Bessie Love and the Silver Key (for d20 System and D&D compatible games)

Film historians and lovers of silent movies remember Bessie Love as a petite and radiant star who lit up the screen every time she appeared. However, she led a secret life that few ever knew about, and even fewer could ever imagine. 

   For 25 years, from 1925 until 1950, Bessie Love traveled throughout the world, battling all manner of supernatural evil, from worshipers of the Elder Gods through vampire cults and even a few demon-possessed would-be arch mages. She performed her heroics under the code-name Love Bug, and she typically wore a set of artifacts that gave her an edge in her battles, but sometimes she relied on her charm, wit, and unfailing courage to carry her through... and a pair of large sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to hid her identity. (Click here to read about how Bessie Love became the Love Bug.)

In this post, we unveil Bessie's involvement with strange happenings that were famously fictionalized in short stories by H.P. Lovecraft and E. Hoffmann Price. (As always, we translate this material for use in d20 System games, our own way of fictionalizing the fantastic.)

BESSIE LOVE AND THE SILVER KEY

By late 1932, Bessie Love had all but abandoned her acting career and had thrown herself completely into the battle against supernatural evils. She spent a few weeks in March of 1933 doing nothing but pouring through notes and a diary that had belonged to an evil sorcerer she had defeated, and she found repeated references to a house on the outskirts of Boston, Mass. that was either haunted or the location of magical gateways to other worlds. 

   The papers chronicled Archmage Alain Cartier, who fled from France to America during the 1690s and changed their name to Carter. Over the past two hundred years, the sprawling Carter family home and estate had been the sight of many strange events, which the sorcerer attributed to residual effects from summoning performed by the Carters, or to full-fledged gateways to other dimensions and the realms of Elder Gods. Within the past ten years, the most recent heir to the family fortune, Randolph Carter, had mysteriously vanished in 1922; people residing in the house had likewise vanished or suffered mental breakdowns, including associates of the sorcerer who had gone to investigate the house; and a reading of Randolph Carter's will in 1927 had been violently interrupted by some thing.

   After reaching out to the lawyers managing Carter's estate under an alias, Bessie traveled to Boston, spent a few nights in the house, and searched it using Dimond's Compass, an artifact she had acquired during a previous adventure that points toward the most powerful magical item or source in the general vicinity. When she first started using it in the structure, she thought either the entire manse was magical or the device was not working properly. She soon realized that several of the home's doors were enchanted, and with that awareness, she was able to locate a powerful magical artifact in the master bedroom--a key that had fallen behind a set of dresser drawers in the master bedroom.

  The key was a silver skeleton key that was six inches long, with a bow nearly the size of Bessie's palm that was shaped like an oddly tangled arabesque design. Resolving to start researching how this key might connect to the magic in the house, Bessie intended to spend one more night in the Carter House. As she slept, she had a strangely vivid dream. In it, she was on a windswept cliff, gazing down upon a sprawling city of domed palaces and twisting spires. Overhead was a sky that swirled with ever-changing, vibrant colors. A robed and hooded figure stood next to her, nothing but inky shadows within the hood where his face should be, and he held the silver key she had found in his gloved left hand. He handed her the key, stating that it would unlock portals that opened to other times and dimensions, and warned her that just as she could pass through to those other places, so could the beings dwelling there come through to our realm.

   When she woke up that morning, Bessie felt certain that her dream had been caused by her finding the silver key. She took it to one of the magical doors in the house and saw the key's ward and bits reshape itself to fit the keyhole. She inserted the key, picturing in her mind the landscape she had seen while sleeping, unlocked the door, and...

   Bessie found herself looking out onto a barren plain under the colorful sky from her dream. The door she unlocked should have led to an interior room deep within the house, yet here she was, looking at an alien landscape--and the wind blowing from it drove a chill through her body.

   She closed door, certain that she now understood the workings of the silver key and the enchanted doors throughout the house: Whoever turned the key decided where the door went--or maybe caused the door to lead to one of several possible locations, and beings could come and go from that location. She felt she now had an explanation for both the "hauntings" and the mysterious disappearances that had taken place in the house.

   To test her theory, she took the key to an immense, ornately carved set of double doors at the back of the house's study. They sported detailed images of medieval peoples and a village in a forest. She turned the key, expecting to see another landscape, but instead a crowd of angry, torch-carrying men, led by an armored, axe-wielding man, burst through the door even before she had fully opened it. 

   "Tis another witch," the armored man bellowed, pursing her as she scrambled backwards and away from the door. "We have found the path to their lair of deviltry!"

   Fighting off the torch-wielding mob, and dodging wild swings of the armored man's axe, she made it back to the bedroom she was staying in--and the pistol she kept there. She shot the armored man in the chest as he lunged at her one final time--and he dissolved into a spray of colorful sparks and blinked from existence. The torch-wielding mob behind him panicked and fled back the way they came, setting drapes and bookshelves ablaze as they went. Bessie, meanwhile, gathered her things, barely escaping the Carter home as it was consumed by flames.

   Several days later, Bessie returned to the ashy wreckage that had once been a grand house, together with the attorneys for the estate. To her surprise, the ornate wooden doubles door still stood, stained with soot but otherwise untouched by fire, now tightly shut with the silver key still inserted in the lock. She bought it from the lawyers on the spot, and they were happy to not only put the troubles of the cursed house behind them, but to have some additional funds to distribute to the heirs.

   Bessie had the door and the silver key shipped to California where she teamed with psychic Dane Rudhyar to predict where the Silver Key might cause the door to open to. They identified and visited six different locations--both in the past and in the present. Bessie, however, found herself haunted by increasingly disturbing dreams, so she put the Silver Key inside a bag that made magical items inert. (Nicknamed Murphy's Pouch, it was another treasure she picked up during her adventures.) 

   When Bessie permanently relocated to England in 1935, she had the door from the Carter House installed in her home there, seemingly as just an object of art that went from the drawing room to nowhere but onto a solid wall... but if opened with the Silver Key, it was a portal to so much more.

Bessie Love in 1937, posing by the door saved from the ruined Carter House

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The rest of the text in this post is released under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2020 Steve Miller. 

MURPHY'S POUCH

The history of this item is unknown mostly unknown. Bessie Love recovered it Murphy's Pouch from the disintegrating body of a vampire she'd just defeated, and she named the item after him.

   Murphy's Pouch is to be a small purple felt pouch with gold-colored draw strings. It radiates faint Conjuration magic. If the pouch is opened, the magic radiation become stronger. When someone looks inside the pouch, it appears to be empty. If someone reaches into the pouch, they discover it is much larger than it appears--and the person's and arm can reach deep into an inky darkness that seems to writhe and pulsate at the pouch's bottom. Once the person pulls back, the pouch once again appears normal and empty.

   If a person is brave enough to feel around in the darkness, they will quickly grab one of the items it contains, and if the person knows what they are reach for, that particular item is found just about immediately. While the pouch was in Bessie's possession, she kept the following items in it: A folding knife with a silver blade, a fully loaded Baby Browning pistol, a vail of holy water, a vail of dried wolfsbane, a small gold cruxifix and the Silver Key.

   Using Murphy's Pouch: This item functions like a bag of holding, except it can only contain up to 12 individual items that each are no more than 5 inches in length, take up no more than 5 cubic inches of space, and which each weigh no more 5 pounds. Also, if a sharp object, or some other item, that could damage the integrity of the pouch's extra-dimension space, it vanishes without any effect. Similarly, any items beyond the maximum number of 12 that are inserted into the pouch vanish and cannot be retrieved.
   To retrieve an item from the pouch, the user must visualize it. Otherwise, a random item will be grabbed and retrieved from within the pouch.

   If player characters come into possession of Murphy's Pouch, the GM must make a list with 12 slots, numbered 2 through 12. Each item placed within it is assigned a number, and the GM should roll d26 against the table to see what object is found within if a character isn't seeking something specific. If a number is rolled to which no item is assigned, the next lowest numbered object is retrieved. When items are placed in the bag, the GM can either roll randomly to see where they are placed on the list, or he can merely fill the table in order from lowest to highest. If one item is removed and another is put into the pouch before it is returned, the most recent item takes its number on the table.

   Drawbacks: There are no drawbacks to using Murphy's Pouch, but magic items and artifacts placed within the pouch are treated as if they have ceased to exist. Any ongoing effects the items or artifacts may have been powering end. Once removed from the pouch, the items return to their normal functions.

THE SILVER KEY

The Silver Key was in the possession of a family of wizards who claimed to trace their linage back to ancient Atlantis. They have gone by many names over the millennia, but most recently, they had gone by Carter. Family legends are unclear as to whether the Key was created by a member of the family, or if it had been wrested from the grasp of an Elder God, but it had been a cornerstone of their magical efforts. For a thousand years, the skilled spellcasters and artisans of the family were famed for their explorations of other realities and their ability to build permanent doorways between this universe and others: No dimension was too remote or too alien for them to access. Although many of the extra-dimensional doorways they created could be opened through a variety of means, the Silver Key could also unlock them all.

   The last member of the Carter family to have attempted to understand and master his family's ancient practices, Randolph Carter, vanished without a trace in 1922. According to an elderly servant, he last saw him studying a large silver key, but no trace of it could be found either--until Bessie Love located it in 1933. Randolph Carter's fate remains a mystery.

   The Silver Key is, in truth, an artifact that is as old as the multiverse. It was created by the Outer God Nyarlathotep, as the dimensions were forming, so that he could travel through them easily. The Elder Gods wrested it from him and gave it to a group of their mortal servants, so that they, too, could travel between realities.

   Although the Key occasionally morphs into other shapes, depending on what being is holding it, it usually appears to be a brightly polished, silver skeleton key. It is six inches long and sports a bow roughly the size of a woman's palm, shaped like an odd tangle of arabesque characters. The key wards and bit are sharp and can be used to saw through rope or leather, or inflict shallow cuts on a person that are painful but not life threatening. It radiates a strong aura of Transmutation magic.

   Using the Silver Key: The Silver Key attunes itself to whoever holds it or keeps it on their person for longer than one round. The Silver Key allows its user to unlock gateways to other dimensions, planes of existence, and even other points in time. Such gateways are usually constructed to appear like normal doors, window shutters, or even manhole covers. When the Silver Key is used to open one of these, it instead gives access to far more remote places. (See "Enchanted Doors", below, for details.)

   A person who has been attuned to the Silver Key for six days or more can recognize an enchanted door by sight: The door will appear to glow as if it had been subjected to a detect magic spell. The further away the door takes those who pass through it, the brighter the glow. (An enchanted door that takes someone to the Council Chamber of the Ancient Immortals on Mount Fuji will not glow as bright as the one that can take characters to the City of Ulthar in the Dreamlands.)

   A character's ability to see enchanted doors is lost as soon as his or her attunement to the Silver Key ends. To become unattuned to the Silver Key, the character must either allow another person to hold it for more than a round, or place it in an extra-dimensional container like a bag of holding. The character's attunement to the Key is also lost if he travels to a different plane or dimension than where the key is.

   The Silver Key also opens any door that is secured through magical means, such as wizard lock, or with some form enchanted mechanism. It reshapes itself so that it can be inserted into any lock, and, once turned, the door opens. If the door has no lock, or is locked in a manner that does not feature a traditional keyhole, knocking on it with the Key will cause it to open. The Key has no effect if there is no enchantments securing it.

   The Key may also lets the person who is attuned to it for six days or more know where an Enchanted Door leads before opening it. The GM rolls a secret Wisdom attribute check for the character; if it is successful, the character may gain some insight about the door. 

   If the door leads to a single time and/or place, the character receives a mental flash of what lies beyond. If the door leads to. The player should roll a successful Wisdom attribute check to clearly understand the image. A failed roll results in a general sense of unease if some hellish place lurks on the other side.

   If the door leads to several possible places and/or times, the character sees a jumble of images in the mental flash. A Wisdom attribute check with a -2

   Drawbacks: For as long as the character is attuned to the Silver Key, he or she will have strange dreams. The first dream is always of a hooded figure who hands the character the Silver Key while issuing the following warning: "This key unlocks doors that may go to many places. The person who turns the key may determine where the doors lead. But beware. Once a door is opened, it becomes a portal that can be entered or exited. And do not pass through a door you have unlocked with the key, lest you are certain that you intend to cross the threshold with your complete body and soul--or you may lose one or both. And be aware: No mortal can pass through the Ultimate Gate intact."

   The dreams of the hooded figure occur every night. Some nights, the dreamer and the figure watch some of the worst moments of the dreamer's life unfold, with the figure saying that the Key could allow the dreamer to go back and change that moment. Other times, they witness horrible events that have yet occurred, with the figure likewise declaring that the Key could let the character stop the event from happening--if it used on the right door. On other nights, the dreams involve strange and nightmarish places and worlds that the dreamer can barely comprehend. As time wears on, the dreams even seem to start to bleed through to the person's waking hours, as he or she will sometimes seem to catch sight of the hooded figure out of the corner of his or her eye, or in distorted reflections on various surfaces, looming over his or shoulder--but the figure isn't there when the character turns to look.

   Every night the character has the Key, the GM should roll on the following table to see what dreams the character has and if his or sleep is restless enough to have an impact on the following day.

1d6      Dream/Effect

1.          A pleasing scene from the past. No effect.

2.          Visit to a strange place. No effect.

3.          Visit from a dead friend or relative with a dire message. 

             -1 to all saving throws and skill checks.

4.          Relive a horrible event from the past. -2 to all
             saving throws and skill checks.

5.          Visit to a strange, horrific realm. The hooded

            offers dire predictions about the future. -4 to all 

            saving throws and skill checks.

6.         Visions of monsters and monstrous people

            committing horrible acts. -4 to all saving throws 

            and skill checks.

For every four days the character owns the Key, +1 is added to the result of the d6 roll. A modified result of 6 or more is treated as a "6". The majority of the dreams should turn out to either be revelations of events that have happened--evil deeds that someone wants to keep hidden--or foretellings to brutality and tragedies that are coming. (The character can either learn of this through direct adventures, or through the news media. Eventually, the character will hopefully understand the he or she can act on the dreams, if he or she can tolerate them.)

   After 24 days of owning the Key, and being sent dreams, the character gains Foresight as a bonus feat.

FORESIGHT [Minor Power]
You have the ability to see a fraction of a second into the future.
   Benefit: You gain a permanent +2 adjustment to all initiative rolls.

ENCHANTED DOORS

Scattered throughout the world are enchanted doors that can be unlocked and passed through by using artifacts like the Silver Key. Some have existed since the time of Atlantis and the gods walked the Earth, others are more recent creations, such as the bulk of the ones in the Carter House.

   Enchanted doors are usually found at the end of blind alleys, corridors in buildings that serve no purpose, or on exterior or interior walls. In such cases, if the doors are opened without the Silver Key (or with whatever means the creator established for accessing the door's enchantment), the door opens onto a solid wall, or, at best, a shallow space or shelves just a few inches deep. If opened with the Key (which can open any enchanted door, always), the space behind the door instead becomes a dimensional portal that can take characters who step through it to other places, times, and even dimensions. Some enchanted doors lead to a single fixed locations, others take those who step through them to a random place.
   Although referred to as "enchanted doors", the enchantments that makes them can be placed on any item that covers an opening that allows beings to enter or exit a location, such as doors, window shutters, or drapes. The only requirement is that they must conceal what is on the other side when they are closed.

   When a character passes through an enchanted door, unless he or she is entering into another structure, there appears to be a free-standing door (or window, or whatever the door's physical component is) that more often than not appears to be surrounded by faintly glowing mist. The door remains open for 1d6+1 minutes, then the magic cuts off. Unless someone who passed through possesses the Silver Key or knows the ritual to open the door, characters are now stranded on the far side of the magical passageway. (Although the door is not visible to regular mortals if there is no physical part to it at a destination point, the bearer of the Silver Key, or a character using the true sight spell or similar abilities, can see a faintly glowing outline of the enchanted door. The Silver Key, or appropriate ritual, can still open it.)

   The physical manifestation of an enchanted door can be destroyed using whatever means destroys a non-enchanted version of the door's physical manifestation. The magic gateway, however, remains, even if it now invisible and mostly inaccessible. A person bearing the Silver Key will be able to see these now formless dimensional apertures as magic auras hovering in the air, or overlaid on walls or floors if a new structure has been built where something else once stood.  He or she can cause these to open with the Silver Key, but otherwise such dislocated magic portals typically remain inaccessible to anyone but gods. (On the days of the Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, All Hallow's Eve there is a 1% chance every hour of these portals opening at random and letting being pass back and forth for 1d6 minutes. At the exact moment of a total lunar or solar eclipses, there is also a 1% chance a gateway will open for 1d6 minutes.

   When open, such magical conduits from one place to another can be seen by all beings within a 5-foot radius of it, even those who cannot normally see. A frameless enchanted door appears like a brightly glowing streak of light on the same plane and of roughly the same size as the mundane portal it was once tied to. There is no way of telling where a disconnected enchanted door leads for anyone but a god or the owner of the Silver Key. Those stranded on the far side of a randomly opening enchanted doorway are stuck there until it opens randomly again, they find another way back to where they started from, or the Silver Key is used.

Using Enchanted Doors
We recommend that the GM should always have an adventure purpose and a destination for where an enchanted door can take characters. Nonetheless, for those who like to run adventures off-the-cuff, or who might need a little help in deciding the nature of an enchanted door, we offer this random table to determine where one might lead.

2d6     Nature of Enchanted Door

2         Passage to a demonic plane

3         Passage to an alien planet

4         Passage to the Dreamlands

5         Passage to a Home of an Elder God

6         Passage to the Past, same location

7         Passage to the Past, different location

8         Passage to the Future, same location

9         Passage to the Future, different location

10       Passage to the Home of a Great Old One

11       Passage to the Past, on an alien planet

12       Passage to 4d6 different places and times

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If you feel like this post is ending suddenly, you're right. It's not so much that this idea is fully explored, so much as this post is getting really long. Maybe what we need to do is create an actual product... perhaps it could be called "Bessie Love and the House of Doors"? Is that something anyone would liked to see?

Meanwhile, you can click here to read more about The Secret Life of Bessie Love, as well as get more ideas and magic items for use in your d20 System games!

 

The House of Pho

For your modern-day campaign, set in a world where magic exists but might not be commonplace, we offer The House of Pho, a place run by a remarkable chef who prepares even more remarkable bowls of Pho. This material should be useful for almost any variation of D&D, AD&D, and d20 System games.

THE HOUSE OF PHO

By Steve Miller

At the end of an alley in the seedier part of Little Hanoi is the House of Pho. It's one of the city's best kept secrets--a place where you can not only get some of the best Vietnamese food you've ever had at the most reasonable prices you've ever paid, but where the Pho can, literally, be magical. 

Owned and operated by Ahn-Bao, a thin Vietnamese man who was reportedly old when he arrived in the city following the communist take-over of Vietnam in the 1970s, opens at 11am (every day but Monday and Christmas Day) and closes promptly at Midnight. A full selection of Vietnamese dishes are available from the menu, as well as made-to-order dishes if diners are looking for something particularly exotic. As the name implies, however, the specialty of the House is their delicious Pho.

What sets Ahn-Bao's Pho apart from what others serve is the secret combination of herbs and spices he uses in the broth. It adds a unique taste, but, more importantly, those who consume the Pho often find themselves feeling more capable than normal. (Otherwise, the Pho can be prepared with whatever meats and vegetables the diner wishes).

PHO MAGIC

Ahn-Bao is one of the Witchkind and his Pho is made with herbs that only grow on the plane where these magical beings have their primary homes. Although Ahn-Bao follows a strict recipe, the inherent chaotic nature of the ingredients makes the benefit of the Pho unpredictable. The Pho must also be   consumed within ten minutes of being served or it loses all magic potential. (It can still be taken home and reheated and taste just as wonderful.)

   Whenever characters sit down enjoy a bowl of Ahn-Bao's Pho, roll against the following table to see what benefits they enjoy, aside form simply getting a reasonably priced, extremely tasty meal.

1d12       Pho Magic  

1             No Major Effect (See below for details.)

2-3          Go Pho (See below for details.)

4-5          Mo Pho (See below for details.)

6-7          No Pho (See below for details.)

8-9          Pro Pho (See below for details.)

10-11      So Pho (see below for details.)

12           No Major Effect (See below for details.)

No Major Effect: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. DAMN! That was good! Your mood is improved, and you gain a +1 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks. 

Go Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next four hours, gain a +1 bonus to all initiative rolls and a 25% increase to the character's base movement rate. 

Mo Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For four hours, add an additional 1d6 points to successful damage-dealing melee attacks.

No Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next hour, gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws and skill checks made to avoid damage from attacks. 

Pro Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next four hours, gain a +2 bonus to checks for Knowledge-based skills in which the character has at least 2 ranks, as well as checks for Perform skills in which the character has at least 2 ranks.

So Pho: Ahn-Bao must be having an off day. Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of mediocre soup. For the next four hours, you are so irritated at the disappointing meal that you suffer a -1 penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks, but gain a +1 bonus on unarmed and melee attack and  damage rolls. 

ADVENTURES IN PHO

Here are a few adventure seeds revolving around the House of Pho.

* A friend of one of the player characters was last seen entering the House of Pho but has since vanished. The mysterious owner of the eatery tells the party that their friend left through the back entrance with known gangsters. He tells the party where he think the friend might have been taken. (The gangsters are cultists who intend to sacrifice their friend to their dread god.

* The local authorities are convinced that some new sort of illicit drug is being distributed via the House of Pho. The player characters are either assigned, recruited, or pressured into investigating. All Ahn-Bao is doing is good great meals... even if he's getting some of the ingredients from other dimensions.

* The party is hired to steal Ahn-Bao's recipe book. They are told that it is kept in a locked room at the back of the House of Pho. Once they gain access to the room, they find themselves in Ahn-Bao's home on another plane. Here, they can either make a powerful enemy or a powerful friend... and they may be recruited to turn the tables on their original employer, who, like Ahn-Bao, is one of the Witchkind. They two have been competing to be the greatest living chefs for several centuries.

* A vampire attacks the House of Pho, injuring Ahn-Bao. The party is asked to venture to another dimension to harvest herbs to both heal Ahn-Bao, as well as ensure that the Pho continues to flow.

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If you enjoyed this post, consider getting some of our actual products--it will encourage us to make more. A great place to start is Secrets of the Witchkind!

Trouble is a Friend of Mine: A Theme Song for PCs & GMs

He's there in the dark
He's there in my heart
He waits in the wings
He's gotta play a part
Trouble is a friend
Yeah trouble is a friend of mine

 

"Trouble is a Friend" is the perfect theme song for the PC/GM relationship. It may have first been released in 2008 (performed by Australian pop singer Lenka) and it may have been featured in some 2010 teen comedy film, but we here at NUELOW Games just discovered it. 

And, as stated above, the lyrics summarize the place a Game Master holds in the existence of player characters perfectly. The various videos for the song even capture it to some degree as well. 

First, here's the original version (with  a fan-made video). If the song is new to you, we're sure you'll agree with our take. And if it's not... well, we're sure you'll reevaluate the song in the light of our interpretation. (If you DON'T agree... well, that's what the comments section is for!)

The song was recently covered by The Cog is Dead. It's a nice version that brings to the forefront the darkness that permeates the deceptively fluffy sounding original version. (This was actually how we became aware of the tune, being fans of The Cog is Dead.)

Lenka even revisited her own song with an acoustic version, which is up next. There's no video clip with this one, but give it a listen. Close your eyes. Picture your favorite PC, enjoying a quiet day engaged with favorite pastime... and then a new campaign arc begins...

And we're going to close this round of "Trouble is a Friend of Mine" (The PCs & DMs Theme) with a highly unusual version. We think this may be the version you'd use for games run by L.L. Hundal--fun, but often more than just a little odd.

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Okay, so here's one more version... a more elaborately produced video and a new recording/remix of the song, presumably for use in whatever that movie it was featured in was. We think Lenka's two earlier versions of the song are superior, but we adore this video because it really seems to bring our seeing "Trouble is a Friend" as the "Theme Song for Player Characters & Game Masters" into perfect focus--especially the bit where Lenka first dances with and then fights with Trouble.

From The Love Collection

In the early 1920s, Bessie Love was one of America's most popular movie stars, known for playing charming and energetic young women in everything from bizarre comedies to dark dramas. By 1925, however, her life became increasingly consumed with a secret battle against supernatural evil. (You can read the background details here.)

   Love acquired a number of magical artifacts during the 25 years she protected the unsuspecting world from darkness, which experts in the field of the occult and supernatural have dubbed the Love Collection. Today, we describe another two artifacts from the Love Collection. As is our habit, we also provide d20 System rules so you can use them in your games.

DIMOND'S COMPASS

Named for Edward Dimond, an American sorcerer and investigator of crimes who lived in 17th century Mass., at first glance this appears to be a malfunctioning compass with a magnetic needle that jerks from pointing in one direction to another without cause, which seems to point anywhere but North, and may even start spinning wildly without warning. It is rendered even more useless by the fact that what can be assumed to be the cardinal compass points are marked with curious symbols that are dissimilar to any earthly civilization, current or extinct. It radiates a faint aura of Divination magic.

   Although it bears his name, Dimond did not know where the compass came from. It was given to him as payment, when, as a young man, he proved a ships' captain innocent of murder by uncovering evidence that proved the merchant accusing him was the true killer. The seaman claimed he had found the compass in a ruined city, on an uncharted island that he had never been able to find his way back to since. Dimond carried it on his person from that day forward, as he believed it was imbued with a spirit of justice and that God had meant for him to have it and to guide him on his quests for truth. 

   Dimond's Compass passed through many hands before coming into the possession of Bessie Love; it was gifted to her, as it had been to Dimond, by a young werewolf whom she had proven innocent of murder in 1928 by exposing the witch who had been using magic to control him. All who have owned it have stated that it has either shown the way to great treasures, stores of lost knowledge, or evidence that exposes villains set on harming the innocent. 

   The fact is that Dimond's Compass can do all things those who have possessed it claim it can. It was created by Lemurian artificers, in the Time Before Time when the dark gods and their servants wrecked havoc across many planes.

   Using Dimond's Compass: A being must hold the compass in his or her left hand. It performs one of three functions related to directed the user to finding items, magical or mundane. All the would-be user has to do is hold the compass and focus his or her mind for one round one what he or she is seeking. The compass remains set by "default" on whatever it was last used for. It has a range of 3,200 feet, and if the object sought is not within range, the compass jerks between several directions, spins wildly for a moment, then stops. The compass cannot find items that are inside extra-dimensional spaces like a bag of holding. There is no limit to the number of times a character can try to use the compass to find the direction to an item. 

   The functions of Dimond's Compass are as follows:

   * Detect Magic: The compass points to the object or being with the most powerful magic aura or abilities within range that is closest to its current location. If there are multiple objects or beings within range, it prioritizes the closest item or being. (For example, the compass will point to a 3rd-level spellcaster over a 1st-level spellcaster; a +2 sword over a +1 sword; an artifact like the Silver Key over a +4 dagger, even if the dagger may seem more powerful if subjected to an analyze or detect magic spell; and a succubus over a 13th-level spellcaster. But if a man carrying a +1 amulet of protection is standing across the room, and a demonlord is across the street carrying the Sword of Dimensional Sundering, the compass will indicate the +1 amulet of protection.)  

   * Find Magic Portal: The compass points to the nearest magic portal within range. For the purpose of Dimond's Compass, a "magic portal" is a permanent gateway between one location and another, whether the remote location is 12 miles or 12 realities away. Such portals can appear to be doorways, pools of water, wells--anything that someone might pass through or dive into and emerge from.

   The compass locks onto the closest portal first, followed by the most powerful, so the indicated direction my change if the user is in an area where several portals are close together. (For example, the compass will prioritize a portal that takes those who pass through it to Valhalla over a portal that goes to Vermont if they are an equal instance from the user; but it will indicate a portal that goes to a place in the Dreamlands over a portal that can go to anyone of 100 locations depending on the will of whoever steps through it if the portal to the Dreamlands is closer.)

   The compass does not reveal any objects or command words that are needed to open a portal, or to control where it leads to if it has various destinations.

   * Locate Object: The user visualizes a general item or a a specific object that he or she is familiar with, has been described to him or her, or was an important part of an event with which the user is familiar, through personal experience or detailed witness accounts. The compass points unerringly in the direction of the nearest general item sought, or the location of the specific object. If the user is standing exactly above or below the item's location, the compass needle twitches, swings to the opposite cardinal point, twitches again, then swings back to the original direction. If the item moves out of the range of the compass, the needle begins spinning wildly, but it will indicate the correct direction again once the item is within range.

   Note: There is an overlap between the detect magic and find magic portal functions. The compass will detect a magic portal as a magic item if one is located nearby while it is trying to find magic items. Bessie Love never realized that Dimond's Compass could not distinguish between the two, as it's a weakness that rarely becomes a factor.

ASHER'S PEDESTAL

This artifact comes in two parts--a square pedestal made of lacquered oak and African blackwood that stands roughly four feet, and a two-foot-tall alabaster statuette of a handsome woman in ancient Egyptian garb and striking a twisted dance pose. Both the pedestal and statuette exude a strong Art Deco ascetic. 

   Asher's Pedestal was created by sculptor-turned-wouldbe-movie mogul Grayson Asher. He came to Hollywood in 1920 and began making movies featuring elaborate sets and costumes. Although not an attractive man, he was known for always having a starlet on each arm. He also had an uncanny ability for turning rivals and outright enemies into friends with surprising ease. The secret to his charm could be found in the pedestal and the alabaster statuettes he would display on it in his office at Asher Film Company.

   Asher's initial effort to get established in the film business was not as successful as he wanted--he had money, and skill as an artist, but he lacked charm, so he could not convince top talent to work for him. One night, the demon Orias appeared to Asher and showed him how he could have all the most talented men and women at his beck and call, as well as at his feet. In exchange for Asher's soul, he showed the demon showed him how to create and enchant Asher's Pedestal and the statuettes that function with it.

   The top of the pedestal contains a well-hidden secret compartment that is two square inches in size. The statuette also has a secret compartment, the opening to which is under the bottom of its base. When certain items belonging to a person are hidden respectively in the pedestal and in the statuette, and the statuette is placed on the pedestal, the person to whom the items belonged falls becomes infatuated with the person who hid the items. This infatuation can be developed into full-blown love and undying loyalty with even the smallest kindness or hint of returned affection. Even if the statuette is later removed from the pedestal, the person remains under the magical influence until the item tied to him or her are removed from the statuette and pedestal or the statuette is destroyed. The affection the enchanted victim felt gradually fades.

   It is possible to have multiple people under the sway of Asher's Pedestal. The pedestal's compartment can be packed full of small items, but each victim enchanted by the artifact must be represented by a statuette.

   In 1926, Asher tried to get Bessie Love to star in a big-budget, costume comedy set in Ancient Egypt. He wanted Bessie to play Cleopatra. The offer and the role both seemed attractive to Bessie, but as she looked into Asher and his personal life (as had become her habit since taking up her fight against supernatual menaces), she became suspicious: too many actors and crew associated with Asher's productions had either killed or tried to kill each other, or had suffered mental breakdowns. Her investigations let her to a chance confrontation with Asher in his office--as Dimond's Compass pointed her to the Pedestal and the dozen statuettes on display in his office--while he was meeting with the demon Orias. During the ensuing battle, most of Asher's statuettes were shattered and Asher himself killed. Orias claimed his soul as he lay dying, and Bessie rebuffed the demon's offer to pick up where Asher left off. She took Asher's Pedestal and the statuette that had been prepared to dominate her, and she added them to her collection of occult trophies and souvenirs. 

   Using Asher's Pedestal: Asher's Pedestal is used to subject targets to a permanent effect identical to the charm person or charm monster spell. The user must spend at least 10 minutes within 10 feet of the target, and manage to obtain a small object that they have carried on or close to their body for at least six hours at a time, as well as some of their hair, a nail-clipping, or some bodily fluid. The user must then create a statuette that represents the target. This statuette need not be a literal representation of the target, nor particularly skillfully made, but it must represent how its maker views the target on some level. It must be made with a compartment that can contain the hair or other part of the target, or the piece of the target can be incorporated directly into the statuette.

   The small item belonging to a target must be placed in the secret compartment in the Pedestal, and the statuette containing the actual part of the target's physical body must be put on top of the Pedestal. The magic is then activated, and the target must roll a successful saving throw (Will save DC28, magic resistance does not apply but any saving throw bonuses do). The saving throw must be re-rolled every day at sunset where the Pedestal is located until the character either fails it, or the statuette is removed from the Pedestal or is destroyed. Once the saving throw is failed, the target is subjected to a charm person or charm monster spell (whichever is appropriate for the target).

   The effects of the Pedestal remain permanent until the item belonging to the target is removed form the Pedestal or the statuette, the statuette is destroyed or moved more than 100 feet from the Pedestal. The target is freed from the enchantment and the feelings toward the user will gradually fade. If the removed statuette is once again put on the Pedestal, the target must once again make successful saving throws or come under the item's sway again.

   To locate the secret compartment in the Pedestal, searchers must make a successful DC18 Search skill check, or DC28 Spot skill check to notice the covering and figure out how to open it.)

   Drawbacks to Using the Pedestal: If a victim is kept ensorcelled for three months and/or at the point the third victim is put under a user's sway, Orias appears (in his favorite human form as a very handsome and fit black man) and informs the user that he must either release the target or allow Orias to corrupt them to serve his wishes. He promises the user that no harm will come to the victim--other than their soul may damned forever. If the user refuses, all enchantments immediately end and anyone who was under the sway of the Pedestal comes to hate the user deeply and with near-fanatical intensity.

   Destroying the Pedestal: No special requirements are needed to destroy this artifact.

--

If you enjoyed this post, you can encourage us to create more like it by giving us feedback in the comments section. And if you REALLY enjoyed it, you should consider getting some of the booklets we've released through NUELOW Games. It will encourage us to make more! One smart choice would For a Song and a Dance--which spotlights more of Bessie Love's trophies, among other things.)

Things Found in Walls

Whether intentionally or on purpose, part of a wall in the old house has been demolished, revealing a hidden space... and the secrets it contains. What are those secrets? Well, the following random tables can help GMs determine that, quickly providing ideas for what has been found and what adventure seeds may be planted with it.

Roll 2d6 and find the result on the table below, then roll 1d6 against the sub-table or sub-tables. (Of course, these tables can be used to determine items found anywhere.)


2d6       Things Found in Walls
2           A pair of black-lacquered chopsticks with silver inlay patterns on the
             handles that 1-2. when crossed on an empty plate, cause a tasty and
             filling meal to appear; 3-4. when put on a plate with food, causes the
             meal to become poisonous and cause those who consume it to die in
             severe agony within 1d3+1 hours; 5-6. open a puzzle box when one
             is inserted into its lid, and the other into its left side.

3          A hunting knife, wrapped in cheesecloth. It is 1-2. the key to solving a
            decades-old murder mystery; 3. haunted by the restless spirit of a
            woman murdered with it who wants to be avenged; 4. haunted by the
            spirit of a serial killer who will try to possess the person who retrieves
            the knife from its hiding place; 5-6. an enchanted weapon that does
            double damage against spellcasters and lycanthropes.

4          A battered high school geography book from the 1950s. When read 

            1. nothing happens; it's just an old book; 2-3. a hand-drawn map falls 

            out. A legend reads "The evidence of my sins is under Lincoln High"; 

            4-5. a map of Africa has been adjusted with handwritten notes, and 

            an additional hand-drawn detailed region is folded up within the 

            book, with a legend that reads "Amazons? Atlanteans?"; 6. the book 

            automatically flips to a map of  Argentina, and the reader and 

            everyone within a 30-foot radius in transported to a secret Nazi 

            hideaway there.

5          The skull of 1-2. a monkey, covered in occult symbols, engraved in 

            gold.; 3-4. a horned humanoid, engraved with the symbol of an Elder 

            God.; 5. a human baby, partially crushed.; 6. a human adult, partially 

            crushed.

               Additionally, the skull 1-2. is haunted by a vengeful spirit; 3-4. is a 

            key part of a ritual to commune with an Elder God; 5-6. is a key clue 

            in a series of cult-related murders.    

     

6          A leather suitcase with 1. $10,000 in currency; 2. $10,000 in currency,

            $100,000 in fake currency; 3. $15,000 in uncut diamonds, along with

            three phone numbers written on the back of a Denny's napkin; 

            4. A black ceramic sculpture of falcon, containing $10,000 in rubies 

            that are wrapped in red silk; 5. 13 15th century Spanish gold 

            doubloons that are cursed and give whoever claims them a streak of 

            catastrophic luck until he or she dies or has the curse lifted; 

            6. a famous painting by a Dutch Master that was stolen by Nazis

            and presumed destroyed during WW2.

7          A cache of documents that 1-2. reveals the existence of Immortals 

            and a secret war to control the fate of the universe; 3-4 describes 

            a world-wide demonic conspiracy; 5-6. provides solid evidence 

            that a now-powerful politician brutally murdered an entire family 

            when a young man. 

                The information in the documents is 1-3. true; 5-6. false.

8          A 19th century Ouija board and bejeweled planchette that 1-3 is 

            worth at least $2,400 to the right collector; 4-5. can unerringly 

            answer 1d6 "yes" and "no" questions up to three times per day, 

            which a written note on the back explains; 6. predicts that users will 

            die, and then subjects them to a deadly curse.

9          A mummified 1. human infant; 2. headless body of an adult male; 

            3. tangle of rats, their tales knotted together; 4. slender human 

            female with horns on her forehead and clawed hands; 5. pair of 

            adults--one male, one female--that were strangled with silk cords 

            that are still around their necks; 6. humanoid cat creature, wearing 

            bejeweled golden bracelets.

10        A small leather bag with 1. antique buttons, with $100 to the right 

            collector; 2. cut diamonds worth $5,000; 3. three modern house 

            keys; 4. three antique skeleton keys of different sizes; 5. A 

            mummified woman's hand, mounted on a stand with wicks 

            inserted into the fingers; 6. a round obsidian disk with razor-sharp 

            edges and the symbol of two different Elder Gods carved on it, a 

            different one on each side.

11        A hatchet that 1. has four symbols of the Elder Gods engraved on 

            its blade; 2. never misses demons when thrown at them; 3. does

            triple damage against the undead; 4. doubles the Strength bonus 

            of the person wielding or carrying it Strength bonus; 5. does double 

            damage against lycanthropes; 6. the wielder suffers the same
            damage that is inflicted on the target.

   

12        Roll two more times on the table. Both indicated results are found. 

            If 12 is rolled again, do not re-roll but treat as "no result." If 12 is
            rolled three times in a row, nothing is found in the wall but dusty
            cobwebs and rodent droppings..

The World of Starvania, Part Two

We're presenting a campaign setting over a few posts here at the blog. You can see the first one here.

THE WORLD OF STARVANIA: CHARACTER CREATION

Design & Editing: Steve Miller & L.L. Hundal

Artwork: Frank Godwin

This post covers the first steps in creating a Starvanian player character. As with most of our posts in these parts, this is geared toward d20 System games. The material here modifies and generally takes the place of the character creation methods featured in the rules system you are using. If something isn't addressed here, assume that whatever is printed in the character generation section of the main rules still holds.

  There are portions of this character generation method that are not usually randomized in d20 System games. DMs can allow players to review the Character Creation section and pick what the race and other traits they want their character to have. Given the ever-increasing obsession with issues of racial equality and representation and so on in non-existent places and imaginary among gamers, we included this random mechanic to underscore our viewpoint that a person's genetics/race is a completely random factor in how he or she turn out as a human being. Whether someone is a good person or a scumbag, a hero or a coward, has jack-all to do with "race" and everything to do with a person's character and the culture within which they were raised. (And even with culture, people are not slaves to their background.)

STEP ONE: Generate Ability Scores
Roll 4d6, ignoring the lowest die, six times. The result is six totals ranging from 3 to 18, and these are ultimately assigned as a character's attribute score (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) as the player chooses. For now, they should just be noted and set aside. We'll come back to them later.

STEP TWO: Determine the Character's Race

There are four Human races/subtypes in Starvania. Each has a mechanical bonus and penalty. Players roll randomly against the following table to determine their race. (There's a small chance that the player may roll Elf, Dwarf, or Witchkind. If those are not used in your campaign, the player should reroll.)

   We encourage players to use these random tables, but it's just as legitimate for GMs to allow players to simply pick the race (and attendant attribute modifiers) that reflect the character they want to play.

Table One: Player Character Races
1d100 Result       Player Character Race

001-030              Moronican. +2 Charisma, -1 Dexterity.

                           (See "Moronican Characters" below for more information.)

031-060              Salvian. +2 Strength, -1 Wisdom.

                           (See "Salvian Characters" below for additional information.)

061-070              Sketish. +2 Intelligence, -1 Charisma.

                           (See "Sketish Characters" below for additional information.)

071-085              Woovian. +2 Wisdom, -1 Strength.

                           (See "Sketish Characters" below for additional information.) 

086-093              Mixed. Roll on the "Table Two: Mixed Ancestry".)

094-095              Amazon (See Amazonian Characters" below for additional information.)

096-097              Elf. (See "Elf Characters" below for additional information.)
                           (If race not in use, roll on "Table Two: Mixed Ancestry.")
098-099              Dwarf. (See Dwarf Characters below for additional information.) 
                           (If race not in use, roll on "Table Two: Mixed Ancestry.")
100                    Witchkind. (If race not in use, roll on "Mixed Ancestry Table.")

Table Two: Mixed Ancestry

1d100 Results      Player Character Race

001-045               Moronican/Salvian. +1 Strength, +1 Charisma.
                            (001-050: See "Moronican Characters" for more
                             information; 051-100: See "Salvian Characters" for more
                             information.)
046-055               Moronican/Sketish. +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma.
                            (001-050: See "Moronican Characters" for more
                              information; 051-100: See "Sketish Characters" for more
                              information.)
056-070               Moronican/Woovian. +1 Charisma, +1 Wisdom.
                            (001-050: See "Moronican Characters" for more
                              information; 051-100: See "Woovian Characters" for more
                              information.)

071-080               Salvian/Sketish. +1 Strength, +1 Intelligence.

                            (001-050: See "Salvian Characters for more information.)

                             051-100: See "Sketish Characters" for more information.)

081-090               Salvian/Woovian. +1 Strength, +1 Wisdom.

                            (001-050: See "Salvian Characters" for more information;

                             051-100: See "Woovian Characters" for more information.)

091-095               Sketish/Woovian. +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom.

                            (001-050: See "Sketish Characters" for more information;

                             051-100: See "Woovian Characters" for more information.)
096-097              Multi-Racial. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Wisdom.
                           (001-050: See "Salvian Characters" for more information;
                            051-100: See "Woovian Characters" for more information.)
098-099              Multi-Racial. +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma.
                           (001-050: See "Moronican Characters" for more information;
                            051-100: See "Sketish Characters" for more information.)
100                     Multi-Racial. No race-based attribute modifiers.
                           (001-025: See "Moronican Characters" for more information;
                            026-050: See "Salvian Characters" for more information;
                            051-75: See "Sketish Characters" for more information;

                            076-100: See "Woovian Characters" for more information.)

STEP THREE: Apply Ability Score Modifiers
Apply the appropriate adjustments to the attributes generated in Step One. Record them on the character sheet.

STEP FOUR: Determine the Character's Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
Like race, a person's sex is a random quirk of Fate. Like the tables for race, we provide them here for players to randomly generate their characters' sex and gender.
    Players roll 1d10 against the following tables. While we encourage their use, GMs may allow players to just decide what their characters sex and gender is. Finally, if GM and players don't want to deal with things like genders and sexual preference, they can just stop at determining the character's 

Table Three: What is the Character's Sex?
1d10 Result    Sex
1-5.                 Female
6-10.               Male

Table Five: What is the Character's Gender?
1d10 Result    Gender
1-4.                 Female
5-6.                 Fluid (The player can choose/switch the character's gender
                       during any relevant situation.)
7-10.               Male

Table Six: What Does the Character Present As?
1d10 Result    Apparent Gender
1.4.                Female
5-6.                Fluid. (The character is equally comfortable in the
                      dress and roles of either gender.)
7-10.              Male

Table Seven: What is the Character's Sexual Preference?
1d10 Result   Sexual Preference
1-6.                You prefer relations with the sex opposite your own.
7.                    Bi-sexual, with leanings toward the sex opposite
                       your own.
8.                    Bi-sexual, with leanings toward the sex same as your
                       own.
9.                    Bi-sexual, with no particular preference whatsoever.
10.                  You prefer relations with the sex same as your own.

Next Up: The Character Creation Rules Continue
(Coming Soon...)

The World of Starvania, Part One

Welcome to a new post series/project. How long it will be, or if it will ever be completed is anyone's guest. No one can be sure how often posts will show up, either. It's being started on the spur of the moment, and despite the fact that time could be spent on more serious projects.

This first post is just going to be a little background on the setting. The second post will be some player character generation rules with additional setting information. The third post will be more character generation rules, with more setting information. (If this gets that far...)

And now... we bring you The World of Starvania!

THE WORLD OF STARVANIA: A CAMPAIGN SETTING

Design and Editing: Steve Miller

Based on "Starvania" by Felix Adler & Clyde Bruckman

A BRIEF HISTORY OF STARVANIA
In the beginning, the land of Starvania was ruled by cruel, alien gods from the Stars, foremost among them being Yog-Sogoth. Then a band of heroes banished those dark entities and the Age of Man dawned.
   For countless millennia, the peoples of Starvania warred against each other, building up and tearing down civilizations and generally rampaging back and forth across the landscape to prove who was superior and who deserved to rule others. The wars were on racial, ethnic, or national lines--and often a mixture or all three at the same time. The biggest animosity existed between the Salvians and the Moronicans, the two most populous races in Starvania. The less numerous Woovians and Skets could try to keep their heads down, or join with one side or the other... whatever they needed to do to keep what little life and liberty they could hang onto.

   Then, 654 years ago, the mighty bard-king Froot deLoom of Moronica succeeded in his life-long quest to unite all the peoples of Starvania in a shared love of beer-battered fish-sticks and accordion music. By the time King Froot passed the reins of power onto his eldest daughter, Loup, these cultural touchstones had become the foundation of a golden age of peace and prosperity.  

   This union of once-warring nations eventually came to be loosely governed by an elected parliament led a mostly ceremonial prime minister who, by law and tradition, had to be the current reigning monarch of  Moronica. Under the banner of Starvania, the people lived and worshiped and worked and played, in peace and equality, side by side. Nonetheless, discontent bubbled below the surface in some parts of the union. 

   For centuries, the citizens of the Isle of Cork and Great Mittens had resented Moronicans in general, but specifically those from the states of Moronica and Cast Toria. The islands had been settled by Salvians fleeing Moronican oppression two thousand years ago, but the waters around them had always been controlled by the Moronicans; the islanders have, ironically, never been great ship-builders but they have always excelled at sinking them. 

   Mainland Salvians felt great solidarity with their island-dwelling cousins. They had long insisted that control of the Corkscrew Straights and the Hot Sea, as well as all ports and harbors on the coasts, be surrendered to their exclusive controls. With the exception of some merchants and industrialists, and a minority of islanders who felt Salvians were superior in all ways to other Starvanians, the islanders in general didn't care terribly that the ports were controlled by Moronicans. But, this majority usually just let the radicals rant and rave, because nothing would come of their antics because no sensible person would listen to them. 

But five years ago, the Salvian Unity Party weaponized the simmering resentment in the loud minority and their allies elsewhere in Starvania. Using the rationale that the Moronicans had for too long denied the Salvians their birthrights of controlling Starvanian seas and harbors, they orchestrated a coup and overthrew King Herman of Moronica. A charismatic, but dimwitted, army corporal-turned-interior decorator named Moe Heilstone was named Grand Leader of Starvania, and any members of parliament and local governments that didn't swear allegiance to him specifically were at best hounded from office but more often than not imprisoned.

   Unsurprisingly, the people of Starvania tried to fight back against the overthrow of their government and the 600-year peace came to an end; even the Salvian-majority state of Bulge-Area . Also unsurprisingly, since the Salvians, both islanders and mainlanders, have long made up the majority of Starvanian armed forces, the rebellious states were swiftly subdued (but often with a great cost of life and property). Surprisingly, especially to Heilstone and his loyal supporters, the citizens of Great Mittens and the Isle of Cork did not accept him as their Grand Leader, but instead sent a steady stream of insults his way, declared themselves the home of the true Starvania and set up a Parliament-in-Exile with King Herman's youngest daughter, Princess Maddie as its ceremonial prime minister. 

By Jamie Patterson

CURRENT DAY STARVANIA

Grand Leader Heilstone rules mainland Starvania with an iron fist, ensconced in his palace where the states of Moronica, Jug o' Salvia, and Staywayoff share borders. His troops and paramilitary forces are everywhere, and his secret police and informants lurk among the population, looking for anyone who might express even the slightest negative views of him and his government; when found, such people are swiftly arrested and anyone who failed to report their treasonous thoughts risks the same fate. King Herman and his family (aside from Princess Maddie) remain under house arrest in their ancenstral castle, high on the cliffs above the Lake of Loons in Moronica.

   All across Starvania, groups of rebels fight either against Heilstone's secret police, his army, or foreign troops who have been sent to the region from distant lands with whom the dictator has made alliances. Some even find themselves fighting threats from other worlds, because mystics and cultists on both sides of the the battle for Starvania's future have been setting about harnessing the power of the ancient gods that once held sway over the lands, hoping to use it to destroy their foes. So far, all anyone has managed to do is unleash demons upon the land, turn the population of villagers into zombies, and attract the attention of outside threats that hadn't been present in Starvania for 1,000 years. 

   Great Mittens and the Isle of Cork has so far been able to repel all attempts to force them to join Heilstone's Starvania. Although they have been joined in their by powerful allies--including a rumored ancient dragon--it is unclear how long they will be able to hold out. So far, they have resisted the temptation to seek power from the Elder Gods, but the calls to do so are getting louder...

   Things are growing evermore bleak in Starvania. The people's suffering grows greater with each passing day. Now is the time for heroes....

Next Up: Some Rules for Creating Starvanian Player Characters!

(Coming Soon)