Roleplaying games from historical research
We had some Lear last Christmas, so let’s make it a tradition. A new will-o-the-wisp. *** When awful darkness and silence reignOver the great Gromboolian plain,Through the long, long wintry nights; —When the angry breakers roarAs they beat on the rocky shore; —When Storm-clouds brood on the towering heightsOf the Hills of the Chankly Bore:…
Read More
In this episode Cellini gives birth to his masterpiece, the bronze Perseus. It almost kills him and I’d argue that – if it’s because he is a Verditus magus – this process draws on his life energy so that he is in risk of death to get this final piece of work done. I would…
Read More
I’ve been loking forward to reading this for you, because it’s a lovely example of an infernal regio for Ars Magica. Clearly its the work of Architectus from Realms of Power : the Infernal. It also works for Magonomia, but as a particular creature, not a thing that a Realm of Power does as a…
Read More
This poem, which the author claimed as autobiographical, contains angels or demons of the hours, which are progressively more terrible as the night continues. They sap the man’s ability to sleep, such that he becomes like a ghost. Death in life is one of Thomson’s core artistic preoccupations. One note on the contents: “Malebolges” mentioned…
Read MoreI’ve put the transcripts for the Magonomia Bestiary episodes into a single pdf. Please be aware it hasn’t been laid out, edited or playtested by professionals, so it is far lower in quality than the finished book.
Read MoreThree creatures that I considered pitching didn’t make it as far as me offering them for the Magonomia Bestiary. They’re still suitable for your table, but not right for the tone of this book. This is the last episode for the Bestiary Kickstart: it ends on November 24 at 9:00 (US) EST. George, the Minotaur…
Read More
I took over the unicorn and basilisk after another author had to step aside from this project, and initially I wrote them both closely tied to folklore. The unicorn needed a serious rework after I’d finished it. I didn’t get past our sensitivity reader because I was working the “virginity” angle as a plot hook.…
Read More
Satyrs are a problem. We wanted them for Magonomia., because they turn up in the folklore. They are, however, really rapey. That’s also considered a bit humorous in some period work. So, we wanted satyrs, but without any of the baggage. I took it three ways to get there. Satyrs change form over time. The…
Read MoreWell, for my parts, anyway. Afanc egg seller songAside from “Who will buy?” from the musical Oliver! which owes a bit to Cherry Ripe by Robert Herrick, this ditty goes back to the histories of London street cries. The earliest one recorded is in a poem called The London Lickpenny by John Lydgate. I also…
Read More
Although it is disguised a little with variants, the creature called Eala in the Magonomia Bestiary is the haunted harp found in one of the most popular folksongs of the British Isles. To keep things English, which was the remit of the book, I deliberately used a variant from Berwickshire, but we can look at…
Read More
Games From Folktales 