The Ashes of Artemis | A Vaesen Campaign

Creating your character

Players may choose from a provided list of pre-generated characters or work with me to create their own. Custom characters will be created using the Vaesen Core Rulebook character creation rules and completed via chat or Discord before the first session. In addition to the default character sheet requirements, each of you will provide me with your character's DEEP DARK SECRET, something that your character believes no one else knows. This, along with your backstory, roleplay, and style, will directly impact the campaign's direction and your character's fate.

Preparing for the session

Welcome to Vaesen! To keep onboarding smooth and get us into the game quickly, please complete the following steps before the session. None of this is difficult, but doing it ahead of time helps avoid technical delays once we start. What we are using • Foundry: The virtual tabletop where we play. • Discord: https://discord.gg/pw262FFCFy Preparation Steps I will send you a direct invitation link to the Foundry game. Once you join, your character will be assigned and ready to play. No account necessary. Passwords will be assigned. Foundry may be new to some players, but the learning curve is relatively gentle. If you want to get comfortable ahead of time, this quick guide walks through the basics: https://foundryvtt.com/article/player-orientation/

What Dan brings to the table

The Ashes of Artemis is a Vaesen folk and gothic horror campaign set in the late nineteenth century. The campaign and setting focuses on mystery, horror, atmosphere, and discovery. You will travel the breadth and width of the Mythic North and beyond, confronting dangers both human and supernatural, uncovering lost knowledge, and rebuilding what once was and may be again. I run Vaesen with a strong emphasis on atmosphere, using careful description, character voices, custom art and maps, and extensive ambient music and sound design. I adhere closely to the rules to preserve danger and consequence, bending them only when the fiction clearly demands it. Combat is dangerous and often brief. Investigation and judgment carry more weight than violence. The table itself is supportive and respectful, with clear safety tools in place. The world you inhabit is not. You are not here to fix the North. You are here to live with it, and to decide what must be endured and what must be stopped.

How Dan creates a safe table

Vaesen is a gothic folk-horror game, and this campaign leans fully into that tone. The themes include dread, folklore, isolation, moral uncertainty, and the darker sides of history. Violence and disturbing situations may appear, though the focus is on atmosphere and investigation rather than shock or gore. If you prefer lighter adventures, this may not be the right table for you. Before the campaign begins, I meet briefly with each player for a one-on-one Session 0 on Discord. We create characters, discuss boundaries, and talk about the game's tone so everyone knows what to expect. During play, we use simple safety tools. Any player can pause or redirect a scene at any time by speaking up, sending me a private message on Discord, or using a safety signal in Foundry. No explanation is required, and the scene will shift or move on. The goal is an intense horror story inside the fiction, with a respectful and collaborative table outside of it.