Iam Pace
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ipace.bsky.social
Iam Pace
@ipace.bsky.social
40 followers 120 following 58 posts
Research assistant and editor.

And, long ago, I won some neat awards while writing for Dr. Ed Madison, Erik Bender, and Miranda Anderson.

I usually post about real-world locations and objects that offer inspiration for games and stories.
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As evening comes, the wind strikes the snow from a mountaintop, sending the frost whirling heavenward before the setting sun ignites the flurry with the colors of fire.

The sun refracting through wind-whipped snow can set the mood for travel in #fantasy #writing.

#dnd #ttrpg
📷️: wegotravel_8 세계 풍경
November 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM
ipace.bsky.social
Near the village of Watkins Glen weaves a 400-foot-deep gorge flowing with waterfalls dancing amongst pools of clear water.

Stone footbridges and paths cut into the very rock bring visitors to the ravine.

#dnd #ttrpg #fantasy #writing
📷️: Pure Passion Photography; Markus Bar; & Stephanie B.
This image is credited to Pure Passion Photography. A beautiful but narrow ravine is filled with cascading waterfalls and tiered pools. Crossing above the flowing water are bridges. It is fall, and the red and yellow leaves drape the stone in rich color. This image is by Markus Bar (IG: markusbar). The image shows one of the several stone bridges that cross the ravine as well as one of the stone stair paths. This image is by Markus Bar (IG: markusbar). Here is another stone footbridge crossing the ravine. This one is about halfway in the gorge. This image is by Stephanie B (IG: steph_ann_ee). It is winter, and the waterfalls have frozen into long icicles.
November 21, 2025 at 8:03 PM
ipace.bsky.social
Within Salina Turda (Transylvania) are massive chambers hewn from the earth deep below.

This 800-year-old salt mine has been converted into a tourist attraction replete with restaurants and offers ideas for a dwarven city in #fantasy #writing & #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷️: National Geographic
November 20, 2025 at 2:33 PM
ipace.bsky.social
Resting in the village of Bukowina Tatrzanska is a house built by Polish architect Sebastian Piton.

Informed by fairytales and folklore, Sebastian engraved amongst the fine timbers intricate symbols inspired by Polish myths and culture.

#dnd #dnd5e #ttrpg #fantasy #writing
📷️: Sebastian Piton
This image is by Sebastian Piton (check the bottom right of the photo). Inspired by medieval and fairytale cottages, this large house stands upon a foundation of stone. The roof mimics wooden shingles and the many porches and balconies have elegantly carved pillars. Upon the roof rests a tall pyramid-like structure to mirror certain architectural styles of the past. The window frames are beautifully carved wood set with triangular glass panes. This image is by Sebastian Piton. This side image of the house shows the slopping roof as well as the many curves and asymmetrical quality of the house. Those are the two most standout qualities that lend the cottage its exotic nature: the asymmetry and the gentle curves fashioned into many areas of the building. This image is by Sebastian Piton. The inside of the house is even more stunning than the exterior. The wood within is finally sanded and polished. The curves and weaves of wood are present within. The pale texture of the treated wood helps enhance sources of light. This image is by Sebastian Piton. This image shows a close-up of some of the beautiful engravings. These ones are all along the arch that greets visitors to the front entrance, which is a set of finely detailed double doors.
November 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
ipace.bsky.social
Upon a woodland hilltop Wallace Monument stands in Gothic splendor. At festive moments, its stone edifice is awash with a variegated glow in the night.

The Stirland folly offers ideas for a wizard's tower or eerie ruin in #fantasy #writing & #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷: Barry Hughes & Stuart Mckay
This image is by local resident Barry Hughes. The full moon creeps up the hillside to be rising right behind the right side of the tower. This image is by photographer Stuart Mckay. An old stone-block arched bridge spans a low river. The stonework is moss-covered and discolored. In the distance, rising from a woodland knoll, is a tower with a jagged roof like a spiked pyramid. This image is by local resident Barry Hughes. The tower is colored rainbow with lights in celebration of Pride Month. This image is by local resident Barry Hughes. The tower is soaked in an eerie, ominous blood-red light.
November 17, 2025 at 2:34 AM
ipace.bsky.social
Nestled between snow-crowned peaks are the icy-blue waters of Lake Erskine.

The remote alpine lake is located in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park at 1,340 meters and offers ideas for exploration in #fantasy #writing & #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷: Chance Allred; Ryan Resatka; & Rach Stewart
This image is by photographer Chance Allred (IG: chanceallred). A thin waterfall travels from the towering heights of a lake surrounded by rocky mountain peaks. While the upper section is nearly devoid of green, the lower sections, as the waterfall turns into a steep creek, are flush with verdant vegetation. The water of the lake is a brilliant turquoise beneath a dark blue, often called cerulean, sky. This image is by photographer Ryan Resatka (IG: ryanresatka). The angle of this photo shows how steep sections of the waterfall are. There is also more snow on the mountain tops. Because the day is cloudy, the waters are much darker, a deep sapphire. This image is by photographer Rach Stewart (IG: rachstewartnz). The day appears to be twilight, and much of the mountain is covered in shadow. The water is dark, dim even, but it is still a beautiful blue.
November 15, 2025 at 8:02 PM
ipace.bsky.social
On the verge of the arctic circle is a hole hewn into the stone of a Lac de Gras island.

The Diavik Diamond Mine exudes more than 3,500 lb. of diamonds annually.

Such a site offers ideas for exploration in #fantasy #writing & #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷: Dr. John Bullas; Rio Tinto Group; & Fred Lum
This image is attributed to Flickr user DrJohnBullas. On a rather flat island, incredibly asymmetrical, is a massive hole, hundreds of feet across and deep. As with many such mining operations, the hole consists of concentric roads leading into the center. This photo is attributed to the company of Diavik Diamond Mine and the Rio Tinto Group. Like the first photo, this is an aerial image of the mine but much later with a sister mine, not as large, right beside it. This photo is attributed to the company of Diavik Diamond Mine and the Rio Tinto Group, who own a 60 percent stake. The lake is frozen and all is covered in snow. Everything is made nearly equal in the flatness of winter save for the great holes of the mines. As the website the photo was borrowed from says: "An aerial view of the Diavik Diamond Mine at Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories (Fred Lum/Globe and Mail via Canadian Press)."
November 14, 2025 at 6:41 PM
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A humble islet is home to a modest building that has safely guided ships and sailors for more than 150 years.

The Pokonji Dol Lighthouse (Croatia) stands watch off the shore of Hvar Island.

A tower upon an island offers ideas for #fantasy #writing & #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷: Alen Vrbos & WNDRLUST
This photo is by Alen Vrbos (IG: a.v_b.o.s.s). A squat, white structure crowned by a great light rises from a lonely, barren island. The beautiful sapphire waves sweep against its white shores. This image is attributed to WNDRLUST, but that site seems unreliable. This is an aerial view of the islet. It shows the layout of the lighthouse, its white-stone paths, and support buildings from directly above. This image is attributed to WNDRLUST. This image shows the mainland shore from the isolated islet.
November 12, 2025 at 3:37 AM
ipace.bsky.social
A massive crest of stone cuts through the high desert of New Mexico. The ridge leads to an inselberg named Tsé Bitʼaʼí, "rock with wings," in Navajo, towering over the arid landscape.

Curious rock formations offer ideas for #fantasy #writing & exploration in #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷: Ronald Söthje
November 11, 2025 at 12:04 AM
ipace.bsky.social
A twilight mist floods the forest around Alnwick Castle, leaving the castle's towers like islands in a sea of violet.

The 11th-century Northumberland fortress was the location for 𝐷𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝐴𝑏𝑏𝑒𝑦.

A castle in a twilight forest offers ideas for #fantasy #writing & #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷: Jim Scott
Photo by Jim Scott Photography (IG: jimscottphoto). The gray-stone silhouette of Alnwick Castle appears from mists dyed purple by twilight. The shape of deciduous trees can be seen throughout the lavender fog. Photo by Jim Scott Photography. The mists are thick here, bloating out most of the forest and castle, but a few tower ruins can be seen like islands rising from the shroud. Photo by Jim Scott Photography. The waves of violet mist continue to roll through the forest, blanking all before it.
November 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
ipace.bsky.social
Polish wildlife photographer Igor Siwanowicz carefully cultivated mushrooms upon books to create living art.

The position of the fungi implies that they are sprouting from the pages, as though some ancient magic is escaping from the tome.

#dnd #dnd5e #ttrpg #fantasy #writing
📷️: Igor Siwanowicz
Photos and art by Igor Siwanowicz. This is a closer image of the top of the book, which shows a nest of tall, white mushrooms growing slightly askew. Photos and art by Igor Siwanowicz. This is the original art piece before the photographer altered it. Photos and art by Igor Siwanowicz. Like pale towers, mushrooms topped with brown caps sprout from a book with a thick, dark cover. Originally, the book was the Bible, but the artist changed it to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to make the art piece less controversial.
November 8, 2025 at 7:35 PM
ipace.bsky.social
These gorgeous images of the Patagonian mountains evoke a deep sense of wanderlust, of navigating mysterious wilds.

Sometimes, bringing the verisimilitude of travel to players requires not but evocative descriptions that instill life and history.

#dnd #dnd5e #ttrpg #fantasy #writing
📷️: Max Rive
This image is by the photographer Max Rive. You can see more of his work on his website. In the vast distance separated by a winding river is a frost-touched range of towering mountains. The peaks are viewed through the slightly tilted framing of two tree branches. This image is by the photographer Max Rive. The sun stirs below the horizon, casting a low light across a deep valley cloaked in frost. A creek gently weaves its way through the vale as mist hangs above it. This image is by the photographer Max Rive. Vast, jagged peaks rise toward the sky. Nestled among their lower reaches is a lake, its water a pristine and depthless blue.
November 8, 2025 at 1:52 AM
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Built into a massive cliff overlooking the forests of Paro Valley, Taktsang Monastery (Bhutan) connects to a cavern network known as the Tiger's Nest that weaves throughout the mountains.

#dnd #dnd5e #ttrpg #fantasy #writing
📷: Tom Anderson; Vinayaraj; Bernard Gagnon; & Subhadeep Mondal
Tom Anderson. Hugging a narrow strip of rock curving up the face of a massive cliff is a white-walled monastery topped with roofs of gold and crimson. Below is a deep valley dense with green trees. This image is credited to Vinayaraj (Wikimedia Commons). The image is from a distance from the cliffside monastery. It shows how high up on the mountain side it is. This image is credited to Bernard Gagnon (Wikimedia Commons). A thick front of mists rolls into the valley from the mountain tops, which creates a scene of the monastery standing vigil above a sea of fog. This photo is by Subhadeep Mondal (IG: subhadeep.mytravelframes). It shows one of the Tiger's Nest caves and a white structure within it.
November 5, 2025 at 4:22 PM
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Constructed in the 13th century to protect Glamorgan, Caerphilly Castle dominates an island within an artificial lake.

As the largest castle in Wales, the fortress saw extensive fighting throughout its life.

#dnd #dnd5e #ttrpg #fantasy #writing #history
📷: Hawlfraint y Goron & cadw.gov.wales
This image is copyrighted by Hawlfraint y Goron; Crown Cymru Wales. A massive castle ruin, the largest in Wales and second largest in all of the UK, stands upon an island in an artificial lake. The remains of massive towers are set on each corner of the relatively square island, and great walls run along the island's border. This image is credited to the government site cadw.gov.wales, which is responsible for promoting tourist destinations within Wales. This image shows the outer wall of the castle, which is only connected to the island fortress by a bridge. This long outer wall has its own moat and earthworks. This image is credited to the government site cadw.gov.wales, which is responsible for promoting tourist destinations within Wales. A family looks into a bit that is filled with the large statues of two adult dragons and two baby dragons. The statues of the adult dragons are made so they seem to be coming out of a cave in the stone wall. This image is credited to the government site cadw.gov.wales, which is responsible for promoting tourist destinations within Wales. A person is being held by a smoke-breathing dragon.
November 3, 2025 at 8:03 PM
ipace.bsky.social
From its vantage on a spur-like island in a dark vale, the 12th-century Eltz Castle (Germany) watches the evening fog roll through the autumn woods.

A tall castle in a dark forest offers ideas for #fantasy #writing & #dnd, especially this #Halloween season.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷: Carl T. Loveall
This photo is by Carl T. Loveall. The twilight mist tide rolls in as the faint light of day touches the sky with gentle lavender. A narrow bridge of cobbled stone leads to an arched entrance. Within the arch are two aged but stout wooden doors. The doors lead to a tall castle with many turret-type towers topped with cones. This photo is by Carl T. Loveall. The photo is framed by fall leaves, orange and yellow in their dying days. In the distance is Eltz Castle, slowly being engulfed by fog. All around are the slopes of darkly wooded hills. This photo is by Carl T. Loveall. The image is dark, and the perspective shows the cobblestone-arched bridge leading to the slender castle rising from the valley between the forested hills. This photo is by Carl T. Loveall. This photo shows the island-like hill the castle sits on in the dark German valley.
November 1, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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Upon a mountain stands a fortress, battered but enduring. Its high walls have watched over the Plain of Navelli for a thousand years.

Rocca Calascio (Apennines) is one of the highest-elevation forts (4,961 feet) in Europe.

#dnd #dnd5e #ttrpg #writing #history
📷: Franco Nicolli & Mauro Pagliai
This image is by Mauro Pagliai (IG: Mauro_Pagliai): Night has fallen on the ruined keep. The lights that illuminate its walls and nearby chapel bleed into the night fog, creating a strange diffuse effect like fire and smoke. The photo is by Mauro Pagliai (IG: Mauro_Pagliai). As the sun shines above the horizon, the blue sky falls to waves of marching clouds. Despite the growing dark above, the rocky peaks and grassy hills are touched by golden sunlight. In the fore of the frame stands the keep, its base incorporating the rocky slopes and ridges into its construction. This image is by Franco Nicolli (IG: franconic89). Atop a snow-draped mountain ridge stands a fortress ruin. Its high walls form a square bastion around a central tower. Each corner is marked by a circular, crenelated tower.
October 30, 2025 at 4:52 AM
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Within vaulted rooms held by towering pillars, each etched and shaped with symbolism, are halls of stained glass dancing with prisms.

The Basílica de la Sagrada Familia (Spain) offers ideas for #fantasy #writing & #dnd.

#dnd5e #ttrpg
📷 : Ken Cheung; Sagrada Familia; Pep Daude; & Txllxt TxllxT
This photo is by Ken Cheung. As twilight falls upon the city and the clouds turn to lavender beneath the deep blue sky, the lights beneath the basilica shine upwards upon its strangely curved walls and arches. The construction of the temple continues to this day as shown by the massive looming forms of cranes. This photo is credited to Sagrada Familia (Official). The image shows some of the finely wrought and richly colored stained class held in the heavy ashlar walls. This photo is copyrighted by Pep Daude. The photo was taken from one of the balconies within the great hall, and it shows its immense length, revealing the towering, organic-themed pillars and arched windows set with stained glass. This photo is by Txllxt TxllxT (Wikimedia Commons). This image shows one of the many absurdly large stained glass windows.
October 28, 2025 at 4:00 AM
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Ocharan Palace (Castro-Urdiales), a castle melding neo-Gothic and Mudejar styles, stands shrouded in ivy. An observatory operates within one of its splendid towers.

Ivy-draped castles and astronomy towers offer ideas for #dnd and #fantasy #writing.

#ttrpg #castle #dnd5e
📷: Castro-Urdiales Tourism
The first structure of the compound was built in 1901, but other buildings in other architectural styles were added over the years. In this photo, arched windows peer from within a vale of ivy and plants climbing the red-hued and pale walls to a series of short, crenelated towers. This image shows a section with less plant cover, but the plants are advancing up the brick-and-mortar walls toward the red-hued brickwork of the circular, tower-like structures with the crenelation. This image shows a side section of one of the larger buildings on the compound. It shows what appears to be a hall marked with many arched windows side-by-side with a white ashlar tower on the left and a series of joint towers on the right made from red brick at the top. This image shows the beautifully kept grounds of the compound leading to the castle-palace, which is made mostly of red brick in the Mudejar style. Ivy and other plants cover much of the lower section of the castle, but many arched windows can be seen.
October 25, 2025 at 11:17 PM
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Crowned by mists and mantled in snow, Cerro Chaltén (Argentina and Chile) stands above the glacial lakes and lenga woods of Patagonia like a stoic monarch, distant and cold.

Mist-wreathed mountains are a staple of #dnd or #fantasy #writing.

#ttrpg #nature #dnd5e
📷: Ronald Söthje & Jenna Dixon
This photo is by Jenna Dixon (www.jennadixonphotography.com). The photo was taken from the edge of a cliff overlooking a glacial lake surrounded by mountains with sheer faces. In the background is Cerro Chaltén, a mountain of many peaks, all jagged and towering. This photo is by Ronald Söthje (https://soethje.com/). The image was taken from a treeline. Across a swamp-like field of glacial puddles are the rocky foothills of Cerro Chaltén. The top of Cerro Chaltén itself is hidden in clouds. This photo is by Ronald Söthje (https://soethje.com/). This image is much like the second image, except it shows the beautiful orange of the deciduous trees in the foreground.
October 24, 2025 at 11:05 PM
ipace.bsky.social
Along a towering cliff rent by the Guadalevín River lives ancient Ronda (Spain), a city of island-like plateaus connected by 14th- and 16th-century vaulted bridges.

A city along or nestled atop a cliff offers ideas for #dnd or #fantasy #writing.

#ttrpg #history #dnd5e
📷: James Relf Dyer
This photo is by James Relf Dyer (https://www.instagram.com/jamesrelfdyer/). The early light of dawn cascades over the city of Ronda, a white-walled marvel of ancient and modern aesthetics nestled against a terrifyingly tall cliff. Morning mist dances at the cliff edge. This photo is by James Relf Dyer (https://www.instagram.com/jamesrelfdyer/). A sea of fog rolls around one of the island-like plateaus a part of the city rests on. An ancient, Roman-esque bridge connects the island to the city proper. This photo is by James Relf Dyer (https://www.instagram.com/jamesrelfdyer/). Rays of light illuminating the fog shine through the arches of a Roman bridge that connects two halves of the city across the great canyon carved by a river.
October 23, 2025 at 11:31 PM
ipace.bsky.social
Like a crown set atop a jutting tidal island rests the walls of Lindisfarne Castle (Northumberland). The isle has a history of war dating to the 6th century.

A castle atop a tall hill or island is right at home in #dnd or #fantasy #writing.

#ttrpg #history #dnd5e
📷: Darren Flinders & Chris Combe
This photo is by Darren Flinders. In the foreground is a rocky beach, but the background holds a steep hill rising into the sky. Atop it, like a crown, is an ancient fortress. This photo is by Darren Flinders. Late dusk paints the sky with fire, brilliant orange and yellow, which is reflected on the still water of the tidal flats. The dark silhouette of a slender, rising hill is seen in black. The iconic walls of a European castle sit atop it. This photo is by Chris Combe (Wikipedia and https://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmicherb70/15064111624/) Sunset touches the sea on the right of the photo. The sky is partly cloudy. A rocky beach fills most of the image, but a castle atop a slender, stoney hill rises on the left section of the photo.
October 22, 2025 at 4:16 PM
ipace.bsky.social
Constructed in an era known as the Year of the Three Emperors, Kaiserturm (Odenwald) stands 112 feet in a quiet woodland. The lower levels are part of cozy cottage of stone and wood nestled around the observation tower.

#dnd #ttrpg #writing
📷: Michael Feldmann; Michael Freyaldenhoven; & Chrisha Go
This image is by Michael Feldmann. Rising from a small glen in a German coniferous forest is a stone-brick tower. The bottom of the tower is built like a cottage, creating a fairytale-like medieval cabin-tower hybrid. Some of the trees have begun to turn colors with the coming autumn. This image is by Michael Freyaldenhoven. It is deeper into fall than the first image, and many leaves have fallen, leaving the trees bare. The sun is low, and the shadows of the trees leave long, dark striations across the tower. This image is credited to Chrisha Go, a visiting tourist. The forest is lush and green, full of leaves and plants. A few plants cradle the lower levels of the tower, almost completely engulfing the bottom of the tower.
October 21, 2025 at 2:59 AM
ipace.bsky.social
Twin towers of white stone stand together. A covered bridge connects the conical roofs into a single great tower rising from the woods.

Torre Schönberg is a watchtower built in 1905 and stands in Baden-Württemberg.

#dnd #dnd5e #ttrpg #history #writing
📷: Tom Juenemann; Zinnmann; & Lasmahei
This image is by Tom Juenemann (IG: @tom_juenemann). Twin towers of white ashlar stand together, connected at the top by a bridge that holds two conical towers. Autumn has come to the forest where the towers stand, a woodland of orange and red and yellow. This image is credited to Zinnmann (Wikimedia Commons). The view is from the base of the twin towers looking up at a night sky full of stars. This image is credited to Lasmahei (Wikimedia Commons). This image is from a vast distance away. It shows just how incredibly hilly and how dense the forest is around the tower.
October 20, 2025 at 1:14 AM
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Standing nearly 1000 feet above the forest floor, ancient monoliths of quartz sandstone guard the mist-touched valley of Zhangjiajie National Park.

A vale of these forest-cloaked giants of stone is right at home in #dnd or #fantasy #writing.

#ttrpg #nature #dnd5e
📷: Filip Kulisev
October 19, 2025 at 2:18 AM
ipace.bsky.social
Across East Java is a region known as the Ijen volcano complex, a series of composite volcanoes famous for spewing sapphire-hued lava.

While mineral deposits cause the coloration, in #dnd & #writing, the source can be fantastical.

#nature #volcano #ttrpg
🎥: Olivier Grunewald and Régis Etienne
October 17, 2025 at 11:30 PM