Wordworm: It’ll Eat Your Words
I got hit with the XP Internet Security 2010 malware program. Two days and six anti-malware programs later, I’ve finally gotten rid of it (knock on wood …). But the whole experience wasn’t a total loss, I guess, since it did give me an idea for magical vermin:
Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/janetmck/ / CC BY 2.0
Wordworm
Description: A small worm about 1″ long, with no discernable eyes, mouth, or other features. These worms like to hide in the spines of books, where they’re easily overlooked, being the same color as the parchment and paper books are made of. However, once seen, they’re easy to find when the book owner knows what to look for.
Threat: Though related to bookworms [not to be confused with our real-world bookworms -- Jade], who devour not the actual paper of the books, but the wheat paste used to bind them, wordworms actually devour books. These pernicious pests are drawn to magical books and other writings, including scrolls, spell books, and warded items made of paper, parchment, or vellum. Once there, the slowly devour the magical work, leaving behind only empty covers (or the wax seals of scrolls), if they’re not discovered and removed.
Treatment: Normal magical wards and dispells will not prevent or remove a wordworm invasion. In fact, they tend to escalate the problem, as the woodworms use this magical energy to multiply. Treatment must be provided by professional magical exterminators who have been trained in pest removal. Most large cities of Guang Keshar have at least one such sorcerer and itinerant exterminators wander from one small town to another. One can usually be dispatched to a particular area by contacting the Sorcerers’ Guild.
Origin: The Grand Sorcerer Ti Mu (pronounced “tee moo”) created this now invasive and pernicious pest to thwart the ambitions of his rival, Marwu Tang (MAR-woo tang [to rhyme with "bang"]). In the days of Emperor Gyamun Atum (GEEYA-moon A [short "a", like in "far"]-toom), great grandfather to the present Emperor Hotashen Atum (HO-ta-shen A-toom), the two legendary sorcerers vied for the position of Imperial Sorcerer. Ti sought to cripple his rival by destroying his spell books. Unfortunately, he lost control of his creations and the multiplied and mutated to where even Ti could not longer control them and they spread throughout Guang Keshar. Ti was executed as an enemy of the state. Unfortunately, his worms are far more difficult to remove.
A note about the term “Sorcerer”
In Guang Keshar, “sorcery” is the term used for all magic, from high ceremonial magic rituals requiring several mages, to lowly hedge magic performed by a midwife to ease a woman’s labor.
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It’s Finally Here
After months of work, the Guang Keshar free adventure is finally available.
A Taste of Intrigue is a closed-room character-driven scenario designed to be used with any game system. It’s a gentle introduction to the world of Guang Keshar. It uses six pre-generated characters, which are fully detailed in the module, complete with goals and their feelings about the other PCs in the game. No character is an outsider — everyone knows everyone else and has a history with them, which is detailed in the character. All you need to do is add stats from your favorite game system.
To get this adventure, all you have to do is sign up for the Guang Keshar Development Newsletter in the “Newsletter Sign-Up” box to the right of this post. The first issue will include a link to where you can download the adventure for free. It’s our way of saying “Thanks” to all of you for your support. Future newsletters will contain stats for the adventure from various fantasy role-playing systems, as well as corrections, updates, and information about Guang Keshar itself.
Please enjoy this adventure and feel free to send comments, critiques, and/or suggestions to improve it. You can do that by adding comments to this (or any other) post here on the website, or you can use the contact form to email us directly.
“Mr Body’s Body…”: Tips and Inspiration for Running Closed-Room Adventures
We’ve reached part 3 of our series on creating closed-room adventures. Now that you’ve created the adventure it’s time to run. That’s where closed-room scenarios really shine: once you’ve done all the set-up work, running the game is comparatively easy.
Running A Closed-Room Adventure
If setting up a closed-room scenario seems [...] Continue Reading…
Steps for Creating a Closed-Room Adventure
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This is Part Two of our three-part series on creating and running closed-room adventures. Part One defines a closed-room adventure and why you may want to make one.
Here’s the steps I go through when I write a closed-room adventure:
What are the characters’ goals? Write [...] Continue Reading…
“Mr. Body’s Body–It’s Gone!”: Creating Closed-Room Adventures
Have you ever wanted to run a game where the players do all the work? Where you can set up the situation, then just say “Go!” and watch it unfold with little to no input from you? Believe it or not, you can–by using a closed-room scenario for your [...] Continue Reading…
A Taste of Intrigue: Dramatis Personae
The free adventure is in the final editing stages. It should (barring unforeseen disasters) be available for download near the end of next week.
Seeing it’s a stand-alone adventure using pre-generated characters, I thought I’d include a brief summary of those characters here:
A Note on Names
The standard naming practice in [...] Continue Reading…
A Taste of Intrigue
My free adventure, A Taste of Intrigue, is in the final stretch of editing and should be available in the next two weeks. The very first newsletter will contain a link to download it. So if you’ve already signed up, you’ll still get your copy.
Here’s a teaser from the [...] Continue Reading…
Product Update and Campaign Setting Survey
Well, I’ve nearly finished with the freebie adventure I’m giving away when you sign up for the Guang Keshar Development Newsletter. It’s something a little different from most fantasy rpg adventures/modules. If you enjoy games like Amber Diceless and Vampire: the Masquerade and would like to a play a [...] Continue Reading…
Dangerous Servants II: The Moot of Harbingers, pt. 2
Welcome to part two of our survey of Guang Keshar’s main governing council, the Moot of Harbingers. Part One covered the Imperial Seat as well as the Seats of Wisdom, Leadership and Tradition. Today we’re covering the Seats of Faith, Battles, Sorcery, and finally, Means. House Kukuri, who holds [...] Continue Reading…
Dangerous Servants: The Moot of Harbingers
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
– George Washington
The Moot of Harbingers (also called The Council of Seven or The Great Moot) rules Guang Keshar during the Emperor’s incapacity. Comprised of the Lords of [...] Continue Reading…
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