#faction

[askymzbuki]

[dailyadventureprompts]

Campaign Starter: Tales from the Bonecart

Whether it's due to superstition or a distaste for a toilsome and muddy trade, folk tend to pay little attention to gravediggers. This makes for an awfully convenient cover for your travelling troupe of tombrobbers as they tour around the realm's backroads filling their pockets with mementos purloined from the dead.

Planning adventures for "evil" campaigns can be tough, but sometimes you and your players just want an excuse to get your hands dirty. What better opportunity to get DEEP down in the dirt than to hand out shovels and have them start out as a group of travelling undertakers/thieves?

Setup: A handful of crews have run the bonecart scam over the past several generations, tempering their skullduggerous actions with a bit of honest gravemaking. This dichotomy is no better represented in the current heads of the operation: Dour and hardworking Heliana, who minds the cart's reigns and keeps the crew on track, and the knavish academic Benjamin Eelpot who loves delving into things that should best stay buried. These two have taken the party on for a series of jobs that will likely require a cold heart and a strong stomach, stealing from both the living and the dead and hoping not to get caught in the meantime.

Adventure Hooks:

The party's first outing on the bonecart should be a meat-and-potatoes sort of job, used to set the tone of the campaign, which happens to sound like "Someone old and rich and lonely has died, leaving their house haunted and their valuables unguarded".

While being stewards of the dead is a great cover, it sometimes attracts the wrong sort of attention, such as when a nobleman offers the party a great reward to investigate an abandoned necropolis and the source of the terrifying dreams that haunt him. Gold is gold though, and surely this couldn't have too many long reaching complications for them.

Irony of ironies, Shortly after one of their scores the party is setupon by a group of bandits disguised as dead men, who manage to make off with a good portion of their illgotten gain. There's no way to recover their goods through official channels, so they'll have to do it themselves.

Throughout their early adventures the party will need to avoid the attention of the heavy handed sheriff hired by the local nobility to quietly and brutally dispose of criminals like themselves.

You get a lot of weird jobs being a gravedigger, but "limo service" is not usually one of them. Still, money is money, and when a bloodsoaked countess offers to pay the bonecart well to defend and transport her coffin across the lands so she can attend a gathering of the great and the ghoulish who are they to say no?

Heliana will eventually approach the party once they've gotten enough shared time , experience, and nightmarish close calls under their belts. She's got some personal matters to attend to, which involve a list of names belonging to an old secret society and a series of graves across the countryside that may contain clues to the locations of some great treasure. Its a bolder job then the crew usually pulls, and will draw unwanted attention, but they can rely on eachother to pull through, right?

Art 1 Art 2 Art 3

[littlemagicalstardust]

Trent shared this throwback photo of a time when him and Chuck swapped ring gear outfits on Twitter/X. ------ I'm so curious to watch how everything plays out tomorrow on AEW Dynamite.

[levodoom]

Stalward - Those Who Endure: Convokers

Learn More

[is-newtonswife]

I've been busy with my university work (I still have tons of assignments to complete) and haven’t been able to draw anything to share with you. But I cannot leave my Tumblr friends without anything. So today, I am going to share my favorite Korean webtoon with you, which I think you might love.

The webtoon is called 'Neuutonus,' and unfortunately, it is only available in Korean for now. The story revolves around Sir Isaac Newton’s life as an alchemist. Although it is fiction (similar to 'The Baroque Cycle' by Neal Stephenson or 'The Invisible Brothers' by Kurt Aust), the historical research about Newton and the 17th-century Royal Society is quite accurate.

You can read the webtoon on this platform, but I highly recommend using Google Translate Lens if you don't know Korean. Here are some characters and scenes from the webtoon:

Isaac Newton (Main Character)

John Wickins (Newton’s Roommate)

Robert Boyle

Robert Hooke

[smfolklore]

This or That?

Hi! Okay so I have two separate ideas, but I wanted to know if you all have a preference 😋

1 - Training with Tobias as his girlfriend and it’ll be all flirtatious and fun..

2 - Training with Tobias as his initiate but it’s full of tension and attraction..

3 - Surprising Tobias with your first date in a world where there is no war..

[wealmostaneckbeard]

Lancer: Hostile Forces

Here are 3 unrelated factions (each consisting of 3 units) for the mecha/pliot table-top role playing game Lancer:

1. Voidborn Oppressors

They used to be humble spaceship salvagers during the war between worlds. Once the war was over, they found themselves to have more military assets than the surviving planet-bound nations. And so they've leveraged their power to regulate all trade and politics across the entire solar system. Anyone who shows defiance to their authority will be crushed with disproportionate force.

Demolisher + Pirate = Wreck Mistress

During the war, arguments over salvage rights were typically resolved in favor of whoever had a Wreck Mistress. It is an intimidating machine traditionally piloted by a cold woman. It incorporates the most terrifying weapons-tech from the war: Slaver Signal, Demolition Hammer, Coreworm Rockets, Seismic Destroyer. These mechs are passed down from mother to favored daughter. Wreck Mistresses were used during the subjugation of planetary nations to butcher both mechs and their pilots in grisly spectacle.

Scourer + Commander = Las-Boss

Using a mecha-scaled laser cutter to disassemble military cruisers requires a steady hand and a keen mind. One miscalculation or twitch of the controls could result in a small nuke going off. During the war there was always demand for a "lascut specialist" for the previously stated reasons. Those who survived long enough in the profession would earn legions of followers and the best berths in any station. These wartime scrap-stars are now looking for opportunities to prove they are still just as hot as their instruments, prior to cooling. They may be accompanied by a Squad or a couple of Assault Grunts serving as groupie-bodyguards. A Las-boss must have the Melt optional system and the Military Discipline trait.

Assassin + Spacer = Boarder

The Boarder MK.I was a standardized powered exoskeleton designed for high mobility and dirty close quarters combat. It's pilots would typically use Thumper Grenades to disable targets, Leap to close the gap, and a Heated Blade to finish them off. The Mk. II was designed for combat on planet surfaces and operating alongside Wreck Mistresses. This new version of the Boarder was equipped with a Gravity Rifle (much needed ranged firepower) and Kai Bioplating (maintaining it's mobility within a gravity well). The MK. III addresses the fact that Boarders were being destroyed by being out-ranged or out-gunned, and so it features a two-fold solution. The Assassin's Mark would give the Boarder some protection from a single attacker. And a Cloud Projector would give it the ability to dodge fire from multiple attackers. During protests against the Voidborn, effigies of Boarders are set on fire and paraded around.

2. Radiovore Colony

These organisms are like a cross between bombardier beetles and nudibranchs, scaled to megafauna sizes. Radiovores naturally produce hyper-reactive chemical substances that they use for a variety of purposes. They are able to do this because they feed on rare metals and radioactive materials which gives them the necessary mutations. Their diet puts them at odds with human mining colonies pursuing the same resources. Both the Nester and the Suitor have the Regenerator and Living Chassis traits from the Exotic template.

Monstrosity = Progeny

Casually classified as being old enough to leave their nest but not mutated yet. They have claws, a corrosive bite, and acid spittle attacks. Progeny use hit and run tactics on prey, while threats are safely melted from a distance. There doesn't seem to be a limit to how old a Progeny can get, ancient ones gain the Regenerator trait.

Pyro + Exotic = Nester

When a Progeny finds high quantities of mutation-inducing materials in a defensible nest, it will become a bloated Nester. It's acid spitting gland becomes a shorter range flamethrower. They use an ability similar to the FIREBREAK Shield to protect their eggs and Progeny. After mating with a Suitor, the nester will start to lay eggs. Radiovore nests filled with eggs generate so much heat they are practically kilns. Nesters have to have burn immunity and the ability to disperse heat in order to survive. As they get near the end of their lives, an old Nester will form a hardened shell (siege armor) over their body.

Seeder + Exotic = Suitor

Progeny that have left their nests, have found low quantities of radioactive material but little shelter, turn into Suitors. These Radiovores spend their time building biomechanical bombs with different kinds of yields and payloads for multiple purposes. At first their explosives are used for the creation of nests and exploratory mining operations. Once a Progeny has taken over a nest and become a Nester, the Suitor's bombs are then used in a courting ritual. The Nester will only mate with a Suitor who presents bombs that are highest-yield/least-stable. To minimize damage, Nesters will instinctively drive suitors far away from the nest. The Suitor has to make and transport their explosives from these remote locations. They may test out delivery routes to a nest with Stun, Sealant, or Shock Mines first before upgrading to the Explosive type. Wait long enough and an exterminator can follow a Suitor back to their nest, but actually tracking it (even in low flying aircraft) can be incredibly risky.

3. First Strike Team

Long range nuclear missiles, "Super-Hacker" NHPs, TBK bioweapon suites. All these human-made horrors need time to arm, aim, and launch. First Strike Teams can neutralize these threats to national security within that prep phase, if deployed accurately and correctly. Because of that big if, FSTs are maintained and commanded by covert intelligence bureaus, to ensure an uninterrupted flow of reliable target data. These teams are subject to less scrutiny than the superweapons they hunt and are only beholden to a bureau's director. Because of this, FSTs are viewed with suspicion by everyone who knows about them. When deployed to a target location, an FST is a frantic collective because they know they've only got minutes to save their world.

Mirage + Ship = Blink-Boat

The purpose of this ship is to get a Ground Team as close as possible to their targets. Blink-boats can teleport from their launch pad to anywhere within a half-lightyear but after that they can only make shorter jumps. That's when their secondary stealth functions are used, to protect itself and passengers from any immediate attacks by defensive. Given how delicate and experimental they are, Blink-boats do not carry any conventional weapons that can backfire on itself. There has been some speculation about what might happen if a blink-boat's launch-pad jump was sabotaged.

Squad = Ground Team

GTs will not leave their blink-boat until they are exactly where they should be. Once deployed, they will overwhelm hostile security with superior numbers and firepower. They are given all kinds of equipment and training depending on which target they are supposed to disable. The gear can range from breaching charges and system hacking tools to 3D maneuvering gear and heavy body armor.

Ace + RPV = Escorters

Durability, mobility, and firepower, these are the three virtues of the Escorter remote piloted vehicle. They deploy and spread out from the underbelly of the Blink-Boat after it has arrived in a target location. These robots will take the hits (which they will occasionally dodge thanks to Barrel Roll) that the rest of the FST cannot. This miraculous semi-autonomous weapon design comes at a horrible cost: Escorters are absurdly vulnerable to electronic warfare. However if one of them was hacked so thoroughly that it fired on the rest of the FST, the blink-boat's e-warfare suite would be able to keep the rest of the team safe.

[good-books-to-read]

Title & Author: Lore of the Deep by Claire Cock-Starkey

Publication Date: Out Now!

Score: 83/100

Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/650f93ec-708f-404c-9028-936dce7d6cfc

Comments: This beautifully illustrated book introduces children to mythology and folklore from the sea. I particularly appreciated the layout, which featured a clear and easy-to-understand content page. The book is divided into several categories, including "Creatures of the Sea" and "Stormy Waters," with each category containing 5 to 6 entries. For instance, the "Stormy Waters" section covers topics like sea weather lore and waves and whirlpools.

Each entry includes a short story, such as "Arion and the Dolphin" and "Sinbad the Sailor and the Roc." Although the stories are brief, they fit well with the overall flow of the book and are perfectly suited for a younger audience.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group for providing me this book for review consideration via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[multiversetravelingjournalist]

Federated Hives

Join the Federated Hives! We have...

The Stone golems from that one arc of Vox Machina

Literal insect armor made from living insects

AI overseer and her beloved drone maintainers

H.R. Geiger meeting Metropolis

And so much more.

Join today!

[unicornlandsposts]

[dailyadventureprompts]

Adventure: The Siege of Frostmanse

A hero takes up arms against a powerful frost giant mage, threatening to destabilize the realm and forcing the party, their allies, and the powers that be to start choosing sides.

For generations Ylnriig the Argent has provided council and arcane insight to kings, jarls, and champions alike, seeking to maintain some measure of calm across the rugged land and icy seas that neighbour her home. Songs are sung about the great wonders she has performed, but also the great prices she has exacted in the name of keeping the peace: Plagues halted by burying villages in ice, destined dooms averted by the noble sacrifice of innocents.

Songs are also sung about Rothger Redsail, and his Redsail raiders. Brave beyond recounting, this living legend and his viking crew are said to have toppled foreign thrones, drunk mead with stormgods, and even sailed over the edge of the world. Now Rothger is back in his homeland and he has no qualms about what his next voyage is to be: He aims to sail against the giant and topple Ylnriig's head from her shoulders, so that the people might never pay her terrible price ever again.

Setup: This scenario works best if the party has a good impression of both Ylnriig and Rothger early on. Trophies from the Redsail's travels hanging in the tavern, local monuments to where Ylnriig averted some disaster through magical might or cleverness. Have the markets flooded with wonders offloaded from Rothger's latest viking expedition, while the town fountain runs with healing waters after being blessed by the giant's own hand. Neither side of this conflict is strictly in the wrong, and both give much to the world simply by their existence.

Everything changes when Rothger sails back into harbour and starts laying the groundwork for his attack on Ylnriig's home, securing supplies and new recruits for the Redsail Raiders, hobnobbing with the local power players to ensure they support his actions. Initially he'll keep the goal of his next expedition secret, boasting to the masses only that his next mission will deliver them into a time of prosperity and opportunity that neither they or their direct forebears could imagine.

Adventure Hooks

Facing some great challenge, the party might be sent to petition Ylnriig for aid, being forced to make the trip to Frostmanse, her isolated sanctum nestled among the far fjords. The ice giant may seem to give them the cold shoulder, sending them off on some wizardly errand as payment for her involvement, but after some time enjoying her hospitality the party may come to know Ylnriig as the deeply caring scholar that hides beneath her shrewd and utilitarian exterior.

Early on, the party might be tempted to join the Redsail Raiders. Doing so would greatly boost their credibility, and give them backing and direction that they'd normally miss out on as independent sellswords. Doing so will likely require that they prove themselves to the hardened sailors of Rothger's warband , but that's what apprentice level adventurers do isn't it?

Eventually a secret long buried will come to light: More than a score of years ago Rothger and Ylnriig used to be lovers, their relationship as passionate and tempestuous as where volcanic flow meets glacial ice. Rothger was off on one of his grand adventures when plague broke out in his home village, a plague that could only be staunched through drastic magical intervention. Ylnriig ran the numbers, and make an awful but nessisary choice that saved tens of thousands while dooming Rothger's family and clan to a cold and awful death.

Though Rothger's animosity towards Ylnriig is genuine, his actions are being backed by a coalition of powerplayers throughout the region who consider the Wizard's continued meddling an impediment to their ambitions. If he succeeds, they'll be able to enact schemes and settle scores that've stayed idle for generations. If he fails, they'll have a martyr to rally support around, as they make a second attempt to oust the giant.

Artsouce

[levodoom]

Stalward - Those who Endure: Covens

"There are those who see magic as the only answer, and everyone else the problem"

Learn More about this faction here

[wwemcumuscleslover]

This WWE Faction is one of my favorite of all time

Evolution

The Nature Ric Flair

The Game Triple H

The Animal Batista

The Viper Randy Orton..

[thesweetdevilsamantha]

Inkling And Ezi. A fanfiction for the book Inkling

Ik I've never mentioned this project before, but I'm writing a fanfiction! The cover is a work in progress but I thought I should share it.

[dnd-homebrew-adventures]

D&D 5E Faction Ideas: The Followers of the Imprisoned One

D&D 5E Faction Ideas: The Followers of the Imprisoned One The Speaker Share 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp Created for the sole purpose of resurrecting their dead god from a divine prison, these devoted followers scour the world for their god’s powerful artifacts. But this d&d faction plans on betraying their god to consume its power and become immortal deities themselves. The Faction’s…