Dicey Stories

Before leaving South Tower, Heppa and Tric visit Damal’s apothecary shop.

I love it when players produce extra material for the game, like writing songs, drawing sketches, or even just doing research on their character’s interests. These sorts of things extend way beyond just learning the rules of the game and spending XP. I find this so rewarding, as it shows that the world I’m creating for them really resonates with them in some way and stretches into their lives beyond the play session. If you’re interested in seeing the map that Heppa left for Alric (and that Heppa’s player was kind enough to draw for my entertainment), you can find it here.

Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here.

Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Heppa and Alric go on a date. Tric and Heledd most certainly do not.

I did a fair bit of research in preparation for the date in this episode. Since Heppa had shown interest in herbalism, alchemy, and alcohol, I decided to combine them. If this is the sort of thing you’re interested in as well, I recommend the following book by Amy Steward: The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks. Here also is a link to a lengthy article about milk punch from Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/science/844-articles/story/the-key-to-crystal-clear-cocktails-milk-really.

If this is of no interest to you at all, don’t worry. Once they leave the Parting Glass and Alric behind, our elves will spend much less time sampling alcoholic beverages. And finally, for a special treat from our bard, check out this ode to Alric's past: Fresh Prince of South Tow-air

Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here.

Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

After the closing ceremony of the Full Bloom Festival, Heppa and Tric get in some weapons practice and then go birding.

If you’re interested in learning more about the style of draw Mhaev uses with her composite bow (the thumb draw rather than the three-fingered draw), then check out this video by NUSensei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK82xdoFAqY

This arc contains spoilers for the Battle for Wesnoth campaigns Eastern Invasion and Liberty, as well as references to the Rise of Wesnoth, Legend of Wesmere, and the Hammer of Thursagan.

Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here.

Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

The victory over the Rats has some unanticipated emotional repercussions for Heppa.

I didn’t anticipate Alric becoming a romantic interest for Heppa. When I introduced him to the storyline, my goal was to provide Tric with a different perspective on the Manu, a younger, less jaded one than some of the others. As well as to provide Heppa with a source of information on Kachen—though she ended up not prying there, out of respect for Alric’s focus on privacy. Heppa’s player, however, did express interest in adding this romantic dimension to the game. Hence the flirting you’ll observe between Heppa and Alric. It was important to me that the player guide the course of the relationship, though, which is why at the end of this episode, I explicitly ask how she wants the scene to end. I also consulted with her a lot in between game sessions to make sure this proceeded comfortably for everyone involved.

Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here.

Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Imogen and Lilly narrowly escape and make one last report.

Note: This marks the end of our StarCraft campaign! Lilly goes on to be a real member of Raynor’s Raiders, helping Jimmy more directly with reconnaissance and combat operations in the fight against Mengsk. As for Imogen, well, once things are more settled, she opens a school for psionic children to learn techniques in a properly supportive environment. At least, that is what we imagine for them. We hope you’ve enjoyed our story and that our use of the Genesys roleplaying system inspires your own play. And now, a word from our GM….

It was a delight to explore characters, scenes, and themes from Blizzard’s StarCraft video game in RPG form. Lilly and Imogen were amazing to see brilliantly solving a problem in one scene and snapping at each other the next. Lilly’s flashbacks were a wonderful way to see backstory and sometimes deliver key information to the players. And Imogen—though her psionics fried her nearly as often as they helped her—showed how a ghost could maintain their sanity with this power. So many of the NPCs were fun to play, but it’s probably no surprise that my favorite was Malorn. He was so easy to slip into, sometimes being helpful, but always dripping with scorn. Thanks for following our escapades!

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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

As rain sets in, a mysterious falcon joins Heppa and Tric in their fight with the Rats.

Once again, units from the Battle for Wesnoth video game were an inspiration for elements of this arc. The Cuttlefish has an ink attack with the poison quality. Lady Sabine is an Arch Mage. Sleidr is a Thief, and the male portrait of that inspired his look. The fight had many units from both the “lawful” and “chaotic” alignments of the video game. (Elvish units are of “neutral” alignment, by the way, which you will sometimes hear Tric’s player reference.) Henrick is a Sergeant, and that determined his armaments. He brought Bowmen and Javelineers with him. On Sleidr’s side there were Thugs, Footpads, and the Bandit Efa. Alric’s “action mode” is inspired by the Assassin—not that he was ever of that profession!

Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here.

Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Down on Dead Man’s Rock, Imogen and Lilly arrange to send not one, but two crucial messages to ensure the sector’s future.

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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

With help from the town guard, Tric and Heppa launch their ambush against Sleidr and the Rats.

Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here.

Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Saffron makes a pit stop at Hyperion before going after the Xel’naga artifact.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric makes plans to strike back at Sleidr and the Rats while Heppa immerses herself in more magic theory and medicine.

Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here.

Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org.

Need context? Jump to the start of the series!