Costumes

Alone in my workshop, I design all day. Costumes for now, costumes for later, costumes that will never leave the shop. I love the feeling of them, they become a second flesh, a new body to step into. The costumes require constant upkeep, mending and stitching, and hemming. Fixing them to adorne the mannequin I happen to be.

I mailed another designer, a friend. She talked of her dissatisfaction with her costumes. The ones she used to wear aren’t for her anymore And the one she wants to make, she feels lost in designing. She says she's making a new mannequin.

The letter made me think. Am I satisfied with my muse? I’ve asked the question before. I know people who have made grand changes to theirs. But I’ve never felt the need to do anything like that. But I have felt the need. I think I’ll change my mannequin bit by bit. To see what costumes I can dream for it.

Sorry other people are mirrors to you, but we simply can't remove reflections from this world.

Borrowing

A long time ago I stole a part of you. You didn't seem to notice it was missing, so I just kept it. You didn't seem to care when I displayed it in front of you blatantly. So now it's mine. And still yours somewhat. I'm just borrowing it. If you asked for it back I'm sure I could find it again and stop using it. But I feel it's just a part of me as it was you. But I understand if you want it back. I'll have to find something I made and use that instead. I'd have to make something instead of borrowing for once. I'm sure I can do that. You did, didn't you?

A short story. My first one in a long time.

Reflection 1

It was a simple one-shot D&D campaign exploring the lore of the 5th age. It focused on the Green Dragon territory and a fan-favorite fighter sub-class I homebrewed called the Wandering Arsenal. Here's how it went.

Firstly it became a three-shot, or to say ballooned in size more than what was necessary. I believed that was okay, that was an experienced DM, and that I could easily manage writing three sessions of a D&D campaign.

They went through the first part, landing on the island shipwrecked and finding the town I had created.

The second session went well as they trekked through the dense jungle searching for their lost captain only to be best by grungs attacking them for seemingly no reason.

There never was a third session. However should there have been, the party would have traveled to the grung's home to find it had been taken over by a green dragon wyrmling. Dispatching the foe would save the grung, and lead them to their captain. The party would have spent three to four months time in-game building a new boat and sailing off.

What did work:

A solid plan for adventure - The total adventure in earnest is simple but has a compelling plotline. There is mystery and exploration in both the unfamiliar town, the forest, and why the grung are attacking. It ends with a dungeon and slaying a dragon (even if it is a wyrmling).

A well-built town - Arguably the thing I worked the most for the adventure the town of Borrowton is going to be the only surviving thing from this adventure. Alongside its strange additions like the homebrew monster (Standing Arsenal). The town felt lived in and real like it has a relationship to the forest that surrounds it. The people felt like they had a distinct culture and if a player wanted to make a character from Borrowton they would know what their childhood would be like.

Some NPCs - My NPC writing has never been the best. I tend to overwrite NPCs I want to be important and have them stick around more than usual even if my players aren't interested, however, I remember that this time the captain was well-liked enough to be a very compelling plot thread. My second victory came with the halfling that guided them around the town. I don't remember much about him, but I do remember he was well-received and well-liked.

What didn't work:

The party, The schedule, The dungeon - The party of adventures I gathered to trounce through my short adventure was less than ideal. They are all my friends so chemistry wasn't an issue, but the gap in skill level at playing Dungeons and Dragons was noticeable. Even detrimental to the experience. The newer players would strive for the newfound freedom of the system, and unknowingly drag out what was supposed to be a simple adventure. The schedule was atrocious as well, with many weeks of me begging to gather people for the second session gave way to general apathy for the whole experience from me and my party. Lastly, the dungeon is a task I still wrestle with to this day. I want to make good dungeons, I think when I make them I do make good dungeons, but the idea of perfection that wraps my mind into a maze of ideals haunts me. I did never write the dungeon. I never put pencil to graph paper to start the dungeon. I gave up at the mention that I told myself to write one.

The Grung and the Forest - When creating the second session I needed to make the forest feel unknown and scary. An easy way to achieve this is to create random encounters for players traveling through dangerous territory. To make dangerous territory I used the grung, late into my writing of the overall campaign. In hindsight, they do fit the experience and theme, but I feel my own usage of them was sloppy and uninspired. A messy paint job to denote a background that should have always been. The next problem with the forest was the amount of rolls I had players make. What should have been a short walking segment with a possible encounter became a session's worth of rolling dice and getting lost. Players yelled at players yelled at NPCs they didn't care for. Overall a mess best not repeated.

Some NPCs - My fatal flaw was created again. NPCs people found one-note, uninteresting, and somehow always around. I gave them a guard to direct them through the forest and he quickly became a hated entity among the living breathing party. He was bossy, brash, and rude. Not to mention more powerful than them just to put them down if they spoke up too loud or stepped out of my imaginary lines, I know he more than anything else save maybe the dungeon that never was killed my campaign.

The Pit

Welcome to my pit on the internet. This is a place of nothing. A place of many things. A place where I will throw everything I've ever made.

I aim to free myself from the bonds of perfection and proper form. I aim to free my creative tendencies from the shackles I so lovingly craft for them. The pit is freedom. It's earth calls to me.

And so I dig.