Ratatosk Culture and Society Unlike the common Midgardian squirrel, ratatosk are not solitary creatures, and they live in close matriarchal family groups called scurries. The squirrel-folk are proud of their heritage, and each ratatosk can proudly recite tales of their scurry back to the first squirrel, Ratatosk the Clever. The eldest female of each scurry …
Inspired by Norse mythology, specifically the Poetic Edda, the ratatosk are celestial humanoid squirrels who dwell in the extraplanar environment of the World Tree. Ratatosks are insatiable gossips and tricksters whose joy in gathering secrets is only eclipsed by their delight in spreading those gathered morsels of gossip in mischievous ways. The squirrel-folk build …
As the holiday season roars down upon us, your thoughts may turn to family, friends, merriment, and feasts. In other words, you foolishly believe you are safe. For as you place the Thanksgiving roast upon the table, basking in the sounds of admiration and growling stomachs, an ancient evil arises. It opens its own chest …
Two hundred years of war between the Mharoti Empire and Great Khandaria destroyed the fair country of Sindhu. Rivers of blood spilled from the clash of armies, titanic detonations of alchemical munitions, and arcane corruption from all manner of spells transformed this once fertile land into the Red Wastes. Yet among the hastily buried corpses, …
Warlock’s Apprentice: Lost Combat Spells of the Red Wastes Read More »
Bringing you a taste from the dark pages of Warlock… Down a mostly forgotten passage of the Undercity, behind a partially cleared rockfall, lies the arched chamber containing the Crimson Oubliette. Once known as the Depths, this wretched prison of narrow cell doors dotting the curving walls of a five hundred foot deep cylindrical shaft …
Having made our escape from the wicked spider slavers by means of Qatin’s gravity-defying magic, Agosto and I helplessly soared higher and higher into the sky. The exhilaration of freedom quickly gave way to stark terror. “Agosto!” I shouted. “We appear to be rising up into the sky at an alarming rate!” “That is true, …
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Part 9, Bowing Before the Spider Gods (Ruined Pages—Fragments) Monks…slavers… …affixed the chains to our wrists and connected us to the line of other slaves. …they eat their foes….dragged…. A portal in the archway… …elsewhere…high-plateau, very arid… …now near a brackish lake, we… …thermal spring…leaping snake shot like an arrow…which poisoned Agosto!… ….Never should have …
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Alchemical Warfare Alchemical weapons have a long history in RPGs. It is a safe bet that the first gamers found themselves in a situation where igniting a flask of oil seemed like a great idea. Thumbing through the pages of history it is easy to find references to chemical weaponry. Chinese generals used clouds of …
Part 8, Captured by the Monks of Leng Woe and calamity! Imagine the worst that might befall a traveler, and that thought pales in comparison to what has happened to Agosto and I! Desert duststorms drove us Northward for three more days in clouds of choking grit and sand. But on the fourth day, the …
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Part 7, Rescued by Yakfolk When a traveler leaves Khubara, the local people have a quaint custom in which they attack the departing voyager and attempt to rob him of both goods and life. Such was the farewell we experienced upon our own leave taking. Now, I shall not say all in Khubara advocate such …
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Part 6, On the Plains of Qaen, Flying Cities, and the Mountains of Beldestan A traveler who leaves Rhaga to journey eastward rides for seven days across the Plains of Qaen. No lodging houses operate in this land except in a few remote locations. Many beautiful groves of date palms grow here and abundant wild …
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Part 5, On Parthia and the Fire-Worshippers of Atashkala Upon leaving Tabur by barge, it’s a twelve-day journey upon the Lumeta River. We fended off centaur raiders twice before reaching the eastern edge of the empire at the fortress town of Kazan. An impressive fortification, the town rests on both sides of the water and …
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Part Four, On Traveling Eastward Let us pause a moment and speak on the decision to leave for the East via the city of Tabur. There are some who would advise a traveler to depart instead from the fortress city of Sarkland in the Gizmiri province. This advice is the height of folly. Though it …
Part Three, On Betik, Province of the Book A prominent province indeed, Betik is well known as one of the greatest provinces of the entire Mharoti Empire. The road from Qiresh to Betik runs some 550 miles through high passes of the Dragoncoil. Yet this is not a hard journey as well-appointed hostels and waystations …
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Part Two, Qiresh and the Roads of the Mharoti Empire On the coast of the Ruby Sea is the town of Qiresh, which is a bustling centre of trade. You may depend on it that spices and cloths and all manner of valuable things from the interior are carried to this town. Qiresh possesses a sheltered harbor …
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