The Serpent's Noose: A Journey Through Cycles

Today, I want to share a tale that bridges my past and present in roleplaying. The Serpent's Noose, our latest addition, has roots stretching back to the early 2000s. Inspired in part by E.R. Eddison's book The Worm Ouroboros, this campaign setting examines the endless cycles of life, death, and rebirth — a concept deeply intertwined with Buddhist and Hindu philosophies.

The Serpent's Noose was born from this exploration. It was an ambitious project, aimed at merging the profound ideas of life cycles with the familiar mechanics of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game. However, as time passed, my interests evolved, and this campaign found itself shelved, waiting for the right moment to resurface.

Fast forward to today — July, the height of convention season. As we all know, this time of year is dominated by D&D and whatever the Hot New Thing in roleplaying might be, and the unenlightened aren’t interested in much else. Amidst this fervor, I decided to dust off The Serpent's Noose and bring it to light once more. Though it may not align perfectly with my current writing focus, I believe it offers something unique and thought-provoking.

The Serpent's Noose offers a different mindset within the roleplaying community. It retains the core mechanics of traditional fantasy roleplaying but introduces a fresh perspective on the cyclical nature of existence. This blend of familiar play with deeper philosophical themes provides a decidedly unusual context for storytelling, challenging players to think beyond the usual tropes.

I hope you’re doing well toda.y