Age of Exploration

One of the most common questions I get from D&D veterans is, “How do I do skill checks?”  The TLDR is: you don’t.

Age of Exploration is designed to be more collaborative storytelling than many other systems. The AD&D I cut my teeth on was at its best when the DM acted as an impartial arbitor of the rules, neither working against the players, nor going easy on them when they struggle.

The storyteller in AoE doesn’t have to remain impartial. The players and storyteller are making up a story together and everyone wants it to succeed. You might be already playing other RPGs like this without realizing it. Consider the following example: Several humans, a couple hobbits, an elf and a dwarf are leaping across a river of lava. If one of them were to fail their athletics check, would the DM say they fell in the lava and died? More likely a DM would say, “Well, you don’t quite make the jump, and the party has to grab you by the beard and pull you up. You take d4 beard damage, and suffer -3  penalty to all rolls for ‘beardlyness’ until your next full rest”

In Age of Exploration, we don’t need to fake the possibility that they might fall in the lava and persish. If the gap is too wide, simply tell the players that they cannot make the jump, they don’t get to roll for it.  (They’ll have to be tossed.)  If it’s just barely close enough say instead, “You can make the jump, but everything might not go as planned.” (This lets the players know that they can do the action, but there might be consequesnces)  Anytime you decide to have players roll for something like this it should always be because failure would be more interesting than a simple success. If failures are boring,strongly consider skipping the roll. (This should eliminate 50-90% of skill checks) Have the player Roll a d20. (If they have advantage for some reason roll 2d20 and use the better result) The following table describes the results of the roll: 20: Better outcome than expected 10-19: Success.  1-9:  They achive what they tried to do, but there is a consequence. Returning to the river of lava example, we can see that the simple AoE system makes sense and provides an interesting situation for the players. If a player rolled a 7, I might say, “As you stumble on the ledge, your allys pull you up, but the goblins catch up a bit, and 2 of them make bow attacks against you. Roll to dodge them”

Player agency is paramount in good game design. And there's no simpler way to take away all player agency than "Lose a turn" mechanics. A lot of Age of Exploration was inspired by Hero Quest, and it’s interesting that this simple ‘lose a turn’ spell appeared for both a player and for Zargon (The game master)

It’s an interesting piece of symmetry, considering HQ doesn’t have a lot...(D&D of course is entirely symmetrical) I decided right away that I didn’t want monsters to have any effects that “stunned” the players, because there’s few things less fun that doing nothing on your turn. (On the other side of the spectrum- I don’t create any spells for players that slow monsters or create zones of control, because it feels really weak when you slow a monster and it gets to you anyway) I DID make 1 player spell that stuns enemies, and it turned out so powerful that we had to give it one of the lowest ranges, and the least damage of any spell. 

But then I wanted to design Basalisks, and we decided right away that they’d be ambush predators who use chameleon-like illusionary camoflogue to blend into their surroundings, and we wanted to keep the ‘turns targets to stone’ theme intact, but we already knew we didn’t want it to be ‘lose a turn’ So my fix was to make the petrification effect creep up from a player’s feet, instead of instantaneous.  Here’s a breakdown Turn 1- Feet stiffen: half speed, disadvantage to balance Turn 2- Legs locked: Can't move Turn 3- Arms frozen/petrified: Can't make weapon attacks but can still cast a cantrip Turn 4- Fully petrified Turn 5- Effect wears off in reverse (same as turn 3, etc.) This gave players a very long lead up offered them a chance to react, reposition, and provides them 2 turns to drink a potion or cast purify, and 3 turns to cast dispel. (The light element cantrip, which I haven’t made a card for yet) It also gives Basalisks a chance to escape a dangerous party of humans/humanoids

Someone who had downloaded the Print and Play asked me today how AoE is inspired by Hero Quest, when the core combat is more reminiscent of D&D. There’s a number of ways that Age of Exploration, which I made as a gateway game for my nephews, was inspired by Hero Quest, which I first played in 1992 when I was 11. First of all- It’s card-based. All of the weapons, armors, treasure items and spells are all represented on cards. It makes it very easy to build characters because you can just pick cards instead of copying down all your abilities.

The elf was always my favorite character. I liked to imagine I was role playing the Red Mage from Final Fantasy, cuz both of them had long white hair and could do it all.  Just like the Elf, each character in Age of Exploration selects one element and draws a set of spells for it. 2 that deal damage or heal, and 2 that have more of a utility effect (It was just 1 per element in HQ) To learn more and get a the Free Print&Play visit ExploreAlterra.com Characters in AoE increase in power through items, just like in HQ. As they earn Gold, they can buy better armor and equipment at the armory-

A character with 1000gold of equipment and a magic weapon is roughly twice as powerful as a starting character. Coming up with the name “Dead Man’s Vest” is the proudest I’ve ever been of a pun. Curently, the rule is that you can sell items back to the armory for their full value, and I’ve adjusted prices accordingly. 

One evening, when I was playing AoE with @flavoracle​ and his partner, she said, “How come I don’t get to roll to dodge enemy attacks? In Hero Quest there’s a defense roll” and at first I responded, “Well, in most RPGs the dodge is built into the attack roll that the GM makes.”  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right (She usually is) and the next time we playtested I had players make a dodge roll instead of Storyteller making the enemy attack rolls. Mathematically, it’s a difference between 55% and 45%, but this gives players a slight advantage that’s actually great. It also engages players when it’s not their turn, and takes burden of rolling off the Storyteller, freeing up time.  And while it doesn’t actually add player agency, because there’s no choice, it makes the damage feel more earned, which feels more fair, and less un-fun. So then we realized it was possible to roll a natural 20 and critically dodge! If you’re dodging a melee attack, you get to riposte: roll a basic weapon attack against the attacker. If you critically dodge a ranged attack, you get to sidestep: move 1 space.  Oh and One more thing: Matt Holmberg @orwin-dm​ made these incredible standees that I want to turn into a new Print & Play adventure sometime soon.  You can get the current print and Play free from the website or DrivethruRPG

I haven’t updated this Tumblr in a while- but the game isn’t dead. I’ve been working hard on the backend and trying not to get too distracted.  I’ve finished a LOT of new things this year though, so hopefully I’ll be sharing them here and on the Facebook group and also on the new website We released a new version of the game in May 2020 (We usually release new versions in May, because it’s my birthday) And it had MANY new features including an armor shop, 6 new cantrip spells, and 6 new magic items. It also bumped the card count from 54 to 72.  If there is a 2021 update, it will probably be VERY minor, and only things like changes to shop prices in the armory and updating the title Logo on the box. So, if you’re hoping to play by winter break, you should order now, and your cards will arrive in a few weeks- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/259143/Age-of-Exploration-Print-and-Play So let’s talk about some of the changes- New Cantrips-

New Cantrips-

In Age of Exploration, cantrips are designed to be your out of combat spells that players can use to express creativity, and solve puzzles in unusual ways without worrying that they’re expending a spell slot. 

Remember that storytelling is free-flowing and most importantly collaborative in AoE, and players are encouraged to ask things like “Can I concentrate to extend the duration of charm and have the guard lead us directly to the wizard’s sanctum?”

Storyteller: Yes, you can, but as soon as you run into another guard they’re going to question where you’re going and why you’ve charmed their co-worker.

Player 2: “Can the 3 of us combine the effects of waterspout, airstream and frostify to make a blizzard that kills all the guards?”

Storyteller: No, you can’t use it to deal damage, but with all 3 of you working together it will be pretty powerful, and big enough to obscure vision around the entire tower.

Player 3: “Can I cast telepathy, then concentrate to maintain that link while I sneak around the back?”

Storyteller: Yes, but you can’t cast any other spells while you do, or you’ll break the link.

As you can see from these examples- Cantrips are very versatile, but storytellers can always impose limits to keep the game interesting

Cantrips In Combat-

In Combat there is a now a fixed set of potential effects that all cantrips can have. They are very minor and generally worse than making a basic weapon attack. The upside: they all have some amount of range and can be cast even when you’re Exhausted at 0 hit points. 

Here’s the list of what they can potentially do:

Give advantage to a player's next attack or dodge roll

Move a player or enemy 1 space

Knock an enemy down

Deal 1 or 2 magical damage (flip a coin)

Root a target (5 movement to break)

Heal a player or yourself +1 HP (but not above 10)

+3 Elemental damage to a player's next weapon attack

End ongoing effects on one target

Block the next damage source this turn to a target

Create, Summon, or charm, something that makes an attack which deals 3 damage on a hit

Players should describe how they imagine the spell, and the storyteller will arbitrate the effect it has on the target. For example, if a player says “I cast ‘web’ at their feet, covering their boots in sticky spiderwebs, tethered to the ground.” That’s a great description! The storyteller has a choice about how it plays out- They could be rooted in place, tripped and knocked down, or give a player advantage on their next attack because they’re unable to dodge. 

An Indie Designer Friend of mine just launched a Kickstarter for his new game 'DIE in the Dungeon' where you play the dungeon master. So I created a crossover creature for the character design challenge that you can use in AoE. A Creature from another DIEmension (Words by Flavoracle - Stats by ProfessorTallguy - Art originally by Matt Holmberg) Some believe that they have a destiny that is guided by a great design, and that all the world follows the order of the universe that fate has set forth. These people have typically never met a diesplacer beast. Regarded by many as pure chaos incarnate, the whims and appetites of the diesplacer beast are inexplicable to most mortal beings. What it will do, who it will hunt, where its loyalties lie... all of these seem determined by pure chance alone. There is no reasoning with a diesplacer beast. Should you find yourself on the receiving end of its vicious teeth and tentacles, the best you can hope to do is take your chances, and hope that luck is on your side

And check out the Kickstarter here:

Neither truly owl nor bear, owlbears are the largest and most dangerous monotreme on Alterra. Like it’s platypus and echidna cousins, mature owlbears have fur, produce milk for their young, lay eggs, and lack teeth. Other similarities include sharp spines beneath the fur of certain species of owlbear and various echidna. Some reports also claim that male owlbears have poisonous spurs on their back legs, similar to male platypus, though this is disputed. 

Like all monotremes, owlbears possess sensory organs capable of electrolocation. Between their sharp eyes, keen ears, and sensitivity to bioelectricity, it is generally understood that sneaking up on an owlbear through nonmagical means is virtually impossible. 

Your party has been traveling by airship for ten hours, and so far it’s been smooth sailing. Normally the four of you wouldn’t be able to afford tickets for a luxury vessel like this, but you were able to work out a bargain with Captain Valen, the owner. You and your allies would be allowed to travel for a fraction of the cost, in exchange for helping the crew and defending the ship from airborne threats like dragons and air elementals.

Hopefully small air elementals, you think to yourself as you look down over the railing.

Not that the threat of falling is really an issue. Everyone on board, even the crew, was issued a swan-shaped ring when they boarded the airship. The ring will cause them to float to the ground as gently as a feather if they fall overboard, and even float on water indefinitely in case of a water landing. Too bad you have to return it when your party arrives at your destination, you remind yourself.

Thinking of your destination turns your thoughts inward. There’s no guarantee that Academie Arcana will provide any real leads for the mystery that’s already taken you across multiple continents. But at this point you’re convinced that the Academie is your only hope of getting any answers at all.

A chill gust of wind from the north makes you shiver, and you spin around in alarm for the eighth time in the last hour. Like the other seven times, it was nothing but a normal gust of wind. But that’s no guarantee for the ninth time.

You turn the swan ring on your finger and look to the other three corners of the ship where your companions are stationed on lookout. If they were attacked by an air elemental, the ring could put you in just as much danger of being blown into the stratosphere as anything else. The thought makes you grip the rope next to you with white knuckles.

A warm breeze behind you brushes across your cheek, causing your neck and shoulders to relax. And then you hear a deep, breathy voice in your ear.

“It seems tragic that a face like yours should wear an expression like that on an evening as lovely as this.”

Your heart skips a beat. The voice came from behind you. There shouldn’t be anything behind you except the railing of the ship and some clouds.

You turn around, though not as quickly as you did just a moment ago. There, standing on the railing of the airship, leaning casually against a rope, is a devastatingly attractive djinn.

It takes several seconds for your brain to wrap itself around the figure before you, starting your gaze low and working your way up.

Shiny black boots that go halfway up the calf, with striped pants tucked into them. A leather belt around the waist secures a cutlass to one hip and a spyglass to the other. A ruffled white shirt that’s mostly covered by the long red coat with gold trim that seems to billow gently in the wind.

And above the collar is a face of such confidence and mirth that you swear that in contrast it makes it seem as if everyone else you’ve ever met had something to hide. And this is the first time you’ve seen the face of any person who has nothing at all to hide. No doubt, no shame, no hesitancy.

And surrounding that magnificent magenta face is shoulder length hair that seems to burn like an orange fire as it dances in front of the setting sun and the airship full of sky pirates rising up from below...

Wait. What was that last part?

Oh dragon snot. You shake your head back to your senses. Where in the wide world did THEY come from?!

“Greetings to you all, my esteemed guests!” the djinn calls out as every conversation on deck goes silent. “For those of you not aware, my name is Captain Cinder. But since we’re all friends here, you may call me ‘Captain’ or ‘CC,’ if you wish. I am accustomed to keeping things familiar, so I hope you’ll choose whatever makes you most comfortable.”

Captain Cinder gives you a wink before walking past you, strolling into the center of the crowd of passengers. As Cinder’s airship rises level with yours, several members of their crew step casually across planks, with swords sheathed at their hips and relaxed smiles at their lips.

“Now I know what you’re all thinking,” the Captain continues. “You’re thinking, ‘That can’t really be THE Capatain Cinder, can it? I heard Captain Cinder was a handsome swashbuckler of a man with a voice like honey and a gaze that makes every young adolescent’s heart melt!’”

Switching to a deeper voice and different accent, the Captain goes on. “‘I heard Cinder was a rogue temptress with charms that could beguile even the most hardened mercenary or miserly merchant!’”

Shifting to the comically high pitched voice of a child, “I heard Captain CC has been the bestest pirate in the whole entire world for over 600 years! And that’s even older than my grandpa over there!’” At this last comment, Captain Cinder points to a white-haired moon elf in the corner and a chuckle begins to spread through the crowd.

“Well as you can plainly see,” says the Captain, returning to their original baritone voice, “you’re ALL right!” At this, the chuckling on board ignites into a burst of laughter from both passengers and crew.

“Ah what an enchanting occasion it is when two vessels of mutual affection should pass each other in a chance encounter such as this, among these golden clouds and ruby sunsets.”

“But speaking of gold and rubies, I now must lean upon this mutual affection of ours and speak of sparkling matters. Donations, to be precise! Gifts given by you out of your admiration and adoration, and accepted by me and my crew out of our gracious and grateful hearts. Here come the boxes, friends!”

You watch, dumbfounded, as the passengers on board happily deposit money purses and heirlooms into the open treasure chests the pirate crew carry politely to each person.

Occasionally you see Captain Cinder personally address one of the passengers. Wealthy women blush and smile flirtatiously as they remove their jewelry for the Captain. Noblemen make a show of removing more and more wealth from hidden compartments of their coats, as Cinder gives a look of feigned shock and an impressed gasp at each new gift. Despite the raid (or perhaps because of it) everyone seems to be in the best mood they’ve felt since the trip began.

In all the excitement, you can’t see your three companions at the other corners of the ship, but you’re sure they’re fine. Everyone seems fine! Even an air elemental would probably decide to join the party if it came along.

Finally, far too soon, the sun begins to dip below the horizon, and Captain Cinder begins to offer sweet farewells. They give their final goodbye to you, their first hello.

Captain Cinder leans in close. “I can see you have little to offer as a donation, but perhaps you would prefer to give me a different kind of gift?” Your heart skips another beat as they continue in a whisper, “My ship can deliver you anywhere you choose. And in the meantime we can enjoy some privacy to become better acquainted.”

You can feel every eye on board boring into you with envy at the intimate attention, but you’re not thinking about them. You’re thinking about your beloved back home and what might happen if you gave in to such an offer.

“No thank you,” you say quietly. You can manage to say nothing else. To your relief, the Captain gives you another warm, genuine smile.

“I see. It takes a very special kind of love to resist a spell of Charming as strong as mine. And it takes a very special kind of person to treasure that love so faithfully.” The Captain reaches inside their inner coat pocket and retrieves a crimson gem.

“This ruby is very special too. In its center it contains a spark of red dragon fire. But it can only be seen by one whose love burns as intensely as yours.”

The Captain’s smile becomes sad, but no less charming. “Once, a very long time ago, that ruby shone as brightly as a torch for me. Now it only flickers like a candle on its last bit of wick. I’d like you to have it.” You find yourself completely speechless as Captain Cinder places the jewel in your hand and gently closes your fingers around it.

After all of the pirates have returned to their ship and the planks have been raised, the Captain calls out to you one last time. “May the Elements protect you until you can deliver that gift to your own beloved! Farewell my friends!!” And then the ship sails through the air speedily away.

As the last of the daylight fades away over the horizon, a chill wind blows from the North again, and the resulting shiver causes many to shake their heads and gather their senses, though the effects of the spell still linger faintly.

“Captain...” you whisper to yourself. Then your eyes widen. “Captain!” you shout. Captain Valen, your captain, the captain of the ship you and your companions are aboard right now, the captain who hired you specifically to protect his ship from threats. How could you have failed him like that?!

You run across the deck of the ship, halting breathlessly when you find him. Your three companions are there too, looking as embarrassed and ashamed as you surely feel. But at least none of THEM were guarding the corner of the ship where the pirates actually boarded from.

All of you try to stammer your apologies at once. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know how we could’ve possible just stood there while-” But Captain Valen cuts all of you off with a wave of his hand.

“Relax,” he says. “Captain Cinder is a local legend in these parts, and with good reason. In all honesty, most of the wealthiest passengers on board booked this trip in the hopes that we’d be boarded.” Valen then adds with a wink, “Though I’d never tell Cinder or their crew that. They’d be furious if they thought they’d become predictable.”

“Then you’re not angry with us for not stopping them?” you ask.

“I’d have been flabbergasted if you did!” replies Valen. “I’ve been boarded by those pirates more times than I can count, and I’ve never had a member of my crew come anywhere close to stopping them. Why should I expect any differently from you four?”

“Though I’ll admit, THAT is new,” he says, pointing at the ruby still clutched in your hand. “That’s quite the valuable keepsake you’ve got there. How about a trade?”

“What?” you ask, taken by surprise.

“I’d be willing to let you keep that enchanted swan ring you’re wearing in exchange for the jewel,” he offers. “They’re not cheap, I can tell you. It will take me three months to earn back enough to replace it. But I think it’s a fair trade. Never fear drowning or heights for the rest of your life! What do you say?”

You look at the ring on your hand and consider the offer. You’ve always been a pretty strong swimmer, and the hights don’t really seem so bad anymore.

“No thank you,” you say for the second time that day.

Your party is walking along a forest trail by moonlight, trying to make it to the next town before the inn closes for the night. As you make your way in the dim light, you see an old man sitting by the side of the trail, his head bowed low under a wide brimmed hat.

Feeling sorry for the poor fellow who obviously has nowhere warm and safe to spend the night, you toss a few coins at his feet. One of your companions pats you on the back as you continue, and you feel a swell of satisfaction at your good deed.

And then you feel several sharp thumps on the back of your head as the coins smack against your skull.

“What’s the big idea just droppin’ your trash wherever ye please?” says an oddly spry voice from behind you. “The forest is no place for emptying pockets and scattering bits and bobbles!”

You turn around to see the man you passed by, now standing and holding a long walking stick. Next to him you see (though you don’t know how you could have missed it before) either a very large dog or a very tame wolf.

“Uh, that’s not... It wasn’t garbage sir,” you stammer out. “Those were coins I dropped at your feet.”

“And why would you do a thing like that?” he asks, not unkindly, but not with the gratitude you might have expected either.

“Well, you’re alone out here and I figured you might be... hungry?” The end of your sentence turns into a question under the piercing gaze of the stranger.

“Hungry?! Ha!” The man laughs. “How could I possibly be hungry with such an abundant feast all around us?”

Just then your grumbling stomach speaks up, making it obvious you have no idea what kind of feast the man could be thinking of. It also reminds you and your companions of your desire to get to the inn at the next town while its kitchen might still be open.

“I’ll tell you what,” says the stranger, now smiling at you, “I’m no fool. I know you were trying to show me a kindness, and for that I thank you. To make amends for your sore head, allow me to provide you all with an evening meal and a bit of entertainment!”

“We appreciate your offer,” says one of your companions, “but we really must keep going.”

“Not a problem!” the man replies. “I tend to eat on the move too. Keeps the old limbs limber as timber, as the saying goes! Lead the way!”

As the five of you walk, the old man begins to whistle a tune.

As he whistles, his dog hops excitedly around him, and his walking stick begins to glow. Many of the blossoms and flower buds near the trail seem to give off a faint light as well, in a myriad of colors.

Branches from the trees begin to bend down, with faintly glowing fruit now easily in arm’s reach. Berry vines you hadn’t noticed before now seem to line the edges of the path on all sides, offering plump and juicy berries to enjoy.

You glance at the stranger. He gives you a slight nod as he continues whistling. You pluck one of the berries and put it in your mouth. DELICIOUS!!

“Are you a Nature mage, then?” asks the youngest member of your party. “I’ve never met one before.”

The stranger stops whistling and smiles. “Well now I don’t know that anyone has ever called me a ‘mage’ before,” he says. “Though I am quite fond of nature. I’ve just never cared too much for books and classrooms. They’re fine for some folks of course, but I prefer to seek out magic through other means than disciplined spells.”

“There are ways to use magic other than spells?”

“A great many!! Probably more ways than there are squirrels in this forest! My personal preferred method is music.”

Your young companion looks to you, trying to figure out if the man is making some kind of a joke. “You can’t cast magic through music, can you? Really? Is that something special for Nature magic?”

“Of course you can! Music can cast magic of any element, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes a bit more naturally to Nature magic, what with our love of harmony and all.” At this he gives you a quick, knowing wink.

“Let’s see,” he continues, sizing up your party while stroking his chin. “Between the four of you I’d say you can cast Lightning, Earth, Metal, and Water spells. Is that right?”

“How could you possibly know that?” asks the water mage in your group.

“Don’t worry,” says the man, waving a hand. “I’m not reading your minds. I can’t do that like you can. I just happen to have a talent for seeing connections between people. I have a nose for sniffing out how groups and different elements fit together. Like how two of you are secretly quite fond of each other.”

At this last comment everyone in your party becomes quite stiff, not wanting to make eye contact with any other member of the party. At this the man laughs heartily.

“Relax! I won’t spoil the surprise. Now eat, I still have some entertainment that I promised to provide.”

“Can music REALLY cast magic from any element?” your young companion finally bursts out again. “Not just nature?”

“Hmmm...” The man strokes his chin and begins to whistle his tune again. “It’s like this...”

Well wind, it sure can whistle

And rain keeps quite a beat

Hearing sandstone rubbed together

Can make me tap my feet

And there is no denyin’

Some singers sing with fire

But nature’s the conductor

That can harmonize the choir

Yes horns of brass and metal

Can trumpet clear and far

And those electric fiddles…

….

….

(OK, so they’re bizarre)

But just ask anybody

Be they Oni, Elf, or Faun

And they’ll confess that nature

She provides the wood baton

He closes his song and you find that despite the corny lyrics and campy tune, you couldn’t suppress your smile.

“So that’s it then?” you ask, raising your eyebrow. “Nature is simply the best?”

“Bah! Haven’t you been listening?” he says incredulously. “Nature is all about finding the harmony in life. You can’t have harmony without balance, and you can’t have balance if everybody is trying to sing the loudest.”

The light of his walking stick dims a bit as he speaks next. “Some nature mages who come through here, they’ve got heads full of moss. They think the only way to appreciate nature is to keep it ‘pure,’ which to them means keeping everything and everyone else out.”

“They don’t get it,” he says with a sigh. “This new world of discovery and exploration isn’t something that can be kept out, and trying to is only going to make things worse. The only way to keep Nature healthy is to be part of helping everyone, all the nations, all the spell schools of every element, to find that harmony for themselves.”

“I don’t know,” you say with a sad shrug. “I’ve seen a lot of struggle, and I’ve been through a lot of fights. We all have.” Your companions nod in agreement. “How do you even begin to tackle something like that?”

“I find a good place to start is just to get the song stuck in somebody else’s head,” he says with a wink.

Just then, you come around a bend in the trail and you see the light of the inn’s windows in front of you. “Hey we made it!” you say. “Why don’t you come join us for the night, and...”

You and your companions turn to look at the stranger, but he’s gone. No glowing stick, no large dog, not even footprints or tracks where he had been just a moment before. The faint glow of berry juice around your lips is the only evidence that it hadn’t just been a dream.

“Well, I guess he had somewhere else to be,” you say to the rest of your party. “Come on, let’s get inside and out of this night air.”

(If you haven’t already read the post about Djinn and the Ten Elemental Heavens, I suggest starting there.)

“Air wants to move the world around it.”

Among those who align themselves with the element of Air, it is common to find a kind of wanderlust. A desire to be in motion, to go places you’ve never gone before, and resist staying in the same place for too long. Even after completing a long and difficult journey, it is not uncommon for those aligned with Air to already be thinking about their next destination. 

This natural desire knows no boundaries, and for those whose souls go on to join The Stellar Fleet when their mortal lives close, their limits know no boundaries either. 

Upon joining The Stellar Fleet, each soul is given their very own stellar vessel. This miraculous ship is equipped with a sail that can harness the “wind of the stars,” and can travel anywhere in the universe at any speed its captain desires. 

Some individuals in the fleet may choose to travel in pairs or groups, while others travel alone. Some may meet up with others at shared destinations. Some may choose to keep their destinations (and what they discover there) a secret. 

Even time itself is a boundary which is powerless to stop The Stellar Fleet. Their vessels can take them to the past and future, to the beginning of the world and its end. There is literally NOWHERE they can’t go.