Tuesday Magic Item – Diviner’s Coins

Gollaon watched the coins spin and land, forming patterns, that they could make sense of.  But the diviner was able to read much more into the pattern.  Perhaps even a sense of the future.

Voddick waited patiently outside the diviner’s tent.  Gollaon had surprised him but wanting to go in, normally his friend ignored fortune tellers.  There must be some angle he was unaware of here.

Gollaon came out after about ten minutes.  Voddick looked up.  “Find what you were looking for?”

“Indeed,” Gollaon said with a smile and then dropped his voice to a whisper.  “Now we can claim that reward from that stuck up Sun Priest, I found his stolen divinatory coins.”

Divinatory Coins

These are what you would expect, coins useful in divination depending on the tradition they were made for they can be simple or ornate, carried in a bag or box, with a cloth or board to cast them upon.  But in whatever style they may be, whoever casts them can feel them move, straining to reveal the destiny that is unfolding.

Tuesday Magic Item – Yim Stone (A to Z Challenge)

Gollaon and Voddick looked to each other.

“That sounded like breaking glass,” said Voddick.

“But there is no glass there only the gate . . .” said Gollaon.  “Yim stone!”

“Yim stone,” echoed Voddick readying his shield.  “Go get reinforcements, I will try to slow them down.”

“Be careful,” said Gollaon already on their way.

Yim Stone

These stones are carved from rock crystal and range in size to those used in a sling to those used in siege engines, they are decorated with sigils and mottos.

Zoomorphism in the Sea of Stars (A to Z Challenge)

The Sundering brought changes, minor and major (and catastrophic) across the Sea of Stars.  One of the relatively minor, but initially very concerning, effects was the rise of zoomorphism among people.  There was a rash of children born with animal features (ears, eyes, fur, tail, and other parts) across the lands.  Mostly, those vanished within a few generations but in some cases, it did not . . .

There were a few groups that had totem animals or other affinity with a particular animal (or types of animal), those groups tended to stabilize with the feature that matched that affinity being inherited across family lines.  Among those who have such lines of zoomorphic people are the Wolf Nomads of the Kozimkik Steppes, who often have wold ears, sharper teeth, and, less often, fur and tails.  Those with such features are considered blessed by the wolf spirits and have a certain elevated status within their society.

Xenogenic Children (A to Z Challenge)

The Sundering, and its aftermath, unleashed massive forces, magical, natural, and other, changing the world in so many ways.  The after-effects of which are still being felt, though they have subsided in power and frequency.

One such effect that was common in the first century after the Sundering but has greatly tapered off, is the birth of xenogenic children.  Xenogenic children are those that are of a different kindred from either of their parents.

Windmills of the Wizenzea (A to Z Challenge)

While magic can be used to power devices, relying on natural forces to power various mills and other devices is usually less expensive (and sometimes safer) for many practical uses.  One such practical use of windmills while developed by others, it is the Gemkine who have perfected the engineering to translate the motion of wind (and water) into motive power.

On the banks of the Wizenzea windmills are used for a variety of purposes from pumping out seawater to free up new land, to driving mechanical devices for the processing of various materials and, of course, as actual grain mills.  When their location is no longer suitable, they are dismantled and moved to a new location.  Sometimes the shell of the building is left and repurposed, sometimes just the foundation remains.

Visse and Halflings (A to Z Challenge)

Behind the Curtain: The Sea of Stars began (and continues) as a Dungeons & Dragons campaign world, it was designed partly in reaction to the last two campaigns I had which featured very narrow choices of kin and restrictions on classes, the Sea of Stars was to be wide open yet based on D&D 3 rules, so the kindred allowed in that book needed to be included in some way, but I wanted them to have their own unique backgrounds and ties to the campaign world.

First, they needed a new name, Visse is what came to me, though I have no idea why.  It has been retrofitted into Draconic, vis is to serve, the suffix -se is “one who”, so a visse is a servant in general but a Visse is one member of the people created by the dragons to serve them.

Uffrani Pools (A to Z Challenge)

The Uffrani Pools seem like just any tidal pools, and the people of the town of Uffrani will tell you the same, but their houses seem very well-tended and stocked.  The town market has too many foreign traders for such a small place.  Additionally, there is a representative of the Draconic House, House Miravesh (“Our Storm”), who lives in the town.  All indications that Uffrani is not just any place.

Tuesday Magic Item – Tricorner Hat (A to Z Challenge)

Gollaon and Voddick ran around the corner in pursuit of the would-be assassin who had fled into an alleyway.  The assassin slid to a halt as their way was blocked by a wall, they glanced back, tipped their tricorn hat, and stepped into a corner where they seemed to fold up and vanish.

“Bastard!” said Voddick turning back.

“We will keep searching, I am sure that magic could not take them far,” said Gollaon.  “You go left and I right.”

“Agreed,” said Voddick, readying a throwing axe.  “Next time I see them, they are getting an axe.”

Tricorner Hat

These hats are non-descript tricorner hats, it is only on close inspection that the quality of the materials and the precision and sharpness of the folds is obvious.

Sen’tek and Gnomes (A to Z Challenge)

Behind the Curtain: From the beginning, the Sea of Stars was designed to be my fantasy campaign world for Dungeons & Dragons-type fantasy adventures.  So, I wanted there to be a place for all of the kindreds in the core rules (which as D&D 3 when I started) so that everyone would have an idea of what could be played.  But the basic versions of the various kindreds are rather generic so I wanted to shape them a bit more to my world and give them a unique place in the Sea of Stars.

First, make them distinct by renaming them, this lets people know they are like the standard Kindred but different.  Sen’tek sounded harsh, I decided that it means “vile” in the draconic language of the Sea of Stars, so, naturally it is an insult.  They call themselves “the New”.

River of Kōura (A to Z Challenge)

While the Sundering wreaked untold havoc across the Sea of Stars some places gained from the strange magics unleashed.  Among such places are the communities of the Touvi people among the River of Kōura, which had another name before but now is known only by that name for it is so very rich in the kōura which are harvested along its length.  Kōura are a type of freshwater crawfish and among the effects of the Sundering along the river was to devastate their predators, apart from people, and to accelerate their growth and reproductive cycles.

Kōura can grow up to six inches (15.25cm) in length but are more usually found in the three-inch (7.6cm) range.  Their carapaces are dried and crushed or burnt for use as fertilizer.