Adventures of the Mightiest Pen

A real-play D&D podcast by a group of complete strangers.

[itsmeautievee]

Priorities and Focus

So the time I usually dedicate during the week to write and schedule posts I dedicated to completing Seeks’s backstory.

[[ If you’re just tuning in, I’m part of a really cool podcast called Adventures of the Mightiest Pen ( @ampthecast ) and I play a Tabaxi Draconic Ancestry Sorcerer. ]]

It took a lot of work to focus on creating her backstory because I had a lot of thoughts/ideas/=words in general trying to push their way to the front of my mind.

Sometimes my priorities and my focus don’t align, which makes it harder to complete tasks. They take longer to complete because I need to accommodate myself to avoid stressors.

Most of the time I’m more gentle with myself about self imposed deadlines, but the stakes were high for me yesterday. I knew if I didn’t commit some ideas I had discussed with another friend who helped me work on it, I would lose it when I fell asleep and would have a harder time writing it down later.

So I buckled down with some Spotify, sat at my desk, and asked my partner who was also in the office to please not talk to me unless the house was on fire.

I got distracted by Tumblr and Facebook a few times, but I didn’t beat myself up over it. I just guided myself back to what I was doing.

I made a bullet list so I could focus on the data and organize it later while avoiding repeating myself.

It took about 4 hours, but I completed the world building I needed and I am so excited and proud. I cannot wait until you hear it.

[yeoldeampthecast]

The southern part of the island holds the arguably most interesting feature of KoO, the mysterious Marshlands. While it was once known as a mandatory tourist stop, it is rumored to have been possessed by angry spirits. Few who go in are able to find their way back out. Woodvost is pretty cool though.

Day 11!

[yeoldeampthecast]

We don't always post memes. But when we do, they're old and debatable in quality. No we do not take criticism. What are your favorite dnd memes?

Day 12!

[nd43taags]

Blease tell me more about the beard thing bc if I were to make a campaign I'd fucking love for that to be a thing

OKAY SO PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW SO I DID MY BEST TO REWRITE IT!

(I HOPE IT MAKES SENSE I AM VERY TIRED AND THIS IS A LOT OF TEXT.)

My HC for Dwarf Beards and Gender Presentation

So the first thing you need to know is the average dwarf will have a primary braid and a secondary pair of braids to either side of it.  These two sets of braids denote different things so

Primary Braid

The Primary Braid is the large braid down the center of the beard.  Traditionally there are three recognized genders in Dwarven Society, though they do acknowledge an individual’s desire to express themselves in new ways.  A traditional 3-strand braid denotes male preferred pronouns, a 4-strand braid denotes female preferred pronouns, and a 2-strand twist denotes a non-binary dwarf with gender-neutral pronouns.  These are entirely based on gender expression and not related to sex or genitalia of the dwarf, which is considered a private matter that matters to no one but the dwarf and their mate.

It is possible for a dwarf not to have a primary braid, but this style is considered a time of transition or change in a dwarf’s life, and gender-neutral pronouns should be used until otherwise stated.  Some dwarves cut off their primary braid when moving away from their home so as to reevaluate and reinvent themselves in their new residence, but it is not something all dwarves do.

The majority of dwarves use he/him pronouns outside of all-dwarven societies due to gender stigma against female presenting dwarves by other species, but in an all-dwarven society the mix of genders will be fairly even.

To save timelines I put the rest under the cut, but I talk about more below!

Keep reading

[yeoldeampthecast]

Last year, while scrolling through tumblr, I found this BEAUTIFUL description of how gender expression and sexuality could work. So I decided that this is exactly how it works in AMP. Enjoy!

Day 13!

[yeoldeampthecast]

A lot is said in our discord during and outside of games that is funny or a great insight into the characters, as well as how we interact as players and friends, so sometimes we'll share bits of the funny stuff.

Day 14!

[sixpenceee]

The Macocha Abyss is a sinkhole in the Moravian Karst cave system of the Czech Republic 

[yeoldeampthecast]

My name is Kat and I play Ella the Gnome Bard. My favorite thing about her is that she is impulsive and doesn’t spend too much time overthinking her decisions. I’ve only played DnD for about a year, although I’ve been wanting to get into TTRPGs for a while now. Outside of the podcast, I am a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, which means I’m both a therapist and a researcher. I like to call myself a “professional nerd” because I’m passionate about the interplay between fandom, mental health, and social justice. I also like to make dumb puns.

Day 15! (We’re halfway there, can you believe it?!)

Art by: graysonb_art (instagram)

[Descriptive text:

Picture 1: Sketch of a brightly smiling gnome girl with long messy hair and pointed ears, arms crossed over her chest. She is wearing a high collar, sleeveless tunic over a long sleeve shirt. Around her neck is a comparatively large pendant.

Picture 2: Lineart of a brightly smiling gnome girl with long messy hair and pointed ears, arms crossed over her chest. She is wearing a high collar, sleeveless tunic over a long sleeve shirt. Around her neck is a comparatively large pendant.

Picture 3: A brightly smiling gnome girl with tan skin and long messy blonde hair, arms crossed over her chest. She is wearing a brown high collar, sleeveless tunic over a white long sleeve shirt, a brown belt with a gold bunch around her waist. Around her neck is a comparatively large amethyst pendant on a gold string.

End.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

Pharos is the eastern most island, home to The Lighthouse, the tallest mountain in the world. The foothills of The Lighthouse, Cassion Hills, is the birthplace of our very own Ella! Pharos is known for its artisans, dwarves and gnomes alike, who spend months, and sometimes years within the deepest caverns, mining rare ore and dazzling gems.

Day 16! 

[Descriptive Text: Close up of the upper right corner of a map, which focuses on Pharos, a small island surrounded by the cloud ocean. On Pharos, there is a set of 3 mountains, the tallest peak labeled The Lighthouse. The smallest peak to the south and surrounding foothills are labeled Cassion Hills. A river travels east from the mountains to a city labeled Canna Port, which straddles the river as it empties into a lake. On the left most side of the image, across the ocean of clouds, is a mountain range, labeled The Lion’s Maw, and a large body of water. To the south of Pharos is a tiny island label Artemis Plato. End.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

Jordyn ( @ohsweetflips ), also known as Jordie, has been playing dnd for about 2 years. She plays Trace Margot and loves that she gets to finally play a melee fighter because she typically plays spellcasters. Beyond the podcast, she is a college student currently pursuing a bachelor’s in english literature!!

Day 17!

Art by: graysonb_art (instagram)

[Descriptive text:

Picture 1: sketch of a muscular half-orc woman in a sleeveless tunic. Tusks are protruding upwards from her mouth as she smiles, looking up and to the side. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, showing off her undercut. She sports various facial and ear piercings.

Picture 2: lineart of a muscular half-orc woman in a sleeveless tunic. Tusks are protruding upwards from her mouth as she smiles, looking up and to the side. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, showing off her undercut. She sports various facial and ear piercings.

Picture 3: a muscular, green, half-orc woman in a sleeveless, brown tunic, with a black belt and a gold buckle cinching her waist. Tusks are protruding upwards from her mouth as she smiles, looking up and to the side. Her dark brown hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, showing off her undercut. She sports various facial and ear piercings.

End.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

Save for the Hills of the Three Kings, where all races were said to originate, the northwest side of KoO is often overlooked as boring and featureless. On the contrary, many picturesque landscapes, from grasslands, to color changing woods, to seaside cliffs, can be found here. Trace grew up just west of the Bay of Boreas, in a small town named Barmillion.

Day 18!

[Descriptive text: Close up of a section of a map, which focuses on the edge of an island in what appears to be a cloud ocean. In the bottom left is a hilly area labeled Hills of the three kings. Above that is the second sons grasslands which wraps around the western edge of a large body of water labeled sea of anemoi. Even further north is a lightly forested area that sits against a section of the body of water labeled Bay of boreas.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

“Vee, here! I’ve been playing D&D for a while, but not half as long as Kevin. I think it’s been about 4 years… wow, time flies, huh?

Anyway, I play Seeks and I love her backstory and her personality. Of all the D&D characters I’ve created, she is the first who is the most like me (for real, though, she’s basically me). I love that Seeks is unapologetically herself. As for her backstory, you’ll just need to listen to find out.

When I’m not D&D-ing, I act, run other TTRPGS (Monster of the Week, anyone?) and write a blog about my experience as an Autistic with ADHD (and other things) called @violasveil . I am also starting my journey into Neurodivegent advocacy.”

Day 19!

Art by: @graysonb_art

[Descriptive text:

Picture 1: A sketch of an anthropomorphic bobcat. A hood with holes for her ears sits on her head and connects to a slightly worn and battered cape. She is wearing a tunic that has both a waist belt and a cross-body strap. She stands upright with a soft smile, her arms regally held behind her back.

Picture 2: An anthropomorphic bobcat with tan fur, brown stripes, and green eyes. A patch of bronze scales sits around eye. A brown hood with holes for her ears sits on her head and connects to a worn cape. She is wearing a blue tunic, over a white long sleeved undershirt, that has both a waist belt and a cross-body strap with a gold buckle. She stands upright with a soft smile, her arms behind her back.

End.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

Gemelli, or “The Twins”, weren’t always separate islands. Back when the islands were one, they were known for their lush forests and sprawling grasslands and populated mostly by elves. Over the course of a few years, the islands separated. The forest on the large island became dense and dangerous, while the grasslands on the smaller island disappeared, leaving an uninhabitable desert. On the south edge of the large island is the home of most of the world’s Tabaxi, the Misty Mountains, where Seeks was born.

20 days to go!

[Descriptive text: Two islands, labeled Gemelli, surrounded by a cloud ocean. The bigger island appears heavily forested, labeled Forest of cain. There's a small body of water cradled by a mountain range on the south of the island. The smaller island looks completely barren, save for a few tiny bodies of water. A small mountain range sits at the southern tip of the island, a single town marker sitting just above it. End.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

Kevin, who plays our very own cleric, Lodun Greymane, has been playing dnd for 15 years. His favorite part of Lodun is his personality! Outside of co-hosting a podcast, he is an entrepreneur, owning several businesses.

Day 21!

Art by: @graysonb_art

[Descriptive text:

Picture 1: A sketch of a fit man in fitted clothes and a half cape. His face has a slightly mischievous smile. His hair is wavy and fashionably unruly. A short beard covers his jaw line. His hand rests on his hip as he looks to the side.

Picture 2: Line art of the same man in fitted clothes and a half cape. His face has a deep flirty and mischievous smile. His hair is wavy and fashionably unruly. A short beard covers his jaw line. His hand rests on his hip as he looks to the side.

Picture 3: Completed art of the same man in a fancy red and gold fitted tunic, cinched at the waist with a belt, and a black half cape. His face has a deep flirty and mischievous smile. His brown hair is shiny, wavy, and fashionably unruly. A short beard covers his jaw line. His hand rests on his hip as he looks to the side.

End.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

Because the Kingdom of Orion is so big, it seemed like a good idea to introduce it in parts. Here we see the Capitol city, Crossleon, which sits between the Lion’s Maw mountain range and the Sea of Anemoi. The first part of AMP takes place in this area, the birthplace of Lodun, our flirty human cleric.

Day 22!

[Descriptive text: Close up of a section of a map, which focuses on the edge of an island in what appears to be a cloud ocean. On the island is a large body of water, labeled the Sea of Anemoi. Between the sea and the edge of the island is a mountain range labeled The Lion’s Maw. Between the sea and mountain range is where the capitol city marker, labeled Crossleon, sits. There are various other city and town markers on the map.]

[yeoldeampthecast]

Artist interpretation vs original. Couldn’t be happier and can’t wait to see how the finished product turns out! This will end up being the banner for most of our social media and the website, when it’s up. So excited~

Day 23! Tomorrow we start introducing the world of Orion.

Art: https://buff.ly/2BuFowO

[yeoldeampthecast]

Meet Ella Gemwhistle, the Rock-Gnome Bard. She’s the smallest of the group, standing at an impressive 2’9”. Curious, reckless, and impulsive, but also quick to love. She’s got the heart of a dragon!

Day 24!

Played by: Kat

Art by: @yoctocrunch

[yeoldeampthecast]

Meet Trace Margot, the Half-Orc Ranger! She’s an absolute babe, and those big buff arms were made for testing traps and holding women~

It’s day 25!

Played by: @ohsweetflips

Art by: @yoctocrunch