~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

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~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Bookwyrm » Thu Nov 22, 2018 7:17 pm

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Note: Sup everyone, been a little while since I posted new stuff, and I've made a bunch of changes and additions to my old factions since then, so I figured it would probably be easier to reboot the entire thread and reformat everything since all of the photos I'm using will be new. This initial thread will be the masterlist of all my factions, along with a general over view of the world of Axeleron. Expect to see more regular updates and new factions coming up soon. Stats are still a work in progress, the link will be added to this intro later on.
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List of Factions:
==> The Fey Courts
==> The Dungeonmasters Guild
==> The Islander Militia
==> The Ordo Lux
==> Ramayana Raiders

(Recommended Listening:)

AXELERON
The planet Axeleron is a Magikal world located near the outskirts of the Nehellenium galaxy. It is unique in that the planet sits upon a confluence of interdimensional energies that makes the planet a weak point in the fabric of the Brikverse. Some of these dimensions are further reaching and are well known throughout the Brikverse, and many more are localized to the sphere of Axeleron's influence, including the Astral Plane, the Aether, the Underworld, the realm of Avalon, and others. While rifts in reality to various other dimensions are commonplace in the Brikverse, Axeleron is unique in that if the point where it lies were to be fully opened, it would act as one of the largest and most dimensionally wide-reaching holes capable of existing. Due to this, a being of unimaginable power (thought by many to be a Human) known only as The Author created the Plot, an enchantment of such magnitude that would direct the fate of Axeleron and the destiny of all its inhabitants. The Plot embedded itself into the core of Axeleron's very existence, and functions solely to protect the planet and the weak point anchored to it from being destroyed. It is the Plot that shapes the lives of the minifigs that live there, the Plot that allowed society to advance to the level it currently rests at, and the Plot that keeps it from progressing further. The inhabitants of Axeleron have learned to control the Plot in small ways, namely by opening tiny, localized rifts that allow them to draw upon the essence of one of the many intersecting planes to perform Magik. This is commonly referred to as "Lore" mastery, although it takes many different forms in practice, depending on the dimensional essence being used.

The known inhabitants of Axeleron all share a landmass, a massive supercontinent known as Avross. The vast majority of Avross’s peoples live on the eastern side of the continent. Along the eastern coast, the two nations of Eldoth and Renloth border the seas which lead to the Gateway Islands. Renloth is a peaceful, pastoral nation largely made up of smaller kingdoms and united under a council of kings, lords, and advisors, while Eldoth is governed by the Traveler’s Society, a group that manages adventurers and the Dungeon, a massive network of interconnected mines, caves, underground fortresses, and labyrinths that has existed under Avross for millennia. Further east are the Gateway Isles, home of the Islander tribes and of the Gates, a system of portals which lead to various locations all over the continent. The great desert to the west of Eldoth is home to a cluster of smaller kingdoms. The northern half of this arid landscape is home to the Drejmmer people, who make their way as traders, storytellers, scholars, and artisans, while to the south is the land of the Netjeru people, an ancient and mystical place of proud warriors and magicians. Drejmm and Netjer also share the desert with the kingdoms of Magnolia, Chromata, and Tyra. Magnolia is located in the foothills of the Metallix Mountains, Chromata is home to a warlike race of humanoids with brightly colored skin, and Tyra is a nation of despots and scoundrels, a haven to all of Avross’s most wanted criminals and cruelest dictators. Many of these nations border the Wyrdwood, a dense forest that spreads over a large portion of the southern areas of the continent, and is home to the four Fey Courts. To the south lie some of the older and more mysterious lands of Avross. Bordering the Wyrdwood and the Jungles of Nuloc are the nations of Ramayan and Oltec. Ramayan is home to numerous astralborne races, and is known for its beautiful temples and monuments. The Oltecans are closely related to the Islanders in the east, and maintain trade with them through the Gates. The southwestern coast of Avross is a place of constant warfare and bloodshed as the forces of the Oltecans, the mechanical might of the Cogger nation of Crae, and the vast armies of the kingdom of Samurin all battle legions of otherworldly invaders known as the Seikaiisan Saccharine to contain them to the blasted Wastes they have desolated and claimed for their own. Also in this area is a large, heavily wooded marshland jutting off of the Wyrdwood known as Teldav Swamp, which is home to a number of tribes of emps and trolls, as well as many other bog-dwelling races and peoples. The western side of Avross is dominated by an enormous expanse of grasslands and savannas known as the Plains of Perr, which is home to countless tribes of hunter-gatherer Nomads, as well as large village cities of Syrbotan Giants, skilled workers of stone and clay who live along the base of the mountains. The Metallix Mountains themselves are the home of the Metallix Dwarves, who are divided into a number of smaller, semi-united dwarvish factions. Along the vast majority of the western coast is the nation of Carthenus, a seafaring people known for their philosophy and theater, as well as their textiles and other fine goods. The sunken kingdom of Echelontis lies just off the coast of southern Carthenus and has become home to a number of waterborne races. To the north are the lands of Othroth, Ruuskaa, and the Floess Islands. Because it is essentially an extension of the plains to the south, Ruuskaa is a harsh and barren land in which only a small population of Ruuskaars reside, while Othroth, while still cold and unforgiving, is more heavily wooded and as a result more populated. The Floess Islands are colossal glaciers, populated only by a scattered few tribes of Floess Islanders, tribal immigrants who expanded through the Gates and adapted to the desolate climate. None know what, if anything, lies beyond Avross. None who have ever set off into the great ocean surrounding the continent have ever returned, a fact which leads citizens of Avross to speculate wildly.

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Last edited by Bookwyrm on Sun Sep 08, 2019 8:30 pm, edited 13 times in total.

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~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - The Fey Courts~

Post by Bookwyrm » Thu Nov 22, 2018 8:04 pm

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Axeleron is home to many sentient species, but none are quite as diverse and mysterious as the Fey. Though made up of many different subtypes of creatures that range all over in terms of size, appearance, temperament, and power, the Fey as a whole are characterized by a few common characteristics. They are bound to a number of rigid rules of behavior, such as the inability to explicitly lie, and adherence to rules of hospitality. They all share a wild and unpredictable nature that is both frightening and alluring to humans. And they are all weakened by the touch of purified, or “cold” iron. The Fey have a complicated system of government that is difficult to put into human terms. They are simultaneously a unified force that will stand united against any outside threats and also a divided group of constantly infighting factions each governed by their own monarch. There are four warring factions, each under the banner of one of the four seasons. The Seelie Courts are the Spring Court, led by Queen Titania, and the Summer Court, led by Lord Oberon. The Unseelie Courts are the Autumn Court, led by the Lord Erlking, and the Winter Court, led by Queen Mab. Each pair of courts is tenuously allied with the other in their constant battle between the other two, but infighting has been known to break out, especially between the Unseelie Courts. While this constant dance of bloodshed and politics might seem like animosity to outsiders, in reality this perceived enmity is mostly an elaborate ceremonial game between the four Courts, albeit one with unusually high stakes. The Fey kingdom covers most of the land designated by the boundaries of the Wyrdwood, a dense forest that covers a large section of central Avross. (Throughout the lore, you may see references to numerous variants on the phrase “Fey,” such as “fae” or “faery.” For clarification, “fey” refers to any creature belonging to the fey species, “fae” refers to the ruling class fey species that make up the majority of their kingdom’s population, and “faery” usually designates some common creature, substance, or item that is enchanted with fey magic.)

The various species of fey are usually divided up into two categories; seelie and unseelie. Some uninformed observers would be quick to write this off as being fancy terms for there being “good” and “evil” factions of fey, but in reality, the split is much less morally aligned, and more based on said fey’s attitude towards humans. Unseelie fey are much more bloodthirsty and predatory towards humans, whereas seelie fey are more prone towards seeing humans as funny little things to keep around for their own amusement. This means that while some might see the Seelie Courts as “the good guys,” they are just as dangerous as their unseelie counterparts.

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Boggan Pikemen
Despite their grotesque appearance, Boggans are actually a quite peaceful species of fey, preferring to live in the isolated swamps and bogs of the Wyrdwood and content to spend their time farming toadstools, disassociated from the complicated politics of the High Fey Courts. Nevertheless, when the need arises and their home is threatened, the Boggans will not hesitate to take up their stone-tipped pikes and fight for the honor of the Courts.

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Fae Knights
The Fae knights are the most skilled and revered soldiers in the Seelie Courts. They have spent decades of their long lifespan honing their sword craft, and are unmatched in the arts of fencing and dueling. They each carry a faery gold blade along with a secondary sword of silver. The former is enchanted for battling humans and other species, while the latter is laced with cold iron and is especially deadly against their own fey species and various kinds of monsters.

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Sidhe Archers
The Sidhe are among the most dangerous of the various fey species. Sidhe have been known to side with both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and are best known for both their deadly charm and their incredible skill with the bow, giving them ability to strike down foes from afar with almost no sound at all. They wield faery gold recurve bows with enchantment laced broadhead arrows, and keep a short scout blade at their side for if close combat becomes necessary.

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Svartalf Mantis Riders
The Svartalfs, or “dark elves” as many humans have taken to calling them, are secretive members of the Autumn Court and inhabit the deepest recesses of the Wyrdwood. It is there, in the tangled dense sections of forest the Svartalfs call home that the giant mantises reside. These massive creatures have been tamed by the Svartalfs, and act as mounts for their cavalry. The Mantis Riders use ebony halberds and Autumn Court shields as their weapons of choice.

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Spriggan Runners
Spriggans are fleet-footed seelie fey that often serve as scouts for the Spring and Summer courts. There are actually two subspecies of Spriggans that serve in the ranks of the Courts; Treefolk, bark-skinned caretakers of the trees and plants, and Green Knights, powerful guardians made of moss and vines. The two species work together to protect the Wyrdwood and all of the things that grow inside it. They utilize hollowed oak quarterstaves that act as both melee bludgeoning tools and blowguns capable of throwing poisoned thorns from afar.

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Kobold Tinkerers
Kobolds are hardworking, wrinkled little Summer fey known for their skill in mining and craftsmanship. They inhabit colonies resembling huge abandoned mines, and spend most of their days in caves searching for gems or cobbling together gadgetry using old mining equipment. Kobolds prefer to aid their brethren by gathering resources and repairing defensive structures, but their heavy mattocks are just as effective at smashing through skulls as they are at breaking apart stones.

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Sylph Healers
The most stunning and bewitching of all the fey species, Sylphs are delicate creatures of water and air that appear as beautiful women with thin insectoid wings. They usually act as peaceful healers and caretakers of the wounded and dying for the Seelie Courts. But make no mistake, despite their lovely appearance, Sylphs are just as dangerous to associate with as other fey. Those that they cannot save through their healing arts, they dispose of in other ways. Usually by eating them.

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Priestesses of The Morrigan
The Fey have a number of different deities they honor, each as mysterious and fickle as their devotees. Many elder fae dedicate themselves to acting as speakers for their various patrons. The most powerful of these are those that serve the Morrigan, patron of war, fate, and the Unseelie Courts. The goddess is served almost exclusively served by female fae, and in return for their devotion, the Morrigan grants them mastery over destructive magics and the ability to see through the eyes of her sacred ravens.

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Redcap Assassins
Often mistaken for dwarves, Redcaps are bloodthirsty gnomes that revel in carnage and bloodshed. Their name comes from their habit of soaking their hats and kerchiefs in the blood of fallen foes. Their main weapon of choice is a massive blood-thresher sickle, but they can also perform haemomancy (blood magic) which allows them to constitute blood into hardened tools and weapons that they often hurl into enemy ranks. BLOOD.

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Gruff Braves
Gruffs are half-goat fey that act as the primary shock troops for the Seelie Fey Courts, and are known to have a longstanding grudge against trolls and other species of the like. Fast, fierce, and prone to leaping into battle literally kicking and screaming, they brandish an assortment of thorn javelins and stone knives, and are very effective both at close and long range.

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Shellycobb Lurkers
Shellycobbs (Sometimes also known as Grindylows) are aquatic, crablike unseelie fey that lure human travelers to bodies of water with shiny items, then drown them and feast on their remains. They are deviously intelligent and will lie in wait for days before springing a trap on an unsuspecting wanderer. They wield weapons made out of sharpened shells, and while not as effective on land, will occasionally venture forth from their watery lairs if their king or queen demands it.

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Fae Beekeepers
Deep within the Wyrdwood can be found massive colonies of bees, some of the more ancient hives growing to the size of midsize chapels and housing millions of insects. Many of these faery bee colonies have been domesticated by the Summer Fey to produce honey for the making of mead, and some have have even been trained for use in war. Beekeepers wield comb lanterns to direct their swarms in battle.

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Revenants
Revenants are giant magical skeletons reanimated by fey vengeance spirits. When an agent of revenge is needed, revenants will claw their way up from the ground to strike at the living. These towering bone creatures live only to avenge their fallen fey brethren, and they only grow stronger and more deadly upon witnessing any casualties their allies suffer.

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Rawheads
Rawheads are shambling masses of blood, muscle, sinew, and teeth, bound together by unseelie fey plague spirits. These fey are constantly searching for more eviscerated parts to add to their bodies, and in battle, will latch onto enemies, encumbering them and allowing more deadly fey to make short work of the hapless soldiers. They are often seen working in tandem with Redcaps, soaking up the mangled remains that remain from the Redcap’s vicious attacks.

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Fetches
Quick and deadly, Fetches are wicked fey beings of solid shadow that feed off of the fear and panic of lesser beings. They are often employed by the Unseelie Court monarchs as incredibly vicious assassins, using their massive claws and phobomancy abilities to take out high priority targets with extreme prejudice. Few people have experienced a greater fear than the absolute terror of staring into the black hole that is the gaping maw of a hungry Fetch.

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Rune Monoliths
The priests and druids of the fae will often times hone their spellcraft by carving the magical sigils and runes of their enchantments into huge stone pillars. This imbues them with tremendous stores of magical power, and when tapped by a skilled caster, can be utilized to devastating effect, firing beams of destructive enchantment laced energy potent enough to turn a troll to ash. When the Fey go to war, teams manning these monoliths often serve as artillery or siege support for the Court’s infantry.

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Wicker Man
The Fey Courts have a number of strange traditions and rituals they partake in, one of which is that of the Wicker Man. On fey holy days, their priests will build giant humanoid figures out of wicker and wood, fill their hollow bodies with sacrifices to their gods of magic and the wild, and then set them alight in massive pyres. The Unseelie courts take this a step further by trapping captured enemies in the huge constructs and burning them to death. In times of war, the Fey often animate these titanic constructs to wreak havoc on enemy infantry.

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The Nobles of the Four Courts (Heroes)

The king of the seelie fey is Oberon, High Lord of the Summer Court. He is a Sylvan of tremendous power, and the husband of Queen Titania, although their marriage is tenuous even on the best of days. He is adept at both air and ground based combat, wielding his deadly royal halberd with uncanny dexterity.

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The Spring Court monarch is Titania, Queen of Life and Light. While less cruel than her Winter counterpart, Titania is nevertheless a very petty and very dangerous member of the Nymph species of fey. If you happen to be on the receiving end of her jealous rage, it would be wise to avoid her staff of roses and the various curses she tends to hurl. (It is rumored that she once gave a minifig the head of a horse for being too annoying to her, which frankly sounds like a fate worse than death.)

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Arguably the most powerful fey currently alive, Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness is the leader of the Winter Court. She was, at one point, a Changeling resultant from the union of a human father and a Water Nymph mother, but she has since grown so powerful and magical it is no longer clear what exactly she is anymore. She also serves an important role in defending the fey from an even greater enemy than other fey, an enemy beyond even the reaches of Axeleron.

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The Autumn Court is shrouded in mystery, such that none know the true identity or species of the fey ruler known as The Erlking. As Lord of the Wild Hunt, the Erlking is responsible for transitioning the balance of the Fey Courts from Seelie to Unseelie. The Hunt is not only a ritual for maintaining equilibrium, it is also one of the few times that all four Courts regularly come together in relative peace to achieve a common goal; drunken revelry and the slaughter of less powerful beings to provide the fey with amusement. He is often accompanied by numerous faery hounds to assist him in his hunting.

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Additional Campaign Units

Dullahan
The Dullahan is a tremendously old wyldfae that has haunted the darker areas of the W yrdwood for generations, spreading fear and panic wherever it goes. It is believed to be the oldest phobophage still alive, even older than the fetches in Queen Mab's army. The Dullahan keeps its real head hidden in a safe area deep within its domain, and instead uses a burning pumpkin as a replacement.

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Nuckelavee
One of the most feared of the Unseelie Fey, the Nuckelavee is a leading warlord of Winter in charge of Mab's Redcaps and Rawheads. It is a creature of plague, famine, and ruin, spreading misery and destruction to all within its sphere of influence by blighting crops and sowing all manner of sickness and disease. Most larger towns near the Wyrdwood have begun to construct moats and artificial rivers to keep the Nuckelavee out, as it is incapable of crossing running water.

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Eldest Gruff
Gruffs are wild and brash creatures as a general rule, but some of the more aged members of their species have learned to temper their fiery natures and spend their time watching over the halls of the Summer Fey. The Eldest Gruff is the de-facto leader of the clan and serves to bring a modicum of order and peace to one of the more bombastic Seelie tribes.

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Balor of the Evil Eye
Balor is a Fachan, one of the rarer and more magically potent types of Unseelie Fey. He was once one of Mab's more trusted officers, but has since rebelled and turned his eye upon gathering more power. Under the banner of his Fomorian rebels, he has united many creatures of Winter, as well as a substantial gathering of Wyldfae and Sidhe mercenaries. Travelers would do well to beware his scorching gaze and the swing of his maul.

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Robin Goodfellow
Robin Goodfellow is a puck Trickster in the service of Queen Titania, often acting as one of her top generals. Goodfellow is particularly skilled in hit-and-run guerilla tactics, and likes to put just as much time and energy into irritating an enemy as he does trying to kill them. He claims that the only weapon he needs to be able to wreak havoc on the enemies of the Seelie is his shillelagh and his rapier wit.

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Banshee
The Banshee is a powerful and dangerous Unseelie Fey with a disproportionately fragile and delicate appearance. It takes the form of a beautiful, deathly pale woman, often that of a bride or a washerwoman. Her keening cry is believed by locals to be an omen of death, and indeed, one should be cautious, for it can manipulate the emotions and sap away the will to live if listened to for too long. The Banshee is a fey being of Winter, but it spends most of its time mourning alone, a habit that is not unwelcome to the rest of the Unseelie Fey, for her wail pierces even the hearts of her fellow fey beings.

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Mad Sweeney
Guardian of all that glitters within the Wyrdwood, Mad Sweeney the leprechaun is the high treasurer of the Summer Court vaults that house Lord Oberon’s massive fortune of enchanted faery gold. Mad Sweeney is somewhat of an ornery cuss, known for his foul temper and miserly love for riches, but despite that is an honorable (if a bit pedantic) member of the Seelie Court. Be warned, despite what the legends may say, capturing and holding him against his will is more likely to result in him giving you a solid thrashing than a pot of gold.

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Sluagh
Sluaghs are ethereal wyldfae made of wisps of fog held aloft on a hovering lenticular cloud that roam the Wyrdwood, usually doing little more than passively observing the travelers that pass through their domain. Said to be the souls of the dishonored but penitent dead fey, they watch the living in an attempt to learn from them and atone for their misdeeds. Left alone, they are fairly harmless, but if provoked, the Sluagh will retaliate, often backed up by swarms of its kind. More lucid Sluagh can occasionally be found in the service of the Seelie monarchs acting as scouts or surveyors.

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Last edited by Bookwyrm on Thu Nov 22, 2018 8:39 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - The Dungeonmasters Guild~

Post by Bookwyrm » Thu Nov 22, 2018 8:22 pm

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In the time following the creation of the Traveler’s Society, and the Edict of Mallacke, which made the Dungeon labyrinth buried beneath the continent of Avross the property and responsibility of the nation of Eldoth, the amount of adventurers and their subsequent quests to rid the land of danger increased exponentially. Due to this, dozens of races of monstrous creatures were hunted to extinction, and hundreds more were nearly exterminated. If not for the constantly changing state of the Dungeon network, many more would have faded into oblivion. In the wake of this mass war on monstrous races, representatives from a secret cabal of dark wizards and bounty hunters that opposed the Traveler’s Society were sent to offer these downtrodden creatures a deal; if the creatures would unite under a common banner of leadership and act as the soldiers of the cabal, the group would in turn provide protection and resources to allow them to strike back at the civilized folk that had taken their treasure and the lives of their kin. The subsequent combination of the brute force and varied power of the monster races with the strategic and financial savvy of the cabal was enough to turn a fractured smattering of minor irritations into a well oiled mercenary force known for its brutal efficiency and willingness to snuff out any party of adventurers, albeit for a high price of treasure. Over time, their reputation grew and more races of creatures pledged their loyalty, and thus was the Dungeonmasters Guild formed. In addition to their pay as troops for hire, employees of the Guild are permitted to keep 75% of all treasure and equipment looted on the job.

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Myconid Grunts
Due to their quick, spore-based reproductive cycle, Myconids are one of the more prolific monster species native to Avross and thus make up the backbone of the Guild's footsoldiers. There are actually several tribes of Mycondids that are employed by the Guild, the largest two being the Amanita tribe and the Psilocybin tribe. Not all Myconids are as hostile and bloodthirsty as the tribes commonly hired by the Guild; the Basidio tribe in particular is mostly peaceful. However, the vast majority of the Myconid species has become warlike and greedy under the influence of the Guild.

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Gnarl Skirmishers
Gnarls are a race of warlike canid humanoids known for their savagery and cruel nature. Gnarl culture is almost entirely based around the giving and receiving of pain and suffering, which makes them incredibly difficult to fight one on one. Where most normal creatures would become weaker as a fight progresses, a Gnarl will only become more dangerous and violent the longer they stay in battle as their bloodlust gradually turns them into an unmatched killing machine. The Guild has found it much more manageable to simply point squads of Gnarls at an enemy and allow them to revel in the carnage, rather than attempt to integrate them into any sort of organized force.

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Doppelgänger Cutthroat
When the Guild is hired to dispose of targets in a quieter manner, such as assassinating a prominent economic or military leader or sabotaging defenses in preparation for a siege, there is only one monstrous race for the job. Doppelgängers are gaunt creatures with an alien appearance capable of perfectly mimicking the exact appearance and voice of any humanoid being they have ever seen, to the point where even a close friend of the person in question may never realize their chum has been replaced with a malicious duplicate. If you know it’s a Doppelgänger, chances are its blade has probably already slit your throat.

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Gelatinous Cube Evoker
Many wizards and mages with darker inclinations found the treasure and conquest offered by the high council of the Dungeonmasters Guild to be too great an opportunity to pass up. These practitioners tend to end up serving less as frontline fighters and more as handlers and facilitators for some of the less intelligent monster species of the Guild. In particular, it was discovered that utilizing the various conjurers and summoners to teleport in vast swarms of acidic gelatinous cubes was incredibly effective at devastating more lightly armored troops. The most skilled evokers have even learned how to psychically direct their hordes.

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Juvenile Owlbear
Fully grown Owlbears are almost too large and slow to effectively employ in combat scenarios, and their immense appetite and aggressive and territorial behavior makes them more trouble than they are worth to the Guild. However, the beast masters of the group have learned that besides being easier to feed and manage, juvenile owlbears are more maneuverable and more readily controlled and directed in battle. Thus, the Guild captures and maintains a collection of around a dozen or so semi-mature owlbear cubs at once. The Guild's chronomancers are currently looking into artificially stunting the age of these creatures so as to keep from cycling through so many at a time.

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Dungeon Master (Hero)
The Dungeon Masters are the shadowy leaders of the Guild, only rarely seen in battle and more often are locked away in a remote lair or chamber hidden within the Dungeon Network, scrying down on their troops from a safe distance away. However, it would be unwise to underestimate a Dungeon Master on account of their scarcity in most conflicts, as they wield a number of powerful and destructive spells and magic items to great effect on the rare occasion their machinations call for a personal appearance, and are almost always accompanied by a monstrous familiar such as a mimic or an eyesore. Nobody is entirely sure why the Dungeon Masters formed the Guild or what, if any, its greater purpose is, but only a fool would take them at their word that their only goal is amassing gold and treasure.

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~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - The Islander Militia~

Post by Bookwyrm » Thu Nov 22, 2018 8:53 pm

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Long ago, an ancient civilization in the east of Avross mastered the art of creating dimensional portals, and used this magical advancement to spread their influence across the continent. Even now, long after the last remnant of their society has faded away, these colossal structures still remain scattered across the world, the greatest congregation of them gathered within the boundaries of the Gateway Isles, where the ancient empire once stood. Now, their descendants, the Natives of the Gateway Isles, often shortened to just “Islanders,” populate the archipelago and surrounding waters, each tribe settled on one of the many islands located off the east coast of Avross. The Islander culture is rich with tradition and folklore, and they take great pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors’ conquests and discoveries, guarding the power of the Gates especially from hostile outsiders. Despite their relative isolation and low level of tek, the Islanders have managed to create a bustling society with village-cities located both in the trees and the surrounding waters bordering the Gateway Isles, trade routes between the individual tribes and the Oltecan Empire to the south, and even a semi-organized military force. Each branch of their militia is managed by its villages elders, and led by the individual tribe’s greatest warriors, and will gather together into a combined force when dealing with enemies that threaten the Islander Kingdom as a whole.

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Masked Warriors
Most Islanders are highly spiritual, and pay homage to a number of gods and powerful spirits, most depending on which tribe an individual comes from. However, all Islanders revere the Great Mask Maker, an ancient ancestral spirit said to be the progenitor of the people, who protected his tribe with many magical masks that granted extraordinary powers to the warriors that wore them. To this day, many warriors wear masks both magical and mundane into battle as a way of currying favor with the great spirit, as well as for intimidating foes. The infantry of the Militia often wear oversized masks that can double as makeshift shields should the need arise.

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Tribal Hunters
Armed with expertly crafted blowguns and wearing sacred Masks of Silence, the hunters are masters of their craft, able to disappear into their surroundings with ease and navigate the treacherous jungles almost instinctively. Their darts are tipped with a variety of toxin blends derived from their homeland’s most deadly creatures, from paralyzing venom milked from jungle vipers and sea kraits to poison secretions harvested from dart frogs and jellies. Given the right terrain, a group of hunters can easily overpower a force three times their size merely through pure attrition, constantly striking and harassing their foes a little at a time.

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Kamohoalii Warriors
In most other parts of the world, therianthrope shapeshifters are viewed with suspicion, but not so amongst the Islanders. In fact, the carcharothropes occasionally born into Islander families are thought to be favored by the shark god Kamohoalii, chosen to be his honor guard and to protect his domain from the many horrific creatures of the deep. They are legendary warriors with both great strength and finesse, wielding colossal iron battle-hooks as if they weigh no more than a broom handle. Deadly both on land and in water, the Kamohoalii warriors are the first line of defense between their villages and various invaders from the sea.

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Witch Doctor
Witch doctors are shaman spellcasters that specialize in using ritual magic, an ancient form of highly delicate magic. Due to the level of detail required to properly perform the intricate rituals and heavy use of special magical foci, enchantments and spells take much longer to cast, but tend to be much more potent and long lasting, which makes it ideal for artifact construction and the like, but less so for fast-paced skirmishes. Witch doctors usually specialize in healing and control magic, as well as a variety of highly unpleasant curses.

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Ocean Shaman
As is to be expected of an oceanic civilization, the sea is an important aspect of Islander culture, permeating almost every aspect of their citizen’s lives. Ocean shamans are dedicated to the cultivation of all the domesticated aquatic life in their villages, taking care of the giant rays and crabs used as beasts of burden and the various sea creatures raised by the Islanders for their toxins. They are also often hydromancers, able to manipulate and move water around, a skill which comes in handy when moving around large quantities of fish without a container or directing jellyfish minions in combat.

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Coconut Bomb Lobber
As tradition-oriented as the Islanders are, their wide reaching trade network has allowed for the introduction of more modern amenities and technologies into everyday life. While normally fairly rare outside of the southern side of Avross, black powder is actually used often by the Militia, utilized by packing it into hollowed out coconut shells that act as both containers for the explosive and as a source of additional shrapnel released upon detonation. Often, bomb lobbers will ride on palanquins mounted to the backs of giant lobsters or stingrays, allowing for both land and sea based mobile artillery platforms.

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Fighting Idol
Carved in the likeness of revered ancestors or legendary heroes and brought to life by witch doctors, the fighting idols of the Militia are among the most powerful forces the Islanders are capable of bringing to bear. The magic used in their animation is a heavily guarded secret even among their own people, and many believe that the idols are actually controlled by ancestral spirits possessing them as vessel, although this is unconfirmed as of now. They wield gigantic leiomanos made using teeth taken from the giant obsidian shark daemons that prowl the waters surrounding the Gateway Isles.

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Berbalang Harassers
While generally viewed as pests in the community, occasionally the Islanders will employ the use of Berbalangs in warfare as scouts and saboteurs. Berbalangs are strange looking batlike creatures known for their habit of feeding on the exhumed corpses of spellcasters, a practice that fuels their innate power of augury and soothsaying, allowing them to catch glimpses of the future. While useful for planning and logistics, this ability also makes Berbalangs almost insufferably difficult to work with, as they tend to be overly mischievous and cryptic in their advice, and on top of it, their precognitive powers make it extremely hard to land a hit on them.

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The Great Warriors (Heroes)

Leader of the Bultano, one of the largest tribes in the Islander Kingdom, Chief Huyagunnakal is a spirit-caller shaman and the guardian of the Tomb of Ancients, a great ancestral mausoleum maintained by the people of his tribe. The chief is one of the few spirit-callers in the kingdom, with the rare ability to converse with the ancestor spirits that rest within the Tomb. Despite the grim nature of his job, the chief is a jovial fellow, rarely unaccompanied by his parrot familiar Poku.

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The huntress Nokame is the greatest warrior of the Bultano tribe, and daughter of Chief Huyagunnakal. Honor-bound and extremely proud and protective of her tribe’s long heritage, she is a respected figure not only in her own tribe but throughout the Gateway Isles as a whole. She is currently undefeated in single combat, and additionally also acts as the tribe’s chief diplomat due to her fluency in many other Avrossan tongues.

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~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - The Ordo Lux~

Post by Bookwyrm » Thu Nov 22, 2018 9:05 pm

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The Ordo Lux is a secretive religious group that has dedicated themselves to spreading and protecting the power of the Pyre, a form of magic fueled by hope, resolve, and other positively charged emotions. The monastic group is one of the many allies of the Travelers Society, their main form of support for the adventurers being the everlasting torches the Society uses to help mark mapped areas of the Dungeon. Though they are a mostly peaceful group, preferring to spread the warmth and light of the Pyre through their sermons and hospitality, with the shadow of evil looming over Axeleron, many members of the Ordo have prepared themselves to fight the forces of chaos head on. The Ordo has Hearth Chapels built all over Avross, while the Heart of the Pyre, the great cathedral that acts as their headquarters is located in the Renlothian capital of Caerlon.

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Hearth Chapel Guard
The Hearth Chapels of the Ordo Lux are often targeted by monsters and creatures of darkness, and though many members of the Ordo are well versed in combat, many more are pacifistic in nature, and thus these outposts tend to be quite vulnerable on their own. Due to the increased level of aggression against their people, the high ranking bishops of the group have begun to hire guards from the surrounding cities to protect the Chapels and their inhabitants from danger. These guards, while not necessarily devout disciples of the Pyre, still benefit greatly from the presence of the Ordo in their cities and thus are motivated to dutifully keep their posts.

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Battle Monks
Composed largely of fighters and mages that decided to give up adventuring to spread the warmth of the Pyre, the Battle Monks are the Ordo Lux's first line of defense against the dark things of Axeleron. Like many members of the Ordo, the monks will often mount Everlasting Candles on their fighting staffs, allowing them to wield the burning essence of the Pyre more skillfully. Their proficiency in non-lethal combat is unmatched, but when facing off against creatures of darkness, these monks will not back down from taking a life with their gleaming golden blades.

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Priests of the Eternal Flame
The Everlasting Candles of the Ordo Lux are one of the foremost magical artifacts created in Axeleron's modern day, as not only do they burn without consuming the candle, they also provide light that naturally deters most species of hostile monsters, making them ideal for both adventurers and the common folk. Each candle is blessed by a Priest of the Eternal Flame, and in order to retain their ceaseless light, each candle must be blessed again each year. Besides their duties, the Priests of the Eternal Flame are stalwart defenders of the Pyre capable of holding their own and wielding their staves and battle thuribles against any number of deadly enemies.

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Ember Sisterhood Nuns
The Ember Sisterhood is an all female branch of the Ordo whose task is to maintain the great burning Hearths that sit at the center of the Ordo's Hearth Chapels. They train themselves to be able to go long periods without food or rest so as to dedicate more time to tending the Pyre. The only time when they leave their duties at the base of these great burning fires is when the Chapel itself is threatened. In these situations, the Ember Sisterhood Nuns take up great arbalests that fire burning coals into the ranks of the dark things that clamber at the door.

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Ash Elemental
In times of most dire need, when the forces of darkness assault the Ordo Lux's larger Hearth Chapels, the high fathers and cardinals of the society will sometimes call upon the aid of ancient beings born of the Pyre itself. These spirits are native to the Pyre's dimension, and can enter our world when called, taking the form of huge burning humanoid columns of charcoal and ash. These Ash Elementals are wild and chaotic beings that scorch the land as they move and smite down any being that does not pledge its allegiance to the Pyre. They are feared and respected by the Ordo, and are not summoned except in grave situations.

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Luminaries
Created as assistants to help maintain the Hearth Chapels and accompanying libraries of religious lore, Luminaries are spindly golem-like constructs made of wax and animated by a spark of Pyre essence called up by a Priest of the Eternal Flame. They are built for menial tasks like carrying items or delivering messages, but can defend themselves and their masters using their own burning life-force should the need arise, and can easily be rebuilt if damaged.

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Ordo Lux Leadership (Heroes)

Father Josef is the current liaison of relations between the Ordo Lux and the Kingdom of Renloth, and the High Cardinal in charge of the Heart of the Pyre. He has served the Ordo for decades, ever since he retired from adventuring following the Great Sundering. The Father is both an eloquent and effective negotiator and a cleric of tremendous power, and has overseen the expansion of the Ordo in many areas of Avross personally. He is nearly always accompanied by his phoenix companion Dawnfyre, whom he hatched as a chick many years ago.

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High Inquisitor Lamphwiq is an exceedingly old paladin, so old that his actual age is unknown to all but the highest members of the Ordo’s leadership. For as long as the organization has existed, he has served in the position of High Inquisitor, leader of the entirety of the Ordo Lux’s combat capable forces. Though he is staunch defender of the weak, this attitude only extends towards humans, and thus his highly xenophobic attitude towards more civilized monstrous races has made him somewhat unpopular as time progresses and more inhuman peoples integrate into the more civilized cities of Avross. He keeps the company of a Pyre Caladrius, a celestial bird with magical healing and purifying properties.

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by RedRover » Fri Nov 23, 2018 2:34 pm

The Ordo Lux are one of the coolest factions by far

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Quantumsurfer » Fri Nov 23, 2018 6:19 pm

I'm blown away.

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Sizz-lor » Fri Nov 23, 2018 7:50 pm

Really cool, I especially like the Mantis riders, revenants and rawheads.

The wicker man is sick as well.

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Duerer » Sat Nov 24, 2018 3:00 pm

Loving your brick-built creatures. Really tight stuff all around.
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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Kommander Ken » Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:34 pm

The Ordo Lux are absolutely lit.

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Ramayana Raiders~

Post by Bookwyrm » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:50 am

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Ramayan is a country divided between two worlds in a number of ways. Long ago, back when the kingdom was a great military power, the wisest of the Ramayana mystics discovered lore mastery secrets able to unlock the power of their minds and open the pathway to the Astral Plane, the dimension of thought and will. It wasn’t long before Astral lore-mastery became the backbone of the society, and the Astral Plane became a whole new frontier for the Ramayan empire to expand into. Many races of beings native to the Astral Plane integrated into the population, and even more of the higher class or more magically inclined citizens chose to make their homes in the dimension, living in giant colonies built onto the backs of Astral Zaratans or floating through the sky on magically solidified clouds. The New Ramayana, as they became known as, organized themselves under a council of various mystic orders and chose to follow a less warlike path than that of their predecessors. Those that stayed on Axeleron became a collection of raider factions led by both human and astralborne warlords who collectively refer to themselves as the Old Ramayana. The various smaller kingdoms that make up the country are further divided in their goals and methods of governance, some choosing to engage in trade and diplomacy with neighboring Renlothian fiefdoms, others assisting the Oltecans as allies in their never-ending war against the Saccharine, and many more making their way by acting as sellswords for various nearby lands. Both the Old and the New Ramayana are firm believers in the concept of cosmic balance, holding that every action taken will inevitably result in an equal and opposite response further down the line to maintain the universal scales. It is not unusual to see both beings of nobility and unimaginable evil coexisting within a Ramayana city.

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Monkey Warriors
Ramayana legend holds that the first intelligent monkeys were originally ordinary primates blessed by the monkey god Hanuman for coming to his aid in a time of need. Now, sapient apes are numerous in Ramayan and the bordering Nuloc Jungles, and live in relative peace with the various other races native to the area, many times even directly integrating into Oltecan and Ramayana kingdoms. While not as advanced in the arts of tactics and warfare as their human counterparts, the monkey warriors of Ramayan are nevertheless not to be underestimated merely for their resemblance to their less intelligent counterparts.

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Battle Daevas
The daevas are one of the main astralborne races found amongst both the Old and New Ramayana. Daevas that descended from those that chose to descend to Axeleron and make their home with the Old Ramayana tend to be much more warlike and martially inclined, a distinct departure from the more neutrally aligned daevas that reside in the realm of thought. Astral energy naturally courses through them, giving them heightened awareness of their surroundings and fine control over their own bodies, making them a nightmare to face in a fight. A battle daeva in action looks more like a whirling dervish of blood and metal than a living thing as their multiple limbs slash with blades to deliver hundreds of cuts in the course of only a few seconds.

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Guardian Naga
Naga are a very ancient monstrous race, their origins on Avross long since forgotten by time. Not much is known about the naga prior to their integration into Ramayana culture, only that they once ruled a mighty empire deep within the Nuloc Jungles, and that their leader, the wise but harsh lord of the rainforest known as Python, was renown for his almost infallible gift of prophecy and future sight. Nowadays, this power, while undeniably less potent, manifests much more frequently in members of their race, and is utilized more often in combat for forseeing opponent’s moves and predicting weak spots in their defenses.

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Temple Naga
The life cycle of a naga is an anathema to most other races; rather than growing and aging gradually and normally like a typical humanoid, nagas instead progress in a series of phases in which they do not change until reaching the end of their current stage, upon which they shed their skin, emerging older and more snakelike, as well as more magically adept. While young naga are fairly outgoing and aggressive, the older members of their species tend towards quiet isolation, often choosing to become the protectors of mausoleums and temples and guarding the secrets contained within.

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Avatar of Ganesha
When entering into the service of a Ramayana deity, rather than becoming a cleric or prophet to like most races, daevas will instead undergo a transformation ritual to become a vessel for divine power called an avatar, dedicating their existence to service and allowing their likeness to change into that of their patron god, but erasing their own will in the process. Avatars of Ganesha, the elephant god of prosperity and protection, are fairly commonplace in both the Old and New Ramayana kingdoms, as Ganesha is one of the more widely venerated gods in the pantheon. These titanic beings are patient and wise, but are also not to be trifled with, as they are hearty fighters and adept spellcasters, and have no difficulty crushing blasphemous or crooked folk that threaten their communities into a pulp.

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Greater Rakshasa
While originally inhabitants of the Infernal Realm, the rakshasa migrated en masse to the Astral Plane many thousands of years ago after being driven out of their home dimension by the ever expanding army of demons they shared the dimension with. Greater rakshasa lack the magical finesse and shapeshifting powers of their lesser cousins, but are no less cruel and cunning, and more than make up for it with their colossal strength and destructive infernal evocations. A singlular greater rakshasa can easily go toe to toe one-on-one with a Wyrm and still escape relatively unscathed.

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Warlord Tohprahjman (Hero)
Leader of one of the largest bandit mercenary forces in south Avross, Tohprahjman is an infamous warlord and monk known for his excessively greedy nature and his raucous and abrasive demeanor. Despite this, he and his people do hold to a fairly strict code, refusing to take jobs that would harm poor downtrodden villages, and preferring to instead raid and harass the affluent and wealthy. Make no mistake though, his band is by no means altruistic, and all goodwill garnered with him will be rendered null and void the moment his height is even mentioned in passing.

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Kommander Ken » Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:07 am

Love your minfig designs, especially those Battle Daevas.

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Maraxous » Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:55 pm

Great builds. Good lore. I like the elephant dude and the mushrooms best. What are the jellyfish from?

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by Bookwyrm » Sun Dec 16, 2018 12:36 pm

Maraxous wrote:Great builds. Good lore. I like the elephant dude and the mushrooms best. What are the jellyfish from?
I believe they’re recolored chef hats from the Spongebob series actually.

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Re: ~Tome of Axeleron: 2E - Bookwyrm's Factions~

Post by RedRover » Sun Dec 16, 2018 1:00 pm

Perfection once again

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