Brightvarna Red and Other Tales

A short collection of fiction that illuminates the world of Gods and Icons.

• Two icons who serve the same emperor struggle over a town corrupted by hell.
• An old sailor sees too much in the mists.
• A mage labors to craft magical spectacles that will let him see the trapped spirit of his dead lover.

Best of all, it’s free.

Uprooted: Inspiration

I just want to share a quick bit of inspiration. I just binged-read Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Could not put it down. If you want a great fantasy read, I highly recommend it. Amazing magic, and forget tension on every page. This book has tension on every word.

OK, now I can get back to work. ;)

Numeneraish and Numeneraocity

Like many of you, I've played a ton of different role playing games. I find it easy to make new stuff up. What I'm learning now is how to make stuff up Numenera Style.

It's all about the KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid. Numenera has simple clean rules. A Numenera adventure should follow suit. Over and over in the editing phase of The Sun Below: City on the Edge, I find myself simplifying. I don't have to create a simulation. I just have to make it fun to play. And fun to GM.

For example, I have a race of blood sucking plant people, the slithik. I have different kinds of slithiks. Do I need so many? No, cut. They all have two attacks a round, one melee, one ranged. Does that make sense? No, cut. The top leader can have two ranged a round, that works.

Sometimes its a matter of making new rules feel Numeneraish. Is that a word? Of course it's a word. Or will be in 1 billion years. :)

I created an artifact where I wanted it to have special effects, but not every time. I could say if you hit with a natural even number, then "tada!" the effect goes off. But that doesn't feel very Numeneraish. What does feel Numeneraish? Ah, if you hit with a natural 17+, then it goes off. Numenera players are already used to cool stuff happening when they roll natural 17s or better.

And so on. Got to get my Numeneraocity on.

Writing the Other

How do you write about people you are not? Women/Men? Gay/Straight/Other? Ninth Worlders are inherently other. I've spent this week in Chattanooga learning to do just this, at the Writing the Other workshop.

More game information when I get back!