A slight change

After thinking things over and doing some calculations, I've decided to give turéhu a climb speed and switch up their skill bonuses a bit.  Because it just makes sense.

That said, keep in mind that until I've actually got the text of the book into some sort of order, the material here is subject to change.

Bonus post: Téku-milkshake-duck

This was originally a memorial post. In the face of certain details that have come to light: I no longer feel comfortable commemorating that individual.

Bonus post: DunDraCon!

Yeah, I know; it's been way too long since I've updated. But this year at DunDraCon, I will be running a Southlands Pathfinder adventure!

I've run a couple of D&D games with the same basic concept, but have decided to do something different this year. Still working out the exact details, though...

Another (brief) delay.

So here, to hold you over for the time being, are a character sheet and a spell record sheet, both of my own devising, for Pathfinder.  They're still something of a work in progress, but should be functional nonetheless.

Personal use only, please.  Thank you!

Still out here.

Life got in the way.  Additionally, I've actually been attempting to knuckle down, finalize some game-mechanical details, and work out some of the finer points of geography and culture for the Tirin Peninsula. 

But unless something really silly happens, count on a new official entry by no later than next Saturday.

Oh, no, not another bonus post...and possibly controversial this time!

Ideally, this project will see publication within the next year or so.  And so, ideally, I'll eventually be needing illustrations.  And I've come to the realization that a certain common trope of the fantasy art genre could open up quite the can of wiggly worms.

So consider yourself forewarned.

Ki'vali aren't orcs.

They're the "stouts" of the setting, and should have something of a "proud warrior race" feel going on.  But they're not orcs.

Apsuri aren't halflings.  Nor are they gnomes.  The way that they look—or rather, the way that they used to look before I changed some details—was slightly influenced by hobbit knock-offs created by an author I don't even particularly like.  But that's about it.

Ahvaiyru are not elves, although they may be something of a deconstruction.  Neither are turéhu, although one could probably stretch a point and call them wakyambi.

Tíraleth are...well, they're just purposely weird.

And yes, I did decide to elaborate somewhat upon the subject matter here.

*Cue Portal Theme Song*

I'm still alive, and I certainly haven't run out of ideas.  However, compiling my ideas into a presentable format is proving a slightly bigger task than I'd predicted.

Rest assured that there will be new material here in the near future.

Bonus Post Three: Bog-Standard Fantasy Bogs Down Fantasy

As most if not all of you will have noticed by now:  The Tirin Peninsula is not the standard Tolkienian (or Gygaxian) fantasy setting.  Unless you're house-ruling, you're not going to find elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, or halflings here. 

Now, mind you, this wasn't always the case.  But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to me that the standard fantasy setting came with altogether too much baggage.  For all that writers may go out of their way to put a twist on the standard, there are stereotypes attached to just about every aspect of it:  Elves must behave this way, orcs must behave that way, and nothing can be any too far removed from the works of Tolkien.  If the rules get bent too far, the readers complain—or jump to conclusions based on how things are in The Lord of the Rings.

Long story short?  Although I know that you can't really blame the setting for what the readers infer, I didn't want that baggage or those stereotypes.  And I really didn't want people jumping to Middle Earth-based conclusions about the Tirin Peninsula, because the Tirin Peninsula is not Middle Earth.  It's also probably best not to presume that what applies to medieval Europe (or some idealization or exaggeration thereof) necessarily applies to the Tirin Peninsula, either.

I'm aware that, in light of this, it may be a bit odd that I intend to make it Pathfinder-compatible.  Pathfinder, after all, is a D&D spin-off with a loosely Tolkienian core setting.  But it’s also got three strong points in its favor:  The basic rules are open content (meaning that I won't have to pay any fees or get written permission to use them).  I'm sufficiently familiar with the system to write for it with some degree of confidence.  And last but not least, it saves me the (tremendous) hassle of designing my own system.

Bonus post the second!

I've recently gotten back preliminary sketches for some art commissioned for the project.  And while I really wish that I were better at descriptions, I certainly can't fault the skill of the artist.

Also, I've got another question for the readers: languages!  As it stands at the moment,  ki'vali have their own language, apsuri speak Aquan, and the fey races speak Draconic.  I'm wondering if this should change.  (Humans, by the way, will have access to several regional languages.)  And as far as tíraleth starting languages go, I'm not even sure what to do with that.

Off the usual schedule...

...I present you with a minor update or two.

 The race formerly known as Tahvaaiy nobles or simply "Tahvaaiy" are now called ahvaiyru, which is now reflected in previous blog entries.  (I really had too many names beginning with the letter T.)  The ahvaiyru, however, are still meticulous, flamboyant, competitive, urbane, and meaner than rattlesnakes.

 Furthermore, Kalretia is now an archipelago.  The biome and culture are still about the same.