RPG/Campaign: The Southern Seven (Homebrew D&D 5e Variant)
Morwyn mac Tíre is a wanderer in the wild-places between the cities of Zelucellia. She is a standoffish and solitary woman, driven by strange dreams and the enigmatic magics of the moons, and preferring her own company to so-called civilized people who are ever quick to reject her feral nature.
Her full backstory lies below.
Collected Morwynisms: A list of the odd terms she has used, along with any known meanings or references that may explain them.
The Southern Seven
Hunting the Hunters: Morwyn joins a band of adventurers facing otherworldly foes in a burning farmstead, including a face seen in her dreams.
Wayward Youths: Trouble flares on the return to Brolko as bandits arrive in town, armed and hellraising.
Desert Fires: The band follows a trail of banditry and curses east, and Morwyn finds something that stirs old and hateful rage.
Eyes in the Storm: Violence erupts, old loves are renewed and secrets are found beneath the earth.
Blood and Gifts: The aftermath and consequences of violence must be dealth with, and kindness can cut like thorns.
Children of the Blood: Departure from Brolko brings new acquaintance and an encounter with a possible future at the end of a bloody path.
Death, Birth & Change: The pack faces down a terrifying werebeast, memories are stirred and a life is both ended and reborn.
Sins Past & Present: The aftermath of battle with Didel, and an ascent up a mountain brings unexpected changes.
Tresle shone in the palm of the Storm last night. The viridian dreams were strong as starlight, sharp with fresh blood and ashen skies. Good omens that the quarry was close.
Came toward Brolko from the wilds. The proper ways. Quieter. Less words and two-legged herds. I dislike traveling Kavones in this season, too warm and bright, but haste was needed.
Smelled the blood and smoke on the wind long before reaching it. A farm burning, fields in ruins. Others were there. Four women, one scented of wolf and elflight. They clashed with strange things. Octopus plant-things that spat barbs and caught prey in endless tendrils.
Decided to join the fray. We fought and won, killed the plant-things. They burned well, izih-guth. Some injuries, no survivors.
Hatsuko-enzidh – I am sure she is the wolf-elf – was swift as in dreams, cutting plant-things apart with blade of grass and wind. Leera – night-elf, distant and cold as stars – ferociously skilled ninna with arrows like falcons snatching prey. Lishan – many-hued azah-elf – iridescent magic like starfall. Charlotte – elegant artificial girl – nimble and sharp and precise as needles. Another joined the struggle, a large panther that mauled and fed on the dead plant-things. Lucky. I was only able to taste one burned morsel, too sweet and too vegetal.
Plant things are called aartuk, wanderers from the great astral seas beyond the moons. Thinking plants still burn well.
One survivor of aartuk before we arrived. A woman. Lishan-azah granted her mercy. Wise – kul kusura udmeda – the farm was her territory, ruined by violence and honoured by saving her. Also in the farmhouse was a small dog, nervous and afraid. Hatsuko-enzidh talked to it, truely talked to it – how marvellous! – it came out and told us all it knew. I got to pet the dog. It was cute.
Also in the house was a dead creature, stranger even than the aartuk. Charlotte-zaazi knew what it was once Leera-ninna regathered the parts. A beholder-kin called a gazer. Another alien thing from beyond the moons. The pack say that the aartuk must have tracked it here. Impressive hunting skills to track prey across the stars, worthy of respect. What threat brings alien hunters to Kavones? What is this pack hunting?
Travelled with them to Brolko. The little dog said that the injured woman’s wife was there. Good. She can help her rouse and recover from her harms. Talked to the pack on the road. Learned their names, and that the panther was a person as well. Vivian-bhakhir is comfortable as she is. I respect that, almost envy it though I prefer my own claws to hers. Such purity of existence, not caught living between two worlds.
We reached Brolko and found the wife’s grave. I should leave a flower there for her and reward the dog for good service.
I will travel with this pack for now, until I know why the skeins of dreams have drawn me here, to them and this place.
Personal Journal of Essiala Ariathia Sorjiik den Morgenstern ban Vor'cle, Navigatrix Primaris Encryption Sigil: Vor'cle-HEXAMATIS-7197.terpsichore Vessel: Gloriosa Lux Misericordiae Imperialis, rogue-trader of Dynasty Void-ghast Location: Damaris System, Koronus Expanse, halo-Segmentus Obscurus Date: 3.364.816.M41 Thought for the day:In faith lies strength, in knowledge lies power.
As I venture to transcribe my experiences upon Damaris, I find myself compelled to offer my sincerest apologies to the reader for the lacuna that once again impede the continuation of this narrative. I will not delay your reading any further and will explain in greater detail in an appendix below.
Lord Kapak’s gala was finely appointed as any I have encountered so far from the light of civilisation. It was an earnest attempt at opulence and distraction from the Ork horde drawing ever closer, filled with what I must assume to be extravagant examples of local decor arranged to compensate for the limitations of such a provincial world. Amidst the adornments, the delicate and fragrant frost-flowers particularly caught my eye, though I do not think many groundlings could appreciate the complexities of ultraviolet patterning across their petals. The orchestral-servitors, meticulously arranged, was the most exquisite that I have yet encountered in any world in the expanse.
While our Lord-Captain dallied in a youthful affectation of fashionable tardiness , my companions – Helm-Mistress Petriam and Master-at-Arms Katsuhiro – endeavoured to acquaint ourselves with the people and mores that constituted the thin veneer of Damaris’ upper echelons. Although the invitation to the gala extended to the entirety of Gloriosa Lux’s command council, the absence of other officers and functionaries from the ship was conspicuous. Though I would have preferred to join them in remaining shipboard, away from the scrabbling politics of groundlings, I am a child of Vor’cle and the demands of propriety insisted upon my presence to represent the House in this farflung bastion of the Imperium.
And it is rare indeed is the occasion for me to wear one of my finest gowns. Clad in resplendent crimson shimmersilk interwoven with ebony lace brocade, adorned with an nox-argentum halo-shawl and concealed microsuspensors, I sought to elevate the soirée with the grace befitting my station. If the crushing grasp of terrestrial gravity must bind me, let it be in the embrace of elegance and comfort.
My companions embarked upon the task of engaging with the luminaries of Damaris, the better to weld them into a unified front against the ork horde. I have included full details of discussions in an adjunct mnemo-vault, but they can be sumarised thusly.
Lady Orleans of the Starweaver, circa 816.M41
Mistress Petriam spoke at length with Lady-Captain Orleans and gathered that the captain of the Starweaver has some degree of disagreement with the ecclesiarchal dominance of affairs on Damaris. That is understandable when the planetary governor has descended so far into excess that he cannot command his own world’s defence, and something that must be remedied if the planet is to survive beyond this present danger.
Master Katsuhiro engaged with General Dante regarding his intentions and plans for the defence for the world. While the general is proud of his troops and is evidently capable, that capacity is tempered by his station and upbringing. A planetary general who has crushed menial insurgencies and fought raiders is not an officer of the Astra Militarum, forged in the fires of Schola and war into the iron that will be needed to save Damaris. More concerning are the general’s obvious desire to take the governorship for himself, his seditious opinions of Imperial institutions and his past encounters with Drukhari, with whom he shows a disquieting familiarity. A Damaris under the rule of General Dante would fall swiftly from His Light into the depths of apostasy and perfidy, and need to be aggressively brought into Compliance once the Expanse is fully claimed.
Lord-Captain Locke of the Aegis
I endeavoured to make the acquaintance of Lord-Captain Locke of the Imperial Cruiser Aegis. She is a Captain both skilled and heroic, who should by now in her career be commanding a squadron or even entering the lower eschelons of admiralty, but that rise is blunted by a willingness to bend orders to save the lives of Imperial citizens, even if it may lead to the loss of her own ship. This iconoclasty is an ill-fit for the iron-clad strictures of the Battlefleet but heroes have their uses. If she lives through the fires of Ork invasion I think she would be a fine asset to be cultivated by the House or our good friends.
Eventually our noble young Lord-Captain made his arrival with fervour, pomp, and an unfeasible number of hats. He seized the attention of the whole gala and made a marvelous speech that laid open claim on his right to command the defence of the world. He is young and inexperienced but there are signs of fire and steel under the silk of his past. I think that, in time, he may yet become an excellent leader of men, for his exuberance and forthrightness swiftly won the hearts of the listeners. I suspect many were glad that someone else was willing to take responsibility, while others are willing to acquiesce to the magna fortis of a Rogue Trader whose warship sits in orbit above their heads. Even Lady Orleans was willing to accede to Lord-Captain Voidasghast after a discussion over their intentions for Damaris after the invasion was repelled.
As the gala waned into the nocturnal hours, an unexpected arrival from Quinn Claritatem, our Choir-Master Telepathica, necessitated our premature departure. Whilst communing with the Machine Spirit of Gloriosa Lux, our Enginseer Prime had recieved a message relayed from the ship herself, warning that our quest to defend Damaris was futile and remaining in the system would lead to our doom. The unusual nature of this message and the dire portent it demanded immediate attention, so we returned with haste to Gloriosa Lux to discuss this matter with Enginseer Prime Sin Logarithmica.
This discussion lead to our presence in the primary enginarium when Enginseer Prime Logarithmica attempted to commune once more with Gloriosa Lux in an effort to gain further information. It was an auspicious honour to be present in the heart of such a venerable craft as Gloriosa Lux, but one that became strange and uncertain as an event occured that I do not have the full vocabulary and knowledge to describe. It was akin to the experience of integration with the ship via a Navigation Helm, yet without wire or impulse-link or the protective balms of unguent of ritual. We all experienced a raw and intense sensation of traveling through the void, in combat and under great threat as something vast and unseen that presently lurked behind the Ork horde instead assailed us directly. It was a harrowing experience, one I do not wish to repeat and which will leave deep scars on the psyche of those untrained in maintaining a barrier about the self.
I was not as unaffected by the vision in the enginarium as I initially assumed. The experience appears to have hetrodyned with my gene-gifts and stirred a secondary awakening earlier than I anticipated. Examination by House-bonded medicae-adepts reveals osseous carcincrementum on all primary digits. Analgesics are minimising my discomfort and the process should be complete within 2-3 sleep cycles, but I will not be able to use my quill or other instrument without difficulty until the growth is complete and I can retrain myself in their use. I am forced to resort to an amanuensis-servitor until then.
Ongoing osseous carcincrementum on all digits. Coloration due to internal bruising.
I have also begun to experience changes in my True vision, wherein slivers of the immaterium are visible even in realspace. I believe these are the skeins that Morthandus den Eisenstein wrote about in his M35 treatise, though I am unsure if the perceptions I am experiencing are spatial, temporal, or immaterial. I will report more fully once my gifts stabilise.
Personal Journal of Essiala Ariathia Sorjiik den Morgenstern ban Vor'cle, Navigatrix PrimarisEncryption Sigil: Vor'cle-HEXAMATIS-7197.terpsichore
Vessel: Gloriosa Lux Misericordiae Imperialis, rogue-trader of Dynasty Void-ghast
Location: Damaris System, Koronus Expanse, halo-Segmentus Obscurus
Date: 3.361.816.M41
Thought for the day:Through the destruction of our enemies we earn our salvation.
< Prev Record: New Beginnings Among Old Stars
> Next Record: A Gala at the End of the World
I must apologise to my reader for the incompleteness of the remainder of this record. The disruption of my post-transit rituals, compounded by the unwholesome intensity of the local gravity and disruptive glare of the Caeruleum-Gigans primary of the system were deeply draining for me. I have endeavoured to maintain as full a record as possible. Please see adjuct vox-cords taken from trusted sources and personal vox-mnemovaults as supplement for these written records.
Our arrival in Damaris has not found any Ork presence within the system, the Xenos forces are yet an estimated 036 standard away from first contact. Instead we found a woeful lack of valorous human unity among the defenders of Damaris. Where one fleet should have been arrayed to support the planet’s defence station (designated ‘The Bulwark’) in the defence of the world, there were at least three scattered and disconnected squadrons of ships who were not even in vox-net with each other. In addition to the system defence ships were the vessels of two other Rogue Trader dynasties and a light cruiser of Battlefleet Calixis. While I trust in the valour of Gloriosa Lux, resolute allies against the foul xenos threat are always valuable.
The Bulwark and ships over Damaris
Arrayed in orbit are the Ordained Destiny, a redoubtable cruiser mastered by Lord-Captain Jeremiah Blitz, of who I sadly know little save for his name; the Starweaver, an elegant and nimble frigate of the Orleans dynasty whose warp-guide with whom I have corresponded in the past; and the potent imperial warship Aegis.
There were extensive discussions with the local traffic-master on our arrival that I was not fully privy to. I had begun my post-transit rituals within my private chambers when such communications occured, but reliable sources informed me of their content. Despite some technical difficulties, a vox-cord of which I have attached to this log for posterity, our noble Lord-Captain and his entourage were invited to meet with the planetary governor to discuss the defence of the system against the orkish forces. I was roused from my post-transit rituals with what I can only describe as immodest haste to join a strategy meeting and to descend into the bowels of the gravity well to meet this planetary noble.
The journey to the governor’s palace was enlightening, including the revelation that our Helm-Mistress was as competent at a groundling vehicle as a true vessel. I believe that I misjudged her skill based on her facade, and I will keep a closer eye upon her in future.
The groundling city was quite impressive and suitably arrayed in Imperial decor and faith. Evidently Damaris was been brought into the Emperor’s light soon after the Koronus Expanse was opened to exploration. Many well-crafted statues of saints both great and local were on display, perfectly maintained despite the provinciality of the planet.
We arrived at the governor’s palace as a heated argument was taking place between noble defenders come to aid Damaris in its time of need and the local commanders of ground forces. One among them, the Lady-Captain Orleans of the Starweaver, appears to have an insalubrious personal history with our own Lord-Captain, or perhaps with the Voidasghast dynasty. Perhaps something connected to the actions of our noble Lord-Captain during the warp transit to Damaris, or perhaps another osseuous gathering within his chambers.
Our arrival was sufficient excuse for the governor, the peacockish Lord Belkan Kapak, to finally exert his Emperor-granted authority to quell the discord. We were brought into a private audience with Lord Kapak, where he and Lord Voidasghast socialised over what I suspect was some local-varient of obscura, and we were formally welcomed to Damaris. And invited to a gala tomorrow. Words cannot approach the capacity to express my deep and unabiding lack of interest in such a groundling function, but I shall attend and express the nobility and grace of House Vor’cle to the very hilt of my ability.
For now, though, I may finally rest. I offer fervent prayers to Him on Terra and all his Saints that this may be a dreamless sleep.
I have addended all details gathered thusfar about Damaris and all notable figures – including Governor Kapak, Captain Locke, General Dante, and Lord-Captain Orleans – in a secure mnemo-adjuct for later perusal by House and Friends.
Portrait of Lady Vor’Cle by the esteemed Malfian artist Jil t’Succubus.
RPG/Campaign: Rogue Trader (Warhammer 40K RPG)
Lady Essiala Ariathia Sorjiik den Morgenstern ban Vor’cle is the Navigator Primaris of the void-ship Gloriosa Lux Misericordiae Imperialis, a role she has held for just over a standard decade. She is a bookish and reserved woman, wearing her noble bearing as a mask to conceal her terrors and inner loneliness.
Personal Journal of Essiala Ariathia Sorjiik den Morgenstern ban Vor'cle, Navigatrix PrimarisEncryption Sigil: Vor'cle-HEXAMATIS-3917.theta
Vessel: Gloriosa Lux Misericordiae Imperialis, rogue-trader of Dynasty Void-ghast
Location: Unnamed system P3-287x1.J1, Koronus Expanse, halo-Segmentus Obscurus
Date: 4.358.816.M41
Thought for the day:Knowledge is power, hide it well.
> Next Record: Arrival on Damaris
We have just completed our first transit into the true Expanse under the new Lord-Captain of our illustrious vessel, a feat well-performed by Secudus Orisik den Teutonus under my tutelage. Category minoris aetheric interference was encountered, but within expected tolerance for proximity of the great storms of the Maw. I feel this is a good omen for my Secundus’ skills and look forward to writing a firm recommendation once this voyage is complete.
While we were transiting realspace to our next translation point and allowing our exteemed vessel to recover from the travails of the Immaterium, we received an astropathic distress message which I have recorded in full below. In summary, the colony world Damaris, e.J1 trailing toward the Foundling Worlds, is besieged by xenos-threat, category ‘Ork’, and calls for aid from any and all Imperial forces.
The astropathic distess call from Damaris
Our new Lord-Captain boldly and righteously determined that we should immediately offer our services to assist this beleaguered site of one of the holy relics of the beloveed Saint Drusus, and I relieved Secundus den Teutonus at the Helm and began preparations to guide us on this noble crusade. Though we are but one sword, I trust in Him On Terra that others will join us in facing the forces of the brutish Ork.
I am still undecided of what to make of our new Lord-Captain, Lazarus Void-Ghast. He seems entirely free of preconceptions, or indeed of any conceptions, and rather too earnest and forthright for one raised close to the heart of a Dynasty as vaunted and ancient as the Void-Ghast. Perhaps he simply needs the fire of the void to burn away his impurities and bring forth the gold of his blood.
The new Helm-Mistress, Petream procul Memorias, is also a puzzle. The new Lord-Captain brought her aboard and, while it is his right to do so, she feels ill-suited to her role. She has a coarseness and lower-decks quality more suited to piloting a lighter than a true void-craft, but has undeniable skill at the helm and perhaps the swift and graceful heart of our esteemed vessel will respond well to the hands of one suited to command strikecraft. Of greater concern are the rumours of recidivism in her past, especially as she has the bearing of one born of the warfleets and yet lacks none of the overt punitive scars that base criminality brings in those harsh ships.
On these matter, Arms-Master Katsuhiro and I see eyes to eyes for once, although I feel his revulsion for a poor attempt at humour more related to the ship’s Master Mouser. He holds the feline in greater regard than any other grounder that I have encountered, perhaps his years in the void have untethered him from their crudities and helped him rise to be a better human.
These are all puzzles to be unpicked and understood. I will, of course, maintain full records of my findings for the House and our good friends.
We have arrived in the Damaris system after a short Immaterium transit. Currents were swift and laden with chronischismatic aberrations that caused psychogenic spalling on contact with our gellar fields and wards. I believe that our Lord-Captain has never set foot so far from the light of the Imperium, for his first experience of a transit aberration was harrowing to his fragile soul. Reports from the bridge were that a manifestation of his predecessor, Lord Eleazar Void-Ghast, appeared on the bridge and judged him wanting, upon which he retreated to his quarters to gather strength against the orks. I will review the pict data of the event, but it sounds like a category 7.aleph Psycho-Sanguinary Event. I wonder what skeletons and lies exist in our Lord-Captain’s past to stir something like that.
The swift currents of the Immaterium caused some distortions in our translation to real-space – a minor retrochronological event, thankfully without causality distortion, and a potentially tragic deep-well translation. Our new Helm-Mistress Petream procul Memorias proved her skills to be exemplary in saving the vessel from tragedy. It was as if Saint Nilkas themself guided her hands and eye. I thank Him On Terra and all the Saints for her skills.
Now we must see what manner of threat these Orks present to Damaris and how we may counter them.
It has been a long time since I last used this blog and, while the Blackmouth project continues to grow, very little of it is in a state ready to share with the world.
And yet I wish to practice my writing and posting it here, where it can be seen and read, forces me to complete projects and work through the difficulties and stressors that stymie so many of my past attempts to create.
So I will be posting stories of other characters from other TTRPGs here under the tag and category Other Stories. I hope someone reads them and enjoys them 🙂
