Oh, I see. You did not come here for food or drink. You came for a story. Well.. I suppose my reputation precedes me. I have heard many a tale in my time. The gods know that stories are as important as a sword at your hip, a coin in your purse, and a companion on your travels, and I’ve always been a bit miserly when it comes to legends and folklore. But my story is not the one you came for. Well, what is your pleasure? Do you wish to hear the saga of Brynjar, the Hammer of Rhandyr, Slayer of Giants? No, no… much too bloody for such a dreary night. I know! How about the lay of Merea and Turine, the Horned Lovers of Ipet-Ran? Or perhaps not… it is such a saccharine story, don’t you think? Perhaps you came to hear about the exploits of Stainless Storr, the greatest thief that Carnora ever knew! …on second thought, I’m rather tired of that tale. Every man and their uncle tells it a different way, and none of them are right.
Ah! Now that’s the one. That’s the perfect tale for this very night! For this very fire and this very storm. It is a tale of adventure, as many of them are, but the kind of adventure that defies the very imagination. Nonetheless, every word of this tale is true, and very, very few know it in its entirety! It is the story of a group of wanderers, wanderers much like yourselves. They came from every corner of Iris, from every walk of life, and each had a tale to tell even before they met, but none so spectacular as those that followed. Some insist their deeds are lies, others attribute them to the gods, and still more claim them for themselves. If only they were so lucky! No, these heroes were destined for greatness, destined to change Iris itself! Oh… there I go, getting ahead of myself.
I suppose I’d better start at the beginning...
Latest Episode - Episode 80: "Allegiance" - Few know who will answer when they cry for help. Those who follow the gods possess that advantage, at the very least. Yet there are even those among the faithful whose worship is split, whose piety falls between the varying demands of powerful aeons. It is a testament to the worth of Rex Olivier's spirit that he was allowed to escape his commitment to a single power for so long. Now, as the shattered arcana of Demmeret's experiments threatens to tear the laboratory and our visiting adventurers asunder, Rex must choose whose power is his own.
Also in the Archives: The Blades of Southreach, a side story about struggling thieves in the big city, using the Blades in the Dark system!
You can find every episode (and brief episode summaries) of The Chronicles of Iris here!
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4/25/18 - Episode 80: "Allegiance" - Few know who will answer when they cry for help. Those who follow the gods possess that advantage, at the very least. Yet there are even those among the faithful whose worship is split, whose piety falls between the varying demands of powerful aeons. It is a testament to the worth of Rex Olivier's spirit that he was allowed to escape his commitment to a single power for so long. Now, as the shattered arcana of Demmeret's experiments threatens to tear the laboratory and our visiting adventurers asunder, Rex must choose whose power is his own.
3/27/18 - Episode 79: "Praxis' Proposal" - To the master transmuter, the path forward is simple. Reclaim his laboratory. Dismiss the apprentice's foolish experiment. Gather the components for a grand ritual. Bestow him with his proper form: that of those alien creatures with the wondrous minds. Yet the conjured creatures that beset his home are ferocious indeed, and the long-dead laboratory remains fearsome as it slowly wakes.
3/6/18 - Episode 78: "A Story of Justice and Vengeance" - In the grand scope of Iris' life, so many tales have been lost. They are taken to Death's gallery with little fanfare, left to adorn those spare walls for the amusement and education of so very few. Then there are stories better left untold. Those that are dangerous to utter aloud. Would that Roger knew that long ago, but we are past that now. Now it is time to reveal hidden stories, ones that the gods imagine better left behind, and which instead come from the lips of a Crone. Hers is a tale of a dead world, the god who shattered it, and the god who once loved it. A tale of vengeance and justice that needed to be told. It is food for thought as our heroes climb the mountain, overcome errant portals, and hear the proclamation of the master returned to his laboratory.
1/16/18 - Episode 77: "Lorthos" - Are our fates inevitable? Is our past conquerable? Can we run from the path laid for us? Amak'thos faces his creator and the potential of his own unmaking. After all, there must be a Gaoler and the Pact must be renewed. There is no other way to seal Xogur'tha. Or is there? Does the crone, finally arrived, provide a new answer? One that may be riskier, yes, but also filled with incredible potential. Such an answer would have incalculable foes, unless, of course, those same foes could be swayed. Unless... well... are our fates inevitable?
1/2/18 - Episode 76: "Coin and Cowl" - Not even the wretched ice and snow of the Haoxia Mountains can prevent goods from changing hands between a greed-filled demon and a party of adventurers overburdened with spoils. With new items and equipment in hand, our heroes travel through the furious blizzards of the Tiefling homeland, narrowly avoiding the true dangers of the frozen wastes. On the threshold of the valleys below stood three sentries: monks of Dys, awaiting quarry provided by the goddess herself. In the face of his brethen, Amak'thos allows the goddess to see his heart and delivers the party unto her judgement among the ice-covered peaks where the monastery lies.
12/13/17 - Episode 75: "Zailuan" - What do you say to the newly-awakened goddess of the planet? No one is quite sure, but the ever-shifting Iris certainly has words for our heroes. She speaks of a Song and a Passage, both of which will be necessary to triumph over the forces of Xogur'tha. The Song remains far away, deep within a red canyon, but the Passage (or the means to make it) is much closer. It lies within Zailuan, the homeland of the Tieflings and Amak'thos, a place of great danger for those who do not belong. Unfortunately, the only other guide they have is the wizard Praxis, whose motives are suspect at best. Still, a journey begins with a single step, and the first for our heroes will be through the treacherous snowstorms of the Western mountains...
12/6/17 - Episode 74: "The Glimpse" - They are the part of me that hates. They see only the death of our home and speak only curses of those who stole it from us. Their playthings are that which it seeks to obliterate. Their form is the image of the enemy itself. Across the worlds there is nothing as cruel and vengeful as a wrathful child. Let us turn that wrath upon this wretched world.
11/21/17 - Episode 73: "Through the Nightmare" - Past the Dreams of Paradise, Magnificence, and Ingenuity lies the Nightmare, where all Iris' fears are made manifest. Few wish to face their own, despite their constant pull, the way they lurk on the edges of our perception. Instead our heroes search for any other way out... any at all, but in the end find only the Obelisk Court. There all face the consequences they've ignored if they possess guilt at all. One way or another, the adventurers must escape the dream, for on the other side lies an Enemy revealed long ago: The Final Glimpse of the Forbidden Dawn.
10/25/17 - Episode 72: "The Dreams of Iris" - One final guardian stands between the adventures and the temple at the Heart of the World, and it only stands so long as no one can run past it. Beyond the organ that protects it are layered dreams, dreams which mortals cannot help but to experience. Paradise. Magnificence. Ingenuity. Each provides its own strange wonders. Yet what lies past them all? Can there be dreams without nightmares?
9/19/17 - Episode 71: "Heart of the World, Part 2" - The adventures have never faced an environment so hostile, nor foes more implacable, than those at the Heart of the World. Relentlessly they seek to purge their home of the invaders, and soon, our heroes are worn down by the continual attacks of the Heart's Cells. However, a bit of kindness and a good deal of exploration provides them with the tools they need to pass through the dangers of the Heart unscathed. Formidable foes remain in their paths, but there are far more paths than before and they are much less strenuous.
9/5/17 - Episode 70: "Heart of the World, Part 1" - At the cusp of the Heart of the World, our heroes rest, contemplating the nature of the verdant temple below and querying the dark nature of the entities that reside within. As they venture towards the ziggurat's entrance, the planet's natural defenses rise, preventing a simple descent. With little hesitation, the adventurer's unleash their full might upon their newly-formed prison, but the planet lashes back in return.
8/1/17 - Episode 69: "Battle Before the Folded Tree" - On the Isle of the Folded Tree waits Pyroclast Tephra Olivine. She sits, watching the waves, knowing that when her opponent arrives, their journeys will finally end. They will meet. Hopefully her opponent will be a good person, but if they are not, perhaps that will be easier. After all, the only remaining battle is the one that chooses Iris' Champion. Whoever triumphs shall take up that burden and venture into the Folded Tree towards whatever lies within. But for now, she waits. For now, there's peace. She smiles. When the battle is over, there will be peace again.
7/25/17 - Episode 68: "Water, Stone, and Oblivion" - Within the cave of the Obelisk, the Trial of Discovery pits our heroes against riddles in which their very existences are at stake. The vanishing passageways lead to altars of water on which the keys to the final doors lie. Disturbing these altars causes further chaos to break out within the tunnels of the Trial, but by controlling the Obelisk's passages, even that chaos can be put to order. Their control and planning finally allows the adventurers to escape the trial, but does not lead them to where they expect. Instead they stand on an island of many lands, of a folded tree, and of Roam's final contest.
7/11/17 - Episode 67: "The Trial of Discovery" - After a journey to Phon that felt much longer than it seemed, our heroes arrived at the gates of the City of Roads. In the sacred city of the God Who Walks, all who seek to undertake a journey are given the ability to do so, but the strength to overcome that journey's challenges must be their own. This is all the more true for those selected by the Traveler to experience a Trial. Of the four Trials of the God Who Walks, the adventurers select Discovery, which leads them to a strange, runed obelisk. Staring at the runes creates new paths, but proceeding unto new paths without caution can create pain and terror, as those who are left on the paths as they vanish can tell you.
6/27/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 10: "The Will of Master Zamonth, Part 2" - Sometimes a job goes south. All thieves know this. They also know that it is how you recover from those mistakes that separates the novices from the masters. With chaos reigning in Zamonthalia, the Reckless Seared need to get a deed signed by the estate's cagey keeper, prevent testimony from any problematic witnesses, ward off a vengeful ghost, pull Max back from the Ethereal, and keep the Hollows off their tails. All in a day's work, right?
6/617 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 9: "The Will of Master Zamonth, Part 1" - No crime can go unnoticed forever. With a Viceroy of the Order of Hallowed Law at their door, the Reckless Seared flee their lair in order to evade capture. Instead, they find themselves without a hunting ground to call their own... unless they can secure a new base of operations. Only one significant and empty manor remains in the Shining Gardens, and that is Zamonthalia, the home of an ancient elf older than the Everroad itself. No one would suspect it as a base for a thieving crew, which makes it the perfect target. Or rather, it will be if the Reckless Seared can successfully alter Master Zamonth's will to give them the possession of the sprawling estate.
5/30/17 - Blades of Southreach. Episode 8: "The Groom of House Theredor, Part 2" - Armed with Valek's potent detonator and Max's knowledge of Breton Theredor's tragic past, the Reckless Seared make for the cliffs of Elion's Rest. There they complete their explosives demonstration, only to be caught in the middle of dangerous foes, both known and unknown. With lives, memories, honor, and the prospects of great fortune on the line, the Seared must escape from Elion's deadly shores, but only after preventing the alliance between Theredor and Osterhall.
5/9/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 7: "The Groom of House Theredor, Part 1" - In an effort to procure a improved source of income, the Seared take on a task from Max's erstwhile admirer, Veruca Osterhall. Her request: save her from an arranged marriage to Breton Theredor, the powerful and cruel heir to Southreach's oldest fortune. Unluckily, the Seared's clever method of gaining Breton's notice gained the attention of others as well, including mysterious figures, the Order of Hallowed Law, and Veruca's tyrannical father himself. With some of the most powerful figures in Southreach watching their every move, can the Reckless Seared still cancel Veruca's mandated matrimony?
4/25/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 6: "The Anchorchain's Incriminating Evidence" - The Hollows still stalk The Reckless Seared, and slowly but surely, they always find their marks. Unless, of course, they are sent in the wrong direction, and a frame job benefits both the Seared and the Fleshfence, who still blame the dock gang for the failed transaction that our scoundrels themselves thwarted. Of course, framing a gang means heading deep into their territory with expensive and incriminating supplies. And when errant ghost hunters, majestic paintings, and Skovlan prisoners join the fray, what could go wrong?
4/18/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 5: "The Drop at Caddimer Square" - Wounds (mostly) healed and the law off their trail (for the moment), the Reckless Seared plan their next move. Valek eyes a sale of his people's medicine and the crew prepares an ambush in Caddimer Square, just south of the Fleshfence crew's territory. Two rival factions meet to exchange goods yet, if the Seared have their way, they'll be the ones to profit.
4/11/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 4: "The Hallowed Law Manifest, Part 2" - The Seared find themselves in a tight spot across the compound of the Central Office of the Hollows. Valek is pinned between a half-closed gate and a swath of Hollow soldiers, with only his own ingenuity and the dwindling Anchorchain thugs between himself and capture. Max briefly fights off the painful effects of the arcane lock he picked to acquire the stash, but soon relents to forces beyond his control. With few options left, Avenger cobbles together an escape from the compound, leaving bodies, blazes, and blood in his wake. What score could be worth such sacrifice? How can the Seared recover from some a challenge? Who will haunt them now that their deed is done?
3/28/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 3: "The Hallowed Law Manifest" - The challenge of the Central Office looms over the smugglers, but the former blade of the law figures out a way to breach its walls. Once inside, the explosive distractions of Valek get the Order's attention away from the Administrative Offices, but not for long. At the Archive Vault, powerful names are dropped and a magical lock is picked... but at incredible cost. As their enemies close in, the gang learns why they will one day be called The Seared.
3/14/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 2: "Estica and Osterhall" - After pilfering the Idol, the scoundrels spend a few moments in repose, shaking off their stressful missions in the grips of their passions or desperately attempt to heal their wounds. As they are on the mend, a brutal message is sent to ensure they are no longer so cavalier with the hearts of noble daughters. Two new jobs approach them, and the brigands elect to steal some incriminating documents from the center of Southreach's security: the Order of Hallowed Law.
3/7/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 1: "The Twisted Idol" - The scoundrels are given three possible scores, and eventually decide to rob the gallery of Lord Denver. Approaching the Denver estate is simple enough, but getting out quickly and quietly proves more difficult than anticipated. The dangers of arcane circuitry and ancient gates to the Undercity challenge in ways that guards of flesh and blood cannot. Even with the statue in hand, Southreach proves that no one escapes its clutches unscathed.
2/28/17 - Blades of Southreach, Episode 0: "The Dark Side of Southreach" - Scoundrels assemble, a crew is formed, and targets are marked. Who will be the first to fall?
1/31/17 - Episode 66: "The Pontare Legacy" - Amak'thos and Rex arrive from a world indescribable to riches unimaginable, yet the Rat King's desire is for a weapon of "ultimate peace." Meanwhile, the legendary guards of Polosk bring great pain upon our heroes, until they take advantage of the ballroom's great columns. Yet the truest conflicts lay in the faith of an assassin named Rex, and the mercy of a storyteller named Roger. The legacies of their fathers led them to this moment; for one, and ending, and for the other... perhaps a new beginning.
1/17/17 - Episode 65: "The Pontare Contract" - Like all excellent parties, the Autumn's Embrace Ball begins to fray at the edges, to completely unravel. On one side, a performer returns with a speech and a plan, ready to enchant his rival and lead him into the hands of his allies. On another, a battle for freedom leads to a sudden stampede that charges into the Grand Ballroom. Finally, in a distant plane marred by chaos, the passageways of time are pursued, and those who walk them see the passage of both years and possibilities.
1/4/17 - Episode 64: "Impatient in a Clock-Based World" - Our heroes remain split across planes, each encountering dangers of their own. Amak'thos and Rex encounter the chaos of the Clockwork Passage, a catalyst of monsters known as the Lapse. Gimble begins with a run-in with his academic disgrace before running headlong into the Ultio Ultonis' clutches with Roam. Finally, Roger meets an enigmatic woman from his past, who carries a tragic secret that continues to haunt the Pontare name.
12/13/16 - Episode 63: "Infiltrating Autumn's Embrace" - The party splits in two to investigate the Keep of Duke Quinton Reddard, contractor of the Ultio Ultonis assassins trailing Roger and Rex. One group seeks entry through the Rat King's thieving route: a passage between two clocks, one of which lies in the Duke's vaults. They quickly find that the Clockwork Passage is filled with the violence of grinding gears and winding time. The other group enters through the front gates of the Autumn's Embrace Ball, the Duke's annual celebration. However, enemies and detractors from the party's past emerge to crash the soiree or worse, like sneaking up from behind to end the night swiftly.
12/6/16 - Episode 62: “The Contest of Worthiness” - Roger completes the trials laid before him by the noble houses of Polosk, gaining through his talents access to Duke Reddard’s Autumn’s Embrace Ball. With the day of the party finally arriving, Rex and Amak’thos meet with the Rat King to travel on his illicit route to the palace vaults.
11/22/16 - Episode 61: "Uncle Gimble and the Rat King" - On the way back from the markets, Gimble finds himself tackled by an overeager metal child in whose "birth" he played a surprisingly significant part. When he and Roam reconnect with the rest of the party, they head through Granny's house to meet the Rat King in his lair and to hear his proposal for robbing the Duke of Polosk. In order to gain the greatest advantage on Quinton Reddard, our heroes plan a two-pronged attack, one arm of which requires official invitations to the Ball. To receive those invitations, the adventurer's must acquire them through Contests of Strength both magical and martial, to say nothing of the Contest of Worthiness solely for eager performers...
10/25/16 - Episode 60: "A City in Autumn's Embrace" - After receiving the thanks and gifts of Dolgenshik, our heroes venture north towards the city of Polosk, where the Duke who has a price on Roger's life that is contracted through Rex's former cohorts resides. They arrive in a city threatened by orcish attack but nevertheless excited by the coming of the Autumn's Embrace Ball at the keep. Some see it as a chance to see royalty up close, but others see it as an extremely beneficial distraction. To learn how they might take advantage of this "distraction," the heroes have a "tryout" for Ripp of the Rodent Clan. Success means a promise to meet the "Rat King." On the other side of town, a mysterious metal relative pursues Gimble with reckless abandon.
10/4/16 - Episode 59: "Arena of Spiders" - Battles stretch through the caverns beneath Dolgenshik. In one hall, four adventurers face off against a purple worm in pursuit and the gricks that make the cave their home. In another arena, a paladin of nature and light faces off against a druid of the seething dark and his retinue of beasts. Great power shines forth when needed most and allies arrive when tides take their darkest turns. And when the threats of the desperate are at their most devious, the light is given the chance to show the strength of its convictions.
9/27/16 - Episode 58: "The Poisoned Branch" - The druid Allovan has a simple plan: enter the caverns beneath Dolgenshik and discover the cause of the deadly quakes. Yet no trek is simple when it requires the travelers to traverse slick rock, avoid entrancing purple lights, and withstand the harm caused by cave-ins. Unfortunately, the greatest dangers come not from the environment, but from the malicious leader that drives Roam into an arena of spiders. Elsewhere, the cause of the quakes is found, and that threat looms large over our heroes while other creatures of the dark rise in their lairs to fight both the monstrous and the mortal intruders.
9/13/16 - Episode 57: "Dolgenshik Shudders" - The road to Dolgenshik is a peaceful one, but one beset with the milk-white eyes of cowardly crows. Their dark wings do not follow into the Dolgenshik, the City of Shattered Walls, but tremors do instead, shaking the foundations of keeps and citizens alike. Roger shares a dark tale of blind faith and a dearth of gratitude. Yet every story begets another, and soon our heroes find themselves braving more danger with a new ally.
8/30/16 - Episode 56: "One of Many Crossroads" - Choices don't come during the easy times. They come in front of the campfires, at the ends of long days. Sometimes, it's impossible to tell the consequences of these choices until far in the future, but we do what's best in the moment. Some of us live with the choices we've already made, the ones that haunt us. Others, they see what's ahead, what awaits them out there in that hopeful not yet. All our heroes know now is that Dolgenshik is their next port of call. What decisions they'll make there is anyone's guess. But today choices were made. We may even know one day if they were good... or bad.
8/23/16 - Episode 55: "Escape the Dark Vault!" - The twists and turns of the Disciples' Labyrinth continue, but our heroes wills never waver. They press forward through the throng of cultists until they reach familiar halls... with familiar foes. With an Illithid bearing down upon them, our heroes race to open the final door between themselves and the outside. Can they escape with their lives? Can they help their erstwhile allies flee? Do they even want to? And what awaits them on the other side?
8/16/16 - Episode 54: "The Disciples' Labyrinth" - The adventurers risk their lives for a period of rest and are rewarded with the late arrival of few guards. When they ascend to the upper level, they discover a maze of worship, a labyrinth where the disciples of Xogur'tha walk, mesmerized by their faith. Yet even the calls of gods can be disturbed by the footsteps of interlopers, so our heroes quickly discover the dangers of disturbing the Esgogroth's prayers.
7/12/16 - Episode 53: "Reality's Threshold" - As the light lock turns, our heroes' hideous foes turn upon them in defiance of what may lie on the other side of the portal. Those who dwell in the mist-covered halls strike savagely, leaving the adventurers (and their unlikely allies) to perform their most heroic acts yet in an effort to survive. Yet even if they do, what is it that awaits them across the locked threshold? What is it beyond that door that these mad specimen fear?
7/5/16 - Episode 52: "The Halls of Mist and Madness" - As soon as our heroes step foot into the misty halls, the shadows of enemies emerge, tempting them into wanton destruction. When the first solid forms emerge, they bring with them powerful allies from the deep earth and from fathomless unreality. Even the walls threaten, while whispers from fell sources encourage them to be embraced. Finally, another door locked by light appears, but as the lock is picked, what final horrors await?
6/28/16 - Episode 51: "The Dark Vault" - Our heroes awake beside former enemies: members of the Southreach Thieves' Guild who brought them together many weeks ago. Now they are trapped together in the Dark Vault and must flee as they suffer the mental assault of the captors together. The Dark Vault contains forgotten treasures, the missing gear that might allow our heroes to escape. But at what cost? And to what destination?
5/31/16 - Episode 50: "Father" - In the Dark Vault lies a realm of death. Of pain. Of madness. With each step in its empty halls, more uncertainty and doubt. That is, until a legion comes to answer all questions. At that legion's head stands a creature of great power, power only rivaled by one other. One who comes only at great cost.
5/24/16 - Episode 49: "The Locus" - At the end of the Brooksburrow Caverns, the adventurers find a Door. Standing between them and their exit is the Locus, a creature who commands the paths of the mind and dominates the senses. Which makes the heroes' easy victory over the vile fiend all the more impressive. On the other side of the door, there is a moment's respite under the sun. Further forward is another door, a gate to the Esgogroth's stronghold. The adventurers walk the river's path and enter the Dark Vault.
5/17/16 - Episode 48: "The Servants of the Shattered World" - Trapped in a cave, the party stands against the wall of wrathful flesh lured toward their momentary jail. Though a tide of vile limbs accost them, they survive to set gods free and learn more of the enemy against which they struggle. Finally, they encounter their long-time foes: priests of the Esgogroth. As they meet the challenge of the mad clerics, our heroes must ponder their final crazed words. What IS The Locus?
5/10/16 - Episode 47: "Scars of the Mind" - In the dark, humid caverns below Brooksburrow, our heroes discover further waves of aberrant flesh which break upon the strength of their spells. Yet it is the mind-bending oddities, the malformation of the senses, that truly challenge their progress in the caves. When the adventurers discover a prison of gods, they are consumed by an insidious trap. All too soon they will discover how much more dangerous their enemies become when there is no more room to run.
5/3/16 - Episode 46: "Vile Caverns" - Our adventurers escape the doomed town of Brookburrow via their well; a portal that leads not to safety, but to vile creatures in the water. Disease and domination plague the party against these foes, but they overcome to find a winding cavern full of Esgogroth evil and misshapen abominations. To escape the caves, they must battle the horrifying creatures within, as well as the invisible beings that invade their minds.
4/19/16 - Episode 45: "Brooksburrow's End" - A smiling town. A cautious party. A surprise entrance. An impossible escape. A hidden foe. A lurking creature. A boarded temple. A single flame. A deluge of smoke. A conflagration. Death. Death. Death. Death. Death. A well. A way out. An escape from madness. Maybe.
4/12/16 - Episode 44: "Scablands" - As they leave the Lordwood behind, our heroes find the lands leading to Brooksburrow impaled with the black nails that have followed them through their journey. In a cavern under a hill, more of the nail's secrets are revealed in the form of flesh that spills forth and blights the land of Iris itself. The flesh despises incursion, but that does not stop the adventurers from rescuing spirits trapped within. Finally, the sun rises over Brooksburrow, our long destined destination.
4/5/16 - Episode 43: "The Challenges of the Forest's Edge" [Part 1, Part 2] - After their battle, our heroes find themselves in a Druidic sanctuary. There, four wise healers teach the party how best to save the Druid Thraesis from her consuming madness, and the party goes in four directions to meet their challenges. One-by-one, the heroes accomplish their tasks with strategy, will, or transmutated crocodiles. Can the myriad gifts of the forest save one of its own?
3/29/16 - Episode 42: "The Challenge of the Azure Battalion" [Part 1, Part 2] - A vision guides our heroes toward their destinies as a misty waterfall portends the coming struggle. As they move toward their fates, they encounter a doomed Druid and the god she serves. In seeking out the Lordwood, the challenge is met, pitting the adventurers against a most fearsome foe: one like themselves.
3/15/16 - Episode 41: "Journey Through the Fields of Bedros" - With each step, our heroes move closer to the Esgogroth at Brooksburrow, yet each step is also beset with danger. Some is that of the wilderness, of deep gorges and enchanting river spirits. Other dangers are less natural: the undead left behind by the wars of the past, the abominations created by the influence of dark powers, and the fell artifacts of creatures unfamiliar to even the gods. Trials pursue their every movement for even our heroes' dreams are not free from their foes.
3/8/16 - Episode 40: "We're Going to Heaven!" - With a companion locked in Corrin's jail, the party makes a tough choice about attempting a rescue. Soon afterwards, they head toward the kingdom of Bedros, where vegetables and plant-based clothing abounds. There they encounter a group looking for an escort to "Heaven." As one might expect the path is fraught with danger, and poor rolls make for an even more dangerous trip than our heroes may have foreseen.
2/23/16 - Episode 39: "The Escape" - After a daring rescue in Corrin, our heroes find themselves trapped on the second floor of a now-stairless building while parleying with the whole of the town guard on the floor below. A oncoming mob forces the party into action, requiring an even more daring escape at the expense of their allies' welfare. Only a bit of luck, powerful magics, and skill in battle allows our heroes to reunite the husband and wife, but with their duties discharged they must now save their own.
2/16/16 - Episode 38: "Dreamcatchers and Brothers in Exile" - After their heroic actions at the Melsner Gate, the adventurers wander into a new kindom: Almirad. In the hills of the Northern kingdom, our heroes encounter a spirit of gold and sand drifting above their heads. Later, they encounter a child of the moon with a broken horn and promise to return his kidnapped love to him. The kidnappers are no match for our heroes, but that does not mean that no danger nor consequences lie in their futures...
1/26/16 - Episode 37: "The Horror at the Melsner Gate" - An Ithetrix! The name strikes fear in those who know of it, but the creature itself carries fear enough for the rest. Our adventures finally find the creature of their occasional search bearing down upon them, a mind-controlling tempest its ally. Can the adventurers save the gate's soldiers, its travelers, and themselves? Or are they doomed to perish to the same forces that ravaged Fellsmark?
1/19/16 - Episode 36: "The Cormain Shopping Adventure Part 2" - After a dangerous encounter, the party ponders where to go next. With many options before them, a few supplies are needed for the road. Rex searches for clues on a roof and finds a note instead. Roger discovers the ire of the Entertainers while Amak'thos is accused of theft. Roam follows Gimble who follows his many leads. Finally, the adventurers depart Cormain and end up at the Melsner Gate, where an enemy from adventures long past awaits them...
1/12/16 - Episode 35: "Civil Unrest" - The streets of Cormain become battlegrounds as old enemies and new incarnations face down our heroes. The spies of the Esgogroth are brought low by magic, but the warriors of the Ultio Ultonis prove far more challenging. Only the sudden arrival of allies levels the playing field and helps to bring both victory, answers, and new questions. The adventurers will need all the help they can get when even their dreams are not free of danger...
1/5/16 - Episode 34: "On the Dangers of City Living" [Part 1, Part 2] - Our heroes awaken to find the wealth of Cormain at their fingertips. They discharge their last duty to a friend by visiting the Merchant's Guild and speaking to the mechanical wonders they've seen of late. They wander the streets, finding wares arcane and demonic alike. They experience the nightlife: frightened patrons in seedy bars and unbidden visions on the center stage. They discover the dangers of those who lurk in the shadows, waiting to spy, waiting to strike.
12/15/15 - Episode 33: "The Hammer of Isvaltind and the Solace of Merchants" - The adventurer's return a dragon's earring and find rewards befitting their trials. With careful navigation, they exit the Sickle Swamp, only to find a challenger before them. A god smiles upon their champion in battle, and the party continues to Cormain. Soon they reach the Gates of the Oligarchs and meet their rests in the Solace of Merchants.
12/8/15 - Episode 32: "Razothoth's Crusade and the Feasting Enclosure" - Our adventurers discuss their next steps with their new knowledge and new purpose. In the name of discovery, they follow a thundering cloud within the sunken city and find a storm of memories within. On the edges of Yithrah, a thrilling and dangerous ride returns our heroes to the swamp and into the arms of (relative) safety.
12/1/15 - Episode 31: "I WILL NOT GO BACK" - The adventurers face down the Guardian of the Great Gaol in a battle both to stay alive and regain trust. In the aftermath, they uncover more mysteries about the evil that has followed them and the place that once held it. When malevolence stalks the party, strong will and strong magic hold it at bay, allowing the party a well-earned rest.
11/19/15 - Episode 30: "The Secrets of the Quiet Halls" - Trapped by the sentinels of Yithrah, the party attempts to escape, and finds that their exit is one they couldn't have imagined. Their journey takes them through stalks growing gems, a winding, impossible staircase, the memories of an ancient land, and the mind-twisting halls of Yithrah's inhabitants. When they reach their destination, there are not yet answers... but more and deadly questions.
11/10/15 - Episode 29: "The Sunken City of Yithrah" - From Festrospex's chamber, the heroes head deeper into the thundering caverns. Deep in darkness they discover a ruined city shadowed by storm clouds and lit by ethereal blue lights. Names and visions abound in the ancient streets, where long-forgotten dangers rest fitfully.
10/20/15 - Episode 28: "The Vine Pit and the Den of Gurrglop Festrospex" - Our heroes' chosen entrance to the ruins of Yithrah yields a pit of vines and the adventurers turn away after finding a sole hedron of strange visions. Their next entry takes them to a hidden village with a strange populace and an arrogant god.
10/13/15 - Episode 27: "The Fallen Ship and the Uncovered Ruins" [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3] - Our adventurers continue to explore the mysterious swamp-bound ship, and end up in an encounter that challenges them more than any before. After narrowly escaping death and skirting some dangerous-looking cocoons, the party discovers the ruins themselves and a few of the secrets upon their surface. But what secrets lie beneath?
10/6/2015 - Episode 26: "Ondrak, the Lord of Serpents" - The adventurers hear a hideous buzzing in the night which strikes fear in (half of) their hearts. Later, they find themselves faced with the buzzing source, a powerful creature of unknown purpose. Finally, the party discovers a ship... on land?
9/29/2015 - Episode 25: "The Bonewood Grove" - The adventurers learn more and more of the dangers of the Sickle Swamp with each moment they spend inside. When the path diverges they find themselves inside a grove of bone-white trees, beset on all sides by sharp wooden spears. Can they survive the perils of nature within the swamp?
9/15/2015 - Episode 24: "March to the Marsh" - The adventurers seek out passage to the Sickle Swamp, and in doing so find a few unlikely allies. With the help of a seemingly-mad explorer and an eccentric inventor, is it possible that the Swamp can be conquered? Or will the reptilian dangers within prevent our heroes from reaching anything but a muddy grave?
9/8/2015 - Episode 23: "A Farewell to Home" - A dream calls one of our adventurers home, diverting the party from their intended course. The diversion takes them to Komorebi, where a familiar-sounding matron lightens the mood of an otherwise somber visit. Next, in seeking the Sunken City of the Swamp, the party begins searching for a way to safely travel within.
8/18/2015 - Episode 22: "Escape the Living Library" - The adventurers have finally procured the object of their search, but they remain in the depths of the Kinshoal Library. With the Librarians on their tails, can they make it out alive? And even if they do, are they certain that The Shaper's Secrets should be revealed?
7/28/2015 - Episode 21: "The Third Floor of the Kinshoal" (PART 1 and PART 2) - On the third floor of the Kinshoal, the party encounters far more than the tome they seek. Instead, they walk through halls of legendary archmages, past shelves of spellbooks penned by wizards of great renown, and to hubs containing familiar levers. When they reach the Artifice section, they are beset by glowing blue flames... and ravenous clawed monsters. Can our adventurers find that which they seek and escape with their lives?
7/21/2015 - Episode 20: "Corpse Door" (PART 1 and PART 2) - After blasting apart a section of the Kinshoal, the adventures travel into the Necromancy offices, where they find a vexing door. However, trouble follows them as they attempt to puzzle out the meaning of the gate before them, leading to deadly and dire consequences.
7/14/2015 - Episode 19: "In Which No One Is Particularly Stealthy" - The adventurers continue to challenge the Kinshoal Library, eventually deciding to retreat into the light of day to regroup and strategize. Their next dive into the stacks takes them to a room to see the histories, a hall of necromancy with a deadly Shelver, and a strange door grasped in part by a skeletal arm.
7/7/2015 - Episode 18: "Book Burning" - Today our adventurers explore the Kinshoal Library, wondering about its many mysteries. They discover a path to a planetarium, the strength of Spectators, and even books that wield the powers of the mages that write them. Yet above all they meet their first Librarian and marvel at the silent terror that it spreads. Can our adventurers survive the demons of these unhallowed halls?
6/30/2015 - Episode 17: "Flavour Enhancer" (PART 1, PART 2) - The party contemplates entering the Kinshoal Library, as well as how best to make the trip worth their time (and possibly lives). They speak to a few others about the library, learning what they can about the mysteries within. Our heroes gamble in a tavern, attempt to poison a wizard with a false memory, and finally enter the Kinshoal itself. Can the adventurers use both swiftness and silence to survive the horrors of the forbidden vaults of sorcery?
6/16/2015 - Episode 16: "The Lakelands Road" - Few roads in Carnora are free from trouble, and the Lakelands Road to Starspell is not among the exceptions. The adventurers discover the dangers of failed magic and overwrought hubris. Afterwards they are compassionate towards something quite unlike themselves, though their efforts expose them to more danger than they'd foreseen. Two more cities and 8 uneventful days puts them in Starspell and a quest finds our heroes once again...
6/9/2015 - Episode 15: "Fair Fordran"
6/2/2015 - Episode 14: "The Joy of Mendrilassa and the Road to Starspell"
5/26/2015 - Episode 13: "Stacks of Sadness Redux"
5/4/2015 - Episode 12: "Stacks of Sadness"
4/28/2015 - Episode 11: "Book of Revelations"
4/21/2015 - Episode 10: "Weary Travelers and Wary Secrets"
4/7/2015 - Episode 9: "The Road to the North or SPLITTING THE PARTY"
3/31/2015 - Episode 8: "SHOPPING (and assassins)!!!!!!!!!!" - PART 1 and PART 2
3/24/2015 - Episode 7: "The Caverns of Kilkaerdun (Pt. 3) or Rock Gods and Fear Boners"
3/17/2015 - Episode 6: "The Caverns of Kilkaerdun (Pt. 2) or CREEEEEEPY FINGERS"
3/3/2015 - Episode 5: "The Caverns of Kilkaerdun (Part 1) or Roger Pontare, Goo-Puncher" - PART 1 and PART 2
2/24/2015 - Episode 4: "Seeking the Stone or Gimble Reads a Book (Offscreen)"
2/17/2015 - "Episode 3: Hunters and Hunted"
2/10/2015 - "Episode 2: The City Deals Another Hand"
2/3/2015 - Episode 1: "A Fellow Dies in Southreach", Part 1 and Part 2
Iris' Worldbuilding Library
+ Show Spoiler [Building Iris] +
Building Iris, Pt. 1 - Land of the Gods
Building Iris, Pt. 2 - Shards of Anima
Building Iris, Pt. 3 - The First Children of Iris
Building Iris, Pt. 4 - Scions of the Shaper
Building Iris, Pt. 5 - Lineage of Peace
Building Iris, Pt. 6 - The Future is Forever!
Building Iris, Pt. 7 - The Abandoned
Building Iris, Pt. 8 - Heirs of the Wyrm
Building Iris, Pt. 9 - The Last Children
Tiroth - The Language of Magic
Tiroth - Discovering the Truth
Death is a Museum
Madness Cleric for 5E
Vengeance Cleric for 5E
Critical Botch Table for 5E
Critical Strike Table for 5E
The Order of Hallowed Law
Druids and Payment
Angels, Names, and Purpose
Arcane Neologism
... and more to come!
Monday, Jan 26 3:00pm GMT (GMT+00:00)
+ Show Spoiler [The Chronicles of Iris Party Announcem…] +
Friends... Adventurers… The time is now.
Here is the Unnamed Iris Campaign/Show's official party.
- Roger Pontare [jcarlsoniv] (Human Bard, NG, Entertainer)
- Roam [Requizen] (Half-orc Paladin, NG, Acolyte)
- "Professor" Gimble Nacklesworth [Lord Tolkien] (Rock Gnome Wizard, NG, Sage)
- Amak’thos [WaveofShadow] (Tiefling Warlock, CN, Sage)
- Rex Olivier [MagnusWolf] (Half-Elf Cleric, CG, ??)
These players will begin their adventure next Tuesday, Wednesday, Feb 04 2:30am GMT (GMT+00:00) on the first official session for this campaign (barring unforeseen calamity).
Monday, Dec 15 3:00pm GMT (GMT+00:00)
+ Show Spoiler [Teams and One-Shots] +
Alright adventurers, the parties for the first two one-shots are as follows:
Team 1 - Team 1 will ponder the mysteries of Fellsmark.
- Roger Pontare [Soniv] (Human Bard, NG, Entertainer)
- Roam [Requizen] (Half-orc Paladin, NG, Acolyte)
- Khen-Ta [Gahlo] (Wood Elf Druid, TN, Outlander)
- Oolod Tumblebelly [Dandel Ion] (Rock Gnome Rogue, CG, Guild Artisan)
- Rex Olivier [MagnusWolf] (Half-Elf Cleric, ??, ??)
Team 2 - Team 2 will wander the Wilds of Edelia.
- "Professor" Gimble Nacklesworth [LordTolkien] (Rock Gnome Wizard, NG, Sage)
- Amak’thos [WaveofShadow] (Tiefling Warlock, CN, Sage)
- Marrit Wright [PrinceXizor] (Forest Gnome Bard, CN, Sailor)
- Najid Al-Hakam [Guomindong] (Human Fighter, LG, Detective)
- Baridorn Galonkiir [ComaDose] (Wood Elf Ranger, CG, Outlander)
This means a few things. One, anyone who hasn't constructed a character sheet based on the rules in the 5E PHB should do so. If you need help, feel free to contact me or any of the more experienced players (soniv comes to mind as someone who knows how to write a character sheet). Two, everyone needs to go into the Iris Application spreadsheet once again and start listing times in the near future that work for you. Given the difficulty of this scheduling around the holidays, I'm not sure when everything will work out, but it should be noted that I'm NOT planning to stream these initial sessions, and the computing power of the machine you use can be estimated accordingly (basically, if you're going home from the holidays, it won't be a huge deal... I might do some of these off my laptop if I have to). I'll also need Skype names; we might attempt to use the Roll20 vid chat, but I'm guessing we'll end up on Skype in the end.
Thursday, Dec 11 3:00pm GMT (GMT+00:00)
+ Show Spoiler [Player Submissions] +
After the submissions were counted, we have the following potential players for this campaign!
- "Professor" Gimble Nacklesworth [LordTolkien] (Rock Gnome Wizard, NG, Sage)
- Roger Pontare [Soniv] (Human Bard, NG, Entertainer)
- Roam [Requizen] (Half-orc Paladin, NG, Acolyte)
- Amak’thos [WaveofShadow] (Tiefling Warlock, CN, Sage)
- Baridorn Galonkiir [ComaDose] (Wood Elf Ranger, CG, Outlander)
- Rex Olivier [MagnusWolf] (Half-Elf Cleric, ??, ??)
- Khen-Ta [Gahlo] (Wood Elf Druid, TN, Outlander)
- Najid Al-Hakam [Guomindong] (Human Fighter, LG, Detective?)
- Oolod Tumblebelly [Dandel Ion] (Rock Gnome Rogue, CG, Guild Artisan)
- Marrit Wright [PrinceXizor] (Forest Gnome Bard, CN, Sailor)
+ Show Spoiler [Initial Introduction Post!] +
The shitposters of TLLOLOTGD have been looking for a tabletop RPG to play for a while now. Here it is. Up until now, I’ve been GMing a different campaign, but that campaign finally ended. It’s time for a new one. For a few years, I’ve been working on a world called Iris and with the release of D&D 5E, I finally started putting my ideas on paper. You can follow the (still/always in-progress) development of Iris at my blog or here on TeamLiquid (though the updates always go to the blog first).
+ Show Spoiler [Building Iris] +
Building Iris, Pt. 1 - Land of the Gods
Building Iris, Pt. 2 - Shards of Anima
Building Iris, Pt. 3 - The First Children of Iris
Building Iris, Pt. 4 - Scions of the Shaper
Building Iris, Pt. 5 - Lineage of Peace
Building Iris, Pt. 6 - The Future is Forever!
Building Iris, Pt. 7 - The Abandoned
Building Iris, Pt. 8 - Heirs of the Wyrm
... and more to come!
We have the DM (me), we have the world (for the most part), so now all we need are players. That’s where you come in. Five players at most can participate in the game. Any more and it’ll be too much for me to track, and there’ll be too much downtime between turns/moves/actions for anyone to have much fun. Since more than five people have shown interest so far, I’ve created a small “application” to help figure out who’s truly interested in the game and what they’re bringing to the table. Here’s what I need:
- Your TL name.
- Your email address.
- Your time zone (this will be important; I’m in CST and I’m going to plan things around that, for the most part).
- Your availability (for example - MWF 9-12). I’m aiming for ~3 hour sessions, either weekly or biweekly, and I’d like to be consistent with it.
- Your D&D experience (this will not limit anyone; in fact, I’m very interested in having a new total noobs on board).
- A Character Sheet (D&D 5E) or a Character Concept (if you don’t have numbers, but have a character, just write it out). Make this a Dropbox link, a Google doc, or some other kind of file sharing.
Luckily, you can put ALL of that in THIS SPREADSHEET. Do this by Wednesday, Dec 10 4:00am GMT (GMT+00:00) and you will be considered for the game! This is a hard deadline because it’s a good way of figuring out who’s really interested in the game. After that, the tentative schedule is as follows:
- I look at the characters (12/9 ~ 12/16)
- I gather a few people for some one-off sessions to get a feel for playing. (12/16 ~ January)
- I figure out the final group, we establish a date/time for sessions, and we officially kick off the campaign! (Mid-January)
A few final notes about this. 1) We’ll be using Roll20 and Skype to play the game. I'll take care of the video-call-related stuff. 2) We’ll also be livestreaming the game! Yep, I want this to be a RollPlay-like show where we bring our campaign to Twitch. I plan to take care of all the logistical parts of that, so all players need to be is willing to be on stream/YouTube. If you’re not, then you’re probably not a fit for this campaign. Sorry. That being said, the most important part of this is to have fun, and that’ll always come before the idea of “having a Twitch show.” 3) … I think that’s it!
I can’t wait to see who’s interested in this, so show me what you got as soon as you can! See you in Iris!