Showing posts with label Adrian Kennelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adrian Kennelly. Show all posts

Monday, June 30, 2025

"Locales of Sundara" Fills Out The Growing Setting of "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age"

Regular readers around these parts know that I've been putting together supplements for my fantasy RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age for a few years now. However, I've also mentioned every now and again that I'm not the sole contributor to this setting. While I've done the bulk of the work chipping it out and laying the foundations, there are more and more parts of the setting being added by contributors like Adrian Kennelly and Isaiah Burt.

Speaking of Adrian, he's been adding to an ongoing series that I haven't talked about on this blog... but if you're a fan of my setting, I'd highly recommend giving the Locales of Sundara supplements a look!

You really should check it out if you haven't yet!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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 Locales Have Been Released Already?


The idea behind the Locales of Sundara series is that they provide GMs (and players) with extra tidbits of lore, and more locations for Sundara as a setting. Of course, much like the Cities of Sundara, these locales can be picked up and shifted around, put into existing game worlds, or a GM's home game, as needed.

But which locales have been released so far? Well, I'm glad you asked!

- Dyehunting: Found on the outskirts of Silkgift, the City of Sails, this unique business allows customers to use modified aether weapons which fire harmless paint to compete in friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) matches. High fantasy paintball, this could fit into downtime as surely as into part of a larger plot arc.

- The Silkgift Gazette: The second location found in the City of Sails, the Silkgift Gazette has a surprisingly large circulation due to the amount of traffic that goes through the port city. Found in Fool Street, the Gazette covers a variety of news stories and local happenings which could easily act as a way to get plot-relevant information into your players' hands! And if they make friends with the reporters, who knows what sort of benefits they could get when gathering information?

- The Skelet-Inn: Found in the West Gate district of Moüd, City of Bones, this location has most of the day-to-day tasks completed by domestic skeletons. While there are living employees as well, this place is far from unusual in Moüd when it comes to how it employs the dead to do the hard work that living people would rather not handle.

- Darega's Bones: Another location in the City of Bones, Darega's is where those seeking rather... unusual constructs can go to examine what old Darega has put out on the market. Prices may be higher than one expects, but it's always worth seeing if you can make a deal... isn't it?

These are, of course, just a handful of supplements that have come out so far, but I'm really excited to see what it is that Adrian comes up with next! And, of course, the easiest way to keep him working on more of these is to grab a copy of one (or even all) of the ones that have come out so far!

Catch Up On "Sundara: Dawn of A New Age"




Cities of Sundara


The setting first began with the Cities of Sundara splats. Self-contained guides to some of the larger and more powerful centers of trade, industry, arms, and magic, these unique locations provide plenty of fodder for character generation and plots. Not only that, but each one comes with unique, mechanical goodies for players and GMs alike to take out for a spin!

- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and DND 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 DND 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 DND 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 DND 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 DND 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.

Gods of Sundara


Gods of Sundara (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E): In a world with no alignment, and where the gods are often genuinely mysterious forces that are far too large for mortals to truly comprehend, the divine feels genuinely strange and unknown... something that really does have to be taken on faith. This supplement provides a sample pantheon for Sundara, but also provides instructions on how to easily make your own gods in a world where you can't cast a spell and tell whether someone is good or evil.

Species of Sundara


Sundara is filled with creatures that many of us recognize, but I wanted to give greater depth to their cultures, and a wider variety of options. After all, humans always get 15+ ethnicities, languages, and unique histories, while elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, etc. are almost always left with footnotes, or maybe with a handful of offshoots. So, in short, I wanted to give all the fantastical creatures the treatment that humans usually get in our games.

And there is no human book yet. If readers demand to know more, then I may sit down to pen one... but I figured that humans didn't need to be front-and-center in this setting just yet.

- Elves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Elves are one of the most quintessential fantasy creatures... but if you want to see more than just high elves, wood elves, and elves of the sun and moon, then this supplement has you covered!

- Dwarves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): The children of the primordial giants who were meant to fill in the details of the world they'd made (or so the myths say) there are as many kinds of dwarves as their are kinds of giants... and possibly more, depending on who is keeping count.

- Orcs of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Supposedly a creation of the elves, none can say for certain exactly how or why orcs have been made. What most agree on is that these creatures are far more than most may think at first glance.

- Halflings of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Little cousins to the dwarves, halflings are tough, clever, and not to be underestimated. From living beneath the hills, to taking up residence in the deep forests, halflings in Sundara come in quite a variety!

- The Blooded (Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) [Pathfinder and DND 5E]: When orcs and elves mix their bloodlines with other creatures, the result is one of the Blooded. This inheritance takes many forms, and it can even wait generations before manifesting when the right combination of individuals come together to have a child.

- Gnomes of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Gnomes are strange creatures, found in places where the spirit of the land has coalesced and made children of its own. The sons and daughters of the ancient nymphs, they are the stewards of these places, and they change as often as the weather and the land.

Organizations of Sundara


Phase 3 has been going strong, but there's still a few titles left in it! So if you haven't seen them, consider checking out:

- Sellswords of Sundara: With power structures being smaller in scale in Sundara, standing armies aren't often maintained for long. As such, soldiers of fortune are quite common! This supplement contains 10 mercenary companies, their history, uniform, sample members, whispers and rumors, as well as either an archetype or subclass for playing these unique warriors. Grab your copy for Pathfinder of DND 5E.

- Cults of Sundara: Faith comes in many forms in Sundara, and there are as many gods in the Prim as there are dreams in the minds of people. This supplement contains write-ups for 10 cults, their histories, sample members, rumors about them, their beliefs and tenets, and a unique magic item for each. Get your copy for Pathfinder or DND 5E.

- Guilds of Sundara: While cities and villages may be relatively local, guilds are spread across the length and width of Sundara. From professional orders of skilled miners and dredgers, to monster slayers and bounty hunters, this supplement has 10 guilds with histories, sample members, rumors, as well as unique feats one can take to represent the skill and benefits of joining this order. Available for Pathfinder as well as DND 5E.

Merchants of Sundara: While city states might be the largest form of government you find in the setting, merchants hold an outsized amount of power. From huge mercantile houses, to small brands infamous for their quality as much as for their price, there are a lot of options listed in this particular world building supplement.

Rumors of Sundara

The newest series of supplements in the setting, these are meant to add to the cities, and to give GMs ideas for plots, or just to provide a little extra grist for the mill in terms of what people are gossiping about!


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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue SkyFacebookTumblrTwitter, 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!

Monday, February 24, 2025

More Updates For "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age" Are On The Horizon!

As regular readers know, I've been sporadically putting out updates for my setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age for a few years now. Currently available for Pathfinder Classic and Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, the idea behind this setting was to have a world that's strange and unusual, which feels familiar enough that fantasy fans will be able to get their bearings, but which is different enough that there's always something new to discover!

From removing old standbys like the alignment system (and following the ripples that came with that decision), to replacing the complex multiverse with a single world of magic and one of material, to emphasizing problem solving and innovation, Sundara has a lot to offer! The difficulty has been, of course, getting people to come in and check it out.

Which is why I wanted to let folks know there are some fresh updates to the setting, as well as a few things that are coming over the horizon in the near future!

If you have a need, we have something to fill it!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!

First and Foremost: AMA For An Upcoming Interview!


If you spend any time over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel (which your should subscribe to if you haven't already done so), then you probably know about my series Speaking of Sundara. This is a show where I talk about the setting, my inspirations for it, where some of my ideas and supplements are going, and so on. It operates as a kind of behind-the-scenes glance into Sundara, and I try to answer folks' questions while also giving everyone an elevator pitch about why they should come in and try it out for themselves!

It's been sort of irregular over the past year, mostly because I haven't been producing a lot of new Sundara content. However, there is going to be a new episode filmed soon, and it's going to be my first one with a special guest... author, and fellow Sundara creator, Isaiah Burt!

Seriously, check him out if you haven't yet!

Author of the novellas Legacy of Flames (a story about a unique lizardfolk taking his hunt into the mountains outside Ironfire), as well as Blight Bane's Gambit (a tale of a tricksy green dragon and a band of orc mercenaries), Isaiah has added many of his own brush strokes to the setting I started. And so we thought we'd have a collab about Sundara as a whole, what draws us to it, and what are some things we'd like to see it do in the future!

And if you, dear readers, had any questions you'd like to see answered then make sure you leave them in the comments below so we can address them! This will be the second AMA I've put together for Sundara, and if you haven't seen the first one, then check it out below!



A New Series: Locales of Sundara!


In addition to the Whispers & Rumors supplements I've been working on (currently the only one out is Whispers & Rumors For Ironfire, The City of Steel, but supplements are in editorial for Moüd, City of Bones and Silkgift, City of Sails), there is a new occasional supplement one should keep an eye out for... Locales of Sundara!

The first is Locales of Sundara: The Silkgift Gazette by Adrian Kennelly! Located within Fool Street, this newspaper is a hive of activity for all the news in the city, and its broadsheets are distributed all across the City of Sails... and given that Silkgift is a port city with a massive canal running through it, these newspapers can often end up quite far from the place they were printed!

Whether you're looking to run some games in Silkgift specifically, in Sundara in general, or you just want to have a gazette in your own fantasy world, I'd highly recommend grabbing yourself a copy of this supplement while it's still hot off the presses!

Seriously... don't sleep on this one!

My question for folks out there who think this would make for a snazzy series of supplements... what would you like to see next? And where in the setting would you like to see it? Would you like to see a combat school teaching the trade of steel in Ironfire? A pseudodragon cafe in Hoardreach? Or an enchanted notary in the floating city of Archbliss?

Throw your suggestions in the comments below, but also make sure you leave them on our social media pages so that both myself, and other contributors to this setting, can see them, and run with them!

Lastly, if this is something that perks your interest, I highly recommend checking out Merchants of Sundara, as it has 10 additional businesses/brands one can encounter across this setting... though you can pluck them out and put them in whatever world you wish! It's also the supplement that continued the story begun in the original release for the setting, which is dramatized below for all those who enjoy a bit of storytelling flair to draw them into a game world!



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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue SkyFacebookTumblrTwitter, 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!

Monday, January 13, 2025

Playing Warhammer 40K, Trench Crusade, Or Army Men? Adrian Has Your Terrain Covered!

Many RPGs take place in the theater of the mind, using the pure imagination of those around the table to play out the story. And while that's all well and good for the cinematically inclined, other games focus on distances, cover, strategic maneuvers, and small-unit successes. These games can't rely on the imagination alone, because they depend on all the players viewing the same battlefield, and having the same understanding of what's happening. And whether you're assembling a table for the grim darkness of the far future in Warhammer 40K, you're joining the war against (or for) the heretic legions of hell in Trench Crusade, or you're taking up arms on behalf of the Plastos Federathion in my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic, you owe it to yourself to check out the terrain crafting videos being done by Adrian Kennelly over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel.

From Vracks to the Somme, you'll find something you like!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!

Table Terrain To Make Your Battles Blaze!


Before I go too much further, I wanted to offer full disclosure for folks who aren't regular readers. I'm a contributor to the Azukail Games YT channel, and I'm an author of several of the game supplements the publisher has released. And while I make a majority of the shows that are hosted on the channel, when we really started gaining momentum, Adrian started doing semi-regular crafting videos for tabletop gaming. And while several of the early videos were very much geared toward traditional fantasy gaming, a lot of the more recent additions are for terrain pieces that are much more at-home in modern warfare scenarios.

Such as the first video he made for Army Men about how to make barbed wire!


In addition to the tutorial for barbed wire, Adrian has also covered videos for making a Czech hedgehog tank trap, how to make craters, how to make ruined walls, and even how to make supply pallets for your table terrain! All of which I happen to think is pretty damn neat, and were I a craftier sort of gamer (and had more space to assemble and store this kind of terrain) I'd likely have a bunch of my own examples to show off by now.


However, I wanted to give Adrian's content a shout out this week because I know exactly how much work it takes to make videos like this. From lighting and setup, to making sure that you have just the right angle and just the right voice overs and music to keep your viewers watching while also giving them value for their time isn't easy. Not only that, but a lot of the stuff he makes also gets me fired up to play (and design) more gaming stuff... which is important when the creative side of things starts to feel like a slog!

So if this is the sort of content you enjoy (whether it's because you like crafting tutorials or you just enjoy checking out the tips and tricks of the trade), subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel today, and while you're at it watch the Crafting Playlist that has a complete run of all 35 of Adrian's videos on it. I'm urging folks to watch the videos, upvote the ones they like, leave comments of at least 7 words (because that's what tickles the algorithm's fancy), and maybe share them around on your own social media pages... because few things encourage folks who make videos, blogs, and games than hearing from our audience, and being told loud and clear that they like what we're making, and we should keep going!

Lastly, if there's a particular type of terrain you're interested in, make sure you leave a comment on the videos asking for a guide! Whether you want full trenches, bombed-out buildings, sniper nests, or anything else, making a suggestion (and getting it upvoted by others) is a great way to let us know what you want to see!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue SkyFacebookTumblrTwitter, 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!