DMing Chemistry

Sea-wolves are curious animals. Not quite a wolf, not quite a dolphin, and not quite a seal either. They live in coastal waters, and hunt mostly fish, but they sometimes kill terrestrial animals that swim too far out to sea. Most sentient peoples are too large for them to try to attack, but there have been reports of children being eaten. It is also said that after the Invaders got beaten back by the reptilians , that so many dead fell into the sea that the sea-wolves acquired a taste for blood, and would attack people for years afterwards, until a sorcerer boiled the water around them, killing them instantly. Sea-wolves are the sacred animal of Ei-Sakarth, goddess of whirlpools, quick storms, lost people, and lost treasures. It is said, that if one prays to her for a whole day and night on the spring equinox, then the first sea-wolves one sees will lead one straight to a sunken ship bearing riches. Temples to the goddess often have pools that house sea-wolves, which are fed the remai...

  This large, circular wooden shield is made in the style of the orcs, with thin, decorative bronze plates on the outside depicting scenes from orcish mythology, with the slaying of a blood-sucking vampire being the centerpiece. The shield’s luster never seems to dim, and even grime and dirt seem to roll off it, like water. The only thing that can stain the metal is blood, which in turn slowly disappears from the surface, as if the bronze was drinking it in. If one pours (or spills) enough blood on it to form a pool larger than a head, one can summon the spirit of a dead person by saying their name three times while looking at their own reflection on the bloodied shield. The spirit takes over the reflection, and answers in the summoner’s own voice, but it sounds as if coming from a great depth, or from below a thick blanket. The spirit has the same disposition towards its summoner as it had in life, and is in no way compelled to tell the truth, or even answer any questions. The Asp...

 One of the greatest taboos all around the world is eating the flesh of other sapient mortals. Of course by "sapient mortals" usually only the more humanoid-looking are meant, the great ' peoples ' who build settlements and practice agriculture or pastoralism. Sky cattle and dragons are a bit controversial, most agree that eating their meat invokes a different, much less predictable curse. Those who eat the flesh of the peoples, however all end up basically the same. They become ghouls, ever-hungry undead of fearsome magical powers. Ghouls can only sate their hunger with the bodies of the people, though they can never actually feel full. Hunger always gnaws on their minds, even as their stomachs burst from eating a whole cadaver. But a well-fed ghoul can overcome its hunger, and act like the person it once was. They can be downright jovial, and most share a generally positive outlook on their unlife. The ones that didn't have long since thrown themselves into a ...

 The Wings of Salvation is the name of a young dragon active near the oceanic coastline of what was once a meeting place of mighty empires, now utterly devastated by drought, earthquakes and raiders . She poses as something of a religious figure, requiring tribute and adoration from the local populace in exchange for protection. While the latter is mostly meant as a guarantee that she won't do anything harmful, not many of the invaders dare approach villages protected by her, as she was proven both able and willing to burn an entire invasion fleet. This feat has gathered her many followers, and the nearby rulers are too preoccupied with the crises elsewhere to pay much heed to what happened to a bunch of fishermen and semi-nomadic goat and cattle herders.  The Wings of Salvation herself is settling in for the long haul, intending to set herself up as a local goddess, becoming the de facto ruler of these lands. Of course older and more powerful dragons have tried to do similar...

 Blessed by the minor goddess of sleep, Hesht, this bronze-tipped spear is balanced by a small bit of bronze wrapped around the end of the shaft, almost like a pommel. This gives the spear better balance, allowing the wielder to grab it farther back, effectively lengthening its reach when wielded in one hand. The enchantment on the spear makes it so that people stabbed with it once become groggy and sluggish, then they fall asleep after the second stab. If one is stabbed for a third time, they never wake up, their bodies preserved in eternal slumber. The stabs need to draw blood to count. The spear is currently in the possession of Old Man Death , after an overconfident youth called Bran the Half-Shaft tried to hunt him with it and got incinerated for his trouble. His father would pay good money to anyone who would recover the charred remains of his son.

 More than just the simple absence of light, the Deep Dark has existed for longer than the gods. It is a small piece of the primordial darkness that existed prior to creation. Banished, it no longer belongs in the world, yet in the deepest caves systems, at the bottom of the most perilous dungeons, at the crushing depths of the oceans, it endures.  While trapped in those places, it hates. It hates the gods, it hates their creation, but most of all it hates light. Being older than the gods, spirits and demons that provide magic, it cannot be disspelled. Natural fire can temporarily drive it back, maybe even hurt it, if it's large enough, but the Deep Dark can fight back, blowing out candles, extinguishing torches, and if strong enough, even swallowing bonfires. There are different types of Deep Dark, which all act slightly different, but they are all malevolent, and they all seek the downfall of the gods and their creation. Some may even offer some sort of accord to foolish mor...