[failbettergames]

Folklore in Mandrake

After nearly sixteen years working in the Victorian milieu for Fallen London, Mandrake is giving us an opportunity to draw on a whole new swathe of historical and folkloric sources, and we’ve been making the most of it. 

Mandrake is set in a village called Chandley, whose people have to get along with all sorts of neighbours, some of which are far from human. There are regal woods-gods; dangerous, rootless spirits roving the wilds; and gentler, more domestic sprites that nevertheless abide by their own, sometimes obtuse, rules. 

Here we present a selection of the folklore that has inspired us while inventing the world of Mandrake, in case any of them catch your interest as they did ours.

Sunken Lands

Atlantis might be the most famous sunken land, but it’s far from the only one. For Mandrake, we’ve taken inspiration from folkloric examples closer to home: lost Lyonesse that lay beyond Land’s End in Cornwall, and became associated with Arthurian legend. The lost Brittany city of Ys (or Kaer-Ys), drowned by mortal folly, which features in the collection of Breton folk-songs known as the Barzaz-Breiz. Cantre'r Gwaelod, a land said to lie off the coast of Cardigan, in Gwynedd.

In Mandrake, our drowned isle is poor Oleas, which lay just off the coast near Chandley, and was home to the Rose dynasty – the historic rivals to the Mandrakes, our protagonist’s family house. The locals say that on quiet evenings, you can still hear the bells of Oleas ringing under the waves…

Seal-Folk

Haunting the sunken streets of Oleas are the korrigan, who swim through the sea in the shape of seals, but can take human form on the shore. They are attuned to the tides of fate, dangerous to cross, and have magics of their own. The local sea-fisherman, Ruan, knows to treat seals with the utmost courtesy.

These seal-folk are of course primarily inspired by the Scottish legends of selkies, with their seal-skins, and their troubled relations with mortals. A favourite modern version of the archetypal selkie story can be found in Kevin Crossley-Holland’s short collection Outsiders, which retells a half-dozen folktales from the point of view of those who don’t fit in. But their name and their sorcerous inclinations were inspired by the korrigan, another bit of Breton folklore: deadly, capricious fey beings whose demands were dangerous to defy.

Tolkien wrote a great, grim, possibly unpronounceable poem about a ‘corrigan’  called The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun, which has been released in a recent edition along with drafts of a couple of earlier poems he wrote about the corrigan. They obviously made an impression on him!

Chimney-gods

You might have seen our friendly-faced character Hob Halfling, who lives in the hearth of your recovered family lodge.

As a helpful domestic spirit, Hob is largely inspired by brownies: shy fairy creatures who lived in a home and came out at night to keep the house in order and do chores… as long as they were well-treated, and you didn’t offend them with an inappropriate gift. There are countless brownie stories, but one of my favourites is one from Sunderland: the Cauld Lad o’ Hilton. According to Robert Surtees in 1820, the Cauld Lad would cause chaos if Hylton Castle, where he lived, was left in good order – or tidy it immaculately if it was left in a mess. He played largely harmless pranks on the inhabitants, but was eventually banished by the traditional method of leaving out a set of clothes for him. As soon as he found them he put them on, admired himself in a mirror, and left the house never to return. ‘Here’s a cloke, and here’s a hood; the cauld lad o’ hilton will do no more good.’

Surtees’ version seems to consider the Lad a brownie, but says that it had become identified with the ghost of a murdered servant whose bones were later found in a pond on the grounds. Folklore is rarely neat – stories tangle with each other, or spin off new threads.

There’s no murder in Hob’s origin, anyway. He’s less mischievous than the Cauld Lad, too, but it’s still best to keep him friendly with the occasional gift of food.

Ancient Medics and Scholarship

One of our characters, Malory Rosevere, is currently a pigkeeper, but is descended from a long line of doctors who were famous in the region. This concept was a later addition to their character, inspired by the Meddygon Myddfai, or Physicians of Myddfai. The physicians were a famous lineage of doctors in Wales, practiced medicine in an unbroken line from the 13th century to the 18th! Famous throughout Wales, their services were often called upon, and as time passed, so great was their reputation that they became associated with magical remedies and practices, too. Claiming a remedy was one used by the Meddygon Myddfai was a way to grant it a high pedigree.

Malory is also something of a scholar, and proudly owns a small collection of books. Perhaps they’ll lend you one – we’re working on a scholarship system for Mandrake, allowing you to study in the evening to discover more about the setting’s history and myths. Some of the books you’ll be able to read draw inspiration from historical texts, like the medieval Welsh Triads.

Restless Spirits

The lands around Chandley are plagued by an unusual number of roving, restless spirits, which without a place to make their own, grow increasingly eccentric and perilous. Josselin, the local witch, calls them the peregrini, and implies there’s a reason they’re so common hereabouts. 

Each of the peregrini is inspired by different folklore. Anyone familiar with kelpie mythology will recognise the Salt Mare, who only runs on water, and who carries anyone foolish enough to mount it to the bottom of the sea. And wizened old Granny Jakes might seem friendly, but why is she so keen to hide her feet from you? And for you to try a cup of her delicious, homemade, apple-y avalack? Beware: one of her inspirations is the Russian story of Misery. In the version of the tale I read, Misery is a pitiful creature found in a hole who – if you help him – will scramble up onto your back and make himself comfortable. Once he’s there only you can see and hear him, and every time you take a drink, Misery demands another. Before long, he drives you to ruin, all the time claiming he’s your only friend…

Other Sources

There are many more inspirations we could talk about, like the fact that the many gods of the sea in Mandrake are partly inspired by the Irish Voyage of Máel Dúin, with its magnificent list of completely bizarre islands (tag yourself: I’m “The island of the horse-like beast who pelts the crew with the beach”).

But if you’re looking for some good modern folklore to read, in addition to the books we’ve mentioned already, we can highly recommend Amy Jeff’s evocative and ingenious books Storyland, Wild and Saints, which retell medieval folk stories from overlooked perspectives. I’ve also been enjoying Kym Deyn’s unsettling, visually rich and occasionally lightly traumatic collection of poetry, Folkish, which often draws on folklore from the north of England, and includes poems about the Lambton Worm, St Hild, Old Mother Shipton and Janet o’ the Dales (who we’d never come across before). 

We hope there’s something in this list that stirs your interest, and we’d love to hear about any folklore from where you live!

[noblecrumpet-dorkvision]

D&D Class Cocktails

I originally just wanted to make cocktails for my players based on their character classes, but then I got a little too much into it and made ones for each of the twelve D&D classes! Two of them are from a Youtube channel that does this all the time (part of what inspired me to do so) and you can find links to them for the Vicious Mockery and Eldritch Patron drinks. The ones that I ended up spending time (and money) making I was able to take Insta-worthy pics of for the post. Either way, enjoy!

Barbarian Rage

½ oz Lime Juice

1 oz Tequila

1 can Stout

Lime Wedge

I feel like anything that has a head on it counts as a barbarian’s drink, but this one also has tequila to fuel the rage. Pour the stout into a tankard, crush the can against your head. Pour the tequila and lime juice into a 1.5 oz shot glass. Dunk the shot into the tankard, then crush the lime with your bare hands over the drink, ignoring the pain from any cuts sustained through combat, and drop it in. Enjoy.

Vicious Mockery

¼ Orange, Muddled

1 ½ oz. Spiced Rum

1 oz. Jaegermeister

Several dashes Peychaud’s Bitters, to taste

Orange Twist for garnish

From the lovely people over at Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies. I mean if it ain’t broken don’t fix it. Muddle the orange quarter, add the spiced rum, Jaeger, bitters, and ice, then mix and garnish with the orange twist. Bound to deal d4s of psychic damage.

Turn Undead

½ oz Elderflower Liqueur

2 oz White Rum

2 oz White Cranberry Juice

¼ oz Lime Juice

4 Basil Leaves

Club Soda

This is meant to look clear (or close to it) as if it’s pure enough to turn undead itself. Kinda like boozy holy water. Muddle two of the basil leaves. Shake the muddled basil, rum, cranberry juice, elderflower liqueur, and lime juice with ice. Then strain into a glass and top with the club soda and garnish with remaining basil.

Druidcraft

1½ oz Gin

1 oz Elderflower liqueur

½ oz Honey

¾ oz Lemon Juice

2 oz Club Soda

1 tsp Culinary Lavender

3 Sage Leaves

I actually make this one a lot… I just named it for this post. It’s very floral and light, like you would expect from a druid. Shake together the gin, elderflower liqueur, honey, lemon juice, lavender, and two muddled sage leaves with ice, then strain into a glass. Garnish with the remaining sage leaf. Little bits of the lavender getting in the drink is fine. If you don’t want to slurp them up you can easily use a straw too.

Action Surge

1 ¾ oz Vodka

¼ oz Triple Sec

4 oz Surge Soda

Splash Cranberry Juice

2 lime slices

2 maraschino cherries

This one was very tasty. Prepare a highball glass with lime slices and some maraschino cherries and half-fill with ice. Mix the vodka, triple sec, and Surge together (don’t shake, it’s soda). Pour into the prepared glass and top with a splash of the cranberry juice. Besides the Surge pun, the red slowly combining with the green almost seems like it’s the blood pumping through the fighter as they proceed to literally take an entire extra turn.

Flurry of Blows

1 oz Gin

½ oz Triple Sec

½  oz Peach Schnapps

½  oz Lemon Juice

1 oz Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer

1-2 Leaves Basil

A series of three shots to take. Careful, one is a Stunning Strike and hits much harder than the other two! Muddle your basil leaves and stir with the lemon juice and ginger ale/beer. Put the peach schnapps into one 1.5 oz shot glass, the triple sec into another, and the gin into the third. Top off each shot glass with the lemon-ginger-basil mixture. Ideally, only the one with the gin will really do anything.

Divine Smite

½ c. Apple Cider

½ tbsp Maple Syrup

1 oz Whiskey

Fresh Rosemary

2 Dried Rosemary Sprigs

This one was very good. Burn some dried rosemary and place the glass upside-down over it to let the smoke coat the inside of the glass. Shake fresh rosemary, cider, maple syrup, and whiskey with ice and strain into the smoked glass. For garnish, burn another rosemary twig, blow it out, and drop into the drink so it lets off smoky wisps. The theory for this one is the smoke is the aftermath of the paladin’s smite. I used a martini glass because I have a limited variety of glasses but I feel like the garnish floats too much. If I did it again I might use a lowball glass with rocks to keep the rosemary in place.

Hunter’s Mark

2 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon

1 oz Lemon Juice

1 tsp Cane Sugar

Club Soda

Lemon Round

Hopefully the pun resonates. Shake the bourbon, lemon juice, and sugar with ice and strain into a lowball glass. Top with a bit of club soda and garnish with a lemon round pierced with a toothpick right through the bullseye. I did a hack job turning the toothpick into an arrow. You could probably get away with those hors d'oeuvres toothpicks that have the colorful frilled tips for the arrow’s fletching.

Sneak Attack

5-6 oz Orange Juice

1 oz Peach Schnapps

2 oz Vodka

Cream Soda

Orange Twist

Red Syrup (I just made 2:1, sugar:water ratio of simple syrup with red food coloring; grenadine was too runny when I tried it)

Named because the alcohol is completely hidden by the sugary drink. It will indeed sneak up on you. Dip the rim of the glass in the red syrup, then turn over so it drips down the glass. Stir the orange juice and vodka and pour into the glass without touching the sides (I don’t own a highball glass but that would probably look nicer). Top the drink with cream soda. Garnish with an orange twist (use those little plastic swords if you have em!)

Maximized Fireball

2 oz Fireball Shiskey

1 oz Dry Vermouth

1 Dash of Bitters

Orange Twist

Cinnamon Stick Soaked in Bacardi 151

Stir the ingredients together with ice then strain into a lowball glass. Garnish with a “flamed” orange twist (squeezed over a lit match into the glass). Light the cinnamon stick on fire, then drop into the drink. I know Fireball gets a lot of flack but I mean, come on, it’s the name of the spell. You could try that Tabasco whiskey instead if you hate Fireball. 

Eldritch Patron

2 oz Gin

½ oz Vermouth

¼ oz Black Sambuca

3 Dashes Black Walnut Bitters

Green Maraschino Cherries

Another one from Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies. Stir the gin, vermouth, Sambuca and bitters with ice then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the green cherries. Looks like alien eyeballs in an inky darkness, as it should.

The Spellbook

12 oz Pinot Grigio

2 oz Blue Curacao

2 oz Lemonade

2 oz Simple Syrup

Blue Petal Dust (optional)

Orange Juice

Lemon-Lime soda

Fruits like oranges, cherries, and starfruit, cut into slices

Mix all the ingredients into a punch bowl, then add equal parts orange juice and the soda to fill it out. Add the fruit slices. I used starfruit because it looks wizardy, but you can always add whatever you want to your Spellbook, as long as you spend gold and time based on the spell's level. The blue petal dust can be used to make the drink opalescent, though I imagine it will be less apparent in a big bowl. Try mixing it individual glasses.

[real-kit-walker]

Julien: Hey so dad and I were moving through concepts of an apology before his skull noclipped that's something right-

Maya: Julien your sister has NO hands. START FUCKING

[mortalfaerie]

trinity santos: gives a homeless guy she's known for 15 hours a place to stay and then covers his share of the rent for 10 months while he finishes school, consistently worries he'll be taken advantage of because he's a nice guy never mind the fact she's literally letting him live with her rent free, identifies and scares the shit out of a child molester where the system is otherwise failing, talks a stranger who attempted to end his life into seeking help, doggedly pursues a potential child abuse case and when she's wrong accepts it without pushback and turns her attention to treatment and being a good doctor, turns away from her charting that's stressing her out to go comfort a friend who lost a patient, invites mel out to do a stress relieving activity after what she sees is an incredibly taxing day, etc etc etc

some random tiktok commenter always: oh my god i can't stand santos she's so mean to everyone

[kerosene-in-a-blender]

The Women of House Tachonis: Terrifying, evil, competent, they speak few words but they make up for it in confidence and efficiency

The Men of House Tachonis: Evil, but with a side order of "why is he doing it like that? Congratulations that's the worst anyone's ever done it", whatever aura they farm immediately lost in tripping over their own dicks

[dol-makjarcoffeehouse]

I have some thoughts on the last episode, but lets start with talking through what I think was supposed to happen:

Gus dies. I don't think that there can be much argument about that.

The druid dies. There's no alternative. The druid must die.

Once the druid is dead, the Argosian diplomat can return to the party, having safely been on the opposite side of the building (and having witnesses to that fact).

Probably everybody else in the room is slain.

The mage who is holding the doors closed is waiting on a sign from outside the door, maybe the sound of larger crowd noise, or perhaps they've pre-arranged a code word with Filoneus that lets the mage know.

Either way, the mage drops his spell holding the doors shut and, invisible still, slips out.

Mayali is probably already gone, by this point, or has means to leave the room without being seen- maybe she also had an invisibility glyph.

(I assume that she was intended to survive, if at all possible, as was anybody else who had a dimension door glyph.)

Felonius rushes in and kills the remaining assassins in a fit of 'rage'.

And in the moment with people crowding into the room and looking at the bloody horror that's been left, that's when the 'resurrection' happens.

What I think the intended effect was:

I think the Photarch would, post-resurrection, work to get the Earl of Gormalay installed as King of Timmony. I don't know if this involves demonizing Gus, because it very much could, but I think it was much more likely to be 'Oh, actually, we talked it all out and he was a lovely man, just lovely, and he really wants the Earl of Gormalay to help guide the next ruler/be the next ruler' just because that'd probably smooth all remaining ruffled feathers- the people who loved Gus would want to go along with his last wishes, and the people who hated Gus would be glad he's gone.

We know for sure that Gus has a nephew, so maybe the Earl would have been pulled to be Regent for that nephew, or maybe Gus has another heir, but I think the plan is definitely to maneuver the Earl (and, therefore, the Creed) into power over Timmony. I bet the other lords would muster their support of him, and I do wonder if the next miracle is intended to involve the Earl's deceased wife.

I think that if Gus does have an heir, and they are allowed to technically inherit, that heir is going to mysteriously vanish before they get old enough to actually step in as king, a la the princes in the tower.

What I don't think was intended:

I've seen a lot of people talk about trying to start a war between Timmony and Argosia, and while it's possible that was the plan, I don't think this is a good way to do that, and I don't see that the Creed gains much from that. And I don't see Yanessa getting involved in this without the Creed gaining something from it- while the resurrection is for sure part of that, I don't think it's all of what she wanted.

Gus now is in the position to know:

the resurrection is faked (Yanessa does not know he will have access to this information)

the druid was compromised (Yanessa knows this)

that the Argosian diplomat was 100% involved directly in this- I don't think war with Argosia was planned, but it's now on the table. (Yanessa will probably know that he has access to this information)

assuming the Soldiers get to Dol-Makjar while Gus is here (which I suspect is likely)- that the Earl of Gormalay has recently converted to the Creed and is working with House Tachonis (Yanessa is very unlikely to know that Gus will have access to this information)

Gus may also get intel from the Seekers about what the shape of what House Tachonis is doing in Gormalay is, based on what they know, and not only does Yanessa not know he's likely to have access to this information, she ALSO probably does not have access to this information.

Gus also alive, preventing someone else ascending to control his Kingdom, and he's still well-liked by a good portion of his citizenry- the fomenting of a revolution has started, but isn't really cooking yet. Gus has a chance to intervene in some of the operations going on, and put a halt to it.

I've seen some people talking about how this was all a galaxy brained 4d chess move on Yanessa's part, and every possible outcome was thought out, and that it doesn't matter that Gus lived, she planned for that, and she wins no matter what.

Put simply, I don't agree. I don't think Yanessa had any reason to think Gus was gonna walk out of that room. They poisoned him before the assassins came in to poison him again. They were trying to make damn sure he went down and stayed down. They spent a lot of money to do it, and they had a very good chance of doing it, and had no idea that there were people ready and willing to intervene. She thought they already had covered all the possibilities- the drink was drugged, the druid was compromised, the dogs were handled. Why would a fucking bursar turn invisible and follow them into the room? Why would a playwright care about a foreign king? What is that creepy curator doing here, anyway?

The Schemers were a hell of a wild card that she didn't know was in play.

And, from a meta level, it would be very bad game play to let your players do all that work and have all that stress and have it be, ultimately, meaningless. Brennan is just not the kind of DM to be like 'yeah, I know you spent three hours trying to save Gus's life and you did some really smart, cool shit to do that, and it was the finale to your little plot arc, but it meant absolutely fuck all! eat shit, losers!'

I simply do not see Brennan doing that.

Yanessa is going to be able to salvage part of this because she's very smart and a very cool customer- laying there listening to your whole plan go absolutely to fucking shit and doing nothing is hard as hell. She made the smart play and is going to be able to salvage some of her operation, but the Schemers dealt her whole operation a blow. It's possible I'm wrong about some of this, but I'm fairly sure about that much.

[duskodair]

two C4 characters that I am desperate for more info on the connection between are Bolaire and Vaelus. We learned in the overture that Bolaire let Vaelus into the city and at the time I went oh ok they must both know each other because they are elves (wrong). And now I'm thinking how the hell does a mourning nun of a dead god know a godkilling, bodysnatching museum curator half the continent away

[amphibifish]

never do any sort of collaborative storytelling with your friends youll get addicted for life

[thetangledsheet]

Julien Davinos appreciation post: unironically I love this guy. Doesn't fall into any of the solipsistic shallow sadboy bs and explicitly does not want endless pity, would probably bite someone if they offered him pity. He's caught up in his grief and he has the worst case of tunnel vision in this side of Araman but our boy is a boots on the ground pragmatist who lands on his feet after the worst day of his life and keeps fucking going spurred on by a simultaneous death wish and stubborn will to win. He doesn't want sympathy he wants purpose and is possessed of a frankly terrifying tenacity when turned to it. He doesnt flinch from a challenge greater than himself and he'd do it again. He can be sobered into responsibility. He is not above being respectful and he can hear hard truths (except that one, the Thjazi Fang one) surprisingly easily, he's bull-headed to a fault but sees literally everything as tactics and tactics are adaptable. Simultaneously daddy's little boy and daddy's shame. The narrative is haunting him but he can scramble back up bloodied after his own hand choked him half to death you guys it's fine. Has a protective streak as relentless as his mean streak. He calls himself a weapon of war and he's not wrong, he defers information to people who know better than him and he is not afraid to accept this fact. He wants to be able to trust his companions because he wants to trust the hand that weilds him now that Aranessa is away from him. He's the prince of fuck castle (everyone loves him at fuck castle) and as pretty as he is lethal besides.

He cannot carry the body of his father and his friends and his lovers and he never got a funeral. Violence is a language he is most eloquent in so revenge comforts him but revenge is also the only closure he will ever get now. He could not carry their bodies so he watches the body of Frons Tachonis hit the ground and it is the feeling of a wake. He drinks to remember and he drinks to forget and he loves deeply even if he doesn't always love well. Booed and living man. #mybooedandlivingman.

[aru]

Tumblr Code.

[geekishchic]

If I ever see any of you in public, the code is “I like your shoelaces”

that way we know we’re from tumblr without revealing anything

I’m just going to say this to strangers until i find a tumblr person

must keep reblogering!! Im going to be so suspicious if any one tells me this now!

Remember the answer is: I stole them from the president.

always reblog tumblr identification

[kiwimintlime]

what a world for an orc to live in. a world full of people who still worship the old gods, still cling to their memories. gods who, through their actions, told you that your liberation was a sin. that it was your birthright to suffer under the hand of an unjust tyrant, your birthright to wage war aimlessly in life and in death. that wanting anything more, anything better, anything else, was not your place. for an orc to live in a world where people think that those gods are to be mourned, what a fate.

[tanoraqui]

forget Hal and Liam “Inviting Angst” O’Brien for a moment—if something happens to Shadia, if she’s hurt or killed, it is going to WRECK Thaisha. She’s the irresponsible one, at least towards her family. She’s the one who runs off again and again into danger, while her children and husband stay safe at home. They were supposed to be safe at home. How will she possibly cope if she loses forever the chance to be a better mother, not because she was off having dangerous adventures but because she wasn’t there to protect them?

[quiddie]

Y'all need to unpack your nigh-puritanical views around motherhood. Having and pursuing a duty that calls you away from your family when a stable parent and extended support system remains at home is in no way irresponsible. And motherhood should not come with the reflexive expectation of the death of any identity beyond one's children.

And where did "How will she possibly cope if she loses forever the chance to be a better mother" even come from? There's a lot of both guilt and blame being projected onto Thaisha (my guess is overeager extrapolation from her blackout drunk statement to Tyr while actively mourning her more-or-less brother-in-law) that goes deeply uninterrogated within this fandom. I'm not here to police your takes, but I will occasionally chime in when I see harmful stereotypes bubble up around my PC.

So just to say it loudly one more time:

Thaisha's children are fully grown adults in their 20s, so let's chill with the endless SaHM guilt

Occtis is not and never has been Thaisha's "second chance at being a good mom" like TF?!

[ikarons]

the thing about circle mages is that the circle makes you irretrievably insane and then turns around and tells you it’s your fault. which is cool

[ikarons]

to be more specific it’s about how mages are ripped from their families and their lives as children and shut away for the rest of their lives in conditions that are completely unlivable where they are punished for their existence, horrifically exploited, and sometimes just disappeared entirely! and then they are painstakingly taught that Any natural reaction to this treatment is actually dangerous and immoral (immoral Because it is dangerous), and if they have these reactions it actually just proves the necessity of this treatment — because clearly it is not safe for them to be around other people.

and like. it’s perfect, circular logic; you are a good mage if you agree that you deserve this abuse and serenely accept this treatment. if you’re angry or defiant you’re a Bad mage and you face further abuse. and the distress this causes can actually literally cause you to be forcibly turned into an abomination (which Often means you just die as a demon takes over your body), necessitating lethal force against you and turning you into an example to the other mages of the truth of this logic. which in turn incentivises compliance and even willing submission to being made tranquil if a mage fears that they can’t control their emotions. which feeds the economic venture that is the circle system at the same time as reinforcing the idea that any suffering a mage experiences is Their Fault, and any punishment or consequence for reacting poorly to subjugation is Also. their fault. because they are a danger and the only way Not to be a danger is to be passive pliant and cooperative.

unrelated but have you noticed how crazy every circle mage companion is about their own emotions and those of other mages in particular

[artemis-ches]

adding to the divinity wish-list : i hope we get to have some reactivity to our custom character, rather than a bland canvas that has to get through the plot.

Let me make my divinity-tav interesting i beg of you.

[artemis-ches]

any suggestion for places to find a portrait for a costal aumaua wizard ?

[artemis-ches]

I will say tho.

Venatori working with the Evanuris does absolutely makes sense. Their dragons are their gods reborn, those fucker would absolutely bend every knee in a 50 km radius if Lusacan got up and said "ayo, it's me".

Does it make sense they ally themselves with elven gods ? No ! Could they be tricked by an elf, pupeting a dragon, to do everything they ask ? Of course.

Nuance and details, as always, would have been best, but let's not spit in the dev's eyes when their plot does hold up.

[artemis-ches]

i prefer the crpg format to the tactical "crunchy" one. Blame skyrim.

Don't get me wrong - stuff like Dragon Age and Pillars or even BG3 are better roleplay games than, say, Skyrim. They're objectively better written, with more roleplay choices.

But my ideal is a crpg. In which you can walk, explore, fight. It doesn't have to be soullike - make it about the build and the gear and the numbers, rather then button-pressing speed, sure. But let me crawl into your damn world - i have books and ttrpgs, for wonderful worlds i have to keep in my head.