Sundara's Phase 4 Is Here! (Whispers & Rumors)

I released the first supplement for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age fantasy setting nearly 4 years ago. Ironfire: The City of Steel, which is available for both Pathfinder's First Edition as well as DND 5E, was meant to be a location that GMs could either use as part of the Sundara setting, or which they could plop down into their own world to save them the heavy lifting on world building. That was the first stone I threw out into the water, but it was far from the last! Since then I've covered 4 other city states in the setting, along with gods, guilds, cults, mercenary companies, and even Primquakes (magical natural disasters).

I made it through 3 phases, and I slowed down for a while... however, several months ago I got to work on reinvigorating the setting, and trying to go a little deeper, while adding more details. Phase 4 is going to be Whispers and Rumors, and the first release is, of course, 100 Whispers and Rumors For Ironfire, The City of Steel!

If you haven't grabbed your copy yet, you should consider 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!

Expanding Phase 1, And Getting Back To Basics

For those who missed what Phase 4 was going to be about (because it's been a while since I talked about it), the general gist is that I wanted to give Game Masters and players alike a set of rumors for the Cities of Sundara releases. While the initial cities had a collection of rumors in them already (roughly 15 of them per book), I wanted to expand that with an extra 20 rumors to be heard per district of the city!

These supplements serve an important feature for the setting, which is why I wanted to put them together. First and foremost, they expand the lore of the original cities so that Game Masters and players alike can get a better sense of the personality of the different districts, and the sorts of things that might be happening in them. Secondly, though, I wanted to give Game Masters a way to both fill in the cracks in the cities to make them feel more lived-in, while also providing some inspiration for those who want to run their own games in the City of Steel.

For example, if you want to run a plot in Ghostborough where players are taking on the syndicates that have held power for so long, do they run afoul of the terrifying vigilante known only as the Wraith? Are they hired to explore lost or forgotten tunnels that run beneath Middleshade, possibly causing them to stumble into parts of Ironfire that have been lost since the city's founding? Are they recruited to track down what happened to a mysterious body found floating in the Harbour, where the only clue about them is the bizarre book they had chained to their wrist in a watertight container?

Any of these things might be the spark that starts off your new campaign, or which fills in those early-to-middle levels that can sometimes have Game Masters scratching their heads.

Additionally, the Whispers and Rumors series of supplements will tie the cities to many other supplements. For instance, the entries in Merchants of Sundara have already made an appearance in several of the manuscripts as various artisans and collectives expand their reach to new markets. Many of the mercenary companies featured in Sellswords of Sundara (still available for both Pathfinder First Edition and DND 5E as well) are also featuring in these books. This should make the setting feel more organic, and show that even though all of these elements may be in disparate books, they're still interacting with one another on the page.

My hope is that these supplements will be a helpful aid for Game Masters who've been looking for a few more resources to bring these cities to life, and that it will help run more varied and interesting games, while giving everyone a chance to explore this world I've been slowly building.

And, of course, my hope is that folks who haven't heard of Sundara before might use these as their entry point into a world that is still expanding!

A Final Note: Why Phase 4 Isn't Modules

I've had some folks ask this question off and on over the years as I released new content for Sundara, and I wanted to answer it here so there's no confusion. The short version is that adventure modules are, statstically, the things that sell worst in my entire catalog. Not only that, but they are some of the most difficult things to create, as they combine the need to write a short story, provide a mechanical framework for the plot, and then to include enough additional material that players have at least some freedom to achieve the end goal their own way. And then on top of that you have to make sure you have appropriate art to really make the thing pop, along with maps to make sure things can be properly plotted.

Adventure modules are exhausting, and generally speaking I try to avoid projects that will both take a lot of work on my part, but which are also unlikely to pay me enough to make rent this month.

However, if you're someone out there who feels very strongly that Sundara would really benefit from a series of adventure modules, there is one, simple thing you can do to make that happen.

Do what you can to support the setting.

If you have spare money, or holiday vouchers, then buy copies of the supplements for Sundara. When you've had a chance to read them over, leave reviews for them on Drive Thru RPG. Check out the 47-video long playlist for the Speaking of Sundara series I've made on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and while you're there, subscribe to the channel to boost our metrics! Hell, check out the fiction that's been made for it, both text-based and the audio dramas on the Azukail Games channel!

Numbers talk, and when my publisher sees that Sundara is pulling in numbers (whether it be sales, reviews, watch hours, or whatever) that is when I start getting the green light to do more complicated, more involved things that are seen as a bit of a risk... which adventure modules definitely are.

I love the setting, and I'm doing everything I can to expand it. I can't eat fun, though, so if it comes down to passion projects or paid bills, bills win every time. The best way to get more Sundara is for everyone who wants to see more of it to turn Sundara into the project that pays the bills!

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 Sky, 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!

Fresh NPC Lists Are Now Available! (Taking Requests For Future Releases)

If you're a fan of my TTRPG supplements, then you probably know that I'm rapidly approaching 200 splats at time of writing! While it's unlikely I'll cross the bicentennial by the end of the year, it probably won't be too long after 2025 gets here that I'll mark that particular occasion. However, with all of the different topics I've covered over the years, I wanted to draw some attention to two of my more recent releases, and to ask the readers out there if they'd like to see me put out more NPC-based supplements in the near future!

And if you haven't checked these out yet, please do!

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 Kind of NPCs Do You Need At Your Table?

For folks who aren't subscribed to my newsletter, or aren't keyed-in to my social media feed, my two most recent releases were 100 Helpful Hirelings (which is a list of NPC hirelings that have a variety of skill sets a party might want to put on the payroll), and 100 Town Guards (since most towns have some sort of guard or militia ready to protect them from threats).

While these might seem like the standard sort of release you'd put out for Game Masters, it's actually been quite some time since I've focused on NPC lists specifically. Most of what I've put out lately has been keyed to a specific game (like my recent release Army Men, or my fantasy RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age), or I've been focusing on organizations over individuals.

Why, you might ask? Well, at first it was because organizations overall seemed more popular than lists of individual NPCs (100 Monastic Orders seemed like a more enticing supplement than 100 Monks to Meet, so I wrote the former, but not the latter... yet, at least). After that, though, it was because I just needed some variety in my output, since if I write the same kind of content for too long I start going cross-eyed. But I figured that it was time to come back to something that honestly started off my career with Azukail Games, and which is currently one of my top types of sellers.

But I wanted to ask readers this week... what kinds of NPCs do you need most at your table? And before you scroll down to leave your request in the comments below, check the existing supplements I've listed to see whether the one you want/need is already out there, and waiting for you to pick it up!

Also, before you all get to scrolling, please take a moment to check out The Wind and The Demon, the introductory story from 100 Monastic Orders. If you like it, subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and share it around to help us get a little closer to the 200 hours we still need to get the channel monetized!

Current NPC Supplements

I'm not including the NPC lists I've written for the World/Chronicles of Darkness, or for Call of Cthulhu, as I feel those are a little bit too game-specific for this week's post. But in addition to the supplements for town guards and hirelings mentioned above, I've also put together:

- World's Oldest Profession: 100 Courtesans and Concubines: Brothels can be found all over our fantasy settings, and if you're looking to make sure there are plenty of memorable NPCs in yours, this list will definitely make that happen!

- 100 Nobles To Encounter: Whether you need antagonists, paymasters, or extended family members for some of your player characters, this collection of nobles has all kinds of aristocrats to choose from.

- 100 Random Bandits To Meet: From being waylaid on the roads, to meeting up with old friends on the wrong side of the law, this supplement has all sorts of highwaymen and brigands, including a few legendary bandit lords who may not be quite what they seem.

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet In The Tavern: My first (and thus far only) Platinum seller, this is the book that started me down the NPC-list path. Grab this one, even if you grab none of the others, because you're going to be getting together at the bar sooner or later.

- 100 Pirates To Encounter: The flip side of the bandit supplement, this one is for adventure on the high seas! From scallawags and blackguards to pirate lords, there's a bit of everything in here.

- 100 Prisoners For A Fantasy Jail: Whether your characters start off in one of these, or they get sent there in the course of their "adventures," it always helps to have a couple of fellows to fill the cells with.

- 100 Merchants To Encounter: A Gold seller that isn't far behind the NPCs to meet at the tavern, this one has merchants from small towns and bazaars, to big cities and high-end districts... wherever your party goes, and whatever they need to buy, there's someone in here for them.

- 100 Unusual Aasimar: One face of the coin I wrote along with the following supplement, this was originally going to be the start of a series where I covered most basic player species. I could still get back to that, if there was a demand for it!

- 100 Tieflings To Meet In Your Travels: As mentioned above, tieflings and aasimar were meant to be two halves of a whole for GMs who wanted to sprinkle them throughout their game setting. Sadly, neither has crawled out of Silver metal status, so I never went back to species-specific supplements like these.

- 100 Characters You Might Meet In A Star Port: Thus far my only NPC-specific sci-fi supplement, I might have a few more of these up my sleeve in the near future, if that's something folks would like to see more of! Just like this one, the initial release will likely be geared toward the aliens found in Starfinder.

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 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!

Who Are The Famous Brand Names and Merchants in Your Setting?

Polyhurdis hefted the steel, getting the balance of it. He held the blade up, looking down the edge and the flat to see how straight it was. He swung it, forehand and backhand, his wrist rolling and making the steel whistle through the air.

 

"And as you can see, Sir, it still has the mark of the Berthas forge there on the blade," the merchant said, smiling a wide, obsequious smile. "A fine weapon to sit on the hip of a warrior as skilled as yourself."

 

Polyhurdis thumped the blade with his finger, and held it to his ear. He sneered, and tossed the sword at the steel merchant, who fumbled to try to catch it.

 

"Polishing pig iron doesn't make it crucible steel, fool," Polyhurdis said, turning his back on the sword seller. "Save your lies for someone who can't tell the difference between a sword and a plowshare."

 

Try to cheat me again, and I'll split your skull with that dolled-up prybar.

Brand Names, Maker's Marks, Guilds, and Companies

World building is not an easy thing to do, and all too often we will just overlook or ignore parts of it that we don't find fun, useful, or immediate. However, if you're looking for a unique twist to put on your setting that will affect both the players' experience of your world, as well as how they think about everything from their weapons and armor to the brew they order down at the tavern, it really helps to consider merchants, guilds, and the idea of brand name products or services in your setting; because everyone is looking to protect their methods, their secrets, and their good name.

Yep, looks like this is genuine Arisban steel. That changes things.

 

Consider some of the following examples

 

- When your dwarven sellsword bellies up to the bar, does she just order an ale? Or does she ask if the keep has Red Mountain, bottled and sold by the Rolling Hill clan?

 

- When your swordsman is looking to upgrade to a masterwork blade, do they just want a +1 to hit, or do you give them a choice between weapons forged by the artisans at Garrus Foundry and the Crimson Mark Forge, each of which are considered some of the finest in weapon craft?

 

- If the wizard comes across a potent protective medallion in a dungeon is it just a magic item, or is there a mark on the inside lip bearing the sigil of the Averdius Acadamae, a school so famous for its craftsmanship that though it's a thousand years in the dust it is still considered the standard to which enchanters should aspire?

Brand names, company reputations, or even items that are manufactured only with a guild seal-of-approval can all add to your setting. Whether it's just a cool background detail, something used as a signifier of status, or a clue as to the origin of a particular piece of treasure, these make your game's world feel more organic.

 

Also, before you go any further, consider signing up for my weekly newsletter to make sure you don't miss any of my updates!

You Can Make It As Important As You Want

The thing with notable manufacturers, companies, brands, guilds, etc. is that you can make them as big of a deal (or not) as you want them to be. For example, in my post "Secrets of The Viking Sword" is a Documentary About How To Make a Masterwork Weapon, I talk about the Ulfbehrt swords. These were some of the highest quality swords ever wielded by Norsemen during the Viking age, and when compared to iron age blades they would have been seen as just this side of magical. As such they were a huge symbol of both status and prowess, and someone who carried an Ulfbehrt sword was, generally speaking, not someone you wanted to screw with.

I'm just saying... maybe we should try Diplomacy...

If all you want for your famous manufacturers and trusted brands to do is act as signs of quality while sitting in the background, you can leave it at that. However, you can take it a step further and use these brands as plot points, or even a way to outfit your party if you so desire.

As far as plot goes, let's return to the example of the Ulfbehrt sword. Only a select number of sword smiths knew the secret to making them, but there were a lot of individuals who were making knock-off blades that were average quality, but had a faux maker's mark on them. The Viking equivalent of that $10 Rolex you got from a guy selling stuff off a blanket in the Bronx. If there's a plague of knock-offs being sold and traded in the city, it could be eroding confidence in a particular foundry's name and product. As such, they'd make an ideal client for a party of investigators tasked with finding out who is creating this flood of substandard steel so they can be stopped.

And as for outfitting your party? Well, as Factinate points out, ancient gladiators often endorsed products the same way that professional athletes do today. So if your party did a great service, or achieved celebrity in some way, then you could probably skip giving them gold in lieu of giving them gifts from noted brands, merchants, or guilds. If the PCs accomplished something very publicly, such as winning a tournament, or defending an important member of the gentry, they might even receive a uniquely commissioned gift from said guild, merchant house, etc. Or even if you were doing something smaller, such as taking on freelance jobs for a guild, part of the reward for service might be that they provide the party with an operating budget, giving them access to an armory, transportation, places to stay, access to guild facilities, etc.

This approach helps remove all the coin counting and hauling around huge amounts of gold, but without cutting into your adventuring budget. Additionally, for those who are looking for some premade additions to their game they can slot into the background, you may wish to check out the following supplements by yours truly:

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: This one is Electrum verging on Gold at time of writing, and while there are a lot of independent merchants and caravan drovers, there are more than a few franchise holders and larger businesses in here as well.

- 100 Fantasy Guilds: A Silver seller that was quite popular when it first dropped, these guilds cover a wide range of trades and manufacturing that might crop up in your game. From arms and armor, to spells, bookbinding, spices, mining, and more, it will save you a lot of work in plotting your setting's corporate influences!

 

Also, consider checking out an old favorite from Dungeon Keeper Radio... Vanguard Tower Shields!

 

 

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, 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!