A look inside Secrets of Shandisholm- part 3: The Myeri

Concluding this week's look at the main races in Secrets of Shandisholm, here's glimpse of the Myeri:

 

 

 

I'm thinking the Myeri will be where a lot of people's interest in this world lie?

I'm certainly excited about them. They're a blend of some things which have been massive influences on me- the Heroquest Fimir, The Dark Crystal, the art of Alan Lee, Irish folklore, Polynesian carving, Inca social structures, walking in the Dartmoor countryside. It's fair to say I poured a lot of my favourite things into them!

 

You already hinted that these guys aren't all that terrible.

They're morally ambiguous, as are most of the creatures in The Woods. They are demonised because of their looks and the Fae made them out to be terrible monsters. Rumours of sacrifice to dark powers keep the Tuatha well away from their marshland homes. They're certainly cautious of others and don't like visitors, they've suffered great persecution and don't find it easy to trust others. Make no mistake, if they do decide to fight they are deadly warriors.

 

Where do they come from? I take it they aren't part of the Fae's entourage if they hate the Myeri so much.

Not at all. The Myeri's origin is shrouded in mystery, but their own myths say they were created by a god called Dagda and were intended to be a perfect society, which is why they have a caste system based on physical traits. For some reason Dagda then rejected them and cast them from their home realm, leaving them wandering through the Void until they happened upon the Mortal Realm, emerging out of the sea. They were sustained on their travels by a piece of coral from their homeland which resisted the crushing horrors of the Void and guided them to the new land. Unfortunately the power of the coral drew the attention of the Fae, which sealed the doom of the Myeri and caused them to be scattered into the fens.



 

 

How is their caste system reflected in the rules then?
Myeri belong to four types. The Oibrithe (workers), Losbastun (warriors), Draoi (mystics) and Tiarna (leaders). No type is considered above the others, they all have responsibilities to the clan and are just seen as different roles. A Myeri character's statistics are set depending on their caste. For example, Oibrithe are 'standard' like Tuatha but will all have an additional skill which represents the work they undertake. Losbastun are faster and are trained to fight in one of three styles, each of which gives them a different advantage. Draoi are Geomancers and Tiarna either come from Oibrithe or Losbastun stock and have skills appropriate to their background. Then there are the Coral Knights, tasked with questing to other realms to retrieve the lost coral, the Meirge who patrol the borders of the Myeri's land and the Scealai- wandering poets who carry news between the clans.

There are already quite a few Myeri miniatures available from Oakbound, will we be seeing more?
I'm just finishing the sculpts for the Myeri Clan Box right now, so yes. There will be 9 more sculpts available in August, watch this space for details! The box will have 5 Losbastun and 4 Oibrithe models, with parts to make up a Tiarna, Meirge, Scealai and Draoi instead of the 'stock' figures.

More creatures next week?
Yup, next week we'll fly through the Bestiary. There are over 50 different creatures in it so it will have to be fleeting!

A look inside Secrets of Shandisholm- part 3: The Myeri

A look inside Secrets of Shandisholm- part 2: The Fae

Today's visit to the world of The Woods takes us to see the Fae, and really THEY STARTED IT!

Fairies are these little people with wings that grant wishes, right?
Not really no. If you asked some of the Tuatha that question they'd probably say yes, but he Tuatha don't really remember what the Fae were like. They think of all the folk from other realms which live around them as faeries but the Fae are quite different.

And the Fae brought the other folk into the Mortal Realm?
As servants, labourers beasts of burden and creatures to be hunted, yes. Only the Myeri and the Nuckelavee aren't Fae imports.

What are the Fae like then?
Tall, athletic, beautiful, graceful, delicate and incredibly cruel. One of the things I love most about folklore is that it tends to turn expectations on their head, beautiful characters are often evil- there's a lot of moral ambiguity. We went for the same idea with The Woods, fair is foul and foul is fair etc. The Fae are haughty, proud, decadent and conniving. They are organised into Rades, a powerful noble and their sycophantic followers. They come from a realm called Annwyn which is ruled over by the courts of the king and queen. These sovereigns have ruled for as long as any of the immortal Fae can remember and have been at war with each other for just as long. Their battles are fought with intrigue and manipulation, playing the Rades off one another to gain leverage over their opponent. Scheming and plotting the downfall of another is the Fae's chief pastime.

They sound nice. How do they get on with the Tuatha?
They got on with them very well. The Fae are a sterile people and when they discovered the Tuatha they saw something in the mortals which reminded them of themselves and decided to adopt them as children rather than press them into servitude. The Tuatha were give privileged position in the Fae cities, but the Fae had misjudged their character. As the Tuatha grew more like the Fae in cunning and manipulation their capacity for violence also increased. The Fae are a bit squeamish about actual violence, they like to see it but not to participate. The Tuatha had no such trouble with it and seemed to enjoy inflicting physical pain in person. The Fae became anxious about the Tuatha's capacity to rise up against them and so they fled the Mortal Realm, leaving their servants behind and a handful of Fae to watch over the mortals and see that they didn't grow strong enough to threaten the Fae realm.

No Fae left in the Mortal Realm then?
There are the watchers- the Fae Walkers who are charged with oversight of a particular region. Then there is always the occasional Rade which decides to go hunting in the Mortal Realm for sport. Many of the animals the Fae reared for hunting were left in the Mortal Realm when they abandoned it so are prized trophies for a Rade. There's also the Fae Martial, the standing army of Annwyn which is responsible for keeping check on the errant Rades and guarding the borders of the Fae realm.

There are rules for creating Fae characters in the book, what's distinctive about them?
The Fae are very different to Tuatha. They are limited in some capacities, most of them aren't physical strong for example, and their dislike of proximity to violence means they don't do well in a fight. However they have some unique special abilities to make up for their shortcomings. They are all Augurs (that is, they can Fateweave through natural ability) and they have the ability to 'dance' in and out of the Void which surrounds the Mortal Realm which means they can appear and disappear all over the board.

Very irritating I'd imagine.
They can certainly be a nuisance if you don't know how to deal with them.

Where to next?
We're heading down to the swamps of Mael Fen to see the Myeri. As always, any questions just leave a comment and I'll pick them up next time.

A look inside Secrets of Shandisholm- part 2: The Fae

A look inside Secrets of Shandisholm- part 1: The Tuatha

For our first look inside The Woods: Secrets of Shandisholm let's start at the beginning. Once again I'll get a friend to ask the questions....

 

The Tuatha, they're basically humans, right?
Pretty much. They're approximately equivalent to the European people of the Bronze and early Iron Age. They are the original inhabitants of the Mortal Realm and Secrets of Shandisholm is largely about the origins of and reality behind their complex folklore. The book starts with the Tuatha because it made more sense to explain what they believe and understand of the world and then dive behind the surface to expose the real story of their relationships with the Myeri, the Fae and the folk who have been left stranded in the Mortal Realm.

Trey Granger noted that the Tuatha de Danann which appear in Celtic folklore are quite different to these Tuatha.
Yes, the Tuatha de Danann are depicted as a supernatural race which were pitted against the evil Fomorians. There are definitely similarities and echoes in the mythos of The Woods, but the Tuatha aren't the Tuatha de Danann. 'Tuatha' just means 'people' (Tuatha de Danann=people of the goddess Danu) and these are the people who naturally dwell in the realm. In culture and link to Celtic folklore they're probably closer to the Fir Bolg.

It's a nice sketch of a warrior maiden there.
We were very fortunate to have the amazing Solly Solomon do some character and animal sketches for the book. She actually worked from photographs which we were given permission to use. This one is of Elverynel and was taken by Rebecca Magdalena Photography.

Text looks kinda hard to read.
Yeah, the photo doesn't do it justice. This book is a mock-up using digital printouts and it hasn't photographed very well. Actually the background is very light and the text stands out quite well.

 

The map shows an area called the Ring Wood and surrounding countryside, I assume that's the setting of the book. What is there around?
The Ring Wood is a dense area of forest in the lowlands of the Mortal Realm. It lies between the Drakkenmere and its fens on one side and the steep highlands on the other. The principle Tuatha settlement is called Shandisholm and gives its name to the entire surrounding region, hence the title. In the centre of the Ring Wood is a grove of ancient trees called the Heart Forest which is a mysterious centre of 'magical' energy. The other side of the Drakkenmere from Shandisholm is Mael Fen where the infamous Marsh Demons live. There are other Tuatha settlements of various kind scattered throughout the wood and the Old Lowland Road cuts across the upper edge on its way into the mountains. The events of the book take place in this region but it's only a small part of the Mortal Realm. We didn't want to try and map the whole thing as it's part of the fun for players coming up with their own sections of the world.

Couple of sample characters?
That's it, yes. Each of the three 'main' races featured in the book (Tuatha, Fae and Myeri) have their own section on creating characters of that race and a couple of sample profiles. The other creature types are listed together in the bestiary and almanac.

What's distinctive about the Tuatha then?
They're very much the standard template. They aren't particularly good at anything (although they'll all have a specialism) but they aren't restricted either. The Tuatha are very much ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations and coping as best they can.

What's next?
In the next instalment we'll be looking at the Fae, who are a very different matter altogether! As always, any questions leave a comment and I'll try and answer.

A look inside Secrets of Shandisholm- part 1: The Tuatha

The Woods: Secrets of Shandisholm- Pre-orders now live!

Secrets of Shandisholm pre-orders are now LIVE over at Oakbound.co.uk/systemmech and Oakbound.co.uk/the-woods

I've become aware over the last few weeks that having spent 6 months writing the book I somehow expect everyone else to know it intimately... so I got a friend who has only heard me mention it to ask some things they'd want to know. Here are my replies, an introduction to the world of The Woods:

What’s this Woods thing about then?
The Woods is Oakbound Studio’s fantasy world, a world based in the myths, legends and folklore of the Celtic people. Secrets of Shandisholm is the first sourcebook set in this world and explores the lowland regions of the Mortal Realm.

What’s this Mortal Realm like?
This part of the Mortal Realm is very much like Britain in the Bronze Age and early Iron Age. It is a place of enormous and dense woodland, barren heath, fens and downs crowned with monolithic stones. The inhabitants of the Mortal Realm are the Tuatha, a human-like people whose lives are governed by superstitions and beliefs about the little people who live in the forests around them.

Only these aren’t mere Wives’ Tales….

A long time ago the Myeri and the Fae found a way into the Mortal Realm. The Myeri came from the seas, fleeing some ancient horror which had pursued them across the Void from their own homeland. The Fae were drawn to the Mortal Realm by the great power possessed by the Myeri. The Fae are a beautiful and proud race, and also cruel beyond belief. They placed an enchantment over the Myeri, took their power and cast them into the desolate fens and swamps. Then the Fae turned their attentions towards the other inhabitants of this land they had discovered.

The Fine Folk, as the Tuatha called the Fae, do nothing for themselves. They live in luxury, surrounded and served by countless slaves they have taken from the many realms they have conquered. These slaves they brought to the Mortal realm to build their palaces, mine for rich minerals and gemstones, weave their clothing and forge their jewels and armour. In the Tuatha, however, the Fae recognised something of their own qualities and the people of the Mortal Realm were not subjected to slavery. Instead they were nurtured as pets, almost as children, living alongside the Fae in their great cities. But over time the Fae realised the Tuatha were more like them than they could have imagined. The mortals learnt cruelty and violence fast and the Fae fled from the Mortal Realm in fear of the beings they had created. Their servants they left behind to fend for themselves. And so it came to be that the secluded, hidden parts of the Mortal Realm were populated by weird and mystical creatures from myriad other realms, trapped and far from home.

As civilisation fell apart around the Tuatha they reverted to a primitive state, abandoning the cities of the Fae and rebuilding ancient homesteads. Their memories faded and the stories became twisted with time so that now they barely remember the Fae. But still their paths cross those of the stranded folk, former servants of the Fae, some of whom are kindly, many who are not.

And that’s all in the book is it?
Yes, that’s the beginning anyway. Then there’s an explanation of the region around Shandisholm, the principle Tuatha settlement in the lowlands, a study of the nature of the Fae and Myeri, a comprehensive bestiary of folk and animals (native and other-worldly), a bunch of scenarios, a full adventure, some modelling guides and the SystemMech rules.

Ah yes, the SystemMech rules, tell us about those.
We’ll have a more in-depth look later in the month, but if you want you can download the core rules right now at oakbound.co.uk/systemmech and see for yourself. It’s a tabletop roleplay game, that is, it is miniatures-based and narrative-focussed. Each game tells a small part of the story. SystemMech is quite different to other RPGs as it uses no dice rolls or card drawing. Each model has a Decisiveness value which determines when in the turn they activate and a Stamina value which determines how much they can do, then players choose from the action tables what combination of actions they want the model to take. Some actions are more effective if others have been performed first, or if the model can’t be seen doing them for example, so you have to think ahead a bit to make your actions effective. Everything is tied to five core aspects of your characters (Wisdom, Perception, Courage, Agility and Strength) so it’s quite ‘realistic’ in terms of how well an individual can perform.

And lastly, something a lot of people have commented on, the cover?
Ah yes, the wonderful Alan Lee Fomorian painting. It’s a favourite of mine and so I got in touch with Alan to see if it would be possible to use it, to my amazement he said yes! He’s such a nice guy. The painting was used on the cover of a book of Irish folktales by Michael Scott, whose retelling of the Fomorian myth I drew on heavily in creating the Myeri.

This character has appeared in fantasy gaming before though?
Yes indeed. I believe he and the story were also part of the basis for Games Workshop’s Fimir race, which sadly didn’t develop very far. My first miniature gaming experience was playing Heroquest as a child and the Fimir were my favourite monsters so the Myeri are definitely a bit of a tribute to them. They’re very different as a race though (as we’ll see next Friday) being a blend of the Skeksis and Mystics from The Dark Crystal, the Irish Fomorians and Polynesian tribes and myths.

I look forward to seeing more.
We’ll be looking through the book every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in July. If anyone has specific questions leave them in the comments below and I'll try and answer them when we get to the appropriate section.

The Woods: Secrets of Shandisholm- Pre-orders now live!