Folks occasionally ask me when I'm going to put out new content for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting. While I've been working on a lot of stuff for other properties for the past few months, Isaiah Burt's second story has dropped for the setting! So if you enjoyed Legacy of Flames, a tale about an unusual lizardfolk sellsword on a hunt for a deadly creature in the hills outside of Ironfire, then you are definitely going to want to pick up a copy of Blight Bane's Gambit for yourself!
As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.
Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!
What Is This Story About?
Despite the story being named for one of the Founders of Hoardreach, the tale follows a story of a squad of orc mercenaries. Drawn from across Sundara's various clans, this squad came to Hoardreach in search of fame and fortune... and what they found was a unique opportunity from an unexpected patron. Blight Bane is well known for his tricks, but the green dragon also gives rewards to those who serve him. And if the squad can find the item he seeks, they may find that their fortunates will rise higher than they've ever thought before!
That is, of course, assuming the infamous green dragon isn't sending them on a wild wyrm hunt...
I told you not to trust anyone, didn't I?
For those who really want to check out this novella (and I urge you to do so), I wanted to also remind you to check out some of the source material in order to get yourself a little more familiar with this corner of Sundara as a setting first. It's not necessary, but it will help put things in context.
For coming to grip with our protagonists, consider picking up a copy of Species of Sundara: Orcs for either Pathfinder Classic, or DND 5E, whichever version you're more likely to use at your table!
Also, if you want to know more about Hoardreach, the City of Wyrms, it was the 4th of my Cities of Sundara to get a release! So check out this supplement for either Pathfinder Classic or for DND 5E, again, based on whichever one you're more likely to use at your table.
Lastly, for more information about how dragons work in the Sundara setting, and what makes them unique, consider checking out the following video I made about these amazong creatures! Also, while you're there, consider subscribing to the Azukail Games YouTube channel to help us keep the wheels turning!
Who Would Like To See Me Expand Sundara's Stories?
At the moment, Isaiah has written the only two novellas that take place in Sundara. Folks who know that I started out my career as a novelist might find this a little weird... after all, if I put so much effort into bringing Sundara to life as a setting, wouldn't I like to tell some of my own stories in it?
Yes, I would... but so far I've limited myself to the vignettes in the supplements, and the audio dramas that I've made from them.
The main reason that I haven't cracked open a fresh word document to write a novella or two of my own for the setting is, honestly, the same reason I haven't put together any adventure modules for Sundara yet... return on investment. It might sound crass to say, but these are (historically) the formats that sell the fewest copies, and which are hardest to make any kind of money from. This is the main reason I've consigned my fiction to the introductions of the supplements, and put it up on the company channel for free... I feel people are far more likely to come across it that way than they are to buy a full story by yours truly.
But tell me, is that true? Do you want to see more stories from Sundara? And if so, would you prefer them in text, in audio format, or something else entirely? Please, comment below, reach out on my social media, or leave comments on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, because those are the best ways to make your desires known!
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!
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!
Names are one of the hardest parts of any RPG character. Does this name convey the proper feeling you're looking for? Does it sound suitably fantastical? Is there a hidden joke in there for those who pay close attention?
Well, if you're getting stuck on this part of your character, consider looking through the names of medications for inspiration!
Afrin, elven cleric of the goddess of dreams.
As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.
Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!
It's Ridiculous... But Roll With It!
This strategy is a little bit on the ridiculous side, but give it a whirl and see where it takes you! Because there are so many medicines out there for so many different conditions, and they can all act as a fun little in-joke for your next character.
As a for-instance, consider some of the following:
- Moxifloxacin: A drug that made me laugh just looking at the name, doesn't it sound like the stage name of a gnomish bard? If you really wanted to, you could event cut it into two names, if your party needs a little bit of Moxi!
- Warfarin: An ideal name for a dwarven fighter with a nasty, curved ax, Warfarin the Wanderer has a reputation that precedes him, and a road of bodies that stretch between his heels and the horizon. Blood thinning, indeed.
- Namenda, The Unwavering Eye: A monk of elven blood, Namenda has seen the world grow and change around them, and they have remained. Unchanging and unbowed, Namenda has never forgotten the things that came before.
- Naproxen: Trained by an obscure order of hospitalers, Naproxen's touch and a whispered prayer can remove pain, and get people back on their feet to march or fight again.
- Toridol: Toridol is a warrior who feels no fear, and feels no pain when in the grip of his battle fury. It is short lived, but during that brief window, he is all but invincible!
I'm not even feeling it!
These are just a handful of the medications on the market that have a fantasy-sounding names, and some examples of how you can tie them into your character's skillset, story, and powers.
If this little game isn't quite up your alley, though, you may find some of the following bundles from Azukail Games to be useful in coming up with some alternatives for your next characters!
That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the 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!
The drums of battle sound, and the hymns of war boom through the conflict, carried on the burning drafts of artillery. Blasphemous slugs tear through the air with a demonic screech, rending apart the flesh of those whose faith isn't strong enough to see them across no-man's-land. Devils prowl the trenches, and the zealous howl their prayers so loudly they can be heard over the thunder of the guns.
The Crusade marches onward... do you have the conviction to see it to the end?
It smells your fear... and it will feast on the souls of those weak enough to let it.
What The Hell is Trench Crusade?
Trench crusade is a grim look at an alternate timeline of horror where a portal to hell opened in the center of the Holy Land. From that point onward, the war never stopped, and now in addition to steel and faith it's a clash of arcane powers and infernal machinery as the dark reflections of the worst of humanity try to push into our world, and to claim more and more of it for themselves.
That short description is fun enough by itself, but the art is what sells this game for me. Looking like the bastard hate child of Beksinski and Bosch, these hellish illustrations (many of which already have minis) will call out to the hearts of those who love Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Warhammer 40K, along with other terrible, grimdark fantasy settings. Mike Franchina is the major name and talent behind much of this art, and in conjuction with designers like Tuomas Pirinen (a designer who worked on Mordheim) and sculptor James Sheriff, this game looks just the right kind of disgustingly beautiful!
Come on... LOOK at this damn thing!
The playtest rules, and a lot of the lore are currently available at the Trench Crusade website, and I highly recommend folks grab them and take a look. Not only that, but you should follow them on Twitter to make sure you get their updates as well!
As a final note, I owe a small bit of thanks to the folks who have been pitching a fit about wokeness ever since Games Workshop announced there were (and retroactively always had been) female members of the Emperor's Custodian Guard. It appears that many of them jumped ship from Warhammer 40K (good riddance), and started looking for other communities to take their unwanted views to. A lot of them found Trench Crusade, and started trying to plant their flag in this game. However, as the mods in their communities made clear, Trench Crusade is not a place for people to discuss real world politics. They also made it clear that a person's sexuality and gender presentation is not a political issue; it is simply who they are, and they should be respected as individuals. People who wanted to start a beef over that have found very quickly that this community has no time for any of that nonsense.
So, if you ask me, that's one more great reason to go and support this game! Or at least check it out so we can keep getting art, lore, and minis for it.
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!
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!
As most folks know, my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic dropped a couple of months back. It was the Deal of The Day last month on Drive Thru RPG, which got a lot of fresh eyeballs on the game, and less than a month after its debut we already had the first supplement available. In the event you didn't grab your own copy yet, Army Men: Threat Assessments is ready for you to snatch up if you need more antagonists for your missions!
As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.
Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!
A Central Location For Your "Army Men" Needs!
As we all know, social media has been tightening the leash more and more these days. Posts that used to be able to fly free are now routinely shot down by the algorithm, and this makes it significantly more difficult for gamers out there to stay tuned-in to what's going on with any given RPG... especially independently-produced and created ones, which don't have the budget or clout to get wider notice on a platform.
And while a lot of platforms were tossed around for where we wanted to start (including both a Discord and a subreddit), Facebook is where we decided on for the time being. Firstly because it's a platform that still has a lot of dedicated users, but also because it has discoverability (the potential for outsiders to stumble across the group and its content, even if they weren't specifically looking for it). Because the goal here is two-fold; to give existing players a place to congregate, but also to provide resources for new players who are looking for a community.
So what kinds of things can you find in this group if you join?
Well, it's certainly going to become a place for folks to share their experiences with the game, to find groups, and (hopefully) to post videos of live plays. It's very likely to be a place where additional tutorials (like the one above) are going to be shared as a way to help folks diversify their tables, and create more interesting arenas to battle in. It will also be a place to catch up on the latest news about supplements that are coming out, supplements that are currently being batted around as potential projects, short stories, audio dramas, and more!
So if you've wanted to give this game a try, or you want to talk to some of the folks who backed it and have been playing it, join the Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic Facebook group so that we can start growing our numbers. And if it gets large enough, who knows, we may even be able to expand and claim some territory on another platform as well!
It's also a great way to make sure that creators like myself, as well as other contributors, see what you would be interested in, so that we have some idea of what you want going forward as a community!
Lastly, make sure you subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel. There's going to be a fair amount of Army Men content over that way in the near future, and I wouldn't want anyone to miss it!
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!
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!
Normally I'm not a real big birthday guy. It's nice when people remember, and I love presents as much as anyone else, but ever since I turned 30 they've been sneaking up on me more and more to the point where I sort of forget until I wake up and have three dozen messages on Facebook sending me well wishes.
Which is definitely a nice change of pace from the sort of messages I usually wake up to.
However, this year is something of a milestone for me. I'm turning 40, but I've also been a professional TTRPG writer for a little over a decade now. I've weathered a lot of storms and disappointments, and I've managed several feats that I'm relatively proud of. So I thought I'd set myself some goals for this month, and ask my regular readers to help me achieve them before May's flowers give way to June's insufferable heat index.
All righty... let's light those damn candles already!
As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.
Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!
Goal #1: Break That 50-Review Goal For My First Novel!
I'm a big believer in achievable goals, and I do my best to be realistic with the things I set. So I wanted to put the layup achievement first... getting my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife up over the 50 reviews it needs to finally get noticed by the Amazon algorithm! For those who don't know, 50 is the point when Amazon starts sharing your book around, and letting it be seen by other people because it's proven popular enough to garner a sizable amount of reviews.
The book has been out for a few years, and it's just been teetering on 49... so all it needs is at least one person reading this to push it over. With that said, when it comes to book sales and reviews, more is definitely better!
This novel, my first one on the market, follows the adventure of Dirk Crier as he's sent on a task to go retrieve a wayward cousin... an errand that becomes far more complicated when Dirk finds out his kin has gotten himself mixed up with some dangerous folk far in the hinterlands. This far from the mountain, this northern cult doesn't recognize him... but they'll learn well why the hill folk say that only a dead man crosses a Crier.
If you're one of my regular readers who's already got your copy of this novel, and you've left a review, then thank you very much for the assist! But if you like my books, consider grabbing my Hard Boiled Cat novels Marked Territoryand Painted Cats, which are all about the cases of a Maine coon alley cat named Leo trying to navigate the cutthroat world of the street beasts of New York City. Or if you've enjoyed my stories of space marines, consider checking out the dystopian sci fi thriller Old Soldiers, where we follow Pollux and the other myrmidon as these genetically-engineered shock troopers try to unmask a conspiracy before it puts a bullet in each of their backs!
Goal #2: Get "Army Men" Up To Copper Metal Status on DTRPG
Regular readers know that my first full tabletop RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic went live on Drive Thru RPG a few months ago. The game was successfully Kickstarted, and it's been met with some pretty positive reviews by folks who've actually played it. It was also Deal of The Day last month, which helped get a few more eyeballs on it.
At time of writing, though, it's still about 20 sales shy of hitting Copper status on DTRPG. While I would love for it to hit Silver, Electrum, or even Gold status, I feel like Copper is something that could be achieved by the end of the month with a little luck, and some help from all of you!
Army Men is a game where you and your companions take on the roles of a squad of troopers in the Plastos Federation, defending your people and your homeland against the invasion of the insectile creatures known as Vespoids. However, while that is a simple setup, there are politics and bad blood that exist in the corners of the Federation, and this game is being expanded into all kinds of different modes of play and genres... and the more people who show interest and grab some copies, the more time and energy I'll be able to dedicate to getting stuff into your hands as players and Game Masters!
If you've already grabbed your copy and left a review (reviews matter on DTRPG the same way they do on Amazon), then consider picking up a copy of the game's first supplement Army Men: Threat Assessments to ensure that you have enough enemy threats to throw at your players during their next mission!
And if you've already done all of that, consider sharing a link to the book so all your fellow gaming friends can see it! I've been doing everything I can think of to get the word out, and a little help can go a long way.
Goal #3: Get The Azukail Games YouTube Channel Monetized!
While my previous two goals are leaning hard into sales and moving copies of books, this one is completely free to anyone who wants to help! If you have access to YouTube, and you enjoy my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting, the World/Chronicles of Darkness, an insider's view into the business of RPGs, building your own map terrain, and audio dramas from a slew of different settings and genres, then you should definitely be subscribed to the Azukail Games YouTube channel!
I've been making video content for this channel for several years now, and at time of writing we have 1,028 subscribers (which is more than enough to get monetized), but we're lacking the second goal required to make YouTube give us that stamp of approval; watched hours. We still need, as of the moment I put these words on the page, about 800 hours of watched content before we can get monetized, and actually get a cut of the profits our videos are generating.
So, put bluntly, if folks reading this wanted to give me a great birthday present, subscribe to the channel, and spend the rest of this month watching 1 video a day.
I know it sounds like a big ask, but let me break some numbers down for folks:
- Our average video on the channel is between 6 and 15 minutes, give or take. We'll say 10 for an easy number.
- There are 60 minutes in an hour.
- Even small word counts for readers on this blog tend to get at least 300 views.
So let's say 300 people out there each watched a single 10-minute video on the channel. That's 50 hours of content. If those 300 people did that every day for a week, that would be 350 hours. Two weeks? 700 hours. In three weeks time, the channel would be monetized, which would allow me to start in on making bigger, more involved video projects for all the folks who've been wondering why we tend to stay small and simple when it comes to our shows and series.
Of course, if you want to help add a little gas to this race, consider putting on a playlist, and watching through any of the various shows and series we have for you. Share videos you like with your friends, and toss them onto your social media pages... we're in a, "So close, yet so far," style situation, and I would deeply appreciate a boost to help me meet this goal I've been working toward for years before I turn 40 this month.
Goal #4: Expand My Patreon Following
I'll be the first to admit, I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to Patreon. I know that the best way to expand your Patreon following is to put certain kinds of content behind a paywall, so that when someone becomes a supporter they gain VIP access to something that non-supporters don't get. Whether it be bonus episodes of a show, or early access to content, or the ability to help steer the direction a creator goes with their work, all of these things are good motivators in building that fan base.
And I don't do that. The one real perk I can offer is that, when I get free copies of a new supplement, I offer it to my Patreon patrons as an exclusive, but that is a relatively small perk.
The reason I do that, though, is that I know a lot of the people who enjoy my content do so because I don't put it behind a velvet rope and a cover charge. A lot of my fans are on fixed incomes, or like me they're struggling just to pay the bills in this capitalist hellscape, and even $5 a month is too much for them to justify when they sit down and really weigh their budgets. Unfortunately, though, AdBlock has basically made putting ads on a blog pointless (I removed mine over a year ago because it just wasn't worth the effort), and though I try to utilize sites that pay creators based on traffic (like my 300+ article archive over at Vocal.Media), it requires over 90,000 reads a month on those articles just to pay my part of the rent.
Patreon is basically the way I fund my blogs, though, and it is a major part of my monthly bills (it's actually what I use to buy food, for those who are curious). So if you want to help keep this blog going, and ensure that I've got enough coffee and tacos to keep churning out fresh articles, please consider becoming a Patreon patron today! And if you're just someone who wants to give me a little tip so I can go get myself something nice as a reward for surviving four decades, you could buy me a Ko-Fi as a tip for a job well done instead!
All Help Is Appreciated!
I know this seems like a lot to get done in one month, and while I'm doing my best to reach these goals, I won't be able to do it without all of you! So whether you're just a regular reader, you lend me a few hours to help boost the YouTube channel, you help me get my books noticed by the algorithm, or you decide this is the year you want to help fund this blog so I can keep it going, I appreciate everything you do for me.
Without readers like you, I wouldn't be able to do any of this!
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!
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!
