DMing Chemistry

 One of the easier ways around the limitations of war-monsters is to take direct control. Helms of Monster Command are the most popular way of achieving this. When put on, the wearer falls into a trance-like state, where they take over the body of the war-monster that the Helm is linked to, allowing generals to control these mighty beasts much better. Unlike most other magical artifacts, these items are often made on a larger scale, with armies having access to sometimes as many as a dozen.  Their main advantage is that they are relatively easy and cheap to make. They also don't need costly training to be used effectively, and the vulnerability of the wearer's original body means that even slaves can be forced to don them, turning them into effective soldiers. The main drawbacks are that they need to be keyed to a specific war-monster, and if the creature dies, the helmet needs to be re-enchanted. It is also remarkably easy for an enemy spellcaster to sever the connection bet...

  It is said that the best copper in the world comes from the island of Demros. While that may or may not be true, it is certain that the island exports a lot of copper. Located between the Orcish , Reptilian and Bronze Elven homelands, the isle is a natural meeting point between cultures, and also occupies a prime position to be a trading hub.  First settled by the orcs, Demros has since became a home a to many different peoples brought in by the siren song of trade and wealth. Many empires tried to control it, but not only could it always pay the best mercenaries, it could always call on the other empires to protect it, since if it were ever to fall under the yoke of a single empire, the shipments of copper would surely cease to the other great powers, or at least they would become much more expensive. Thus the continued neutrality of Demros is in the interest of all. Recently Demros has been hit hard by the Invaders , and for the first time in living memory its mighty wal...

  Sea serpents and their cousins, the river and lake monsters are the brood of Termak, demoness of the Waters Below. She was defeated by the gods, sealed beneath the earth, but her children escaped and multiplied to the point that almost all bodies of water house at least one monster. Despite their origins, these monsters usually leave people alone, only occasionally sinking boats, or eating those who swim carelessly. Most of the time a few sacrificed animals a month keeps them amicable enough, and they have no wish to interact with mortals beyond that. Sometimes however, they become a danger to all who would enter their waters, in which case they need to be put down. Slaying these mighty beasts is very much a task for the mightiest, or most foolhardy of warriors. The one place aquatic monsters are consistently hostile is the deep ocean. Once one sails a few days past the point they can see land from, they enter the territory of these deadly monsters, and they will try to sink any ...

 The Great Beasts are one of the names given to the first of each kind of animal the gods made. Other names include the Guardians, Animal Forefathers, and That Really Huge Animal I Saw One Time, You Wouldn't Believe It. As the first of their kind, they exemplify everything the animal is meant to be, always looking immaculate, in their prime, and in perfect physical health. They are also gigantic. Mouse is easily the size of a cart, Wolf is larger than most houses, and really big animals like Aurochs is even larger than that. It is said that the Great Beasts don't ever stop growing, and as such they just kept getting bigger and bigger since the creation of the world. The Great Beasts are also intelligent, and remember their long life well, so they are an invaluable source of information about past events they witnessed. Unfortunately they spend, and have spent most of their time wandering the uncharted wilderness, rarely coming into contact with humans. They have been around for...

 Brigthbugs are large arthropoid creatures, approximately the size of a cat. The have eight long armored legs, a large, round, fleshy abdomen, and a prominent proboscis capable of drilling through the skull of most humanoids. They get their name from the bright light they produce from their abdomen as a mating display.  For most of their lifecycle, brightbugs are actually rather small aquatic predators that mainly eat frogs, small fish and occasionally snakes. However after their last molting they enter their adult form. In this form they try to use their luminescent abdomens to lure in animals, then leap on their faces, and use their proboscis to pierce the skull, and take control of the animal's body. They then use their newfound mobility to search for partners, before expiring a few days later. Their glow, now bright red from the blood of their victim signals to potential mates that they have successfully completed their hunt. Due to the peculiar anatomy of their proboscis,...

  Searing Vengeance is a holy artifact of Aol-Nae , reportedly made from her very essence. It is a long, staff-like weapon the likes of which have rarely been seen. Some parts resemble parts of Long Arms of Thunder , but the resemblance is superficial at best. It is made from materials never seen anywhere else, leaving no doubt about its divine origins. It is activated much like a Long Arm, by pointing the thinner end towards something, then squeezing on a small part with the finger. Unlike a Long Arm however, the Searing Vengeance doesn't make much noise, nor does it fire small bits of metal. Upon activation, a short hum is heard. If the activator remains squeezed, a brilliant beam of light shoots out from the end of the artifact, destroying everything in its path by burning it to ashes. Searing Vengeance is currently housed in the cathedral of Aol-Nae, in the Iron City of Morgonda , under the watchful eyes of the clergy, who wowed to only use it in the direst emergency. It is sai...

  As alluded to before , Ei-Hashtar is a less popular goddess, owing to her visions having less value for most people Among those searching for higher truths however, she is often venerated, even though her visions unravel minds just as often as they elevate them. It is said, she knows all the secrets of other goddesses, and for this reason feuds often with them. She is also said to be hopeless at gardening, with only the Hashtar flower being able to survive in her care. Ei-Hashtar is most often depicted as a woman with six white wings and eyes all over her body. Some depictions add a blindfold as well. She is revered as one who can give glimpses to the unseen world, help to see through deceptions, and even foretell the future. Her sacred symbols are wings and eyes, and she is associated with the summer solstice, when the largest celebration in her honor takes place.

 Unlike many magical items, this spear looks ancient. The shaft is well-worn, and the obsidian tip is barely fastened on with a bunch of fibers. The runes along the shaft are also almost illegible, and look more like pictograms than true writing. Despite its rickety appearance however, the spear is actually one of the mightiest artifacts in existence. As the name implies, it is capable of slaying any supernatural being, no matter if it's ageless, immaterial, or otherwise protected from harm. Many songs are sang about mighty heroes who quested for this spear in order to vanquish evil, and of terrible villains who sought after it to rule the world. Very few succeeded, and even fewer managed to learn the secret techniques needed to utilize the spear to its full potential. The spear is currently housed in a small shrine up in the northern mountains, watched over by the local tribes who fear it, and are worried what might become of the world if it was removed from its resting place. Var...

 Blood Screamers are the lowest form of demons , and are generally very little use to sorcerers, as their only two talents are making a hellish noise and biting things and people. They generally look like red lumps of flesh with eyes, limbs and mouths haphazardly distributed on the surface. Some are even incapable of moving, or can only manage a slow crawl of a pathetic flop. They are quite dumb and all in all pathetic. One could almost pity them if they didn't scream constantly and didn't try to bite anything and anyone they can reach.  According to legend, they were once powerful demons, whose name would strike fear even into the hearts of the gods, so the gods came up with a plan: during the night, they hacked these mighty demons to pieces, and scattered the pieces all over the world, and the Underworld , and the in-between-places, so that their fearsome enemies could never reassemble themselves. This has mostly worked, though there have been recorded cases of several Blood...

  Most often encountered north, near the lands of Caeledor , the Mists of Eternity are an enigma even to the most learned scholars. Where they come from, how they are formed, and how they disappear has sparked many debates amongst those well-versed in arcane secrets. Even their effects are a matter of debate, although it’s certain they must change those that enter somehow.  According to the testimonies of those that have emerged from the mists, they change how time flows: an hour in the mists might be but a moment in the outside world, or it might be several centuries. Some have even claimed to have emerged from the mists before they went in. Others describe fantastical cities hidden in the mists, whose inhabitants exist beyond time, and bestow boons and curses in equal measure. Of course the veracity of these claims cannot be confirmed, just as the claims that some have exited the mists tens of thousands of miles from where they entered, and of course some have never returned...

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...

  All Tomorrows is a magical silver mirror, part of a set containing the now lost All Yesterdays, and the destroyed All Todays. As the name implies, those who look into the mirror can see a possible future. Unfortunately the mirror doesn't tell how likely any given future is, or what needs to be done to achieve or avoid the result shown. People who make heavy use of it usually fall into a sort of monomania, trying to determine the most probable set of future events by trying to view as many as possible. Unfortunately the number of possible futures seems infinite, or at least great enough that one cannot even view a fraction of them in the time it takes for the event in question to take place. So while All Todays was considered a giant security risk by many Sorcerer-Kings, All Tomorrows is mostly regarded as a self-solving problem at best, and a trap for the foolish at worst. All Tomorrows is a human-sized standing mirror, decorated with laughing demons around its rim. It is made en...