In Summary: * As my vision continues to recover from the treatment received yesterday afternoon, I've been very careful not to use my eyes too much. I've used heavy sunglasses every time I went outside, I've used my prescription eyeglasses whenever watching TV, working at the computer, or reading. The only surprising effect today has been an increase of annoying “floaters” in my vision.

I've done more radio and music listening today than usual, and less screen watching of any kind. That's probably good for me in ways other that resting my eyes, truth be told. Listening now to “Oldies” hits from 1966. Soon I'll tune in a radio pregame broadcast ahead of an MLB game, then I'll listen to the radio call of that Rangers vs White Sox game. And that'll end my “recovery” Wednesday.

Prayers, etc.: * I have a daily prayer regimen I try to follow throughout the day from early morning, as soon as I roll out of bed, until head hits pillow at night.

Health Metrics: * bw= 224.1 lbs. * bp= 153/90 (62)

Exercise: * morning stretches, balance exercises, kegel pelvic floor exercises, half squats, calf raises, wall push-ups, BP breathing exercises, pilates

Diet: * 05:05 – 1 little cupcake * 06:15 – 1 fresh apple * 06:45 – pizza * 12:00 – chicken tenders and gravy, mashed potatoes * 15:30 – 1 fresh tangerine

Activities, Chores, etc.: * 04:00 – listen to local news talk radio * 04:35 – bank accounts activity monitored . * 05:00 – read, write, pray, follow news reports from various sources, surf the socials, nap * 09:00 – listen to relaxing music * 12:00 to 13:00 – watch old game shows and eat lunch at home with Sylvia * 13:15 tuned into 107.5 The Fan well ahead of this afternoon's The Ride With JMV Show for even more Indiana sports talk. * 17:00 – listen to relaxing music * 18:00 – tuned into 105.3 The Fan well ahead of tonight's Rangers / White Sox game

Chess: * 10:15 – moved in all pending CC games

18 August 2026

Gendlin gave the name “felt sense” to the unclear, pre-verbal sense of “something”—the inner knowledge or awareness that has not been consciously thought or verbalized—as that “something” is experienced in the body. It is not the same as an emotion. This bodily felt “something” may be an awareness of a situation or an old hurt, or of something that is “coming”—perhaps an idea or insight. Crucial to the concept, as defined by Gendlin, is that it is unclear and vague, and it is always more than any attempt to express it verbally. Gendlin also described it as “sensing an implicit complexity, a wholistic sense of what one is working on”.

Agosto | ¿Por qué tenemos tanto miedo de sentir?

¿Por qué uno tiene que reprimir tanto sus emociones?

¿Por qué no podemos ser intensos? ¿Por qué sentimos que somos demasiado cuando sentimos mucho?

Si te gusta alguien, ¿por qué da tanto miedo decirlo?

¿Por qué me da miedo decirte que te extraño?

Que ya no recuerdo tu aroma, pero que quisiera volver a tenerte cerca para recordarlo. Que quisiera volver a ver esos ojos de cerca, con ese brillo tan particular que tienen cuando hablas de algo que te apasiona. Escucharte hablar de todo y de nada. Volver a sentir tus besos, tus manos. Quisiera simplemente estar existiendo a tu lado, sin hacer nada extraordinario, solamente estar.

Te extraño.

Y me duele admitirlo.

Pero lo más complejo de todo no es extrañarte. Lo más complejo es sentir que no puedo decírtelo.

Porque entonces aparecen todas las dudas.

Tal vez dejaste de sentir lo mismo de la noche a la mañana.

Tal vez te arrepentiste.

Tal vez prefieres que seamos amigos.

Tal vez ya no me piensas de la misma manera en la que yo te pienso.

Tal vez para ti aquello que pasó fue solamente un momento y para mí se convirtió en algo mucho más difícil de acomodar.

Tal vez…

Y ese es el problema.

Que no sé.

No sé qué piensas. No sé qué sientes. No sé si me extrañas. No sé si alguna vez aparezco en tus pensamientos de la misma forma en la que tú apareces en los míos.

Y quizá por eso me da miedo preguntarlo.

Porque mientras no sepa, todavía puedo imaginar cualquier respuesta.

Puedo pensar que tal vez sí me extrañas. Que tal vez también tienes ganas de verme. Que tal vez cuando escuchas alguna canción, recuerdas algo de nosotros. Que tal vez, en algún momento del día, también te preguntas qué estoy haciendo.

Pero si pregunto, existe la posibilidad de que la respuesta sea otra.

Y creo que eso es lo que realmente me asusta.

No extrañarte.

No sentir.

No ser intensa.

Me asusta descubrir que todo esto que todavía siento está ocurriendo solamente de mi lado.

Y qué extraño es eso de querer decirle a alguien “te extraño” y, al mismo tiempo, tener tanto miedo de descubrir que quizá tú ya no tienes ganas de escuchar esas palabras.

Sequestered in absentia, notes of wander beckoned notice like the blooded claim of an overtly familiar bite. Too tarnished to maintain an omniscience, her need began The Unraveling. Each tug. Every touch. All sensation became a ripened prayer to yearning's phantom dismemberment, and the obligatory recycling mandated when learning to walk on two broken feet.

© 2026 AnOublietteofThought. All rights reserved.

—

I’m working on a book of erotic poetry. I thought I'd pen some pieces to wander along beside it and wet the appetite. Those who know my writing side well know that I loathe creating titles for poetry. Titles for books are quite exciting, on the otherhand. I already know what this one will be.

hello guess what? I’m on the train again. This time brightly illuminated pale fields of wheat and pine tree forests are zipping by along with a handful of red houses haphazardly scattered like raisins in a müsli

It’s always nice to come home. I felt disoriented when I woke up this morning in the apartment. A disappointment settling inside as I learned where I was.

I think mornings can be harsh, because there’s always a brief moment when you have a clean slate, and as the state is loaded back into the brain, the disappointments and failures briefly forgotten, are reexperienced.

Of course there are good things loaded with the context too, like waking up for the first time next to someone you love etc

Life itself is indeed like a müsli, but sometimes there’s shit in it.

Il existe des regards sous lesquels nous nous corrigeons avant même d'avoir parlé.

Ils n'ont pas besoin d'être hostiles. Une hésitation suffit, un sourcil qui se lève, une présence qui recule à peine. Alors nous baissons la voix, nous rangeons un désir, nous choisissons une version de nous plus facile à recevoir. Nous apprenons à nous présenter comme on prépare une chambre pour un invité difficile, en retirant tout ce qui pourrait encombrer son regard. À la longue, ce regard n'a même plus besoin d'être là. Nous l'emportons avec nous. Nous rangeons la chambre pour personne.

Et puis il existe le regard heureux. Celui qui ne nous embellit pas. Il se réjouit simplement de nous trouver là, et il ne demande pas que nous soyons achevés pour prendre plaisir à notre présence. C'est ce qui le rend si convaincant. La bienveillance est une décision, et nous le sentons. La joie de nous voir n'en est pas une. On peut choisir d'être patient avec quelqu'un. On ne choisit pas d'être content qu'il existe.

Sous ce regard, quelque chose en nous cesse de rentrer le ventre. La voix que nous avions baissée reprend son volume. Ce qui riait trop fort, hésitait trop longtemps ou rêvait de travers retrouve le droit de circuler dans la pièce. Nous n'avons plus à déposer devant nous, comme une carte de visite, une version commode de ce que nous sommes.

Quelqu'un nous accueille.

Pas avec une grande déclaration. Pas nécessairement avec des promesses. L'accueil véritable fait peu de bruit. Il ressemble à une porte qui reste ouverte alors que nous pensions devoir repartir. À une chaise que personne ne retire au moment où nous nous asseyons. À un regard qui ne se détourne pas lorsque notre belle composition se défait un peu.

Être accueilli, c'est pouvoir apparaître sans passer d'abord par l'atelier des retouches. C'est montrer une joie trop vive, une peur mal coiffée, une idée encore bancale, et découvrir que rien ne s'effondre. L'autre est toujours là. Il ne nous confond pas avec notre maladresse du jour. Nos aveux ne deviendront pas, plus tard, des marteaux. Notre vulnérabilité n'est pas versée au dossier à charge.

Il accueille et il observe.

Observer quelqu'un est une forme rare de générosité. Cela demande de ne pas courir vers une conclusion, de ne pas expliquer à sa place ce qu'il ressent. Expliquer quelqu'un est si souvent une manière polie de le ranger. Celui qui observe regarde ce qui naît, ce qui hésite, ce qui revient. Il laisse la personne se révéler à son rythme, comme une couleur monte dans une toile encore humide.

Et surtout, il peut le faire avec gaieté.

L'accueil n'a pas besoin du visage sévère des salles d'attente. La gravité de celui qui écoute risque même de confirmer la crainte de celui qui parle : si l'autre prend cet air, c'est que la chose devait être grave. On peut recevoir quelqu'un avec un sourire, un verre posé sur la table, une plaisanterie qui rend l'air plus léger. On peut trouver charmant qu'un être humain ne tienne pas tout entier dans la première définition venue.

Cette gaieté n'efface pas la profondeur. Elle lui donne de l'oxygène. Elle dit : ce que tu es n'est pas une catastrophe. Je peux te regarder sans convoquer aussitôt les pompiers, les juges et les architectes. Tu peux être étrange ici. Tu peux être magnifique et parfois franchement pénible. Tu peux te tromper sans être expulsé du paysage.

Alors quelque chose se détend.

La personne cesse de consacrer toute son énergie à protéger son droit de rester. Elle n'a plus à séduire à chaque phrase ni à préparer sa défense avant même d'avoir ouvert la bouche. Ce qui se tenait caché peut enfin sortir, s'étirer, respirer, regarder autour de soi.

Et c'est seulement là que le changement commence.

Car on ne fait pas grandir quelqu'un en lui répétant qu'il devrait déjà être différent. On obtient parfois une obéissance, une imitation convaincante, une amélioration de façade. Mais la transformation profonde ne pousse pas sous la menace de perdre l'amour. Elle pousse lorsque l'être comprend qu'il peut se transformer sans devoir d'abord se renier.

Ce qui est accueilli n'est pas condamné à rester identique. C'est même l'inverse : on n'est libre de devenir autre que lorsqu'on a le droit de rester tel qu'on est. Ce qui est accueilli n'a plus besoin de s'agripper à sa forme actuelle pour survivre. Il peut bouger. Il peut lâcher une vieille défense sans craindre de disparaître avec elle, essayer, rater, recommencer.

Ce regard ne devient pas pour autant celui d'un sculpteur. Il ne corrige pas chaque angle, il ne polit pas chaque rugosité, et il ne signe pas ce qui pousse. Il offre une présence assez vaste pour que nous puissions nous y rencontrer, et assez libre pour que nous n'en devenions pas la propriété.

Accueillir ne signifie pas tout accepter. On peut poser une limite sans retirer son regard, refuser un geste sans effacer la personne, dire non sans faire de ce non un exil. Un non prononcé sans retrait suppose même que l'autre peut l'entendre sans s'effondrer. C'est encore une forme de confiance. L'accueil véritable ne consiste pas à applaudir tout ce qui apparaît. Il consiste à ne pas confondre l'amour avec une récompense distribuée aux versions bien élevées.

Peu à peu, ce regard reçu devient le nôtre. Nous l'emportons avec nous, comme nous avions emporté l'autre. Nous apprenons à nous offrir cette même hospitalité, nous cessons de nous jeter dehors à la première faute. Nous devenons pour nous ce lieu où rien n'est forcé de mentir pour avoir le droit de rester.

C'est sans doute cela, aimer quelqu'un.

Lui préparer un espace assez doux pour qu'il ose y être vrai, une chambre où il n'ait rien à ranger avant d'entrer. L'observer avec curiosité, parfois avec amusement, toujours avec respect. Ne pas lui demander de devenir meilleur avant de mériter notre présence.

A more typical win.

I won this game yesterday evening when my opponent playing White resigned the game after my 33rd move (33...Rxc3), giving me the win by default. Checkmate was clearly only two moves away at this point and there was nothing he could do to avoid it.

This game began on 27 July and ended yesterday, so he and I moved at a pretty good pace. Even though we were playing with a 2 days per move time control, we kept at it; sometimes taking the full 2 days, other times moving several times in a day.

The position of pieces at game's end is shown above, and our full move record below:

1. e4 a6 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Be2 e5 4. a3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d5 6. h3 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. d4 Nxd4 9. Nxd4 exd4 10. Qxd4 c6 11. e5 Ne4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxd8 Rxd8 14. b4 b5 15. Be3 h6 16. f3 exf3 17. Bxf3 Bb7 18. c3 Rd3 19. Bd4 a5 20. Rfe1 Rc8 21. Bg4 Rd8 22. Re4 c5 23. bxc5 Bxe4 24. e6 fxe6 25. Bxe6+ Kh8 26. Bg4 Bg5 27. Be2 Be3+ 28. Kh2 Bf4+ 29. Kg1 Rd2 30. Kf1 Rd8xd4 31. Kf2 Rd4d3 32. Rg1 Bg3+ 33. Kf1 Rxc3

And the adventure continues.

Starcraft Co. 17- Open War

By the time the UIC formally acknowledged that it was at war, the distinction had become almost academic. Renegade Terran forces were no longer operating through isolated laboratories, hidden breeding farms and deniable research installations. They held territory. They fielded fleets. They controlled Zerg swarms large enough to assault major population centers, and intelligence recovered from Khamsin and Aiur suggested that every previous operation had been preparation for something larger. The discovery that finally pushed the Council into open mobilization came from a captured renegade communications node near the frontier. Analysts found repeated references to a device called a psi emitter, a machine capable of projecting a signal across interstellar distances and drawing Zerg toward it from systems far beyond any conventional sensor range. The renegades had not needed to breed every creature that attacked Kestral or New Carthage. They could summon wild swarms, concentrate them around a chosen target, and then use their developing control technology to point the resulting biological hurricane in a useful direction. The emitter had been located on Niflheim, an otherwise insignificant snowbound planet near the edge of UIC-controlled space. There were no major cities, almost no permanent population and little economic infrastructure beyond automated mineral extraction. The renegades had chosen it because none of those things mattered. Niflheim sat close enough to several known migration routes that the emitter could draw Zerg toward the core while remaining far from civilian interference. Reconnaissance already showed the consequences. Swarms were arriving continuously. Some contained only a few hundred organisms. Others numbered in the thousands. Mutalisks descended from orbit beside overlords carrying ground strains. Scourge appeared in clouds. Ultralisks wandered across the ice beneath them. The biological signatures surrounding the emitter increased every hour.

For once, the UIC reacted with something approaching its full strength. Fleets were pulled from multiple sectors. Army formations mobilized from core worlds. Hundreds of transports moved toward Niflheim. General Voss informed StarCraft Co. that Central Command intended to destroy the emitter with overwhelming force and requested that the company deploy as a supporting reserve. The commander read the operation plan and immediately disliked it. The primary landing zone was an open basin south of the emitter, a broad snowfield surrounded by low ridges. It offered room to land an enormous army quickly and almost nothing else. “You're putting the main force in low ground,” the commander said. Voss answered that the basin was the only area large enough to accommodate simultaneous landings by several divisions. “It also has no natural barriers, no defensible approaches and high ground on three sides.” Voss hesitated. “The Army believes massed firepower will compensate.” The commander stared at the map. “Against how many Zerg?” “Current estimate is uncertain.” “Then what exactly are they compensating for?” Voss sighed. “This plan is already approved.” The commander understood what that meant. Too many generals, too many commands and too many signatures had accumulated behind it for anyone to change course without admitting the obvious flaw. StarCraft Co. was ordered to remain in reserve and arrive after the main assault was underway.

The UIC army landed first. Thousands of marines and medics established bunker lines across the snow while siege tanks deployed behind them. Goliaths formed anti-air belts around the artillery. Battlecruisers hovered overhead. Wraiths and Valkyries screened the approaches. On a tactical display it looked formidable. In person, it looked exposed. The first Zerg attack came before half the supply depots were operational. Several dozen ultralisks formed the spearhead, charging directly across the open snow while artillery fired into them from maximum range. Behind them came an ocean of zerglings and hydralisks. The UIC tank lines inflicted staggering casualties, but there was nowhere to funnel the attackers and no terrain forcing them into manageable concentrations. The swarm simply spread wider. The ultralisks reached the bunkers. Some died within meters of them. Others hit at full speed. Entire defensive positions disappeared beneath kaiser blades and tons of armored flesh. Zerglings poured through the openings. Hydralisks stopped beyond the first line and fired continuously into the exposed infantry. UIC commanders committed reserve tanks early, then discovered that the reserves had nowhere useful to deploy because fleeing troops and advancing Zerg already filled the snowfield. What should have been layered defenses became one enormous firing line, and once sections of that line broke there was nothing behind them except more soldiers.

The air battle collapsed almost simultaneously. UIC battlecruisers moved forward to relieve the ground force and encountered clouds of scourge screened by devourers. Laser batteries destroyed hundreds, but hundreds more came behind them. Corrosive spores coated hulls and weakened armor. Scourge struck damaged sections in clusters. One battlecruiser exploded above the battlefield and fell burning into the snow. Another lost propulsion and was torn apart by successive impacts before evacuation could begin. Goliaths attempted to support the fleet and found guardians drifting beyond effective anti-air angles, launching biological projectiles into their formations while mutalisks swept through the gaps. Within hours, the UIC's carefully assembled assault force had become a disaster visible from orbit. StarCraft Co. arrived while it was still happening. The commander took one look at the tactical display and ignored the designated reserve landing zone. “Mountains,” he ordered.

StarCraft Co. transports redirected toward a range west of the battlefield, where narrow valleys and elevated plateaus provided exactly what the UIC deployment lacked. Dropships landed infantry and SCVs first. Siege tanks followed. Goliaths occupied ridgelines. Missile turrets began appearing before the final transports touched down. Battlecruisers remained above the mountains rather than descending into the air battle over the basin. Valkyries and Wraiths operated beneath their protection. StarCraft Co. had fewer forces than the UIC army being annihilated below, but it possessed something the government force had thrown away at the moment of landing: terrain. The commander ordered no rescue assault into the basin. That decision drew immediate protests from surviving UIC officers. Thousands of government troops were still fighting below. The commander refused to commit StarCraft Co. into the same killing ground. Instead, he opened evacuation corridors through the western slopes and transmitted coordinates to anyone capable of reaching them. UIC units began retreating toward the mountains in fragments. Marines arrived without officers. Tank crews abandoned damaged vehicles and climbed through the snow on foot. Entire companies had been reduced to dozens of survivors. StarCraft Co. medics received them behind prepared positions while SCVs turned mountain passes into fortifications.

The Zerg followed, which was precisely what the commander wanted. Ultralisks that had crossed the open snowfield without obstruction found themselves entering narrow mountain approaches where only a handful could advance at once. Siege tanks firing from elevated terraces concentrated on the lead organisms. When one fell, its corpse became an obstacle for everything behind it. Zerglings climbed over the bodies and entered interlocking Gauss fire from bunkers cut into the rock. Hydralisks attempting to establish ranged positions discovered that StarCraft Co.'s artillery could see farther down the slopes than they could fire upward. Mutalisks and guardians approached the ridges and encountered Goliaths, Valkyries and layered missile-turret coverage. Science vessels moved continuously behind the defensive line, projecting matrices onto exposed positions and irradiating dense biological concentrations in the passes. The contrast with the basin was brutal. The same swarm that had shattered entire UIC divisions spent the next several hours dying in corridors of rock and snow. StarCraft Co. gave up individual positions whenever necessary, collapsed passages with demolition charges and forced the Zerg to find another route into yet another prepared kill zone. UIC survivors who reached the mountains were rearmed and folded into the defense. Some of them had spent the previous day fighting under generals who still believed a straight line of bunkers could stop enough Zerg if the line was thick enough. Now they watched StarCraft Co. deliberately surrender ground, force attackers into narrow approaches and destroy them a few hundred at a time.

By the end of the second day, the concentration that had destroyed the main UIC army was gone. Tens of thousands of Zerg lay across the approaches beneath the mountains. The surviving government force was a fraction of what had landed, but enough personnel had escaped that StarCraft Co. could use them to reinforce the newly established forward base. The commander did not waste time celebrating. Science-vessel scans showed more Zerg entering the system. The emitter remained active. Everything they had just killed was being replaced. That made the next objective obvious: destroy the emitter. The problem was reaching it.

The renegades had expected someone eventually to understand how important the device was, and they had built accordingly. The psi emitter stood on a mountainous island rising above a vast frozen lake north of the primary Zerg concentration. Terran fortifications surrounded the summit. Siege tanks covered the approaches. Bunkers and missile turrets formed overlapping defensive rings. The lake itself eliminated most conventional ground routes, while the surrounding valleys had been deliberately saturated with creep and Zerg structures. Sunken colonies existed in layers. Spore colonies made low-altitude air operations suicidal. Hydralisks were burrowed throughout the approaches. Every hour the emitter remained functional brought more organisms into the system. Worse, the renegades had hired Protoss. They were not Ara. Intelligence identified them as mercenary detachments drawn from several independent tribes willing to sell military service for resources or political favors. Scouts patrolled above the emitter. Corsairs provided rapid interception against lighter spacecraft. Carriers remained farther back under the protection of defensive structures, their interceptors capable of shredding anything attempting to linger above the installation. Most concerning were several arbiters moving between the air formations. Their presence complicated targeting and offered the defenders tactical options StarCraft Co. did not fully understand. Whatever the renegades had paid, they had purchased one of the strongest air-defense networks the company had ever encountered.

The command staff spent most of a night considering alternatives. A ground assault was discarded first. Even if StarCraft Co. could cross the outer Zerg lines, the ice surrounding the mountain forced vehicles into predictable approaches covered by siege tanks. Assaulting uphill through creep against Terran artillery while hydralisks and ultralisks attacked the flanks would turn the operation into the UIC landing all over again. An airborne strike looked almost as bad. Dropships would have to pass spore colonies, missile turrets, scourge, Scouts, Corsairs, carriers and whatever defensive effects the arbiters could produce. Enough aircraft might get through, but whatever infantry survived the landing would arrive beneath an intact fortress. Someone suggested nuclear weapons. For a moment, the room went quiet. StarCraft Co. possessed them. One ghost reaching firing range could theoretically end the problem without sacrificing an army. The commander asked the science-vessel staff to map detection coverage around the emitter. The answer killed the idea. Protoss observers, Terran missile systems, science-vessel equivalents and Zerg overlords created overlapping detection fields extending far beyond the target. A cloaked ghost might penetrate the outer line. Getting close enough to paint the emitter before being discovered was another matter. “We could send several,” one officer suggested. The commander looked at the casualty estimate. “We could send all of them. That doesn't make it a plan.”

The debate returned to air power because every other option was worse. The commander eventually reduced the problem to the same principle StarCraft Co. had used since Ardea. They did not need to defeat every defender. They needed to create one route to one target for long enough to fire several weapons. Battlecruisers could do that. Probably. The plan was ugly enough that nobody tried pretending otherwise. StarCraft Co. would mass its available capital ships, including the newer Minotaur-class vessels, reinforce them with every science vessel capable of generating defensive matrices, and attack through the narrowest practical corridor. Valkyries and Wraiths would clear scourge and smaller fliers immediately ahead of the formation. The battlecruisers would ignore targets that did not physically prevent forward movement. They would not attempt to win the air battle. They would punch through it, reach Yamato range, destroy the emitter and withdraw whatever remained. Losses were not a risk. Losses were part of the plan.

The commander looked around the briefing room after the final simulation. “We are sacrificing ships.” Nobody argued. The projections showed several battlecruisers unlikely to survive long enough to retreat. “Crews?” an officer asked. The commander had already decided. Skeleton complements would operate the vessels expected to take the heaviest fire. Nonessential personnel transferred to other ships. Damage-control teams remained because without them the formation might collapse before reaching the target. Every crew member received the choice to transfer out. Most stayed.

The assault began before dawn over the northern mountains. StarCraft Co. battlecruisers climbed from behind the ridgeline in a tight formation while Valkyries surged ahead. The defenders reacted immediately. Mutalisks and scourge rose from the Zerg lines. Terran missile turrets acquired targets. Protoss Scouts accelerated toward the formation while Corsairs swept around the flanks. Carriers released clouds of interceptors. The commander ordered the fleet forward. Valkyrie missiles saturated the space ahead. Scourge vanished by the hundreds. Wraiths engaged Scouts while science vessels moved dangerously close to the capital ships, wrapping defensive matrices around whichever hulls were taking the heaviest fire. Battlecruiser lasers ignored most of the fighters and concentrated on scourge slipping through the screen. The first devourers reached effective range and coated a Minotaur in corrosive spores. Its armor began failing almost immediately. The formation kept moving.

Protoss interceptors swarmed across the lead ships. Corsairs cut into the Wraith screen. Missile fire rose from the mountain. A battlecruiser on the eastern edge of the formation lost propulsion after repeated scourge impacts and began falling behind. Its captain reported that the ship could no longer maintain formation. “Can you still fire?” the commander asked. “Yes.” “Then keep firing.” The damaged vessel rotated toward a carrier and charged its Yamato cannon. The blast struck the Protoss ship while interceptors tore into the battlecruiser's exposed hull. Seconds later, another swarm of scourge reached it. The transmission ended. StarCraft Co. continued forward. The defenders had expected the Terrans to turn away when losses became severe. They had misunderstood the objective. Every ship destroyed after the formation entered the corridor had already accomplished part of its purpose by absorbing weapons that were not hitting the vessels behind it. Another battlecruiser lost its forward armor and continued under two overlapping defensive matrices. A third took direct fire from siege batteries on the mountain as it passed low enough for their trajectories to reach. Its port weapons failed. The starboard batteries kept firing.

The emitter appeared on targeting displays. Still too far. The commander ordered the formation tighter. Scourge struck the central ships. One Minotaur disappeared behind consecutive explosions, emerged burning and continued forward. Wraith losses crossed fifty percent. Valkyries were almost out of missiles. Science vessels began losing power from continuous matrix projection. Then the first battlecruiser entered Yamato range. “Fire.” Energy gathered along the ship's forward weapon assembly. A Protoss carrier crossed the firing line. The captain ignored it. The Yamato cannon discharged. The blast struck the outer shielding around the emitter. It remained standing. A second battlecruiser fired. The defensive field collapsed. The third ship began charging. Scourge hit it before the weapon discharged. The ship rolled sideways, losing altitude. The cannon fired anyway. The shot missed the emitter by less than fifty meters and obliterated a section of the surrounding installation.

The commander watched the remaining ships closing. “Again.” Yamato systems began recharging. There was no guarantee they would survive long enough. The Minotaur at the center of the formation reached firing range with half its outer armor gone. Missile impacts struck continuously along its hull. Interceptors swarmed around it. A science vessel projected a final defensive matrix over the forward section and immediately lost power. The Yamato cannon charged. The psi emitter continued broadcasting. More Zerg were already entering the system. The Minotaur fired. The emitter disappeared inside white light. For several seconds the sensors showed nothing. Then the signal stopped.

Across Niflheim, Zerg behavior changed almost immediately. Not dramatically. There was no sudden collapse or mass death. But the continuous influx from orbit ceased. Swarms already approaching the planet began dispersing. Some Zerg under renegade control continued fighting normally. Others became erratic. The strategic equation that had made the entire operation impossible changed in an instant. The commander ordered the surviving fleet out. The withdrawal was almost as expensive as the approach. Protoss mercenaries pursued. Scourge continued attacking. One battlecruiser that had survived the firing run lost engines before reaching the mountain cover and was abandoned after its crew transferred to nearby ships. Another made it back with enough structural damage that the engineers eventually declared repair economically irrational. The fleet that returned to StarCraft Co.'s forward base was substantially smaller than the fleet that left. The emitter was gone. That was enough.

Without endless reinforcement, the Zerg surrounding the mountain became finite. Finite problems were StarCraft Co.'s specialty. The counteroffensive began two days later. Siege tanks moved out from the mountain base beneath science-vessel detection. Marines and medics protected the artillery from zerglings while Goliaths handled the remaining air threat. The first hive complex received almost the same treatment as the northern hive on Khamsin. Sunken colonies were destroyed from outside their range. Spore colonies were shelled until Wraiths could operate safely overhead. Hydralisks attempting to burrow around the siege lines appeared on scanner sweeps and died before surfacing. The difference was scale. Niflheim contained enormous numbers of Zerg accumulated during the weeks the emitter had operated. Destroying them took months.

StarCraft Co. did not rush. The company established permanent forward positions throughout the mountains and gradually expanded outward. Each captured mineral field supported additional SCVs and fortifications. Siege lines advanced kilometers at a time. When resistance became too dense, the army stopped, built another base and resumed bombardment from there. The remaining renegade Terrans fought alongside the swarm. Their siege tanks forced StarCraft Co. to conduct counterbattery operations. Ghosts infiltrated defensive positions and locked down armored units before artillery advances. Renegade bunkers were isolated and destroyed. The Protoss mercenaries withdrew gradually once it became clear the psi emitter had been lost and the renegades could no longer guarantee victory. StarCraft Co. did not pursue them. The contract concerned Niflheim, not settling every score in the system. Winter became irrelevant on a planet where winter never ended. Weeks became months. One hive disappeared, then another. The frozen plains became covered in blackened creep and crater fields. Entire canyon networks were burned clean. Tens of thousands of Zerg died under artillery fire. Thousands more were exterminated by infantry advancing behind the siege lines. StarCraft Co. replaced losses. The UIC mostly sent paperwork.

Government reinforcements eventually arrived, but never in the numbers promised. Some formations fought effectively once integrated into StarCraft Co.'s operational structure. Others spent weeks securing areas that had already been cleared or refusing operations until orders arrived from commands several systems away. More than once, Central Command attempted to redirect StarCraft Co. units already engaged in the campaign because another department had decided the UIC retainer entitled it to priority access. The commander began rejecting those requests without discussion. General Voss intervened where he could, but his ability to protect the campaign from his own government was plainly limited. By the fourth month, StarCraft Co. was technically fighting under UIC strategic authority while operationally making almost every important decision itself.

Six months after the disastrous UIC landing, the final major hive on Niflheim was destroyed. The last spawning pools burned beneath a snowstorm. Science vessels scanned the region repeatedly and found only scattered biological signatures, remnants too small to constitute an organized force. Local teams could eliminate those over time. The planet no longer represented a strategic threat. The cost was enormous. The UIC had lost the majority of the forces committed during the initial assault. StarCraft Co. had sacrificed battlecruisers worth fortunes to destroy the emitter and then spent months feeding ammunition, replacement vehicles and soldiers into the ground campaign. Entire veteran formations had been rebuilt more than once. But the alternative had been worse. Recovered data from the emitter facility showed that the device's effective range encompassed multiple star systems simultaneously. Had it remained operational, the renegades could have continued drawing wild Zerg toward Niflheim until the swarm numbered in the millions. Once gathered, enthrallment systems could have redirected portions toward populated worlds throughout the core. New Carthage would not have been an exceptional siege. It would have been one of dozens.

The UIC paid accordingly. The final settlement was larger than any single transfer StarCraft Co. had ever received. Lost battlecruisers were compensated at replacement value. Combat bonuses, casualty payments, equipment losses and six months of operational expenses were added on top of the original contract. The government also increased StarCraft Co.'s standing retainer, ostensibly recognizing that the company now represented a strategic military asset rather than an ordinary PMC. On paper, the relationship had never been closer. In practice, both sides were beginning to understand that money was becoming the easiest part of it.

General Voss arrived in person for the final briefing. He walked through the company's mountain base past memorial plaques listing ships lost during the emitter run and soldiers killed during the campaign. The commander met him inside an operations room whose walls still displayed six months of shifting battle lines. Voss studied the final map. “All clear?” “Clear enough.” The general nodded. For a while neither man spoke. Then Voss said, “Central Command considers the operation a strategic victory.” The commander looked at him. “The operation where they landed an army in a bowl and lost most of it?” Voss winced. “That portion is being reviewed separately.” “I'm sure it is.” The general almost objected, then stopped. They had moved past pretending.

“There is going to be a formal inquiry,” Voss said. “Senior command wants testimony concerning the opening assault.” The commander looked at him. “Mine?” “Among others.” “Are they investigating who approved the landing zone?” Voss's hesitation answered before he did. “The inquiry has a broad mandate.” “That's not what I asked.” “No.” The commander leaned against the operations table. “Then I'm not especially interested in helping them determine which dead colonel should have objected more forcefully.” Voss's expression hardened slightly. “Careful.” It was the first time the general had spoken to him that way. The commander met his eyes. “I am being careful.”

The silence that followed was different from their earlier disagreements. Voss was still an ally, perhaps the closest thing StarCraft Co. had inside the UIC hierarchy, but he was also a general of that hierarchy. The distinction mattered more every month. “There are people in Central Command,” Voss said eventually, “who think your company is becoming too independent.” The commander almost smiled. “They hired us because we were independent.” “They hired you because you could do things quickly.” “Those are related.” “Not to everyone.” Voss glanced toward the tactical map. “You've ignored deployment orders, conducted operations without authorization and established direct relationships with foreign powers. You now possess capital ships, nuclear weapons, experimental infantry and a private intelligence network. Some people are asking where a contractor stops and an army begins.”

The commander considered the question. “Did any of those people make it to Niflheim before the shooting stopped?” Voss's jaw tightened. “That's exactly the kind of answer that worries them.” “Then they should worry more about why the answer is no.” Neither man raised his voice. They didn't need to. For years, StarCraft Co. had needed the UIC far more than the UIC needed StarCraft Co. The retainer, procurement access and government contracts had financed its transformation from a handful of mercenaries into a military organization. Niflheim made it increasingly difficult to say which side now possessed the greater leverage.

Voss looked again at the casualty figures and some of the tension left his expression. “I know what you think of us.” “I don't think that's a productive conversation.” “Probably not.” He paused. “But I also know we'd have lost this planet without you.” The commander folded his arms. “You might have lost more than this planet.” “Yes.” That admission mattered. Voss turned toward him. “This isn't going away. The renegades are stronger than we believed. They're coordinating with forces outside Terran space. They can breed Zerg, modify them, control them and attract them from systems away. And my military…” He stopped. The commander waited. Voss eventually finished. “…is not adapting quickly enough.” It was the first time a senior UIC officer had said it plainly. “No,” the commander replied.

Voss nodded once, then slid a datapad across the table. It contained the authorization for StarCraft Co.'s payment and increased retainer. Beneath it were several new conditions Central Command wanted added to the agreement: greater reporting requirements, tighter controls on independent deployments, mandatory notification before acquiring strategic weapons and a provision allowing the UIC to place liaison officers aboard StarCraft Co. capital ships. The commander read them without comment. “Those weren't part of the contract,” he said. “They're proposed revisions.” “We won't accept them.” “I assumed you wouldn't.” “Then why bring them?” Voss looked genuinely tired. “Because if I didn't, somebody less reasonable would.”

The commander pushed the datapad back. “They can keep proposing.” Voss took it. “And you can keep refusing. Eventually somebody is going to decide this arrangement needs to be clarified.” The commander looked through the observation window toward the surviving StarCraft Co. fleet above the mountains. New Minotaurs had already been ordered to replace the ships lost over the emitter. Veterans of the UIC's destroyed army were submitting applications to join the company in numbers large enough that recruiting had begun turning people away. Engineers wanted to work on StarCraft Co.'s weapons programs. Colonial governments increasingly contacted the company directly before bothering with Central Command. Even some UIC officers had started routing intelligence through the commander because doing so produced a response faster than sending it through their own hierarchy.

“Maybe it does,” the commander said.

Voss studied him for a moment, as though trying to decide whether there was more in the answer than the words themselves. If he found anything, he didn't say so. They shook hands before the general departed. It remained cordial. Technically, they were still on the same side.

Outside, StarCraft Co. battlecruisers moved above the mountains while SCVs dismantled forward positions no longer needed. The company had spent six months paying in blood for mistakes made during the first hours of the campaign, but it had emerged larger, richer, harder and considerably less willing to accept orders simply because the people giving them carried government insignia. The UIC had money, fleets, ministries and more soldiers than StarCraft Co. could yet hope to field. It also possessed layers of leadership that had repeatedly demonstrated an extraordinary talent for converting overwhelming advantages into disasters.

Open war had begun with the UIC attempting to demonstrate that it could still solve the crisis through overwhelming conventional force. Niflheim had demonstrated something else. The UIC had an army. StarCraft Co. knew how to fight a war.

And, increasingly, StarCraft Co. was beginning to wonder exactly who should be deciding how that war was fought.

Thanks Brits!

Thanks to the British, we now have data that should shut down American Football, but it won’t.

When you are poor and athletic, nothing brings the promise of a better life like two-a-day football practice in high school. Like musicians, athletes are dangled in front of wealth, but rarely ever experience it. We’ve known for a while about CTE. Now we have numbers. (Again, thanks to the British.) We put kids in meat grinders here in the USA, tell them they’ll be rich. I have met kids wanting to play football to buy their parents a house. What do you think the odds are of that?

(Google says…)

“How likely is a highschooler in Texas in football to make enough in football to buy parents a house with football money?”

To buy a house, a player generally needs to secure a massive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal or reach the NFL. 

• The High School Population: There are roughly 170,000 high school football players in Texas at any given time.
• The College Jump: Only about 7% to 9.5% of high school players make it to any college roster, and only about 3% make it to a Division I FBS school, where the major money resides.
• The NFL Jump: Nationwide, out of more than 1 million high school players, only about 250–300 get drafted into the NFL each year. That is a 0.025% chance (roughly 1 in 4,000) of going from high school to the NFL. 

Because Texas produces a disproportionate amount of elite talent, a Texas player's individual odds might be slightly higher than the national average, but they still face a fraction of a percent chance.

What’s the deal with brain damage in America?

In the USA, we do not think much about brain damage, even if you are rich! If you start out poor, we bless you with wealth for taking on such brain damage. Not that you can enjoy it.

I am reminded of Romans and gladiators. I know this news this morning from Britain will fall on deaf ears because folks like football. They like music too! But that doesn’t mean they like the players involved. So athletes and musicians get taken advantage of with lottery-type career systems and concussions.

Are “earning” and “winning” the same thing? What about the losers? Didn’t they earn a living too, doing the same thing? Okay, who out there does not deserve to live?

A musician or athlete does not “earn” a living. They “win” it, often taking it from someone else. Folks do not “work” their way up, no matter how hard they work. It’s a lie. I am not saying they do not work. Many work circles around me. But to get the good life, luck is involved. .5 percent make it to NFL who start out in high school. Now we know 1 in 4 in the NFL get CTE. All that work and luck just to wind up brain damaged. CTE is the second form of brain damage these kids incur too. The first was joining football to begin with, those kind of odds. But they sure do! Also, they’re in high school. Not impressionable or anything ..

Let’s talk about lottery for a moment…

“What are popular thoughts against lottery systems, Google?”

(Google says..)

Popular thoughts against state-run financial lottery systems focus on their mathematical design, economic impact on low-income groups, and targeting of vulnerable communities. 

Mathematical Odds

• Extremely low chances: Winning a major jackpot like Powerball has odds of roughly 1 in 292 million.
• Negative expected return: Payouts average only about 60% of total revenue, meaning habitual players lose a vast majority of their spent money over time. 

Economic and Regressive Impact

• Regressive structure: Lower-income households spend a significantly higher percentage of their disposable income on tickets compared to wealthier individuals.
• Opportunity cost: Money spent on lottery tickets diverts funds from practical savings, investments, or basic household needs. 

Social and Demographic Concerns

• Targeted marketing: Critics note that ticket retailers and advertisements are often concentrated in lower-income and minority neighborhoods. 
• Exploitation of hope: Advocacy groups argue that state-sponsored gambling preys on people looking for financial escape from systemic poverty. 

Government Reliance

• Flawed revenue source: Critics argue that using lotteries to fund public services like education allows governments to avoid raising standard, progressive taxes or providing consistent budgetary support.

Who fixes this?

“Targeting vulnerable communities..” I see it says that. The flawed revenue source is good too. Instead of taxing millionaires and billionaires for civic upgrades and fair policy, we’ll just have a lottery. The plebs can do it themselves. At least they’re right about us doing it ourselves. But we have to get rid of team owners.

I want nice things too. But I also don’t want your kids to be brain damaged so I can watch a damn game.

One thing you get when folks think you’re rich is suck ups. Sycophants. Many people daydream about having folks concerned about their life, achievements, aspirations. Many folks want a team to work on. Many folks like money. Me! I am folks!

I don’t feel I am “owed” any of that stuff. I don’t even really like the sycophant thing since I quit social media and realized how fake everything is outside of it, (inside too, wooboy). I don’t feel like I have “earned” it, either. I am kinda’ lazy, do whatever art projects I want. I love my life, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t because I am making bank. I am making decisions. For me, that’s just as good.

What do you want money for?

I create mainly because it gives me things to do, think about. That’s what a lot of folks want money for. Guess I found a softer way on accident. (It totally was not on accident, fyi. My reason for music is simply getting to do it. Happy place.)

Music and NFL fans, your sign.

Seriously NFL fans, the burden is on your shoulder pads . Music fans too. Do not reward slimy team owners with more money for 1 in 4 cases of CTE. That’s gladiator numbers. Do not reward greedy entertainment companies and managers using micro-targeting for pop-stars practically vacuuming the money and attention from your very life. That’s brain damaged too. So, I know you won’t do it. I just don’t see it getting better for these kids in high school until you do.

Kelly Kintner

The Horse’s Mouth magazine.

This is a work still in progress. It began with Google AI describing me as a “self‑styled publication architect”, as though the term were a vanity label rather than a serious, highly developed craft.

Part I emerged from that irritation; a definition of the role. Then a friend observed: “Well, you don’t actually say what you do.” Part II arrived quickly after that.

And even as I clicked publish on Part II, the tension I know persists between writer and architect began needling its way into my thinking. More accurately, a tension that lives within me began demanding expression.

So here is my draft Part III.

The Publication Architect: Part III
The Essayist and the Architect

The Dual Movement Behind the Work

Most writing is understood as a single act: a person sits down, thinks, and produces sentences. But the strongest writing rarely emerges from a single movement. It arises from the tension between two distinct ways of seeing. One is perceptual. The other is structural. One concerns the world. The other concerns the reader. One discovers. The other designs.

These two movements are the Essayist and the Publication Architect.

They are not competing identities. They are complementary disciplines. The work only becomes fully itself when both are present.

The Essayist: The Surface of Attention

The Essayist begins with perception. S/he stands somewhere, sees something, and pays attention to it. The stance matters. The vantage matters. The Essayist writes from a position in the world, not from abstraction. S/he notices patterns, tensions, contradictions, small details that reveal larger truths. S/he is concerned with experience, with interpretation, with the movement of thought as it unfolds.

The Essayist’s work is exploratory. It begins with curiosity. It asks: What is happening here? What does this mean? What does this reveal? The Essayist does not begin with structure. S/he begins with encounter. The writing is shaped by the world as s/he sees it.

But perception alone is not enough.

The Publication Architect:
The Structure Beneath the Surface

The Publication Architect begins not with the world but with the reader. S/he asks: What does the reader understand? What do they believe? What do they need? What path will allow them to see what I have seen? The concern is not expression but construction. Not discovery but design.

The Architect works beneath the surface of the essay. S/he shapes the route through which understanding will unfold. S/he decides what is revealed first, what is held back, what is repeated, what is contrasted, what is resolved. S/he builds the architecture through which meaning can accumulate.

Where the Essayist perceives, the Architect arranges. Where the Essayist explores, the Architect guides. Where the Essayist sees, the Architect shows.

These are different disciplines. Yet they must coexist.

The Tension Between Them The Essayist wants freedom. The Architect wants order.

The Essayist wants to follow the movement of thought. The Architect wants to shape the movement of understanding.

The Essayist wants to write what s/he sees. The Architect wants the reader to see it.

If either discipline dominates, the work collapses.

An essay without architecture drifts. It may contain insight, but the insight does not land. It lacks force. It lacks clarity. It lacks the sequence through which understanding becomes inevitable.

Architecture without essayism is sterile. It may be clear, but it is empty. It lacks perception. It lacks encounter. It lacks the human movement that gives writing its purpose.

The work requires both.

The Dual Identity of the Writer

To write with clarity and force, the writer must inhabit both roles. S/he must be Essayist and Architect simultaneously. S/he must see the world and design the reader’s path through it. S/he must hold perception in one hand and structure in the other.

This dual identity is not a technique. It is a stance — a way of thinking. It recognises that understanding does not emerge from content alone, but from the relationship between content and structure, between perception and design, between what is seen and how it is revealed. As I have said before: revision is epistemology.

The Essayist provides the material. The Architect provides the form. Meaning arises from their tension.

Where the Work Truly Happens

The strongest writing is built in the space between these two movements. It is built in the moment where the Essayist’s perception meets the Architect’s discipline. It is built in the recognition that seeing is not enough; the reader must be guided toward seeing. It is built in the understanding that clarity is not a property of ideas but of structure.

The writer therefore moves continually between the two roles. S/he perceives, then designs. S/he discovers, then arranges. S/he writes, then rebuilds. S/he stands somewhere, then constructs the path that allows the reader to stand there too.

This is the dual movement behind the work.

Conclusion

The Essayist and the Publication Architect are not separate identities. They are two aspects of the same discipline. One sees. One shapes. One encounters. One constructs. The work becomes fully itself only when both movements are present.

The Essayist gives the writing its voice. The Architect gives the writing its structure. Together they give the writing its meaning.

This is the tension that defines the craft. This is the dual movement that makes the work possible. This is where the writer stands

David Marshall Skerries

I should’ve had a better day today. I went to the Apple Park gym, and I worked out on a business trip, which I usually never do. I texted friends, Did work, ate good food etc. But I still find myself hurting. And it’s strange because I don’t even see E In my mind, it’s More just a memory of hurting, like that is something I’m supposed to do like that is my obligation. It’s like I have this compulsion to feel pain. I think about how I see a Mazda and I don’t even think about her anymore. That used to be our big inside joke. I think about how she has a boyfriend again. I think about somehow running into her at the airport or seeing her in traffic in her car, even though I know those two things are virtually impossible. And I don’t miss her, and I fully understand that this was a part of my life that is passed. I don’t want it impact either, and I find myself in the shower, almost rehashing old arguments. I think about how for Christmas I got her the childhood stuffed animal that she couldn’t find anymore, and how that was something she used against me when we broke up the first time. She got mad at me for spending too much money on her and giving more thoughtful presence than she did, and I know it came from a place of guilt and hurt, and that wasn’t really the problem, but I also think about how behind my back she told our mutual friend about how it felt like I was trying to replace parts of her, or how everything was white because I was washing the color out of her life. And then I think about how she recorded me when she entered my house with three other people to take stuff back and really hit me at my lowest and make it as cruel as possible. I think about when I said at work and I listen to the recording taking notes because I tried to figure out what I did wrong to justify her still blaming me. I went through everything and I kept crying and I kept hurting, and I had to fight to argue about how it was not OK to even just record me let alone the rest of it, and how at the end of the day it circled back and she said she didn’t regret it and she was happy that she recorded me even though it hurt me so badly. And I just remember my hope breaking and all of the potential and the potential future that I had seen just wash away in that parking lot as I had that call. I think about how hollow I felt walking back to my car. It felt like it hadn’t set in yet like I was in shock. How is this the same person that helped me move into my new house. How is this the person that wanted to marry me, and the person that brought me to their Thanksgiving with their family, where they threw me a surprise birthday party. How is this the person that gave me back a bag depressants that I had given her, with the exception of the few ones she decided to keep. And it’s one of those things where I have given myself the closure I have learned is necessary. I don’t sit here, hoping that she feels remorse or that anything has changed or anything at all from her anymore. And I’m grateful for the experience, but it’s still fucking hurts. And I wish it was a little bit more gentle, but maybe that’s what I needed and I told myself, and I still do that. It was necessary for things to go so nuclear and for things to hurt me so incredibly badly because even after they went nuclear and she did all those things I tried to apologize and get her back. And I needed to learn that lesson sooner than later and so I’m incredibly grateful for this pain. But fuck.

I remember when I was first dealing with a breakup I was watching a lot of different videos about it and someone described grief like glitter exploding. You can clean a lot of it up, but no matter what you will always find little pieces of glitter tucked away. And I wonder how much more glitter is left for me to find. I think about how she gave me a list of food places to visit in San Jose, and that pops up in my head whenever I try to decide where to go for a nice meal. I think about the insecurity that I had because of the level of luxury that she came from. And I know that she did not really do anything bad with that, but I was always just preemptively afraid of judgment or shame for not going to really fancy places or understanding what to do in those situations. Hell, I played golf for the first time at a country club with their family. And I know that it’s not a thing about wealth because I know that I am incredibly wealthy compared to my peers due to the privilege that I have, and additionally the amount of wealth that I come from because of my dad‘s hard work and success. And I know that comparatively she did not have those things when she was not with her parents. But at the same time, I still feel a sting whenever I go to these nice places and I see people bringing their girlfriends. And I feel like it’s a competition of something I am not really willing to do. I don’t go to these food place with myself and I was not raised. To spend money like that, it always felt like a waste of money. But I would worry about how I am supposed to pay for things like this when I already feel like cringing at the thought of spending that much money. And I think it’s such a weird thing about how I got in trouble for spending too much money on her, but at the same time that being my fear in a different lens.

I think it’s just really hurts to have all of this hope and potential in this person in a relationship that I had put so much into, and then have it backstab me. And additionally, I have blame to give myself, because there were a lot of signs that I should have noticed and a lot of unhealthy patterns like the codependency and lack of sticking to my boundaries with things. And I think this is a lesson that I needed to learn, and I think about that line about how sometimes you need to go through it to give advice. And I think I needed to give myself this advice and truly learn from it in a way that words were not able to teach me ahead of time.

I just wonder how long this glitter will haunt me for.

Inbetweeners Part 5- Source Material: Rooms Document

Below is a raw copy of the document I referenced for the rooms in the initial part of the campaign. It lasted up until the players had to flee the Protectors of the Weave and head to Sigil. Note that over time some of the descriptions changed as players interacted with them, as I added notes, or deleted content that was no longer relevant so there is a good chance there is a lot of info that was lost to time. By the same token, there are several rooms that were never fully developed or accessed. Just rough sketches. Notably, the exile's hideout and holiday surprise were never accessed. Of course, there are other rooms that may have been played out differently than they were designed. The map is not the territory, and for pacing, narrative efficacy, etc. I definitely made some ad-hoc changes on the fly. Still, it's a useful tool to get a sense of the early parts of the campaign.

The list at the end were more a brainstorm of room ideas that were never fully developed. Also, Rooms 38-46 were added later by the Lady of Pain, specifically to test the players. The colors are not included in this file, but you can probably guess based on the content of the room the level of threat it had in store. Also, upon reviewing this document again, I realize a lot of these notes are bare bones. I improvised a lot of the content on the fly. Like for example, when I started role playing the king in the Throne Room, I decided he was... a simpleton, and his advisor was actually running things behind the scenes. I did make a note for this one. I may make separate posts elaborating on a few of these rooms if I can remember the content/feel inspired to do so.

Lastly, there are several characters, ideas, and plot threads presented here that grew into important elements of the overall campaign. Arkanos, Mobius Torrent, Zariel, the Judgement of Torm, etc all became major players as the narrative progressed. It has been fun for me to look back and remember where these things began. Anyway, I'll leave this here for anyone to peruse if they so like. I wonder if my players will find this document....

________________ Room Mechanics

Each space the characters enter is considered a room. They pass through portals, but cannot be half in one room and half in the other. Existence in a room is binary. Sometimes door will plop them in the center of a room. Characters cannot leave room outside of portals no matter how hard they try.

If a room is destroyed, the portals may persist in some form (like a burned, collapsed doorway). Otherwise, it can prune the entire branch.

_______________________________________________________________________

Room 1- The Grey Room

The room is a perfect square, its walls made of smooth, cold stone that seems to absorb light and sound, making everything feel slightly muted. There are no visible light sources but you are able to see, as if the entire room is cast in twilight. In the center of the room is a large iron chest with no top.

Each of the four walls has a single door, each distinctly different from the others:

Northern Door: This door is made of dark, weathered wood, bound with heavy iron bands that are rusted with age. The door has a faint green hue to it.

Eastern Door: The eastern door stands out with its intricate design of interwoven silver and gold, forming a complex pattern of celestial symbols and stars. It seems almost to shimmer in the dim light, and there is a palpable sense of magic emanating from it. A faint, melodic hum can be heard when you get close, like the distant sound of a lullaby. This door has a vibrant, almost blinding red hue.

Southern Door: This door is the simplest of all, made of plain, sturdy oak. It has no adornments except for a large, iron ring handle. There are noticeable scratches and dents, suggesting it has been used frequently. A faint smell of earth and dampness wafts from it, giving the impression that it might lead to an underground passage or a cellar.The door has a faint green hue

Western Door: The door made of crystal is a breathtaking marvel, almost seeming to be a piece of art rather than a mere entryway. It stands tall and proud, crafted entirely from a single, immense slab of clear crystal that catches and refracts the dim light in the room, casting a myriad of colors and dancing reflections across the grey walls and floor. This door has a rich, violet hue.

Northern Door- Tavern Cellar (Room 2) Southern Door- Hallway (Room 9) Eastern Door- Zariel’s War Room (Room 27) Western Door- The Anytemple (Room 26)

__________________________________________________________________________

Room 2- The Tavern Cellar

Boarded up, they scared it.

You enter through a dirty, tarnished mirror in the corner. You are immediately greeted by a cool, damp air that carries the earthy scent of aged wood and musty stone. The dim light from the flickering lanterns mounted on the walls reveals a cozy, if somewhat cluttered, cellar.

The cellar is a spacious room with low, arched ceilings supported by thick wooden beams, darkened and weathered with age. The walls are constructed of rough-hewn stone, their surfaces cool and slightly damp to the touch. There is a worn staircase leading to a door at the top of the stairs. There is also a door that leads to a secondary basement chamber.

Hidden: If characters pass an investigation check (15) they find a hatch in the floor underneath a crate of potatoes.

Shelves line the walls, laden with rows of barrels and bottles, mostly of common ales and wine. The wooden barrels, marked with various tavern emblems and brewing dates, emanate a rich aroma of fermented grains and hops, mingling with the sharper scents of aged wines and potent liquors. Dust motes float lazily in the air, illuminated by the occasional shaft of light that sneaks through the small, barred windows high up on the walls.

In one corner, sacks of flour, potatoes, and other dry goods are piled neatly, while crates of fresh produce are stacked in another, each labeled with the names of local farms and suppliers. A large, wooden table dominates the center of the room, its surface scarred with knife marks and stained from years of use. It serves as a workspace for the tavern's staff to prepare ingredients and manage the inventory.

A small, iron stove sits against one wall, providing both warmth and a means to cook simple meals or heat water. Nearby, a set of hooks holds various tools and implements: a brass-tipped tasting rod for sampling barrels, a sturdy mallet for tapping casks, and a well-worn ledger tracking the stock and its turnover.

In the corner of the cellar is a large iron cage. Locked inside is clearly the tavern’s more valuable inventory, more expensive vintages of wine, aged cheeses, and spices/ingredients that the owner wouldn’t want a cook or porter to pocket.

The lock is solid, DC of 20. If the tavern owner comes downstairs he has a key

Encounters:

Tavern Owner- Veteran Stat Block

Cook- Commoner, +5 HP Bartender- Warrior Stablock Bouncer-Guard Statblock

Vagrant- Bandit statblock

Mirror- Grey Room (Room 1) Door at Top of Stairs- Throne Room (Room 4) Basement Door- Rats Nest (Room 3) Hidden Hatch- Labyrinth (Room 15)

______________________________________________________________________

Room 3- Rats Nest

You enter a dark, dank room that exudes an aura of filth and decay. The floor is uneven and slick, covered in a grimy mixture of mud, refuse, and the remains of long-dead creatures.

In the corner of the room is a chaotic tangle of shredded fabric, gnawed bones, and scavenged debris, all woven together to create a makeshift den. The dire rats have burrowed into the walls, creating a network of tunnels and small chambers within the stone. These tunnels are just wide enough for the bloated, monstrous rats to scurry through, their rough surfaces marked by deep claw marks and the occasional tuft of coarse fur.

Scattered around the main nest are the remnants of the dire rats' scavenging. Broken crates and barrels, their contents long since pilfered, lie in disarray, alongside discarded pieces of armor and rusted weapons, evidence of unfortunate adventurers who met their end in this foul place. The bones of these victims, cracked and gnawed, are piled haphazardly, some still bearing the tattered remnants of clothing and gear.

In the center of the nest, a particularly large and menacing dire rat stands guard, its beady eyes gleaming with a malevolent intelligence. Its fur is matted and patchy, revealing scars from countless battles, and its long, scaly tail twitches with a nervous energy. Around it, smaller dire rats skitter about, their sharp teeth chattering as they communicate in a series of high-pitched squeaks and growls.

The walls of the alcove are slick with a foul-smelling slime, and here and there, patches of mold and fungus thrive in the damp, dark environment. The faint sound of dripping water echoes through the space, punctuated by the occasional scurrying of unseen creatures in the shadows.

Encounters- 1-3 Dire Rats, more show up if you wait. Up to 20 in total. Also occasional rat swarms Loot- Investigation check can yield valuables mixed in. Low check can lead to getting filth disease.

Sewer Grate- The Tavern Cellar (Room 2) Gap in the Crumbling Wall- The Market (Room 5) Hidden Hatch (in filth)– Spooky Well (Room 11)

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Room 4- Throne Room

Characters enter a grand, imposing hall with high vaulted ceilings and walls adorned with rich tapestries and banners depicting the realm's history and heraldry. The focal point is a magnificent throne. Large, ornate chandeliers illuminate the room, casting a regal glow over the polished marble or stone floors. The air is thick with a sense of authority and reverence, amplified by the presence of elite guards standing vigil. This space is designed to awe visitors, showcasing the ruler's power and the kingdom's wealth, while also serving as the center of political and ceremonial activities.

King may or may not be present. Usually nobles, guards, etc may be around along with people seeking audience with the king.

Mercenaries can come on Wednesdays

-King may be interested in using the group if he learns their true nature. Essentially they can be executioners who face no blowback

Encounters: Guards (1d6 + 3 present, more can be called, mixture of elite and normal)

Elite: https://www.5esrd.com/database/creature/guard-elite/

Normal: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Guard#content

King may have an elite singular defender: https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Royal_Guard_(5e_Creature)

Entrance Doors- Tavern Cellar (Room 2) Guard Barracks Door- Parlor (Room 7) Door Behind the Throne- Stockroom (Room 29)

The king has since been removed from the throne room on account of the security threat of random creatures teleporting in and out. However, it is revealed that the king is more of a puppet and his top advisor, Zephes, really runs the show. She was potentially interested in monetary gain from the group using the room as a means of travel.

————

1/26/2025- The group, wherever they are, receive an alarm in their minds to return to the grey room immediately. He informs the group that Ambrosius has gone rogue and the far realm energies have severed his connection from the interloper. He asks the group to go immediately deal with this, and also implies that Melrakki may be in danger. The group arrives to find the following:

-The throne room is torn apart with blood, gore, carnage and destruction. Several guards lay slain, some from being eviscerated by claws, others from magic spells. Melraki lays in the corner, cut open and not moving in a pool of her own blood. In the center of the room, a wild eyed, crazed Ambrosius speaks rapidly in an unidentifiable language, scrawling symbology on the walls in blood. He is injured from battle, with a sword still sticking out of him and a few arrows but seems utterly unphased. Battle immediately ensues.

Ambrosius Addercap: 63 HP

When Ambrosius gets low, worms start to peer out from his wounds. On death, a full HP Star Spawned Larva Mage bursts from his flesh. The group gets one round of actions against it. May also summon other starspawn creatures like the starspawn mangler and starspawn grue .

If it's only three players this is a very overleveled opponent so to balance- The Interloper will cast foresight on the group (a massive advantage) but it will dispel if they stray from their mission for too long.

Also, after first round of Star Spawned Larva battle, a Royal Guard shows up, having secured the king he is here to deal with the threat. (essentially will serve as a damage sponge).

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Room 5- Market

a bustling market with stalls is a vibrant and chaotic scene filled with a cacophony of sounds and a myriad of colors. Stalls brimming with goods line the cobblestone streets, their canopies fluttering in the breeze. Merchants shout out their wares, ranging from fresh produce, exotic spices, and finely crafted weapons to mysterious potions and enchanted trinkets. The air is filled with the aromas of sizzling street food, fragrant flowers, and the occasional waft of incense. Shoppers, from curious children to seasoned adventurers, haggle animatedly with vendors, while street performers and pickpockets alike weave through the crowd. The market is alive with energy, a microcosm of the city's diversity and a hub for both commerce and social interaction.

Many different NPCs are possible here.

Vendors:

-Prepared foods -Alcohol -Produce -Meat -Clothing -Jewelry -Potions -Odds and Ends -Weapons -Armor -Magical Artifacts -Curiosities -Familiars -Automatons

Spider Lady- A strange old woman with a tangled mess of hair, large eyes, a hunched body who moves more like an animal than a person. Her stall is in the corner of the market and is stuffed to the brim with eccentricities, magical items, etc. Everything is a bit off though and nothing is organized. She seems to live at the stall, and the town guard seems to avoid her. It’s clear that many of her valuable items are not under lock and key and she wouldn’t notice if they are gone, yet the pick pockets and thieves seem to keep their distance. In fact, no one seems to come to shop for her except newcomers or the desperate. She has a wide array of items, many cursed, and seems to have the ability to get virtually anything the party needs… in some form or another.

Sold Uzo the cursed bow

Western Gate- Rats Nest (Room 3) Southern Gate- Forest Grove (Room 6) The Abandon Stall- Haunted Dining Room (Room 8) Refuse Trough- Infernal Oven (Room 12) forest grove __________________________________________________________________

Room 6- Forest Grove

Forest creatures reside here. Thick trees. If you try to go too far in one direction you end up on the other side.

1-5 Dryads are initially present, and are curious and friendly so long as the players don’t harm the forest. If the players kill the Dryads or harm the trees, a guardian Treant will rise up and attack. Forest elves and gnomes may also pass through. They will cast entangle first and foremost to block players’ escape.

Hollowed Tree- Market (Room 5) Hole- Vegetable Patch (Room 13) Climb Tree- Toy Room (Room 22) Pond- Study (Room 23)

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Room 7- Parlor

A noble family's room for entertaining. Roll 1d6:

1-2 House is Empty 3- Housekeeper is present 4- Family is present 5- Family has friends over 6- Seance is being performed

The family themselves don’t pose any threat but they will call in guards. Valuables are whatever would be expected by a reasonably wealthy noble family and there is a +1 magical saber above the fireplace locked in a case.

Back Door- Throne Room (Room 4) Front Door- Orc Cave (Room 14) Fireplace- Brothel (Room 24)

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Room 8- Haunted Dining Room

Burned Down by players. If they come at night the shadows may still attack, but during the day they won’t. Doors are burned and on the ground but still function. Otherwise they are on the grounds of the Manor but if they try to leave the husk of the burned building they will loop.

This large, formal dining room is dimly lit by moonlight. It has been abandon for years, cobwebs cover most surfaces along with a thick layer of dust. Seated at the table are the desiccated skeletons of whoever had their last meal at this table.

*Investigation, Perception or Nature Check 15 (other checks possible 2) discover that the wine at the table is poisoned, and that is what seemed to kill the patrons. One however, is on the floor next to an old stain, it appears they did not drink the poison and had their throat cut instead.

Investigation Check can find a bottle of the poison, it is: Wyvern Poison (Injury): This poison must be harvested from a dead or incapacitated wyvern. A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

There are 14 skeletons total. They will come to life, 1-3 at a time the longer the group remains in this room.

Treasure: Candle holders, silverware, art, etc can all be scavenged but the longer the players spend the more undead things that will attack.

After a few skeletons are killed, Shadows will begin to appear from the walls as well.

Servants Door- Market (Room 5) Kitchen Door- Vegetable Patch (Room 13) Master’s Door- Desecrated Temple (Room 36) ________________________________________________________________

Room 9- Hallway

A long, straight, nondescript hallway. The walls are made of hewn stone and there are torches lighting the way. There are doors on either side.

This hallway is generally empty, but if characters make a short rest there there is a 1/10 chance something shows up. If they take a long rest, this becomes a ½ chance. Roll for an appropriate level encounter.

Southern Door- The Grey Room (Room 1) Northern Door- Crab Shack (Room 10)

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Room 10- Crab Shack

A dilapidated structure, weathered by years of salt, wind, and neglect. Its once vibrant paint is now peeling and faded, revealing the gray, splintered wood beneath. The roof sags under the weight of accumulated debris, and broken windows gape like empty eye sockets. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of brine and decay, and the floor is strewn with the remnants of a life left behind: rusted crab traps, brittle nets, and scattered, yellowed charts. In the corner, slumped in a chair, is the skeletal remains of a fisherman, his bony fingers still clutching a tarnished locket. The shack creaks and groans with each gust of wind, a haunting reminder of the sea’s relentless, reclaiming power.

-abandon crab shack by the ocean. Skeleton of fisherman in the shack. Another skeleton or two can be found on the beach with successful search or investigation check

-crabs will come out of the water and attack. The more commotion the group makes the more that come. Successful stealth check will avoid detection.

-Encounters: Giant Crabs -Loot: Fishing Gear, potentially some coins if searched. Fermented crab meat in cans

Interior Door- Hallway Ocean- Courtyard

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Room 11- Spooky Well

At the bottom of a well, the glimmer of moonlight is the only thing that lights the inside. There is a partially decomposed body with claw marks. It’s haunted. Scale type of undead to party level:

1- Zombie 2- Skeleton 3- Ghoul 4- Wight 5- Wraith 6- Revenant 7- Banshee

Probably go with Revenant since there is an easy escape route. If it is defeated, within 24 hours it will return when the players reenter the well, having possessed an unwilling host and throws itself into the well to attack them again. If they are able to figure out the story, a girl in the town had a relationship with a boy with whom the family had a feud due to different sects of the same religion. She was pregnant and they opted to drown her in the well to make it look like an accident. She broke her neck but didn’t die right away, and in her last thoughts reached out for anything to give her vengeance. The revenant took control and gave it to her, but then bound her to the well.

It is tight quarters in the well (maybe 15 feet in diameter) so combat will be tricky. Swimming to the bottom is an easy escape, but to climb to the top they need to make an athletics or acrobatics check.

Bottom of Well- Rats Nest (Room 3) Top of Well- Graveyard (Room 28)

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Room 12- Infernal Oven

The players find themselves in a sealed chamber and immediately feel searing heat. Red light emanates from below as they stand on a grate and find themselves being cooked alive. There is a chute in the ceiling from which corpses fall to be incinerated.

-take 1d6 fire damage per turn for first 3 rounds, then as oven heats up the damage will rise to 2d6. (maybe con save for half)

-If players survive 3 rounds a flameskull will emerge from the ashes and attack them.

-ash grate has inflammable loot

To escape through oven grate, need high strength check or lockpick To escape through body hatch, need to climb up, but there is no easy way to do it. Also bodies periodically drop down and metal is red hot.

Body Hatch- Market (Room 5) Oven Grate- Elysian Field (Room 25)

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Room 13- Vegetable Patch

A large, fenced in vegetable patch near some quaint homes. No real threats, only loot is vegetables. Someone might come by to the garden and be confused why you are there. If you cause enough chaos a town guard may come to investigate.

Gate- Haunted Dining Room (Room 8) Overturned Wagon- Forest Grove (Room 6)

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Room 14- Orc Cave

Ideas: https://www.ragingswanpress.com/swan-blog/orc-caves

2d6 Orcs in the chamber. More can come along with Orc War Chief.

Murky Black Pool- Parlor (Room 7) Tunnel- Pumpkin Patch (Room 35)

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Room 15- Labyrinth

A sinister labyrinth of supernatural origin. The party doesn’t appear in the door they came through, instead finding themselves in the middle of a hallway with twists and turns.

Any traps successfully triggered will draw a minotaur within in a turn.

Each turn spent in the Labyrinth roll 1d20

1-10: No encounters 11: Spiked Pit Trap (Perception DC 15/Dex Save 15- 2d10 Damage) 12: Clamp Trap (Perception DC 15/Dex Save 15- 2d6 Damage and immobilized unless they make a strength check DC 20 to break free) 13: Paralysis Ward (Perception DC 15/Con Save 15- failure they are paralyzed for 1 minute) 14: Hail of Darts (melee attack, 1d20 damage, +8 melee attack, Perception 20) 15: Undead Encounter 16: Carrion Crawler: https://5e.tools/bestiary/carrion-crawler-mm.html 17: Manticore: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16951-manticore 18: Minotaur 19; 2 Minotaurs 20: Treasure (1d20 x 100 in gems and gold, +1d6 – 2 magic items)

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16958-minotaur

To find the door out, you must make a survival or investigation check DC 25 x 3 to find a way out. If acting as a group they can take the highest roll. A natural 20 will instantly succeed. Each roll represents getting closer to finding an exit

Exit: Back to Tavern Cellar

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Room 16- Courtyard

Candlestead University

Players have interacted with campus authorities. They have cordoned off this area and are now actively monitoring it with a member of the Order of the Weave having arrived and taken interest. They took a zombie from the necromantic school and now the school is expecting them to return with information. Right now use Archmage template for order of the weave member until I decide otherwise.

A serene courtyard with a fountain, and gardens. Part of a monastery campus. Students mostly ignore the party, but if they raise a ruckus a magical police force may investigate.

Magic Guard https://www.worldanvil.com/block/1367659

Magic Guard Captain https://www.rolledandtold.com/2018/11/28/spell-guard-mage/

Fountain- Crab Shack Trellised Gate- Dog House (17)

_________________________________________________________ Room 17- Dog House

1d6 Mastiffs call this place home. Animal handling (DC 15) to avoid them getting territorial.

Hole- Courtyard Climb over Fence- Ship Cabin

_________________________________________________________ Room 18- Ship Cabin

A pirate ship, cabin below the main deck. There is a hall below it. Currently the pirates think the section of the ship is haunted and have blocked it off, but a hedge mage pirate is investigating.

Up the Stairs- Dog House Down the stairs- Circus

_________________________________________________________ Room 19- Circustavern

Time to perform or face an angry crowd! (Jackalweres, Gnolls, Hobgoblins). A raiding army of beastial humanoids had conquered the area and some deserted to go to the circus for entertainment. Their superior officers arrived and attcaked the deserters, causing the tent to collapse.

Into the Barrel- Ship Cabin Leave the Arena- Bakery _________________________________________________________ Room 20- Bakery

An ordinary bakery in a mid-sized town (Beregost) along the Sword Coast.

Front Door- Circus Back Door- Battlefield _______________________________________________________

Room 21- Battlefield

You find yourself on a battlefield

-Side thinks you are mercenaries, will send you into the fray -Must fight your way to the other side to get to next flag -Must decide each side, I’m thinking beastial humanoids vs high elves

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Room 22- Toy Room

A massive room, with the walls painted like a sky with clouds. A large planetary mobile hangs from the ceiling. Toys of all shapes and sizes litter the room. If you wait around long enough, the owner of these toys, a young cloud giant will enter. He has a pet dragon.

Also, some of the toys are automatons.

-Goal is to try not to get him to yell for his Dad. The baby silver dragon is fiercely defensive of his ward

The group arrived when the young cloud giant was sleeping, the toy room is also a naptime room for him. The Wyrmling silver dragon is perched on a brass stand and is also asleep, but much more easy to rouse.

Father (Mobius Torrent) is a Cloud Giant who ended up the head of a major economic enterprise. He became fabulously wealthy, alienating him from his fellow cloud giants, but gaining him many sycophants. He has a massive flying manor in the elemental plane of air. He dotes on his baby son to excess, the mother left in the middle of the night and he has been unable to find her since (and would like help in locating). His business was providing insurance for excursions into the lower planes since he could frequently find ways to avoid paying out. From there he diversified into automatons, flying ships, and other technology that put him into close business relations with Mechanus. His connections could bring the Protectors of the Weave in under the right circumstances.

Mobius is distrusting of most sentient subjects so many of his guards and servants are automatons and elementals. However, a few high elves and a Djinni are part of his retinue. Can also summon a cloud giant if things get dicey.

Silver Dragon (Tyfin Elderson XIV)– This baby dragon was sold into a contract soon after birth. In return for it serving dutifully, its parents get a payment from Mobius each moon and some wealth is set aside for Tyfin’s treasure hoard. It is a safe, stable way for a dragon to build a hoard in its youth, sort of like a foreign exchange program. He is fiercely protective of Nimbus, but must ultimately defer to Nimbus.

Wife: Celeste- Whitewind

Encounters- Adult Cloud Giant, Silver Dragon Wyrmling, child cloud giant (stats/4), Modrons as toys, Djinni

Mobius Torrent: Cloud Giant Stats with 20 Int. Has Amulet of Deflection (AC 19) and Ring of Instant Heal- Will cast Cure wounds at level 3 (3d8 + 10) if he takes serious damage. 5 charges remain. Weapons: Electric Hand Cannon (+13 to Hit, 6d6 Ballistic Damage + 6d6 Shocking Damage (42), Giant’s Carving Knife (+1)– +13 to hit, 3d8 + 9 dmg and Crit (19-20) magic with plus one and keen

Nimbus (baby cloud giant): 50 hp, divide other stats appropriately.

Nimbus will want the player characters to be his toys and fight his other toys. If they keep Nimbus happy he may not call his Dad.

https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Mist_Golem_(5e_Creature)

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/17014-silver-dragon-wyrmling

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16827-cloud-giant

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16842-djinni

Ceiling Mobile- Forest Grove (Room 6) It is really high up so they will need to figure out a way to get back up.

Quest- Mobius’s wife disappeared three years ago. He has spent inordinate amounts of wealth trying to locate her, but everyone he has employed has failed. Even his connections in Mechanus were of no avail. If the players use Scry turbocharged by the interloper, or use other means to locate her they get but one word, Mirthardir.

Celeste-Whitewind was disgusted by her husband's wealth and what he had become, but she still loved him and her son. Unable to stomach the life he had built, she sought to escape but knew there was no corner of the multiverse he wouldn’t be able to find her with his resources. A mystic from her tribe spoke of a place in an ancient, forgotten plane where giants and giantkin could live in peace. She squirreled away enough wealth to pay a guide to take her there. In a forgotten tower in Mirthardir this is a portal to a demiplane where giants live in peace. It is almost impossible to locate. ____________________________________________________

Room 23- Study

A wizard's study. Magical items are present, but they are trapped. Also, better hope the wizard doesn’t show up.

Wizard Stats: https://www.5esrd.com/gamemastering/monsters-foes/npc/spellcasters/npc-mage/

Wizard fed to the Interloper, study is now empty but items are still trapped.

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Room 24- Brothel

A brothel run by a Cambion. Two of the working ladies are actually Succubi, the remainder are normal. Fiendish Gnolls present to handle unruly Johns. 1 Gnoll Fang of Yeenogh, 5 regular gnolls.

Changing Room Door- Parlor (room 7) Under the Bed- Mineshaft (room 36)

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Room 25- Elysian Field

Paradise. Heals party over time of all status effects. No doors or portals, but a lantern archon will teleport the group to any area they have previously visited that doesn’t have magical protection.

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Room 26- The Anytemple

You enter a temple to a random god. Each time the players enter, it is a different god, but so long as one player remains it stays that god. For example, it may be a temple to Mystra one time and a temple to Bane another.

-Will encounter a priest or high level religious person, as well as adherents and then normal people who would find reason to visit the temple.

-In order to enter through the purple door, a sufficient religious offering must be made. This will influence the temple that spawns the first time, after that it is random.

If players try to open the door without an offering they will hear the following message:

To walk through this most sacred of portals you must be willing to surrender that which is precious to the spirit.

If they walk with a favor to a particular God, like Torm’s relic it will open to that specific temple.

Front Door- Grey Room (Room 1) Other Openings- Misc, vary each time

The group has done a great service to Torm so they will go to his temple first if the hold his relic. This will be the “Temple of Everlasting Justice”

The group visited the Temple of Torm, they have been well received for cleansing the other temple of infernal corruption. They are not aware of the sacrifice of the knight Orion. If the group visits again, they may have more quests/information for them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If the group goes through the Anytemple door with the symbol of Torm now, they will not go to his primary temple on the material plane as they anticipated. Instead, they will find:

The chamber is vast, hewn from ancient stone with walls lined by torches that do not seem to flicker, emit smoke or generate heat. The floor is worn smooth from countless years of tread, with intricate symbols carved into the rock. Towering along the walls are racks and displays of gleaming weapons—swords, axes, spears, and hammers—each meticulously crafted and inscribed with prunes. The weapons range from simple, sturdy iron blades to gilded, rune-covered relics that hum with latent divine power.

Against one wall stands a collection of shimmering shields and breastplates emblazoned with sacred iconography: radiant suns, crossed swords, and the symbols of various crusader orders. Nearby, smaller alcoves contain specialized gear, such as silver-tipped arrows, vials of holy water, relics said to repel the undead, and crystals pulsing with holy light.

In the center of the chamber is a massive stone table where paladins gather planning their crusade in hushed, fervent tones. Maps of the realms, marked with hotspots of evil activity, lie spread across it. A older man of average size with a large scar across his face regards the group, seemingly expecting them.

Taric Hellbane is gruff, tired, cynical, but competent, devoted and deadly. He leads an order called the Shadow of Torm. Fed up with the moral equivalent of red tape, this order found that fiends, undead and evil doers continued to gain ground while those who sought to face them were bound by moral laws. Above all else, they seek to purge the material plane of fiendish and undead influence, and take a machiavellian approach to achieve such ends. For centuries the order was exiled by the church of Torm, viewed as heretical zealots. However, in the past several decades, an uptick in fiendish activity on the material plane has led to a thawing, and recently a truce. The Temple of Torm does not officially work with the Shadow, but unofficially they are in close coordination, providing intel, capital resources and soldiers. The groups purging of the devils in the Temple and slaying of the dancing Vrock has gained their attention. They managed to manipulate the portal to that the group would appear here. As atypical adjuncts, the group fits more in the purview of the Shadow. He seeks to exploit their ability to walk between places to take the fight to the enemy. In return he promises glory, wealth and, if the group desires it, possibly resurrection of valuable asset.s

-If the group sides with Taric, he will see what he can do about bringing Cervi back but they will need to further prove their worth. Purging undead or fiends of sufficient worth should do the trick.

Taric has cleared the war room out in case it is compromised by Zariel, but will meet with the group there and leave instructions, items and bounty rewards.

Taric will meet the group 1 day later with a quest. The Shadow has decided they should strike at Zariel if they have the chance. However, attacking her in Hell would be suicide, so instead they want the group to lure her to a location in their travels where an ambush can be set up. If it is off plane it will need Taric’s approval. They will plant a beacon and the Shadow will set up an ambush. However, any assistance or allies the group can bring will be most helpful as this could be a suicide mission. The group then needs to convince Zariel to travel with them.

with weapons and equipment:

-Immovable Rod -Ring of Toughness: +2 Con, +1 Natural Armor -Needle: Rapier 1d8 + 1, crits on 18-20 -Wizard’s Staff: 1d6 + 2, +2 to Spell Attacks and +2 to Spell Save DC -Cloak of Protection: +1 AC, +1 Saving Throws -Punishing Cudgel: 1d6 + 2 magic weapon. -Scholar’s Cap: +2 Wis, +2 Int -Heated Dagger: 1d4 + 1 + 1d6 fire damage -Contenders Headband: +2 Str, +2 Dex -Longbow of Fury: 1d8 + 1 magic weapon, once per day can launch 1d6 extra attacks. -Magic Chainmail + 2, AC 18, needs str 13 to wear and disadvantage on stealth -6 potions of healing (2d4 + 2) -2 potions of cure disease -2 antidote potions

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Room 27- Zariel’s War Room

Walking through this door is a big mistake.

The very air thrums with malevolent energy. The room is dominated by a massive obsidian table, etched with arcane symbols and surrounded by high-backed, crimson chairs. The walls are lined with maps of mortal and infernal territories, marked with strategic points and stained with blood. Dim, flickering flames in sconces cast an eerie red glow, illuminating racks of wicked, barbed weapons and trophies of unholy conflicts. The atmosphere is thick with the scent of brimstone and the echo of infernal whispers. A large window overlooks a burning hellscape, the glass made of a flexible, translucent obsidian that seems to flow like liquid. Everything is hot to the touch and the only colors that seem to stand out are blood red, black and yellow of flames.

At the table are two large, winged creatures with massive horns pouring over battlefield maps. Overseeing them is an even larger, hulking beast covered in interlocking armored plates with a whiplike tail, mammoth wings that can surround its entire body, and a terrifying head that seems infernal and draconic, with fangs and gleaming yellow-red eyes. Off to the side is an insectlike monster seemingly made of ice and metal and two beings clad in jet black armor with crimson hawk like wings, twistedly beautiful faces and horns. All turn their heads, surprised to see the group as a fear and panic fills each of your hearts like you have never felt before in your life.

Note- If PCs aren’t paralyzed with fear they get a free action since they are surprising the devils. If not, the Pit Fiend will immediately cast hold monster on the group, it has the ability to target the entire group with a modified version fo the spell.

The players enter the War Room of Zariel, the fallen angel and master of Avernus, the highest layer of Hell. The room is as infernal as it gets, but coated with maps, displays, etc all indicating strategies. Zariel will not be here, but her generals and tacticians will be. Traps will immediately render the door used to enter inaccessible, and if the characters are to survive they will need to negotiate/persuade. They will probably incapacitate the characters and take them to the “interrogation chambers” but after finding they do not go through the door will be more cautious.

2 Erinyes, 2 Horned Devils, 1 Iced Devil, 1 Pit Fiend currently in attendance along with a group of Chain Devils in the next room that can be called in on a moments notice. If the group manages to talk them out of being killed, they will call in Zariel to determine how the incursion was possible. She will not be pleased.

The one thing the group has going for them is that the citadel is warded against teleportation. Zariel herself teleports outside of it and flies in, so the groups ability to enter the warroom so freely will be of great interest to her.

If the group convinces Zariel to go with them and she speaks with the Interloper, they will forge an agreement. She will provide the interloper with an endless stream of “test subjects”. Shie will leave with an armful of black amulets and for now on a steady stream of “subjects” will pour from Hell to the grey room. She may betray the Interloper for the Order if they provide an enticing enough offer. Her only goal is to maintain her station in Hell and gain an advantage in the Blood War.

-Zariel has the ability to smuggle Cervi’s soul out of heaven, if so inclined.

Zariel’s Stats: https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2018/05/dd-check-out-zariel-from-mordenkainens-tome-of-foes.html

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Room 28- Graveyard

chilling expanse shrouded in perpetual twilight, where twisted, ancient trees cast eerie shadows over crumbling tombstones and mausoleums. A thick mist clings to the ground, swirling around weathered statues of mournful angels and grim gargoyles. The air is heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay, and an unnatural silence pervades, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures. Flickering ghostly lights and the faint whispers of restless spirits hint at the presence of the undead. The oppressive atmosphere is suffused with a palpable sense of dread.

-NOTE: God of Death unhappy they have defied death, give portal to endless battle with undead.

Open Grave- Spooky Well Overturned Coffin- Demented Choir Crypt- Sanitarium

__________________________________________________________________________ Room 29- Stockroom

This is the stockroom for a prosperous store. Randomly generate what type of store it is.

Weapons Armor Groceries Potions Magical Curiosities Animal Handling Equipment

Back Door- Throne Room Front Door- Arena (Room 30)

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Room 30- Arena

The door from the stock room grows vibrant purple. The only thing required to pass through it is a request as to the challenge that the entrant wishes to face. They enter a coliseum with an appropriately leveled opponent. The rewards are commensurate. However, every successive entrance will require a more dangerous opponent (no farming)

The arena is a massive stadium, far larger than any ever conceived on the material plane. It is nestled inside Sigil, the capital of the Outlands and crossroads of the multiverse. Unlike the rest of the city which is filled with a constant smog, the Arena is clear and well lit through magic. An intrepid Mercane somehow managed to make a deal with the Lady of Pain and survive. The Arena will run 24/7, and the vast majority of the proceeds go into Sigils coffers. However, the truth is the arena runs at a loss in coin, but makes up for it by harvesting the souls of any who are slain in the Arena. The Arena has constant battles to the death, and this becomes logistically difficult to fulfill the so the Arena organization has started to seek willing participants from throughout the Cosmos to fight. Enter the PCs, however, they have been granted the ability to choose their opponents which is highly unusual except for the most elite gladiator celebrities. During this time they can question their “sponsor”, a Mercane named Valicai, but otherwise they only encounter silent Dabus. Valicai has not been told much about the group and is confused why they get the special treatment. It will take a few weeks to arrange their fights, so they will have a sort of dormitory with a rudimentary library and work out/training room to prepare. Food will be brought to them but they are not allowed to leave lest they try to back out of their fights. If anyone in the group does try to break out (locked door DC 25) then legions of Dabus will be sent to return them.

https://www.worldanvil.com/block/1414810 (Dabus)

If group gets through Dabus, gladiators and stronger will be sent to stop them, including Shield Guardians that can cast a modified Banishment spell that will banish then to a prison cell.

Will fight Ogre and Oni, Oni will stay invisible at first.

Then a Tree Blight: https://5e.tools/bestiary/tree-blight-cos.html#google_vignette

Then the entire cult that killed Domilia: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16836-cult-fanatic?srsltid=AfmBOopRT_SW7AFu6I9r0Fs1T-vd8U9RvWHpU8s7unR984Rcj2Kf_Hkq

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16835-cultist?srsltid=AfmBOop8DB8Auh6F6AjCmQ5Xd5LT1gshoj8-UPs-i_xAUEKmZerHmiMq

https://www.5esrd.com/database/creature/cult-leader-3pp/

If Ron is present then they will fight keebler elves. They have normal gnome statblock but will unveil a Gingerbread Golem: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/18otzln/gingerbread_creatures_from_pesky_pastries_to/#lightbox

If the group survives their battles, they will be rewarded with a large sum of gold (2000 gold per player) and invited back to fight again for a chance to enter Sigil proper. For that battle though, they will not get to choose their opponent.

Sigil Entrance Battle; Shape shifting monster. Takes and switches between these forms, but when a form “dies” it can no longer take that form.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16929-hydra?srsltid=AfmBOopSSBqufdKhdcVOqSSexpQ6MQmZUfHXR5i8YD9l15z80OMz2Hql

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16823-chimera?srsltid=AfmBOopzqEgRnbBfyxPL4ZcQ8BdHbYrEiTLRHPpV2tokc1F_2Of_jHR8

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters?filter-cr-max=22&filter-cr-min=9&filter-partnered-content=f&filter-search=&filter-type=0&filter-type=13&page=5&sort=cr

https://5e.tools/bestiary/young-solar-dragon-bam.html#google_vignette

The arena will be a main platform with electrified pillars, surrounded by a sea of molten metal with platform islands on each. The beast they will face is called “Legion”

____________________________________________________________________

Room 31- Trophy Room

Reward for the coliseum battle. Commensurate to the size of the threat defeated.

Exit- To the stock room.

_____________________________________________________________________ Room 32- Pit

No Escape from normal routes. However, extra-planar allies could help (Zariel, the interloper, etc) if they are properly motivated.

Lemures attack first, followed by imps, and then progressively more powerful devils.

_____________________________________________________________________ Room 33- Demented Choir

A choir of sickly looking individuals sings a demented hymn. Players must make a save (DC 15) or suffer madness. If they attempt to stop the choir in any way, the members become ghouls and attack. A gibbering mouther is under the risers coordinating the entire operation.

Church Doors- Graveyard

_________________________________________________________________ Room 34- Sanitarium

Leaving may be difficult because the orderlies assume you are insane.

Orderly: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Guard#content but with lower AC (no armor) and uses a club and has strength modifier +2.. Carry a syringe that requires a successful melee attack, easier when grappled. Must make con save 15 or be knocked unconscious. Will wake up in restraints.

If orderlies can’t handle, riot team is called in. Use veteran stat block https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Veteran#content can also use knockout syringe.

Locked Ward Door- Graveyard

______________________________________________________________

Room 35- Pumpkin Patch

Fields of pumpkins, and some angry Scarecrows guarding them.

Underneath a pumpkin- Orc Cave (Room 14)

_______________________________________________________________

Room 36- Desecrated Temple

The first thing that hits you is the heat. This temple chamber has a massive pillar of fire rising from the floor and leaving through the ceiling, it is unclear how high it goes. The fire is so bright it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. Once they do, you wish they hadn’t. You are in the central atrium of a temple. Religious idols have been smashed, occult symbols are smeared across the walls in blood and several holy worshippers are crucified upside down, their bodies charred and showing obvious signs of torture. A large, impossibly gaunt fiend of spikes and bone stands in the center of the carnage with infernal eyes glowing with glee. A swarm of imps fly around the fire column.

If the group tries to flee– They are immediately filled with a sense of profound purpose. Their squandered lives pale in comparison to the need in this room. A grave injustice has been wrought upon the world. If they give everything to right it, they will be rewarded… in this life or the next. No persuasion roll, but the feeling is quite powerful.

Encounters: 1 Bone Devil and 1d6 + 2 imps. Bearded devils, barbed devils, spined devils and lemures will emerge from the fire column over time if summoned by the bone devil

The Bone Devil’s poison incapacitates but leaves them alive so it can… work on them later. Also, if it falls below 50 hitpoints it will try to flee into the pillar of fire. 4 bearded devils will emerge when it leaves and the pillar will close. They are on a suicide mission to kill all in their path.

2 Knights and a Priest will show up after three rounds of battle (or when seems appropriate), believing the protagonists to be sent by Torm to help them liberate the temple. All have the blessing of Torm, +2d6 radiant damage to attacks and +1 to armor class. The priest has an aura of healing and the Bone Devil will target it.

Getting near this pillar will deal 2d6 fire damage per turn. It serves as a portal to the Nine Hells

There are 9 crucified figures total (representing the 9 Hells). Five are simple attendants of the temple, one is a high priest, one is a cleric/assistant priest, and the last two are paladins. Their equipment is strewn about the floor unceremoniously, the holy items ignored but any gold and loot having been taken. One of the assistants and cleric are still alive, barely and can describe what happened if healed.

Loot: Whatever is on the crucified figures. If the Pillar of Fire can be dispelled and the portal closed off, the party will be owed a favor by Torm.

Simple knowledge check will determine that this is a temple to Torm. If the players are able to revive and talk to one of the crucified figures they will learn this is the Devils’ revenge for their followers being slain by Paladins in service of Torm.

The truth is that Zariel has been pushing her war against the demons, having faced tensions in the Nine Hells and challenges to her position as leader of Avernus. She needs souls to fuel the war effort as they are the currency of the outer planes, so she has sent her followers to “recruit” souls, a move far bolder than most Devil Lords would do. The Paladins of Torm caught on to this and killed some of the followers, and this is their revenge. The assistant won't’ know anything about it, but the cleric may– if questioned correctly since the two paladins killed were involved in the operation. The two knights and priest were waiting for a sign from Torm to storm the Temple, the sounds of pitched battle gave them such a sign. If any survive, they will be thankful to the party and believe they were sent to help vanquish the evil. The Priest will be able to dispell the column of fire.

Front Doors- Haunted Dining Room (Room 8) Pillar of Fire- Vestry Door- Shattered Stained Glass Window

_______________________________________________________________________

Room 37- Mineshaft

Abandon mineshaft. Mine tools and carts are still in place but the miners are mysteriously absent. Some blood splatters upon investigation. They were taken by grimlocks… and there were a lot of them. Mithral ore is available to loot.

__________________________________________________

Room 38- Sad Giant’s Hut

The group finds themselves in a giant hut on a lonely mountain. Everything is gigantic, approximately 4x the dimensions of a normal room. This means chairs are 8 feet off the ground, the table is 15 feet off the ground as is the bed. Storage containers are huge, the fire place ahs a cauldron large enough to fit a draft horse. There is a 70% chance the resident, a stone giant named Duu-voh, is present in the house. Otherwise he is out foraging. Duu-voh is in exile and has no valuables to speak of. He isn’t aggressive and mainly wants to be left alone. He feels extreme guilt about a group of Svirfneblin whose mine he caved in accidentally. Their surviving priestess cursed him with unnaturally long life, but incredible guilt. He has a long term form of Gaes cast on himself where he cannot wilfully take his life. He for the most part won’t react to the group unless they make a concerted effort to antagonize him. He will fight to defend himself but be thankful if they take his life.

-shield

Sad Giant dead, beeple taken over his body to use him as a ward.

Front Door- To the Grey Room (new path) Fire- This door randomly leads to one of the rooms 39-45 or room 21. These rooms may have special conditions to leave.

______________________________________________________

Room 38 B- Fire Organized

Upon killing the giant and repurposing his hut for the beeple, the fire is no longer purple but green. It leads to a large empty chamber with doors marked with roman numerals indicating the next. Doors not glow at all now.

_______________________________________________

Room 39- Hostage Room

This is a storage room in a warehouse where 9 people have been tied up. There are 3 human children, 2 human adults- a teacher and an assistant, a married gnome couple, a half-elf clerk and a halfling courier. They are tied up as part of an organized kidnapping/ransom plot. The gang holding them has their hideout on the other side of a barred door (the only exit). Door requires strength check 25 to break. Group will need to break door down to get out or otherwise get the door open, taking them back to the Sad Giant’s Hut

In the hideout at the outset there are 4 thugs, 3 lizardmen and 1 bandit captain. However, if the group is there for a while or demands to speak with their leader, he will arrive. His name is Flurstil Oxen, and he will kill anyone who makes fun of his name. He may realize his group is outmatched by the characters and try to negotiate a deal.

https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Thug#content

https://www.5esrd.com/gamemastering/monsters-foes/npc/pirates/npc-bandit-captain/

https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16946-lizardfolk

https://5e.tools/bestiary/urstul-floxin-wdh.html

Hostages freed- halfing gets Flurstils bounty. All bad guys dead

_________________________________________________________________________

Room 40- Masquerade

The group appears in a massive ballroom. The room is extravagantly decorated and seems to be a party for the very wealthy/elite. Dozens and dozens of people in elaborate dresses/suits and masks are vigorously dancing across the ballroom. A band in the corner plays an upbeat tune that fills the air with a sense of vigor and playfulness. The song continues on without end but somehow does not seem repetitive. However, something is amiss…

Group can make a perception check:

DC 10- Everyone is dancing, including a few wait staff who also wear masks. There isn’t a single person sitting, talking, going to the privy, or doing anything other than dancing. No one is taking breaks.

DC 15- There are tables with food and refreshment, but they haven’t been touched in some time. The food is starting to rot and is covered in flies.

DC 20- In the corners of the room, under serving tables with large, embroidered tablecloths covering them to the ground, someone spots a hand sticking out. If they investigate, the bodies of party goers have been unceremoniously stashed. A basic medicine check will reveal the individuals died from extreme dehydration, exhaustion and starvation.

DC 25- One of the dancers, wearing a mask with an elongated, pointed nose and a flourished red dress seems to be taking note of the party, whereas everyone else is dancing in a fugue state completely unaware.

DC 30- Hidden abyssal symbols are etched into the floor and the columns holding up the room. These symbols are very well hidden but if found and deciphered, represent a curse to trap people in a perpetual dance until they die.

The party must make a wisdom saving throw (DC 14). Failure acts as a permanent Otto’s Irresistible Dance. They may do nothing but dance, and will do so until they drop dead. Stopping the band will end the effect. Must be repeated once per minute.

If the band is stopped from playing, many of the dancers will collapse in absolute exhaustion/dehydration. The remainder will flee, carrying loved ones with them. The MC will turn into Vrock form and attack the party for disrupting its festivities.

The band will continue to play unless forcibly stopped. They are actually 2 doppelgangers and 3 quasits working with the vrock MCing the event. Since they can read thoughts, they will know if the party is planning on ambushing them and will use their surprise attack skill.

The MC- A an unusually smart vrock who delights in tormenting patrons is disguised as one, running the party. The ballroom itself has been cursed and the music played by the vrocks minions activates the curse.

EXP: 2300 Vrock + 600 Quasits, + 1400 Doppelgangers x 1.5 (environment hazard, dance curse) = 6450 exp total.

Loot- Vrock: Ocarina of Despair. When played (x1 per day), everyone who can hear it makes a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13). Failure makes them overtaken with despair. They get disadvantage on all rolls. May retry save each turn, but get disadvantage on it. Item is suffused with dark energy.

The Group has slain the Vrock, and allowed the quasits and doppelgangers to escape. They are resting and helping the surviving dancers recover. Initially, town guards, local healers, and the mayor run in. They are flabbergasted by what has happened. A grand party was thrown for the gentry of the surrounding towns.. But that was days ago. Somehow, whenever anyone approached the hall they either discovered it empty or realized they had somewhere else to be… so strong was the illusion weaved by the demon. After some time, an inquisitor arrives with a guard. See Inquisitor from compendium: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-b1P2uN6F6Ua15GNI78TNadI27VacKyH/view

Also accompanied by 3 Veterans. It is not clear where he hailed from, and he is elusive about his patronage but only that he is present to get to the bottom of what happened. He is incredibly suspicious of the characters, even though the other party goers all described them as the heroes. He believes that may have been part of the illusion. He will be satisfied with the group serving Torm or with the truth, anything else he may detect a lie. The mayor of the town will be defensive, wanting to praise the heroes who he will view as fortune finders for slaying the evil.

If the group waits long enough, priests of Helm will arrive to start to undue to the demonic magic at work. The group can take the head of the Vrock back to the temple of Torm for additional rewards.

Town- Penrath

Penrath has a major bard college, known for its colorful trees and its lush farmland. It is governed by a council of oligarchs. The races live together mostly in harmony. Aristocrats from around the area come to grand balls in the town… though that may not happen anymore.

Left note, heroes returned, want to start a correspondence.

__________________________________________________________

Room 41- Secret Garden

Appear in a massive, overgrown garden. There appears to be no way out. The garden was once a magnificent, palatial garden and sits outside an ancient manor. Now weeds and vines have grown in tangled over everything. The ghost of a halfling gardener will appear and insist that there is so much work that needs to be done but his hands somehow no longer work. To escape the group needs to garden, but as they pull weeds as Shambling Mound will emerge (maybe multiple). Once they have fixed up the garden, a portal leading out appears. Alternatively, if they defeat the halfling gardener (ghost statblock) or put it to rest they can escape.

Loot: Gardener’s Trowel- This trowel is a melee weapon that deals 1d4 damage. Against plants and plantlike creatures, they must make a Con Save DC 15, failure they instantly die if under 50 hitpoints, otherwise take 6d6 (21) damage. Might be found before shambling mounds emerge

The garden has been put to rest, but Cervi has died in the process. The group has the trowel, and Thog is desperate for revenge.

_____________________________________________________________________

Room 42- Casino

A casino on the Elemental Plane of Air. Run by Djinn, the dealers are various races/species but the floor managers are Djinn and Mercanes. https://www.5esrd.com/database/creature/mercane/

50 Gold = 1 Chip

Table Games:

Double or Nothing: Roll 2d6. If Doubles, win x5 your bet.

Roulette: 1d20- Can do Evens/Odds (x2 bet) or pick a number (x20 bet). Auto lose on 1 or 2.

Guess a number: Guess a number 1-13. If you are correct, you get x10 bet.

Slot Machine: Roll 3d6. Payout on triples: 666- x100 555- x50 444- x25 333- x10 222- x5 111- Nothing.

Poker- Play against up to 6 players. Everyone makes an INT check. Winner takes all minus a cut for the Casino.

If players try to cheat, steal or cause violence the guards will descend on them quickly. Security is run by a Rakasha named Vyre. Cruel but effective, she was hired for her uncanny ability to root out cheaters and is incredibly well compensated. The owners turn a blind eye to the sadism she employs when she deals with cheaters and troublemakers. She also deploys invisible stalkers to sneak up on opponents.

Group can come and go through a broken slot machine. However, if they cause too much trouble guards will be stationed by the entrance/exit.

Tiefling will trade souls for coins

_________________________________________________________________

Room 43- Utter Darkness

Everything is truly pitch black. Darkvision is useless here but blindsight works. If the group tries to create a light source, magic or otherwise, it is substantially dimmed and will attract a Wraith and spectres. They will attack until the light source is extinguished along with its bearer.

If the group feels around, they are in a large underground chamber. There are no doors and the walls are smooth stone and the ground is dirt. Defeating the wraith will end the magical darkness curse. Alternatively if they dig up the body of the wraith they can put it to rest.

Act as blind in darkness (disadvantage on attacks, advantage in attacks against them).

(the body of the wraith serves as an exit, but the remains must be put to rest to stop it)

________________________________________________________________

Room 44- Petting Zoo

A petting zoo. However, most of the animals are sentient beings that have been trapped in animals bodies. They are a mix of goats, sheep, giant rabbits, chickens, miniature donkeys and horses (30+ animals and all). They are desperate for help. There is also a monkey that seems out of place. However, the zoo keeper will turn the players into animals if they catch on.

The Zoo Keeper is a Witch with statblock below:

https://www.5esrd.com/gamemastering/monsters-foes/npc/witch-of-the-woods/

Additionally has Polymorph other ability, once per minute, transforms them into an animal for the petting zoo. Lasts 1 hour, but a ritual can make the transformation permanent.

The monkey is her servant and will transform into a giant ape and attack if she is at all in danger:

https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Giant%20Ape#content

The Zoo Keeper is dressed in zoo keeper garb, androgynous with hair put back underneath a large cap. They go by the name Annelynne, and their back story is that they always dreamed of having a zoo of their very own. The beasts of the wilderness are frightening and dangerous, and she wanted a place she could enjoy the peaceful creatures of the world with safety. She treats the players as visitors initially but will probe them to see if they are “violent” or “dangerous”. If they catch on that the animals are in fact people, she will transform the group one at a time. The Ape will back her up if the contest turns hostile, and will incapacitate them so they can be transformed at the Witches leisure.

If defeated, her loot includes her Grimoire. A spell caster can study this to add Polymorph to their spells, even if it is not normally available. Additionally, a more potent version that takes a full minute to cast makes the spell permanent, but uses a 5th level spell slot.

The captured beings will remain in animal form even after the witch is slain. A magical means will have to be found to reverse the spell. In the meantime, they will need to be fed and cared for. If the group can turn them back, they will find a combination of warriors, low level mages, rogues, soldiers, commoners and various people trapped. They will be incredibly thankful to the group and give over any valuables they have.

________________________________________________________________________

Room 45- The Vengeful Little One

The group appears in what looks like a warzone. This town is high up in the mountains and signs of a struggle abound. There are stacks of coffins along with signs of a struggle, blood spatters, smashed pots and crates, and a makeshift medical tent where soldiers are being attended to. The residents of the town are present but make themselves scarce. In the center of the town is a hastily constructed fortification made from stone blocks, strong wooden beams, nets, ropes and essentially rubble. It looks like they pulled whatever materials they could find to fortify something fast, but its unclear if it was to keep something in or keep something out.

-The soldiers are part of the national army for this region. The towns guard has been slaughtered and they were called in as reinforcements.

-A few Warrior-Priests were slaughtered, but one survivor is laid up in the medical tent along with a few surviving guards and towns people caught in the crossfire. The survivors wounds are similiar, it seems they bled out of all orfices, especially their eyes and mouth but the blood was black and ichorus, as if it had been rotting

-The group will have to get the story in pieces, but essentially a young girl with dark powers went on a rampage through the town. It started with her slaughtering a “local business leader” and his guard, but in reality he was an organized crime boss. When the town guard responded they absorbed her wrath as well. The town hid from the young girl in horror while they awaited reinforcements

-Everyone who tried to stop the girl was slaughtered. Whenever she took mortal injuries, her body would turn to ash and she would reappear, unharmed. She seemed to have the ability to kill by simply looking at someone

-The girl is currently bound in the fortified area in the center of town. She is blind folded and bound, and they periodically force feed her and give her water to keep her alive. If she dies, she will reappear unharmed and continue her rampage.

-The captain will address the group, he has put out a call for help for any heroes who can successfully kill her. All other attempts have failed but they fear waiting any longer for if she escapes all hell will break loose. They have rigged the fortified area with gas which can knock her out if needed, and the group can go in and try to dispatch her.

-If the group can get the girl to talk, they will discover that she seeks revenge on those who killed her dad and took her “ma”. Essentially her dad got into deep debt with a loan shark in order to afford magic healing for the mother. When he couldn’t pay it back they beat him badly so he tried to flee in the night with his wife and daughter. They were caught, and the dad was killed and mother sold into slavery. The girl escaped and her rage led to her– condition.

***

The Girl (she has forgotten her name- but if the group can discover it it is Callie Smithfield)

HP: 35 (if she is brought to 0 hit points she dies) AC: 18 (Dex +3, Insight +5) Initiative: +8 (insight + dex) Stats: Str: 8, Con: 10, Dex: 17, Int: 13, Wis: 10, Cha: 11

Attacks: Melee +8 (1d4) Necrotic Gaze: Casts toll the dead (11th caster level) on anyone she can see. 3d8 or 3d12 if they are injured

Reconstitution: If brought to 0 hit points she turns to ash and reforms in one turn, completely healed of all ill effects, wearing the same dress still covered in her father’s blood.

Unnatural Prowess: Her parasite gives her +5 insight to AC and Initiative. She gets +9 to all saving throws and is immune to mind altering effects. Also altered hit points that let her take far more damage than normal.

Banishment Resistance: Any spells that would forcibly transport her to another plane, instead kills her allowing her to reform if she so chooses.

The Parasite: The dark force feeding on Callie’s soul responds to anything trying to enter her mind as a hostile invader. Any attempt to psychically link requires a wisdom saving throw DC 18 or take 6d6 necrotic damage.

***

If set free, Callie will mercilessly slaughter the guard who have been attempting to kill her and torturing her in the process (decapitation, burning, etc). She can be persuaded with kindness and a promise to help find her mother.

Callie’s mother has been sent to an encampment outside a mithral mine to serve as a slave in a brothel for the miners.

The Parasite Callie carries is from an old, ancient magic of a long forgotten, unnamed god. It is difficult to remove. The Beeple queen will refuse to try, saying it is too dangerous to her colony. Interloper/Zariel will be unable to remove it without killing her. Interloper is happy to do so if asked, and will study the parasite. If Callie’s mother is saved though, her vengeance can be abated and the parasite can be removed without killing her. Zariel will recruit the girl and use her as an assassin in return for freeing her mother.

If one of the characters takes the parasite into themselves they will gain her abilities but their heart will darken and they will have to make Will saves regularly or use abilities against others.

____________________________________ Room 46- Vampire Karaoke

A Karaoke Bar in a seedy, dungeon like bar underneath a bustling metropolis. The group better perform well… because bad performers are fed upon by the owner, a vampire and some of his guests (other vampires).. The only exit is blocked by security guards (vampire spawn) until the group performs their routine. The group before them is a scrawny unkempt woman wearing lots of flowers and a few halflings playing citars and tambourines. Her music is “sounds like a seagull losing a fight with a jet engine—shrill, chaotic, and aggressively indifferent to traditional notions of melody or harmony. While some call it avant-garde, others might argue it’s less “groundbreaking art” and more “performance piece of a microphone being tortured.” Upon the end of her set, the guards drag her and the performers to the back, where the group may spot them being exsanguinated.

5 Vampires are present total. The Owner (also the MC), two audience members whose eyes gleam wickedly, one heading security and a creepy older vampire who hangs out backstage. There are a total of 13 vampire spawn staffing the event, including security guards, bartenders and waitresses.

If the group performs well, they are free to leave and given free food or drink if they’d like.

___________________________________________________________

Room 47- Apiary Village

The village that was afflicted by a horrific plague of supernatural origin was cured by the Interloper. Magic infused bees stung each afflicted village member, curing them. However, this was more than just a cure. The villagers became suffused with energy and vigor. The village was rearranged for efficiency and productivity. Single family dwellings were eliminated in favor of large dormitories. The birth rate skyrocketed and all children were cared for in a single building. Employment rate was 100% as every member worked tirelessly to farm, build and expand. The village members seemed quite content with their new situation. Their physical forms began to transform as well. They slept little, rarely tired and became immune to disease. They started growing antennae and the newborns have wings. Ultimately, they will become bee/human hybrids with aspects of both. The intelligence of humanoids but the collectivity of a bee hive.

One of the villagers has evolved into the “queen” and has reached out to the party psychically through the interloper for help. The village's new economic boom drew quick attention, and while tax collectors were happy to collect the additional revenue, a group of Elven druids/rangers have determined the villagers to be abominations that must be eradicated lest they spread. The group has a choice- defend the village, leave them to their fate, or eradicate the villagers themselves. The Interloper can temporarily force a portal to the village, but it will only last for a few hours.

Sera, a young girl who was close to dying of the plague, is now a worker and will speak directly to the group to treat with them.

Villager-Bee Worker

AC: 12 HP: 13 STR: 10, DEX: 14 CON: 10 INT/WIS/CHA 8-14 (varies) EXP: 100

Attack: Sting +4 to hit, 1d6 + 2 damage. Con DC 11 or take 3d6 poison damage. Paralysis occurs if 0 HP reached.

Villager-Bee Soldier

AC: 15 HP: 44 Speed: 30 ft/30 ft fly STR: 14, DEX: 16, CON14, INT/WIS/CHA (varies) EXP: 450

Attack: 2 claws (1d6 + 2 each), 1 Sting (1d8 + 4 damage) (all +6 to hit) Con DC 13 or take 6d6 posion damage. Paralysis if 0 HP hit.

Acid Spittle Targets make reflex save DC 13 or take 6d6 acid damage. Recharge 3

Villager-Bee Queen

AC: 10 HP: 250 Speed: 10 ft EXP: 1800

Con Save +10, Ref Save -4, Wis Save +9

STR: 10, DEX: 2, CON: 20, INT: 16, WIS 18, CHA: 14

Abilities: Telepathy, immune to charm and mind influencing effects, can coordinate all other villagers.

Attack: Kinesis 2d6 x 5 thrown objects +7 to hit

Dominate: Wis DC 14: Failure and Queen has mind control over target. Gets another save every time they take damage or the queen is incapacitated.

Sacrifice: Can trigger up to 3 workers or soldiers in the vicinity to self-destruct. Players must make Ref DC 14 save, failure and they take 3d6 per worker and 6d6 per soldier. 15 foot radius.

The Naturalists who have come to purge the village will have 5 tier 1 rangers, 1 tier 2 ranger named Vynx. He is taciturn and unwavering in his mission to cleanse nature of magical abominations. They will also have 4 tier one druids and 1 tier 2 druid, Baakar, who does not like to speak.

https://www.emptyhexes.com/monster-mondays/npc-ranger

https://www.emptyhexes.com/monster-mondays/npc-druid

Druids can cast ice/fire bolts that deal 1d12 damage and have +5 spell attack modifier at will.

The Naturalists seek to purge the entire village but their primary goal is to kill the queen. They will cast walls of fire around the village to keep them in and then pick them off with spells and arrows.

If the group tries to save the village, they will stay behind to defend as the queen and workers are evacuated. A handful of soldiers will stay behind to aid the players. They will have 1 hour to prepare the town for the assault, and during this time can prepare it in any way they see fit. The druids and rangers will focus on using ranged and spell attacks as much as possible to pick off the players from a distance. Entangle, wall of fire, thunderwave, arrows and ranged spells will all be used to maximum effect.

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Room ?– Invitation to Sigil

The Group can enter Sigil through a victory in the arena. They will face Akaros the Undefeated, the greatest gladiator in the multiverse. He has been gifted immortality among many other abilities from his countless victories. However, he has grown bored and depressed with the lack of challenge. Akaros will not kill the group, instead incapacitating each member (but killing everything they summon). At the end of the battle the audience votes on whether or not to resurrect them or send their souls to Sigil’s coffers.

Arkanos the DEFEATED CR 25: 75000 EXP

HP: 40d10 + 280 (500) AC: 27

STR: 26 DEX: 24 CON: 24 INT: 16 WIS: 20 CHA: 22

Saving Throws: STR: +15, Dex +14, Con +15, Wis + 12 Immunities: Frightened, charmed, restrained

Arena Mastery: Akaros has advantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks while in any form of competitive combat. He cannot be surprised or caught off guard in an arena.

Unbreakable Form. He is immune to being knocked prone, disarmed, or restrained. When reduced to 0 hit points, he instead drops to 1 hit point once per day.

Supreme Duelist. Akaros can use his reaction to parry one melee attack he sees, reducing the attack’s damage by 25. If this reduces the damage to 0, he may immediately make a melee attack against the attacker.

Equipment: Soldier’s Sword (artifact) This gladius has a +1 enhancement bonus per 5 hit die, giving it +8 for Akaros.

Warp Javelins (artifact) This Javelin is made of pure force energy and will form infinite copies to be thrown at will. Each deals 6d6 + str force damage.

+3 studded leather armor (AC 15)

+3 Shield (+5 AC)

Attacks (4 per turn):

Gladius: 1d6 + 16 (20) +24 to hit Warp Javelin: 6d6 + 8 (29) +15 to hit force damage

Abilities:

Flurry of Blows: makes 1d6 + 3 additional attacks with his gladius (recharge 6)

Overwhelming Criticals: Nat 20 deals +10d6 (35)

Coup-De-Grace: On a critical hit, can instantly decapitate an enemy with under 100 hp.

Second Wind (2/day): +100 hp (bonus action)

Reaction:

Riposte: Makes a melee attack against a target that misses. Once per attacker per turn.

Legendary Actions:

Disarm: Upon a successful attack roll, target must make a contested strength check, failure and their weapon is ripped from their hands and tossed.

Dash: Akaros moves 30 feet in any direction.

Roar of the Arena: Revs up the crowd, gains 2d6 inspiration.

Akaros will pull his punches to rev up the crowd and make the fight look competitive, but if he becomes in any real danger he will unleash the full brunt of his abilities.

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Room ?– The Exile’s Hideout

One of the group's predecessors who gained enough power to separate from the Interloper entirely. He has built a demiplane as a hideout and raids the various planes while avoiding the Order of the Weave and any forces of the Interloper.

-use paragon statblock, give him rogue, fighter and mage levels. Access to very potent magic items and spells.

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?– Holiday Surprise

Santa is here, and it doesn’t matter if you've been naughty or nice. This door is red, and behind it is a demon shape shifted as Father Christmas. It is incredibly powerful, and will give the group escalating gifts until they state they no longer believe in it, in which case the room will melt away and they will be freed (with a reward).

Santa uses the stat block for a Glabrezu with the following extra abilities:

Gifts: He can summon “gifts” that turn the players wishes against them. Army of Elves: Hoards of dretches wearing little elf costumes Rudolph: The “reindeer” has a glowing red probiscus, it is a Chasme dressed as a reindeer. Milk and Cookies: Elven slaves bring him cookies that heal him for 50 hp.

Total EXP: 10000 (double amount before)

The group can stop him if they all say with conviction they no longer believe in him.

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?– Grandma Nettles

-See separate Doc

Room Ideas:

-Mithardir

-quicksand pit

-A knight fighting a monster, but it isn’t what it seems. Monster is good knight is bad

-Giant birds nest

-defiled grove

-A great defensive wall (ramparts)

-Brewery

-UFO

-Massive library

-Uzo’s cursed Bow source. A paladin impaled on a spike, unable to die in a pocket dimension within Hades. Many tortured souls will accost anyone who tries to interfere, as they feed on the suffering to stifle their own.

-A vast ocean

-A random gear room in Mechanus. Modrons will take particular notice since interlopers should not be possible

-A formian nursery

-A hill giant camp

-This isn't a real room idea, I'm just curious if anyone read this far. If so, kudos to you!

-Under a troll bridge

-A meeting for people addicted to a magic powder

-A court room with a person on trial for fornicating with a holy animal

-An olive oil plantation

-An arctic wasteland

-Abyssal layer where confused armies on both sides of the blood war have been forgotten

-A game of clue in an entire astral mansion. They can’t leave until it is solved

-Birth of a new religion, they get to choose the nature of the “messiah”

-Drug lab

-A massive clock

-A rock concert

-A nest of a colossal, aggressive bird that has chicks there

-Spider Pantry

-Predecessor’s Fortress