Wednesday, February 23, 2022

The Apartment

You become worried you have not heard from a good friend for more than a week. You go to the apartment building where the friend lives. It’s not in a great part of town, but it’s not the projects, either. Weird smells and odd things left in the hallways, or worse, the staircases is not uncommon.

You knock on the door. Call out to their friend. The door is locked. You bang on other doors. You yell throughout the hallway. No one answers. So, you leave.


You come back with a crowbar. You pry and bash at the door. No one objects. Eventually, the door cracks open, but a security bar blocks the door from opening. More banging. More prying. Still, no objections. Enough of the door finally gives up the ghost and you crawl under the security bar to get into the apartment. 


Your friend is dead. The body is green and bloated. Foamy blood leaks from orifices. 


You back away from the body. You call the police. They are sending someone. You collapse. 


You wake up to an ambulance technician looking down at you. Their eyes are dead. Slowly, you sit up with their help. You were lying on your friend’s floor. You snap your head around, looking for your friend.


They are not in the apartment. The police are here. So is another ambulance technician. This one’s cute. Neighbors you recognize are trying to peek through the doorway.  


Everything of personal value to your friend is gone. Only furniture and spoiled food remain, according to the police. They ask you why you broke into the apartment and don’t believe you when you tell them. 


As the dead eyed ambulance technician is checking your vitals, the property manager and head of maintenance arrive. They give you a weird look and walk through the apartment. They talk to the police in the kitchen. They leave, ignoring you on the way out. 


The cute ambulance technician helps you stand. You feel a little light headed, but are stable on your feet. 


The police tell you that you are free to go. The property manager will not be pressing charges for breaking down the door. Apparently, there is an extra door in the basement and they were planning to remodel this particular apartment next week. You don’t see the security bar anywhere. 


You leave. 


You come back the next day. The door is replaced with another door that looks exactly the same. There are no noises in the building. You yell. No one answers. You bang on doors. None of them open.


It is a good thing you brought your crowbar with you.


Text copyright Derek A. Stoelting 2022

Monday, February 14, 2022

Mandragora Book Store

A version of this blog can be found at Elf Lair Games' blog. 

I wrote the starter adventure in Elf Lair Games's Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Adventure and Quick Start Kit. One of the locations in the scenario is the Mandragora Book Store. My original write-up on the Mandragora went far and above what was necessary for the scenario. I cut it down to just what was necessary for the scenario. After all, I didn't want to completely overwhelm someone new to the game!

You can read the original write-up after the photo and there's more information on the Adventure and Quick Start Kit after the gates. . . 


Landscape Photography of Gray and Brown 2 Storey House82936526 © creativecommonsstockphotos | Dreamstime.com



Mandragora Used Book Store 
Mandragora is an used book store near the university. The contents of the store are varied and wonderful. Old classics, new best sellers, and tomes oft forgotten can be found within. 

Roger Huntzer was a professor of literature at the nearby university. His book collection filled much of the Victorian home where he lived with his wife, Amanda, and their beagles, Cooshee and Banshee. He tried to keep the books somewhat organized, but as a hoarder, it did not matter due to the number of books in the house.

Roger died in his sleep at age 72 from natural causes. To help with her grief and to retain a semblance of control, Amanda began selling off his hoard of books. Not knowing where to start, she began in the kitchen where various books related to cooking were stacked on shelves, on counters, and even on the floor. Before she could sell off all of these books, she realized two things. She liked the used book trade and she was good at it!

When the house next to hers was put up for sale, Amanda quickly purchased it. She hired contractors to perform any necessary repairs to the property and began converting it into a bookstore. When the contractors finished, she began moving the book trade from her house into the new house. Now she could better organize her late husband’s collection, maintain a store front, and sell books via mail. 

The new bookstore was not nearly large enough for her late husband’s collection plus the new products she was buying to sell. So, when the house behind hers sold, she bought that, too. She then expanded the two homes until they joined and became one large building. The result is a four story (basement, ground, first, and second floor) Victorian “Frankenstein” building. The interior of the building is an endless maze of bookshelves, windowless hallways along exterior walls, stairways to even more books, and flooring that tends to sag a bit if you stay in one place too long.

The books in the property Amanda originally expanded into were transferred into the new building. She lived out of that house until she retired from the business. 

Erin Leakey
Today, the Mandragora is owned and managed by Erin Leakey. The home Amanda lived out of until her retirement has a café on the ground floor that opens up to a patio area between the buildings. The upper floors are used for managing the businesses which have expanded to not only include mail order book sales, retail sales, and the café, but also hosting private sales and procuring specific books for buyers. 

Appearance: Erin appears to be in their 30s with short, wavy, brown hair and hazel eyes. Typical dress includes oblong, wire framed glasses, blue jeans, t-shirts advertising the book store and café, and pearl jewelry. She is businesslike, but pleasant, greeting employees and most customers with a smile. 

Motivation: Erin knows that her family is not originally from this plane of existence. However, the stories her grandmother told her when she was little never mentioned where they are from. Erin’s hope is to find a text that discusses the stories her grandmother told her when she was young. To that end, she is pleasant and enjoyable to be around. However, if you waste her time, she’ll give you no time.


You can find out more about Erin Leaky and her role in Tainted Blood in the Night Shift Adventure and  Quick Start Kit. Read on for more information on the Adventure and Quick Start Kit.


Welcome to the ALL NEW Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Adventure and Quick Start Kit! Within these pages you will find everything you need to dive into your very first game of dark horror and supernatural heroics. Herein you will find:

• A complete adventure scenario by Derek Stoelting
• Several pre-generated characters representing popular archetypes from urban fantasy literature, film, and TV
• Detailed guidelines for how to use the rules to play through the adventure for both the Game Master and players
• An explanation of the O.G.R.E.S. rules system, including ability check, attack roll, class check, and Rule of 2 mechanics
• Tips on how to run (and play) an urban fantasy game

Whether you’re new to the game or just want an extra (FREE) 4th-level Night Trip scenario for your table, this kit is the perfect solution!

The plague of the Tainted Blood awaits...can YOU solve the mystery?

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Dreadful Lord of the Sluagh

 Saving this for later. . . 


Dragging behind it a two meter long sword that is 20 inches in diameter with ancient runes inlayed on the blade. The cross guard is made of orichalcum and the pommel is the skull from an ancient race of creatures no longer found on Annwn. It wields this weapon with one, giant, clawed hand. When a target is struck by the sword, the runes glow an eerie red color reminiscent of blood.


Copyright 2022 Derek Stoelting

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Locations: The 'Burbs

 The Burbs


The following are cities and towns are designed as backgrounds to your ongoing campaign. 


Location: Rivertown

Theme: Facing Evil

Population: 55,000

People

  1. Sheriff Lucas Coal: power hungry, Infernal of some sort, sees himself as an Old West sheriff who is the town and the town is him; signed a contract with Evil that gives him control of the town as long as he fullfils his part of the bargain and Evil tests him at every turn. He sees himself as saving the town from certain doom

  2. Samira Amani: young, Persian, develops an accent when angered or overly excited, opposes Sheriff Coal every chance she gets, active in the community

  3. Dr. Burgandy

Places

  1. Grand River shoreline, forestry, and park

  2. Downtown shopping area: antique stores, local artists, restaurants

  3. New development community in an old part of town

Things

  1. Something in the antique shop

  2. Something buried in the old Indian burial mound in the Grand River County Park

  3. Contents of Dr. Burgundy’s safe: Sheriff Coal’s contract, millions of dollars, or something more nefarious???

Conflicts

  1. Critters that live along the river and in the forestry of the area hunting visitors and occassionally locals, if they have no choice

  2. Sheriff Coal versus Samira

  3. Sheriff Coal versus the Evil with whom he signed the contract


Location: Lanark

Theme: Death and Rebirth 

Population: 35,000

People

  1. The Council: members include a relative of Miss Campbell, a Warlock who desires control of the Campbell farm, and others 

  2. Morganne Campbell: leader of the current witch coven in the town

  3. Malcolm Booth: Director of the Easter Village, cousin to the director of the local hospital (a sorry, one story affair)

Places

  1. Campbell family farm: said to be home to witches in years past, includes where the two rivers come together which is a place of power

  2. Highland Marsh Trail: raised boardwalk through an inland marsh, named for the nearby (uphill) Highland Cemetary, along the eastern river and somewhat north of the city

  3. Easter Village: retirement community of good quality, along the western river

Things

  1. Shambling Mound (Night Companion) in the Highland Marsh

  2. The number of deaths in town is equal to the number of births in the hospital, many employees at Easter Village are related to those in the Lanark Hospital

  3. New Moon Whirlpool: whirlpool forms where the rivers meet on the new moon

Conflicts

  1. Evil warlocks versus good witches

  2. Shambling Mound eating visitors to the march

  3. Booth is sending old people to die as sacrifices on the Campbell farm


Location: Fogwarren

Theme: Mystery

Population: 62,000

People

  1. Mystical Martial Artist

  2. Werecreature

  3. Monster hunter

Places

  1. Dojo

  2. Fogwarren Pizza Palace: featured on several food travel shows

  3. State Park

Things

  1. Blade of Jowangshin is on display at the dogo: it is a blade that will “flame on” if placed in a lit hearth

  2. Daedalan Cube (Night Companion)

  3. Satanic circle of stones in the state park

Conflicts

  1. Werecreature is guarding the Daedalan Cube (in the pizza palace?)

  2. Monster hunter is hunting creatures from the state park

  3. People randomly die if caught out in the fog

Location: Haven

Themes: Power & Corruption, Man vs. Society, Justice

Population: 120,000

People

  1. Head of a gang

  2. Street doc

  3. Corrupt police officer (psychic gunslinger?)

Places

  1. Warehouse

  2. Nightclub

  3. Casino

Things

  1. Film / Video proving something for the players

  2. Lucky casino chip

  3. Cursed weapon

Conflicts

  1. Gang on gang violence (or mobsters on mobsters)

  2. Corrupt police doing / allowing bad things to happen

  3. Politicians trying to push around innocent people




Location: Beaver City, a quaint upper midwest town

Themes: Survival, Power & Corruption, Hubris

Population: 46,000

People

  1. Scientist trying to get away from an evil corporation

  2. Spirit Rider 

  3. Retired actress

Places

  1. Native American reservation

  2. Large agricultural university

  3. Closed military base

Things

  1. Native American statue in the middle of town

  2. Locked gate under an old building, but near train tracks; no one knows where it goes and there is no way to find it from inside the old building

  3. Toxic waste in the local water

Conflicts

  1. Spririt Rider protecting the land from the evil corporation

  2. Evil corporation’s control of the town

  3. Animals encroaching into human living areas: bears, coyotes, buffalo, etc.



Copyright 2021 Derek Stoelting
Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars copyright 2021 Elf Lair Games, LLC and Jason Vey

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

The Abyss Group: Enemy Faction

The Abyss Group: Enemy Faction

The Abyss Group is a collection of vigilantes who believe it is their right to kill the supernatural and anyone they deem “evil.” 

The group started as individuals hunting down specific supernatural creatures for revenge. However, they each continued to hunt and kill monsters after completing their initial goals. As they continued on their individual journeys, they eventually met each other and formed a collective. They still operate more like a group of individuals than a team, but they all realize the importance of working together when hunting a foe.

The Abyss Group are not good people. At best, one might consider them anti-heroes, since they fight supernatural creatures and have tragic backgrounds. They are driven by emotions related to anger, hate, and revenge. Their goal is to put a stop to the supernatural creatures in the world and they are willing to use innocents as bait to achieve that goal.     

The Abyss Group takes its time investigating potential targets. They know they are only human and the supernatural creatures they are hunting are far from it. They follow, they stake out, they do their research, and when it is time for a showdown, they do everything they can to exploit their opponents’ weaknesses. 

No tactic is too cruel, no technique is off limits for this group of vigilantes. They have burnt down buildings, exploded gas mains, and flooded cellars to achieve their goals. Their planned attacks use a high amount of lethality to ensure a successful mission. While they do their best to not harm innocents, anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time has a higher than average chance of dying. 

The group survives by taking everything they can use from their targets: money, weapons, food, and even shelter by living in their victims’ homes.

Members

Darren Overmeyer knew his fiance was cheating on him with his best friend, Andrew. One night when Darren was supposed to be at work, he drove by Andrew’s apartment to see if she was there. She was and Darren decided to wait outside the friend's apartment to confront her. 

As Sarah left the apartment, Andrew walked her to the car. A long kiss goodnight drove Darren over the edge. He exited his car, retrieved a replica sword from the trunk, and rushed up on the couple. Sarah heard him and screamed. Andrew turned around just as Darren swung his cheap replica sword. Andrew threw his arms up to protect himself from the sword. The force of the blow knocked Andrew to the ground. As Darren prepared to take another swing at Andrew, Sarah screamed for him to stop. Darren flicked his sword in Sarah’s direction in an attempt to force her back. Instead, the sword slipped from his hand and penetrated one of Sarah’s carotid arteries. 

Darren stood in shock as his fiance began to bleed out in front of him. Andrew yelled for Darren to help him try to save Sarah. Darren, however, was in shock. He realized what he had done. He knew she would not survive. Darren chose to save himself and ran. 

He drove home as quickly as he could manage. He packed everything he could not live without into two backpacks and left town. He eventually ditched the car in a very bad neighborhood of the City.  

The following night, Sarah visited Darren in his dreams. The night after, she began to haunt him. He read everything he could find on ghosts. He networked with ghost hunters. He eventually met Casey Nottingham, a theosophist and learned there may not be an answer for how to drive away the ghost. However, Ryan did introduce him to the rest of the supernatural world. A world that Darren would pillage in his attempt to discover the knowledge needed to rid himself of Sarah’s ghost. He has yet to banish her from the mortal realm. 

Darren is of the opinion that all supernatural creatures are evil and should be destroyed. Since forming the Abyss Group with the others, he has learned how to use firearms and fight with real swords. He should be used as a 10-15 level Survivor. His preferred weapons are heavy caliber pistols, shotguns, and real swords, but is proficient in all civilian firearms. 

Image: approximately 28 years old, stocky male, wire rimmed glasses with small, round lenses, blonde hair, moustache and goatee, blue eyes, 5’10” and 190 pounds, black pants, military boots, and black, long sleeve  shirts. At the time of the death of his fiance, he had long hair in a pony tail and no facial hair. 

Casey Nottingham is mentally not well. He was on several antidepressants before his wife and kid left him. This began a long slide to desperation and degeneration. He immediately switched his prescribed medications to illicit drugs and alcohol. He became violent when out drinking. He lost his driver’s license when he drove his truck into a pond while driving under the influence. He beat to death several drug dealers who were, according to him, “charging too much” for their product. 

It didn’t take long for him to lose his job. His drug use, bad behavior, and finally, fighting on the job helped promote him to customer. He would return to the chemical plant to exact revenge on his employers after closing. He beat and placed two of his superiors in vats of acid. While doing so, a splash of sulfuric acid hit him in the face. He now wears clothing and masks to cover the disfigured half of his face.

Soon after he received the scarring, he began to see dead people. He cranked up his drug use to try and shut them out. When that didn’t work, he changed drugs. When that didn’t work, he tried using drugs to gain a better understanding of his newfound necromantic ability. He eventually reached out to other necromancers and dark warlocks he found online and through bookstores. He learned more about his abilities, himself, and how to grow his power. 

Casey rose in power and fame quickly. He embraced his new life as a Theosophist, or as he prefers to be called, a necromancer. He killed several of the people he trained under in an effort to gain their power, control their souls, or because they owned something he wanted. Along the way, he met Peter Nixon and Darren Overmeyer. They helped him focus his learning on hunting evil creatures for power and artifacts, more so than evil people. When not using his powers to kill, his preferred weapons are a heavy pistol and a dagger with a wavy blade. He knows it is a stereotype and he leans into it.

Casey should be used as a 12-15 level Theosophist. 

Casey’s wife has since divorced him and the legal system has removed all parental rights from him. 

Image: approximately 32 years old, long, blue hair, no facial hair, many body piercings, 6’2” and 160 pounds, black or blue jeans, black high-top shoes, black metal band t-shirts, and aviator sunglasses. 

Peter Nixon’s parents died in a car accident when he was a baby. His paternal grandparents took him and tried to raise them as their own. Before the boy turned three, his grandparents died in an airplane crash. This brought the young man to his maternal grandmother. 

Mamaw Amthor’s husband had died years prior and she lived off his meager pension and governmental aid. While the state did provide her with additional benefits for taking the boy in, their life together was not one of luxury. The electricity was not always on and the water was not always hot. However, they got by and Peter knew no better until he started school. He quickly learned about money and social cliques, being poor and having very few friends.

When Peter started puberty, he also started developing psychic powers. Unbeknownst to Peter, Mamaw Amthor was a psychic, as was her daughter, Peter’s mother. Mamaw was not a strong psychic, but she knew enough to recognize the signs as Peter developed. By his senior year of high school, Peter was a functioning empath and had started down the path of an esper.

Peter moved to the City to attend a liberal arts college with high hopes of earning a teaching degree. He met other psychics at the college, including the woman he would later marry, Dawn Carlyle. His new friends and acquaintances introduced him to more of the supernatural world. He danced at clubs that catered to creatures of the night and made friends with Sages and Theosophists. 

Peter and Dawn volunteered at a soup kitchen near campus. It was there that he met Jacinto Garcia, a psychic gunslinger. Jacinto was living on the street, on the run from Sinaloa Cartel assassins. Peter’s easy going nature and Jacinto’s sarcastic side made the two fast friends. The two began spending time together outside of the soup kitchen, whether sharing information on their supernatural abilities, sharing a meal, or Peter and Dawn buying Jacinto new clothing. Eventually, Jacinto would move into their home. 

Jacinto’s past eventually caught up to him in the City. The assassins found him and the Nixons. They came at night, blasting their way through the home with semi-automatic rifles and grenades. The Nixons and Jacinto were caught unawares, but managed to survive the attack. All three were severely injured, but Dawn’s ability with Bio-Feedback made short work of the injuries.

Jacinto disappeared into the night. The police would have questions and he had zero interest in being deported to Mexico. The Nixons told the police that the hitmen broke into their house to try and kill Jacinto. They didn’t deny the fact that Jacinto shot and killed the assassins. Nor did they deny that they had met him via the soup kitchen and were trying to help him improve his life. They cooperated insofar as they could, without discussing the supernatural aspects of the case or the fact that they knew he was wanted by the Sinaloa Cartel. 

Six months later, Jacinto returned and asked Peter to help with a child trafficking ring that was kidnapping children who ate at the soup kitchen. Soon after, Peter and Dawn disappeared off the grid. 

The Nixons joined the rest of the Abyss Group after busting the child trafficking ring. In addition to their psychic abilities, both of the Nixons typically go armed with medium caliber pistols. After a run in with a pack of werewolves last year, Peter carries a semi-automatic shotgun in the trunk of his sedan. It is loaded with silver flechette rounds. Peter should be used as a 10-15 level Psychic and Dawn as a 8-12 level Psychic.

Dawn does not participate in their activities, but does provide healing when needed. Dawn spends most of her days picking up after the guys, cooking meals, and looking for new places to live. This isn’t the life she wants, but law enforcement officials want her just as much as they want the men. She simply sees no way out of her current life. If there is a weak link in the Abyss Group, it is her.

Image:  Peter is a stocky male with short cropped brown hair, thick glasses or contacts, green eyes, blue jeans, t-shirts, work boots with steel toes, and a beard-moustache combo that would make Dusty Hill proud. He is 5’10” and 210 pounds. Dawn goes about in simple clothes like blue jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes. She has short-cropped, black hair, blue eyes, and tattoos. She doesn’t care for Peter’s beard. She stands 5’3” and weighs in at 120 pounds.

Jacinto Francisco Vargas Garcia is an illegal immigrant from Ciudad Juarez. He developed his Psychic Gunslinger abilities in his late teens. At 19, he stood up to the cartel’s local henchmen, refusing to pay them insurance money for his aunt and uncle’s safety. Naturally, this didn’t sit well and Jacinto needed to learn a lesson. The cartel leader sent a posse over to rough him up. Jacinto shot and killed each member of that posse. 

The cartel leader and fifty men came looking for Jacinto. Killing the posse was an affront that could not go unpunished. Jacinto had gone into hiding and when they couldn’t find him, they visited his aunt and uncle. The couple had no idea where their nephew had gone or how he managed to kill the well-armed posse with just a single action revolver. After torturing them for several hours, the leader had them hanged and left as an example.  

Jacinto came out of hiding for revenge. He snuck into the cartel’s local complex and murdered every single person he found on the premises. The next day, he used their fake USA passports to cross the border into the United States. He took one of their cars, brought along their money, and enough bullets to last for some time. Recognizing the vehicle and his fake passport, the corrupt border guards let him into the country without so much as a glance.

Jacinto wandered north, trying to put distance between himself and the hunters he knew would be coming. By the time Jacinto reached the City, he had spent all of the money, shot most of his bullets, and was driving his fourth car since arriving in the country. He eventually found a shelter and soup kitchen. The same one where he would meet John and Dawn Nixon. The same one that brought Jonathan James into his life. 

Jacinto has made it his purpose to pick fights with bad people. Since arriving in the City, he has killed every member of the L Street Bloods, put several prostitution rings out of business, and dusted a master vampire. His bravado will eventually catch up to him. Jacinto should be used as a 10-15 level Pscychic Gunslinger.

Image: approximately 26 years old, 6’1” and 200 pounds, long, black hair pulled back in a pony-tail, black dress pants, white, wrinkled dress shirt, dress shoes, and black trench coat. 

Jonathan James’ wife was killed by a religious fanatic possessed by a djinn. The fanatic targeted a shopping mall in the suburbs where Jonathan’s wife happened to be with friends. More than 30 people, including Jonathan’s wife, were killed in the mass killing. The fanatic was stopped by an off-duty police officer who shot and killed him. 

Jonathan believes he can see the djinn leaving the body of the fanatic in close captioned tv and recorded video from cell phones. Casey Nottingham has stated he sees the soul of the fanatic leave. No one else will confirm they can see the djinn leave the body. 

Jonathan was serving as the leader of a local coven of witches and warlocks when his wife was murdered. Following her death, he took a step back from the leadership role to try and heal from his loss. Her loss proved to be too great and Jonathan turned from a path of light and helpfulness to a path of darkness and selfishness.   

Jonathan has since dedicated his life to exposing the evil side of religious fanaticism. He has ousted money launderers, exposed rapists and drug dealers, and used his spellcasting abilities to destroy those who traffick children. His work requires knowledge not only surrounding the evils of man, but also those creatures who would help man do his worst to others. His favorite targets to hunt are people within religious organizations who hurt children and the demons who benefit from the suffering.

Jonathan met Jacinto Garcia, a Psychic Gunslinger, while investigating the goings on at a soup kitchen. Jacinto was a regular at the kitchen. Teaming up with Jacinto, they were able to identify the local leaders of a child trafficking organization. The organization was kidnapping children who frequented the soup kitchen and trading them to evil creatures for power, money, and supernatural artifacts. The organization was not only active in the City, but also several other metropolitan areas across the country. They had ties to politicians, megachurches, crime syndicates, and social organizations like QANON. Clues found in cell phones and laptop computers suggest they have ties to other countries.

Realizing they would need more firepower, Jacinto brought in Peter and Dawn Nixon to assist them. Jonathan contacted Casey Nottingham for assistance, who then brought Darren Overmeyer. Their combined effort destroyed the trafficking organization, destroyed the careers of several religious leaders, and exposed child exploitation groups. They fought their way through class I and II demons, banishing several class III demons before they were done.  

Prior to this case, Jonathan had stayed out of the sight of law enforcement. He turned over the cell phones and laptops of criminals. He sent in anonymous tips. He worked through social services. He banished demons. This case revealed the true depth to which other men will go for power. He bore witness to acts unimaginable and crimes so heinous, no jail sentence would be enough punishment. He broke during this case. No actions were off the table. He baited criminals, murdered rapists, blatantly stole from the rich, and mentally justified it all. 

His fingerprints were found by the police and there is now an active warrant for his arrest. The others were already sought by the law for their crimes. When he isn’t using magic to stop his enemies, Jonathan has found he likes using a medium submachine gun with silencer (use stats for medium caliber pistol) to encourage people and creatures to change their ways. He isn’t too good with the gun and tends to use too many bullets to accomplish his goals. 

Image: approximately 30 years old, average build, 5’10” and 180 pounds, black eyes, brown hair, beard, and moustache, and wears boring clothes that help him blend in with society




Legal
The Abyss Group: Enemy Faction is copyright 2021 Derek Stoelting

Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars is copyright Jason Vey and Elf Lair, LLC 2020 and is used without express permission.

No challenge to the copyright owners' rights is meant or implied.