It's been an annoying day. Allergies and hot as fuck weather that made my brain shut down. I'm not made for this, I live in a temperate zone!

Anyway. Grant Howitt posted some Spire weapons and now I want to play in a Spire campaign again.

#spirerpg #ttrpg #mastoart #art

I'm about to GM my first RPG today. Feeling a little overwhelmed, but I think it should be okay. I whipped up an impromptu GM screen out of some scrap plywood and mahogany this morning to make it look like I know what I'm doing.

#GM #RPG #spireRPG #woodworking #Boardgames

I spent quite a large amount of time reading the #SpireRPG book over the last day or two. The world is fantastic and I really like the Pratchett/Mieville/Cultist Simulator/Locke Lamora vibes.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't find running a game of it daunting though - I've never GM-ed before and don't think my players are going to be as keen on reading this as I was. Any tips for a new GM?

#rpg #tabletopgames #gamesmaster #SpireTheCityMustFall #Spire

Just ran a one-shot of Spire, the delightful little drow-as-resistance fighters #TTRPG

My players forged some documents, clubbed an old lady on her head, and exposed a church official's private life.

I wasn't sure about the whole D10 system when I read it, but it ran clean and fast. Definitely going to return to this one.
#SpireRPG

I present Nyx my pj for the Spire game. Vermissian Sage. With his multiple lenses he can see the intricacies of other realities parallel to ours, where Spire may not be dominated by the cruel Aelfirs.

#ttrpg #spirerpg #Spirethecitymustfall #dnd #ttrpg #CharacterDesign #ConceptArt #Sketchbook #illustration #mastoart #OriginalArt #fantasy

I present Nyx my pj for the Spire game. Vermissian Sage. With his multiple lenses he can see the intricacies of other realities parallel to ours, where Spire may not be dominated by the cruel Aelfirs.

#ttrpg #spirerpg #Spirethecitymustfall #dnd #ttrpg #CharacterDesign #ConceptArt #Sketchbook #illustration #mastoart #OriginalArt #fantasy

“The Blues must love it. Maybe an outsider like you can break our losing streak”.

“I better introduce you to your Nautilus, Sun-of-the-Dark. He can be a skittish beastey and I wouldn’t want him to devour you by accident. It’d take bloody hours”. You are maybe 60 percent sure this is a joke.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

The druid is delighted with your decision and escorts you back to meet the head of the faction that you will represent. The Red & Green. Their head-woman looks relieved. “Don’t worry about titles. Just call me Mai”. She is a stately drow of advanced age. 

“Bad bloody luck” she says referring to the stricken rider. “It is the curse of the Red & Green and no mistake. We haven’t won this race since back in the Summer of the One and Fifty Garlands”. Decades past.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

You ask him when that will be and he responds “oh, no more than three days time. Come now. But if you are in a hurry it occurs to me that we are suddenly a rider short for the next race".

"If you would be willing to wear the Red & Green of the Lady Plane-O-The-Yew-Trees then you could get into the winners enclosure that much sooner."

"What say you? Will you risk the lag? Will you ride the Nautilus?”

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

You slip on past & head towards the far end of the chamber where you know the exit lies - however an ancient drow stops you. His matted hair, irascible smile and officious manner mark him out as the chief druid at this event.

He says “I’m afraid that access to that part of the chamber is forbidden for now - that's the winners enclosure. It is now sanctified and made ready for the riders. It must be preserved in that state until the end of all the races.”

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

But as you watch, one, wearing livery of green and red chevrons suddenly spasms, and issuing a deep & resonating bellow of distress, slides very very slowly off his mount. His body almost flows like a liquid, undulating over the curves of the snails massive shell, until coming to a rest on the ground. He has had a bad reaction.

Some riders find the union with the divine achieved in such rituals to be so overpowering that they simply cannot cope with it.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

The riders have all received their ritual drugs and have achieved the appropriate connection with the spiritual plane in order to participate.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

Making your way to the crowd you see they are preparing for the next race. Four snails are being made ready - each one representing a different faction.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

There is also a barred and padlocked gate to your right. A sign in lurid red paint reads “NO ENTRY”.

Giving the crowd your attention you see they are gathered around several gigantic Nautilus snails, each the size of a horse and each bearing a rider dressed in different bright livery. It’s a ritual snail race. Part sporting fixture, part religious ceremony. There will be a Druid somewhere nearby, acting as chief officiant, referee and opiate wrangler.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

There is also a barred and padlocked gate to your right. A sign in lurid red paint reads “NO ENTRY”.

Giving the crowd your attention you see they are gathered around several gigantic Nautilus snails, each the size of a horse and each bearing a rider dressed in different bright livery. It’s a ritual snail race. Part sporting fixture, part religious ceremony. There will be a Druid somewhere nearby, acting as chief officiant, referee and opiate wrangler.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

The tunnel, its wall floor and ceiling covered in ancient cracked tiles, slopes gently downward and curves so that you cannot see its end, but there is a gentle glow somewhere up ahead. As you trudge forward a noise begins to rise - is that cheering?

Eventually you enter a large, high ceilinged, well-lit chamber - there is a small crowd of festive drow here, gathered at the far end, in front of you. You know that there is a way forward beyond that crowd

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Snails

Luckily you have no intention of taking a dip and you push on towards the light burning ahead.

Your boat arrives at a small outcropping illuminated by the sickly green glow of a werelight . You tie up your boat and make your way up the steps carved into the wall. At the top is a dark doorway. You duck your head to pass through and move into a low ceilinged tunnel.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Basilica

You glide gracefully through the water, the wake from your boat lapping gently against the countless stately pillars that form a watery avenue. The singing behind you has ended; & been replaced by laughter, but you are already pulling away from whatever that distraction might be.

There are flickers of light in the water ahead.

The surface crackles and sparkles - electric eels skitter around the hull of the boat. To fall in now would be disastrous.

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Basilica

Turning to the green beacon you glide through the water, the wake from your boat lapping gently against the countless stately pillars forming a watery avenue. You can hear someone singing to your right:

“We're all meat to the Cannibal King
Seldom so sweet when his dinner bell ring
He offers no mercy for cries or for sighs
The sight‘s a terrible feast for your eyes
The only water he cares for boils in his pot
So tarry with me, I’ll bother you not”

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Basilica

Far ahead you can see a light burning like a navigation beacon through the serried ranks of pillars. You know that this light marks the Black Canal - a waterway which winds through the Deep-Works. Somewhere to the right, another light burns in the distance. This light is green and marks another jetty and the entrance to the tunnels. All else is blackness.

You climb into the boat and punt out into the inky darkness. Which direction will you punt towards:

#SpireRPG #WeirdCisterns #Basilica