This is an auspicious day here at Slothjemian Tales. You might say we are celebrating an anniversary of sorts. In fact, it is such a momentous occasion that we are going to go ahead and give everyone that peruses this blog a little insight as to the inner workings of how the game world is constructed.

As one might guess from things posted here previously we are a big fan of layered levels of villainy. There are the common bullies and low level monsters encountered by players early on that form the first tier. Then there are the corrupt officials and mid-level toadies for even more powerful opponents that occupy the second tier. Above them are the higher level power players and monsters that rampage about destroying cities, making the third tier a formidable obstacle. But even more sinister than they is the topmost level of excessively powerful agent of wickedness, the fabled fourth tier that no player has even imagined. This hierarchy has been in place for years in the game world and players in the past have succeeded in tackling only up to the second tier, with occasional abortive forays against third tier foes. Not one player has contemplated the existence of the fourth tier much less formed any notion as to what on earth could occupy this spot.

So here is a break-down of how this system works in our current game. This is a fine example because there are a lot of clever people currently playing this game and they might as well realize where they are in the scheme of things. On the first tier we have the bullywugs and orcs that have already been encountered. On the second tier is the mythical Kevin (“bloop bloop Kevin’s dead”) and recently somewhat slain Druuna, the green dragon that refuses to just stay dead. Normally a green dragon would be higher up the list than that but the third tier includes the lich kings of the Diosian Lodge and they are far more potent than a dragon both in terms of raw power as well as their ability to manipulate others to do their will from afar.

At this point the players are probably wondering what could be the fourth tier of villainy if the Diosian Lodge is only on tier three. This is where things get tricky. The truth is that the players in the current game have actually found evidence of the fourth tier but they haven’t yet identified it as such. Nor do they understand how powerful this entity is, how much they themselves have become embroiled in the machinations of the fourth tier enemy, or how to deal with the ramifications of the mere existence of this threat. But they are nonetheless on the radar of the fourth tier opponent and things are already in motion to attempt to circumvent any possibility that the players even figure out who their ultimate enemy is. So much intrigue!

Some might be wondering what the occasion is to warrant this bit of plot revealing when otherwise the players would have been woefully ill-informed of the trouble they are getting themselves into. As it happens it is my birthday today. I thought it would be fun to celebrate with foreboding. And it totally is. Plotting is one of my favorite things ever. You can’t see it, but I am tapping my fingertips together and leering from beneath my huge hooded robe. All is proceeding as I have foreseen. Because I am the Game Master. If I didn’t foresee it, I’d be a lousy GM.

*Muhahahahahahahahahahaha*