

Sarah stared at him. Even in the darkness, with the flickering streetlight reaching for him, the man didn't look right. He was tall and slender, with immaculate hands, and a soft fall of dark hair. His face seemed to be made of perfect angles of light and shadow, but it was wrong. It was like looking at a pretty white mask. Behind that mask were eyes that burned in the darkness, staring at her with the feverish intensity of a rabid animal.

"Shush, now," he whispered. His voice was a beautiful violin, but in the hands of an amateur who didn't quite know how to handle the strings. "It's going to be all right."

She didn't feel the knife. All she felt was a warm wetness that started high on her cheek. It wasn't until she smelled old pennies that she realized he'd cut her. Even then she couldn't look away from those eyes. She felt another line on the other side of her face, but it was crooked. Asymmetrical.

"There now," he said, his voice shaking like he'd just defused a bomb. Or finished with a lover. "That should keep you safe. He won't look twice at you... not with those."

He'd vanished then, not a like a ghost, but into the shadows of the alley. Three footsteps, and he was gone as if he'd never been. Sarah hadn't known if she'd imagined it all, until she walked out onto the street and someone screamed.

There had been a lot of stitches. Face wraps. Medications. Even with all the recommendations from the doctors, though, she still had scars. Big, jagged, ugly scars. He said she'd be safe now, that creature that haunted her dreams. Sarah touched the lightning bolt that zagged across her cheek, looking into the mirror as her mouth began to tremble again. She was scared of the man with the knife, and she always would be. But what had he been so scared of that he'd done this to her?

And what is it hadn't been enough?

The Flaw-Maker

The world is filled with a thousand everyday evils. Violence that stains gutters red with blood, exploitation of the poor by the wealthy, and broken lives left like refuse to be collected on the sidewalks. But beneath all that lurk even darker things; horrors we've all collectively told ourselves aren't waiting beyond the light of the burn barrels, or past where our night lights can reach. Creatures that walk eternally in the light of the moon, or things that can bend reality on a whim and steal you through the cracks in the world. Beings the likes of which mortals may never truly understand, and those who try are driven at least half-mad as they warp their minds around such inhuman existences.

The Flaw Maker is one such individual, and they are driven to obsessive acts of violence to "protect" people from ever coming to the notice of these greater evils.

Picture a changeling, who knows well that his Keeper would be drawn to the smooth motion of a dancer's grace. To save her from ever having to endure what he did, the forced perfection he was made to live in Arcadia, he breaks her knees with a tire iron in an empty parking lot. He's shattered her life, but he's also made sure that alien creature won't pluck her away to be added to his collection of living music boxes. Or consider a ghoul, their muscles singing and heart pumping with their Master's vitae running through them. They know that the Beast loves to toy with those deemed beautiful, who have no scars to testify to hardships... so the ghoul finds all those it can, and defaces them. Gives them imperfections that would render them unacceptable to their Master, keeping them out of the Nosferatu's clutches even if the experience leaves them looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives.

What if it wasn't enough... and it comes back again?

The Flaw Maker is a lesser of two evils. They make themselves into a monster in the hopes that they can save people from an even worse fate. For while the scars they leave behind can break hopes and dreams, leaving people afraid of what lurks in the darkness for the rest of their lives, is that worse than the alternative? Worse than swimming in deep waters, never even thinking about the eldritch things that lurk below, and which might reach out for them on a whim?

What makes the concept truly tragic, though, is that there's often no guarantee that their actions are necessary, or even successful. The True Fae who desired beauty may have moved on, leaving that criteria behind. It's possible the vampire's eye would never have been drawn to a particular individual, and they could have lived their lives in ignorance. Worse, though, would be if the actions of the Flaw Maker actually drew the attention of the very creatures they were trying to protect people from, making them the very agents of that destruction reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

And for an extra layer below it all, the Flaw Maker may just be trying to cope. Wishing that they could go back and scar themselves so they would never have become what they are now. To trade their knowledge of the world's greater horrors for a lesser wrong done to them. But they cannot save themselves... so they try to do something to others as a way of dealing with what they've become.

And that compulsion may be what truly drives them. Because it's possible no one is looking for these beautiful people to steal them... but the Flaw Maker can't let go of what happened to them. So to try to take control over their pasts, they tell themselves the comforting lie that they're really helping someone else... even if they're just breaking other people on the outside to try to salve how they were broken on the inside.

Ghouls, Changelings, and More, Oh My!

For folks who are curious, I've been delving deeper and deeper into the World of Darkness and Chronicles of Darkness settings, which is why I remembered this older concept of mine. While initially created for Changeling: The Lost, it's something that's quite applicable to a lot of the other settings if you adapt the beings that the Flaw Maker is trying to "protect" their victims from.

And in case you missed the recent releases I've put out for both of these spheres, I wanted to take a moment to direct your attention toward a couple of releases:

- 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings: If you're someone who loves playing a Winter Courtier, but has a hard time actually wrapping their head around the secret languages of Mourning Cant, then this supplement comes pre-loaded with all sorts of options you can use. Great for players and STs both!

- 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments To Find in The Hedge: The Hedge is filled with an infinite variety of the strange and the bizarre. If you want to have even more weirdness for your players' delves into this impossible realm, this supplement should help get a sense of the true wonder, and danger, of the Hedge.

- New World Nights: 100 Ghouls For The American Camarilla: For those who need names and stories for those who willingly serve the monsters who live in the shadows, this collection of ghouls is a great starting place.

- Children of The Night: 100 Animal Ghouls: Not all who serve the kindred walk on two legs. For those who are looking for inspiration for unique and bizarre bestial ghouls, this supplement is a good place to get started!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"Gods of Sundara" Takes Aim at Monolithic Religions and Gods in Fantasy RPGs

When I first set out to make my setting for Sundara: Dawn of a New Age, I wanted to take the opportunity to really scour away aspects of the game that bothered me, or which I felt were leftovers from previous editions. For example, I wanted to entirely eliminate alignment from this setting, which is something I've done. I also wanted to try to break down the idea of mono-cultures that led players to always associate dwarves with the highlands of Scotland, elves with the deep forests, and so on, and so forth.

One of my big beefs, though, was how in many games the gods were always the same within the world. It didn't matter if you had characters from radically different nations, cultures, or even species, the god was always the same across the board. Not only that, but the churches, doctrine, and dogma were pretty universal. Whether you were from the frozen mountains of the north, or the deep jungles of the south, if two characters worshiped the same god then the two of you got the same book, and had the same trust that everything your branch of the church told you was true.

And that was the issue I took aim at in Gods of Sundara, which is now available in both a Pathfinder Classic version, as well as a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition version.

And if you haven't gotten your copy yet, you really should!

Before I get into the nitty gritty details, wanted to take a moment to remind folks to sign up for my weekly newsletter so you don't miss any of my updates. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning and the lights on, consider becoming one of my Patreon patrons today!

Why Are All The Gods The Same?

Most fantasy RPGs (not all, but most) tend to have a lot of different gods. They'll usually provide a core pantheon of the most common/powerful deities, and then it spirals out from there. Most often there will be gods dedicated to certain species (like how you'll usually find elven gods, dwarven gods, giant gods, dragon gods, etc.), and then you'll find a few minor or obscure gods. If you have a good/evil dynamic in your cosmos, you'll also have archfiends, major demon lords, and so on who can act as evil gods to empower cults and wicked clerics to do their bidding.

However, as many options as there are, they always seemed to run into the same issue. No matter how big or small a god was, their worship was always the same across the board. All their followers agreed on what their doctrines were, their holy texts were always correct, and even the images of the gods almost never changed. For beings of cosmic importance and limitless power, it always nagged at me that they felt so archetypal, and stagnant.

There could be anything under there...

So when I designed Sundara, I wanted to start with a fresh slate. I didn't just want to follow the templates that had come before with a different color palate... I wanted to give players and GMs alike the opportunity to have flexible divinities, as well as the ability to create their own inclusions into the world if what I provided didn't cover all their needs. Not only that, but I wanted the gods to be more mysterious than they typically are in a fantasy RPG setting. I wanted them to be, at least partially, beyond the ken of mortals who simply cannot fathom the fullness of these cosmic beings, their wants, needs, and desires, but who can only comprehend them through a mirror darkly.

The Thousand Faces of a Thousand Gods

The first thing I did in this book was to wipe away the usual plethora of planes that have only grown bigger and bigger over so many editions. Because if there's no alignment you can't have places like heaven and hell, the abyss or the celestial realms... these places are created entirely out of the idea of good and evil. The same is true of the beings that reside within them, so angels and devils, tieflings and aasimar, they all got the boot as well. The rest of the planes, those that weren't meant to entirely represent an aspect of alignment, got smushed together into a single plane known as the Prim.

Also, for those who are upset at the removal of tieflings and aasimar, don't worry... Gods of Sundara introduced the Prim-Touched species, which combines both of them, and removes all of the good/evil hints to leave you with something that's just all-around Other instead.

But what is the Prim? It is the realm of magic that exists apart from the material world. It is where gods of all shapes and sizes dwell, where souls go after death, and where the raw, swirling powers of thought, imagination, and belief can coalesce into beings and constructs. It is apart from the material realm, but it can be accessed by those who know the correct rites, who have a bloodline connection, or who believe strongly enough in the gods to form a bridge between themselves and that great consciousness beyond.

I had the strangest dream... and when I woke, I felt power within me.

This is where the concept of Faces, and the 5 Pillars of The Gods comes into the picture.

In Sundara, the gods are usually so vast that they are best expressed as formations of an idea. Concepts like War, Knowledge, Secrets, Love, and so forth. However, a god's will and appearance must still be interpreted by those who witness it, and the images and understandings are colored by the witness. So while the highland warriors of the Thendren clans may hold One-Eyed Grimnir with his great sword in high esteem, and the lizardfolk of the Artovan swamp may pray to the godly black dragon Thess'drak, whose glare is fear and whose maw is death, both of these are merely Faces of Charne, the god of Battle.

A god may create Faces in two different ways; purposefully, or incidentally. A purposeful Face is created when a god specifically puts on a guise, or attempts to create a certain impression among a group of people to create this new legend. Incidental Faces are created when a new Face is created purely by mortal interpretation, such as when a species perceives a god in a certain way, assigns them a different name due to linguistic differences, etc.

In addition to all the Faces, there are an unknown/unquantifiable number of minor faiths and gods. From regional protector spirits, to genius loci, to tribal gods, anything you want to add into your corner of the world is encouraged in Sundara. And if you want your divine force to be genuinely separate and apart from the starting "pantheon" I provided, I encourage players and GMs alike to do so!

And how the hell do you keep that straight?

With so many different interpretations of the gods, and an unknown number of divine beings exerting their influence on the world from the Prim, a lot of folks wondered how a GM is supposed to keep track of anything... especially when there's no alignment in this world, so you can't just tell your players, "Remember, stay within one step on the axis!"

That's where the 5 Pillars comes in.

The idea behind this is that whatever interpretation a culture has of a god, and whatever Face they pray to, there are notable similarities in that god's wants, desires, and messages. The god of nature always abhors the creation of undead as something that breaks the natural cycle of death and rebirth, for example, and this happens whether they're worshiped as the Green Mother, Father Storm, or any other Face. The god of knowledge refuses to allow knowledge to be destroyed, no matter how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands. And so on, and so forth.

The idea is that the 5 Pillars provide players and game masters alike with a general idea of what a god wants, and expects. Some of the pillars are thou-shalt-nots, but others are things followers are encouraged to do. And while this can apply to any follower of any god (or the Face of any god), they're only truly consequential for those who are granted power by a divine force... though it is suggested that those who please a god, regardless of what classes they have levels in, should receive some sort of sign from the divine to show their actions have been noticed.

Something that can be supplemented by 100 Random Oracular Pronouncements, for those who are bad at coming up with signs from the divine on the spur-of-the-moment!

The gods should be mysterious, but also present in a way that isn't showing up in burning bushes, or sending shining heralds to deliver their news directly to those they wish to influence. The idea behind this book is to give the gods back some of the subtlety that we often take away from them; to make them less blatant, but also more present since they now have a much lighter touch upon the world and those who adventure within it.

What's Coming Next?

Starting with the next installment, I'm moving into Species of Sundara, where I offer some looks at the unique variations and cultures among classic fantasy species in the Sundara setting. The idea is to give players and GMs unique options, and to show that just because two characters might both be elves, or dwarves, or orcs, that is only a single facet of who and what they are.

And if you've already gotten your copy of Gods of Sundara (Pathfinder, DND 5E, or both if you're bold!), consider checking out some of the Cities of Sundara splats that started this world off!

- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!

- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.

- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.

- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.

- Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (Pathfinder and 5E): A floating city in the sky, Archbliss has been a refuge for sorcerers for thousands of years. It's only in relatively recent years that the city has allowed those from the ground below who lack the power of a bloodline to join them in the clouds. However, while there are certainly amazing wonders to behold, there is a darkness in Archbliss. Something rotting away at its heart that could, if not healed, bring the city crashing to the ground once more.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Does Your Character Leave a Calling Card?

The overseer stood, arms folded as she looked at the destruction. Crates had been smashed open, or in some cases thrown out into the water. Weeks of effort and sweat, ruined. The guards sat on the floor, being tended to by healers. Eyes were swollen shut, lips split, and in several cases teeth had been shattered. Arnulf was still slipping in and out of consciousness, dealing with a severe concussion.

"Was it him?" she asked, without turning to look at Gerand. The small man winced as if she'd struck him.

"It's impossible to say for certain," Gerand said. "But... whoever it was, they left this."

He held out a flower. It was a simple, white rose dotted with scarlet droplets. The corners of the overseer's mouth turned down.

"It was him," she said, her voice flat.

"Should I double the guard?" Gerand said.

"The damage is done," the overseer said, turning on her heel and storming out. "I have a letter to send. We can't stop him with what we have on-hand."

I don't want a bouquet of these when all is said and done.

Before we get into the meat of this week's topic, I wanted to let folks know that I'm trying to get more active over on Twitter, so if you haven't followed me there, I'm @nlitherl. Also, for folks who want to get all my latest nonsense right to their inbox, consider signing up for my weekly newsletter as well!

Does Your Character Have a Calling Card?

Despite all the shady, illegal, and violent things our characters often do in game, sometimes we want to take credit for those actions. We want people who come across the aftermath, whether it be in the form of a bloody battlefield or a burned down prison, to know who did it.

That is where the calling card comes in.

Some are, admittedly, more horrifying than others.

Taken from a Victorian custom, a calling card was originally a method of announcing one's presence and requesting a visit. The practice has largely fallen out of favor, though modern business cards are one of the last vestiges of it. The phrase, "To leave one's calling card," means to leave some sort of mark behind to let people know you were there. Something associated with your character that declares in no uncertain terms that you are the one responsible for what the onlookers are seeing.

It might be a bloody, four-fingered handprint left behind by the Maneater (one of the gang leaders in 100 Random Bandits to Meet), a banner planted on a field of battle by a victorious order of knights (such as the ones in 100 Knightly Orders), or just a gang tag painted on a wall of a black skull, a green serpent, or a red jester (such as the ones you'll find in 100 Gangs For Your Urban Campaigns). A calling card can be as personal or as unusual as you want, from a playing card left on the body, to a red rose swapped for a stolen item, the nature of the calling card is completely up to you!

Heck it could even be a particular battle cry, letting people know just who they're fighting, and telling onlookers who's responsible for the ensuing carnage. I put together quite a list of those in 100 Fantasy Battle Cries (And Their Histories) for folks looking for inspiration!

Why Leave a Calling Card?

A calling card serves a couple of purposes in a game. First, it's one more personalized detail of your character. The story of what the calling card means, how you chose it, etc. feeds into your Small Legend, and makes the character that much more unique and interesting. However, a calling card can also help in games that are more stealth-focused, or where players are creating personas and identities that are different from themselves so that when they take off their armor, their robes, or other accouterments they can still live a relatively normal life. Like Bruce Wayne, or the members of KISS.

And if you're going all-in on a calling card in that way, you might also want to check out my 5 Tips For Playing Better Vigilantes article.

Heroes and villains alike may benefit from this.

Even if you aren't trying to create the identity of some phantom thief or of a dark avenger, calling cards are useful ways of taking credit for your deeds. When someone comes across the wreckage of a battle, and they find every body has been decapitated, the heads stacked in a pyramid, they know this is the work of the Skulltaker. An arcane mark that's as unique as a fingerprint makes it clear when something was the work of the sorcerer Gildan Fey, and as their deeds grow so does their reputation. And so on, and so forth.

However, there is also a risk that comes with calling cards. If they're easy to duplicate, the narrative can get away from you. If someone mimics your calling card, leaving it at the scene of a crime you didn't commit, that can be a problem. If a rival outfit wants to tarnish your reputation, or a rival gang wants to convince the city watch that their deeds were committed by someone else, they might fake your calling card to throw the scent onto you. On the other hand, if you've established that you always leave your mark, then you might choose not to leave a calling card when doing something you'd rather people not know you were responsible for.

At the end of the day, a calling card can be a fun little addition to a character, whether it's a PC or one of the antagonists they're trying to deal with in the campaign. So if it's not something you've considered, take a moment and ask what your character would leave to let people know they'd been there!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat thriller Marked Territory, it's sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What is Nordic LARP (And Why It's Not For Me)?

While live action games have understandably been on hiatus for a while now thanks to the pestilence blanketing the land, as vaccinations grow more common many old games are starting back up again. Not only that, but a lot of fresh groups are sprouting, now that they've had time to plan, recruit, and gauge interest for their player base. And though I have been missing LARP something fierce, there is a growing trend that has kept me home as surely as the plague has.

Nordic LARP.

No, not THAT kind of Nordic LARP!

Before we continue, I am very aware that this is the preferred style of game for a lot of folks out there. I'm not knocking anyone who likes it, or who wants to try it. If it's the kind of thing you really enjoy, then god speed and get weird with it! And if you finish this, and you decide you'd like to see me talk about LARP some more, consider checking out my older posts 5 Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Next LARP, as well as 5 (Specific) Costuming Tips For Your Next LARP!

And, as always, for folks who want to get all my newest releases sent straight to their inboxes, don't forget to subscribe to my weekly newsletter!

First Things First, What is Nordic LARP?

While it sounds like a regional designation, Nordic LARP is actually referencing a style of play that first became really prominent in Scandinavian countries. According to LARPing.org, Nordic LARP is defined by a focus on cooperation between players to create and develop story, atmosphere, and drama. Additionally, these games tend to be extremely rules light, with only a few pages of rules at most that are specifically designed to fade into the background so as not to break immersion.

In some games this focus on the players and player experiences goes so far as to exclude outside plot almost entirely, with few or no monsters, NPCs, and other staples of the sorts of games often found in America, the UK, and other nations with active LARP scenes. Often times there's even a total lack of mechanical alteration or advancement to the player characters; no one gains experience points, goes up in level, acquires new powers or skills, etc. All character development is in a story sense, rather than in a more mechanical one.

Problem #1: I Don't Trust My Countrymen

There are probably a lot of folks who read the previous section and started getting excited. Especially the sorts of players who are more interested in the social aspects of a game, the improvised acting, and the pageantry of a LARP than they are in the crunchier game aspects of things. No disrespect intended here either, because folks who can go for half a dozen games without pulling out their character sheets, and who can remain firmly in-character without needing to even reference their skills or attributes are still valuable players who add a lot to the games they're in.

I sense a "however" coming...

However, there are two things about this setup that leave me very cold. One of them is very personal, and the other is more based on the experience I've had as an American LARPer. We'll start with the second one first.

The reason Nordic LARP received its name is that the cooperative, community-oriented nature of the countries where it first got popular means the population is already experienced with this sort of group-oriented activity. There is a genuine buy-in, and a desire to allow everyone to help move the story along. Now I don't know if it's because I've only LARPed in America (largely with other Americans), or because most of my games have been various spheres of the World of Darkness, but the idea of players setting aside their own egos, their own glory, and getting their own way to do what is right for the game at-large is enough to make me laugh until bitter tears roll down my cheeks.

Now, this doesn't apply to everyone I've LARPed with. Hell, it doesn't apply to most of them. But in every LARP I've ever attended there's always a few players who would act in bad faith. People who would always try to circumvent standards, the stated desires of other players, or even the established parameters of the game to get their way. Sometimes there were a lot more of these players than I was comfortable with. I've never attended a game where there were none of them.

Ideally you would just play games that excluded those kinds of players, or which adopted a policy that bad behavior would be punished with expulsion from the game. That sound you hear in the distance is all the other folks who've played in the same games I have, and who've experienced just how hard it is to remove broken stairs from a LARP, laughing uproariously. It's not impossible by any stretch of the imagination, but it falls into the same category of telling me that a bunch of American players are suddenly going to work cooperatively toward making the best story they can.

I don't disagree that it's possible. My experience, however, tells me that it is highly unlikely to happen without a lot of coaching, teaching, and hard work.

Problem #2: "Good Story" Isn't As Objective As Rules

This is the personal reason, huh?

Trust issues aside, I will fully admit that this sort of game is entirely possible to create and run. The fact that these games are popping up all over is proof that people who want it will work to make it happen, stumbling blocks or no. However, if we're judging where a story goes based on whose ideas are most palatable to the group, that is not a fair or unbiased metric. And I say this knowing that I have a very unfair advantage in this scenario; telling stories and crafting narratives is literally my job, and has been for going on a decade now.

Additionally, the idea that someone can essentially get their way in a game by being creative rubs me the wrong way (even if it's putting the ball squarely in my court a lot of the time). I don't want my character to succeed or fail based on how well I spun an idea, or how I suggested a plot twist. I want the result to be decided based on the numbers. If my vampire manages to dodge through a hail of gunfire completely unharmed, tear off someone's head, and then rip out an adversary's heart, I want it to be because I pulled the cards, made the chops, etc. to pull that off by the rules and numbers rather than because I convinced other folks that's how it should go down. Or if an ST, or even other players, want to see my character lose in a fight, get brought down by poison, or even just fail an arm-wrestling match, I want it to be because the mechanics of the game say that's what happened rather than because the story-writing committee agreed that's what they wanted to see.

Don't misunderstand me, I love (and demand) story from my games. I enjoy the drama, and the high stakes, and the emotional moments as much as anyone. However, I also believe that the best way to keep a game fair is with objective rules that can resolve conflict without bias, allowing the dice/cards/chops/etc. to decide how something goes when actions come into conflict with one another.

That is an extremely personal take, and I'm well aware it won't be for everyone. However, this is an issue that's kept coming across my dashboard recently, so I wanted to articulate my thoughts on it. Again, this is in no way meant to diminish other people's likes and tastes, merely to unpack some of my own thoughts in the hopes that other folks can examine my perspective when thinking about this topic.

Speaking of Storytelling... I Do Have New Books Out!

I couldn't find a way to work this into the above section without it sounding like bragging, but it's been a busy damn summer, so I wanted to remind my regular readers that in addition to fresh gaming content like Gods of Sundara and 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments to Find in The Hedge, I've also had two novels drop this year!

It's back!

Old Soldiers dropped on the first of July, and this dystopian thriller follows a squad of defunct super soldiers as they try to unravel a conspiracy in the subterranean city of New Liberty... before said conspiracy puts them in the ground alongside all their other brothers and sisters who fell during the Hyperion Conflict.

Or perhaps cat noir?

My other recent release was Painted Cats, the second novel in my cat noir series. Leo has another case when an old flame of his comes around, asking him to help her nose around for a friend of hers. Mischief has gone missing, and her kitten Trouble is worried sick about his mama. Leo isn't sure what he'll find, but as usual when he puts his nose into something he finds that's when the claws have to come out.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"Well-Rounded" Rarely Works in Pathfinder

There is a desire among a lot of players (and particularly among newer players) to try to build a character that's "well-rounded" when they sit down at a Pathfinder table. They want to put a skill point into Handle Animal, for example, or they want to take 2-3 different classes just so they "have options" when it comes to what they can and can't do in game.

And I get that urge. I do. However, I would like to try to save my fellow players as much frustration as possible, since I had to learn this lesson the hard way over several campaigns between 3.5 and Pathfinder. That is, in short, that the game does not, generally speaking, reward spreading your resources wider and thinner. That's why you have a party.

No one is meant to be able to do everything on their own.

As always, if you want to help me keep the wheels turning then consider becoming a Patreon patron today! It makes a big difference, and ensures I have the bandwidth to keep the blogs going. And if you don't want to miss anything that I'm doing, sign up for my weekly newsletter as well!

Increased Challenge Requires Focus To Succeed

As anyone who has played Pathfinder can tell you, as the game proceeds, everything about it gets harder. The difficulty checks for skills get higher, the armor class for enemies goes up, enemy saving throws get better, and so on, and so forth. So while you can sometimes succeed at lower levels with nothing more than a good roll and a higher-than-average attribute, that isn't going to cut it past level 4-5. After that you need to start stacking bonuses from various sources if you expect to succeed.

I put one rank in Intimidate... I should still be able to do this, right?

As an example, say you want your barbarian to be able to move around silently. They're a hunter, after all, so you put a skill rank into Stealth. That's not an inherently bad idea... however, a Stealth check is always going to be opposed by an enemy's Perception roll. And at lower levels that's often going to be a toss up as to whether they hear/see you or not. But if you just leave that one rank in Stealth? Or if you didn't make it a class skill by taking an appropriate background trait? And if there are no magic items, spells, etc. giving it a boost? Well, at level one having a +4 to Stealth means you've got a decent shot of not being seen or heard if you roll well. At level 8 or 10, that +4 to Stealth is nowhere near as good when your opponent has a +12 or more to their Perception score.

You can apply this to a lot of different aspects of the game. For example, identifying monsters and their abilities is a Knowledge roll, but that difficulty goes up with the monster's CR. Intimidating a creature gets harder the more hit dice they have. Traps get more difficult to bypass, spells become harder to resist, enemies get more difficult to hit, and they gain more and more hit points.

So if you want this thing you're putting resources into to be something your character is actually going to succeed at, you need to make the necessary investment to pull it off.

In short, Pathfinder is a game that rewards focused builds. You should be good at more than one thing, but generally speaking any given character is going to have a small handful of things they can be really, truly good at that they should expect to succeed at more often than not. And if you're good at a particular thing, there's a trade off for it elsewhere. It's why full casters don't get a full base attack bonus, it's why skill monkey builds tend to have lower hit points, and so on, and so forth.

End of The Day, You're All Part of a Team

The logic behind this structure is that a party is assembled with the intention that you're all filling necessary roles, and covering certain tasks. For example, the barbarian is here to tank damage, dish out the harshness, Intimidate the enemy (or those who annoy them in social situations), and perhaps one other sub-specialty depending on resources and expenditures. The paladin is here to fight evil foes, but they can also act as a diplomat during social situations due to their class skills and necessary attributes. The wizard is here to provide arcane insight, and to use their spells to provide solutions for their comrades. The rogue is the one capable of disabling magical traps, spotting ambushes, and doing Stealth reconnaissance.

Swap the roles around as your build sees fit.

Now, while the examples given are the stereotypical roles for these character classes, one of the great advantages of Pathfinder is that it gives you a lot of flexibility in which classes can be made to fit which roles. For example, you could make a long-ranged, Stealth-based paladin who can sneak around and provide fire support, while also smiting demons. You could make a rogue who favors a greatclub over daggers, and who runs in bellowing a battle cry when initiative is rolled, dealing out damage on par with many fighters. You can make a bard who's just as adept at dealing with dungeon crawls as a rogue, or a wizard who focuses their skill set on diplomacy and social skills.

However, even when you step outside of class stereotypes, you still have to deal with the fact that every character regardless of the class or classes they take levels in, has a set amount of resources. They only have so many skill points to distribute, so many feats to take, and so much gold to buy magic items with. And if you spread them around to a bunch of disparate, unconnected skills or abilities, then you're going to find that you aren't keeping pace with the challenges you're facing.

Everyone Gets a Turn

A common issue a lot of players run into is they want to be able to participate (if not to shine) in every, single situation. However, Pathfinder is a game where a lot of the time players need to work together to assist one another, handing off the spotlight as one character's skill set comes into focus. Those with Knowledge skills are the ones who discover lore and shout out a monster's weaknesses, those with melee skill engage the enemy to keep them back from their allies, spellcasters utilize their magic to end threats, etc.

While you can build a character to be effective at nearly any task you set, as a lot of people have pointed out, unless you want to keep investing in that ability as you level (increasing your skill ranks, increasing your caster level, increasing your combat prowess, etc.) you are going to fall behind until something you were reliably good at in the start of the game is something that will require a natural 20 to succeed by the time your level hits double digits.

In Other News...

For those who've been following my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age RPG setting, a completely new installment dropped today! This month we take a break from exploring the physical locations we saw in the Cities of Sundara series, with Gods of Sundara, a book that delves into the metaphysical workings of this setting, and what makes it different from more traditional DND and Pathfinder settings.

It only gets stranger from here on out.

For those who haven't been tuned-in, though, Sundara has done away with alignment completely and utterly. There is no divinely mandated good and evil... but this also means there are no angels, no demons, no devils, and so on, and so forth. There is also no huge nexus of the planes as we're used to seeing... there is only the physical, material world and the strange, impossible realm of the Prim beyond it. The place where all magic is drawn from, which is also the realm of the gods. And in Sundara there is not one pantheon, but many, with faiths and religions often unknowingly venerating different Masks of the same god.

So if you'd like to see a more organic take on the development of faiths and deities, or you'd just like to see what tieflings and aasimar were replaced with in this setting, pick up your copy of Gods of Sundara for Pathfinder, or Gods of Sundara for DND 5th Edition today!

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

My Latest Craft Project: My Noble Squire Becomes a Dark Angel

Folks who've been watching my feed for the past little while know that I've been dabbling in the grim darkness of the far future since the pandemic got started a year and a half or so ago. Hell, the last three additions to my Character Conversions page were Pathfinder guides for an Imperial Commissar, the Death Korps of Krieg, and the Catachan Jungle Fighters. And for those who didn't see it recently, I even penned a piece of game tie-in fiction with my short story Waking Dogs- A World Eaters Tale.

Incidentally, I have had a tough time getting reads on that, so if you're a fan of watching what happens when one of these berserkers has a moment of clarity, I'd urge you to take a look!

But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as the saying goes. And while I do have fun writing up articles and stories like that, it is still work. So I thought that I'd try to do something that I hadn't really tried my hand at yet. Something that I kept seeing a lot of progress photos and such about... miniature painting.

Only problem was that I didn't have a miniature... but I did have a squire.

So rather than attempt to replace my companion Sir Pencival, I decided to do my best to give him an upgrade. So now after watching a lot of videos, making a couple of mistake, and redoing a couple of layers until I was satisfied, I present to you Brother Pencival of the Dark Angels!

Your weapon, my lord.

An Extra Large "Mini," and a Very Long, Terrible Joke

This little craft project occurred to me because I don't have the cash to purchase an army of my own, but when the pandemic hit I often joked that it was finally time to get into learning how to paint. Rather than buy expensive minis to practice on, though, it was my stalwart companion Sir Pencival who caught my eye. I acquired him years ago from Amazon, and he's traveled to many signings and conventions at my side to keep my pen at the ready should someone request a signature on one of my books. And it was because of Pencival's knightly look that my mind went to the Dark Angels, and I remembered the tales of old when Caliban was young, and many of the knights were raised up by augmentation and surgical alteration even if they were too old to become true space marines.

While I was warming to the idea (having a story behind any craft project always makes me that much more interested in where it's going) there was one question I couldn't quite figure out. Why would a space marine, especially once from the proud and noble first legion, be charged with caring for my pen in between when I was wielding it?

When the answer came to me, I knew I was going to have to complete the project... because I realized that as a professional author that makes me a legitimate CHAPTER MASTER!

Thank you for reading along with me this far. And yes, for those who are wondering, I am proud of myself for this truly awful pun.

Only in death does service end.

For Folks Who'd Like More, Check These Out!

If you didn't click away in disgust after that awful joke, there is some more amusing stuff of mine you might be interested in on this topic!

Firstly, if you're into game comparison articles, then you might want to check out Which Space Marine Chapters Best Represent The Garou Tribes of Werewolf: The Apocalypse? I've found that using another grimdark property as a point of reference allows me to more easily help people I talk to find their bearings, and I had a couple of laughs while I was putting this together.

Also, if you need more 9-foot-tall bioweapons in your life, but you wish we got to see them deal with things like PTSD, civilian re-integration, and coming to grips with the damage that's done to a child soldier over the term of their careers, then you should definitely check out my latest novel Old Soldiers as well!

Recently re-released with a new cover, and extra content!

Lastly, if you're one of the folks out there who enjoys your 40K stories being performed by someone who puts a lot of heart and soul into their videos, you should definitely check out A Vox in The Void. He's certainly no slouch in the field, and he's done dramatic readings of two of my tales, linked below!

First is the dramatic reading of "Waking Dogs," listed above:

And if you're more of a fan of the Imperial Guard, then you should definitely check out "Almost":

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Fighting Systems is Harder (And More Satisfying) Than Fighting Individuals

Most of the time when you're in a campaign you typically have a Big Bad that your efforts are bent toward destroying. Whether it's the lich king at the head of their armies, the mad mage at the center of the dungeon, or the dragon that has declared themselves the tyrant of the region, it feels like there's always a singular threat that needs to be dealt with. If you depose the leader, slay the head of the cult, etc., then all will be well again, mission accomplished.

And sure, there's a certain amount of fun and escapism in that framework. However, it does start to feel contrived after a while. Which is why I wanted to take this week to talk about something several GMs of mine have done, and which I'd highly recommend others consider in their games.

Instead of fighting individuals, have your party oppose a system. Because fighting a system is a lot harder to do.

Ahem.

For those who are curious, yes, my group did recently start playing Hell's Rebels, and that's at least partially why this particular topic is on my mind.

As always, if you want to stay on top of all my releases, make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning so I can keep putting out content just like this, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

It Is Astonishingly Hard to Kill an Idea

When it comes to battles in our campaigns, the physical ones are always the easiest ones to win. If there is a local bandit gang preying on the highways, or a cult stealing people in the night, what's the solution? You send in a group of adventurers, and they will break up the problem. Once heads have been knocked, and potential prisoners taken, the threat is over...

Or is it?

Who can say for certain?

While an individual bandit gang might be disrupted or broken up, if those bandits existed because there weren't enough legitimate ways for individuals to earn a living to care for their families, there will be fresh bandits sooner rather than later. If the cult is slain, then they might become martyrs to other believers who didn't put on the robes and lead rites, but who might now feel they must follow in the footsteps of those who went before them.

The root causes that led to the situation in the first place were not fixed. It was not created by any singular individual, and so it cannot be solved by dealing with that singular individual. Which gives our protagonists a very different kind of challenge to face.

And it has been refreshing as hell every time it's come up.

This Isn't System Specific, Either

For those who've read my group's journey through the Mummy's Mask adventure path (and if you haven't, start at the beginning), my GM embraced this idea whole heartedly. Because the Cult of the Forgotten Pharaoh was centered around an individual, that's true, but it was not the Forgotten Pharaoh themselves that gave it power. It was what the cult could do, what it could offer, how it wormed itself into the society of Osirion, and how it got into the minds of the populace through fear, nationalism, greed, and more.

While the party was instrumental in fighting against the cult's ground forces, and while it did remove several of its major players from the board, they did not slay this idea all on their own. They had to recruit allies, reform enemies who realized they'd been duped by the cult, and they had to fight a war of propaganda over the hearts and minds of the public in order to instill bravery and tell the truth about many of the cult's lies.

It was one of the more engaging experiences my table got, especially when one considers how linear adventure paths can often be.

Don't worry, I have negative examples, too.

On the other end of things, though, there are a lot of games that are designed with systems and ideas as the enemy, but where the individuals running the game focus too much on the "Great Man" that's responsible for everything. A majority of my experience with World/Chonicles of Darkness games suffer from this tunnel vision. The corrupt CEO who's responsible for all the pollution in a region in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, for instance, or a vampire who acts as the nexus of all evil in a given territory that can simply be slain to purify everything, and so on, and so forth. When it's far more likely that taking out one vampire means another will take their place, or removing one company means another two will compete for the market (possible even a few entries from Evil Incorporated: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries for those looking for inspiration).

Perhaps the best example I can think of is a Changeling: The Lost game where the storyteller's entire focus was treating a single True Fae (the demigod alien creatures that steal people away to Arcadia) as the BBEG of a particular conflict. Not just in the sense that their attention and malice had fallen on the freehold, but that they were actively involved in an arms race, and they were going to march on the gathered changelings to fight them... for reasons?

While I am all for deadly punch ups with magical wooge and fae nonsense, this entire plot arc was a classic case of making the plot all about an individual rather than a system, an idea, or something more difficult to combat. Because this True Fae didn't have any sort of persuasive rhetoric on their side that turned people against the freehold. They weren't riding some populist wave of anti-changeling sentiment among the hobgoblin community, and the army they had seemed to be made up mostly of nameless, faceless NPCs who had no personality, no driving goals, and no real purpose other than to act as cannon fodder. They couldn't be reasoned with, persuaded to change sides, or even spoken to aside from shouting across a battlefield.

This plot spiraled out of control, eventually getting so messy and frustrating that it culminated in a single, massive, completely unsatisfying battle. A battle that, once it was resolved, left no mark on the game's landscape, achieved nothing, satisfied no one, and was more or less forgotten about within a month. In fact, even trying to recall the details of it right now is a difficult exercise as it just faded into so many other fantastic battles that were waged more because the person running the game felt there should be a Protagonist V. Antagonist throw down rather than because it was a genuine, organic development of the plot and its themes, or that it would achieve anything tense or meaningful.

Also, speaking of Lost, if you haven't checked out my supplements for that game yet, give them a look!

- 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments to Find in The Hedge

- 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings

Win Hearts and Minds to Forge Your Legend

Memorable villains and satisfying victories are tough things to achieve. But this is a topic I've been thinking about long and hard even since I got to work on Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E) for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting. Because in a setting where there is no alignment, and everyone is left to decide right and wrong for themselves, you won't find evil waiting in black robes and wielding blood-dripping daggers making sacrifices to demon lords. You find it in the indifference of the common people to oppression. You find it in the greed of the powerful. You find it in unfariness, and brutality, and myths that treating other people with violence makes you tough, or strong, or righteous.

And fighting ideas like that takes more than steel and spells.

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? Or do you have your own story you'd like to share with folks?

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I help out from time to time. Or, to check out books like my hard-boiled cat noir novel Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

Villains of Sundara? What Makes Archbliss Such an Important Installment

For folks who are just now tuning in, I've been hard at work on my own fantasy RPG setting since the end of 2020. Sundara: Dawn of a New Age is written for both Pathfinder Classic and DND 5th Edition, and the goal with this setting it is to leave behind many of the associated tropes and artifacts that have clung to previous games, and that players have often complained takes them out of the experience. So there's no alignment, there's no monocultures, and large portions of the setting are focused on harnessing the natural resources that exist in order to progress and move forward.

In a game that's about forward-thinking, about progress, and about solving problems rather than cut-and-dried, black-and-white, good-and-evil, a lot of players kept asking me who the "bad guys" are? After all, if you're not fighting goblins because goblins aren't inherently evil, and you're not tripping over slavers and devil worshipers in every other town, then what is a heavily-armed group of morally-flexible protagonists supposed to do with themselves? Sure, there are disasters that need to be averted, mindless undead that need to be dealt with, or dangerous animals that need to be corralled, but what about those villains adventurers oppose in fantasy games?

Well, I never said there wouldn't be villains... just that they wouldn't be what we're used to.

And that is where these guys come in.

In case you were wondering, the flying city of infinite possibility that hides corruption, selfishness, abuse of power, and a rigid hierarchy where which rung you're on determines how much of a person you are is a breeding ground for the types of attitudes and actions that make you a villain in this setting.

Also, if you want to stay on top of all my releases, don't forget to subscribe to my weekly mailing list to get them all sent right to your email. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron as well! Even a small donation can make a big difference.

What is Archbliss?

Archbliss (which is available both in a Pathfinder version and in a DND 5E version if you haven't gotten your copy yet) is one of the great wonders of Sundara. A floating city, Archbliss was created by a massive cooperative effort of disparate sorcerers more than a thousand years ago. Outcast from fear, mistreated by the populace, and finding solace in one another, the sorcerers combined their power to create a place where the impossible could happen. And then when they were threatened by their neighbors, who saw what the sorcerers were capable of and could only imagine being put under their collective boot heels, they raised their city into the sky to escape that kind of judgment and prejudice more completely.

This began the golden age of Archbliss, which is still spoken of in myth. Great sorcerers would descend from the city to save towns and cities from war, plagues, and droughts, only asking to take with them those who displayed a knack for magic. Those who were not born in the heights, and who had no sorcerous powers, were rarely allowed into Archbliss. And so it remained a legend, able to be seen from below, but far beyond the knowledge of most people.

Every myth hides a truth.

Though Archbliss ceased wandering to float above a plateau centuries ago, and while it is now far more possible for non-sorcerers to enter the city, the city's facade covers much of what it's become. The glimmering spires, the everyday miracles that line its streets, and the mastery of magics that puts so many other places to shame, makes it seem like it's truly part of another world.

But those who rule Archbliss are mortal, and it is their mortal flaws that make many of them villains.

Because there was no, single sorcerer responsible for the creation of the flying city. It took the combined efforts of all of them, from the great to the small, to achieve this impossible feat. The longer they were cut off from the world, however, the more clannish the sorcerers became. In time they formed into Great Houses, and attempted to keep their ranks pure. While there was new blood trickling into the city with fresh sorcerers seeking teachers, they found the hierarchy was already in place. So rather than attempting to dismantle it, they simply started climbing over one another as fast as they could.

Over centuries this led to the flaws that are rotting Archbliss from within. Many of the sorcerers are entitled, assuming their comforts are conjured from the ether with no cost. Others are selfish, refusing to expend any of their own efforts to help others, even if it would take nothing more than a small spell to set someone or something to rights. Those in power hoard their resources as surely as their position, using it to exert force over those beneath them. And while there are those who might be able to challenge the arcane might of the sorcerers who lead the city, the agents of the Black Tower ensure they disappear before they could ever raise a rallying cry against those who have an iron grip on the reins of power... even if that grip is going to cause Archbliss to tumble from the clouds rather than remain a proud beacon of what cooperative efforts can achieve.

This is Why There Aren't Other Aristocracies (So Far, At Least)

One of the common threads running through the other installments of my Cities of Sundara series is that they're generally organized around commerce, the common good, invention, or a confederacy of allied interests. Ironfire, for example, is a city that's driven by industry, but it also knows that in order to achieve long-term prosperity it has to train the next generation, provide room for experimentation, and make sure there's security for its citizens. Moüd is a desert-bound metropolis whose existence is only made possible by the copious use of the undead, and it is ruled over by a guild that manages the city with the same goals and ideals it manages its other affairs. Silkgift is a city with a robust safety net for all its citizens, and whose main industry is ideas, creativity, and invention. Even Hoardreach is predicated on mutual aid and shared territory, with the central pillar of its governance being the stewardship of the five dragons that founded the city in the first place.

Archbliss is a magistocracy that, over time, has twisted itself to put the wants of those at the top of the hierarchy over the needs not just of those at the bottom, but of those anywhere in the world.

It's all crumbling down... bit by bit.

The issue is not, strictly speaking, that those with magic run the city. It's that the ideals that founded the city have been lost, and the Great Houses now play games of appearances and influence rather than fixing problems. Those in charge are more concerned with how much of the city's power grid can be used to maintain their own comfort, how much influence their words have, and how important they appear to others in the city. Worse, when they do attempt to solve issues (such as the shrinking amount of power in the veins of sorcerer's quartz that keeps the city afloat) it's usually through the most inhumane solutions that will preserve their own power and position (such as imprisoning sorcerers, wizards, and witches in cells that will drain them of their powers, instead of actually rationing energy or giving up any of their own power to contribute to the good of the whole).

Archbliss is not some universally evil place, like we see in a lot of fantasy settings. It is a place that has good people in it, and a place that is full of genuinely amazing things. But it's also a place where the established power structure is slowly choking it to death, and those around it have been socialized to see it as normal. Conditioned to believe that change cannot be made through tearing down the old order (something that is very possible given how many sorcerers there are in the city), but only by submitting to the process and trying to climb the ladder themselves. A ladder that those in the power structure have control of, allowing them to stymie any change that they deem unwanted, or a threat to them. Even if refusing to change means they may be dooming themselves and those around them to a dire fate when the city eventually starts to lean, to list, and then to fall.

Despite the potential of Archbliss, and how steeped in sorcery it is, it represents a very real, very familiar, and very banal evil (with a lowercase "e"). And it's why even as places across Sundara are rising in power through cooperative efforts, sharing resources, and helping one another that Archbliss is fading as the few powerful individuals at the top refuse to do anything that inconveniences them and their position even for a moment.

There are no devils in Sundara. No monstrous species you can just slay without worry or thought. But there are still villains that must be opposed, and systems that need to be dismantled. Archbliss is one of the clearest representations of those I've provided in the setting thus far.

Sundara So Far

Speaking of my setting, the first 5 of the Cities of Sundara series have dropped. I'm switching gears after this to Gods of Sundara next month, and then after that delving into the species of the world and what makes them unusual and unique. If you're looking for a setting that's about progress, fresh solutions, and where the old conceits of alignment are thrown right out the window, then Sundara might be for you.

Also, you can slot these locations into existing settings to use on their own, if you're just looking for something to plug into an empty spot on your campaign map! So in addition to Archbliss, consider grabbing the following:

- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!

- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.

- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.

- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.

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