<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Edryk, Miria, and Kale face a terrifying onslaught on the dismal beaches of Abzû.</p> <span id="more-449"></span> <div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:auto 38%"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This game sues the crocodile stats from <strong>Swords &amp; Wizardry,</strong> It also delves pretty deep into the <strong>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</strong> theory of the Soul that was made central to the concept of planar travel in <strong>Advanced Dungeons &amp; Dragons</strong> starting later in the 1st edition and refined in the <strong><em>Planescape </em></strong> setting.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">I also wanted to share the <a href="https://sacred-texts.com/ane/enuma.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enuma Elish</a>, if you want to read some ancient Mesopotamian myth.</p> </div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/svmaf-34-1024x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-450 size-full" srcset="https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/svmaf-34-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/svmaf-34-300x300.png 300w, https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/svmaf-34-150x150.png 150w, https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/svmaf-34-768x768.png 768w, https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/svmaf-34.png 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="667" src="https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SVM_Party-34.png" alt="" class="wp-image-454" srcset="https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SVM_Party-34.png 1024w, https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SVM_Party-34-300x195.png 300w, https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SVM_Party-34-768x500.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:38% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="1000" src="https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/flat750x075f-pad750x1000f8f8f8.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-452 size-full" srcset="https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/flat750x075f-pad750x1000f8f8f8.jpg 750w, https://swordsvmadness.stormheadproductions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/flat750x075f-pad750x1000f8f8f8-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Roger Dean&#8217;s Cover for the first <em>Asia</em> album self-titled &#8220;Asia&#8221; was a huge inspiration for the setting of Abzu. I spent a great many hours staring at this album cover and listening to the record when I was a kid. In fact a great deal of the campaign aesthetics in &#8211; in my head at least &#8211; are inspired by Dean&#8217;s art.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Roger Dean was a major influence on the aesthetics of the Psychedelic art and music movement and redefined what Fantasy looked like through the 60s and 70&#8217;s.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">I would be remiss if I didn&#8217;t send <a href="https://www.rogerdean.com/product-page/asia-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a link to his homepage</a> where you can get prints of this truly amazing work. </p> </div></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Abzu Random Encounter Table</h2> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>3d6</td><td>category</td><td>Encounter</td><td>#</td><td>Mein</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Settlement</td><td>Forlorn Camp*</td><td>special</td><td>Suffering</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Settlement</td><td>Duregar mining camp**</td><td>special</td><td>Feasting on HER flesh</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Intelligent</td><td>Scorpion Men</td><td>1d4</td><td>Worshipping HER</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Intelligent</td><td>Ixitchatil</td><td>2d10</td><td>Hunting</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Intelligent</td><td>Beast Men</td><td>3d10</td><td>Digging a burrow</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Traveller</td><td>Jaani</td><td>2d4</td><td>Lost</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Traveller</td><td>Night Hag</td><td>1</td><td>Performing Dark Rites</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Monster</td><td>Giant Scorpion</td><td>1d3</td><td>Frozen in despair</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Monster</td><td>Large Giant Centipede</td><td>1d6</td><td>Mating</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Monster</td><td>Crocodiles</td><td>2d6</td><td>Sleeping</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Monster</td><td>Sea Serpent</td><td>1</td><td>Exploring</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Supernatural</td><td>Larvae</td><td>3d10</td><td>Tormenting</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Supernatural</td><td>Shedu</td><td>1</td><td>Cultivating HER wisdom through alchemy</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Supernatural</td><td>Elsewhale</td><td>1</td><td>Desperately trying to get elsewhere</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Atmospheric</td><td>Tiamat Stirs***</td><td>n/a</td><td>Going Mad</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>Atmospheric</td><td>Storm</td><td>m/a</td><td>Grieving</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Notes</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">*Forlorn Camp: a wretched set of huts of bone, skin, and scale overrun by wasp&#8217;s nests. Most inhabitants are dead, but 1d6 diseased and mad cultists linger.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">**Duregar Mining Camp: 2d10 Duregar oversee 5d20 beast-men slaves in mining scale and bone from Tiamat.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">***Tiamat Stirs: The ground shakes and strange omens fill the sky before a deafening scream splits the sky. All creatures must save vs spells or be paralyzed with terror for 1d3 turns. Check for additional encounter.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Voice Talent in this Episode:</h3> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Owen Rideout as The Psisquid</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Music in this Episode</h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>&#8220;COMBAT: Classic Metal Chugga-Chugga&#8221; by Jon Cohen, used with permission.</li> </ul> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">From the Free Music Archive:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/music/mr-smith/a-new-roar/king-edward/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">King Edward</a>&#8221; by Mr. Smith a CC-BY song released through the FMA</li> </ul> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">From Pixabay:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/metal-apex-250691/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apex</a>&#8221; by Alexander Nakarada</li> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/hard-rock-scorched-fields-238414/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scorched Fields</a>&#8221; by Alexander Nakarada</li> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/adventure-crossroads-241773/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Crossroads</a>&#8221; by Alexander Nakarada</li> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/hard-rock-this-heavy-metal-492569/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">This Metal</a>&#8221; by Mr. Claps</li> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/hard-rock-melodic-metal-heavy-metal-music-484511/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melodic Metal</a>&#8221; by Alex Koff</li> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/rock-powerful-stylish-rock-motivational-indie-rock-trailer-487627/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Powerful stylish rock</a>&#8221; by Sound for You</li> <li>&#8220;<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-island-of-the-lost-dark-fantasy-background-music-110368/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Island of the Lost</a>&#8221; by OB-LIX</li> </ul> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p>