TheWanderingMen’s Blogs

Crown Race: Ethereans

Posted On 05/28/2008 23:09:52

Here's a "sneak peek" excerpt, fresh from the new Crown Campaign Setting from Dark Quest Games! If these strange fellows interest you, be sure and check out the hero of the upcoming Wandering Men novella, Tenet's Tale!

Text Copyright © 2007 by Axel Carlsson
Artwork © by Talon Dunning

Six hundred years ago, before the Great Banishment, the ethereans were servants of the gods. They would often be sent as envoys, spies, or even as commanders of armies, as the gods willed. When the Great Banishment occurred, the ethereans were brutally freed from the service of the gods and trapped between the two worlds. Only at the occurrence of the Demon Scourge did the ethereans emerge again to help the city fend off its new enemy. Since that time, the ethereans have become an established part of Crownian society. The characteristic name of the ethereans has been given by human scholars, as their true name was lost with the gods. The name reflects the fact that the ethereans are connected to the ethereal plane and cannot exist without it for longer periods of time, although they can become corporeal at will. As part of their legacy, the ethereans are unable to lie. Some scholars speculate that this is part of a godly geas, as even under the influence of a spell, an etherean is unable to lie.

Ethereans resemble humans, but are always well toned, with strong and beautifully built bodies. They tend to be a little taller than normal humans, averaging seven feet. Despite their resemblance to humans, there is no mistaking an etherean for one – they have a strange radiance that can be felt by most, as well as a bluish aura around them. Their shimmering aura is mostly evident in the dark, but in their eyes, the shimmer reveals itself as their eyes seem to glow with a bluish hue. Their eyes are vaguely human, but their color is always very light, ranging from grey to blue to light green. Their hair is always black, grey, or silvery white and all shades within. The complexion of an etherean is always pale, and their veins are dimly visible through their skin. Most ethereans have strong compelling voices and a natural charisma.

Etherean Male Names
Amaerin, Daenon, Kaetos, Naelom, Tardain, Tasarin, Varryn, Zarbor.

Etherean Female Names
Amfyre, Emelea, Esheen, Gishaar, Shyra, Tuushira, Zelthyra.

The etherean traits are as follows:

Abilities: +2 Strength, -2 Constitution, +2 Charisma. Ethereans are strong and imposing, but their bond with the ethereal tends to weaken their physical constitution as well as dull their senses; they constantly hear the slight howl of the ethereal border, as well as see its haze from the corner of their eyes.
Medium: As medium creatures, etherean have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Ethereans base speed is 30 feet.
Ethereans take a -2 penalty to Listen and Spot and a -4 penalty to all Hide checks while on the prime material plane.
Bound by Truth: Ethereans are unable to lie, and will always speak the truth as they know it, or not speak at all. Some scholars believe that this is the trait that cast the ethereans into shadow and out of the godly realms.
Etherealness: Ethereans are able to enter the ethereal at will, thus becoming invisible. However, this means that they will drop all their items. It takes a standard action to become ethereal, and a standard action to enter back into the material plane again. Both actions provoke an attack of opportunity.
Ethereans receive a +2 racial bonus on the following skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive.
Ethereal Chain: The ethereans are able to bond with their personal items, thus allowing them to enter the ethereal without dropping the item in question. Bonding to an item costs an amount of XP equal to 100 x the item’s weight in lbs.
Cultural Knowledge: The following knowledge skills are considered class skills for all ethereans: Arcana, History, Religion, and The Planes.
Half-breeds: No etherean can ever breed with another race, as their reproductive system is quite different from that of any other race.
Racial Feats: Deceiver’s Voice, Foresight, and Whisper of the Gods.
Automatic Language: Feridar and Crownspeak.
Bonus Language: Any.
Favored Class: Fighter.

More cool stuff @ http://wanderingmen.com

Tags: Crown Wanderingmen Race Ethereans Tenet

Orem Telenn

Posted On 05/27/2008 11:17:21

This young man has a compassionate face with strong blue eyes and blond hair. He has seen no more than twenty summers, but when he speaks, it becomes apparent that he is both a man of great intelligence and knowledgeable. Orem usually wears his simple scholar’s outfit, marking him as a member of the Queen’s loremasters.

Orem Telenn, Artwork Copyright Chuck Lukacs Male human expert 2/wizard 3 (CR 4)
LN Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Listen +5, Spot +3
Languages Crownspeak, Afayim, Atolain, Draconic, H’raktha

AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
hp 26 (5 HD)
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +6
Weakness marked (DC 13)

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee silvered shortsword +2 (1d6/19-20)
Base Atk +2; Grp +2
Combat Gear 1d4+1 random scrolls
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 3rd):
2nd – Detect Thoughts (DC 15), Levitate
1st – Comprehend Languages, Identify, Sleep (DC 13)
0 – Detect Magic (x2), Read Magic (x2)

Abilities Str 11, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 11
SQ human traits (+2 decipher script, +2 craft/bookbinding), summon familiar
Feats Eschew Materials, Great Fortitude, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Divination)
Background Feats Cautious Spellcaster, Empathic, Focused Mind
Skills Concentration +9, Craft (bookbinding) +9, Decipher Script +10, Diplomacy +6, Listen +5, Profession (scribe) +7, Ride +2, Search +5, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +2, Speak Language (Atolain), Spellcraft +4, Spot +3
Lore Arcana +8, Architecture (dwarven) +8, Architecture +6, Art (dwarven) +8, Art +6, Engineering (dwarven) +8, Engineering +6, History (dwarven) +10, History +8, Legends +4, Local +8, Nobility and Royalty +6, Religion +6
Possessions combat gear plus silvered shortsword, scholar’s outfit, quill, ink, scrollcase (with scrolls), spellbook (in wooden case), money pouch (28 gc + 1d10 silvers)
More...

Tags: Free Npc Wanderingmen "Chuck Lukacs"

A Grey Beginning, Part 6

Posted On 05/21/2008 17:52:33

A Grey Beginning continues with Part 6, wherein we see the wicked plots and cunning schemes of the Cult of the Grey God slowly simmering into a roiling boil of fruition and success. Determined and as of yet unchecked by any powers of Crown, the wicked Szeethe darkly plans both the future of himself and the Cult...who will be the next unsuspecting victim on the tip of his dagger of determination?

Several months later, Szeethe passed down darkened, labyrinthine corridors leading from the streets of Crown into the murky depths where the Cult of the Grey God performed the most heinous of activities. As he stepped lightly through the halls, he could smell the distinct, sickly-sweet odors of death and decay wafting from the draining rooms where bodies of those stricken by disease, old-age, combat, or accidents were drained of their blood before their bodies were discarded into the dark pool. His own brethren, the last brood of his doomed were-rat mother before his birth, gathered the corpses, tentatively as a service to Crown all the while disguising both their association with the cult and their vile plans for the bodies.

In so short a time, the collection of the dead had become a fairly lucrative business for the cult. Good silver was paid for the unknown-dregs removed from the city, the Queen herself having granted a special dispensation to the were-rats for the collection of unwanted dead, the payment coming from her own coffers. With that recognition came an amount of freedom from prying eyes and unwanted questions from the inquisitive.

Better yet, it brought further business as families approached the were-rats for the collection of unwanted members who had died of illness or age. Indeed, as the were-rats asked no questions of the bodies they collected, a small but significant business had started with various wealthy families of Crown who needed ridding of embarrassing members of their respective and respected clans. That so many black-sheep in some of the more prominent families had suffered accidents or illnesses had escaped official notice thus far was due solely to the fastidious but effective work of the were-rat cultists. Their work had even attracted the notice of some of the more important assassin's in the city, several of whom expressed interest in various profitable partnerships.

Szeethe made the ultimate front-man for the organization, appearing in were-rat form when doing business with some of the darker elements of Crownian society. Though wealth was not his goal, his own cut of profits was making very wealthy. The processing of the dead was a very lucrative business. There were times when he pondered whether or not the power that could be bought with the funds from the semi-legitimate gathering of the dead was enough for him. Already he held some influence in the lower levels of power in Crown. What more could he buy?

But then, when compared with the power that came from the Grey God, mere money and influence were trifles. With what he was learning from Mahizor, Szeethe was becoming a powerful priest in the cult in his own right. And, the longer he worked and strove to fill the macabre heart under the city, the more power he would have. Even more important, though, was the strange relic his master had described to him months back. With it, combined with others, would come far greater strength. He would become far more powerful than he could ever hope to be with the simple corruption available as a broker of the dead.

Of course, the greatest might would channel through High Priest Mahizor. When all was accomplished and the Grey God arose again, the strange and wicked lumilon would become the most potent mortal in the entire world. He would possess power that the weakling Demon Lords only dreamed of.

Szeethe stopped walking down the hall, pausing for a moment to hear the sickly splatter of a corpse being drained as an equally wicked vision passed through his mind, the image of his father being drained of his demonic blood following the half demon, half were-rat's act of patricide. His father had been too weak. Szeethe had killed him as much out of scorn as of ambition. Yet, ambition, the lust for real power, had been his ultimate motive, his ultimate reason for joining the Cult of the Grey God.

For a moment he considered that one evil act. In leaving the Demon Lords, Szeethe reached out to grasp true dominion. His impotent father was merely a hindrance to his ambition, and so he murdered him, removing that obstacle. With all his actions, he would gain the ascendancy he craved, yet he would still be only an underling, receiving only the scraps cast off by the High Priest, who would possess the greatest power. Szeethe removed one obstacle in his way. Having done it once, he could do it again...

More awesomeness @ http://wanderingmen.com

Tags: Evil Serial Story Wanderingmen Dark

Men: the Wandering Cards - Set IV!

Posted On 05/19/2008 18:06:55

Set IV of our Men: the Wandering cards is here! BEFORE THE CON, EVEN!!

SET IV is our "Ookan" Series, complete with an awesome "Eastern Flair", with stunning art by none other than Tom Babbey! Check out his website here: http://www.tombabbey.com; Tom is an ol' pal of the Wandering Men and he's always open for commissions! ;) Tom did such an amazing job on the art for these cards that we simply could do nothing other than to fully highlight his stunning work, so as you will see below, we've turned our cards "on their ear"! The Ookan card fronts proudly display the art in a landscape format, so you can enjoy it all!

We hope you can drop by Mobicon this weekend (in Mobile, Alabama) and pick up a few of these awesome Ookan cards - or, if you pick up a copy of Skein of Shadows from the Wandering Men, you just might find some inside your copy of the novel that's been called the "...sleeper hit of the year... "Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, dropping a line in our forums, or tagging us with some of the social bookmarking tags at the bottom of the page!

Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Ookan Arastin" card (Black) Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Ookan Triple F" card (Orange)

Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Ookan Gritgut" card (Red) Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Ookan Kal" card (Blue)

Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Ookan Tenet" card (Grey) Exclusive Men: the Wandering
Ookan Card Back (ALL)

Check it out in this groovy slide show!
Click here to load it into a new window

Tags: Wanderingmen Menthewandering Cards Cons Cool

More Free Desktops!

Posted On 05/14/2008 18:01:21

from Vendetta,
"Arastin" desktops:

800x600
1024x768
1280x1024

from The Bonds That Bind Us,
Gritgut desktops:

800x600
1024x768
1280x1024

More to come soon! This is just a teaser!

Tags: Wanderingmen Free Desktops Arastin Gritgut "skein Of Shadows"

Map of Crown

Posted On 05/13/2008 13:26:19

Every hero deserves a home and every good city deserves an equally good map, aye? Well, the heroes of Skein of Shadows are no different; nor is their home, the city called Crown. Check out the stunning map of Crown below, crafted by a good pal of the Wandering Men, multiple-award nominated cartographer, Ed Bourelle!

The map of Crown
(click for a much larger image!)

Tags: Crown Wanderingmen Free Map Bourelle

2 comments

Loraedian Dar

Posted On 05/09/2008 14:38:06

Artwork Copyright 2008 by Chuck Lukacs Loraedian is a beautiful man, yet has seen almost 180 summers. His hair is silverish and his skin a pale white. He is proud of his heritage and when found around the Hall of the Hopeful Road, he usually wears light brown robes, in accordance with family traditions. His cultist’s mark is a long cut across his right palm, which he usually covers with a glove. There are times when the cultist need to hide, and he does this very well, beneath gray robes and deep hoods.

Male lumilon rogue 4/cultist 3 (CR 7)
CN Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Listen +4, Spot +4
Languages Crownspeak, Afayim, Atolain, Oltreggish, Improved Telepathy

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12; uncanny dodge, +1 against traps
hp 31 (7 HD)
Resist evasion
Fort +2, Ref +7 (+8 against traps), Will +6
Weakness marked (DC 13)

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 spell storing* shortsword +8 (1d6+1/19-20) or
Melee mwk sap +8 (1d6)
Base Atk +5; Grp +5
Atk Options combat expertise, sneak attack +2d6, warrior’s blessing (sacrifice 2 hp, 3 rounds, +1 to atk/dam)
Special Actions guardian’s aura (sacrifice 3 hp, 1 minute, +2 to AC), lumilon healing (9 hp), shadow’s blessing (sacrifice 1 hp, 3 minutes, +2 to hide and move silently)
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, wand of levitate
Cultist Spells Prepared (CL 3rd):
2nd – See Invisibility
1st – Alarm, Lesser Confusion (DC 15), True Strike
0 – Bane, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound (DC 14)
* - from Dungeon Master's Guide, page 225; current spell stored is lesser confusion.

Abilities Str 11, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 18
SQ lumilon traits, trapfinding
Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Skill Focus (Bluff), Weapon Finesse
Background Feats Arcane Knack, Forethought, Improved Telepathy
Skills Appraise +13, Balance +7, Bluff +12, Concentration +7, Decipher Script +13, Diplomacy +16, Disguise +9, Forgery +13, Gather Information +14, Heal +3 (CC), Hide +7, Intimidate +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Search +5, Sense Motive +14 (+18 against people with the Child of Crown feat), Sleight of Hand +5, Spellcraft +5, Spot +4, Tumble +4, Use Magic Device +8
Lore Arcana +13, Dungeoneering +8, History +8, Legends +8, Local +13, Nobility and Royalty +8, Religion +13, Tactics +6, The Planes +13
Possessions combat gear plus +1 spell storing shortsword, mwk sap, leather armor, healer’s stone +1, 2 smokesticks, 2 thunderstones, brooch of shielding, explorer’s outfit, pouch with 28gc
Hook "Welcome to my Hall! Whether you look for work, food or perhaps something else entirely, just ask and I’ll take care of it."
(More...)

Tags: Free NPC Character Crown Wanderingmen

Nature's Wrath

Posted On 05/07/2008 17:36:28

"Humans, I cannot understand them - everything they plant only fruits death."
- Mylanthrevdi, the Greenwarden

Break the Stereotype

Tree-men, children of nature, they dwell in the deep woods. Treants spend days if not seasons in deep thought, pondering the health of their demesne, and wandering their woods tending their charges. Often sagacious sages, and sometimes solitary defenders of the woods, tree-men rarely have a reason to interaction with the outside world. Hoooo-huuummmmmm.

Life from a treant's point of view: daily men enter your wood to fell your silent brothers and sisters. And for what? Their fires choke the sky, their fields dominate the land that was once forest - their ways are wasteful and destructive. And worse, their numbers constantly increase, and they continue to require more land.

As nature is tamed and the wilds are slowly pushed back, one treant has had enough.

Birth in Flame

Mylanthrevdi awoke over a hundred years ago in the woods he still calls home. He spent his first couple decades in quiet solitude - wandering his woods, communing with his charges, and contemplating why he had been given the gift of sentience. Then the humans came. A foreign king had granted the land to a noble, if he could tame the wilderness. The noble's men entered the woods and cut down trees for their lord's manor and the new village. When the first tree fell, the treant felt it like a dull ache.

He immediately sought out the lumberjacks to ask their intentions, but the peasants ran in fright. Angered at the setback and the fact that "a monster" opposed him, the noble hired a band of mercenaries and entered the woods with his most faithful servants. Under guard, the servants began once more to cut down trees. The treant responded and walked into the trap - the mercenaries and noble attacked without listening to Mylanthrevdi entreaties. The treant tried to defend itself and it crushed the life from a number of mercenaries, but there were too many.

Mylanthrevdi begged and pleaded for his life, and the noble granted a reprieve. The noble proclaimed himself lord of the woods, not the treant, and he and his men would cull the forest as they saw fit. If the "abomination" wanted to live, it would leave the region and tell all the other brutes lurking in the wilderness to do the same.

Shocked by the brutal attack and the audacity, the treant retreated to the forest's heart to heal his wounds and plan. Mylanthrevdi was torn, he did not want to fight, but he could not leave the wood, he was part of it, and every day he stalled in acting he felt more of his charges falling to the ax. First, he tried to seal off his woods, but the humans came in droves and used force and fire to open paths. Resigned, the treant then called upon his charges to expel but not kill the invaders.

The noble responded with force, he gathered more mercenaries and rode into the forest. They set fire to the treant's personal grove and fought Mylanthrevdi once more. The treant knew there be no mercy - it barreled through the wall of humans and into the flames. A quarter of its body was charred and withered from the intense heat and flames, but Mylanthrevdi survived and escaped. (More...)

Tags: Uncommon Evil Rpg Wanderingmen

A Grey Beginning, Part 5

Posted On 05/06/2008 22:17:33

As we slip ever deeper into Szeethe's sorted and shadowy past, we are bound to meet with personages both fair and foul. Yet none might be fouler than Szeethe's new master, whom we meet in chilling detail in this week's installment of A Grey Beginning. Join Davis now as he plunges you into the very Heart of the Grey God himself - a location which is revealed in all its putrid and despicable glory later in the Skein of Shadows novel. Join us as we meet Mahizor, High Priest of the Grey God, face-to-face!

"The blood has begun to flow," answered Szeethe as he faced the high priest, barely able to keep his eyes on the wicked creature.

"So I have been told," replied the priest, his cold gaze appraising his pupil. He stretched out a pale white arm, "Come with me."

Szeethe bowed and followed his master, keeping half a pace behind and just to the right of the creature. Mahizor was the image of death, a creature whose origins were difficult to ascertain. Looking like a corpse stored in a crypt deep below the world, the creature seemed to cast a macabre, deathly glow. Yet he was a living being, not undead. He was a lumilon, though twisted and cursed by long devoted years to the mysterious Grey God.

His kind were known to be placid and beautiful, possessing a deep spirituality that few other races could ever hope to achieve. They were naturally healers, many of whom worked in the Moontower where the most grievously injured were taken. The High Priest represented none of the traits of his kindred, was neither beautiful nor did he have any interest in healing others. Instead of instilling a feeling of placid calm in those around him, he exuded a feeling of cold dread. His powers were of rot and decay, his touch withering.

What cruel arts had changed this once beautiful being of light into the image of death Szeethe could not guess nor did he care. Mahizor had shown him what true power was, had opened his eyes to a world with far more meaning than the Demon Lords could ever hope to see. The universe revealed to the demon-rat had captured his imagination, had kindled his own base lusts. And so, regardless of what dark arts had twisted the lumilon who was his master, the power that came with them was worth the physical price.

The macabre pair passed through a rear door and into a winding stone passage. After a few moments, they reached a narrow stair which took them deep beneath the city. At the bottom of the stair was a bronze door. Mahizor pushed it open and stepped through, his minion following closely behind.

They stepped into a wide, empty chamber which was illuminated by countless torches. Scores of were-rats bustled about carrying various odd bundles. Szeethe did not know what they carried, nor would he ask his mentor. After only a short while in league with the evil lumilon, he knew intimately those times when he would be allowed a question...and those in which a question would only bring wrath.

A cold hiss escaped Mahizor's thin, papery lips as he spread his arms out. "Step beside me, my son," he said.

Szeethe stepped to his side and looked at the room. He had never been in this chamber before, and wondered what use it would have. Clearly it was created for a purpose, which could only be in some dark service of the Grey God.

"This," answered the lumilon to the unasked question, "This shall be the Heart of the Grey God." His large, cold eyes flashed with a cold flame as he uttered several arcane words.

The were-rats in the room scurried quickly away as the strange creature stretched his fingers out. One hapless were-rat entered the room carrying a load that obscured his vision. The moment he stepped into the chasm's center, he dropped his load. In but a moment, the small, wiry creature's fur blanched and fell out, his flesh shriveled, and his eyes sunk into their sockets. An instant later he fell to the floor in a lifeless heap.

Mahizor's arms fell to the side and his eyes became normal. He looked down at his pupil, a wicked smile across his face. "Our first sacrifice to the heart which will beat."

The lumilon then took Szeethe by the shoulders and looked into his eyes, "I have a new task for you, one that may take many years to complete."

"I am ready," said Szeethe, "Command me as you will."

"Good," replied Mahizor, his breath coming in cold whips as the room's temperature plunged, "Then I shall tell you of the relic..."

Like this? If so, there's much more @ http://wanderingmen.com

Tags: Dark Evil Serial Story Wanderingmen

The First Writer's Retreat

Posted On 05/05/2008 19:27:46

Fellowship, Cliffs of Doom, and unfettered creativity in the Alabama wilderness. That sums up the Wandering Men's first Writer's Retreat, but if you aren't satisfied with the "CliffsNotes" version then please, read on.

Cheaha, the name brings up memories of a heavy pack, long trail, and sore feet. It also makes me think of inspiring vistas, fellowship, and boundless creativity.

Cheaha State Park lies near the Talladega Mountains in East Central Alabama within the expanse of the Talladega National Forest. The site of many a Wandering Man gathering, it holds part of the Pinhoti trail - where I had my first Wandering - and in particular it was the location of the first Writers' Retreat.

We were deep into crafting Skein of Shadows, but the book lacked the focus we as a group desired. We each had an idea for five separate stories that touched upon one another, but we wanted to tightly weave the short stories (at that point) together. Thus, we procured a hotel room high on the shoulders of Mt. Cheaha, near the highest point in Alabama, and scheduled the first retreat.

Gathering amidst the splendor of the wilderness, how could we not be inspired? Inspired - the word fails to encompass the furious creative energy that each of us put into that weekend. We scrapped entire story lines (the price for being late, Hall), crafted new stories, designed shared scenes, developed a day-by-day time line for the main characters and villains, and much, much more. We used legal pads, stickies, laptops, white boards, spreadsheets, anything that we thought could help us envision the story better and keep track of our ideas.

And we didn't stay cloistered in the hotel, we are the Wandering Men. We took full advantage of the beautiful surroundings - we climbed to the highest point in Alabama, explored a structure that formed the basis for the Broken Valor, free climbed down the Cliffs of Doom, walked along a forgotten stone wall not found on any map, and went swimming in a beautiful mountain lake. It was a lot for an afternoon, but we excel of making the most of what we have.

Inspiration for the Broken Valor -- click for a larger image

We felt the Retreat was worth the effort and very successful. Of course, those of you with a copy of Skein of Shadows hold the evidence, you're the judges - were we successful?

Find this and many more wanderings @ http://wanderingmen.com

Check it out in this groovy slide show!
Click here to load it into a new window

Tags: Wanderingmen Wandering Adventure Writing

A Grey Beginning, Part 4

Posted On 05/04/2008 15:07:10

This week, we turn a dark corner in Davis' ever-darkening tale, A Grey Beginning, as we enter into it's fourth installment. We witness the malevolent Szeethe at his grisly best and we watch him take his first full step upon the sorted and evil path that will eventually lead him against the whole of Crown and all within it!

Grozol returned after a short while, "The demon is drained as you commanded."

An evil smile spread across Szeethe's face. "Good, brother," he said with a hiss, "Then take what is left and throw it in the dark pool."

The were-rat bowed slightly in deference and returned to the others, who were stuffing the emptied body of his father into an oil-cloth sack. They lifted the grizzly parcel and quietly departed the macabre tannery. Szeethe watched as his brothers left, knowing it would take hours for them to give his dear old dad to the beast in the waters and then return.

They were the were-rats discarded by the demons, the small brood birthed by his mother before his own glorious creation. The Cult had taken them and raised them to be minions with complete and utter loyalty to the Grey God. They became very useful tools, carrying out the more loathsome tasks of the dark society.

In the future, they would likely be even more useful as they were bred, creating more and more minions with but a single master. In passing generations, they would make up an ever-increasing proportion of their population in the city, until a large percentage of their kind were wholly subservient to the Cult's wishes. In time few would be able to determine which of the rats were Cultists and which were merely low-born denizens of Crown.

Szeethe turned from the opened door and disappeared into the night once more. He carefully made his way through the winding streets and into the more populated areas of the city where report of all he had done this night must be made. Though he might command numerous underlings, he was himself a servant of a greater power. And this one did not like to be kept waiting.

He slipped through a narrow alleyway and stepped into a smoky tavern. Inside, Szeethe found the usual mix of people to be expected in what was a lower-end grogery, especially at this late hour. There were several dwarves holding a conversation in a corner, a saruulan drinking some kind of wine at the bar, and an odd party of two elves and a tiefling speaking with a badly-scarred Alonn. By their gestures, the demon-rat figured the slit-neck was about to suffer something unpleasant.

None of them paid him any attention. After all, he looked just like any other were-rat, simply one more member of that lowest class in Crown. He took no insult at their disinterest. Being anonymous made his work easier. Indeed, the more others ignored or under-estimated him, the better.

Szeethe made eye-contact with the balding bar keeper, a human who was also a member of the Cult. The rough-looking man nodded and glanced towards a back door. The were-rat returned the gesture and then made his way to the store-room. He opened the heavy-wooden door and stepped through without so much as a glance behind.

When the door closed, the were-rat stepped a few paces and then knelt, placing his fore-head on the floor. The stone was cool and wet against his skin. After a few moments, he felt the air cool as an even colder presence arrived. A wicked hiss escaped his lips as he raised his head and gazed into the darkness, seeing only two red eyes in the gloom.

"I have come," he said.

"Indeed you have, my most trusted servant," came an even more wicked voice, "And you have done well this night. Now rise, and tell me everything."

Szeethe stood, a sense of awe filling him as he faced Mahizor, High Priest of the Cult, his mentor, his master, his new father...

Like this? If so, there's tons more cool stuff @ http://wanderingmen.com

Tags: Evil Dark Serial Story Wanderingmen

A Grey Beginning, Part 3

Posted On 05/03/2008 12:25:09

Today, Davis brings us the third installment of A Gray Beginning. Dark deeds are done and the foundations of a vile plan are revealed. Szeethe has only just begun, soon blood will run like water through Crown!

Join us again on the 24th of September when Davis will continue to draw us deeper into the shadows!

The creature who now called himself Szeethe gazed down at the drained body of his father. What a pathetic weakling, it was a pity he had not been allowed to commit this act of murder earlier! Yet, his master Mahizor, the high priest of the Cult of the Grey God, had held him back for years, forcing him to bide his time. Only when the time was right would the death of Miruthlak be allowed. So he patiently waited, doing the bidding of his secrete master while at the same time, running the useless errands of his impotent father.

A cold hiss escaped the half-demon's lips and he spat in his father's lifeless face once more before drawing a small brass whistle and blowing three clear notes through it. Almost immediately he was joined by a dozen small, skittering were-rats, his elder brothers. They rushed over to the body and lifted it, stuffing it irreverently into a canvass sack.

Szeethe took the tallest of the were-rats by the shoulder. "Take him to the pressing room, Grozol my brother," he said, "This one is to be squeezed for all he is worth."

The were-rat nodded and, chattering to his kindred in their own special language, guided the group and their prize into an adjacent building in the tannery complex. There, the demon's body would be drained of every last ounce of blood before his crushed body would be fed to the creature in the black pool on the other side of the city. Szeethe watched as they left, satisfied he had such a large pool of relatives from which to draw simple minions. It was so easy to keep things like this in the family.

Szeethe was the product of a most unholy union, that of a demonic father and a were-rat mother. As such he was truly one of a kind, for nowhere in the history of Crown was it recorded such a union before. Szeethe was a dark creation bred for a single purpose: bring about a second Demon Scourge. For years he had been reared in dark passageways among the demonic brethren who survived the squashing of the original scourge, trained wicked arts, infused with some of the most base of powers. Added to that, his mind was altered and enhanced, removing the simple intellect of his were-rat mother.

When he was old enough, he was sent to be trained in the ways of the Shadow Walkers, a secret society of wizards who had brought about, quite by accident, the Demon Scourge only a few years earlier. Most of the Walkers had been killed during the scourge and the purges that followed. Many of them died at the hands of the ethereans who led the victory against the demons, many more had been killed by the vengeful Crown Watch, which had suffered many losses against the demonic hordes early in the war.

Officially they were dead, and indeed most were. Those few left continued their dark search for the arcane knowledge that had led them to conjure up the first balor. They continued their work in secrecy these days, unable to move about in society anymore, relying on clandestine meetings to further their goals. Yet their plans were all for naught.

Szeethe knew, with some satisfaction, that a birth like his would never happen again. For one reason, his mother had died in the process, leaving behind quite a brood of young were-rats who were left on the streets to die. For another reason, Jurchan, the Saruulan Shadow Walker who alone in Crown possessed the arcane knowledge of cross-breeding the demon to the were-rat, was Szeethe's first victim, his blood being the first sacrifice offered to the Cult of the Grey God. To that blood would now be added the sanguine essence of Wythlin the sailor and Miruthlak, father of Szeethe. In time, there would be much, much more...

Check out more awesome stuff @ http://wanderingmen.com

Tags: Evil Serial Story Wanderingmen Dark

2 comments

Episode 03: Omegacon Wrapup!

Posted On 05/01/2008 11:56:23

Episode 03 of the Wandering Men podcast throws a curve ball at our listeners; while we still have a TON of great podcast content related to Omegacon, a lot of you have been asking for what we, as the Wandering Men, thought of the con as a whole. Luckily, we recorded a "Con Wrap Up" session and since you've asked, we'll let you have it!

However, don't run off, because there's lots more awesome Omegacon podcast goodness still to come! We've still got some artist interviews (including BROM!), some "Wandering Men Radio Drama", the Wandering Men on panels and more! So be sure and check back in with us or you can just use the Subscribe links below and be automatically notified! Cool, huh?

Hey - nothing's too good for our friends and fans! Enjoy, and be sure and comment or bookmark us using the tools below or let us know what you think on our forums!

Use the controls below to play the podcast, download below, or snag our podcast RSS Feed! {audio}/images/stories/ep03_the_wandering_men_podcast.mp3{/audio} Wandering Men Podcast RSS Feed

Running time: 32:59 , filesize: 31 MB , direct download here

Tags: Omegacon Podcast Convention Wanderingmen

Men: the Wandering Cards - Set III!

Posted On 04/30/2008 14:17:06

Set III of our Men: the Wandering cards are finally here! I know Omegacon has come and went, but I realized the other day that not everyone was able to make it to the Con, and so many of you have not seen the cards yet!

Bad Ashy! Bad!!

SET III comprises our Hero Happy Hour versions of our collectible convention cards. These cards were drawn by the artist (and Omegacon Art Director) Chris Fason, who is the co-creator and artist genius behind the hilarious comic, Hero Happy Hour (also known as HHH)! Hero Happy Hour is all about what superheroes do when they're not saving the planet or fighting off inter-dimensional threats - you can think of it as The Superfriends meets Cheers and it totally rocks!

Chris was nice enough to do these cards (they were colored by resident Wandering Man artist, Hall), as well as our free convention comic book, Stirring Shadows! So, in homage to Chris and his cool comic series, we made our cards Hero Happy Hour versions, and have listed the Skein of Shadows characters' favorite drink recipes on each card! Be sure and read them - they're hilarious!

Also, as some of you might remember, it was this edition of the cards that got us into a little bit of trouble! If you want to hear all about it - be sure and check out this podcast and you might also want check out this PSA... :(

Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, dropping a line in our forums, or tagging us with some of the social bookmarking tags at the bottom of the page!

Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Hero Happy Hour Arastin" card (Black) Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Hero Happy Hour Triple F" card (Orange)

Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Hero Happy Hour Gritgut" card (Red) Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Hero Happy Hour Kal" card (Blue)

Exclusive Men: the Wandering
"Hero Happy Hour Tenet" card (Grey) Exclusive Men: the Wandering
Hero Happy Hour Card Back (ALL)

Tags: Wanderingmen Cards Conventions Funny

2 comments

Stirring Shadows

Posted On 04/29/2008 08:49:12

For Omegacon '08, the Wandering Men joined forces with comic artist Chris Fason to create a graphic prequel, if you will, to our novel, Skein of Shadows. Previously, this comic has only been available to those convention goers (and recently to our first friends on our new Wandering Men Facebook account); but now we want to make it free for all!

Be sure and check back next week for a special "The Making Of..." article, wherein you'll learn about the process that went into making this comic, as well as some some the art that hit the cutting room floor! Please drop by our forums or use our nifty commenting tool below to let us know what you think!

And so, without further ado, we give you the comic: Stirring Shadows!

See all this and much more @ http://wanderingmen.com

Check it out in this groovy slide show!
Click here to load it into a new window

Tags: Free Comic Wanderingmen Convention

A Grey Beginning, Part 2

Posted On 04/28/2008 14:28:54

Join Davis as he leads us down an ever-darkening path, wherein we learn not only the identity, but also a bit of the past, of the murderer we met in Part 1 of this shadowy tale! In "A Grey Beginning - Part 2", you can witness the birth of a villain who will eventually threaten to topple all that is Crown in the Wandering Men's upcoming novel, Skein of Shadows! Join us again on the 10th of September when Davis will continue to draw us deeper into the shadows!

The dark form passed through the night, his macabre prize tucked under one arm. Deliciously warm against him, the skins offered a great promise. That night, he would set into motion plans that, while taking many years to complete, would lead not only to his ascendancy in a new chaotic world, but would bring mighty power once more to his enigmatic master. He would have to be patient, of course, for plans of this magnitude took time to weave. His first act this night was but a small beginning; there were other, far more important tasks which lay before him. Though many were perhaps years away, there was one task that was required of him this very evening. A wicked grin spread across his bizarre face as he contemplated his next task.

Passing down one dark alley after another, he made his way through Crown, precious cargo in hand, until he reached a derelict stone building that had in earlier days served as a tannery. He stepped into the small courtyard to one side where great wooden vats stood on large iron carriages. Once filled with lye and used to strip the skins of fur and putrefied flesh, the cauldrons were now empty, save for a vile scum settled in the bottom. Half-decayed mounds of dung and animal brains remained towards one corner. The once horrific smell of the operation remained permanently seeped into the stone and bare dirt of the yard, enshrouding the entire place with a muted reek.

The creature of darkness stopped beside one of the semi-rotten vats and peered towards the end of the courtyard at a small shed. A burning candle could be seen through the small window, sending shadows dancing about the tall walls and casting a sphere of light several yards out. His quarry was inside waiting for him, ignorant of his intent. Setting the foul skins against a wall, he stepped lightly to the building and opened the door.

"You are late," said a cold, wicked voice as he entered.

He bowed in submission. "I have been at work this evening," he replied.

"An excuse you have used too often," replied the voice as its owner stepped into the light.

Demon Sketch Before him stood a demon, a fiend named Miruthlak who had survived the suppression of the Demon Scourge several years earlier. He was powerful as those of his kind reckoned it, but his powers had waned when the cursed ethereans rose up and ended the reign of his elder brothers. For years the demons had run amok in Crown, working in their chaotic way to establish a dark dominion on the pitiful mortals of the city. Yet they had failed and those few who remained were but a shadow of their great strength.

Miruthlak stepped near to him and raised a clawed hand out expectantly. When his guest did not move, his face clouded, "Did you not bring the orb from the Shadow Walkers?"

"I did not," he replied.

"And why?" asked the demon angrily.

"Because I shall no longer deal with them."

"It is not your choice to make, Sirklalak!" roared the demon, taking him by the shoulders.

Pulling free, he sneered. "I am no longer your toad," he growled.

The demon raised himself to full height and spread his wings, his eyes blazing with fury. "I am your father and you will do my bidding!"

With inhuman reflexes, Sirklalak drew a dagger specially fashioned for him and, ducking under the demon's grasp drove the jagged blade deep into his father's belly. In one swift motion, he drew it upwards into his chest and into the beating heart. Foul blood sewed out and the demon's eyes widened in pain and surprise. The assassin shoved the dagger completely into the demon's chest until the pommel disappeared in the gore. He then reached out and grabbed Miruthlak's neck, drawing the dying demon's face to his.

"I am no longer your son and do not serve the demon lords," he whispered into the fiend's ear, "Sirklalak is dead and with him your plans. My name is now Szeethe, and my master is the Grey God who wields real power."

He stepped back and spat in his father's face before drawing out an empty skin and collecting the draining blood.. He would add it to his collection, which for the present would be stored in the great vats outside. In time, when they were filled, he would move them to the heart that awaited below Crown. When finished he stepped from the body and smiled grimly. His master would be very pleased with this night's work...

Read this and much more @ http://wanderingmen.com

Tags: Evil Dark Serial Story Wanderingmen