AC Spotlight: Muse's Mythos
We sat down with Zari, the Game Master of Muse's Mythos.
In a recent episode of AC Spotlight, we sat down with Zaryi, the GM behind the AP: Rise of the Ordning. Also, as the founder of Muse’s Mythos, she's spent years building a world rooted in collaboration, and high-stakes storytelling.
World Building for the Next Generation
The origins of Rise of the Ordning are surprisingly personal. Zaryi began building her world with her future family in mind, envisioning a guild system where her future children could one day run their own mini-campaigns.
Her world-building style is "interactive and collaborative," leaving room for players to influence the world rather than mapping out every "pixel" in advance.
Reimagining a Classic
While Rise of the Ordning utilizes the Storm King’s Thunder module, Zaryi has completely overhauled the structure to fit her homebrew world. Her modifications include:
Cutting the First Act: Jumping straight into the action to avoid the "typical" slow D&D start.
Running Every City: Instead of choosing one city for the giant raids, she ran sessions for all three options.
More Giant Lords: Rather than selecting one giant lord to face, her players will encounter them all.
Addressing Balance: Recognizing that the module can be "horribly unbalanced," she actively adjusts encounters to ensure they are challenging without becoming a "meat grinder".
"I want characters who probably have a bit of trauma... we're going to be exploring a lot of really serious topics."
A Moment of Fate
One of the most impactful moments in the series occurred under a star-filled sky on a high mountain. In an improvised scene, a Divination Wizard used her abilities to see the soul of a Warlock teammate, witnessing a "red ribbon" tied tightly around his heart.
The Warlock's patron sent a necrotic pulse that would have permanently killed the character. It was only through the Wizard’s "Natural 20" Portent roll that his life was saved.
You can find Zari and the Muse's Mythos crew here.