Dicey Stories

Imogen and Karax perform surgery on Malorn. Lilly and Li June provide the refreshments. Scene 1Scene 2 Note: There is a lot of unwise alcohol consumption in this arc. These are fictional characters. We advise you to make better choices in real life. Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric and Heppa learn about the power of stories from the dwarvish bard Glammur. Scene 12 GM Notes The Battle for Wesnoth video game is a turn-based strategy game. Gender identity and sexual orientation don’t factor into it. However, tabletop roleplaying is an immersion into a full world. For me, that means a world populated by a diverse cast, just like real life is. Although I don’t necessarily introduce characters by explicitly announcing these things, as the GM, I make that the reality in the game. You may have noticed that Glammur is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. This campaign includes characters who are, among other things, nonbinary, genderfluid, transgender, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual, just like the world we inhabit does. You may not always realize when a character has one of these traits… again, just like in real life. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Lilly and Imogen escape Iceberg Station with protoss in tow, a wounded Malorn and a newly liberated Karax. Scene 12Scene 13 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric and Heppa make an appeal to Lord Knutan, leader of the Untdunben dwarves. Scene 10 Scene 11 GM Notes Several units from the Battle for Wesnoth video game make an appearance in this arc. The party was attacked by Vampire Bats. Mari-Elin is a Footpad. Trigadur is a Dwarvish Thunderguard. And Lord Knutan, not only is he a Dwarvish Lord unit, but he’s actually a character from Eastern Invasion, where he makes an appearance in Scenario 2. One of the fun things about making an RPG campaign from the video game was picking out little pieces of lore here and there that could inspire far more elaborate events at our table. This episode also introduces the bard Glammur. Their importance to the campaign is reflected in their inclusion in our group character portrait, where they can be seen sitting on the right. Their look was inspired by the Dwarvish Explorer unit. The map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Lilly, Imogen, and Malorn confront Lendasha. The rematch goes much worse than their first meeting at DORF. Scene 9Scene 10Scene 11 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric and Heppa tour the forge, refinery, and mines of the dwarvish stronghold Untdunben. Scene 7Scene 8Scene 9 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Imogen and Lilly convince Malorn to adopt their plan for getting access to Iceberg Station. Scene 5Scene 6Scene 7Scene 8 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Now at the dwarvish fortress of Untdunben, the presumed source of the tainted water in the Estmark Hills, Tric and Heppa begin asking questions. Scene 5Scene 6 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Lilly and Imogen arrive on Deadman’s Rock to meet Malorn, but a rough landing sends them to Mira Han for more than just mail delivery. Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Having been recently rescued from their own troubles by Mari-Elin, Tric and Heppa repay the favor by helping the human carter in return. Scene 3 Scene 4 GM Notes Part of this arc was inspired by The Mary Ellen Carter by Canadian folk music legend Stan Rogers. I’d had the idea for this encounter bumping around in my head for a while, but I had no specific plan to use it in this arc. However, when the bats were getting the better of the PCs at the end of last episode, that seemed the perfect time to bring Mari-Elin into play. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGRP3jxwD_A Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Lost & Found lines up additional work for both zerg and protoss clients. Scene 29Scene 30Scene 31 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

The saurian Hezzis guides Tric and Heppa to a cave system where they run into some of the natural dangers of the underground. Scene 1Scene 2 GM Notes This arc contains spoilers for the Battle for Wesnoth campaign Eastern Invasion. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

A couple infested terrans welcome Imogen and Lilly to Char and present them to the Queen of Blades. Scene 26Scene 27Scene 28 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric and Heppa uncover more information about the water quality issue in the Estmark Hills. Tric makes another deal with the saurian skirmisher Hezzis to advance their investigation. Scene 13 Scene 14 Scene 15 GM Notes The Realms of Terrinoth fantasy supplement for Genesys has a talent called Templar that makes Divine a career skill for your character, but lets them only cast one spell per encounter. We made a similar talent for Primal for use in our game, with an Improved version that takes away the casting limit. As of this episode, Heppa has the initial talent, with plans to acquire the Runic Lore talent, as well. Meanwhile, Tric plans to acquire the Bard talent. There are no bards in the mainline Battle for Wesnoth unit list, so this is an area where we just make up our own lore. Runes do exist to some extent in the Battle for Wesnoth, but we make up a lot for ourselves in that area as well. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Imogen and Lilly spend some time at Li June’s compound, solidifying their friendship with the recluse while advancing Imogen’s research. Scene 21Scene 22Scene 23Scene 24Scene 25 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Heppa studies both the necromantic artifact and the unwell human mage who helped recover it. Meanwhile, Tric focuses on camp tasks, demonstrating more outdoor survival prowess than he may actually possess. Scene 10 Scene 11 Scene 12 GM Notes Several units from the Battle for Wesnoth video game make an appearance in this arc. The party was attacked by Walking Corpses. Hezzis is a Saurian Skirmisher. The staff the party finds is that of a Necromancer. And most of all, there’s Kachen.  Kachen’s appearance and some of his qualities were strongly influenced by the Dark Adept unit in the Battle for Wesnoth video game. Also, by my own sleep issues. For me, GMing is an opportunity to explore all sorts of personalities and world views. It provides an avenue for grappling with real-life issues as well. In this case, my periodic insomnia and shallow sleeping. Through Kachen, I could give it a face and a name, and at least this one fictional character understood what I go through some nights. Anyway, that all was the starting point for Kachen, but he became much more over time. His importance to the campaign is reflected in his inclusion in our group character portrait, where he can be seen standing in the shadows on the left. The map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Imogen takes Jim Raynor to task over the goals and implementation of his revolution. Scene 18Scene 19Scene 20 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Heppa, Tric, and Kachen find a necromancer’s staff but are set upon by other denizens of the swamp. Scene 8 Scene 9 GM Notes At the end of this episode, you hear me once again review with my players what they and their characters are interested in doing. This was a technique I picked up from the Mythic GM Emulator. When playing with that, you specifically keep track of story threads, adding new ones to the list when they crop up and crossing them off when they are resolved. I find it a helpful practice particularly at the start of a new campaign, when everyone is getting used to their new characters and a new world. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Lilly and Imogen seize control of Mar Sara City communications to support the attack by Raynor’s Raiders, but things take a nasty turn. Scene 15Scene 16Scene 17 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric and Heppa meet Kachen, an unsettling human hermit who is also looking for something in the swamp. Scene 5Scene 6Scene 7 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Imogen and Lilly help Raynor’s Raiders with preparations for the liberation of Mar Sara City. Scene 12Scene 13Scene 14 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric and Heppa investigate the remains of long-ago battles in the swamp where Connie and Marvin get their peat. Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4 GM Notes This arc contains spoilers for the Battle for Wesnoth campaign Eastern Invasion, as well as references to the Legend of Wesmere. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Li June helps Lilly recover the information from her adjutant. Scene 9Scene 10Scene 11 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Tric and Heppa get lost in the Estmark Hills and stumble upon a criminal enterprise. Scene 6 Scene 7 Scene 8 Scene 9 GM Notes I had definitely intended the campaign to start with an exploration of the southern battlefield, but a failed Geography check took us way off course. Fortunately, I already had some ideas bouncing around in my head for adventures further down the line. The events in this episode were inspired by the Irish folk song Hills of Connemara. I particularly like the version performed by Gaelic Storm. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rREMPw8U2No The character of Hepalonia started our game with Intolerance as her Flaw, and in the first few sessions, her player wrestled with how to portray that, hence some of the ignorant comments about humans that you hear in this episode. Eventually, we shifted her Flaw to Ignorance, since that was more comfortable for the player. One of the things I really enjoy about RPGs is watching characters come to life through play. For Heppa's player, discovering the character as we play is more important than the adventures that happen around that, so it was important to get her to a place where she was comfortable. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Lilly and Imogen spend some time in Mar Sara City getting Frank set up in his new life as Mervin and meeting with Jim Raynor. Scene 5Scene 6Scene 7Scene 8 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Lord Thrandolil of Estbryn Forest commissions his daughter Hepalonia and nephew Tric Manu, two young elves at loose ends, to seek a magical artifact on his behalf. Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 GM Notes This arc is the Echoes of Invasion season 1 opener. It contains spoilers for the Battle for Wesnoth campaigns Eastern Invasion and the South Guard, as well as references to Liberty and the Legend of Wesmere. Prior to starting play, we decided as a group that the PCs would be cousins and settled on the general concept of the game involving searching for magical artifacts on behalf of a patron. I asked the players when making their characters to come up with some NPCs in their village. This first episode was a chance to bounce the PCs off of those NPCs to help the players get comfortable with their new characters.  The character of Tric Manu, who is inspired by the writings of outdoor humorist Patrick McManus, is a half-elf. You will frequently hear us refer to him as an elf, since that is his cultural upbringing. The player gave me, the GM, permission to do whatever I wanted with the background of Tric’s parents, some of which I start hinting at right from the beginning. That's going to be a major thread running through our campaign. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

Removed from the warfront, Frank regains equilibrium with the help of Lilly and Imogen. Lilly has drinks with Durian on Korhal while Imogen meets Kate Lockwell in a dark Augustgrad alley. Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4 Note 1: This arc is the FRAWD Investigators season 3 opener. Note 2: This arc features Ted, who appeared previously in our unrecorded pilot. If you’re curious about the events discussed, read the narrative write-up of that story here. Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Thirtysome years ago, the lich Mal-Ravanal and his undead hordes were beaten back from the gates of Weldyn, capital of the human kingdom of Wesnoth. In the intervening decades, Wesnoth has recovered under the benevolent rule of King Konrad II. Of course, all of this is irrelevant to two young elves simply looking to see the world and avoid responsibilities in their small forest. Isn’t it? Jump to Arcs | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 Setup Wesnoth: Echoes of Invasion is a tabletop roleplaying campaign set in the world of the video game The Battle for Wesnoth. It takes place during the Silver Age, three decades after the events in the mainline campaign Eastern Invasion. Our characters are young elves from a small forest on the edge of the Estmark Hills, two cousins both eager to avoid settling into a boring career. Their first adventure together is to seek an artifact on behalf of a researcher in their village, a task which sets in motion events that will change their lives in ways they never imagined. The themes of Echoes of Invasion include belonging, healing, responsibility, judgment, and legacies. Echoes of Invasion is played using the Genesys roleplaying system now published by Edge Studio. We also occasionally reference the Mythic Game Master Emulator’s event meaning tables for inspiration. The release of each episode’s audio will be accompanied by a serialized, narrative write-up of the adventure. Background If you know nothing about The Battle for Wesnoth, that’s fine! Neither did one of our players prior to starting this game. But if you do know Wesnoth, don’t worry; the rest of our group is quite familiar with the world from playing the video game. Although I enjoy turn-based strategy and am partial to hex maps, what I really like about Battle for Wesnoth are its storylines. When my turn to GM came up, I decided it would be the perfect world to explore in a tabletop RPG. Echoes of Invasion draws heavily upon Eastern Invasion, but I pulled details from many other campaigns as well, including some User-Made Content (UMC). I will provide specific spoilers and references for those as we get to them. I also made frequent use of materials at wesnoth.org, including the timeline, maps, unit descriptions, campaign dialogue, and discussion forums. Some details, though, we have made up for ourselves, drawing inspiration from the Realms of Terrinoth fantasy sourcebook for Genesys.  Art Our lovely character illustration was done by Del Borovic. She was great to work with. You can find her online at delborovic.com. As for our map, I drew that. It is nowhere near as beautiful, but I had fun pulling out the colored pencils. The music for our podcast episodes is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Arcs Season 1 1. Still Waters Run Deep - Heppa and Tric, two young elves looking to avoid responsibilities at home, agree to ventu

Lilly finds everything she was looking for, but leaving Tarsonis behind is a little rougher than anticipated. Scene 6Scene 7Scene 8 Note: Dicey Stories is going to take a short break. We’ll be back in July. Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Imogen negotiates with Captain Hawke for control of the Confederate adjutant that implicates Arcturus Mengsk. Scene 5 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

An old ally helps Lilly deal with a zerg attack in Tarsonis City Metro Station. Scene 3Scene 4 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Lilly, Imogen, and their marine escorts return to Tarsonis. Scene 1Scene 2 Note: This arc is the FRAWD Investigators season 2 finale. Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Imogen desocializes Frank the Tank. Scene 15Scene 16Scene 17 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Lilly shares more of her secrets with Durian while Imogen juggles her own relationships with Dominion servicemen. Scene 13Scene 14 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Despite a variety of setbacks, Imogen finally acquires some terrazine. Scene 11Scene 12 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Lilly shares parts of her past with Durian while Imogen starts taking steps to reverse a resocialization. Scene 7Scene 8Scene 9Scene 10 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

While Lilly rubs shoulders with the brass at Durian’s promotion ceremony, Imogen digs for information in the seedier parts of assault platform Imperative. Scene 4Scene 5Scene 6 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Imogen and Lilly get a job offer from the Queen of Blades. Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Kate Lockwell’s team successfully completes the PR stunt on Tarsonis, but Lilly and Imogen uncover a reason to linger in the system. Scene 15Scene 16Scene 17 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

The Special Mission goes fine until other Dominion forces get involved. Scene 12Scene 13Scene 14 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Lilly and Imogen go on dates, and the Special Mission starts with a bang. Scene 8Scene 9Scene 10Scene 11 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Imogen and Lilly present their case for a Special Mission to the military comptroller. Scene 6Scene 7 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

With the zerg incursion dealt with for now, the real danger—Dominion bureaucracy—rears its ugly head. Scene 3Scene 4Scene 5 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Mythic Scene 20 Chaos: 6 Interrupt Roll: 10 > 6, as planned Setup: Trapped in a box Purpose/Goal: Get away with evidence Type: Action Summary Tcho obtains evidence of the moff’s plans. Scene 20.1 Scene 20.2 Scene 20.3 Mythic Scene 21 (Epilogue) Chaos: 5 Interrupt Roll: 10 > 5, as planned Setup: Close of the cruise Purpose/Goal: Understand the moff's plans Type: Social Summary JT helps Tcho understand what he has uncovered. Scene 21.1 Scene 21.2 Scene 21.3 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Referenced Materials Riders of the Maelstrom - adventure module from West End Games Allies and Adversaries - resource collection from Fantasy Flight Games Gear and Gadgets - resource collection from Fantasy Flight Games SWRPG Adversary Decks from Fantasy Flight Games Cold Comfort, Shadow of the Broker IX - fan-made module by Tommy “VerdantSF” Roddy (though I heavily modified it for the Desert Rose Solutions campaign) Star Wars: Resh Hour Trilogy - a set of our previous adventures, featuring JT's girlfriend Renci and Gomarr Note: This episode uses our Chase rules. Find them here. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Lilly and Imogen make their way to Dominion platform Imperative, in orbit above zerg-controlled Tarsonis. Scene 1Scene 2 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Mythic Scene 19 Chaos: 7Interrupt Roll: 1 < 7, odd = alteredNPC Action: Val Isatrick/liesSetup: Gala shmoozingPurpose/Goal: Get moff buy-inType: Social Summary JT sets up an intervention activity on Naboo for the moff. Scene 19 Referenced Materials Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Nexus of Power - Force-strong worlds source book from Fantasy Flight GamesRiders of the Maelstrom - adventure module from West End GamesAllies and Adversaries - resource collection from Fantasy Flight GamesSWRPG Adversary Decks from Fantasy Flight GamesLeia, Princess of Alderaan - novel by Claudia GrayLessons from the Past - adventure module in Force and Destiny from Fantasy Flight Games Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Back on Korhal, Imogen and Lilly prepare to join the assault on Tarsonis. Scene 17Scene 18Scene 19Scene 20 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Mythic Scene 17 Chaos: 7Interrupt Roll: 8 > 7, as plannedSetup: Dinner hourPurpose/Goal: Get moneyType: Social Summary JT solicits donations at the gala. Scene 17.1Scene 17.2 Mythic Scene 18 Chaos: 6Interrupt Roll: 8 > 6, as plannedSetup: Ballroom holds moff thingsPurpose/Goal: Get infoType: Exploration Summary Tcho gains access to the moff’s equipment. Scene 18.1Scene 18.2 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Referenced Materials Star Wars: Resh Hour Trilogy - a set of our previous adventures, featuring JT's girlfriend Renci and GomarrThe Scrapheap King, Shadow of the Broker III - fan-made adventure module by Tommy “VerdantSF” RoddyCold Comfort, Shadow of the Broker IX - fan-made module by Tommy “VerdantSF” Roddy (though I heavily modified it for the Desert Rose Solutions campaign)The Jewel of Yavin - adventure module from Fantasy Flight GamesRiders of the Maelstrom - adventure module from West End GamesAllies and Adversaries - resource collection from Fantasy Flight GamesSWRPG Adversary Decks from Fantasy Flight Games Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ramping-up Dominion military activity intrudes upon Lilly and Imogen’s workaday lives. Scene 13Scene 14Scene 15Scene 16 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Mythic Scene 16 Chaos: 8Interrupt Roll: 7 < 8, odd = alteredFocus: NPC Action (Kerr-Lonn-Ny)ruin/ambushSetup: The night of the gala, Tcho sneaks into the moff's spacePurpose/Goal: Gain informationType: Social/Investigative Summary Tcho snoops around the moff’s quarters while the gala gets underway. Scene 16.1Scene 16.2Scene 16.3 Need context? Jump to the start of the series! Referenced Materials Riders of the Maelstrom - adventure module from West End GamesAllies and Adversaries - resource collection from Fantasy Flight GamesSWRPG Adversary Decks from Fantasy Flight GamesThe Scrapheap King, Shadow of the Broker III - fan-made adventure module by Tommy “VerdantSF” RoddyThe Jewel of Yavin - adventure module from Fantasy Flight GamesLeia, Princess of Alderaan - novel by Claudia GrayLessons from the Past - adventure module in Force and Destiny from Fantasy Flight Games Music: https://www.purple-planet.com