Through the Balcony

Episode 15: The Midnight Court

Midnight as arrived, and it is time to join with the court for a night filled with excitement and, of all things, racing. Who will come out on top and what is next for our intrepid crew as they step into the new year and new season.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"The Pyre" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Odin" by Evan King Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, BandCamp;
"Hot Pursuit" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Ever Mindful" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"New Day" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Shadowland - Horizon" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Hybrid Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Existence" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Revenant" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Without Redemption" by Kai Engel, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 14: Festival of Dawn's Equinox

The festival of Dawn's Equinox has arrived and our disparate group of adventurers have earned a little bit of a break in the middle of everything else going on. There are games! A circus! And the mysterious Midnight Court at the end of it!
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Revenant" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Outlander Harps" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Northern Lullaby" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Peaceful Meadow" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"New Day" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Medieval Library" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Loading Screen II" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Contemplation Loop" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Background Strings and Woodwinds" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Aftermath" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Ever Mindful" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Tavern Music" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Medieval Fair" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Exotic Battle" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Village Consort" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Curiosity" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Truth in the Stones" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Night Vigil" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Hybrid Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Altered Carbon" by Evan King Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, BandCamp;
 
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 13: Smiths and Sisters

Hoping to find answers at last, the travelers head towards Cal'drae in the hopes of meeting Jasper's ex-ex wife Raenria Shalewell. If anyone knows what Jasper is doing it's her and, barring that, it is on the way to of many of the group's travels. Only time will tell what they will find there after a week of travel...
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"River Fire" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Orchestral Ambience B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Shadowlands 1 - Horizons" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Loading Screen II" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Night Vigil" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Monomyth - The Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Dusk B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Forsaken Sanctum" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Spirit of the Girl" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Blissful B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Kindred Spirits" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Revenant" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
 
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 12: Violets and Fadeflowers

There are only more questions, not more answers. And none of those answers seem to have good conclusions. With Kashan and Jasper gone, and the past coming back to haunt (and hunt) our adventurers, they need to take steps to move forward.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Rites" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Contemplation" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Attempts" by Alex Mason, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Tense Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Mournful" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Slow Legato" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Lunar Harp" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Slow Guitars" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Anguish" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Monomyth - The Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Woodland Campsite" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Night Vigil" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"New Day" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Outlander Harps" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Hollow" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"It All Begins Here" by Borrtex, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 11: Connections

With the fate of Kashan resolved, and Tabian's truth uncovered, the party is at a loss of how to proceed with the new questions that have been raised. Ultimately the path leads to Gaelrith once all their business in town is concluded.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Dark Orchestra" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Mournful" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Attempts" by Alex Mason, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Pensive Darkness" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Ambience Strings" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Orchestral Ambience B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Slow Legatos" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Contemplation" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Simple Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Infados" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Loading Screen B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Beautiful Oblivion" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Orchestral Ambience A" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Lost Time" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Troposphere" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Global Warming" by Kai Engel, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 10: Tabian's Truth

Sorry for this one being a little late! Had some personal stuff come up that threw me off. Next week we'll be posting an episode to keep up with the schedule.Still having no answers, the group's only hope is to wait for Kashan to recover from his wounds while also keeping him safe from Tabian's reach. But at the end of the day there may not be any of the answers they want as they confront the headmaster directly...
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Rites" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Action" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Aftermath" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Virtutes Instrumenti" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"River Fire" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Anticipation" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Dramatic Legatos" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Ever Mindful" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Sleepwalker IV" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Rites" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Slow Legato" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Paranoia" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Dark Hybrid" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Descent" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Mournful" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"From the Darkness" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 9: In the Wake of the Storm

With the source of the storm put to rest, it is time to start getting some answers as to how and why things at the Weather Watch Hall got so bad. It is time to search for any survivors and confront Tabian over his definition of "everything is fine."
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Mournful" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Hybrid Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Hollow" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Rites" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Attempts" by Alex Mason, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Orchestral Ambience B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Virtutes Instrumenti" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Ambience C" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Night Vigil" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Intermission Atmos" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Process" by Borrtex, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 8: Elemental Revelations

The mystery behind the strange weather has now lead towards Lethis Peak, high above the city of Ankaradeth, where the Weather Watch Hall stood vigilant. With no contact with that branch of the Arcanist Hall, it fell upon the six travelers (and Chepi) to climb the mountain and discover what the source of all of this was.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"The Slaughtered Ox" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Monomyth - Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Background Harps" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Ashen" by Misha Dioxin, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Shadowlands - Horizon 1" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Cold Atmosphere B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Icy Waiting Theme" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Tethys" by Evan King Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, BandCamp;
"Odin" by Evan King Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, BandCamp;
"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Tarnished Atmos Mix B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Hybrid Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Tense Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios; 
"Mournful" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Night Vigil" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"The Long Dark" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 7: A Cold Reception

The adventurers from the Arcanist Guild have arrived in Ankaradeth at last. Any question about whether or not the city was the source of the storm was answered when they saw the eye of the storm directly above the city. Now all they need to do it find the answers as to how and why this has happened.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Winter Winds B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Elf Meditation" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"The Slaughtered Ox" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Northern Lullaby" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Slow Guitars" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Monomyth - Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Orchestrated Ambience D" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Dramatic Legatos" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"From the Darkness" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Washy Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Contemplation Loop" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Orchestrated Ambience B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Rites" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"River Fire" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Action Orchestra B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Attempts" by Alex Mason, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Beautiful Oblivion" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Existing" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Anguish" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Clestrial" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 6: Of Rime and Ruin

Having been given a task by the Artificer Guild to go and investigate the source of the Ru tainted elementals it is time to make the journey north towards Ankaradeth. The journey is not as simple as the travelers would like, though...
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Guardians" by Evan King Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, BandCamp;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 5: Burden and Responsibility

Having made their way to Gaelrith, home of Fennel and the Artificer Guild, things did not go quite as expected. Now, the next day, it is time to take a few more steps. Kh'ul needs to see Jasper, Marigold needs to speak with Lianna, and Fennel learns there are still steps to take.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Virtutes Instrumenti" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Virtutes Vocis" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Background Harps" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Elf Meditation" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Simple Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Strange and Anxious" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Northern Lullaby" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Innocuous" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Hope" by Alex Mason, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Medieval Library" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Ever Mindful" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Pensive Ambience" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Orchestral Ambience B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Cry About Me" by Alex Mason, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Dark Times" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Monomyth - Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Outlander Harps" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Beautiful Oblivion" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 4: Gaelrith

With the immediate trouble in Albrenn behind them, it is time for Fennel to return to the Artificer Guild in Gaelrith. Though they hadn't anticipated it when they'd set out on this routine run into town they had picked up a few hanger-ons. Though Marigold and Nemesis had at least been anticipated, they end up with a few more people in tow before they ever set foot out of town.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Attempts" by Alex Mason, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Deep Relaxation" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Legacy" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Forest Night" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Dark Times" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"The Slaughtered Ox" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Ever Mindful" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Sea Night" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Medieval Library" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Lost Time" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Anguish" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Orchestral Ambience B" by Tyler and Noah Rich, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Monumental Studios;
"Monomyth - Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Snowfall Intro" by Kai Engel, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 3: Well of Shadow

Will the seal that held strong for millennia now shattered by the strange storm, the six travelers agreed to go in and search for three missing druids, albeit a little bit reluctantly. The shadows press around them as they set foot in a place locked away since the Decimation, unsure what could lie ahead. Or what could lie below. 
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Shadowlands 7 - Codex" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Odin" by Evan King Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, BandCamp;
"Ashen" by Misha Dioxin, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Virtutes Vocis" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Ambiment" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Night Vigil" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Beautiful Oblivion" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
 
Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound, Mixkit and Pixabay

Episode 2: Coops, Kings, and Turtles

The storm has passed, though the clouds still loom over the city with a grim grayness. The six strangers head out into the city for a few simple errands and find answers about the strange behavior of the storm borne elementals and find a path forward...
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Dark Times" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Elf Meditation" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Sad Cinematic" by Alex Shamaluev, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Truth in the Stones" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Monomyth - The Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Wastelands" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Medieval Town" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Deep Relaxation" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Medieval Library" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Anguis" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Elven Glade" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Celestial" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Global Warming" by Kai Engel, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
Sound Effects from Pixabay and Mixkit

Episode 1: A Gathering Storm

Welcome, finally, to Hy'ilrith and Children of Ruin. As our adventure begins a storm gathers in the horizon as six paths converge in the city of Albrenn: An artificer, two travellers, a wizard and a warlock, and a wandering dawnknight. The start of something: journey or calamity, only time will tell.
Music in this episode is:"Suonatore di Liuto" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Magic Forest" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Forest Night" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Medieval Town" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Open Ocean" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Truth in the Stone" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"The Slaughtered Ox" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Ashen" by Misha Dioxin, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Dark Times" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Attempts" by Alex Mason and the Minor Emotion, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Monomyth - The Distant Sun" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Dark and Stormy" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Stay the Course" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
 "Tethys" by Evan King Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, BandCamp;
"The Descent" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Gates" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Ever Mindful" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Floating" by Borrtex, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
 
Sound Effects from Pixabay and Mixkit

Lore of Hy’ilrith: Veiled Lands

The third and final part of the lore dump for Children of Ruin! Next week we jump into the campaign proper!
Link to Map (as promised)
Transcript once again:
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Welcome back to this, the third and final lore episode in preparation of the beginning of our new campaign. Our preparations ahead of the new game are finally ready (and I am also done buying time for my episode buffer, but no one needs to know that) so it’s time to learn a little bit more about Hy’ilrith as it is today.
Now, a big part of what I’m doing is going to be trying to get a picture of the world in your mind before we get started, as well as trying to get everyone more familiar with names and places. To aid with that I am going to include a link to the map of Hy’ilrith into the description of this episode so feel free to take a look at that. For those of you who can’t do that, or who just want to visualize it yourself first, that is what we’ll be doing today. So, without further ado we’ll jump right in, starting with the most basic layout of the map.
Sanctum is the name used to refer to the land within the Veil and it is a roughly rectangular shape. The lands within are bisected by a mountain range that passes through the Veil in the north and passes back out along the eastern border. This range, known as the Del’rith Mountains, of the Spine of Ala’rith dives the north eastern third of the lands from the rest of Sanctum. Along the south is the coast of the Sea of Silent Echoes, and to the west is the coast that borders the Azure Deep, the Endless Ocean. As mentioned in the previous lore episode the peninsula that Mereset inhabits protrudes from the south west of the land and through the Veil at the southwestern most point.
The region of land roughly central to Sanctum, south of the mountains, is known as the Highlands. It is dominated by a series of canyons and ravines and valleys carved by the rivers that cascade from the Mountains to the north. South of these are the riverlands, a fertile area marked by beautiful lakes and rivers. East of this are the lands known and the coast lands, and east of that are the woodlands. The area north of the mountains is an arid savana-like region known as the drylands, and the area along the western coast is known as the broadlands and is well known for its rolling hills and herds of wild horses. 
The broadlands in the northwest of Sanctum are home to the Republic of Lothaeu. The capital of Vontheaos is a grand citadel built high in a mountain valley. Many of the major cities, including Thaenau and Felbron are fortified as well; a remnant of the civil war of the ancient past. Thaenau was one of the three capitals during that war, as was Aeras, each serving important roles in the country to this day. Ships of Lothaeu were once the best produced in the world, before the Occupation War destroyed most of their shipyards. To this day Lothaeu has never forgiven, and never plans to forgive, the invaders from Meraset.
East of Lothaeu is the country of Ebren which exists in both the broadlands and riverlands; southwest of Cethil and southeast of Lothaeu. The capital of Ebren is at Tandral, near lake Ebres, and is where the King Unahn and Queen Corrissa rule. It is a land well known for the crops it produces, along with the fishing industry along the coast and the bountiful rivers. It is also well known for housing the Archive at Ankardeth, one of the main archives of the Magic Guilds. The same archive that sparked off the Dawn Wars.
Speaking of the Dawn Wars, northeast of Ebren, in the highlands, is Cethil. The cities of Cethil are built upon the high plateaus broken up by the deep canyons and ravines that the area is so well known for. There are a rare few down nearer to the rivers and even a few built into the mountains themselves, such as the Capital of Vedrinn. The bridges that span the gaps here are something of a point of pride of the people, grand works of art in their own right. Breakhollow is a city built partially atop several of these bridges, and many other towns and cities claim a bridge as their own to maintain and watch over. They are something of a national pride. They are also the only country that hosts any of the Drakkenguard, the mounted dragon riders of Jestethos mar, with any regularity. It is unknown what events led to this seeming alliance, but the ties between them are impossible to miss.
South of Cethil, east of Ebren among the coastlands is the Nation of Analaia. The first city, Cal’drae, is the capital here, and is arguably the most notable city of the modern world. Cal’drae was the first cradle of civilization built by people after the Decimation, and where a large number of peoples of the world today can ultimately trace back their roots. The city is large, built on, in, and beneath Mount Drae and spilling out onto the foothills and plains beyond. It is a seat of culture and knowledge and magic, with many academies and guild halls calling it home. Their ruling body, Council of Ten, also meets and governs from Cal’drae whenever the need arises. Many of the rivers that start in the Del’rith Mountains and rush through the highlands of Cethil find their way here, creating vast, fertile valleys, and lakes teeming with life. The plains here are home to orchards and farms and vineyards spoken of the realm over.
Equally full of life is the woodlands to the east of Analaia where the Esthyne Protectorate stakes their home. Milithin, their official capital, is located on the bend in the Bashthal River, among the vast, ancient woods of the Ishiril Wood. It is a sprawling city, built around the trees, in the canopy and on the forest floor. Trees that rise hundreds of feet into the sky are the home of those that live there. These ancient forests dominate the landscape, slowly giving way to the wilder jungles of the Wilds as they move towards the Veil. There are cities buried and consumed by the forest, but most people avoid them. While Milithin is the capital, that is mostly for meeting with other countries, as each city more or less rules itself and it’s area independently, though each working towards the same ends. Esthyne produces many things for the people of Sanctum, but are best known for the Wild Boar hunts during the Festivals of Hunts. They also produce the lumber used for so many of the ships that sail the Sea of Echoed Songs.
Farther north is the Kingdom of Jestethos Mar, the vast domain north and east of the Del’rith Mountains. Most of the cities are within the mountains themselves but many settlements dot the broad arid lands between the mountains and the Veil. The Capital of Ganarades Tarn is a massive cave system that stretches deeply beneath a large area of the Del’rith mountains.It is unknown if there are any passages that open up into other countries, but the main one is at the base of Kashiris Peak. Jestethos Mar does a great deal of trade with the rest of Sanctum, but they are the least involved with the politics of everyone else. Though they have never confirmed the tales, and despite being ruled by King Jorik Thaldane, many believe the Primordial Dragon B’tersael is the true ruler there. While some might point to the Drakkenguard as evidence, King Jorik has never said a word to confirm or deny those claims.
Last on our list of counties, and certainly least in public opinion, is the Sovereignty of Meraset. As I’ve said Meraset exists on a peninsula in the southwest of the Sanctum and is easily the smallest country despite recent territorial gains. The large city of Torant used to be used for shipping goods across the isthmus before the fading of the Veil, but power has always been in the capital of Borashta. Borashta is built in the ruins of a massive, metropolis of a city. It was once a city of soaring, thin, towers hundreds of feet tall. It encompasses a large portion of the peninsula to the far south, taking a good portion of the day to travel from one side to the other. Some portions are even sunk beneath the waves, an untold amount of the city lost to the unknown. Since the first days after the decimation people have, like hermit crabs, made this place their home. They restored the city building by building until it bounded with new life. Many things were salvaged from within the ruins, helping Meraset to grow to become technologically advanced more quickly than others.Since the war there is little contact between Meraset and the rest of Sanctum. It will be many more years of healing before the wounds and hurts between them and the rest of the world heal.Now, I did say that Meraset was last on our list, but that was a little misleading. It is the last country, but one more place of importance still needs to be discussed. The City State of Osthmana.
The city-state of Osthmana is built in a bowl-like valley within the Lothan Peaks between Cethil and Esthyne. It is not a country, technically, but an independent city. It is the home of all of the Main Guild Halls, as well as the Main Temples to each of the Gods.It started off as only those that worshiped the gods following the Decimation, drawing away from the world that resented them. Slowly over time it grew into a small collection of communities as people gathered to live their lives. It wasn’t until the Guilds began to officially form, looking for a neutral place to work from, that the city began to flourish. It grew rapidly as the influence of the Guilds became more and more integral to the lives of the people of Sanctum, until it became the grand bastion that it is today.
And thus we come to the end of our lore journey through Hy’ilrith. There is SO much more of the world to discover and explore, and I hope that this very brief overview has done its job. My hope is that when you hear about Eowra, or Ardayn, or Meraset, or the Guilds, that knowing the context of those words helps draw you into the world, rather than taking you out of it. I am genuinely excited to share this story with you and, honestly discover it with you. I know where it’s starting, and I can see the road ahead, but fate only know where it will end up. So, next week (and yes, I mean next week), the journey begins and I can properly welcome you to Hy’ilrith.I look forward to seeing you then. Until next time, please take care.
"Midnight Tale" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;

Lore of Hy’ilrith: History of a Decimated World

Part two of our exploration of Hy'ilrith's lore. Today we are covering the history of our new world! Enjoy! As before, the transcript is below!
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Welcome back to our series on the lore of Hy’ilrith! For those of you new here I would suggest jumping back to the previous episode for an overview of what’s going on here. The short of it is that we’re spending the next few weeks dipping our toe into the waters of the setting of our new campaign and getting to know it just a little bit before diving full in. Last week we talked about Hy’ilrith itself, the magic that fills it with life, and the gods that govern those powers. This week we will be touching on the briefest overview of its history.
So, if that’s of interest to you, let’s hop in! I teased you enough last time and you’ve been patient.
The history of Hy’ilrith is long and ancient, full of mysteries and stories of great deeds and works. A world full of life and magic. War and triumph. The rise and fall of kingdoms.
All of it forgotten and lost in the days after the Decimation.
The Decimation was a time of absolute destruction following what was known as the Golden Age. Little is known of that time beyond that it was prosperous, that magic and people flourished. That no one went hungry or got sick or suffered. And as little as is known, even less is known about what caused the Decimation. The few records that survived that time don’t make it clear if it was over in days, or months, or years. What is clear is that it was sudden and devastating. It started with a day of complete darkness, very much like the annual days of Remembrance that would follow after it. At the end of it ninety percent of the world’s population was dead, and the only lands left livable were the area that the gods had been able to protect. Spires had risen during that night of total darkness, and a Veil of magic kept the lands inside those spires safe. At least safe in comparison to the world outside of it that had become barren, twisted and dead.
Those lands within became the lands known as Sanctum; the lands where all the remaining people of Hy’ilrith live to this day.
Following the Decimation was a dark time. Society collapsed, and the events of the Decimation had left people with a deep fear of magic, technology, and the knowledge that had allowed it to nearly destroy them. Nearly all records were destroyed in those days, and might have been completely lost if not for the efforts of a few who devoted their lives to protecting what knowledge they could. Among these were the Council of Elder Mages, who are responsible for what little magical knowledge has passed on to the modern day. Another group was those that settled in the ancient ruined city that would one day be known as Borashta, the center of the powerful country of Mereaset. They believed in learning about the past to prevent following the same path and became exiles from the rest of the world.
Eventually, after centuries of conflict, people were able to band together to found the city of Cal’drae. From this bastion they began making true efforts to rebuild a world that faced the challenges of the new world, rather than run from them. It was about strength and community and survival and in time it thrived and allowed people to spread to every corner of the lands of Sanctum. Over time peoples gathered and formed new cities and new countries. First Analaia, with Cal’drae at its heart. Next was the Cethil Highlands and the Ebren Protectorate. Soon Lothaeu, shortly followed by The Federation of Esthyne. And while it is unclear when exactly Meraset or Jestethos Mar were established, by the end of the Age of Dawning all the countries we know today, or at least what would become them, had been formed.
Unfortunately with all of this expansion came conflict and a time known as the Dawn Wars, a period of war between Analaia, Cethil and Ebren that started as an argument over the ownership of the archives at Ankaradeth. Eventually, despite a decade of war, talks were held in Esthyne and the conflict was brought to an end. From this people learned that even in this new age better infrastructure and communications were needed. It was a costly lesson, but it was taken to heart.
In the Reforged Age that followed people began to work together to rebuild and to try and bring the world closer together again.They began to build trade routes, to protect them, and establish crafthalls throughout the land. This eventually led to the formation of what is known in the modern day as the Guilds.
The Guilds are a consortium of organizations that eventually spread throughout all the lands within the Veil. Each hall presides over a particular skill set and provides resources, training, and guidance for those that join them. Their goal is not to control all aspects of a certain trade, but rather provide a resource that is backed and maintained by a large support system. The main halls are housed within the city state of Osthmana that was formed in the years following the Dawn War. Smaller halls also exist within nearly every city throughout the Veiled lands, with the exception of present day Meraset. And while the guilds are deeply prominent, a complaint of some, it is always easy to find a local shop or service if that is what one needs.
About the time the guilds had become fully established a calamity arose in Esthyne. Now, this is one of those things I could go into great detail about, but I am instead going to be infuriatingly vague so that you, like my players, are wracked with questions.
So in the year 909 Post Remembrance a titan, a remnant of the days of the Decimation, burrowed from beyond the veil, underneath the barrier, and began laying waste to Esthyne. It was laid low a year later by a group of heroes and one of the primordial dragons. When it was dead all that was left was a corpse and a tunnel that led underneath the barrier and beyond the Veil.
But I don’t want to bore you with the details.
The age that followed was a time of exploration and discovery as people used this new passage to begin exploring the world beyond the Veil. This led to new discoveries in magic and technology that quickly ushered the world into a new age. An age of learning and discovery that began to slowly incorporate magic and technology back into the world. One of the greatest discoveries was that life still existed beyond the Veil, including tribes and clans of people that had managed to survive and bind together in the years following those dark days. They came to be known as Wildlings and while they preferred to keep to themselves, now that the new world and old world had met it was impossible to not at least be curious about each other.
It wasn’t long before conflict arose again, this time in Lothaeu. The King, upon his deathbed, had divided his kingdom into three beyond his children and what followed was a decades long civil war that led to the complete destruction of the monarchy. It only ended when, as a last ditch effort, the Guild cut off all trade and support for the country. It did help end the war, but showed the depth of the influence the guilds now held.
And if that isn’t foreshadowing I don’t know what is.
Soon people began to notice that the Veil that had protected everyone during the days of the Decimation had begun to weaken. It was not noticeable at first, just a few places where passage through became possible, but eventually it was clear that the entire barrier was growing thinner. Weaker until eventually passage through it was not just possible, but easy. This was great for those wanting to explore the world beyond, but not great for the country of Meraset.
Their location for years had been a key to their role in trade. The peninsula that they lived on extended past the Veil, effectively blocking direct access between the Western coast and the Southern Sea. They had specialized in trading goods between these seas but with the barrier now passable people could bypass them completely. Immediately their economy began to suffer and they reached out to the Guilds for assistance in finding a solution to the problem. When the Guilds’ help proved to solve nothing they opted to blockade the passage with their own ships and demand tolls.
Remember that foreshadowing? When Meraset refused to end their blockade, the Guilds cut them off from their resources completely. The already economically struggling Meraset was forced to end their blockade, but surprisingly they refused the Guild’s offers to return afterwards. In fact they burned guild halls in their cities and cast out every member of the guilds from within their borders. To this day Meraset refuses to work with the guilds, determined to stand on their own so that they can never be at the whims of others again. They would depend on their own Ministries, and make themselves strong on their own.
And a little over a century later they would return with a strength that the world hadn’t foreseen. In what is now known as the Occupation War Meraset’s more advanced army overran large parts of Ebren and Lothaeu, holding control over them for decades. The only thing that stopped them was the assassination of their Sovereign and military leadership. The war effort collapsed and soon most of the lands they claimed were back under the control of those that had once held them. Only the lands they had first taken, and held since the first days of the war, stayed under their domain. Meraset did gain one victory in all of it, though, as the influence of the guild in the lands they once occupied has not fully recovered to this day.
And that is how the world sits today. Meraset still holds the ire of many and in return has no love for them either. Peace has reigned for the forty years since the war’s end, and the cycle of seasons moves on. Soon we’ll see what history holds next, but that is where our tale ends for today. Next time we’ll talk a bit about the countries themselves, and the world we’ll be living in, but after that, we’ll be taking our first steps on Hy’ilrith’s ground. Thank you for joining us today. Hopefully you found this little history lesson enjoyable, and hopefully you’ll join us next time. If you do, I’ll be seeing you then. Well… talking to you then. You get it.. Until then, take care!
 
"The Pyre" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;

Lore of Hy’ilrith: Moons and Magic

Welcome to the first of three lore episodes introducing the new campaign! Included is a transcript of the episode for those who prefer to read!
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Welcome, one and all, to Through the Balcony and welcome, for the first time, to the world of Hy’ilrith. For those of you joining us here for the first time, I am Adam, the Dungeon Master for this homebrew campaign. This particular episode, and the next few like it, are not our usual live play content, which I only specify because I’ve had family members get confused about that before. Instead, today, we’re going to explore a little bit of our new world before we fully dive in.
Now, if you want to go into the game with a blank slate and learn all of it over the course of the story that is totally alright. However, during the process of making characters my players were given a primer on the world that covered things like magic, and religion and history so they’re going into this with at least a basic knowledge of the world at large. That way as we go into the world I can mention things like countries and gods in passing until we have a good moment to dive into those details further. So my goal over these little lore episodes is just to introduce anyone interested to the world just a bit. No spoilers, but if you aren’t interested come back in a few weeks for the official start of the campaign. I will warn you that this first one is a little more technical since it’s focus is on the elements that make the backbone of the campaign. It’s still fun, but you have been warned!
For those hanging around…welcome to Hy’ilrith.
Hy’ilrith is the second moon of the gas giant Osharra, orbiting it once in a day. As for Osharra itself, it is the fourth planet orbiting the sun Corisdrin. Its orbit around the sun is slightly elliptical and is the main cause of the seasons on Osharra’s moons. At perigee, when the planet is nearest the sun, Hy’ilrith is at the height of summer and in winter when it is at apoge.
Something of note is that Hy’ilrith itself is tidally locked to its parent planet. The side of the moon facing Osharra is, unsurprisingly, known at the moon’s planetward side, and the side away from it known as the starward side. On the planetward side, the presence of Osharra in the sky above leads to a different day and night cycle from the starward side where the sun rises at dawn in the east and sets at night in the west. On the planetward side the sun rises at first light and sets for true night when it passes behind the planet in the sky above. True dawn is when the sun rises yet again, and the time when the sun sets is often referred to simply as night, though it is also called Osharra light, as the sun’s light reflected from the planet is bright enough to easily read by.
Here would probably be the best time to talk about seasons, though there is a slight challenge to that because magic, the gods, and the seasons are all intimately tied together. A cleverer person than I might be able to introduce them all at once but you’re stuck with me, so we’ll just start with the seasons and delve more deeply into the magic later.
Throughout the year the world goes through two different cycles. The first is a cycle of light and dark, the magics of creation and decay.. When Hy’ilrith halfway between its apogee and perigee, the power of light and dark are in equilibrium. As the planet moves towards perigee light waxes to its height before waning back to equilibrium. The cycle then repeats for dark; equilibrium, waving to full, and waning back to equilibrium. Within these cycles there is another cycle within the other three elemental powers in the world: Growth, Stability, and Change. Once per cycle of light or dark, these powers have a period of dominance. Starting from the equilibrium of light and dark, the magic of Growth rises to prominence. It shifts to Stability,then to Change, and then repeats. This happens once per cycle of light, and once per cycle of dark, and the combination of these two cycles is the basis of the seasons of Hy’ilrith. The year starts with Spring’s Blooming as equilibrium shifts towards light. This is followed by Summer’s Bounty and then Autumn’s Tapestry before the balance shifts towards darkness. That shift is marked by the start of Fall’s Quieting which eventually leads into Winter’s Respite and Vernal Dawn. Each season is 63 days long, dividing up the 378 day long Hy’ilrith year.
So now that we’ve talked about how magic affects the seasons, let’s get a little bit more into the specifics of it. I will try to keep it as simple as possible. There are five prime elemental forces that shape the magic of Hy’ilrith. Elemental in the sense that they are the key ingredients that make up all magic, rather than elements like fire, earth, and water. These elements are known as Aya, the element of creation and light; Era, the element of chance; Kan, the element of stability; Fai, the element of growth; and Ru, the element of shadow and decay.
All magic is made up of these elements. A simple way to look at it would be to compare magic to colors. Just as any color is made up of Red, Blue, and Yellow and shaded by white and black, all magic is made up Era, Kan, and Fai and influenced by Aya and Ru. This means that Aya and Ru work in their own axis that affects the other three. This means that Era, Kan, and Fai directly interact with each other, but that they can also be either light or dark aspected.
While all magic divine and arcane alike use the same elements, diving casters like clerics draw magic from the source, and arcanists draw their magic from the world around them. Some alchemists can dilute the elemental essence in plants and minerals in the world and shape them into a form anyone can use. At the end of the day, however, these things all exist in a balance that is critical for all on Hy’ilrith to live.
And overseeing that balance we have the gods, the embodied will of the elements themselves.
There are five gods on Hy’ilrith whose only purpose is to maintain the careful balance of elements that allows life on Hy’ilrith to thrive. While they work on a macro scale, it is their clerics, and on rare occasions their Champions and Avatars, who work in the world on a daily basis to make sure that problems on the smaller scale are never able to rise to a scale that the gods need to directly intervene.
The last time that happened the world was never the same, but that’s a story for next time.
The first of the five gods is Ardayn. He is known as the Life Giver, Light Bearer and Creations hammer. He rules over the forces of creation and light, and guides crafters, builders, and many others. Temples to him are the most common among the gods, and he is very much seen as a protector and guide to the world. His paladins are known as Dawnknights and often devote themselves to protecting the world and those that live in it.
The second god is Eowra, and they are the first of the three deities influenced by light and dark. As the god that presides over the powers of change the effect of those forces on them isn’t as easily discerned as with their fellows as their form is often changing and thus they only bear one name. Their titles are many, however, and they are known as the Endless Ocean, the Weaver and the Tempest, among many others. Any who spend time on the water turn to them for guidance, and their temples are often found near the water. The Tidebearers that protect these temples also seek to ensure safe passage for those upon the rivers and seas of the world.
The next god is referred to as Ravv as a general term, but the aspect of light or dark they align to gives them two distinct sides, much like a coin. Their light aspected name is Ravkai, and she is a creator and crafter said to form the very land itself. When aligned with shadow, however, he is known as Ravkin, and he is said to bring tremors to the world when he walks. Any who work with earth or stone or metal, and those that work the land, are among those that pay Ravv homage. Kan, the power of stability, is the domain of magic they rule over, and the Stalwart Guard that serve him have been a shield against danger for millenia.
The last of the trio is known as Nefen, but much like Ravv the are better known by their aspected names. Nefenth, the light aligned form, and Nefena, the dark aligned form, oversee the powers of Fai; the powers of grown. When people speak of Nefenth they talk about how gentle and encouraging he is, how comforting he is. Nefena, on the other hand, is wary and suspicious. She takes the path she ust with little regard for others. Many travelers and hunters, and merchants pay visits to their shrines, but give the Tempestsworn Paladins a wide berth.
This brings us to the last of the gods: Ardayn’s balance, Ruin. She is known as Wither, Decay, Entropy. The Darkness Before the End. Few openly worship her, but all respect and fear her. Her duty is necessary as she rules over the powers of shadow and decay. And though least loved among the gods, she carries on with her task without cease. Her clerics and her Fadeknights are rarely seen, but much like shadows she is never far away.
There are other powerful beings in the world, such as the Primordial Dragons, or the god simply known as the Keeper that watches over the souls of the dead, but out of all of them Ruin is the only one with a day wholly devoted to her. The day at the very center of Winter’s Respite is known as the Day of Remembrance. A day when the world goes dark, all light seeming to abandon it. It is a day to gather with those you love and reflect on the past. Reflect, and remember what matters to you. It is a day that also serves as a reminder that Ruin should be respected, for it is said she was the one that brought about the Decimation nearly two millennia ago.
But, like I said, we’ll get to that next time when we cover the History of Hy’ilrith. For now, I hope you enjoyed yourself. We’ll be back soon, but until then, take care.
"Teller of Tales" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;

Game of Heroes - Episode 7 - Welcome to Egregia

Despite a few bumps along the way, the Ambassadors make their way to Egregia. After pirates, a few private conversations should be pretty tame but during the Game of Heroes anything can happen.
Music in this episode is:"Midnight Tale" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Elf Meditation" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Hope" by Alex Mason and the Minor Emotion, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Anguis" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Sleepers" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"The Descent" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Northern Lullaby" by Sergey Cherimisinov, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Your Promise" by Alex Mason and the Minor Emotion, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Docks District" by TabletopAudio, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, TabletopAudio;
"Ashen" by Misha Dioxin, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Moonlight Hall" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Monomyth - The Vision" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Shadowlands 1 - Horizon" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Intervention (No Melody)" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Moonlight Hall" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"River Fire" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Infados" by Scott Buckley, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, ScottBuckley.com.au;
"Brave" by Borrtex, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;

Game of Heroes - Episode 6 - The Cursed Crown

With the drama of the royal family staying behind the group in Adora, the Ambassadors continue on their way towards the next trial in Egregia. Hopefully this leg of the journey, at least, can be smooth sailing.
Music in this episode is:"Midnight Tale" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Lost Frontier" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Ambiment" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Silver Flame" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Virtutes Instrumenti" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Elf Meditation" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Ashen" by Misha Dioxin, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;
"Grave Blow" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"The Descent" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Long Note One" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"Shadowlands 1 - Horizon" by Kevin MacLeod, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, Incompetech;
"I Will Never Give Up" by Borrtex, Licensed under Creative Commons: Attibution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, Free Music Archives;