Lost

So apparently, what poetic skills I have, only seem to surface when things are REALLY good or REALLY bad.  This one is no exception.  Another fun poem from my younger days....Enjoy!

Lost

 a poisoned black dagger

embedded in my ignorant spine.

my only strength pours…

from a would unprotected.

a wound thought never to be reopened.

my adversary…

a temptress.

her seduction

warm…

sweet…

bliss.

her annihilation will be my atonement

for listening to unwanted advice.

scintillating nightmares

thin the mist of my past

my protective coat of arms.

her relentless desecration…

an experienced ruse.

my darkest desires

unexpectedly fulfilled.

fantasies dance around me

mocking me.

my shattered glass past

slipping through my bleeding hands…

unmistakably lost.

my true love

devoured by a pack of hungry wolves.

I gasp for control…

long gone.

missing every touch

I listen for spoken words

sounds of a voice seemingly forgotten.

undecided doubts cloud my emotions

scattered on a letter…

unsent.

Sacramental Compass

A poem written long ago, during a time when I lost my way.  

Sacramental Compass

Delusional secrets

of a scribbling pen rampant with desire…

and purpose.

my sacramental compass

broken by unwanted temptations…

consequences of a young maturity.

my heart not in its right mind.

the truth…

 a distant memory.

corrupted by lust and jealousy

unsought paths foolishly taken…

time and again.

my will dissolved

by conceptual beauty,

known but accepted…

gullibility at its best.

with her apathetic smile

my reality draws near and

confusion sets in.

my thoughts suddenly clouded

my emotions powerless as I lose control…

and my happiness.

Deception's Finest - Part 2

Fallon laid the large parchment paper out in front of him, which contained a map of the nearby ruins and his notes scribbled in ink, while the others looked on nervously.  There were four of them in total, all of them doppelgangers, from various villages and settlements...all of whom had lost something or someone dear to them.  They were about to set their plans into motion, each of them deeply vested, yet anxious and worried nonetheless.

Fallon had been preparing this for months.  This deadly "game" that he envisioned, required him to take more drastic measures than he originally anticipated.  At first, he hoped to just capture one of the locals and play the part until he and his friends parted ways, but once he got to Sage Marsh, the place just astounded him!  This small town nestled in a dark and gloomy swamp, was one of the most magnificent towns he had ever seen!  Granted, from the outside, it looked dilapidated; a wet and slimy moss covering most of the outside walls of the domed structure.  Even the path leading up to the front gates, was muddy, making a suctioning sound with each wet step.

On the inside though, the town was too good to be true!  The inner walls were lined with marble, with four massive columns staggered throughout the center of the town.  They reached over 30 feet high and ended in claws, which held several large fishing nets above it and over the town.  There was a majestic fountain, with crystal clear water spouting out of a lions mouth, who seemingly was roaring to the heavens.  There were stairs that led up to multiple tiers of the town, with marble pathways that attached to each of the stores that hugged the circular structure.  Fallon could only imagine that it looked like a wagon wheel to a bird flying overhead.  A massive stage was carved into the center of the second tier where a gnome bard entertained the townsfolk.  There were even peddlers selling flowers out of hand baskets and others selling spiced meats, or weapons and armor.  It was extraordinary, especially for being in the middle of a murky and bug infested quagmire!

So, Fallon had revisited his plan and decided to subjugate the local bakery, owned by one called Revan, because he wanted to LIVE here, instead of just making his base of operations.  He went as far as to kill the baker and steal his very identity, assuming his local role. 

Fallon was the leader of this ramshackle group...the one who brought them all together; they had similar goals, for instance, destroying those whom thought it wise to defile the doppelganger race.  They each had their own story, a reason for why they were standing there, planning the humans demise. 

For Fallon, it all started in his home village, Myridium.  One day, a young and overly fervent Paladin of Bahamut, who thought he was being heroic, destroyed the monster who had brought plague upon their little town.  A plague that made the undead look charismatic by comparison.

Most would wonder why was it so wrong for the Paladin to do so, but what this boy didn't know, was that the monster was the key to reversing the plague.   This disease could only be healed through an alchemical concoction, utilizing the beast's saliva.  Their local Sage had figured out that the saliva contained the anti-venom, so that the monster could digest those affected by the plague, without harming itself.  However, with the beast dead, it would salivate no more....

So this Paladin, by acting without thinking or taking the time to assess the situation properly, had sentenced them all to a horrible death, which included Fallon's wife, Ariana, who on her dying breath, whispered to him, (as her strength was dwindling), that she was with child.  A child that was also lost to the malady...

Fallon could feel the anger boiling up in him just thinking about it, the rage, forcing him to lose control of his illusionary facade of Revan, if only for just a second.  It's a good thing they were in a safe place.

Cassus was Fallon's oldest friend, whom once lived on the outskirts of a long lost temple, in a small farming town, not far from the "Road of Broken Promises".  The small village was attacked by the empire, ruthlessly and unexpectedly, raping and killing most of the women from the village.  The others were sold as slaves to the Wizards Enclave for research, including his sisters, Penelope and Serafin.  They both endured sickening torture, the mages stripping their flesh from their bodies, testing and experimenting it, in hopes of learning their inherent ability to shape-shift.  Penelope was able to escape by seducing one of the mages into complacency, whom she quickly attacked afterwards and ran.  Serafin...was not so lucky.  Cassus's intent was clear.  He wanted those responsible dead and he was happy to draw out the pain for as long as possible...after all, what's fair is fair.

Penelope to this day, even though she stands as one of the four here and is safe, still trembles with fear and hatred, a scary combination.  She's not all "there" anymore, some days having frequent outbursts and other days when she is not seen at all or looking at nothing in particular with a terrifying blank stare.  It's particularly creepy when the way she holds her custom mace, specifically forged to flay the skin with each swipe; she always carries it with her, and tends to smile to herself when in hand. 

She worries the others at times, but can you blame her?  Who knows what else was done to her at that awful place, but the blank look in her eyes tells us that she definitely lost something dear to her...her MIND.

Then there was Leofan, one deeply interconnected with the group of adventurers they are plotting against.  You see, his father was a traitor to his people, sleeping with a doppelganger whore (they excel at being whatever you desire), and he was the product of that infidelity.  He was half-elf and half doppelganger.  His brother Ari and sister, Zelelis had no idea, mainly because they paid no attention to him.  Leofan always assumed it was because he was different, but were soon going to find out just how different he was! 

Leofan had kept his distance all through his life, instead deciding to focus his time and effort on learning the ways of magick, for one main purpose...to purge himself of his elven heritage, a taint on his very being. Through years of research and many discreet favors, he was able to figure out what was required;  the ruby of souls.  This ruby was the focus, the key to the ritual he must perform to finally make him whole.  He had to travel to one of the most unruly and disgusting cities, a place where there are murderers, whore's, and even a good number of murdering whores.  South Harbor is a vile place that he (and anyone else for that matter) will never forget, as once he had the ruby in hand, not more than an hour afterwards, it was stolen from him.  PICK POCKETED NONETHELESS!  Leofan had never been more furious. All that time, preparation and research, and the damn thing was stolen from him!

It took some time, and after bribing some information out of people, he was able to find out who the thief was.  Interestingly enough, he ran into Fallon and after a lengthy discussion, Leofan was on board to put this plan into action.

So, Fallon cleared his throat, then looked at each of the others straight in the eye and said, "It's time to put this plan into action.  Is everyone ready?"

The others nodded their heads and gathered around, getting as close as possible to the large parchment paper, which held the plan that was going to enact their revenge...once, and for all!

To be continued in Deceptions Finest, Part 3

Unsatisfied Anger

I can't remember what I was so angry about, but apparently it was brutal! 

This is a poem I wrote, probably in my early college days (many, many years ago), though I still love it to this day.  There is a lot of deeper meanings I tried to portray in the words, but sometimes it's hard to clearly describe them without being too exact.  I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Unsatisfied Anger

Broken fragments of my shattered emotions

has cracked my sincerity.

these shards of rage

POSSESS my reality.

my ambition stolen by faces of the past.

their mirrors laughing at me…

games of a child that I don’t wish to play…

costing me time much needed.

inconceivable hatred towards people misunderstood.

listening with a nod…

their ears closed to the pain

wanting an audience while speaking their words.

a conversation with a stranger

can bring back all hope…

with no reason to lie,

the truth of my horror can finally be answered.

my incurable plague scars any future endeavors.

my teeth grinding bone

my throat…

raw with anxiety

my body

a cauldron of bubbling blood.

mentally unprepared

for the struggles to come.

my mind unstable…

unpredictable.

my realization comes with a fistful of hair

my stress…

unsettling.

my eyes blind to the world I once knew

struggling with an image long forgotten.

my torture seems endless and unbearable.

my sacrifices…

worthless.

I pulsate with anguish

ready to deliver

my agony…

my HELL

to all those that deserve it…

and yet still my anger, will always be…

unsatisfied.

Building a better Fighter, 4E D&D

First of all, a couple things to take note of:

This version of Bugbear Fighter will take being prepared to a whole new level.  Your power, versatility and overall effectiveness will be brutal.

First of all, it’s a MUST that your racial choice is BUGBEAR for a couple of reasons. 

1) It allows you to use oversized weapons.  An oversized executioners axe, means it is doing 2d6 for it's regular weapon damage.  Since an executioners axe is BRUTAL 2, you are rerolling your damage 33% of the time, whenever you roll a 1 or 2 on a die (since you’re rolling 2d6’s).  This is HUGE and one of the most important parts of the build.

2)  Once per encounter when you have combat advantage, you deal 1d6 damage with the bugbear encounter power, predatory eye.  (not much, but extra damage is always nice)

3)  The racial bonuses for a bugbear are +2 Str & +2 Dex.  Perfect for a battle rager who depends on wearing light armor instead of heavy (for full battle rager, temp HP gain)

This build is strictly to do serious damage, gain and keep HP and be prepared for ANYTHING.  It's still a work in progress, as I have only built him up to level 12, but most times, seems unstoppable. So far, I have found it to be highly effective and not only does it annoy the hell out of the DM’s, but even the players shake their heads at me.

This is achieved by the following combinations of powers, magic items, feats, etc..:

1)  Cloaked Executions GreatAxe utilized with Predatory Eye to ensure it's use and an additional 1d6 damage every encounter and the magic item Strikebacks, which allow for a free melee basic counter attack once per encounter.

2)  Multi-class Ranger feat (adds 3d6 damage per encounter), Predatory eye (adds 1d6 damage per encounter, feat: Marked Scourge (adds Wis mod damage each turn vs. marked enemies), weapon focus (adds +2 damage each attack, paragon tier), Iron Armbands of Power (+2 damage with all melee attacks) for extra damage.

3) Boots of the Fencing Master utilized with Powers such as: Footwork Lure, Inexorable Advance, Shrewd Repositioning, and the feat Martial Alacrity, which allow a total of 5 shifting powers / items, means for 6 rounds of combat, you have an additional +1 bonus to Reflex and AC, as well as being able to shift almost at will to reposition yourself or possibly get combat advantage.  I don't think any of our encounters have ever lasted more than 6 rounds.

4) Battle Rager Vigor along with Invigorating Powers such as: Crushing Surge, Knee Breaker and Inexorable Advance along with a Daily power, Victorious Surge, utility powers such as Unbreakable and Shooter's Nemesis, and magic items: Ironskin belt and amulet of life+2, the paragon path Dreadknought ability of +10 bonus HP and when taking an action point, Resist 10 damage until end of next turn = a LARGE # of HP and a large number of resistance to damage.

5) Dreadknought Paragon Class:  Gives you a 10HP Bonus and as a minor action (if I remember correctly), you can lose 10HP and automatically save against any status effect that a save can end.  POWERFUL.

Just to put the power into perspective: 

Round 1) Steel Serpent Strike (4d6+12 damage, +1d6 (predatory eye), + quarry(1d6, 1^st round), (+4 damage Marked Scourge),  = a minimum damage of 30 damage and a max of 52 damage, for a 2 (W) strike.  If you Crit, you could do a minimum damage of 50 damage and a maximum of 74 damage.  If this was a 6d6 attack, or 3(w) attack, the max damage would be 86.

For the Underdark campaign that I’m in, we are using extreme elite stats (being heroes and in the underdark).  For those following the offical guidelines, just adjust the ability scores as necessary.


Bugbear Battle Rager Fighter
Str:  23
Con:  20
Dex: 22
Int: 16
Wis: 19
Cha: 17

Here are the feats to choose at the appropriate level:

Level 1:  Superior Weapon Proficiency (Executioners Axe)

Level 2:  Warrior of the Wild: Multiclass Ranger (Gain Hunter Quarry feature)

Level 4:  Weapon Focus (Axe)

Level 6:  Swift Footwork (for Inexorable Advance and Shrewd Repositioning)

Level 8:  Improved Vigor

Level 10: Toughness

Level 11: Paragon Class: Dreadknought  Feat: Marked Scourge

Level 12:  Feat: Mighty Battlerage


If you have any questions or thoughts on improving the build, send me an email or post a comment.

Building a better Skills Bard - D&D 4E

First of all, a couple things to take note of:

Bards are awesome.  There is nothing they can’t do and nothing they are mediocre at, as long as you build them correctly!  This version of the Bard will take multi-classing to a level never before seen.  Your skill bonuses will be top notch and you won’t sacrifice as much power as you would think.

First of all, it’s a MUST that your racial choice is HUMAN, as the extra feat and skill are huge.

This build will ensure you are trained in EVERY SINGLE SKILL, by multiclassing into 8 other classes!  Don’t take this lightly though.  This is a very advanced and complex build.  When trying to play a PC with this many multi-classes, it can be very cumbersome in play, ONLY due to the fact of remembering all the cool things you can do.  So far, I have found it to be highly effective as a leader, who can always find something to pull out his bag of tricks when the party needs it.

For the campaign that I’m in, we are using the following elite stats (being heroes and all).  For those following the offical guidelines, just adjust the ability scores as necessary.  Currently we are level 4, but as you can see, I’ve built him all the way to 30 already!

Human Prescient Bard – Jinx (how appropriate)

Str:  10

Con:  13

Dex: 14

Int: 15

Wis: 16

Cha: 20 (with +2 racial bonus)

Cha and Wis, are the two ability scores that affect the most skills. (9 total), which is why they were chosen.  Int and Dex followed as the next two highest for the same reason.  I normally don’t like to have my two highest scores competing for the same defense, (Will) in this case, but this is all about the skills.

Initial Training in: Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, Religion and Streetwise.

Here are the feats to choose at the appropriate level:

Level 1:  Bard of All Trades, Spirit Talker (Shaman Multi-class, gives Nature as a skill, a spirit companion with a cool power, speak with spirits – which gives you a bonus to a skill daily = to wis mod)

Level 2:  Resourceful Warlord (multi-class Warlord, training in History, really cool action point bonus, even on a miss (for all allies))

Level 4:  Bardic Knowledge (+2 to 6 skills, if trained...guess what, you are!) (+1 to Cha and Wisdom as well at this level)

Level 6:  Acolyte of Divine Secrets (Invoker Multi-classing, choose Religion as this skill, and retrain the previous Religion to Perception)  You also get a free invoker at will power to use, I recommend Vanguards Lightning. (uses Wisdom for attack)

Level 8:  Warrior of the Wild (multi-classing into Ranger), Training in Endurance, get Hunter’s Quarry feature.  (+1 to Cha and Wisdom, gives you an additional +1 bonus to all related skills)

Level 10: Sly Dodge (multi-class Rogue) Training in Intimidate, gives you a bonus to an opportunity attack against you = to your Cha mod. (currently a +6)  The Rogue multi-class feat is also taken now, because you need it for a Paragon Rogue Path.

Level 11:  Jack of All Trades – Rogue Paragon path!  +2 bonus to all skill checks!  +5 bonus to a skill check when you use an action point.  Feat:  Pact Initiate (Multi-class Warlock), training in Thievery.  Use Feypact Eyebite at will spell.  (+1 to all attributes, Int and Con Skills all go up by 1.)

Level 12:  Soldier of Virtue (Multiclass Paladin) Get the Virtue’s Touch paladin ability (very helpful).  Training in Heal.

Level 14:  Monastic Disciple, Multi-class Monk, Training in Athletics (Get the flurry of blows power to use once per encounter) (also, Cha and Wis goes up again, giving an additional +1 bonus to 9 skills)

Level 16:  As part of the Jack of all Trades path, you get training in 3 additional skills at this level!  Choose Acrobatics, Stealth and Insight.  You are now trained in all Skills!  Your lowest skill bonus should be around +15 and the highest around +24, NOT including any magic items you have that provide additional bonuses, this is just raw skills!)

At this point, replace Bard of all Trades with Improved Majestic Word and for your feat choice at this level, choose Prescient Fortification (even though it’s a heroic tier feat, it’s needed before the next feat).

Level 18:  Feat:  Prescient Aid (Cha and Wis ability scores go up +1)

Level 20:  Feat:  Majestic Rescue

Level 21:  All ability scores go up by +1, which means Cha, Wis, Str and Dex skills all go up by +1.  EPIC DESTINY:  SAGE OF ALL AGES, get a +6 bonus to the skills Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature and Religion. (+30 skill points in total... HUGE)

Feat:  Multi-class Mastery.  Use this feat to replace 2 feats you already picked as multiclass feats, then for your ADDITIONAL 2 feats, choose:  Prescient Fortification and Toughness.  Retrain Prescient Fortification at 16^th level with Extended Prescience.

Level 22:  EPIC WILL (+4 bonus)

Level 24:  EPIC REFLEX (+4 bonus) (Cha and Wis go up by +1)

Level 26: EPIC FORTITUDE (+4 bonus)

Level 28:  Prescient Resurgence  (Cha and Wis go up by +1, so a +1 to 9 skills again)

Level 30:  Supreme Majesty

So at this point, your lowest skill bonus should be around +23 and the highest around +37, NOT including any magic items you have that provide additional bonuses, again, this is just raw skills!)

So you can see this build is perfect for the skill junkie.  You can go even further by taking skill focus, as additional feats instead of the EPIC WILL/REFLEX/FORTITUDE and prescient/bard feats, but I felt that those that were chosen, were much more worth it, especially when your average skill bonus at 30^th level,  is a +30.

This build can do more than a little bit of everything, with 511 skill points BEFORE any magic items.  Pretty sick.

If you have any questions or thoughts on improving the build, send me an email or post a comment.

Becoming a Father....

So on 10/14/10, I became a father.  Writing it and saying it out loud, it still seems surreal. He still didn’t even feel like mine at first.  I KNEW he was, given that I saw him emerge, but he looked like a cone-headed blue skinned smurf.  It’s a wonder more people don’t say....umm...are you sure he’s mine?  I mean, he’s blue.

Anyways, It's not until you're actually a father, someone who is entirely responsible for another person, that is sort of takes you aback.  It's daunting, knowing that for the rest of this kids life, you need to guide him every step of the way.  At the same time though, there is nothing more rewarding.  I can't remember a time when I've smiled or laughed this much.  He brings a joy to my life that is so different and yet so perfect. 

The first couple weeks are nuts.  You literally can’t even cry yourself to sleep, because there is no time for sleep.  Sleep is a distant memory, which you can barely comprehend in the stupor you’ve succumbed to.  I think I got about 12 hours of sleep the first WEEK after he was born.  My wife got even less.  How she could possibly function, I have no idea.  I hate sleeping, as I think it’s a waste of time.  I quickly changed that tune when I found out how little sleep one could get and how close I was to the borderline of what an insomniac feels like.  Insanity crept in at multiple times hoping to devour me, but somehow I survived, so I could continue to take care of my mini-me.

After about 3-4 months, things started to get much easier.  My little guy was sleeping through the night and gaining some solid weight.  He was recognizing and smiling at me all the time.  It’s interesting how nowadays, it’s so hard to bring that much joy to anyone.  You’ll never see a brighter smile than that of a baby.  It’s so pure and real....there is no way to describe it.  The laughing is even more so that way.  When your child truly laughs, it’s with his whole being and it’s amazing at how stress relieving it can be after a hard day at work.  Everything bothering you just melts away.

I have to say though, dressing a kid should be an Olympic sport.  I thought my dexterous, video gaming hand/eye coordination skills would aid me in this quest of dressing my boy, but I've never seen legs move so erratically and fast!  There's no rhyme or reason, no discernible pattern in hopes of trying to understand where the legs will show up next.  It's like two King Cobra's on speed, striking repeatedly at invisible prey.  Who knows, maybe my dexterity is helping, but I can't even fathom what it would be like if I wasn't blessed with it...let's just say it would be a massacre.....Brandon ∞, Dad ZERO.  It just seems like it would make more sense to duct tape the socks to his pants.  Problem SOLVED.

However, day in and day out, I think of our future, the games we’ll play (much to my wife’s dismay), the talks we’ll have, the jokes we’ll enact to torture others with...all these interactions just make me smile, of a future that I believe will be absolutely hilarious as I make this boy into the man I am, with some minor adjustments of course.  (I can hear the cringing and utter fear emanating from thousands of people all of a sudden...)  People say that they don’t want their kids to grow, they want to keep them in the baby stage, but I’m looking forward to enjoying each stage for what it is and what we’ll be able to do together.

I know I may sound like a sap, but you can’t really understand it until you’re a father.  That crap doesn’t bother you anymore.  There only thing that matters is your wife and children.  The rest is just smoke in a brisk wind.

Deception's Finest - Part 1

Revan heard the door open behind him; a little bell jingled, hanging from the inside of the door's glass window.  It was almost closing time and it had been a grueling day at the bakery.  The people of Sage Marsh sure did love his bread.

Revan was sweeping up the last remnants of the day; the flour and yeast, a contrast to the dark slate colored floor, found in front of the large coal oven, laid in a pile at his feet.  He was tired and wanted nothing more than to get into his bed, which was purposely propped up against the wall that separated his room from the oven, which conveniently gave it a nice toasty feel in these cold winter nights.

He turned around to greet the customer, as there were a couple pies and loaves of bread leftover for sale, but was met with the front door, slowly swinging itself closed.  Revan thought nothing of it, thinking to himself that they must have changed their minds, as he swept up the pile of flour and yeast from the floor, dumping it into the garbage.  He walked over to the front door and locked it, yawning deeply and smiling, thinking only of his warm bed to come. 

Revan headed over to the oven, to blow out the couple of remaining lit candles, when suddenly, a dark form seemed to materialize out of the shadows!  The dark form came closer, coming out from behind the side of the now open oven, to stand in front of Revan.  Revan's mouth dropped open when he saw who this dark form was.....it was...well..HIM!  The dark form's face was the spitting image of Revan!  Fear crept through his body, but he wouldn't let it paralyze him.  He darted for his storage closet, hoping to escape through the secret door within and when he reached it, he slammed the door shut behind him.  He immediately leaped up onto the large shelves, which contained all the supplies a baker could ever need.  His hand fumbled around, trying to find the lever that was designed to look like a wooden spoon handle, but instead knocked over a bag of flour, which covered the lip of the shelf and the front of his apron.  He tried to pull himself up again, but his fingers kept sliding on the soft flour.  He looked back to see his twin standing behind him, with a wicked looking scythe in his hand...Revan hadn't even heard the door open.  Like lightning, Revan's life poured from him, as the scythe gutted him like a pig.  His entrails spilled out, like some sick sausage stew, coating the floor in a pool of blood and guts.

The doppelganger picked up Revan's limp corpse, walked back into kitchen and threw the body into the large oven, which immediately started to melt the skin on its face, arms and hands...sizzling like bacon.

The doppelganger closed the oven door and began cleaning up the bloody mess.  His mind reeled at what was to come; Now was time for his revenge...revenge on those that thought it wise to torture, murder and defile his race for their own personal gain.  He was the new Revan now and it was time to play a game.

To be continued...

CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: Falcon Argentus Firebrand

So I've been thinking that a nice addition to this blog would be a recurring Character Spotlight to not only provide other great writers with recognition, but to delve deeper into the world I have created and those that inhabit it.  I'm setting a goal to add a new character spotlight every other week, so let's hope I can stick to it.

This week, we are presenting the character known as "Falcon Argentus Firebrand", a Tiefling Wizard with an affinity for wielding fire.  This character has been integral to the group, by always asking all the right questions at the right time.  He's massacred skeletons in bulk, seen covert experiments commissioned by the Enclave, dealt with dopplegangers, helped to defeat two dragons, resisted the temptations of an ancient necromantic artifact and helped to save a town from utter undead destruction.  He is a force to be reckoned with, that is for sure.

This background was written by a good friend of mine, Mike Zavarello, and truly exemplifies how powerful words can be... 

You can see more of his work at, http://blog.bright-matrix.net/.

Falcon Argentus Firebrand, Tiefling Wizard

Many a tiefling has a harrowing tale of struggle, strife, or surfeit to mark their formative years. Perhaps they lived their childhoods in darkened warrens, dangerous alleyways, or beneath the feet of races more blessed by the light of the gods. Perhaps they are cursed, chased, or chastened by their experiences. Perhaps they are hated, harrowed, or haunted by those around them. By some twist in the chains of Fate, Falcon Argentus Firebrand avoided much of these woes and weariness.

His sires unknown to him, Falcon spent his early life amidst his greatest love: books. His ward was a wizened tiefling warlock who went by the name of Sparrow (it amused her to carry such an innocent moniker upon her devilish features). Her home was a dusty, cramped, but cozy library of the arcane arts. Wedged between two taller brownstones in the city of Tul Argent, it was easily missed amidst the bustle of the marketplace nearby. Falcon fell into the deft hands of Sparrow after a series of riots in the seedier boroughs of Tul Argent shattered the local tiefling community and left him an orphan at the age of three. Seeing the sharp eyes and keen insight in her young charge, the elder tiefling bestowed him the avian name of “Falcon” and began to imbue in him the mysteries of magick. His talents were revealed to be unique; the young wizard seemed to have a knack for flame magick, perhaps a vestige of his demonic heritage. Sparrow indulged Falcon’s steady thirst for knowledge and guided his journey into the arcane. Her teachings were firm but fair. She demanded much discipline and control, but repaid his loyalty and dutifulness with praise and purpose. Falcon’s adolescent years passed with warmth, security, and general satisfaction, aspects many tieflings see scant little of in their lifetimes. He was still reviled by others in Tul Argent who remembered the riots of years past, but as time progressed, their baleful gazes and whispered curses became something beneath him; worthy of ignoring the ignorance behind them.

The sixteen years spent under Sparrow’s tutelage taught Falcon much about the cerebral disciplines of arcana, religion, history, and diplomacy, while the silent parade of the library’s patrons ignited in him a desire to learn ever more about the realms beyond the city walls. Upon the age when most apprenticeships ended, Sparrow granted Falcon the leave to pursue his own path. It was a turning point for him; he battled for days between the thrill of moving along with his life and leaving the comforting warmth of his longtime tutor before finally departing Tul Argent to strike out alone. It wouldn’t be long before the Wizard’s Enclave would approach him, offering him another chance to indulge his desire to delve further into thaumaturgy. Two years after his initiation, he learned of Sparrow’s death. Saddened and enraged by the loss of his guardian, he saturated himself in the teachings of religion to dull pains he rarely encountered in his life. He became enamored of the Raven Queen and discovered in her mantle another true purpose to his existence. He swore an oath to her to that very night, and devoted his life to living in her service alongside his studies in magick.

Falcon is tall but not slight; broad, but not thick of limb. With dark crimson skin, gray eyes, and deep violet waves of hair parted by curving, twining horns of dull bronze, he cuts a quiet but imposing figure. He stands slightly above average height, is strong of build, and lean of frame.

True to his nature as a student of the arcane arts, Falcon is calm, composed, and a man of few words. He gives great consideration to each thought and decision before acting. Falcon’s studious upbringing and resulting induction into the Wizard’s Enclave has given him an arrogant cast, but his demeanor softens when in the company of friends. His steady awareness of the world around him often makes others a trifle disconcerted, as though he knows more than one should. Falcon’s devotion to the Raven Queen is unswerving; he believes strongly that fate and death are unyielding forces that cannot and should not be swayed. He shows no pity for those who attempt to break free from the chains of destiny, which makes him appear cold and uncaring at times. Though he would admit this to no one, Falcon is quietly convinced that his fortunate upbringing is a gift from the Goddess of Winter herself. He considers himself truly blessed to have been brought before her, even though it was Sparrow’s death that led him to this path.

Campaign Ideas, Thoughts, Aspirations....

Campaign Ideas, Thoughts, Aspirations....

So, I’ve been thinking really hard about what I want to do with my campaign, what changes I should make.  It came down to getting away from railroading and allowing more room for exploration.

I would like to see my next game allow my players to have the freedom (for the most part) to do as they please in terms of where they want to go and what they want to do.  In the past, I’ve felt that I’ve had to railroad the story, because it seemed that the players were heading in a complete different direction that what I had planned.  Now to put together an entire world worth of information is way too daunting, so I came up with this idea, which I would like any and all feedback on.

What I want to do is take all the main “hotspots” of where the adventure is currently leading and where it could possibly go, and building outward 50 miles in all directions.  So for example, Sage Marsh is surrounded by swamp (and possibly a bad example), but if the PC’s didn’t want to move forward with the campaign and take a break from it and for instance, wanted to travel within the swamp, looking for adventure, I would be prepared.  I would have separate encounters created for the surrounding region so that no matter where the PC’s venture off to, adventure will find them.  It still seems daunting, but I think it would give the game a feel of freedom and most importantly, one of my favorite parts of playing D&D...exploration.  There’s nothing like coming across a new place to explore, finding what lies within the dark corridors of the ancient temple or the catacombs of a long forgotten king.  This would even be more amplified if it was the PC’s decision to go to that area, feeling as if they TRULY found it, by making their choice to go in that direction and what not.  Still seems kind of daunting, but I think it could really add to the realism of the game and to reward players for making those choices.

So here is what campaign entails....I’m inviting all those who are part of my D&D group to “request” what they would like to see...to provide ideas for my setting so I can enhance it.  This could be in the form of adventure plots/encounters, specific character development quests, other quests, etc.  For those that don’t play in the game I run, I’m asking for any ideas or advice that could enhance my campaign.

Currently, without giving too much away, I’m running a campaign where Vecna is trying to restore his fallen temples, bringing the rise of darkness to bear once more.  Utilizing large amassed armies of undead, a resource he never really runs out of, along with mercenaries he has either hired or controls out of fear (who are helping him to achieve his goals in other ways), he plans to destroy each and every living thing in the world. 

I’m looking for ideas to expand upon this in any way I can, so your thoughts are GREATLY appreciated.

Current Races/Classes in campaign:

Tiefling Wizard
Human Predator Druid
Human Paladin
Human Warlord
Elven Bow Ranger
Razorclaw Shifter Rogue
Half-Orc Barbarian

Thanks!

Video Game Reviews - Fable III

Fable III Game Review (XBOX 360):

Alright, so if you liked Fable II, you will like Fable III, without a doubt. 

Some of the biggest changes in the game are that there is no “inventory” screen, which as an RPG gamer since birth, seemed highly odd to me.  I immediately thought it would be highly annoying, I mean, what gamer doesn’t want to know about all the loot he’s collected along the way?  I soon found out, that for this type of game, it worked out just ok.  You can access a pawn shop, which will then show you all the items you’ve acquired and what is available to sell.  How I’m walking around with a couple furniture bedroom sets is beyond me, but then again, I AM a hero.  Now granted, if I had to choose whether there was a diverse and intricate menu system or not, I would always choose the menu system.  I found that trying to access my quests, weapons and clothing, is time consuming.  I would much rather be out completing those quests and killing things than having to navigate through the “Sanctuary” to see my stuff.  Maybe I’m just an old fashioned role player, but I love me my menus!

Another big change is that you get to become King.  The rumor mill had me worried about this as it seemed like you wouldn’t be able to adventure and go about your business as much when you become King.  Luckily this isn’t the case; you can perform your kingly duties, making decisions on matters of state at your leisure (for the most part), without much of a headache.  I also enjoy the playful banter between the representative for and against the decision, making their case before you as King.  Attending the matters of state is actually quite refreshing, especially when you make a decision that literally changes the landscape of the world around you.  (Building a sewage plant, etc...)  It makes it feel like you are actually making a difference, reshaping the world around you.  This is something that I would like to see more in regular RPG games.  If you have loads of cash to spend, why not give you the ability to buy a castle of your own, or make improvements for the impoverished, seeing the change happen.  (e.g. a destitute town suddenly flourishes, etc...).

One of my favorite parts of the game is the ability to buy real estate as a means of collecting rent and profits, if from a business.  I think that in Fable III, they make it too easy, but it fits the needs of the game, especially at the point when you are King....you definitely need a lot of gold!  In a game like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, it’s much harder to come by gold, and this would be a nice alternative to making gold, which I would thoroughly enjoy.  One of the biggest problems in Fable III with this though, is the repairing of the houses, to keep them in good shape and to keep the tenants paying rent.  You have to INDIVIDUALLY go to each house, select it, choose repair and then cancel out a couple times to move on.  I currently own about 80 properties that I need to maintain...there should be some global command, if even by town, that allows you to repair everything at once.  It should just tell you how much it would cost and show you how much you have, so you can decide it you want to do it all at once.  This is probably the most annoying part about the game.  Another option would be to have a setting that says when the house gets to 50%, automatically fix it as soon as I have the gold.  That would be a huge fix to this game.

The fighting in this game is ok, though for the most part, I found it to be very easy.  I end up using my spells that take care of all my enemies at once, without ever really running into trouble.  I haven’t died/been knocked out once throughout the whole game. (so far)

Let’s see, what else.  The relationship portion of the game is decent.  It allows you to have “relations”, which generally result in children (which are actually necessary later in the game) and allows you to have a wife and all that jazz.  It’s a big part of the game, as you can also become friends with the townsfolk, going on “relationship quests” for them, but the problem I found with this, is that they are for the most part all the same.  You are either “fetching” something for them (usually by digging it up) or delivering something for them .  It gets old pretty quickly and is very time consuming.  Not sure what I would recommend to fix this.  By the sheer number of villagers, to have separate quests for each of them would be cumbersome for the developers, so I can see why they kept it simple, but if you’re not going to put your full effort into it, why do it?

Overall, I’m enjoying the game for what it is, especially the buying of real estate to fund my kingdom.  The game is really just a filler for me until my next big RPG, which looks to be the Elder Scrolls series, #5:  SKYRIM.

Brekke Mountain

This short story was inspired by some artwork (and a friend's PC) on http://www.worldsofink.com/ and was featured as part of it's revisited Manic Monday section on March 17th!  Let me know what you think...

Brekke lived in a fairly remote area, on a small mountaintop in the middle of the Eastern Vale Woods, whose Valley floor was covered in a thick variegated forest.  It was autumn and the view from his year round mini-fortress was spectacular.  He had originally chosen this spot, not only because it already had a structure in place, but it would allow his inventions to not be hampered by the regulations (and tariffs) he would encounter within the city.  He was also worried for the safety of others; after all, being an inventor was dangerous work. 

Brekke had made many “alterations” to the structure, adding designs of his own that were not only to keep his inventive mind constantly working, but also to protect himself from would be marauders.  The place was covered in cranes and pulleys, gears and gadgets, and every type of tool you could imagine.  See, Brekke wasn’t your typical gnome.  Yes, he was an inventor and YES, most gnomes WERE inventors, but he had one thing going for him that other gnomes rarely possessed.....Good Luck.  For some reason, all his inventions ALWAYS worked.  There was never a second design....never a revision, a fix or a flop.  It was strange and Brekke often wondered when he would have to “pay the piper” for all his luck, (as his human friends used to say) but he took it as a blessing...just like when he met an elf named Nar. 

Nar was a wood elf who came to him almost exactly 7 months ago.  He was intelligent, kind and whimsical, which could be best verified by the bright blue, pointy hat he wore over his bright red hair.  Brekke had gone out scouting for supplies one day, a little farther out than usual, when he had come across the lone elf fighting off a small patrol of goblins.  Brekke always carried one of his invention weapons with him and couldn’t let the elf fight the goblins alone, so he jumped into the fray!  He pulled out a hand crossbow and loaded it with an especially large bolt of his design.  He fired the bolt and in mid air, the bolt split into 8 individual bolts, peppering and downing the entire group of goblins in one shot!  The look of astonishment on Nar’s face could only be matched by the big smile Brekke wore.  After the skirmish, the two became good friends and Nar visited him on a fairly regular basis.

After seeing the dazzling display of weaponry that he had created, Nar had persuaded him to make more, telling Brekke that he could sell them in one of the nearby towns and use the money to fund all his other inventions.  Brekke thought this seemed like a good idea, so he started constructing more of the hand crossbows with the special splitting bolts.  It would probably take him a couple weeks to construct enough of the bolts to make it worthwhile for the trip, so he decided to get started right away.

So, a couple weeks went by and most of the bolts were finished; Brekke figured he would complete the last of them by the following morning.  He had been working hard, with Nar pushing him to work longer and harder, using the promise of a hefty profit as encouragement.  Brekke and Nar were down in the lower sections of the fortress, in one of his workshops, Nar keeping him company or helping as necessary.  It was getting late though and even Nar was getting tired.  He told Brekke that he was going to retire for the evening (or early morning actually) and headed to his room.

Nar made his slow and tired journey upstairs to the lone tower which held the guest room. The gnome sized stairs were especially short and narrow, even for an elf, and made him feel claustrophobic...he wasn’t used to such tight quarters.  When he opened the door to his room, which it was for all intended purposes since he had been staying here more frequently of late, he immediately went over to the small vanity in the corner of the room, but not before closing and locking the door.  He was tired of this charade and slumped down into the small chair in front of the mirror.  He pulled off his bright blue hat and placed it on the vanity.  He looked in the mirror and smiled at his flowing white hair, deep purple eyes and ebony skin.  He was disgusted that he had to pretend to be a wood elf, frolicking about like the fairies they were... but nobody would trust a Drow...not even him.

It was unfortunate for the gnome that he was going to be dragged into the Underdark to become a slave, working for the rest of his life for Nar’s matron mother and the House of Azzerinth.  The gnome was intelligent; he would give him that, though obviously not intelligent enough to see Nar for what he was.  Nar would be rewarded well too, (only as well as a male Drow could be), but nonetheless, he would probably be made Patrol leader, which had its benefits.

 Tonight, he was going to open the portal that would allow his drow raiding party to pillage all of the gnome’s inventions, including all the weapons the gnome had constructed and his other “gadgets”.  It was going to be a long and prosperous night....

Brekke watched through the two way vanity mirror as the drow, across the room now, was finishing his spell, opening the portal that lead from the Underdark.  The drow raiding party was apparently waiting patiently, as they deftly scurried through the portal and into the room within seconds of the portal opening.  Once they were all in, seven drow in all, including Nar, Brekke smiled as he pulled down the large lever next to his vanity mirror. 

The drow only had a second or two to realize that their lives were over, as the walls quickly arched outward, while the ceiling and floor slammed together with a sickening splat.  After a couple seconds, the Venus Fly Room Trap began to reset itself, the well oiled gears quietly revolving the floor, ceiling and walls back to their original positions.  Brekke made his way up to the trap room, bending over to pick up the enchanted hat of disguise Nar had worn, which Brekke had created some time ago.  He popped out the top of the flat, bright blue, pointy hat and headed back down to his room, where he placed it on a hooked rack, with some of his other gear he created.  Brekke was happy knowing that the hat he had lost in the woods some time ago, was finally back home where it belonged.  He lay down in his bed; completely exhausted, he didn’t bother to remove his own hat, which allowed him to read others thoughts...

The Summoning

A little short story / vignette written for http://www.worldsofink.com/, creature feature #2 on Friday, March 11th! 

Something about the incantation felt wrong to Marzul.  The words were cumbersome, stumbling out of his mouth like those inebriated louts at pub closing time.  He questioned his competence of course, if only for a brief moment, but quickly disregarded the notion.  He was a capable sorcerer and knew the importance of caution when summoning....besides, he had questions that needed answers.

With all his preparations complete, including the most important piece, the summoning circle, which emanated a soft glow confirming it's functionality to confine the demon within, Marzul could now begin to recite the incantation.  He ignored the screaming feeling to "STOP"; it wasn't the first time he didn't trust his gut and he hoped it wouldn't be the last....

His longtime friend Aliwyn, the wizard who gave him the ancient scroll from the vault of the wizard’s enclave, assured him of its validity, as did the hefty sum he paid in gold to acquire it.  Shaking off the rest of his doubts, he continued to weave the words of magic, delicately and deftly carving the air with glowing symbols that radiated an earthly hue as he chanted.  Sweat was beginning to form on his brow...a couple drops breaking free, flowing down the side of his face and immersing themselves into his salt and pepper colored beard.  His concentration was fierce; his dark brown eyes matching the intensity of the earthly light he wove. 

The spell weaving continued well into the night, yet Marzul's vigor did not wane...

When the spell was finally complete and the last words of magic spoken, the large summoning circle began to hum.  The humming quickly grew louder and louder, climbing steadily to a most uncomfortable throbbing.

Suddenly, the ground beneath the circle burst upward, in an upheaval of rock and earth!  A terrifying creature slowly pulled itself up from under the ground, locking its bright yellow eyes on Marzul.  The creature was an abomination; its thick burly arms held enormous claws, which could easily pulverize rock and stone, let alone human flesh.  Its eyes, hypnotically filled you with trepidation, while the large spikes and horns protruding from its back and head, completed its fiendish appearance. 

Marzul hadn’t noticed the most important thing about the creature though; it had found a way to break the summoning circle!

The demon, seeing the realization on Marzul’s face, smiled as only a demon could, and said, “You had questions sorcerer, but I have the only answer you’ll ever need.....YOU HAVE BEEN BETRAYED!”

Because of You

This is another of my favorite poems, one that I feel helped me to achieve another level to my writing.  Believe it or not, this poem flowed from my fingertips to a piece of looseleaf paper, from beginning to end, without me even thinking about it.  The words truly wrote themselves...

Because of You

I can hear your gentle voice,

as I play it over and over again

silent whispers in the night.

blades of grass

dance about my fingertips…

learning back with a smile,

I think of you.

I can still taste your lips

ever fresh in my mind

your kiss…

softly spoken passion.

the clear night offers its world to me

arms outstretched

I take it…

and place it in your delicate hands.

knowing that in time

I can give it all to you…

piece by piece.

wanting to make all your dreams come true

lost in a world of serenity

I smile…

because of you.

A Rose

Another one of my very first poems...and also one of my favorites.

A Rose

A rose

sitting high upon a hill

It stands out

much more beautiful than all the others.

Its redness,

glowing.

I slowly walk closer

my eyes,

a fixed gaze upon the rose.

I kneel down

and try to touch you.

but the thorns,

the thorns keep me at bay

from your delicate touch.

The thorns

are the distances between us.

I slowly walk back down the hill

thinking of what could have been…

I see others

gathering around you

but they…

they have gloves to protect them from the thorns

the thorns that keep me at bay.

and I must find…

a pair…

of gloves.

That Night

A poem about my wife, when she first told me she was in love with me. 

That Night

I can’t remember a time

when a smile meant so much…

and a touch felt so right.

I never thought those words,

words I craved to hear

so much

would escape your lips so beautifully,

that night.

Astonished

to say the least

I wept

unable to accept the luck bestowed to me.

for months upon months

I waited in uncertainty.

a lifetime…

I festered in thought…

and now,

able to breathe again

I do so…

and deeply.

everything became so clear

when you said those special words…

that night.

World of Illusions

This was one of the first poems I ever wrote.  It was about a highly deceptive and manipulative ex-girlfriend who enjoyed the elegant art of lying. 

A World of Illusions

An angelic face

framing a world of illusions.

Her deceivements

unnoticed…

disbelieved.

A black heart

ERUPTING

in a bloodbath of corruption.

she envelops her prey

in a cloud of CHAOS.

so innocent…

so beautiful.

my feelings a delusion

a delusion in her world,

her world…

of illusions.

Initial Thoughts

Interesting......I never saw myself as someone who would become a blogger...but recently my curiosity has gotten the better of me.  I've always loved to write, whether it be poetry, short stories, creative writing through role playing, or just random other thoughts...but I'm much more organized than this ramshackle of words thrown about.

You're probably asking....what the hell is this Jinx the Bard crap.  Well, I needed something that would fit all the needs of this blog, which is going to include creative writing, short stories, poetry, rants and raves, obsessions and so forth.  A bard is someone who could fit into any of these genres and therefore seemed to make the most sense.  There will be some sarcasm and good laughs thrown in every now and then and hopefully it will become something worth reading...but I wouldn't get your hopes up.  Being a blogger newbie, it'll take some time to learn the ropes and see how best to get the ideas flowing smoothly so as not to bore someone into suicide or so they won't hunt me down and kill me, just to stop me from writing ever again.

The time just seems right for me to start collecting my thoughts...to delve deeper into what makes me tick.  I'm much more than I let on and a lot less than what I hope to be.  Most people would find me quiet, shy and reserved.  There is a perfectly good reason for this...I'm an observer....I lay in wait, listening, waiting, checking things out, until I'm ready to make my move.  When I do....when I let you in to my world...there is no turning back...only confusion and sillyness, humor and sarcasm (overly plentiful at times), laughter and atrocities, but especially friendship.  The good news is, is that if you're reading this, more than likely, you're one of the lucky (or incredibly unlucky) few to know me.

So why did I start the blog?  To get back into writing, yes, but another reason is so my son and wife know just how completely NUTS I am.  (they already have an inkling)
So this was brief, to the point and had really nothing of substance.  Great way for me to keep people reading, good job newbie.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my thoughts, aptly named, "I'm a MONSTER".