Jarrod the Outcast's page

Mr. Andrew Ellingsworth, Gentleman of the Vidava Slums and Renowned Scholar of the Art of Skullduggery, was standing in a deep pool of shadow just beyond the light of a gas lamp. The streets were mostly empty, as most had already retired to their abodes. Only a few were wandering the dim streets at this hour, and none of them took notice of Mr. Ellingsworth. If they had been able to penetrate the shadows where he stood, they would have shied away from him, for his ragged top-hat, patched vest and dirty shirt bespoke someone who, despite his posture and bearing, was altogether ungentlemanly. He could have reassured them however. He was no common cutpurse. Tonight he was after a very specific target. His mind roamed up and down the street, searching for his mark.

And then he found her. In his mind she glowed with a silver sheen of confidence and her thoughts raced like a battalion of pistons. She was down the street and around the corner, approaching from behind an abandoned rail-station. In response to her arrival, Andrew sent his psyche racing ahead to touch the mind of his companion.

She’s here. Grab her and take her into the alley across from the old Millinery. I’ll be along shortly.

Mr. Ellingsworth plucked the response from the surface of his companion’s mind

Yes, Mr. Ellingsworth. The usual, right? Purse, jewelery and so forth?

Right you are, Mr. Ellingsworth.

His hired muscle scuttled out of the alley that he had been lurking in just as the lady turned the corner. The thug “gently” invited the lady to come have a chat with him in the indicated alley. Mr. Ellingsworth smiled as he strolled out of his puddle of shadow. Very few people can say 'no' to an eight foot Half-Orc, no matter how nicely dressed.

The lady turned as Mr. Ellingsworth entered the Alley. There was no sign of the hired muscle, and as Mr. Ellingsworth approached the lady spoke to him. Her voice was distinguished and controlled. Definitely a member of the gentry.

“Ah, Mr. Ellingsworth. I’ve been informed by a rather imposing gentleman that you are here to blackmail me on behalf of a cowardly cur. Do you perhaps know the secret that said cur threatens to expose?”

“My dear Madam, you wound me. I am simply a business man, here to fulfill a contract for a distinguished member of society.” Where had the idiot gone? He was d*mn good at hiding for a Half-Orc, but now wasn’t the time for subtlety.

“I would be all to happy to inform you. You see, Mr. Ellingsworth...”

Strong hands grabbed his throat, squeezed the light out of his eyes. His mind desperately sought to reach the brain of the his Companion, but he only felt the cold silver confidence of the lady where the pulsating soul of the half-orc should have been. Her parting words echoed, reverberated in his mind as his sight faded.

I, too, am a telepath.

* * *

Thank you for showing interest in the Terah Project!

Help us playtest the Telepathy feat line!

The Telepathy feat line is a sister to the Telekinesis feat line. Join the Telekinetics Playtest!

A glutton for punishment, eh? Check out the Runeworker feats playtest!

Interested in hearing more about the Terah project? Read our blog!

I remember my first manifestation very clearly. I was, as you probably know, the first Psychologist to graduate from the University at Vidava, the first to establish an office for the mentally unwell in that fair city. I thought so highly of myself in those days... and why shouldn’t I? A young graduate at the forefront of a new science, a dapper young gentleman always dressed in fine vests with silk bow-ties and golden chains... Ah, what a dashing figure I must have cut! I was on top of the world, with my ideas published in scientific journals across the span of the world!

But alas, the world is not a simple place where happiness is nothing more than velvet hats and beautiful possessions. As I went through life I discovered that life is ultimately failure. I failed over and over and over. I failed at courting, failed as a father, failed as a son, failed as a brother, failed, failed, failed. Within a year I was a broken man. I was mean and ill-content despite my wealth. Ah, the wealth I had. You see, the only thing that didn’t fail was my business. My business was veritably exploding with activity and vitality. I took refuge in my business. It became my solace and my sanctuary.

The day of the manifestation I was treating a man suffering from Depressive Hysteria. I recall very distinctly the words he said to me before he left. “Doctor,” he said “I suppose really what it comes down to is that, for all my wealth and achievement, I feel like a stranger to myself.” The words could have been my own! I was flabbergasted! Astounded! Suddenly, everything became clear in my mind! And just like that, I had the answer that I had to give him, that I had to give myself. “Well,” said I “Then you must look deep within your psyche, and really get to know yourself. Find some secluded spot and search your soul for who you are and in that moment, decide who you want to be.”

As soon as he left I immediately acted on my own advice. I told my assistant to close the office for the day and then sat down behind my great mahogany desk, that mahogany desk which for me was a great monolith of my hollow success, covered in books filled with empty words and bound by false promises. There behind that terrible memoriam of my failure, I closed my eyes and went to find myself.

I was not pleased by what I saw. Not in the least. I struggled for an unmeasurable time, until at last I came to terms with who I was. In that moment I decided that I would no longer be an observer in my own life. I would always strive to be the person I wanted to be, no matter the obstacles.

And then I opened my eyes. Oh, the wonder and astonishment! To see the paraphernalia of my occupation floating in the air around me! And the surprise when I realized that it was I who was lifting them! Not some specter or sorcerer, but me! Myself! And I could move them, throw them, juggle them, control them! All with the power of my mind! It was wonderful, so freeing, like I was seeing myself in the mirror of life for the first time! Since then I have never turned back.

I have reached out to my heart and soul, and power has reached back.

Help Playtest the new Telekinetic Feat Line - First Version!

Don't forget to check out the Runeworker Playtest!

Interested in learning more about the Terah Project? Visit our blog!

I remember my first manifestation very clearly. I was, as you probably know, the first Psychologist to graduate from the University at Vidava, the first to establish an office for the mentally unwell in that fair city. I thought so highly of myself in those days... and why shouldn’t I? A young graduate at the forefront of a new science, a dapper young gentleman always dressed in fine vests with silk bow-ties and golden chains... Ah, what a dashing figure I must have cut! I was on top of the world, with my ideas published in scientific journals across the span of the world!

But alas, the world is not a simple place where happiness is nothing more than velvet hats and beautiful possessions. As I went through life I discovered that life is ultimately failure. I failed over and over and over. I failed at courting, failed as a father, failed as a son, failed as a brother, failed, failed, failed. Within a year I was a broken man. I was mean and ill-content despite my wealth. Ah, the wealth I had. You see, the only thing that didn’t fail was my business. My business was veritably exploding with activity and vitality. I took refuge in my business. It became my solace and my sanctuary.

The day of the manifestation I was treating a man suffering from Depressive Hysteria. I recall very distinctly the words he said to me before he left. “Doctor,” he said “I suppose really what it comes down to is that, for all my wealth and achievement, I feel like a stranger to myself.” The words could have been my own! I was flabbergasted! Astounded! Suddenly, everything became clear in my mind! And just like that, I had the answer that I had to give him, that I had to give myself. “Well,” said I “Then you must look deep within your psyche, and really get to know yourself. Find some secluded spot and search your soul for who you are and in that moment, decide who you want to be.”

As soon as he left I immediately acted on my own advice. I told my assistant to close the office for the day and then sat down behind my great mahogany desk, that mahogany desk which for me was a great monolith of my hollow success, covered in books filled with empty words and bound by false promises. There behind that terrible memoriam of my failure, I closed my eyes and went to find myself.

I was not pleased by what I saw. Not in the least. I struggled for an unmeasurable time, until at last I came to terms with who I was. In that moment I decided that I would no longer be an observer in my own life. I would always strive to be the person I wanted to be, no matter the obstacles.

And then I opened my eyes. Oh, the wonder and astonishment! To see the paraphernalia of my occupation floating in the air around me! And the surprise when I realized that it was I who was lifting them! Not some specter or sorcerer, but me! Myself! And I could move them, throw them, juggle them, control them! All with the power of my mind! It was wonderful, so freeing, like I was seeing myself in the mirror of life for the first time! Since then I have never turned back.

I have reached out to my heart and soul, and power has reached back.

Help Playtest the new Telekinetic Feat Line - First Version!

Interested in learning more about the Terah Project? Visit our blog!

We are assured by the elves that the world that they lived in was more incredible even than the one we live in today.

The High Elves say that their technology was unparelled, and that they had created magnificent artifacts that could do everything our "magic" could do and more, all at the press of a button. Any who seek to verify this only have to read about the Conquest of Steel and Lightning in the annals of history, or poke about the wreckage of one of the High Elven Behemoths that stand their silent vigil at the gates of their ancient refuge.

The Dark Elves claim that they were once the greatest scientists of the arcane that the universe had ever seen. The spells they wove were powerful beyond belief. It was their mages and sorcerers that opened the gates that allowed the gnomes to cross into Terah. And it was they that taught the dwarves the secret of the runes, the runes which the children of the stone forge into their automatons and work into their gardens of iron.

Ah, indeed. The runes. They are what makes our world wondrous, I would argue more wondrous than the world of the Elves, no matter what they say. After all, our world was not torn asunder by the conflict between the arcane and the technological. We have not raped the earth in search of tar and gold. We have not torn the fabric of reality with our meddling. No, indeed. In Terah, steam and spells come together to create something truly magnificent.

Ladies and gentleman, I stand before you today to talk about that powerful synergy. I wish to talk to you about the runes: the bridge between the arcane and the technological.

One of the great secrets of magic that was brought over by the Dark Elves was the idea that a single word can have a great deal of power. Runes are the realization of that idea, the power of a single spell streamlined and concentrated into a single sigil. In our society, runes are an important part of the bond between technology and magic. Although some steam engines still use primitive coal-fueled boilers, most simply have a water tank with a rune of heating engraved onto their surface. Our weapons often have runes of force etched into the barrel, and zeppelins use powerful runes of flight to help reduce the size of the envelope.

But the usefulness of runes does not end outside the purview of craft and industry. For the discerning adventurer, runes also offer a degree of flexibility in planning and strategy. Cautious scientists of the arcane often use them to prepare the field of conflict. Protective wardens of divine mystery may use holy sigils as safeguards or contingencies.

I have compiled here a list of the many rune techniques that can be used “in the field,” so to speak. Please, look over them. You are all fellows of taste and refinement, knowledgeable in your professions and skilled in adventuring. Examine them. Experiment with them. Push them to their very limit and come back to me with your results!

Also, if you like what you see there, please consider donating to support my research! I hope to someday soon release a compiled compendium of my experiments and histories. Even the smallest amount of money you can donate will be a great step forward for the publication of my notes and the spread of knowledge in general.

Thank you for your time, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am Antion Dreggleworth and this is the Terah Project.

The Terah Project: Runeworking Playtest

Donate to the Project on Kickstart

I recently decided that one way to make people enthusiastic about PFS is to offer special rewards for people who role-play well, play skillfully and serve outside of the game itself. I had a friend make up three certificates for some players that had performed exceptionally and printed them out and presented them at a PFS barbeque. Everyone enjoyed them, but with a few exceptions they were stuffed into the backs of folders and forgotten.

I want the awards to be more than just a piece of paper. I was thinking of giving the people who won this award a boon, a one time ability that they could use that would be a little more substantial than the re-roll offered by the faction shirts, but not as hefty as those granted as rewards for actual PFS modules.

What do you guys think about this idea? Is it something I should push for? At least in my area with the permission of local DMs? And what suggestions would you have for awards?

I've been coordinating PFS tables at a game store in Salt Lake City for 5 weeks now. In general we have somewhere between two and four tables a week, and we've been seeing a lot of growth. Unfortunately, it sometimes seems like I'm the only one doing any of the work for these sessions.

I recruit the GMs, inform the players, talk with the store employees, recruit new players, prepare the hand outs and chronicle sheets, help new players write characters, create the events online, report the events online, finish the chronicle sheets, hunt down GMs that haven't finished their paperwork, get missing chronicle sheets to players that never got them from their GM, put together folders for all the GMs, work the facebook page, do faction charts to show which factions are most successful in our area, and handle the logistics for getting everyone to the store on time if they don't have cars/licensees.

I love doing all this, but it takes a lot of my time and the amount of effort I put into this is only increasing. It's not sustainable, and the way things are going it looks like if I try to take a week off the whole thing will collapse. I need to get the project self sufficient before next semester, and that means I need to delegate some of this stuff.

The question is, what do I delegate? All of these seem like things only I can do, so I think I need somebody outside of the situation to tell me what I need to re-assign.