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verdantcore.bsky.social
be_the_witch_you_want_to_see_in_the_world
@verdantcore.bsky.social
680 followers 260 following 1.3K posts
Verdant Core, as it goes...

I write games, I think about games, sometimes I play games.
Escapee to Portugal, cat servant / dog fascinator.

Games and stuff: https://verdant-core.itch.io

(yeah, Spriggans)
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verdantcore.bsky.social
One of the fun things about spending a year writing random wilderness encounters is that you forget some of the things you wrote. I just got this result and I had no recollection of writing it.

I do, however, have a vague memory of thinking about the figures on weather clocks last year... 🤷
A random encounter table entry. It reads, "Intrigue: A confused adventurer speaks backwards. They sit on a confused horse that gallops backwards. They will return to a small tower. The tower will fly to a random location and the rider will ride out at speed, stop then reverse again".
April 5, 2025 at 8:35 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
I went back to the UK to visit my mum for the first time in two years and picked up the bits and pieces I'd bought over that time. They are:

FEUD - a dark age, system neutral adventure by @thewyrdlands.bsky.social which also has lovely linoprint illustrations. thewyrd.itch.io/feud
A collection of books, mainly role-playing stuff and one collection of writing. they are; FEUD, five magic books for HarnMaster, You Meet In A Tavern You Die In A Dungeon, Troika, Salt & Mirrors & Cats, EcoMofos and Outsiders. There are some dice too, custom ones for Troika and some d13 and d7.
February 15, 2025 at 9:27 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
Who's this?

Why, it's Conrad Weaver, an ascetic with an abacus, who was arrested for insufficient bribery.

SWEET SPOT: 38–56
LUCK: 4
ALIGNMENT: Even
STARTING LOCATION: 20

#VALLEY100
A picture of Conrad Weaver, an ascetic. A thin face with tousled hair and a large informal cloth cap. A wide but simple lace collar gives an air of scholarly rank. Kissable lips. The portrait was drawn by Perplexing Ruins.
February 2, 2025 at 11:03 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 364, Forest. That's a wrap! Year completed! As I know there are *actually* two more days in the year, I also added a table of dungeon encounters and one of magic items. Better get formatting this into something readable!
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Aid: A small dog is starving and approaches from the undergrowth, nervous but hopeful. If you feed them, they will join you as a loyal companion".
December 29, 2024 at 9:07 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 363, Forest. Penultimate entry and hopefully something that would make you curious?
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Intrigue: You see a person walking through the woods, they remove their cloak and walk into a deep pool in a clearing and do not come out".
December 28, 2024 at 9:47 AM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 362, Forest. Don't go annoying people who can turn your legs into wood would be the lesson to learn here. I think we could all do with remembering that.
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Quest: A warrior stands trapped, his legs turned into tree stumps. He asks that you travel to a cave in the hills and ask the person who cursed him to return so he can apologise and be released".
December 27, 2024 at 6:12 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 361, Swamp. OK, so maybe one more winter themed entry. Do swamps freeze over? I need to check that out. That's all the swamp entries done, so just three more Forest entries and we're done!
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads, "Weather: A sudden cold spell freezes the surface of the swamp. Travel is quicker, but the risk of falling through into the water increases as temperatures rise again".
December 26, 2024 at 1:41 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 360, Forest. Gathering winter fuel, see what I did there? I think I'm done with Christmas-adjacent entries now, unless I decide a were-snowman would be fun.
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Workers: A group of villagers is gathering wood. They can give you information about the local area in return for your help to finish the task".
December 26, 2024 at 1:35 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 359, Forest. A master craft worker. It is almost Christmas, after all, so a travelling wood worker with a donkey is very on brand. Have a great holiday period everyone, Boas Festas!
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Merchant: A pair of travellers on donkeys pass by you. One is a master wood worker and can sell you any wooden item you need at a low, low price".
December 24, 2024 at 8:25 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 348, Swamp. Some days you just despair of humans and the way they stomp around the place. One more swamp entry and five forest entries and we're done! The finale is creeping up quickly. Anurans are frog-folk, living in the swamp mostly.
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads, "Creatures: A group of Anurans creep stealthily through the swamp. They are tracking a group of outlaws who stole supplies and treasures from their settlement".
December 23, 2024 at 8:12 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 357, Swamp. Ick, giant leeches! I mean, they're just doing their leech thing, right, but still, who wants to make an offering to them? Will you become a were-leech or some kind of vampire? I sure that won't happen...
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads, "Animals: A pool ahead blocks your path. As you approach it, you see that it contains writhing giant leeches that strain towards you to drink your blood".
December 22, 2024 at 7:37 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
Catching up on writing some magic items for the #Explore24 extra tables. I know it's not a terrain or an encounter, but I've enjoyed this table quite a lot, one entry per week.

While I have mechanical effects in mind while I've been writing them, they're all system agnostic.
A magic item table entry. It reads, "Wand: The spirit Coin can harden / soften a substance and speed a being’s recovery. The Wand of the Healing Pool makes a being liquid while they heal ten times faster than normal. They can become solid again at any point, but the fast healing stops at that point".
December 21, 2024 at 9:17 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 356, Swamp. Happy Winter Solstice! Have some Cave Gaunts. Or Ice Gaunts, if you prefer, I guess.
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads, "Animals: The sky remains gloomy on an oddly short day and gaunts fly during the light, chasing those foolish enough to travel".
December 21, 2024 at 7:19 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 355, Urban. Don't you hate it when that sort of thing happens? Also, that's the Urban encounters finished, so only a few Forest and Swamp encounters left to go before we're finished, with less than ten days to go!
An urban encounter table entry. It reads, "Trap: A small group of villagers engage you in conversation, trying to get you to agree with views that they actually disagree with in order to stir up the other villagers against you".
December 20, 2024 at 10:14 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 354, Forest. If you plant it and it grows, what happens next? Will people come to pick its leaves and cut its limbs or can you keep it hidden? Where should you plant it?
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Opportunity: A silver bough lies on the ground with delicate silver leaves. It can be sold as a masteful work of silver smithing or it may grow if planted".
December 20, 2024 at 10:03 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 353, Urban. Of course, if they can read the future, they *knew* that this would happen and planned accordingly, didn't they? Or maybe they're bad at prediction? It could be either, couldn't it...
An urban encounter table entry. It reads, "Aid: A fortune teller’s cards are blown across the street. If you help to recover them, they will read your auspices for you as thanks, if you wish".
December 20, 2024 at 8:48 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 352, Swamp. More swamp. What's the intrigue? Well, *why* is the coffin/crate in the swamp and not buried by the village? Who, or what is in there? Who can you ask and what might they do once they know you know? Also, why is it partly dug up? Some many good questions...
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads, "Intrigue: A long thin crate, the shape of a coffin lies partly unearthed in a boggy area. It bears the name of a former resident of a nearby village".
December 17, 2024 at 8:41 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 351, Swamp. What else might lower waters reveal? I bet there's a sunken tomb there somewhere, right?
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads "Weather: The weather causes the water level to drop and the swamp begins to dry out. Previously submerged areas next to the swamp can be explored on foot".
December 17, 2024 at 8:36 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 350, Swamp. Only fourteen days to go now. Anyway, what's in the package? Do you want to find out?
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads, "Intrigue: You see a figure with a heavy package wrapped in oilskins. They place it in the water then quickly hurry away. If you investigate, you will find a rope tied to a stake where they were. The rope extends off into the silty water".
December 15, 2024 at 1:27 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 349, Urban. Suspicious? Is the item really magical? Who is this unusual person? Are they known in town or have they suddenly appeared?
An urban encounter table entry. It reads, "Merchant: A figure bundled in cloaks and wrappings speaks in a quiet rasping voice and offers you an object that they say is magical. You are unable to see their face or any of their flesh. There is an overwhelming smell of roses".
December 14, 2024 at 8:03 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 348, Urban. Anything on your mind that you might be pinched for? Maybe a mistaken identity or perhaps a stitch-up? Or maybe you've been accused of cursing someone, that could turn nasty quickly.
An urban encounter table entry. It reads, "Trap: As you walk down the street, a group of local guards approach you armed with clubs. You have been accused of something and they are here to take you to the town hall to be held before trial".
December 13, 2024 at 8:00 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 347, Forest. This could happen in the summer, in winter, at night, whatever. They're not *actually* moving, are they? Maybe they're tiny ice cultists? That's a thing, isn't it?
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Weather: The branches of the trees here are coated in icy teeth that look like small robed figures marching along their surface. If the sun catches them at the correct angle, they appear to move".
December 12, 2024 at 8:32 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 346, Forest. What are they doing, what do they want? Hear you trespassing somewhere important? Are they just intrigued by you? Whichever it is, goblins are cool.
A forest encounter table entry. It reads, "Creatures: As you walk through the trees, you glimpse eyes looking back at you from the floor and the branches. You reach a small clearing and realise a group of Wood Goblins have you surrounded".
December 11, 2024 at 7:56 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 345. Is there anything better than a sequential number? I think not (at this moment). Anyway, animated statue. Will it work? Is it possible? Presumably the instructions are arcane and the materials impractical or else everyone would have one. Will it have free will?
An urban encounter table entry. It reads, "Information: A page of a notebook flaps to your feet in the breeze. It contains instructions for how to build a statue of a person that can be animated if the precise instructions are followed and the exact materials are used in its construction".
December 10, 2024 at 9:52 PM
verdantcore.bsky.social
#Explore24 Day 344, Swamp. Lots of swamp, eh? The last few terrains are getting quickly filled, but still a few more days until we're finished. I quite like this omen, I think it has a bit of impact, no?
A swamp encounter table entry. It reads, "Omen: Looking into the water of the swamp, it clears to reveal hundreds of dead faces looking back. Ripples obscure the water for a moment, after which the faces have gone".
December 9, 2024 at 8:25 PM