Vallombrosa

Session Zero

We gather on

Saturday, January 17th, 2026

The canals of Venturia at dusk

Hello all! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. As 2025 ends, I am eagerly looking ahead to 2026 and the start of our Vallombrosa campaign.

Our Gathering Place

The Cask & Cube tavern sign

formerly known as the third bedroom / gym / art studio

The tavern is taking shape. The floor is down, marking the completion of Phase 1. Here's what's still to come:

Phase 1 Demo, wainscoting, flooring install, and paint ✓ Complete
Phase 2 Wood beams, trim, and accents
Phase 3 Lighting and sound design/span>
Phase 4 Custom table build and setup

Know Your City

I've compiled a starter collection of locations and guilds found throughout Venturia. Each entry includes a few paragraphs of description and inspiration for connecting your characters to these places.

This campaign leans toward urban fantasy and will take place largely within Venturia's districts—so it's important we all start getting familiar with the city before we begin.

Before January 17th

  • Browse the Venturia Locations Guide
  • Read the names and opening sentences of each location
  • Read 2–4 locations in their entirety—choose ones that intrigue you
Draft map of Venturia

Venturia & Vallombrosa — Early Draft

Layout is mostly final; details still being refined

Venturia draws inspiration from 16th-century Venice. Think:

Leonardo da Vinci · Tintoretto · The Medici

Atmospheric view of Venturia

Safety & Comfort

Sometime early in the new year, I'll send out a questionnaire with two sections: one about your experience and preferences to help me run better games, and one anonymous section about safety and comfort.

Please submit before January 13th

I promise the anonymous section is set up so that even if I wanted to, I couldn't trace answers back to anyone. I use a system of veils, lines, and barriers:

Veils

Never glamorized or acted out, but implications may be clear and topics may be discussed or used as plot points.

Lines

Never shown directly. May be briefly mentioned, but will never serve as a plot point.

Barriers

Never mentioned or referenced in any capacity whatsoever. These topics simply do not exist in our campaign.

What to Expect on the 17th

1 Overview of our other safety systems and table practices
2 House rule discussions and decisions
3 Additional lore and world details as needed
4 Roadmap to the campaign's official start
5 Discussion of character concepts you're considering
6 Character creation, if you're ready to start rolling