# IMAGES FROM THE MEGAMANIA STORYHOUR AND RELATED



## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

I thought I would do something different.  I have many Storyhours going at this point (about ten).  Some are tales of the players' exploits and others are written but role / roll played by me.  But I do a lot beyond that for my games.  I draw, paint and even sculpt.   So I thought I would share some of these images with you.   I hope you enjoy them.  Some I have had to edit for Grand Ma (must keep her happy after all)


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

this will be for lists of campaigns and comics for those only wanting to see certain favorite heroes and the such.


ATHAS FAERUN
14, 15, 16

CREATION SCHEMA
35

ELDEEN HEROES

THE HIDDEN / BEYOND NEW WATER
PAGES 4 (MAP), 9, 17, 19, 32

THE HIDDEN: GAMER'S GROTTO
PAGES 3,4 (MAP),5,6,7,8, 22, 29, 30, 31

JOHN PLAY: HERO FOR HIRE
10, 20, 27

KYBER CRAWLER

MORGRAVE UNIVERSITY
21

SIBERYS SEVEN

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
11

UNDER A DARKSUN
18, 28

UNDER A DARKSUN B/W COMICBOOK
12 and 13

UNDER A DARKSUN COLOR COMICBOOK
23, 24, 25, 26

WAYFINDERS OF THE FLOATING TOWER


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Back in Spring of 2014 I asked if I could run a campaign within the local game shop-  Gamer's Grotto.  The owner was pleased with the thought and had a few rules which mainly included open enrollment.  This led to writing shorter micro adventures since they had to fit within a four hour time slot.  I felt my campaign "The Hidden" was perfect for this format and thus my second themed storyhour about the magically displaced Xoriat was created.

To advertise the games I created flyers to advertise the games.  This flyer was the first one.  It features Grotto himself (not Keith).


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Speaking of The Hidden.   I wanted something to stand out with this project and campaign so I decided to create a 3-D image.  It is made from Foam Board, blocks of Foam, plastic pieces, Black Foam sheets for the obsidian and painted to show the water, waterfalls and cliffs.  

It is one of my proudest projects I have ever done for DnD.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Here is the advertisement for Gamer's Grotto second adventure.  It introduces "Lucky" Lenni everyone's favorite gnome explorer and scholar.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

The third segment of the Grotto series introduces a new element to the lore of the Hidden.  Dragon beetles.   I was creating the Hidden I questioned why the Dragons would not intervene and stop the trainwreck that was coming.  Answer-  a biological weapon.  Dragon Beetles have incredible senses for locating dragons and sub-types.  They have an equally powerful hunger for their flesh.    My poor black dragon never knew what hit him.... The Dragon Fear prophecy has come true.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Another standard for encounters created during my Grotto time was the aberrational velociraptors.   The looks on Jared's face when these stormed out of the brush


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

I like to borrow from "real life" mythology also.  I am fascinated by the concept of the Crystal Skulls.  So.... why not an Obsidian Skull?   We also got to go to a new area of the Hidden and see more strange things that came from the Hidden arriving.  Long and tall shards of Obsidian thrust out of the ground on the Day of Nines (9/9/999)  and literally ripped a large section of temple out of the swamp and into the air.  It was a neat visual to me.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

When I think of The Hidden I can not help but think about my son's contribution to it's development.  He created Books / Truth the warforged scholar seeking to understand the Draconic Prophecy and also learn about the complex subject of emotion.  He does this by teaming up with a Silver Dragon whom also wishes to understand the Prophecy.  In time, they come to feel for each other and through magic, explore a relationship.   Very deep for a then 13-14 year old.  Then again, that is when many boys and girls ponder the subject of the opposite sex.

It was also his idea to have his character begin to change and become more draconic in nature.  This drawing I did a long time ago depicts when his armored shell is beginning to become textured (pre-scales)

I screwed up the front plate some now that I look at it again but still good.

When I was talking to him about posting images and drawings he had asked if I would do another drawing of Truth.   I may since he will return.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

For something different from Eberron and the Hidden I will present another favorite of mine-  John Play.  The Dark Lantern gone Hero for Hire is very explosive (in this case literally).  This is from John Play : Hero for Hire segment #1.  He has just escaped an exploding room by leaping out the window which leads to his arriving on a bridge to attack more Emerald Claw.   Regular readers of John Play may have noticed I begin each story with a flashback.  As he is then an 18th level character (now 22) he has a lot of background.  I look forward to exploring more of it as he looks into why his mother faked her death and hid the fact another man was his father- not Augustus.  And as such he has an Aberrant Dragon Mark that gives him increased speed and strength.

I like how it came out.  He is smiling and honestly enjoying himself even though he may die.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

As you may have guessed by now I enjoy comic books and they influence me greatly for style.  I enjoy the overactive and exaggerated nature.   So now I have an image done from my Strikeforce: Morituri Storyhour.  We tried to restart this series but it is hard to do.   It is Epic level adventure involving multiple and alternate universes.   One included the Maestro.

The Maestro is a future based Incredible Hulk whom has become evil.  To get the "Hulk" feel I had to load him up with magically enhanced items including metal gauntlets, bracers and even Ioun Stones.  Someday, I still wish to return to this.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

DARKSUN was the first campaign world I ever DM'd and remains special to me.  Back in the day, I really-really-really wanted to do a Darksun Comic Book.  I got two pages done then took a break.   This comic book and the other attempts were the beginnings of the Under A Darksun ( I and II) Storyhour.

Though old, it remains a favorite of mine as it was the first time I combined my love of Comics and of Darksun.



below is a color book I did later and will discuss later


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

and page two of the Black & White Under a Darksun comicbook


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

I often take a long time from conception to actually producing an adventure.  When this happens there are changes.  I first came up with Athas Faerun years ago as a group that traveled to Xen'drik.  After several revamps, including a started plot layout for an Eberron comic book I came with another Hidden group.   I found two drawings of key characters.  In both cases they changed a great deal from conception to now.  Here we have the beginning stages of the Valley girl Emerald.  From Green Topaz we go Emerald.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

And the one that changed the most-   Shadow Rage, a full orc started as a half-orc.   No dredds either.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

This Emerald but a more recent version.  Not quite the current one.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Seems most of my stuff is Hidden related.  I suppose that is most likely because it is the most current subject and I have three Storyhours dedicated to it.  Another favorite of mine is the brutish warrior Borys Grudgemaker.   Nothing like a Relentless template added to a villain.   I fully enjoyed writing about his "resurrection".





I have a second Relentless figure coming to The Hidden shortly.   I just used him last night for the first time and have yet to do the Storyhour.  If you are a comicbook fan you may have heard of him-  Gilad annipadda..... The Eternal Warrior.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

It has been so long I don't remember if I used this guy in my Under A Darksun.  He is a Thrax villain.   We have vampires.... Athas has Thrax.  They suck out the moisture from your body.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Something I love to use as a DM Tool in Eberron is the use of newspapers and publications.   I date each on Mondays.   I try to give hints to the current plot or foreshadow events.   Sometimes it creates ideas I had not thought of before.

One of the things I like to do is have a direct connection of the storyhours and the novels.  In this paper, I refer to events from two separate novels series.  Each reshape the future of Eberron.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Here I have a copy of the Sharn Inquisitive also.  In it we have a nod of the head to John Play when he returns from Xen'drik with the Drow Barbarian Avireal.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

I found another Korran Chronicle hidden on my computer-  It speaks about the Morgrave Storyhours with the mutant Goblins the PCs accidently created.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Here is a Korranberg Chronicle about the Hidden I used to introduce the subject to new players.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Returning to Darksun and comics... I have the colored version.    I think of it as Vol 2.  It is told from a Pyreen's POV.

I also changed how I did the comic.  I normally plot and figure the script on junk paper, draw it, then add the words later.  However I have terrible writing skills so I thought I would type up the script on the panels , print it, THEN draw it out and color it.  It was hit & miss and more than likely why I stopped.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Page 2

Whenever I do stuff like this I try to be thorough with correct details.   The language, society and its rules.   It makes it easier to submerge into the story and its environment.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

I had to "Grand ma" this page.   When I drew it, I didn't figure I would be sharing it for all to see.  Here the Pyreen sees the world as the dark and at times ugly place it can be.



I like using a mix of very bright colors with a mix of markers, pen and pencils.   With the pencils I can create texture.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

pg 4 and 5.  Where I clearly left off.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Another favorite project I did was the Stained Glass of the Dancing Dragon Dancehall.  John Play enjoyed going here and had heard of rumors that the dragon depicted in the huge stained glass window was a Glass Golem.   In the storyline of the Monsters of Rawk we discover this is true.  Too bad for the assassin group- Motley Crue.

I did this on a basic Paint program.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

This is a picture of Mania attacking a lizardfolk type creature in Darksun.   Something I explained in Strikeforce: Morituri is how there are many worlds and alternate versions of it.   I also have a Megamania type character in each world and reality.  He is known as Mania in Darksun, Mania in Siberys Seven, John Play and also Megamania in Strikeforce.    Same basic character but with small twists due to the game world or environment in.

Lord help us all.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Due to little interest in Role Playing games, I stopped doing games at the Gamer's Grotto.  I had however started the artwork for future mini-adventures already.  Here I have Le Fiend.  An elf that will do anything to succeed.  He believes himself to be a great scholar and deserving of a great seat at Morgrave University.

I did briefly introduce him as someone watching the PCs travel into the swamps from a bridge.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Also not used was a nice Mindflayer villain.


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

Another unused Grotto advertisement piece-  a strange undead creature..... never even declared what it was ....


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

One thing some of my players enjoy is the raw strangeness and absurdity of creatures and events I use.  In this case.... a Sasquatch that aids the druid as they make a road to Yrlag, Shadow Marches.  He loved Zigland's cooking and each night snuck out and licked the pans and pots clean.  He even got caught up in a drinking contest and won (sure he wishes he didn't).


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

I have also created a series of maps.  The idea was to make them interchangeable.  In some cases that didn't work.   Here I have the Broken Anvil Tavern from the first published Eberron adventure- Shadow of the Last war.




These are 22 x 22 one inch grid maps.  I number and color code them for reference and storage purposes.   These are RED A, B, C and D for instance.   Red = Sharn


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## megamania (Feb 10, 2018)

I based the structure and design of these from an old first edition book I have that used Geomorphs.  The perfect center of each edge should line up with the center of any other "Maze" piece.

Unfortunately, the camera and my technique warp the images but you get the idea.

MAZE 72, 77, J, 28 and 29    large 28


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## megamania (Feb 16, 2018)

Where id it start for Storyhours...?  The Creation Schema.  I took a small company intro story and built it into a massive and epic level story.  The Creation Schema was wanted by most every group known and unknown.  House Cannith, Aurum, Lord of Blades, Vol and her Emerald Claw and Zulu-13 with a being looking to become a new god of chaos (whom is still active).   Out of wood I created the real sized Creation Schema with each of its parts.   I meant to paint it, touch it up with symbols and runes and so on and so on but never did it.   Still, good to run the game and see this behind the players on a table looking to be finished.


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## megamania (Oct 2, 2018)

hard to decipher goblin written note.....


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## megamania (Feb 12, 2019)

Recent Under A Dark Sun moment....


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## megamania (Feb 12, 2019)

and not from a Storyhour but From the first Dark Sun novel series-  Gate of Doom where Sadira, Rkard, Neeva and Caelum take on Borys.


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