GM:Into the Greedy Green

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

DM Meeting Notes

The initial DM meeting in May 2022 that outlined the remainder of the campaign.

September Meeting Minutes

Kyle’s a fan of the swole cows.

Dave is the Hag Guy this month. None of our games will directly touch on the Hags, no lore drops or reveals coming from us.

Kyle’s first game sign ups go up soon -> Wednesday the 14th

Can we Kill Echemus at the end of Fall as a way to get Eros into play?

The Egg in Brenna’s office has been swapped for a fake one.

Dave can LongFang come back this fall…or maybe Winter?

9/8 - John is running a PotP mission where the players are making up for the mistakes of the last mission (which was screwed up by Arlin), In order to do so they have to infiltrate or take out a Cult and get the information from them about the Mayor Synara’s son which became part of the cult. This becomes valuable blackmail that the PotP can use to get the Mayor of Synara out of office.

9/11 - Hole 1 of the 18 Hole Golf Course that is SARDIOR. Reintroduce Bleucorundrum. Brenna is FOR the return of Sardior and help recover the Gem Dragons to the realm. Players hunt down Bleucorundum and meet her again. Players meet her and Brenna wants to meet her.

9/14 - Kyle is running an attack ON the Protectors of the People from the Drakkoth who are going to try to save their own kind which is located in the Hideout being drained for blood.

9/19 - James Second Game is Flame based.  

9/24 - John is running the final battle against the Drakkoths.

9/27 - Kyle is running a Sro Related Game where he tests more players the same way he tested =Dave, Rich, Gail, Jeff, Rachael, etc. February.

Hopes are for the Baron to return October

By October the plan was flushed out as follows:

November's Meeting involved solidifying and head-counting who could take the Court positions in the finale.

Dragon Research

Going into Greedy Green (not knowing the massive success it would become), DM James planned a more lowkey exploration into traditional dragon mythology. Some of the notes and research are now held here, perhaps to come in handy down the line:

KEEP IN MIND NOTHING BELOW IS CANON UNTIL ACTUALLY USED IN A D&D GAME. THAT'S WHY ITS LIVING HERE ON THE GM PAGE AND NOT IN ANY OTHER PAGES.

Dragon Poem

by H.D.C. Peplar (1916)

Child:

Are All the dragons fled?

Are all the goblins dead?

Am I quite safe in bed?

Nurse:

Thou art quite safe in bed,

Dragons and goblins are all dead.

Child:

When Meikl’s angels fought

The dragon, was it caught,

Did it jump and roar,

(Oh Nurse, don’t shut the door),

And did it try to bite?

(Nurse, don’t blow out the light).

Nurse:

Hush, thou knowest what I said,

Saints and dragons all are dead.

Father (to himself):

Oh Child, Nurse lies to thee,

For dragons thou shalt see,

Please God that on that day,

Thou may’st a dragon slay,

And if thou dust not faint,

God shall not want a Saint.

Historic Dragon Types

• Amphiphtere were flying snakes
• Piasa was the dragon with a face of a man and an extra long tail
• O-Gon-Cho was the Golden Feathered Bird Dragon
• The Dragons of Ethiopia had four wings and no arms. They were mortal enemies of Elephants (which I tried tying into Loxo lore, womp) they feasted on poisonous plants.
• The Tarrasque in french mythology was also a dragon, ties into how Quelmar's World Breaker is also tied to dragons.
• Amphisbaena was the African dragon which had a head at each end of its body.
• The Midgard Serpent's body enncircled the whole world, maybe could be tied into multiversal dragon slayers
• The Midgard serpent is said to awaken at the end of the world (Jormungandr)
• Chinese Dragons: Laid eggs on rivers or lakes, their eggs looked like stones. The Rain and thunder would rock when the eggs would crack and hatch. It took 1500 years for a dragon to grow into a full size, and they'd get their wings at age 3000.
  • Tien Lung (Celestial Dragon)
  • Shen Lung (Spiritual Dragon)
  • Ti-Lung (earth dragon, rivers streams)
  • Fut-Lung (Underground dragon, gems and metals)
  • The myth says that a boy swallows a pearl and becomes a dragon, leading to the inclusion of the Pearl Dragon in the campaign, a marshy dragon who controls the waters. Also contemplated whether a Pearl of Power magic item could connect to this.
  • The Gaoliang Bridge was a bridge in which the dragons lived on, it sat over some marshes, because dragons had powers over the waters.
• The Lambton Worm
  • An english story about a limbless dragon who drank milk. The moral of the story was that dragons can be fought by wearing a powerful armor with spikes on it that makes it when dragons squeeze you they get torn into. This made it into one of Sro's rules.
• The Mordiford Wyvern
  • Another myth from the UK, it established that Wyverns (dragons) enjoyed milk. It was said because they were hatched from eggs, Milk was a luxury and not a necessary life ingredient. Like the Lambton worm, the hero of this myth used a barrel of spikes and hooks and blades and tricked the dragon into squeezing it, killing it when all the weapons popped out. Was going to look at the connection between these two stories and see if I could draw a line between ancient Quelmar heroes of the The Holy War who in theory would have invented these tactics long ago.
• The story of St. George and the Dragon
  • Towns used to put out sheep to feed dragons as a truce, but when they run out of livestock they would beging to put out their own people, starting with the children, which influenced the missing children stories in early Greedy Green
  • Finding two sheep/goats/cows in the wild are typically a sign from a nearby town to keep a dragon from attacking them.
• Sigurd & the Dragon
  • Norse story about the Dragon "Fafnir" who was slain from below when Sigurd could stap his soft belly. He dug a deep pit and let the dragon crawl over the bit, making his belly vulnerable.
  • This story is where Dragon's blood granted Sigurd the ability to speak with animals, which became a homebrew rule in Greedy Green
  • Apparently eating a Dragon's heart gives wisdom, unimplemented in GG
• the Golden Dragon & Cadmus
  • Only lesson learned from this story is that if you plant the teeth of the golden dragon, it will grow into a crop of fully armed soldiers
  • Not used in the campaign, but a possible lore explanation for where Draconians are born?????
• Hercules and the Hydra
  • A dragon with 9 heads, could be a reference to the 10 types of Dragons (chromatic/metallic)
  • To kill the dragon Hercules used Flaming Arrows, this would make it onto one of Sro's rules as well.
• Indra
  • Ancient india story about a hero who slayed Vritra. Indra was the god of warriors and rain, which could possibly make him something like Obad Hai? Maybe Obad Hai fought off the dragons in prehistory?
  • Vritra was killed when Indra "took the sun for his chariot and thunderbolts for arrows" -- again the elemental arrows proving to be thematic and making it into Sro's rules.
  • "Water flooded out of Vritra and down to the sea starting the first dawn of the new world" - this in turn encouraged me to use the Dragons as forces at the beginning of everything, connecting them to the Quelmar Creation Myths about the Water and Fire.

Tiamat and Absu and Marutak

These are notes verbatim from my notebook as I tried to piece together the four dragon histories by combining D&D lore with the Mesopotamian lore of Tiamat (like the source of the word).

• Tiamat had a second half named Abzu. She was salt and he was fresh.
• Ea was the child of Tiamat and Abzu. Ea could see the future. Was Ea Chronepsis? Was she pulled from prehistory where she was originally Tiamat's child.
• Marutuk was the slayer of Tiamat. He said if succeeded he would be lord of whole universe. Marutuk had chariot of four fierce horses.
• Marutak was Pelor? Marutak was first cleric of Pelor? Apollo? Obad Hai?
• Tiamat's split heads are a result of Marduk splitting a sword down her throat as per the IRL mythology story?
• Humans formed from the blood of the 11th herald? Humans ARE the 11th Herald?????
• Tiamat wants to destroy humanity because in doing so she will be rejoined with Abzu????
• Tiamat created demons: Demon Lions, Savage Dogs, Scorpion Men, and Eleven Glittering Dragons.
• Tiamat created 11 monsters

These were her own offspring:

• Bašmu (“Venomous Snake”),  - Valstrath the Green
• Ušumgallu (“Great Dragon”),  - Ith the Black
• Mušmaḫḫū (“Exalted Serpent”),  -  Sorventh the Brass
• Mušḫuššu (“Furious Snake”),  - Vezoth the White
• Ugallu (the “Big Weather-Beast”),  - Maylanth the Silver
• Uridimmu (“Mad Lion”), - Corduth the Copper Dragon
• Girtablullû (“Scorpion-Man"), - Blue Dragon
• Umū dabrūtu (“Violent Storms"),  - Mesanth the Gold
• Kulullû (“Fish-Man")  - Kevalth the Bronze
• Kusarikku (“Bull-Man”). - Barroth the Read
• N(L)aḫmu (the “Hairy One”),  - Human

"The Hero"

In contrast to X (The Paladin) from Ancients Alive, a lot of the historic dragon stories above featured a sole hero, and I toyed with the idea that Indra IS Marutak IS Hercules IS Sigurd IS Esau IS Saint George, they were all stories of a famous dragon slayer from the Holy War that over time became many different bastardized stories of different heroes. Ultimately scrapped because I couldn't make the story about an NPC when sooooooo many PCs were now part of things.

Unresolved Plot Threads

• Pearl Dragon
• Church of Innovation and their genocides
  • Cult that killed Dug's tribe
  • Cult that killed Kihlek's family
• Fate of Longfang
• Harold's fylgja (fox in his head)
• Gharzolv the Black
• Reuniting Amethyst mother and child
• Losith and the Illuminant Order
• Getting Ensign, Blaze, and Violet back to their homeworlds
• Wintertusk's original people
• Cult that killed Xander's grandfather
• Silithym's war on Lolth
• Return Xarzith-Dian out to the Astral Sea to rebuild his own court
• Why Sro, Flame, and Velatheidros went to Synàra together
• Kidnapping Blaze's boyfriend so they can live in Quelmar forever
• Kihlek embarking on the search for the lost Kobold eggs of the Ixen Jonal tribe
• Airavata going home and the heir to the Taakat farm
• D'Kacilius' mission to preserve Silent's memory and legacy after they left the realm, and to ensure no one else is forgotten
• A single angry Kobold who escaped the siege of Fasiltum

Hag Tober

During October we replaced all the logos on the wiki with this one:

John

Nothing to note here. Just wanted to archive this funny picture of John. God love him.

Finale Monologue 1

John: Hear ye, Protectors and Hawks, Harbingers and Greedy Greeners from near and far, natives of Isonhound and star-born visitors! Behold the beginning of the end or, perhaps, the end of the beginning, as your perspective may be.

Patrick: Our grand adventure, in two majestic acts, shall unite us one final time, to leave Greedy Green's indelible mark on the mighty canon of Quelmar. We shall bear witness to the birth of  a deity, as vital and omnipresent as the great Tiamat herself, while we strive to save Isonhound from a Gem Hedonist devoured by darkness.

Kyle: Over the past moon, we have tirelessly prepared for this momentous day: First, we have perfected the artificial moonwell, ensuring Gammelgard and Seglock remain secure as we reclaim the artifacts. [Raise your hand if you helped with that!] Second, we have liberated Eros, the noble moon dragon, whose lunar energies counter the nefarious One That Waits. Eros now purifies the woodlands, restoring life to Isonhound. [^^!]

Dave: Third, we have persuaded the reluctant Director Venaleth, the final Court Member, to emerge from the underdark and partake in our grand adventure. [^^!] Fourth, we severed the void connecting The One That Waits to the boundless darkness of the Shadowfell, ensuring that, with persistence, we may vanquish him for eternity. [^^!]

James: Fifth, we have discerned those among us with lineage tracing back to the era of Sardior, when Gem Dragons roamed the lands. These chosen few may step forward today, perhaps at the cost of their very lives, to complete the sacred ceremony. [Raise your hand if you can fill a seat!] And we have embarked on our final quests, vanquishing dragons and engaging in battles that have infused vast riches among us, gold vitally spent for today's preparations.

Patrick: Now, an auspicious opportunity lies before us: Feredemius has been undermined, and Eros soars towards the mountains to engage him in a decisive battle. Meanwhile, all five artifacts are now in possession of our brave heroes and their allies.

Kyle: And with Venaleth's return, the ancient court is reassembled. It is no surprise that the fates have aligned in such a wondrous fashion. The ceremony must commence without delay while this precious window of time remains open.

Dave: Airships, bearing the treasured artifacts, journey to the mountains. Yet Feredemius, the One That Waits, shall not permit our assault without resistance. We have heard that several ships have already disappeared in the necrotic storm now engulfing the peaks. More ships are en route, but now Towie attacks Gammelgard's shipyards to hinder any reinforcements.

John: However, today is the time for all hands on deck, as the mightiest warships, designed to besiege the Dragon Queen herself, are repaired and dispatched toward the mountains.Perhaps Tiamat's spies have already informed her of the gathering armies and assembling airships, for an unusual number of her malevolent dragons have landed near Saltport. If even one of these dragons uncovers our plan, or worse, informs Tiamat, we may face consequences of apocalyptic proportions.

James: So we take our seats now, and travel by foot, ship, and dragon as we hurtle towards our last sojourning…Into the Greedy Green

Finale Monologue 2

Patrick: As the emerald blade makes contact, blinding radiance pours out from the area, like a fountain waterfalls down and over the mountains. Dispelling all remnants of shadows and forcing aggressors to flee. Wily winds pulse through the range, shaking airships and dragons alike, and a rumbling grows and comes to an immediate stop.

Dave: As you open your eyes and glance across the world, towards the site of the once ruby-like egg…You can see that it has been smashed open. And across the range, where there were once 5 dragons there are none. The Court Members seem to have disappeared.

John: And in the ruins of the shard of the egg is…[Stage note: This is where we open Jeff’s Egg. I literally have no idea what’s in it but I hope it’s funny.] Those of us who were looking for Sardior the Ruby hold this disappointment close to our chests, this couldn’t possibly be it? This couldn’t be what years of work and ritual lead to?

Kyle: But like the shadows, the disappointment is washed away as a small creature appears to descend from the heavens, hovering over the peaks like an angel in the moonlight.

[Cue tiny Sardior mini and tiny sardior mini slide in the slideshow]

[In a puckish little aussie or british voice] “Hello, it’s me! I’m Sardior! Thanks for the assistance. Sorry I’m a wee bit small but that will change in time. In honor of your loyalty and diligence, please take this reward. But I’ve got to go now, it seems like court is in session and I wouldn’t want to be late. Cheers!”

Dave: As the ruby wyrmling flies skyward into the night, the memories and psionic essence of warriors past surge in your mind as you gain the strength and discipline of generations past, leveling you up to level 10 instantly. The shadows gone, and the natural darkness of night having set in over the Northern Snowy Mountains. The threats and dangers that were once pinning you down seem to have disappeared.

[Optionally add: "Even the Dragon Queen herself is gone."]

James: In the unsettling quiet, there is no applause or ceremony of victory. But everywhere across Isonhound, people emerge, unharmed, restored from the darkness, looking to the sky, looking for a source of the massive purification. Though they may not know it was you, in generations to come, the saving of Isonhound will forever be credited to the treasure hunters and dragon slayers of these lands, who brought together their love of chasing gems and chasing dragons into one final quest of chasing gem dragons.

Kyle: But for us all now, there is only one place to go. Arm in arm, ship in ship, our squads head back down the mountains, back through the woods, and we make our way…

All: Out of the Greedy Green.

Important Links

Trello Threads

A web map generated from the Trello tables around October 2022

https://trello.com/b/WdXMe7bS/into-the-greedy-green

Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11vaCw57QnlZPw2ryZPl5YV9K-CkkgNqT?usp=sharing

Plot Maps

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  Session 7

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  Session 6

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  Session 5

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  Session 4