Umbral Myst
Umbral Myst was once a unified realm where magic and technology flourished side by side, where enchanted forges produced marvels of both arcane and mechanical genius, and a single pantheon of gods watched over civilizations that blended the mystical with the rational. It was a world of harmony and potential, where the impossible seemed within mortal reach. At its heart stood the divine partnership of twin gods: Abraxas, whose chaotic passion sparked creation and innovation, and Agathodika, whose order gave structure and purpose to his wild inspiration. Together they had built something beautiful, her laws shaping his raw creative force into lasting achievement.
Then came the Shattering. Over time, what had been complementary became conflict. Abraxas saw his sister's order turning from framework into cage, stifling the very chaos that made creation possible. Agathodika watched her brother's passion become reckless, threatening to undo everything they had built. Where Abraxas demanded freedom through chaos, Agathodika insisted on perfection through law. Unable to reconcile, Abraxas made his choice: he would fracture reality itself, splitting the world in two to prove that chaos alone could create without order's constraints. The pantheon divided, gods taking sides in a divine war for the fate of all creation. Agathodika and her allies fought desperately to preserve the unified world, but in the end they failed. Abraxas and his collaborators shattered Umbral Myst, and from that wound two new realms emerged.
Valdarian, where dragon riders soar between floating islands and enchanted city-states rise from ancient trees, mountain cliffs, and desert stone. Magic weaves through every breath and gesture within their walls, but beyond lies untamed wilderness where monsters rule and few mortals survive without power to protect them. Each city-state stands isolated by necessity and by choice, their rulers determined by whoever can claim and hold authority through magical strength. Here, power is the only currency that truly matters, the only shield against a world that devours the weak, the only path to safety in cities where your worth is measured by what you can do and who you can dominate.
IOrthyian, vast empires have achieved something remarkable: a world of clockwork precision and cold fusion power, where gleaming cities stretch across continents in geometric perfection. Tireless constructs perform all menial labor, fight all wars, mine all resources, leaving citizens free to pursue art, philosophy, and scientific achievement. Every person has their place, determined by aptitude and optimized for the collective good. The system works beautifully, running like the mechanisms it's built upon, each component fitting exactly where it belongs. Magic is mythology here, dismissed by rational minds who have built paradise through reason and engineering. And if the constructs must be recycled every few years, if certain positions become permanent assignments, if the perfection requires that some things remain unquestioned, well, that is simply the price of a society that functions flawlessly.
Welcome from the GM
Salutations and well wishes,
Hello, my name is Sebastianos, my friends call me Sebas. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I’m genuinely excited to share the table with you. I love collaborative storytelling, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you, your character, and the story we build together.
Before we dive in, there is a small amount of administrative setup we will need to take care of. I will be here every step of the way to answer questions, clarify expectations, and help where needed. There are many ways to play tabletop games, and not every style is for everyone. What matters most to me is that we approach the table with respect, communicate openly, and work together toward a fun and memorable experience for everyone involved.
A Living, Evolving World
I am a story and character first GM, and Umbral Myst is not a static setting. Each table that plays in this world moves time forward. The choices made during play are captured, reviewed, and applied directly to the world itself. Actions taken in one campaign can ripple outward and affect others.
If a party burns down a tavern, that tavern is gone. If alliances are forged or broken, the world reacts. Each session is captured and shaped into a narrative record so players can revisit their most famous, or infamous, moments. I am very cause and effect driven, and I take time between sessions to consider how major events impact factions, communities, and individuals across the setting. Everyone has an agenda, and no one is the villain in their own story.
Getting Started
Before we even reach Session 0, there are a few setup steps we will complete together. These help ensure that everyone comes to the table with shared expectations and a strong foundation.
Please follow the guides below for details.
- Guide: Creating Your Character
Characters are created on DNDBeyond within the campaign for your table. - Guide: Lines and Veils
Setting expectations is key to a good experience. This guide ensures we all have a shared understanding of what themes and content are welcome at the table. - Guide: Player Archetype
This is a short quiz with no wrong answers. It helps me understand what resonates with you as a player, not just your character, so I can better tailor sessions to the people at the table. - Form: Session Recording Consent
Sessions are recorded so I can focus fully on the game while still capturing accurate session notes and world impact. This guide walks through the consent process and how recordings are used. - Guide: House Rules
This document covers house rules, rule adjudication philosophy, and how I handle edge cases and ambiguous mechanics. - Message Me Directly To setup a time to go over backstory!
Tools of the Table
World Anvil;
- The system of record. It contains setup guides, session logs, and world lore. You are never required to read lore to play. Public information reflects what could be known in the world, not what everyone knows.
Foundry VTT via Forge;
- Foundry is the virtual tabletop. I use a variety of modules to improve play, and during Session 0 we will walk through the interface and run a small combat to help everyone get comfortable. No prior Foundry experience is required.
Zoom or Discord;
- Audio and video are an important part of how we play. Being able to hear and see each other helps with roleplay, communication, and table presence. Sessions are recorded and stored privately for in a Google Drive. They are not shared publicly.
GM Assistant;
- Tool to process session recordings. It removes the table chatter and extract roleplay, descriptions, and character decisions turns it into notes for session writeups
Session Zero
Once all administrative steps are complete, we will hold Session 0. This session is about introductions, getting comfortable with the virtual tabletop, reviewing expectations and documents together, introducing characters, and likely running a small combat encounter to get everyone familiar with the platform.
I love worldbuilding and GMing, and I love creating shared narratives filled with meaningful choices and consequences. I am excited to get to know you and your character, and I am glad you have chosen to take part in this story.
Cheers,
Sebas