Published in Loose Leaf Stories·9 hours agoChapter 18Blind Eyes — “No matter who you try to take with you, death will always remain a cold and lonely bed.” – Nomusa Udo, Mirran writer (230 MA) Maeve lay in a slanting ray of golden sunlight with her head pillowed in Orthain’s lap, her ink-black hair spilling over his thighs. …Crucible Of Stars13 min readCrucible Of Stars13 min read
Published in Loose Leaf Stories·2 days agoChapter 17Bare Necessities — “The real beauty in chaos is the opportunity to create order.” – General Cierra, CWAAF 12th fleet (62 PA) Vyron’s wrists were bound in steel handcuffs. Coldhand kept his Talon free and powered up, but no longer against Vyron’s temple. Such obvious force would only attract attention from the gangs…Crucible Of Stars17 min readCrucible Of Stars17 min read
Published in Loose Leaf Stories·5 days agoChapter 16Pillars of Light — “The faces of God are as many as the faces of his children scattered among the stars. But the demons of the hells, too, wear a multitude of faces. Open your heart to your fellow children of God, but be wary of a smile that seems too sweet.” …Crucible Of Stars18 min readCrucible Of Stars18 min read
Published in Loose Leaf Stories·Feb 1Chapter 15Red & Gold — “Better a noble war than an ignoble peace.” – Cavain a’Shae, Arcadian monarch (10,620 MA) Xia tried to calm him, but Gripper stumbled over his own words as he rushed to tell Maeve what he feared — religious wars, bloody battles fought right here on Stray! Gripper waved his arms…Crucible Of Stars12 min readCrucible Of Stars12 min read
Published in RPGuide·Feb 1TransparencyIt’s alright to just tell your players things. Really. Role-playing games don’t have to be epic efforts of secrecy and subtle manipulation. It’s a game, and if something’s gone wrong, you can just talk to the table. There have been a few recent posts about how I balance and run…Dungeons And Dragons3 min readDungeons And Dragons3 min read
Published in Loose Leaf Stories·Jan 30Chapter 14Mark — “Laws are for those who cannot make their own moral judgment.” – Eru Illith, pyrad rebel (10,100 MA) Scouring the first four levels of Axis yielded little. No one knew or cared about a Dailon named Vyron Fethru. The lower-level gangs and the dangers they posed were safely beneath the…Crucible Of Stars18 min readCrucible Of Stars18 min read
Published in Loose Leaf Stories·Jan 27Chapter 13The Black Cathedral — “The cost of war is not measured in blood alone.” – Xui the Firstborn, Ixthian priestess (288 MA) A week of food and mooring in Gharib bit deeply into Tiberius’ funds, and Xia worried about it over meals. Most of that color would be needed to pay for Vyron when…Crucible Of Stars19 min readCrucible Of Stars19 min read
Published in Loose Leaf Stories·Jan 25Chapter 12Hunter — “The rainbow in the sky pales in comparison to the one in my hand on payday.” – Escai Kanno, actor (173 PA) “Prian police! Freeze!” The rest of the criminals fled into the night, but the man in the black cloak stood his ground. Logan couldn’t make out his face…Crucible Of Stars15 min readCrucible Of Stars15 min read
Published in RPGuide·Jan 25Fight scene flow chartWe write a lot about combat in role-playing games. They’re a core part of most (but not all) RPGs, and deserve just as much narrative and gameplay consideration as any social or political scene. Not every combat should be of the same type, difficulty, or tone. But how do you…Rpg11 min readRpg11 min read
Published in Loose Leaf Stories·Jan 23Chapter 11Full Circle — “Guilt weighs heavy on the heart, but forgiveness must be even heavier, to judge by how little we give it.” – Reverend Devin Malone, The Union of Light (163 PA) It was well into the night, cold and dark outside the Blue Phoenix. By the time the ship had been…Crucible Of Stars17 min readCrucible Of Stars17 min read
