Grit Digger

Today at The Everwayan, we have another member of Everway's original and ancient Odd Families: Clay Digger, a miner in the galleries below the city. The Digger family has maintained its longstanding monopoly on mining activities. But the City has expanded so much that mining for coal and precious metals now happens only at the edges of the realm of Roundwander, and in the spheres beyond the gates.

But the Digger family also maintains its premier role in the moneylending arena. And like all of the Odd Families, the Digger family is matriarchal and matrilineal. The Diggers' wealth is controlled by a handful of elder-sisters at the top of the clan hierarchy. Their message for everyone else in the family is: "Wait your turn."

Of course, not everyone in the family is willing to do that. The young and ambitious will always seek ways to get ahead. One of the ways is to find the Forgotten Vaults: one of the many hidden and often forgotten places where the Digger wealth of earlier eras was stored.

Grit Digger is young and unafraid. She delves deep, hoping to find some of her family's ancient buried treasure. Mums the word to her clan mothers, who have begun asking pointed questions about where she goes when she disappears for a day or two at time.

Grit Digger

• STR 13
• DEX 13
• WIL 10
• HP 3

Starting Package:

• Pistol (D6)
• Smoke-bomb
• Mutt
• Shovel

Odd Everway

Cover art by Levi Kornelsen

Today, we're celebrating the release of Chris McDowell's Into the Odd RPG, which is now for sale as part of Paolo Greco's Lost Pages imprint.

And we have a new inspiration for Everway.

The planes are as old as dirt, and the realm of Roundwander and its ur-metropolis of Everway lies at its center. A dirt-choked metropolis that has seen stars land and industries rise and fall, Everway is still the realm with the most gates between the spheres.

At least on paper, for only a few gates remain above ground.

Most are Lost Gates, buried far underground, deep beneath a City that has rebuilt itself numerous times, strata upon strata. Meet Ruff Crow, a warrior from one of Everway's Odd Families who trace their lineage back to the founders of the City.

One-eyed Ruff Crow stalks deep under City.  Donning his blood, muck, and chem-stained crowfeather mantle, Ruff takes parties below the City to recover lost things and people. He helps the truly desperate or foolhardy to find and access the Lost Gates.

You'll know he's near when you smell his cigar or see its fire.

Welcome to Odd Everway.

Here's Ruff Crow:

• STR 16
• DEX 12
• WIL 9
• HP 4

Starting Package:

• Pistol (D6)
• Whip (D6)
• Cigars, Lost Eye

Sharper than a Kraken's Beak

Maybe I'm late to the game, but I just noticed that Robin Laws' Sharper Adventures in HeroQuest Glorantha is now available from the Glorantha.com store as a PDF.

I Knew There Was Something Good About Slumbering Ursine Dunes

http://theminiaturespage.com/news/223394/*

The Hydra Collective's Slumbering Ursine Dunes mythic Russia-inspired sandbox adventure setting has a golden barge in it. The intro to the current draft of the product points out that the Dunes takes some inspiration from Michael Moorcock's Eric saga, which has the mother of all battle barges, the giant golden zigguratic Melnibonean kind.

The Dunes have bear warriors, and a King who appears to have at least two things in common with me. (I might reveal those given a rich enough bribe.) The Dunes also has one of the most surreal rumors tables that I have ever seen. I want all the rumors on this table to be true.

There's only a few days left for the Kickstarter for Chris Kutalik's project. If what I've mentioned above is of any interest, check it out while there is still time!

I can't imagine where this Hydra Collective gets the inspiration. Well, maybe I do:

The reference makes me even more eager to see the final product.

*The miniatures pictured above aren't part of the KS but they sure are cool. Call 'em Reptilian but they sure look Melnibonean.

Enkidu FerJabbersSake

Enkidu

We just created our first 5E character for a campaign that my friend Boris is going to run. Meet Enkidu FerJabbersSake, a Half Orc Ranger (1st Level). He's very attractive for a Half Orc (favors his human mother, I guess) and he is hunting for his younger brother, Agni (also a Half Orc) who was captured or sold into slavery during one of the many intertribal conflicts among the orc and goblin groups.

Agni

Enkidu's about 18. Greenish hair, green eyes, light green skin. Hulking build. Both he and his brother have the Black Flame tribal tattoos on their right shoulder and back. Enkidu plays a mouth harp and has a Trinket: a tiny sketch portrait of a goblin. Perhaps, the sketch is a personal wanted poster for his brother's captor. We'll see.

Not surprisingly, Enkidu's Favored Enemies are orcs and goblins. Enkidu's Natural Explorer talent is for Forests. He guides human settlers, hunters, traders, and adventurers who arrived from the East over the great ocean, seeking opportunities to trade among the lands and peoples under the sway of the orcs and goblins. It's not long after the great war which occurred between the Eastern settlers and the orc and goblin tribes.

Understandably, Enkidu now prefers the company of humans.

Reading The Guide to Glorantha

I decided to start an archive for my brief G+ posts on my read-through of the Guide to Glorantha. Most are posts of a picture from a specific section of the Guide, with brief commentary. Consider them flags marking my ascent of a world-mountain. The most recent posts at the top, and we'll be updating this archive as we continue our read-through.

Are there models for dungeons in Glorantha?
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/2uCDfaqknZS

The Goddess Glorantha and her mother:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/L37e9EHAgdx

The Scorpion Man, one of the Lesser Elder Races of Glorantha:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/XEzogMQg8nn

The Ysabbau, the host hostile to humans of the Merfolk (Black Lagoony):
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/acQ8punyHok

The Gnydron, the most colossal of the Merfolk (Krakenoids?):
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/JRVzLLyyLJn

On the Uz, also known as Trolls:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/hYYrFQXJSDL

A more prosaic view of the Mostali, or Dwarves:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/fE7F5Z9EmYe

The Weirdest look at the Mostali, or Dwarves:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/J2ecVD8d5vX

Dream Dragons:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/PejXPHBDLCt

Dragon Mondays - hopefully not happening to a community near you:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/YeGRLFg8XxG

The Dragonewts:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/VNmLnnzFVWf

The Aldryami, or Elves:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/8M9C95W78YB

Kralori Exarch:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/MwvnbiznF7w

Kralori Mandarin and Soldier:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/E4CSgJQjXnQ

The Pelorians aren't that easy to like:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/87NaJRsPBeG

The Pelorians:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/5Fbe1ro4yt4

The Orlanthi:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/5Fbe1ro4yt4

Out of sequence - mural on the Lightbringers' Quest:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/8qFafexKsQp

Out of sequence - Temples of the Reaching Moon:
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/JYYywoGJVgN

The Guide has arrived!
https://plus.google.com/115784387768601652189/posts/cN1x4LEUwxe

The Bandit Map

The Bandit Map is here: the first supplement for Rachel Kronick's Blade & Crown RPG. The adventure begins with the discovery of a scrap of an old map, and leads to a bandit-hunting adventure in lands shunned by peasants and burghers alike.

Our gaming group playtested the scenario in the Spring/Winter of 2014. We had a blast with it, and together created one of the best adventuring parties with whom I've had the pleasure of gaming. Each member of the party - including my youthful and violent fire mage (based on the Fullmetal Alchemist) - was part of the entourage of a noble (also a PC) who had fallen on hard times. We were bound to each other by oaths of fealty, as well as a desire for gold.

Now, as a game inspired by Swordbearer, Blade & Crown lends itself to gritty, A Game of Thronesy/Abercrombsie-style adventure, There's magic, but most of it is subtle. But in this adventure my fire mage encountered something that quite literally blew his mind.

The Bandit Map is available in print in both full color and in B&W editions, as well as in PDF, All the details, and a free preview can be found right here.

While the scenario could readily be adapted for almost any fantasy RPG with little difficulty, the time is right to check out Blade & Crown if you're not familiar with the game or are sitting in the fence at the moment. It's 25% off right now (regardless of format) until September 30! Find print here and PDF here.