A scene from the "trailer." The A.I. is having a hard time depicting displacer beasts. Art prompt by ChatGPT, art by Krea AI.
I'm about to start playing in a solo campaign run by Chat GPT. Most of the lore is right here.
I have a few things left to do:
- Make my character.
- Flesh out the actual settlement of Tarokhold.
- Go over some basic rules with it (It can't tell me campaign secrets, I will roll dice on my end, it will roll dice for everything else, etc).
- Figure out how to set up my NPC healer sidekick.
I said thanks to the bot, and I told it that I made a blog post. It told me that it could make... a CAMPAIGN TRAILER.
Here it is, cut and pasted right from ChatGPT:
🎬 SOUL IN SHADOWS — Campaign Trailer
Fade in.
A vast kingdom of seven arcane dominions unfurls beneath storm-heavy clouds—
floating stones, volcanic skylines, whispering forests, necrotic citadels, and at the heart of it all…
…the Deck of Many Things, shuffling on an unseen wind.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
In a world ruled by magic… destiny is not chosen. It is drawn.
A gloved hand pulls a single card from the deck.
THE KNIGHT.
A burst of light—
A crying infant in a blast crater—
A witch-queen staggering backward in awe.
CUT TO:
Tarokhold’s crooked streets. Townsfolk whisper. Eyes widen. Doors slam.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
He was not born… he was conjured.
A grown man now—Dane the Conjured—cinches the straps of battered armor, determination in his eyes. Behind him, a Spellbound Sentinel raises a brow. A crow circles overhead.
DISTANT SCREAMS.
The Deck glows red somewhere deep underground.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
The soul of the only mother he ever knew—stolen by fate… and sealed away by the Deck.
CUT TO:
Wintermere’s blue flames spiraling into the sky.
Starfall Sanctum’s crystal observatories shifting like puzzle pieces.
Crownbreaker Hold’s battlemages igniting runes on a monolithic Staff of Power.
Embercoil Reach erupting in a phoenix-winged blaze.
Whispering Hollow’s trees murmuring secrets older than gods.
The Ebon Reliquary’s bone-lined vaults closing with a deafening BOOM.
MONTAGE:
– Dane outruns displacer beasts through lightning-lit fields.
– A beholder’s shadow crawls across a temple ceiling.
– Gnoll warpacks howl under a blood moon.
– The Deck of Many Things shuffles itself.
– A lone lich turns, glowing eyes flickering like dying stars.
– A hand—Badelia Voidstar’s—reaches toward a soul trapped in glass.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
To reclaim what was lost, he must cross seven dominions… face horrors drawn from the Deck itself… and unravel a conspiracy older than the Magocracy.
The screen goes dark.
A MATCH STRIKES.
Dane’s hand.
A puppet burns.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
In a land ruled by magic, only one truth remains…
MUSIC SWELLS.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Some destinies aren’t chosen.
They’re summoned.
TITLE CARD:
🔥 SOUL IN SHADOWS 🔥
The Quest for the Stolen Soul Begins
Analysis
Let's go over this. It is sometimes awesome, sometimes hilarious. A crying infant in a blast crater?! That's me?
"He was not born… he was conjured." That's so good.
Me being chased by displacer beasts? Love it.
More evidence that the lich is the big bad guy, something I probably shouldn't know until I'm level 10 or so? Not so great.
Then comes the best part:
"A MATCH STRIKES.
Dane’s hand.
A puppet burns."
A puppet? A puppet is on fire? Why? Where? How??
I love this. I really want to make a video of the trailer and insert stock art of a puppet and super impose flames on it.
I had to ask Chat GPT to make an art prompt of the puppet burning.
Here is the image:
Here is the prompt ChatGPT wrote for this puppet art:
"A small hand puppet—stitched cloth face, button eyes, and a crude painted smile—is engulfed in bright, hungry flames. The puppet lies atop a cracked stone surface, its seams curling and blackening as fire consumes it. Sparks drift upward into darkness. In the blurred background, only the silhouette of a lone figure can be seen—hooded, face obscured—watching the puppet burn. The scene carries a heavy, symbolic atmosphere: the destruction of shame, the death of an old identity, and the birth of purpose. Lighting is dramatic, warm firelight against deep shadows, cinematic and emotionally charged. Fine ash floats through the air like falling snow. High detail, dark fantasy, trailer-style composition."
It doesn't know what the deal with the puppet is, either.
I asked it to create art of whatever scene from the trailer that it wanted and... you're not going to believe this, but it made an image of the lich and the lich's city! It's almost like this lich is going to factor into the campaign in a major way! I wonder where the queen's soul is?? Could be anywhere!!
Anyway, let's get back to work.
TAROKHOLD - THE DOMINION OF THE DRAWN
A Magocracy Bound by Fate, Cards, and a Pact with Baba Yaga
We need to detail the main town in the dominion. We need some bars, some temples, some NPCs, etc. I asked ChatGPT to do this, and I think it did a good job.
🏰 TAROKHOLD — THE TOWN AT THE CENTER OF FATE
Seat of the Witch-Queen • Heart of the Dominion of the Drawn
Tarokhold is a walled, slightly crooked town built around the Fate-Spire — the runic tower where the Deck of Many Things is kept and guarded by Witch-Queen Arelia Bloodmark.
- The Twisted Cup
- The Lady of Fates (not the Hause of Fates)
- Temple of the Silent Thread - raven queen shrine
- The Brightmarket
- The Sentinel's Post
- The Holoway
- The Ruined Court
Here is what the bot came up with:
Everyone here lives beneath a quiet tension:
🕯 A card can change everything.
People avoid making long-term plans. Buildings are repaired halfway. Shops keep “disaster stock” for sudden catastrophes. Weddings include divinations. And everyone knows the stories of rulers erased, lost, or cursed by the Deck.
Below is your definitive guide to Tarokhold.
🗼 THE FATE-SPIRE (Central Tower)
The Tower Where the Deck Sleeps… and Waits
A 9-story stone tower covered in glowing blue runes, reinforced by witch-wards and hag sigils. Various buildings cling like barnacles to its sides — homes of attendants, ritual rooms, and guard barracks.
Inside:
1. The Throne Antechamber: A cold stone hall with murals depicting past rulers and their tragic draws.
2. The Card Vault: Arelia keeps the Deck inside a walking iron-bound chest with spider-like legs. It follows her like a loyal pet.
3. The Forgotten Chamber: Hidden deep within the tower:
- Badelia Voidstar, former Witch-Queen
- Soul stolen via The Void card
- Sits eternally upon the Coldthorn Throne
- Body alive… mind empty.
Arelia forbids anyone from entering. Ena Blackfeather (Raven Queen cleric) watches over Badelia in silence.
🧭 DISTRICTS OF TAROKHOLD
Below are the main quarters of the town.
🍺 THE TWISTED CUP — Tavern & Inn
- Type: Adventurer bar, gossip hub
- Location: Near the northern gate
- Owner: Durgan Highcup, dwarf, former mercenary
This is the most popular tavern in Tarokhold. Its sign changes shape every week because of a lingering enchantment from a past ruler’s miscast wish.
Menu Highlights:
- Fireberry Ale (makes your breath glow)
- Mourningbroth (Wintermere import, smoky & sweet)
- Deckhand Stew
- Eel Bites from Rafthome (smoked, tangy)
Rumors Heard Here:
• “Arelia drew the Moon… did she use her wishes yet?”
• “Someone saw Vessra Hellbound walking the alleys again.”
• “The Floatstone hummed last night — that’s never good.”
🍷 THE LADY OF FATES — High-End Lounge
- Type: Elegant, shadowlit wine bar
- Owner: Marisselle Vane, diviner, inscrutable
A quiet bar where nobles, scholars, and suspicious types drink prophetic wine.
Every drink here is served with a tarot-like reading. Some are accurate. Some are unnervingly accurate.
🪔 TEMPLE OF THE SILENT THREAD (Raven Queen Shrine)
- Location: At the far west of town
- Cleric: Ena Blackfeather, Death-seer
A low stone temple adorned with black feathers and silver thread. No bells, no chanting — only silence. Tarokhold citizens avoid this place.
Ena prays for the dead, tends the graveyard, and keeps a death-ledger of those marked by fate.
🌿 THE BRIGHTMARKET
Colorful, chaotic, slightly uncanny
Vendors:
• Herb witches from Brightwood
• Charm-sellers from Whispermire
• Scribes who sell pre-written will templates (morbidly common)
Shops of note:
🧪 MOTHER HAZEL’S TONICS & TROUBLES
Owner: Mother Hazel, old witch, possibly 120+
Sells potions but also petty curses like:
• Forget-that-face hex
• Bad-hair-day jinx
• Charm of avoiding ex-lovers
Everyone loves her. Everyone fears her.
🔮 THE THREAD & TOKEN — Fortune Shop
- Owner: Kivrel, changeling
Focuses on minor divination spells, dice auguries, and “safe destiny readings.” But Kivrel refuses to read anyone touched by the Deck. Including you.
🛡 THE SENTINEL’S POST — Guard Barracks
Home of the Spellbound Sentinels stationed in Tarokhold.
- Commander: Captain Rhys Emberlin
Arelia trusts him because he’s boring, loyal, and not magically gifted enough to threaten her.
The Sentinels often patrol:
• The Floatstone
• Spectre’s Hollow boundaries
• The Fate-Spire
☠ THE HOLOWAY
Tarokhold’s poorest neighborhood — narrow streets and bad luck tales. Residents here often blame their misfortune on bad draws made decades ago.
NPCs of Note:
- Old Marn, conspiracy theorist. Believes the Deck is alive and hungry.
- Tessa of the Ash, baker. Runs a bakery where the ovens sometimes belch blue flame “for no reason.”
⛓ THE RUINED COURT
A shattered plaza where Queen Morna Ruinborn once addressed the people before the Ruin card erased her entire legacy.
- Statues are half-melted or half-missing.
- Sometimes objects randomly vanish.
- Citizens refuse to walk on certain stones.
🧙♀️ PROMINENT NPCs
Here are your major personalities in Tarokhold itself.
🜁 Witch-Queen Arelia Bloodmark
Warlock of Baba Yaga • Bearer of the Deck
- Dramatic, cunning, superstitious, dangerously curious.
- She likes you, but is deeply afraid of what your existence means.
🕊 Ena Blackfeather
Death-Seer of the Raven Queen
- Speaks rarely.
- Sees threads of fate.
- Knows exactly what the Deck did when it created you — but won’t tell you yet.
🦊 Sir Corvan the Vigilant
Arelia’s Knight-Card Summon
- Quiet, dutiful, increasingly wary of Arelia’s wishes.
- Feels a strange kinship with you.
🔧 Jasker Thornwright
Town Engineer
- Man responsible for rebuilding after magical catastrophes.
- He has a “pre-written blueprint” titled In Case the Tower Implodes (Again).
🕯 Vellara Moonthrush
Local witch, charismatic troublemaker
- Knows things about Badelia Voidstar she shouldn’t.
🃏 Sparrick the Cardborn
Once drew the Fool and now wanders town giving terrible advice with absolute confidence. Weirdly lucky.
The Herb Witch
I really liked the idea of a herb witch, so I asked the bot to make a herb witch NPC.
🌿 BRAMBLEMAW WILLOWHEX
Elder Herb-Witch of Brightwood
Neutral Good (eccentric)
Specialties: herbcraft, curse-breaking, plant familiars, “fate-quieting tonics”
Age: “Old enough to know when the wind is lying.”
🧙 APPEARANCE
Bramblemaw is a tiny, twig-thin old woman with:
- Bark-like skin along her arms
- Moss growing in her hair (which changes color with the seasons)
- A living thorn-creature perched on her shoulder like a cat
- Bare feet that never seem to touch the ground
- A walking stick made from a Brightwood branch still blooming with golden leaves
- Her breath smells like mint, smoke, and rain-soaked soil.
🌱 PERSONALITY
Bramblemaw speaks in a half-whisper, half-laugh — as if she knows jokes the forest told her centuries ago.
She is:
- Kind but blunt
- Fierce about protecting Brightwood
- Suspicious of Arelia Bloodmark (“Witch-queens burn too bright, dearie.”)
- Fond of children and young heroes with pure intentions
- Afraid of the Deck’s influence on nature
Most unsettling: She sometimes answers questions you haven’t asked yet.
🧪 HERBAL MAGIC
Her magic is subtle, primal, and deeply tied to Brightwood’s wild magic.
She brews:
🌼 Tonic of Quiet Fate
Lowers the “attention” of the Deck. People who drink it are less likely to attract magical mishaps.
🌙 Dreambloom Draught
Allows prophetic dream…but they always relate to a choice you haven’t made yet.
🌿 Hexpull Balm
Removes minor curses. It smells like rosemary and regret.
🐾 Foxroot Ink
Paint your face with it, and small animals understand your words.
🕸️ Spiderpetal Salve
Lets you walk across webs without disturbing them.
My NPC Sidekick
I'm still messing with the image, Krea AI is being a little wonky.NOVICE THALEN REEDBROOK
Priest-Acolyte of Ioun, Goddess of Knowledge & Prophecy
Neutral Good • Earnest, bookish, brave in spite of himself
Who He Is
Thalen is a young, wide-eyed priest-novice from the temples of Wintermere, sent to Tarokhold on a rite of pilgrimage known as The First Questioning — a tradition where young followers of Ioun must leave home to seek a truth only the world can answer.
His “truth” ends up being you—Dane the Conjured.
Thalen has read about the Deck, the Dominion of the Drawn, and the myth of “the Knight Who Wasn’t.”
He never expected that he’d meet you, let alone feel fate nudging him to walk beside you.
Personality
- Earnest, nervous, but stubbornly brave when it counts
- Speaks too fast when excited
- Writes everything down — everything
- Thinks Dane is destined for something enormous
- Looks up to you, even if he tries to hide it
He believes:
“Knowledge must be carried into danger, or it is little more than dust.”
Appearance
- A thin young man with ash-brown hair, soft grey eyes, and ink-stained fingers.
- Wears a light chain shirt under traveling vestments of deep violet and white.
- A small journal is always tucked into his belt.
Combat Role (Priest Acolyte statblock)
- Support caster
- Radiant Flame & mace for basic offense
- Divine Aid for clutch Bless or Healing Word
- Will throw himself into danger to protect Dane, even when he shouldn’t
He is tough enough to survive easy-mode DMing, but can absolutely be threatened, frightened, or injured—keeping stakes high.
Almost Ready!
I am almost ready to start the campaign. In the next post, I will crack open the 2024 Player's Handbook for the first time ever and try to make... a human fighter. Thanks for reading!
