RPGs

The Monkey King

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 11, 2026.

***

“Like Beating the Monkey.”

– Common Expression for losing a fight.

***

This deity appears as a human with an unnaturally full beard and mustache, and of course a prehensile tail. The monkey king is every bit as agile and swift as one might expect on hearing the many legends of his exploits. He is inquisitive to a fault, and very fond of practical jokes. The Monkey King is accordingly prone to find himself in trouble of such magnitude as to make resolution a challenge, even for someone of his own considerable skills.

The Monkey King has often used his skills to protect objects and people of great importance.

***

Religion: The Monkey King has little in the way of an organized church, but one does find the occasional Priest of the Monkey King attached to some temple or monastery in the Wisdom Islands. His greatest following can be found in the martial arts schools as well as those of acrobats and mask theatre performers, many of whom pay homage to the Monkey King for one reason or another.

***

Domains: Marshal Arts, Simians.

Symbol: A Monkey with a staff.

Favored Offerings: Food or Small and Shiny Objects.

Gnea Sharn

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 11, 2026.

***

“Gnea Sharn emerges at night. He comes from the deepest reaches of the earth, looking for something or someone touched by the light of day. This terrible god longs for the embrace of warm sunlight. His jealousy for those that live in its good graces drives him insane. Lacking any means of surviving the light of day himself, Gnea simply takes those who live in the sunlight below to the darkest caverns. There, beauty quickly fades. As Sharn’s starving victims come to rot in the darkness, he simply ascends to the surface in search of a new prize.”

– Triggy-Mop Cestaloon, Gnome Bard.

***

Gnea Sharn’s actual skin-tone is the subject of great speculation. He always appears covered in red ochre so as to manifest the color in battle. What he looks like under the Ochre, no-one really knows. He comes to the surface in search of hapless victims which he always carries below ground to the darkest place in the earth. Sharn consistently seeks out those showing great health and a love of outdoor pleasures. he is particularly interested in those who relish the sunlight. A healthy suntan and an energetic disposition will often get Sharn’s attention. Some of the most healthy beautiful men and women of the world above have finished their lives wandering blind and hungry in the cold dark caverns where Sharn makes his home.

***

Religion: Worship of Gnea Sharn is considered an aberration, even among the peoples of the underworld. From dark Elves to common Dwarves, the mere rumor that someone pays homage to this insane deity is enough to destroy the reputation of successful and happy individuals. Still, there are those all over the world who embrace the deity and worship him in secret. Likewise, those descending into uncharted dungeons sometimes leave offerings in the hopes that Sharn grants them safe passage. Whether or not this foul creature ever grants such overtures remains in question.

Actual Priests of this foul deity may be counted among the most bizarre and irrational persons known. Such persons invariably carry great malice, for theirs is a religion self-consciously devoted to evil. Truth be told, Sharn has more worshippers among the Dark Elves than any other kindred known above or below ground. But even this small and dedicated cult hides its intentions from others of their Kind. Few learn the identity of such worshippers, and most of those do so in their last moments.

***

Domains: Darkness, Imprisonment.

Symbol: An Inverse Sun (Black Rays reaching up from a black orb at the bottom of the symbol).

Favored Offerings: Gnea Sharn is happy with any offerings that involve the imprisonment of beautiful creatures and persons. Priests of Gnea will often bury a creature alive, taking great care to ensure that death does not come quickly. When performed in the sanctity of a temple, Gnea Sharn’s Priests will often maintain prisoners in darkness for their whole lives.

Ayomichi

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 7, 2026.

***

“Having defeated his neighbors to the North, South, and East, King Atlauatle set aside a third of his conquered neighbors to live as they had always done, a third he sent to work in the mines, and a third he gathered for a great sacrifice. But Zhidastra never received his offering. That very morning, Ayomichi smashed all of the king’s temples, set free his slaves, and carried those to be sacrificed off to a land where they could be safe. One child alone, Aymomichi left behind with but a simple message for the king. ‘Leave you neighbors in peace. Place no life upon the alters in your temples, lest you and yours find yourselves living buried in rubble.'”

– Codex of the Center Kingdom

***

Ayomichi appears to be a giant sea turtle with a great dent atop his shell. His great shell is nigh invulnerable, but even the exposed parts of Ayomichi’s flesh is quite tough to penetrate.

Ayomichi is a benign deity, ever seeking to minimize the suffering of mortals. He is particularly opposed to all forms of torture and human sacrifice, a fact which places him in constant conflict with Zhidastra.

***

Religion: The cult of Ayomichi is strongest in the warmest of the Turtle Islands, though oppressed people’s all over the world pay to him, albeit using alternative names.

Many witch doctors and village healers claim Ayomichi as their deity, but his church is small, often relegated to the centers of fragile and peaceful kingdoms. It is not uncommon for those with cruel neighbors to seek protection from the great sea turtle, but it is rare indeed to find a successful king who remembers his message, or even tolerates his cult in their borders. Ayomichi is patient with mortals. He helps them as he can, always hoping that those once-oppressed will remember compassion when they come to powers of their own.

***

Domains: Peace, The Sea, Turtles,

Symbol: A Turtle.

Favored Offerings: Poetry, Songs, Creative Efforts of all sorts, especially those reflecting the efforts of the one making the offering. Ayomichi is not fond of material wealth, and he would be quite unhappy to see any life sacrificed in his own honor.

 

Moggy Toad

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 7, 2026.

***

“Mogusthloed,”- Map-Meat Hammergren, Dwarven Hero.

“Tis almost correct, but your lips must be more rounded on the final vowel.” –Nariae Dveng, Sage.

“Mogusthoed,” – Map-Meat

“Tis a bit too nasal on the first vowel.” – Nariae

“Mogusthloed,” – Map-Meat

“Tis still a bit nasal, but there is also the silence that should come toward the end…” – Nariae

“What is it that others call you creatures?” – Map-Meat

“Let us stay focused…” – Nariae

“Mogusthloed” – Map-Meat

“Please remember to round your lips…” – Nariae

“I did round my lips!” – Map-Meat

“My apologies. I did not notice, but may I suggest that you round them more.” – Nariae

“Maybe, I should use it in a sentence?” – Map-Meat

“Tis an excellent idea.” – Nariae

“Mogusthloed is an idiotic name,” – Map-Meat

“I…” – Nariae

“Mogusthlodie-type creatures make my axe-hand all anxious.” – Map-Meat

“Tis funny, what you say, but it is still…” – Nariae

“Mogus-Bogus, target for my damned axe, …dammit!” – Map Meat

“Reflecting on your question from a moment ago, I think perhaps ‘Moggy-Toad’ will do just fine.” – Nariae

“Do I still need to round my damn lips? – Map-Meat

“Only if you want to.” – Nariae

***

Illustration by David Michael Wright

Appearing as small, awkward looking, and oddly colored humanoids, Moggy Toads are often mistaken for gremlins (or anthropomorphic toads). Appearances aside, however, there is little in common between a Moggy Toad and a Gremlin. No-one has ever met a Moggy Toad who engaged in frivolous pranks as gremlins do. In their own way these slow-moving and seemingly innocuous creatures can be quite dangerous.

Moggy Toads prefer to live in remote swamps and other riparian settings. They are reluctant to engage in sociable activities, and still more reluctant to engage in violent activities. If pressed, however, a Moggy Toad can be quite dangerous. This is particularly true if she has the space to get away from potential melee attackers and focus on using her own abilities. Moggy Toads wield great spiritual powers, a fact which a wise character would keep in mind.

Moggy Toads are occasionally inquisitive enough to leave their homelands and explore the rest of the world. With rare exceptions, this is a temporary phase, and few Moggy Toads would ever do so without planning to return home to the pace and quiet of the remote swamps.

Ligen

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 7, 2026.

***

“To the great and noble Sage, Hadin Kes,

As of the writing of this letter, your emissaries are enjoying the hospitality of my residence. As they have conveyed to me your wishes to learn more of my people and to establish long term connections between your kingdom and our own, I thought I should take the time to answer your questions directly. I will entrust the contents of this letter to your envoys and bid them farewell tomorrow morning. We here have no wish to keep such faithful and worthy servants from their master any longer than necessary. I shall try my best to answer all of your questions about my people and speed your trusty servants back home to you with what gifts we can manage to serve as humble tokens of our goodwill.

First, as I understand it, your knowledge of my Kindred is based largely upon rumor. When you read this, I hope you will count the rumors of our existence as confirmed. Yes, we do indeed exist. I further hope that you will not burden yourselves and your loyal servants with any further efforts on our behalf.. The road betwixt our lands can be quite dangerous, and I detest to hear that innocent lives have been placed at hazard without good cause. Please my friend, I pray that you will find my answers sufficient and rest knowing that you do indeed have a friend this side of the mountains, even if that friend is a distant presence. Though I may never look upon your face, I shall imagine you smiling when you read this. I pray once again that you will be content to do the same.

Now, as to your first question, it is indeed true that our Kindred bears not two but four genders. I must impress upon you that we do not merely have 2 additional genders, the extras being added as it were to the male and female which I suspect you have imagined us to possess. Rather, we have four distinct genders, each of which has been named for the seasons of the year. I myself am an ‘Autumn’. I have tried many times to explain the differences between each gender to your servants. It seems they find it a difficult concept. Though the evidence is plainly visible in the face and hands of each Ligén as well as our behavior. Sadly, your emissaries have proven themselves unable to master the difference between us. It is no fault of their own; our nature simply does not fit into the world in which they themselves live.

I must tell you that I find several of your questions regarding this matter to be quite indiscrete. Your representatives have also been quite rude on this point, albeit perhaps unintentionally so, but I am sorry to say that we grow tired of their curiosity. It is enough to know that all four genders of Ligén are essential to the act of procreation, and that all four parents play an equal role in the raising of any progeny resulting from this act. Please, we do not wish to know more about the happenings of your own sky-tables, I ask that you leave our personal affairs to us.

Regarding matters of commerce, I can assure you that we are quite self-sufficient for our own part, and that there are no resources with which we are sufficiently blessed to enjoy surplus for trade. I shall extend to you a few gifts, which I fear that you will find quite common enough for your own kingdom. Sadly, there is little to be gained from extended trade amongst our people.

As much distance as lies between us in this world – as much distance as will always lie between us in this world – I shall consider you just quite close to me in my spirit. I pray only that you will accept this and consider that it is enough.”

– K’endil Gnaine, Elder of the Ligén.

***

Postscript: It is really not very important, but in the interests of truthfulness, I thought I should tell you that the letter ‘l’ of your alphabet does not precisely match the sound which begins the name of our people, the Ligén. To make the sound properly, one places his tongue against the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth (much as you would when making the ‘l’ sound), but instead of setting the vocal cords to work on the matter you simply force air about both sides of the tongue, hissing as it were while keeping the tongue in that position. I have instructed your servants on the matter, and they have proven themselves capable of making the sound properly.”

***

Ligén are a mysterious kindred, tending to settle in remote parts of the world. They appear to be androgynous humanoids with strange conical heads and almond shaped eyes. They possess no hair. Their skin tone comes in four different hues. The pupils of a Ligén range in color from silver to bronze, the latter being thought particularly attractive among the Ligén themselves.

There are indeed four genders among this kindred, each named after a different season. While no-one outside this Kindred has ever grasped the physical differences between the genders of the Ligén, each enjoys somewhat different powers. Ligén marry for life and dwell together in a common home. Children appear in small broods (3d8-2), and Ligén consciously space the births of their children 3-11 years apart.

Questions about all marital affairs among the Ligén have been met with cross words and little in the way of answers.

A typical residence for the Ligén will consist of 4 square rooms all adjacent to one another. A circular room occupies the center of the house, as if carving a small corner our of each of the squares. This common area is separated from the rest of each room by a thin layer of curtains. Each of the four rooms empties directly out into a larger common area surrounding their outside walls, offering access to each of the squares within by means of two separate curtained doorways. The outer wall of the dwelling is thus a circle containing the four square rooms which themselves contain a circle in the center. Four separate doors will be located along the outside wall of a Ligen home, each positioned roughly adjacent to one of the four inside squares. This is fourse the most basic schema common to every Ligen household. With minor variations, one can expect this of pretty much every Ligen household.

A brood of children will live and sleep within the walls of the outer circle. Parents in a Ligén household take turns cooking for the whole family (often with the assistance of their mates or older children). A fireplace is located in the wall separating each of the four sleeping quarters from the common area to the outside.

Only the most trusted outsiders have ever been invited into the homes of a Ligén, and then only to eat and chat. Overnight guests are always lodged in the community town hall, which always has a few well-kept bedrooms set aside for that purpose. It is commonly supposed that a guest in one Ligén home is a guest to the entire community. As one may imagine, this custom also makes it easier to keep an eye on such outsiders.

On rare occasions, Ligén will travel about other regions, usually in pursuit of knowledge or magical power. Ligén are often the first to learn of any major threat to an entire region, and they will often take the initiative to inform others and provide assistance in meeting such dangers.

Ligén make good spell casters for the obvious reason that each is inherently capable of using a single school of magic. Ligén are also relatively good in close quarters combat. Unfortunately, the Kindred is also known for its clumsiness. Whether casting spells or fighting in melee, Ligén seem to fail spectacularly with an unusual frequency.

 

Hrega

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 6, 2026.

***

“It is true that Hrega women may find common ground with anyone or anything they meet. It is also true that their men find cause for opposition in all creatures. And as much pleasure as one may find in the graces of Hrega women, one will find the same degree of displeasure in the presence of Hrega men.”

– Mawlin Caern, Scout

***

By all accounts Hrega woman appear quite beautiful. They are tall and thin, with exceptionally long fingers. Hrega women have no hair on their bodies, nor on their heads. The skin of a Hrega woman changes colors to reflect her mood (cool tones for calm and warm for excitement, …bright red for anger). As Hrega women are quick to adapt to those around them, the color of a female Hrega’s skin may often reflect the general mood of her companions quite well. Hrega women have no control over this, nor does this feature of her skin have any clear purpose.

Hrega men are significantly shorter than the women of their Kindred, with short strong fingers and sharp facial features. Hrega men are also completely devoid of body hair and their skin color changes to reflect their moods just those of Hrega women. In contrast to Hrega women, though, Hrega men typically fall into a mood quite the opposite of those around them. Hrega men, are not anymore likely to be cruel or evil than humans, but they do find cause for conflict quite easily. Whether this will be a matter for words or fists, or even swords, depends on the Hrega.

With both men and women, a bright red skin tone betrays a clear sense of opposition or even a desire to engage in violence. Strands of reddish hue appear whenever a Hrega attempts to lie, whereas strands of orange appear when simply shading the truth, the brighter the more egregious the deception. Any Hrega attempting to help another for unselfish reasons will develop extreme highlights of pure white on the surface of their skin. Any that are familiar with this Kindred will know the meaning of these signs.

It is of course no surprise that Hrega men and Women typically occupy different shades of the color spectrum. Each is capable of reflecting all the known colors, but their moods lead them to manifest differet hues most of the time.

Courtship among the Hrega is a rather clumsy affair as the Hrega men are so contrarian by nature. Hrega do not marry, and children are raised by their mothers with their maternal uncles providing the support and assistance one might normally expect of a husband. Hrega men are not known for their nurturing qualities, regardless of their relationship to a given child.

Whatever the gender, Hrega make interesting companions. Both genders of this Kindred tend to be very direct and honest in dealing with others. Deception is not much of an option for them, as others can literally see deception in their faces, Hrega women are well known for their capacity to aid others while the men can do immense damage in all forms of combat. Not surprisingly, the former tend to become mages specializing in healing and support spells whereas the latter typically become melee fighters.

 

Vek

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 7, 2026

“A two legged manticore without wings? That’s what you think of me? Fair enough. Just so you realize, I can engage your shield man and still throw tail spikes at you. So, try not to get too creative with the creature comparisons.”

-Kessen Mir, Vek Scout.

***

Vek by Earl Geier

It is a widely held view that these creatures are actually demons who know the way from hell to the hottest parts of the surface world. To some degree this is due to their appearance. Vek are essentially humanoids possessing a very rough textured skin, usually ranging from black to reddish brown in hue. All Vek sport at least one pair of horns atop their skulls, and some bear quite a few more than that. In place of fingernails these creatures have claws. Most importantly, Vek possess a tail, and from that tail, Vek typically grow a range of hard spikes made of dense bone. With the flick of its tail a Vek may launch a spike at short range. One could well excuse those on the receiving end of such an attack for thinking they have encountered a beast straight out of the depths of hell itself.

In fact, the Vek are merely a variety of wilding whose love of the desert rivals the elven love of trees and meadows. Vek often serve as scouts and long distance traders, and more often still, they provide mercenaries to those who can afford the service. Vek generally prefer to trade with civilized peoples, but in a pinch they may well resort to raiding.

Vek may use manufactured weapons or stick with their natural weapon abilities as they see fit. For purposes of game rules, their tail spikes are considered hand thrown missiles.

***

Rules for playing Vek in Tunnels and Trolls (Delux Edition) can be found here. Rules for playing Vek in first edition, D&D can be found here.

Waggamaeph

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 6, 2026.

Waggamaeph Dinner Party (Sculpted by Cindy Dukino, painted by Noel Meyer)

“The gods have yet to properly apologize for the creation of this troublesome creature.”

– Magut, the Cynic.

***

Waggamaephs are small furry humanoids with tremendous agility and speed. Their height and weight are comparable to those of a Halfling, but these critters are covered with long thick hair which tends to obscure their features. Waggamaeph fingers and toenails are slightly harder and sharper than usual for humanoids, just sufficient to give them effective claw attacks. They are further blessed with very sharp teeth and an effective bite attack. The speed with which a Waggamaeph delivers all of their attacks can be genuinely disconcerting. Survivors of a random Maephing will often find a variety of different injuries all over their body, often leaving them confused as to how a single opponent could have done so much harm in so little time.

Hill Maeph Warrior (painted by Andy Sneed)

Waggamaephs typically spend the bulk of their lives wandering about the wilderness with no apparent purpose or direction. They are particularly fond of meadows, most of which are a little worse for the wear after a day or two of frolicsome Maeph antics. Waggamaephs have also been known to join small parties of other humanoids. This choice too seems to occur for no clear reason other than a whim. The decision to leave is likely to be just as random. Indeed, if there are reasons for any aspects of Waggamaeph behavior, those reasons are most likely as mysterious to them as they are to anyone else.

The personality of a Waggamaeph is usually a source of both amusement and frustration to those unfortunate enough to travel with them. Relentlessly playful, Waggamaephs can be quite clever when engaged in pointless gags and reckless hijinks. In most other respects, they are rather dense, lacking the attention span necessary to grasp anything of great significance.

Hill Maeph Scholar (painted by Andy Sneed)

Few would be foolish enough to rely on a Waggamaeph to do anything important. When treated well, however, these creatures can be loyal and entertaining companions. They can be quite good in a fight, moving freely about a crowded battlefield as if free attacks weren’t even a thing and unleashing considerable wrath on any enemy unfortunate enough to gain there attention. While it is useless to tell a Waggamaeph to do anything which requires planning, concentration, or a dependable memory, the shear unpredictability of these little fur-balls has been known to foil the plans of many an enemy. One simply never knows where they will turn up. At their best Waggamaephs are kind of cute; at their worst these critters are a source of lost sleep and frustration to both friend and foe alike.

There are actually 2 different types of Waggamaephs, “Hill Maephs” and “Valley Maephs,” each favoring the environmental features from which they get their respective names. Hill Maephs are significantly stronger and tougher than their valley kindred, though they are not quite as fast and nowhere near as cute. Valley Maephs are significantly more attractive than their upland cousins, but they are unfortunately more fragile as well. It would take some familiarity with Maeph-kind to notice the difference.

There is a playful rivalry between the different types of Maephs, but it seldom leads to more than a prank or a small tussle. They have been known to socialize with one another and even to reside together for small periods of time. A gathering of both Hill and Valley Maephs can be something of a travesty, however, as a large number of Maephs in one location is always a bad idea. Such gatherings are generally hard on the local environment, the neighbors, and even the Maephs themselves. For this reason such events are rarely prolonged for more than a day or two.

Game-Specific Rules for running Waggamaephs in Tunnels and Trolls (the Delux Edition) can be found here.