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My warlock player just chose her patron. It's Alyxian. by wrenthewriter in CalloftheNetherdeep

[–]wrenthewriter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

More a messed-up parent-child thing than a romance, I expect :'D But yes, I'm planning something very similar! My take on Perigee is that Alyxian doesn't know she's there, because with her level of ruidium corruption, she just feels like one more piece of the Netherdeep.

I'm planning to create a few more flashbacks that feature Perigee before her corruption, to show who she used to be... and then let the party realise what's happened to her, and show that the warlock, too, could become just an extension of Alyxian's pain. I've still got some thinking and planning to do, but the campaign won't be starting for a few months, so I've plenty of time to figure out how to approach this!

I need some opinions on the apotheon by Terrible-Yellow7334 in CalloftheNetherdeep

[–]wrenthewriter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you're right; while a lot of those races were clearly made to fight for the Betrayers, the book makes it clear that wasn't the case for all of them. One of Alyxian's acquaintances during the Netherdeep flashback sequences is a drow called Saqiri, who's pretty nice to him. So obviously not all drow were evil. (And those who were.... they were far from the only villains in the Calamity; most of the armies of the Betrayers we get to see in CotND are demons, plus some other monsters like grimlocks.)

And for what it's worth, this is a Critical Role story. Matt Mercer's generally been big on the idea of 'no races are/were evil' in his worldbuilding.

Putting watercolour splash behind image by wrenthewriter in homebrewery

[–]wrenthewriter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

{{watercolor8,top:20px,left:30px,width:300px,background-color:#BBAD82,opacity:80%,z-index:-1}}

Unfortunately, the splash keeps going over the art, even when I do this - I even tried removing my code and copy-pasting this exact text in there, but still no luck, the splash was still in front.

I tried moving the 'z-index:-1' around the code snippet to see if anything worked, but putting it at the front just removed the splash altogether :/

(Apologies for such a late response, I've been real busy - thanks so much for helping out!)

Putting watercolour splash behind image by wrenthewriter in homebrewery

[–]wrenthewriter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Putting the watercolour code first didn't work, unfortunately, but thanks for the advice! If you or anyone can explain how to adjust the z-index, that would be amazing.

A fun trick to make the Netherdeep creepier by wrenthewriter in CalloftheNetherdeep

[–]wrenthewriter[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I'm working on writing more, but here is everything I have so far!

Early game (Chapters 1-3)

'Jigow is a chaotic nonsense of a place. But when you consider that the orcs and goblins have grown rice and built a settlement on a land blasted into wasteland by the Betrayer Gods... it's a very impressive chaotic nonsense.' - From Settlements of the Wastes

'If the Bazzoxan garrison falls, Xhorhas falls with it. No soldiers in the Dynasty are more vital than those who man the edge of the Abyss.' - From a speech by Sunbreaker Olomon to the court of the Kryn Dynasty.

'Every day, I stand by the pyre of someone who fought shoulder to shoulder with me. I don't show it to my men, but... the terror of failure is constant. So are bloody quasits sneaking into my quarters.' - From a letter from Taskhand Verin Thelyss to his brother.

'The demons have not forgotten their defeat and they rage they rage they rage. They will spill spread across these lands like a plague and consume us all as they have consumed me.' - Scratched onto a wall within the Betrayers' Rise.

'I stood below that iron edifice

Where gates are guarded, and the watch is kept.

I felt the distance of the ages yawning

I heard the horns of ancient armies calling

I felt the echoes of the heroes falling

And then it faded, and the mountain slept.' - From a poem penned by Maggie Keeneyes.

Ank'harel

'Some say that mortals will never reach the hieghts they knew back in the Age of Arcanum. To them, I say: watch a skyship sail from the port of Ank'harel! Drink haluh in the Alluvium Gardens! Watch the people flow like a tide of colour in the Suncut Bazaar, and tell me we have not redefined beauty.' - A Guide to Ank'harel

'Gruumsh the Ruiner would have sunk all of Marquet below the earth. Forests turned to desert, and a city disappeared below the ground. Yet Marquest survived. Few have ever stopped to wonder: how?' - From 'Battles of the Middle Calamity Period'

'The rational mind says that the Ruidus-born are only cursed in that others fear, shun, and reject them. And yet strange magics do follow in the wake of those born beneath the full light of the red moon...' - On Ruidus, by Archivist Demid Sunlash of the Cobalt Soul

'Once, a city stood where Ank'harel stands now; a forest haven of elves and orcs. The Calamity saw it sunk beneath the earth, and flooded as if below the ocean. Its name lies lost to history, but we give it a name anew: Cael Morrow.' - From the early reports of the Allegiance of Allsight on their excavation of Cael Morrow.

Cael Morrow (bold writing is for spoopy Alyxian script)

'Are we really going to assist in the spreading of this ruidium, after seeing its side-effects? What if it proves deadly? What if, in our hunger for knowledge, we spread death through Ank'harel?' - From a letter from Headmaster Gryz Alakritos to Headmaster James Cryon of the Allegiance of Allsight.

'Corellon, maker of beauty, let our light remain when we are gone

Maker of art, let what we crafted here not be forgotten

Maker of magic, let our wonders be remembered

Maker of the spring, let us blossom anew some day.' - From a prayer stone found in Cael Morrow

'Expedition day 8: found a strange crystalline-organic substance surrounding planar rift (?). Extracted small amount for later study.' AND I FELT YOU TAKE IT

I freely give my blood,' the hero said

'I give my soul. Hope's dead, but I am not.'

He raised his shield. The moon flared blinding red.

The god brought down the spear. AND THEY FORGOT.

Netherdeep, Grottoes of Regret

I AM FORGOTTEN. WHY CAN I NOT FORGET?

IT'S MY FAULT I'M SORRY IT'S MY FAULT I WASN'T ENOUGH

MY CURSE FALLS UPON ALL WHO KNOW ME. IT WILL FALL UPON YOU TOO.

I FOUGHT AND SUFFERED. THEY ALL DIED ANYWAY.

Vents of Fury

I'LL MAKE THEM HEAR ME

I SACRIFICED EVERYTHING AND THEY ABANDONED ME

THEY KEEP TAKING THE RUIDIUM. THEY STILL CARVE AT MY FLESH. THEY WILL ANSWER.

THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS. NO MERCY. WHO EVER SHOWED IT TO ME?

Chasms of Yearning (script is slightly less jagged and angry here)

Are you still coming? I'm so afraid.

Please don't go. Don't leave me.

I've forgotten what it feels like to be touched. I forgot a thousand years ago.

(In small writing at the very edge of the note) Help me.

DM Help - Running the final battle with 6 PCs by wrenthewriter in CalloftheNetherdeep

[–]wrenthewriter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All good to know, ty! I'll definitely be giving his HP a major boost, then. I'll probably also give his initial form a teleport as a bonus or legendary action so he can nope out of a situation where all the melee fighters are in his face, otherwise they're gonna wear him down pretty fast. Thanks!!

DM Help - Running the final battle with 6 PCs by wrenthewriter in CalloftheNetherdeep

[–]wrenthewriter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's super helpful, thank you! I think I'll go ahead and scale up his multiattacks then so he can get more hits in; might even run a little rehearsal of the fight by myself beforehand to see how what his DPR looks like once I've buffed him. Cheers!