Musings from Elsewhere

Formatting of the TUM Alpha could not have been a beetter way to iterate on the system. On top of that, I'm now getting in brutal detail what art and graphics will be required for the final release. I am something like 40% done with this formatting pass, slapping in placeholder artwork, drafing unfinished areas, and overall polishing the product. I'm estimating that after all is said and done, the final book will be a hefty 250 pages, similar to the 5e player's handbook, but slightly denser. Confidently, I've got Affinity Publisher and its nested systems down pat.

Thus far, I've expanded a number of skills, and cleaned up a bunch of tables. Lore, quotes, and more flavor is being sprinkled in. I'm coming up with so many fun ideas for the layout and presentation by studying games I love, finding elements and design concepts from many to bring the production of TUM to the AAA tier. Constantly I'm thinking of intriguing extras, like little flip-book animations in the bottom corner for each chapter, bookmarking ribbons, or a holographic insert for the magical skills section, or a popup dwarven fortress right inside the cover. I'll explore as many of these as I can for a special edition this coming year, I think, and include as many as possible in the planned hardcover.

One place I wasn't expecting to save space was in tables! Tables in the gdoc and current PDF take up a ton of space, but with good formatting and in a landscape aspect, they're downright compact! This layout pass has been awesome for rearticulating how they're used, and what should be included in the full game. It's been a joy adding things from my old versions before the quickstart released, and tailoring them for how the game has evolved.

On a personal note, I quit my day job of the last few years to focus on my woodworking (yes, I'm a woodworker,) as well as my creative projects; and that means TUM. I'm in a frenzy trying to get caught up in my shop, but in about 2 weeks, I'll have ample time to begin the ramp up for the crowdfunding campaign. 

This is all to say, it's going great. Rock and stone. Strike the earth.

The Tuber Dwarves, the Fir Friebhe (pronouinced Fur-Freeve)

“These ‘Root men’ your village speak of are my cousins! If you’re in need of food just ask them, you great lumbering toadstool! They’re not going to curse you for asking!”

—Atherthorn Ironbow to a local tallerman. Year 780, the age of heroes.

Appearance, behaviour and lore

Closer to nature than their brothers in the mountains or their kin in the hills, the Fir Friebhe (pronounced “Fur Freeve”,) or “Root Men,” are considered near to the fey. Quiet stewards of the land and what grows there, the Friebhe protect the ecology of the hills, forests, and plains. Often, humans and elves will leave tribute to these mysterious dwarves, that they might have a good harvest, or that the spring might come early. The Fir Friebhe oftentimes do help, nurturing the ground and fertilizing the soil from beneath. Humans tell stories of the little men in the ground, and revere the Fir Friebhe as kind spirits.

Fir Friebhe are plump and typically shorter than their dwarven kin. They have rough skin of earthy tones, mottled tans, browns, grays, and greens. Though the men have bald heads, they have rootlike beards, fine and usually a lighter shade of their skin. Fir Friebhe have been known to sleep with their beards dangling in bowls of ale. Unique as well are their understated ears and noses, barely more than small holes each. Their three fingered hands are often a curiosity among other dwarves.

The Asomaloi, dwarves of the eastern seas.

“...and there was founded Kosmona, the World Ship. In a sheltered bay scarcely wide enough to contain it, my forefathers mined the mountains hollow, and laid the forests low to build it. The ores in the deep, rich tetrahedrite and rare cassiterite, were extracted. So extensive was the plunder that fifty years from inception, the very earth gave way, and spilled Kosmona unto the Underrealm below. Untold was the hubris and despair of our loss.”

—Quinctius Ambrolix, year B620, the age of myth.

Asomaloi are shorter than most dwarven folk, little more to them than an oversized head with arms and legs. Their bodies are compact, often easily concealed behind their large beards. Their skintones range from dark umber or even onyx up through olive. Their hair is typically dark and can be curly or straight. Their proportions seem odd to outsiders, and Asomaloi think much the same of the tallermen and elves.

None surpass the Asomaloi in the arts of shipwrighting and the working of bronze. Their ships, great galleon hexaremes and nimble galleys dominate the oceans wherever the bodyless settle. Sometimes, massive ships of titanic size are constructed, entire nations built upon floating fortresses, only docking to pursue the materials of their obsession: copper and tin.

Bronze is the lifeblood of the Asomaloi, and none can work it better. Their bronze is as hard and strong as iron, and their culture has developed alloys to widen its capabilities. Like bronze, they similarly are fond of brass, the alloy they reverently call “Orichalcum.” Much of their economy revolves around the trade and refinement of such copper alloys, and it colors every corner of their civilization.

Asomaloi are opinionated, brash, and fiercely passionate about decorum. Their definition of decorum also happens to include threats, wrestling, and judicial duels. The bodyless are known for their large public forum spaces, where citizens may discuss and debate the issues of the day. It is said the mosaic floors of an Asomaloi forum are grouted with the teeth of the incorrect.

Cadifax! An illustration from my ttrpg, Those Under the Mountain.

A mountain dominates the landscape ahead, a broad valley stretching before it. A river can be seen snaking from the high places further west, and friendly grasslands are broken by stands of sturdy trees. The mountain meets the foothills in one place with a sheer cliff face, perched above the valley with a panoramic vantage.

TUM has magic. This was a hard-won outcome, since I originally daned to omit magic altogether from the core rules. It adds so much to the workload of the game, so many pages to the book... But alas, everyone loves magic in fantasy, and the creative humors were flowing. Anyway, here's a dwarven runesmith presenting a newly enchanted blade to his jarl.