Life in hell

What kind of game is this? This is not a casual dungeon crawl. The campaign has already begun, the party is currently level 7 and mid-way through the first act, and we are seeking new companions to join the story as it continues to unfold. The Ashen Crescent is a long-form, ambitious D&D 5e campaign inspired by the Third Crusade, told through a lens of faith, prophecy, and political intrigue. Imagine a holy city where banners of rival religions hang side by side; where incense and blood mix in the same streets; where ancient relics, half-remembered prophecies, and bitter oaths drive men and women to fight, pray, and betray. Set in the grand desert city of Elarah, you will step into a world of: Crusade-era conflict: rival faiths clash over relics and scripture, each believing salvation is theirs. Early medieval aesthetics: swords, shields, banners, cloisters, and bazaars. No very high fantasy tropes. Magic is semi-rare and mystical. Low fantasy, high stakes: the miraculous feels sacred, not common. Politics and belief matter as much as steel. Moral ambiguity: there are no clear villains, only zealots, survivors, mystics, and opportunists. Or so you think... The factions are: Luminari — the Sun-faith of order, dawn, and light. Sulahim — scholars, jurists, and fire infused desert camel-lords. Yeshari — cunning keepers of covenant, memory, and exile. Wayfarers — silk road traders, mystics of prisms and hidden paths. Your choices shape the city’s destiny. Who you kneel to, who you betray, which side you protect. All of this carries weight. The System & Tools System: D&D 5e+ (characters tracked on D&D Beyond). VTT: TaleSpire. Custom 3D maps and set pieces (requires a PC with semi-decent specs). This entails that either you have the $24.99 version of the game (Steam), or you are able/willing to buy it. Also, you will need a mini (best created in Hero Forge). Please adjust for that. ⚠️ Important ⚠️: This campaign is essentially a paid-level production offered free. I am building custom TaleSpire boards, art assets, lore documents, and immersive narrative arcs. Because of that, I expect the same level of seriousness/commitment from players: punctuality, reliability, and a willingness to roleplay. Seriousness doesn't mean no fun allowed. In the end, we all seek the escapism and fun found withing D&D. Seriousness instead means commitment, and reciprocating the same effiort I put into giving you this story. Schedule Main Session: Saturdays @ 5:00 PM EST Fallback: Fridays (same hour) when attendance issues arise Sessions are multi-hour, roleplay-heavy, and story-driven. Combat will be present, but when it hits, it HITS! What I’m Looking For I need players who will commit long-term. Respectfully but firmly: if you are just looking to scratch a quick D&D itch for a couple of sessions, this is not the game for you. This is a campaign built to last, and every time someone leaves, it disrupts immersion and damages the living story we are building together. This campaign has been going on for around a year, and it doesn't look like it will end anytime soon. Use this as reference to the commitment you will be making. I’m seeking: Reliability & punctuality: Respect everyone’s time. Commitment: Stick with the campaign until its conclusion. Since this story has already begun, reliability is even more important. New characters are stepping into a web of alliances, rivalries, and prophecies already in motion. Ambition: Players who actively pursue goals and drive the story forward. Love for roleplay: Dialogue, tough moral choices, faction intrigue. Good mic + capable PC: Technical reliability is part of the immersion. How to Apply If this speaks to you, especially within the scope of commitment, send me a DM or post a comment with: Name/Age/Timezone Confirmation you can commit to Saturdays 5 PM EST (Fridays as fallback) Confirmation that your PC can run TaleSpire + mic confirmation Your D&D experience (new/casual/veteran) A short character seed (2–4 sentences: motive, flaw, and which faction intrigues you so far) Why you’re looking for a long-term campaign, and why does this one resonate with you From there, we’ll schedule a short Discord interview to ensure compatibility. This isn’t meant to gatekeep. It’s to protect the story, the group, and the time we’re all investing. Why Join? Because The Ashen Crescent is designed to feel like stepping into a living chronicle. Think the Crusades retold in a D&D world. A city of temples and markets, faith and blood, prophecy and steel. If you’ve ever wanted to be part of something epic, morally complex, and richly atmospheric, this is it. If you’re ready to swear your oath and carry it through to the end — Elarah awaits. Here synopsis about most of what has happened so far: Each of them crossed the Kesareth Desert alone, drawn by purpose, faith, or something they could not fully explain. Their paths converged at a Wayfarer caravanserai, where strangers became companions out of necessity. From there, they set their sights on Elarah, the sacred city at the heart of the desert, said to be a place where prophecy, power, and belief all collide. Days into their journey, the sky erupted in a storm of falling stars. The heavens burned with unnatural color, and those who witnessed it were forever changed. A crystal-like mark formed on their right forearms, alive in ways none of them understand. It reacts. It pulses. It seems to answer to something beyond them. When they finally reached Elarah, they found its gates sealed. The city had already begun to fracture under the weight of its own faiths. Forced to slip inside through the sewers, they were met with a truth far worse than rumor. Elarah is not simply tense. It is unraveling. Within its walls, four competing faiths struggle for control, each convinced they alone hold truth. Law is enforced with severity in the Ink Row, where rulings are swift and often merciless. The streets are filled with unrest, quiet fear, and the sense that something inevitable is approaching. Amid this instability, the players found footing with the Red Company, a powerful mercenary force tightening its grip on the city. They offer work, protection, and information, but never freely. Every favor has weight, and every agreement draws the players deeper into a web of ambition and control. After making a rash decision to stand for their morals, the group feel the consequences of their choices. Hunted by half the city, and narrowly escaping a close brush with the punishment hanging over their head, they leverage what little favor they have left with the Red company to arrive at the four pillars, the birthplace of a faith that spans the known world. There, the party found both a new truth and a new purpose under King Baldwin. Following the command of the King, the party sets sail into the Levantine sea, heading into Anatolia to investigate the lack luster support given by one of the holy orders to the defense of Elarah. On their way there, the captain screamed for the party and crew to man the defenses, chaos erupting as they scramble: fumbling over ropes in the cramped deck; on the horizon: three ships appearing on the horizon, sails raised at full mast, rushing into combat range. A grueling sea battle ensued, ballista cracks and screams filling the air; through skill, planning, trust, and faith the players managed to barely escape with their lives at a great cost. Now stranded in the middle of the sea, exhausted, lost, and clinging to life; the players will be tested in a hostile and unforgiving environment; surrounded by miles and miles of deep water, they must find a way to their destination. Or at the very least survive. The party stands at a crossroads. War is no longer a distant threat but an approaching certainty. Each faction calls for loyalty. Each path carries consequence. The question is no longer whether Elarah will change, but who will shape what comes next. And whether this fragile alliance of strangers can survive long enough to choose.

The world of Phelun is an old one that has seen many conflicts throughout its history. While times seem peaceful, beneath the surface there are whisperings of the Dragon Queen stirring within her prison, strange events occurring upon the continent of Ines, and adventure awaiting upon the lost continent of Asoris. This is an 18+ only server that is a mix of go at your own pace pbp and west marches living world elements.  https://discord.gg/X8dFsNrjBw This is a new Server that has been worked on by one DM for 3 months. It currently features the following:     PbP forums for those who prefer slower RPs.     Living world channels where characters can explore the lands or meet one another in real time in the pub.     DM run Tables. (We are looking for more DMs to help run tables)     Mining, gathering, fishing, and exploration through Avrae commands (commands are ready, but random tables need to be filled out more for variety).     Random in game daily events (not tied to irl days, and still being worked on).     Market to buy items.     Guilds (will need leaders).     Job command to earn coin and a living world channel to RP the work in. (currently being reworked)     Custom Drinking command for the pub.     Player housing.

Hello folks and welcome to my adventurer recruitment! Let’s begin with a quick introduction and summary of my post. You should gain a brief overview of what I’m looking for/offering from the first two sections. I am a bit of a yapper, so the overall post may get a little long, but if you are interested, please read it all. (I will be putting more information on the Discord Server I’ve made for this.) I am reopening recruitment for this considering I currently need to fill one or two vacancies. Unless there are any delays in the sessions yet to come, I need to fill at least one slot for the sessions on the 25th of October and the 1st of November. Games will run on Sundays in the later afternoon based on CET time.  Me: My name is Shay (He/Her/Theirs (any pronouns)). I’m 22 years old and have always been a storyteller. That said, English is not my first language. I do my best and would say I’m fluent, though. I am queer and neurodivergent and a nerd, which is sort of obvious considering this is a ttrpg recruitment site lol. I got some DnD experience recently after years of never having the proper friend group for it. I’ve loved tabletop content for years, and now that I’ve played some, I know I love it. Although playing itself is very fun, I’ve always known the mantle of the DM calls to me. Therefore, I am now a beginner DM, currently working on my own DnD setting.  What I’m looking for: I am looking for players of any skill level that would be interested in connecting, and possibly eventually embarking on a campaign with me. I do not currently have any dming experience, which is why this recruitment is primarily for a One Shot I have written. It is fairly straight forward and should cover the various aspects of DnD (roleplaying, exploring, combat, looting etc). I want to write more One Shots, and through running them, find a group for a campaign. However, you don’t have to be interested in a campaign to play my One Shot :) Rules and Requirements: You must be 18+ to join. You must have a decent microphone and stable Internet. You do not need any prior DnD experiences. Joining the One Shot is not a guarantee of getting into the Campaign: The Campaign will have four players just like each group of the One Shot will. I'm hoping to run the One Shot three times. One Campaign Slot is already filled.  You may make your character sheet on sites such as DnDBeyond or Dicecloud, but you may also make one on paper. Just be sure to send it to me if it’s not through my Campaign link in DnDBeyond. You may roll in any form you want, even with real dice. I will work under the assumptions that you do not alter the results of any rolls I cannot immediately see. You must not use any AI to generate writing or characters. Ideally, you should not use it at all (ever). You may not use preexisting AI art for your character art. I urge you to critically assess any piece of art you use for your characters. (I will provide resources to find non-AI character art). If you use someone else’s art for your character, you must provide credits. Do not be bigoted, hateful or discriminatory in any way. Racism, Ableism, Misogyny, Queerphobia and bullying will not be tolerated. This may sound a little odd, but you must be willing to use non-conventional and/or shifting pronouns. You don’t need to be perfect, but be respectful and willing to learn. (This is also fairly important in game, since I will include genderqueer or genderneutral characters/npcs.) ERP is not allowed in the One Shots and likely won’t be allowed in the Campaign (depends largely on players). While playing, please pay attention, even if it isn’t your turn. More Info on the One Shot: The One Shot has a fairly clear storyline and isn’t set up to have too much room for improvisation as for it’s plot points. Improvisation is an aspect I want to also eventually explore, but for now this is more of a “tutorial” type experience. The various paths and options are prewritten and have a clear line of progression, although what exactly happens and what you chose to do is open! Unfortunately, I can’t let you not accept the quest I have prepared and go explore somewhere else, sorry ^^ Depending on interest, I will probably run the One Shot multiple times, and/or offer up another one if there are people that are interested in being part of a DnD group longterm. This lore of my world isn’t relevant to the One Shot, which does take place in the same world, but approximately 1600 years in the past. This is so the One Shot can already happen while I’m still putting the lore and everything else to paper! All you need to know is in the pitch; although it basically summarizes to “Every kingdom is at war, but that’s not really your problem. You just need to get by.” There is also some information about geography and the overall world on my Server. More Info on a possible Campaign: I will eventually put out some lore of my world on the Discord Server. It will include informations about pretty much everything you need to know: gods, territories, people and everything else I cook up ^^’ As I mentioned before, none of the Campaign lore/information is relevant to the One Shot(s). When it comes to the eventual Campaign, I have a few reference points and ideas what an overarching story could be, but I do also want to have a big focus on the characters in the adventuring party. So what the actual plot of the campaign will be also depends heavily on the groups wants. I am looking to write a more serious story, but there will be room for whimsy and tomfoolery. I will include more existential themes and don’t shy away from things getting dark. However, ahead of a campaign, triggers, topics to avoid and such will be discussed in depth! Once a group has emerged for a campaign, I want to hold a sort of early Session 0 where we all discuss ideas, early character concepts, opinions on possible plot arcs and I will obviously also be there to answer questions! We would probably have a second session 0 to discuss characters, backstories and such closer to when the actual campaign would start. With all this information put out there, I’m hoping the sessions can be weekly or biweekly. I know that is a fairly big commitment, but that’s also why the process before the Campaign is a little longer. I’m not just looking for future players, I’m looking for future friends! Now, onto the actual One Shot Pitch: Short Version: In a world where war rages constantly, you are just a mere commoner wanting to survive. They’re not your battles to be fought, yet in a world where the kingdoms never seizes to be at odds with one another, survival isn’t guaranteed. A local guild offers work for those considering themselves adventurers. You are hire to retrieve a family heirloom from a village that was decimated by a recent battle. While there is no eminent threat or any indications of more battles to happen there, venturing there will still be perilous. Will you find what you’re looking for? Long Version: Keocorra was once a land of peace, or so the elders teach to the youth to give them hope. They have never witnessed such an age. Even among the most long-living species, no one is alive to remember. Not even the Gods recall a time where there was peace. Perhaps it had never existed, alas the world burning was just as constant as the rise and fall of the sun. Like most of Keocorra’s people, you could not be further from the people declaring wars and sending their people to their deaths. No, you are as much of a bystander is your own world as the squirrels who bury their nuts on the battlefield and the birds endlessly fleeing from the sounds of battle. Perhaps, like them, you only wish to survive. Or perhaps you wish to help those around you; The fellow bystanders hoping not to end as collateral damage. The Plunderers Guild offers such opportunities. It is perhaps the lands first ever legal criminal organization, based on a technicality of local law no one has the time to adjust: Stealing isn’t legal in any of the kingdoms, of course. That’s clear enough, yet it doesn’t account for a technicality. While a conflict between two kingdoms is in effect, the disputed area, and wherever battles are fought, seizes to belong to anyone. You cannot steal something that doesn’t belong to anyone. “Plundering” describes the act of taking things from battlefields, yet it doesn’t actually qualify as stealing. The things you’re taking don’t legally belong to anyone. Now, it is illegal to be on these battlefields without a valid reason. Aside from being there for battle, there have never been valid reasons…until now. Timore, a kingdom towards the center of the continent, has been steadily losing land as they are fighting battles with kingdoms all around them. While treaties are being drafted, people are still losing their homes in order to have more space to battle. Under pressure from its people, the crown declared that any of its citizens may enter the battlefield if their former homes are now in the no-mans-land. This is where a very witty band of former criminals founded the Plunderer’s guild. Most common folk don’t have the courage or skill to enter the battlefield and return alive, yet, if they have the coin, they can pay someone to go in their place. The guild has strict guidelines and code of conduct, although not everyone follows those rules and how much they are enforced depends on which hub you are hired through. You are hired by the Plunderer’s Guild closest to the Eastern Border of Timore where battle rages with the Elven empire of Turve. Located in the town of Dolion, this hub of the guild is run by a Goliath know as “Ghun”. You are summoned to receive further instructions for your retrieval quest from him at the “Plunderer’s Tavern” at noon. How to join: Now that you have read everything, please message me directly on Discord @ “jaycy336”. Wherever you message me, please include your name, age, pronouns, experience level and what sparked your interest. I will then ask you some more questions and possibly request to briefly call so I can check your microphone.