Artemis Games - Worldbuilding - That's as Good a Theory as Any
@artemisgamesuk.bsky.social
Queer Disabled Game Designers and Worldbuilders from Manchester, UK | Ste: He/Him | Amy: She/Her | Ali: They/Them | Loz: He/Him
Current Channel Manager: Ste
https://castbox.fm/channel/That's-as-Good-a-Theory-as-Any-id6223524?
Current Channel Manager: Ste
https://castbox.fm/channel/That's-as-Good-a-Theory-as-Any-id6223524?
#Septopolis 28
Catching up for the last couple of days - this one took a while because I (ste) cannot draw a thing, so I had to wait for my wife to have time to put together the Icon symbols for The Rat King and The Bloody priest.
Here are her originals:
Catching up for the last couple of days - this one took a while because I (ste) cannot draw a thing, so I had to wait for my wife to have time to put together the Icon symbols for The Rat King and The Bloody priest.
Here are her originals:
September 30, 2025 at 9:56 PM
#Septopolis 28
Catching up for the last couple of days - this one took a while because I (ste) cannot draw a thing, so I had to wait for my wife to have time to put together the Icon symbols for The Rat King and The Bloody priest.
Here are her originals:
Catching up for the last couple of days - this one took a while because I (ste) cannot draw a thing, so I had to wait for my wife to have time to put together the Icon symbols for The Rat King and The Bloody priest.
Here are her originals:
Gorgons are interesting , with a lot of open questions about their origin. So for G, Amy's done a lot of reading to find out about different versions of their story. Did you know that Medusa might have been an African goddess?
Also, I think her #art is cute - as usual.
ko-fi.com/post/G-is-fo...
Also, I think her #art is cute - as usual.
ko-fi.com/post/G-is-fo...
September 21, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Gorgons are interesting , with a lot of open questions about their origin. So for G, Amy's done a lot of reading to find out about different versions of their story. Did you know that Medusa might have been an African goddess?
Also, I think her #art is cute - as usual.
ko-fi.com/post/G-is-fo...
Also, I think her #art is cute - as usual.
ko-fi.com/post/G-is-fo...
other spaces rely on Fire Obsidian that has been enchanted to produce its own internal light. Some of these are self-sustaining, while others, bloodstones, require a little pinprick of blood sacrifice to power their magics - but can glow with a much brighter illumination.🧵
gem-a.com/gem-hub/fire...
gem-a.com/gem-hub/fire...
September 13, 2025 at 11:14 PM
other spaces rely on Fire Obsidian that has been enchanted to produce its own internal light. Some of these are self-sustaining, while others, bloodstones, require a little pinprick of blood sacrifice to power their magics - but can glow with a much brighter illumination.🧵
gem-a.com/gem-hub/fire...
gem-a.com/gem-hub/fire...
The Rat King is inspired by the concept of the mythic Rat King, wherein rather than simply having tails tied together a group of rats become mentally linked into one indivudal, and his influence is a combination of various crime families (mafia, yakuza, etc.) with a hint of the Illuminati🧵
September 3, 2025 at 4:36 PM
The Rat King is inspired by the concept of the mythic Rat King, wherein rather than simply having tails tied together a group of rats become mentally linked into one indivudal, and his influence is a combination of various crime families (mafia, yakuza, etc.) with a hint of the Illuminati🧵
I is for Ifrit. In this week's alphabet of monsters and #myth/#folklore we look at the most powerful sort of Djinn, the Ifrit. Records are spotty, but there's enough to pull together something interesting from, and I really like what Amy's done for the #art this week!
ko-fi.com/blog/editor/...
ko-fi.com/blog/editor/...
August 20, 2025 at 4:11 PM
I is for Ifrit. In this week's alphabet of monsters and #myth/#folklore we look at the most powerful sort of Djinn, the Ifrit. Records are spotty, but there's enough to pull together something interesting from, and I really like what Amy's done for the #art this week!
ko-fi.com/blog/editor/...
ko-fi.com/blog/editor/...
J is for Jorogumo - a Japanese Yokai that draws on the Golden Orb-Weaver Spider, and serves as a seductress archetype. Her ability to transform between the form of a beautiful woman and a giant spider makes for an interesting set of #monster #myths.
ko-fi.com/post/J-is-fo...
#spider #fantasy
ko-fi.com/post/J-is-fo...
#spider #fantasy
August 14, 2025 at 4:14 PM
J is for Jorogumo - a Japanese Yokai that draws on the Golden Orb-Weaver Spider, and serves as a seductress archetype. Her ability to transform between the form of a beautiful woman and a giant spider makes for an interesting set of #monster #myths.
ko-fi.com/post/J-is-fo...
#spider #fantasy
ko-fi.com/post/J-is-fo...
#spider #fantasy
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
What are the gods gods of? Why anything you need them to be of course - there is a god somewhere out there for any concept you might imagine; hell, just the gods from real-world pantheons provide plenty of coverage on their own, let alone all the other ones
What are the gods gods of? Why anything you need them to be of course - there is a god somewhere out there for any concept you might imagine; hell, just the gods from real-world pantheons provide plenty of coverage on their own, let alone all the other ones
August 13, 2025 at 9:41 PM
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
What are the gods gods of? Why anything you need them to be of course - there is a god somewhere out there for any concept you might imagine; hell, just the gods from real-world pantheons provide plenty of coverage on their own, let alone all the other ones
What are the gods gods of? Why anything you need them to be of course - there is a god somewhere out there for any concept you might imagine; hell, just the gods from real-world pantheons provide plenty of coverage on their own, let alone all the other ones
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
12: As a TTRPG setting, the relationship with the divine and infernal is up to individual players. But for the character I play in the playtest, Huemac, his relationship with the divine is very personal - he willingly gave up his heart to channel Xitlam 🧵
12: As a TTRPG setting, the relationship with the divine and infernal is up to individual players. But for the character I play in the playtest, Huemac, his relationship with the divine is very personal - he willingly gave up his heart to channel Xitlam 🧵
August 12, 2025 at 10:32 PM
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
12: As a TTRPG setting, the relationship with the divine and infernal is up to individual players. But for the character I play in the playtest, Huemac, his relationship with the divine is very personal - he willingly gave up his heart to channel Xitlam 🧵
12: As a TTRPG setting, the relationship with the divine and infernal is up to individual players. But for the character I play in the playtest, Huemac, his relationship with the divine is very personal - he willingly gave up his heart to channel Xitlam 🧵
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
11: The gods rarely act within the world - and great deeds require many gods with an invitation. The greatest deed of the gods is the barrier that holds back demonic invasion of The City, enabled by the sacrifices of The Bloody Priest.
11: The gods rarely act within the world - and great deeds require many gods with an invitation. The greatest deed of the gods is the barrier that holds back demonic invasion of The City, enabled by the sacrifices of The Bloody Priest.
August 12, 2025 at 12:57 AM
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
11: The gods rarely act within the world - and great deeds require many gods with an invitation. The greatest deed of the gods is the barrier that holds back demonic invasion of The City, enabled by the sacrifices of The Bloody Priest.
11: The gods rarely act within the world - and great deeds require many gods with an invitation. The greatest deed of the gods is the barrier that holds back demonic invasion of The City, enabled by the sacrifices of The Bloody Priest.
#augustworldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
10: The Gods can grant many boons, but only when channeled into the world. The easiest to grant is knowledge and sight, but personal strength is not far behind. The one thing they can never grant is any influence over another's will. The gods don't curse🧵
10: The Gods can grant many boons, but only when channeled into the world. The easiest to grant is knowledge and sight, but personal strength is not far behind. The one thing they can never grant is any influence over another's will. The gods don't curse🧵
August 11, 2025 at 12:21 AM
#augustworldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
10: The Gods can grant many boons, but only when channeled into the world. The easiest to grant is knowledge and sight, but personal strength is not far behind. The one thing they can never grant is any influence over another's will. The gods don't curse🧵
10: The Gods can grant many boons, but only when channeled into the world. The easiest to grant is knowledge and sight, but personal strength is not far behind. The one thing they can never grant is any influence over another's will. The gods don't curse🧵
#AugustWorldbuilding #TheUnconqueredJungle
9: Interactions of divine and mundane
The Gods need invitation to do anything, and the stronger a channel they are granted the more they can do. Building a temple is good, devoting your life to being a conduit is better. Most of the Unconquered Jungle...
9: Interactions of divine and mundane
The Gods need invitation to do anything, and the stronger a channel they are granted the more they can do. Building a temple is good, devoting your life to being a conduit is better. Most of the Unconquered Jungle...
August 9, 2025 at 1:55 PM
#AugustWorldbuilding #TheUnconqueredJungle
9: Interactions of divine and mundane
The Gods need invitation to do anything, and the stronger a channel they are granted the more they can do. Building a temple is good, devoting your life to being a conduit is better. Most of the Unconquered Jungle...
9: Interactions of divine and mundane
The Gods need invitation to do anything, and the stronger a channel they are granted the more they can do. Building a temple is good, devoting your life to being a conduit is better. Most of the Unconquered Jungle...
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
Entering week 2, and realising choosing not to look ahead at the rest of the prompts when I started this may have been a mistake. But a fun one.
The Divine exist outside of reality - and they are immense, not just in power but in number. But they're distant
Entering week 2, and realising choosing not to look ahead at the rest of the prompts when I started this may have been a mistake. But a fun one.
The Divine exist outside of reality - and they are immense, not just in power but in number. But they're distant
August 8, 2025 at 10:15 PM
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
Entering week 2, and realising choosing not to look ahead at the rest of the prompts when I started this may have been a mistake. But a fun one.
The Divine exist outside of reality - and they are immense, not just in power but in number. But they're distant
Entering week 2, and realising choosing not to look ahead at the rest of the prompts when I started this may have been a mistake. But a fun one.
The Divine exist outside of reality - and they are immense, not just in power but in number. But they're distant
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle 7
The Paladins of the Seer and the Bloody Priest run religious schools. The Ambassador runs a school for a foreign government, while the Graven Court, Pioneer and Fungal Queen all run schools for their own local governance.
The Paladins of the Seer and the Bloody Priest run religious schools. The Ambassador runs a school for a foreign government, while the Graven Court, Pioneer and Fungal Queen all run schools for their own local governance.
August 7, 2025 at 11:31 PM
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle 7
The Paladins of the Seer and the Bloody Priest run religious schools. The Ambassador runs a school for a foreign government, while the Graven Court, Pioneer and Fungal Queen all run schools for their own local governance.
The Paladins of the Seer and the Bloody Priest run religious schools. The Ambassador runs a school for a foreign government, while the Graven Court, Pioneer and Fungal Queen all run schools for their own local governance.
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
Each of the 13 Iconic Powers have their own sigil/icon (as this is a setting for the 13th Age RPG), and this is displayed as a sign of allegiance in schools they sponsor.
But there's no uniforms - only practical rules connected to the subject being learnt.
Each of the 13 Iconic Powers have their own sigil/icon (as this is a setting for the 13th Age RPG), and this is displayed as a sign of allegiance in schools they sponsor.
But there's no uniforms - only practical rules connected to the subject being learnt.
August 6, 2025 at 9:40 PM
#AugustWorldbuilders #TheUnconqueredJungle
Each of the 13 Iconic Powers have their own sigil/icon (as this is a setting for the 13th Age RPG), and this is displayed as a sign of allegiance in schools they sponsor.
But there's no uniforms - only practical rules connected to the subject being learnt.
Each of the 13 Iconic Powers have their own sigil/icon (as this is a setting for the 13th Age RPG), and this is displayed as a sign of allegiance in schools they sponsor.
But there's no uniforms - only practical rules connected to the subject being learnt.
This week's monster is the Kelpie - a horse-like shapeshifter of the Lochs, that hunts its prey with trickery and guile before drowning them beneath the waves. Many artists depict it as a naked woman, but that's a form it never takes in tales
ko-fi.com/post/K-is-fo...
#ttrpg #myth #folklore #art
ko-fi.com/post/K-is-fo...
#ttrpg #myth #folklore #art
August 5, 2025 at 8:26 PM
This week's monster is the Kelpie - a horse-like shapeshifter of the Lochs, that hunts its prey with trickery and guile before drowning them beneath the waves. Many artists depict it as a naked woman, but that's a form it never takes in tales
ko-fi.com/post/K-is-fo...
#ttrpg #myth #folklore #art
ko-fi.com/post/K-is-fo...
#ttrpg #myth #folklore #art
For #AugustWorldbuilding I'm talking about a realm we call #TheUnconqueredJungle, which we're building for #13thage
1) Can everyone attend school?
No, the vast majority cannot. There are religious orders that seek to ensure schooling is available to many, but most learn from their families
#ttrpg
1) Can everyone attend school?
No, the vast majority cannot. There are religious orders that seek to ensure schooling is available to many, but most learn from their families
#ttrpg
August 1, 2025 at 7:08 PM
For #AugustWorldbuilding I'm talking about a realm we call #TheUnconqueredJungle, which we're building for #13thage
1) Can everyone attend school?
No, the vast majority cannot. There are religious orders that seek to ensure schooling is available to many, but most learn from their families
#ttrpg
1) Can everyone attend school?
No, the vast majority cannot. There are religious orders that seek to ensure schooling is available to many, but most learn from their families
#ttrpg
Amy's #art this week looked to me like a shyly blushing suitor, so I decided to give it a slight modification and I think it turned out great. Do manticores flirt? And does anyone else think the two of them look subtly different? It's just an optical illusion - all I did was mirror the image!
July 29, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Amy's #art this week looked to me like a shyly blushing suitor, so I decided to give it a slight modification and I think it turned out great. Do manticores flirt? And does anyone else think the two of them look subtly different? It's just an optical illusion - all I did was mirror the image!
In Amy's latest blog piece, we look at the Manticore, a mythic beast that's used these days outside of D&D-like games - but works well as a classic obstacle. Despite their human-like face, they are rarely truly intelligent - rather, they are cunning predators. #mythology
ko-fi.com/post/M-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/M-is-fo...
July 29, 2025 at 9:36 PM
In Amy's latest blog piece, we look at the Manticore, a mythic beast that's used these days outside of D&D-like games - but works well as a classic obstacle. Despite their human-like face, they are rarely truly intelligent - rather, they are cunning predators. #mythology
ko-fi.com/post/M-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/M-is-fo...
N is for Nephilim, in our latest blog post on monsters - or more accurately, on creatures of #myth. The Nephilim are children of humans and angels, and can take many different forms in different stories. Sometimes, it matters a lot whether or not those angels are fallen.
ko-fi.com/post/N-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/N-is-fo...
July 24, 2025 at 4:16 PM
N is for Nephilim, in our latest blog post on monsters - or more accurately, on creatures of #myth. The Nephilim are children of humans and angels, and can take many different forms in different stories. Sometimes, it matters a lot whether or not those angels are fallen.
ko-fi.com/post/N-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/N-is-fo...
O is for Oni - this week Amy has written about, and drawn #art of, a Japanese monster/ghost/demon(/depraved human) - the Oni resists easy classification within the English system of supernatural creatures, but can be used to play many roles within your stories and #TTRPGs.
ko-fi.com/post/O-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/O-is-fo...
July 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM
O is for Oni - this week Amy has written about, and drawn #art of, a Japanese monster/ghost/demon(/depraved human) - the Oni resists easy classification within the English system of supernatural creatures, but can be used to play many roles within your stories and #TTRPGs.
ko-fi.com/post/O-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/O-is-fo...
P is for Panther - but not the one you're familiar with. This #myth shares the name of the more mundane animal we now know, but as you can see from the #art it's a rather different creature - using its sweet breath to draw animals to it, it gorges before sleeping for years. ko-fi.com/post/P-is-fo...
July 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
P is for Panther - but not the one you're familiar with. This #myth shares the name of the more mundane animal we now know, but as you can see from the #art it's a rather different creature - using its sweet breath to draw animals to it, it gorges before sleeping for years. ko-fi.com/post/P-is-fo...
Q is for Qalupalik, Dwelling Under Ice - these monsters come from Inuit #myth, and while in some ways they fit into the "mermaid who drowns victims" format, in others they are very different. Not least - they make no use of beauty, and only target children.
ko-fi.com/post/Q-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/Q-is-fo...
July 7, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Q is for Qalupalik, Dwelling Under Ice - these monsters come from Inuit #myth, and while in some ways they fit into the "mermaid who drowns victims" format, in others they are very different. Not least - they make no use of beauty, and only target children.
ko-fi.com/post/Q-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/Q-is-fo...
R is for #Redcap - #folklore creatures from the scottish-english border, the Redcap live for death. The art reminds us that they dip their cap in blood. They strongly resemble other fae creatures, but both bloodthirst & the iron boots they wear set them apart from their kin
ko-fi.com/post/R-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/R-is-fo...
June 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
R is for #Redcap - #folklore creatures from the scottish-english border, the Redcap live for death. The art reminds us that they dip their cap in blood. They strongly resemble other fae creatures, but both bloodthirst & the iron boots they wear set them apart from their kin
ko-fi.com/post/R-is-fo...
ko-fi.com/post/R-is-fo...
We've almost caught up with Amy's Alphabet of #Monsters now - and this time S is for showgirl. Sorry, #Siren - but if you look at her #art, you can see where that came from.
The #myth has them as beautiful birds who sing you to shore - beauty+feathers is a very Vegas look
ko-fi.com/post/S-is-fo...
The #myth has them as beautiful birds who sing you to shore - beauty+feathers is a very Vegas look
ko-fi.com/post/S-is-fo...
June 27, 2025 at 11:08 PM
We've almost caught up with Amy's Alphabet of #Monsters now - and this time S is for showgirl. Sorry, #Siren - but if you look at her #art, you can see where that came from.
The #myth has them as beautiful birds who sing you to shore - beauty+feathers is a very Vegas look
ko-fi.com/post/S-is-fo...
The #myth has them as beautiful birds who sing you to shore - beauty+feathers is a very Vegas look
ko-fi.com/post/S-is-fo...