Dax Crestfall's recent journal entries. It has been a busy few weeks, never ending requests for dimensional pockets. Everyone was exhausted, especially Tobin and Emony [two eldest brothers], so the cozy family dinner was perfect. Lela [sister, child #5] made her fireball chicken parmesan and we grilled some hotworgs [D&D name for hot dogs], finishing off a ankheg of beer. Pendrid [dad] and Zia [mom] led a merry round of songs as we told stories into the evening. Yalan [Elven Warden of Locke Forest] was happy with the forest scented candles and leaf bookmark I made for his birthday. We found Caeloria's grave novel [in the ancient Library of Penstanishuri'a, located deep underground in the Locke Forest], which detailed visions of her own death. Basically it said she fell from a tree, was bound and killed by a giant spider and passed onto the afterlife. Everyone freaked out as Gegren has grown horns. I think they look good on him, and folks should leave him alone. I brought him some pastries this morning. [Our family occasionally work with Gegren on making magic items] On Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 10:44:14 PM CDT, Mike Bloy via Emerald Flame <emerald-flame@lists.incorporeal.org> wrote: [Gegren Ile is a Tough Helborn Adept who Crafts Unique Objects with a Skills And Knowledge Flavor] [Random Connection Prompt: Pick one other PC. That character comes from the same place you do, and you knew each other as children.] [Gegren is from Locke so if anyone else also wants to be from there, feel free to grab this connection hook.]Gegren hit the ingot with his hammer, just starting to shape the metal into its rough form. Few in town mix the right steel for a plow, or a sword, or a set of cookware, and very few could match his skill. As always the huge forge doors were open, leaving an entire wall open to the street. Rain or shine, winter or summer, the doors were open while the forge was operational, to let out the intense heat. Consequently, Gegren had an audience again today. The open doors invited the town gossips, the town layabouts, and those looking for a half hour break from their own work to wander in and hang about. While not particularly gregarious, Gegren didn't mind as long as they stayed a safe distance out of the way. Over the years he'd picked up a lot, almost certainly more than people knew, just by listening and learning who was exaggerating stories for effect, who was outright trying to start malicious rumors, and who was telling the honest truth. A shout caused Gegren to miss the ingot entirely, striking the anvil with his hammer. Thon, the woodworker's apprentice, pointed at the sky. "What in the hells is THAT?". The alert gave Gegren just enough time to come around the quenching tub and see a pillar of blue and green light pierce the sky, appearing to touch the ground somewhere beyond the closest hills. Almost immediately, a visible wave of bluish-black crackling energy spread out from the same area. As it passed, the wave flattened some trees while leaving others standing. The old watchtower on the top of the hill had one corner of the roof sheared off, and the rest of the roof tiles turned purple. The wave reached the town at about the same time as the sound from the event, a deep rumbling drawn out boom, almost drowned out by the crackling sound of the energy wave. As the wave passed through Gegren, he felt something _shift_ within him, painfully. Fractions of a second later the energy wave threw the red-hot ingot off the anvil in the direction of Thon and the other townsfolk. Gegren reacted instinctively and reached out for the ingot, even though it was much too far away. The wave passed, and Thon was looking somewhat cross-eyed at the red-hot iron ingot hovering inches from his nose. After a few seconds of bewilderment on everyone's part, the moment passed and Gegren relaxed. As he did so the ingot crashed to the ground and scorched the floor before Gegren picked it up with tongs and transferred it to the anvil. He turned around to see Thon and the others looking at him, goggle-eyed and backing away. Thon stammered out "G-gegren? Do you have _horns_?" [OOC: bss if the above description doesn't fit what you're looking for in an initiating event, I am perfectly willing to retcon, but the general idea is Gegren was human and... now he's part demon and has magical powers because something was awoken in him by a local anomaly that may or may not have been known already] [I am still thinking about a faction for 13th Age style relationships, but maybe a shadowy magic user's 'guild' that doesn't like 'naturals' appearing on the scene without having to go through them for learning, or for a positive relationship an association of craftsman, smiths, and tinkerers]_______________________________________________ Emerald Flame mailing list -- emerald-flame@lists.incorporeal.org To unsubscribe send an email to emerald-flame-leave@lists.incorporeal.org