Campaign Journal #14: Chaos in Myruna

We return to our heroes, all currently separated:

A dwarven librarian approaches Kodrak hesitantly and tells him of murders and desecration at the local dwarven temple, and that their Shard of the Light of Sentor has been shattered. On the wall are the words 'Eltheodir has risen'. This mirrors a similar cult ritual in Lyrum—though our heroes stopped that one.

While walking, Sentie sees two guards outside a building. As he passes, a third guard flings the door open and vomits in the street. Sentie glances inside and spots two corpses on the floor, blackened and contorted. This also mirrors some assassinations in Thyrre.

The revision mentioned in our last journal happens: rather than saying that everything is quiet in Myruna, Barclay's liaison officer Reda advises him that the town is in chaos: "Everything's gone to shit. A cult murdered some dwarves at their temple in Dweorfton [dwarf-town]. A council member almost got murdered in a carriage. Some guards are missing. We're involved in none of it. We knew about none of it. The higher-ups are shitting bricks. About the only thing going right is the pirates. Haven't seen 'em for weeks."

Barclay visits the curio shop Eyefuls & Trifles and speaks with its owner, Phenrey Byshe. Phenrey is shaken by his earlier conversation with Sentie, who had tried to sell his (copied) runic spell page; he isn't sure if Sentie was being truthful, was there to rob him, or, perhaps worse, was a foreign agent who would drag him off in the night.

We jump back to Sentie, who helps a mother with a sick child. She says that she's been waiting for a doctor all day, but when she finally saw one, he was running away. Sentie also tends to Ol' Jack, who says the town guards have been messing with him by rotating the manhole cover in "Murder Alley".

Raehendra explores town, visits a bookstore, and gets into a fight.

Renn buys wine for the evening and runs into the Silver Hare, the adventuring guild they met in Lyrum.

Eventually, everyone returns to Captain Eofra's home, where they are staying in Myruna. (In the meantime, Eofra has dropped off 750 gold pieces and two baskets of food. Renn pockets the gold.) Barclay gets upset at Sentie for attempting to sell the runic spell page, as it's tied in with everything they're doing—and potentially to the assassinations as well. Barclay burns all of Sentie's notes.

The following morning, our heroes visit tiny Dweorfton, a small walled area of Myruna, and offer their help at the dwarven temple. In an extended ritual, their partially repaired (but uncharged) Shard of the Light of Sentor is recharged—and so is Kodrak's smaller shard.

We leave our heroes as they are about to speak with the newfound leader of Dweorfton.

Soundtrack:

Austin Wintory, The Banner Saga (2014), The Banner Saga 2 (2016), The Banner Saga 3 (2018)

The Main Cast, our player characters:

• Barclay Stone (he/him), human bard (college of eloquence)
• Aevyr, his imp familiar
• Kodrak Kukkerlun (he/him), dwarven fighter (battle master)
• Raehendra Tiddlybumpkin (she/her), gnomish ranger (hunter)
• Renn Summerstar (he/him), elven cleric of Lioris (twilight domain)
• Sentie Rancis (they/them), human wizard (school of transmutation)

The Supporting Cast, non-player characters:

• Ol' Jack, (likely) unhoused alcoholic
• Phenrey Byshe, owner of Eyefuls & Trifles
• Reda, Whitsleaf liaison officer in Myruna
• [Unnamed mother]
• The Silver Hare, adventuring guild
• Aldire, half-elven fighter
• Hainan Halfheart, dwarven cleric
• Irinduith the Ever-Fair, elven ranger
• Meera Haemuund, human wizard
• Nellandus of Gauwhil, human rogue

See the full cast list at Campaigns in Elsemorn—now with photos of the miniatures used in the game!

Campaign Journal #13: Fleeing Pirates and Chasing Clues

We return to our heroes at four in the morning, on a merchant ship sailing the Hallas Sea north of Loril. Renn Summerstar is partying with the crew when a 15-foot-tall projection of Lady Ilyavoe, the Ironwitch of Fellsdare, appears on deck—fulfilling Renn's request to meet. She answers questions from Renn (and later, Barclay) and clarifies her role in their adventure, which is mostly tangential:

• Bartholomew spoke with Ilyavoe about his realistic dream/vision of the party. She advised him to trust it, or at least look into it.
• Later, when her "spy" returned with the three books, hiding them in a well in Thyrre, she hired Bartholomew to return them.
• Her role as Ironwitch is to observe and counter external threats to the nation of Loril, primarily from the lands of Casseval and Feore. She is aware of internal threats (like Galix and the cult of Eltheodir) but they are outside the purview of her office.
• She closes by telling Renn and Barclay that three ships, presumably pirates, are on an intercept course with their own vessel. Their only hope is to alert the crew and sail as quickly as possible to Myruna.

For the next five days, our heroes assist the ship and crew wherever possible:

• Barclay inspires the crew, gives critical (magical) suggestions, and later causes a pirate helmsman to steer his (pirate) ship into another. Aevyr, his imp familiar, steals a spyglass from a pirate lookout.
• Kodrak assists the crew with turning the sail, a necessary maneuver as they tack into the wind.
• Raehendra fires cannons and later fiery arrows, critically damaging one ship and drawing pirate crewmembers away from their jobs to put out fires.
• Renn generally stays out of the way, though he later magically enhances the crew.
• Sentie creates energy drinks for the crew and rains fire upon the pirate ships.

In time, the ship reaches the safety of Myruna, where it will take several days to clear customs. The party is sent to shore to spend that time as they see fit. The captain, Eofra, allows them to stay at her home, as a thank-you for their assistance.

Kodrak goes for a run around town, when his shard of stone again communicates with him. It indicates that it is a "Shard of the Light of Sentor" but is still only partially active. Kodrak visits a library for more information—which we'll get to next session.

Raehendra also visits a library, but for information about Greebles. The librarians find two books for her: one does mention "Greebles" but it is clearly a typo; the other, by an author named Ippan, seems to back up some of the details in Valyric Paega's journal.

Sentie visits a curio shop and offers to sell (a copy of) the runic spell page. The shopkeeper clearly recognizes the document (by mention alone) but pretends not to, and curtly asks Sentie to leave.

Barclay visits the local Whitsleaf guildhouse and speaks with his liaison contact, Reda, getting the lowdown on local activities. [He is told that little is happening in Myruna, which we'll have to...revise next week.] He also runs into a former Whitsleaf guild member, Giry, who tells him that people were looking for him in Fellsdare, just after Midwinter. Remembering that Bartholomew's dream happened at Midwinter, Barclay sent a message to the dwarf via sending stone: "At Midwinter, did you task people to search for me using shadowy sketches of me? And what's the status on that Proof vs. Detection charm?" Bartholomew replied: "Yes. Needed to know identities/intentions of group. Hope you understand. Whitsleaf subtly inquired, leading to job. My agents in Falxmed have lead on charm."

Renn visits the library for information about the time known as Scymrelde. The librarians research the mention and relay what they have found:

The Scymrelde or Scymralth was a (likely legendary) time shortly after the sun Morn was put to sleep (also likely legendary). The sleeping sun bathed the planet in magical essence, which allowed spells to be created. These early spells had few safeguards, which wreaked havoc on people and the land alike. The mages who survived learned to control their spells while everyone else sought shelter for at least a generation.

Soundtrack:

Joe Hisaishi, Princess Mononoke (1997)

The Main Cast, our player characters:

• Barclay Stone (he/him), human bard (college of eloquence)
• Aevyr, his imp familiar
• Kodrak Kukkerlun (he/him), dwarven fighter (battle master)
• Raehendra Tiddlybumpkin (she/her), gnomish ranger (hunter)
• Renn Summerstar (he/him), elven cleric of Lioris (twilight domain)
• Sentie Rancis (they/them), human wizard (school of transmutation)

The Supporting Cast, non-player characters:

• Ilyavoe, human, the Ironwitch of Fellsdare
• Eofra, half-human, ship captain
• Walthy, the cook's boy
• Ship crew
• Giry, human, thief and former member of Whistleaf
• Reda, Whitsleaf liaison officer in Myruna

See the full cast list at Campaigns in Elsemorn—now with photos of the miniatures used in the game!

Campaign Journal #12: The Bird!

Our heroes conclude their business in the treasury of (the newly-appointed) Lord Kodrak and return to the goblins.

One goblin hands Sentie a volume from his personal library: A Definitive History of the Stoneling People by Emmengal. On the first page, the book reads "An edition of One Thousand. Our history shall be neither burned nor erased." The gift seems pointed, referencing Sentie's origin in the Coruscene theocracy of Casseval.

Davana, the bard, hands Kodrak a note written in many hands:

Galix: Really Not That Bad

• Negotiated at least five Stoneling trade agreements
• And those are the ones we remember!
• Was part of the Stoneling team who negotiated that truce between Artieth and Loril
• He regrets this a bit now—Artieth got a rotten deal, in retrospect
• Was one of the researchers who assisted in decrypting that Codex of Suul thing
• That's how he met that dick Wendlaf!
• Discovered a kobold trafficking and slavery network
• That dick Wendlaf was involved so Galix killed him!
• Also, Galix warned the "authorities" for at least a year, but did anyone listen? No!
• Is basically trolling a bunch of chief dicks in Casseval, Feore, Kisra, Falxmed, probably other places
• Priests, Ambassadors, even an Earl and King and stuff!
• Even tried trolling the Hhurtik but they are bugs!
• United a bunch of people into the Delver Horde, putting an end to decades (even centuries!) of sectarian warfare
• Permanent homes, food, jobs, the whole deal!
• Some call the Delver Horde an "army" and say that it is inherently violent. This is not true. The violence is only created when they act to oppose the Delver Horde!
• Okay, that is maybe 90% true. The Delver Horde is a sort-of army. But they have justice on their side!
• Really likes the color purple and not because it is fashionable. It is just a nice color!

There is a lively discussion about the nature and ethics of armies. Raehendra is surprised to see a reference to the kobold slavery of her parents—for which they are now in prison—and she recalls hearing them argue about someone named Wendlaf. Kodrak also remembers hearing the name Wendlaf regarding an order he placed for specific ores from Kodrak's home mine.

The party leaves Backtooth Mountain to the goblins—who have said they will finish cleaning and then leave—and keep an eye out for this frightening bird.

Perhaps a mile or two from the fortress, they spot and are attacked by a chimerical wolf-dragon with an aura of disgust. The players roll well, the DM rolls poorly, and our heroes succeed in denying the creature most of its actions. The wolf-dragon is slain and crumples to the ground, acid pouring from its mouth and dissolving its body. They investigate the creature and note that its wolf parts resemble a subspecies common in the Northern Wolds—in other words, the land of Falxmed, where they are headed.

Barclay's imp, Aevyr, tells the goblins that "the bird" is dead, and the party returns to their ship. The voyage to the customs port city of Myruna—a sister city to the ruined Myrinul—will take a week. During the first couple of days, there is a heartfelt discussion about Raehendra's feelings about her parents' crimes; Kodrak continues practicing the feather fall ritual; Barclay trolls the boatswain; Raehendra continues reading the unpublished manuscript [on cryptids as pets] by Valyric Paega; and there is much partying.

In the middle of one such party, on the second day, a fifteen-foot-tall projection of Lady Ilyavoe—the Ironwitch of Fellsdare—appears on deck. She is fulfilling Bartholomew's request for a discussion...which we'll have next session!

Soundtrack:

Jack Wall, Myst IV: Revelation (2005)

Pelican, Australasia (2003)

The Main Cast, our player characters:

• Barclay Stone (he/him), human bard (college of eloquence)
• Aevyr, his imp familiar
• Kodrak Kukkerlun (he/him), dwarven fighter (battle master)
• Raehendra Tiddlybumpkin (she/her), gnomish ranger (hunter)
• Renn Summerstar (he/him), elven cleric of Lioris (twilight domain)
• Sentie Rancis (they/them), human wizard (school of transmutation)

The Supporting Cast, non-player characters:

• Davana, Stoneling/goblin, musician
• 8 other Stonelings/goblins
• Lady Ilyavoe, human, also known as Lady Dawn, the Ironwitch of Fellsdare
• Ship crew

See the full cast list at Campaigns in Elsemorn—now with photos of the miniatures used in the game!

Campaign Journal #11: Return to Backtooth Mountain

Heyzzzel thanks our heroes for saving her life from the salmyr (dire centipede). She explains that she was headed to Lyrum, hoping to find the party and accompany them while searching for her boyfriend, an author pen-named Gnome de Plume. The party asks about de Plume, and Heyzzzel explains that he is best known for his novel Swish ("a heartwarming story about a woman and her merman—except he's swapped, fish on top and man on bottom"). He is working on a story about a hundred-legged centaur ("Centaurpede") and is researching centaurs; de Plume's publisher recently contacted Heyzzzel to say that she hadn't heard from him for several months. Remarkably, Barclay and Raehendra have heard of Gnome de Plume—and may have read some of his books! Our heroes agree to let Heyzzzel come with them as long as she stays out of danger.

They continue north to Lyrum, buy some healing potions and other crafting goods, and board the ship headed to Backtooth Mountain (and then east from there). Barclay reveals his imp, Aevyr, and there is much discussion about imps and familiars. The party sleeps for the night and arrives near their destination the next morning.

Our heroes hike to Backtooth Mountain and are let inside, seemingly by the fortress itself. Kodrak is named the new Lord of Backtooth Mountain and given command of the site. The party smells food and soon encounters Davana, a musician, and 8 others, all Stonelings/goblins. They're temporarily living at Backtooth Mountain, cleaning it after Galix and his Delver Horde left, but also mooching off the food that was left behind. They're friendly enough to our heroes, directing them to the treasury, and also curious how they avoided a frightening bird outside the fortress. The party searched the area beforehand and saw no such bird.

They make their way to the treasury and encounter an automaton that holds "the Knowing" or "the Dwarfmind". It provides a variety of information:

• The runic sequence for the teleportation circles at the Thyrre dungeon and Backtooth Mountain. [Both Barclay and Sentie take this information.]
• The previous lord of Backtooth Mountain was named Thatur. He ruled at least 400 years ago.
• The Scymrelde or Scymralth was not a place (as previously thought) but an event that occurred at least 1,200 years ago.
• Something has caused a break in the timeline or the calculation of time.
• There is no record of the prison (or its prisoners) at the Thyrre dungeon, which suggests it was added later.

Kodrak, and by extension the rest of the party, is given access to items belonging to the Lord of Backtooth Mountain:

• A Cloak of Protection +1
• A suit of Dreamedder chain mail [Adamantine Armor/chain mail]
• A warhammer with a core of Hastamyr (falling star) [on a critical hit, allows an extra attack on another enemy within 5 feet; and sheds light in a 10-foot radius]

The party plans to see about this rumored bird and then head east.

Soundtrack:

Jack Wall, Myst III: Exile (2001)

Jack Wall, Myst IV: Revelation (2005)

The Main Cast, our player characters:

• Barclay Stone (he/him), human bard (college of eloquence)
• Aevyr, his imp familiar
• Kodrak Kukkerlun (he/him), dwarven fighter (battle master)
• Raehendra Tiddlybumpkin (she/her), gnomish ranger (hunter)
• Renn Summerstar (he/him), elven cleric of Lioris (twilight domain)
• Sentie Rancis (they/them), human wizard (school of transmutation)

The Supporting Cast, non-player characters:

• Heyzzzel, gnome, artist
• Davana, Stoneling/goblin, musician
• 8 other Stonelings/goblins

See the full cast list at Campaigns in Elsemorn—now with photos of the miniatures used in the game!

Campaign Journal #10: Proceedings of The Longdays Society

Our heroes confront Bartholomew about his lack of honesty with them. He admits to it, and explains that the party appeared to him in a dream the previous Midwinter, nearly three months before he had hired them. They told him about work involving a well and a spy for the Ironwitch—their first task from the dwarf—something he (at that time) knew nothing about. It was a bewildering portent. Bartholomew admits that he had little reason to trust our heroes but that his mind has (mostly) changed about them.

The party travels south again, to Thyrre, to read more of the journal labeled Proceedings of The Longdays Society. This time, they are accompanied by Malia Ailor, an ancestor of the Longdays Society's secretary, Millius Ailor. Though it takes some time, she is able to decipher more of her relative's handwriting:

Proceedings of The Longdays Society

The journal begins with "These records may not leave the Rose House. All members here are secret sworn."

A summary of legible subjects of the first page:

• Myrinul is now stable, but outer Myrun is crumbling, must be watched
• The Fall of Forric
• Clovenhorn and Dreya are besieged
• Earthquakes are increasing and researching them is a high priority

Signatures on the first page:

• B [Bartholomew, see below]
• KF
• MA [Millius Ailor]
• RP

A summary of legible subjects from the middle pages:

• Many sections are on Casseval and Feore, destiny works, discrepancies within their editions of the Fea Corus, Silver Sword Guard or Silverswords (pre-Whitemantle) murders, the Shepherds of Corus or Diamond Shepherds (pre-Garnet Banner) murders, and recruiting street preachers in propaganda campaigns to drive the two lands apart
• Kaadar is suspicious and growing powerful
• Myrinul's doorway is sealed, shield up
• Backtooth Mountain is no longer used and the dwarven residents have migrated elsewhere; rune sequences for the teleportation circles will be stored in their "knowing chest" (followed by a string of runes in Forefast)

Signatures on later pages:

• B is now written as BE [Bartholomew the Elder]
• BY [Bartholomew the Younger]
• CU
• DF
• KF is now written as KF,EF
• MA [Millius Ailor]
• PA
• RP is now written as RPST
• SG [on one page only]
• SU
• YMS

A summary of legible subjects of the last page:

• Garathiin contacts have been made, they are seeking permanent shelter
• Diplomatic envoys have been sent to Cosworn and Kozlodus
• Thyrre operations have ceased

Signatures on the last page:

• BE [Bartholomew the Elder]
• BY [Bartholomew the Younger]
• CU
• KF,EF
• MA [Millius Ailor]
• MF
• RPST
• SU
• YMS

Bartholomew (the Fourth) suggests that "BE" and "BY" stand for "Bartholomew the Elder" and "Bartholomew the Younger", respectively; they are his great-grandfather and grandfather. He suspected that his ancestors were involved but knew little, perhaps because of the early death of his father, Bartholomew the Third.

Our heroes head north again, to Lyrum, to board a ship. On the road, they find Heyzzzel, covered in mud and dying from some kind of wound. Renn heals her as the party is attacked by a salmyr, a dire centipede.

Kodrak bravely stands toe-to-toe with the beast and its young, and is bitten (and grappled) multiple times. The salmyr burrows and attacks Barclay, biting/grappling him as well, before swallowing him whole. While Renn heals the party, Sentie finally dispatches the creature and Kodrak chops Barclay from its belly.

We will return to our heroes as they continue their journey north, and then east into the land of Falxmed!

Soundtrack:

• Critical Role, Welcome to Tal'Dorei (2022)
• Critical Role, Welcome to Wildemount (2022)

The Main Cast, our player characters:

• Barclay Stone (he/him), human bard (college of eloquence)
• Aevyr, his imp familiar
• Kodrak Kukkerlun (he/him), dwarven fighter (battle master)
• Raehendra Tiddlybumpkin (she/her), gnomish ranger (hunter)
• Renn Summerstar (he/him), elven cleric of Lioris (twilight domain)
• Sentie Rancis (they/them), human wizard (school of transmutation)

The Supporting Cast, non-player characters:

• Bartholomew the Fourth, owner and proprietor of Bartholomew & Company, dwarf
• Heyzzzel, gnome, artist
• Malia Ailor, human, researcher/scholar of architecture, descendant of Millius Ailor (secretary of the Longdays Society)

See the full cast list at Campaigns in Elsemorn—now with photos of the miniatures used in the game!

Campaign Journal #9: The Lighthouse, Part 2

We rejoin our heroes immediately after they have defeated the cultists. All but one of the purple-and-green-robed figures are lifeless; the sole living cultist is breathing shallowly and still unconscious. The party ties him to a pillar while they search the bodies and cavern.

The cultist who led the ritual holds a horn of some sort—later revealed to be from another plane and intrinsically harmful. In his pocket is a page with instructions for the ritual. The cultists were attempting to reform a being known as "The Stranger", "The Nameless One", "The Shadow Without Body", and "The Mind Beyond". (The party believes these refer to a dead god, Eltheodir.) The note also mentions multiple rituals at "places near extinguished light", presumably each to contribute a different part; this ritual was meant to add the horn.

The party also finds a bag of holding, a dagger +1, a vial of perfume, a bag of gems and jewelry, and assorted coins. Along one wall are the corpses of a lighthouse keeper and several guards. There is a standing portal/ritual stone with many carvings, dated approximately by Kodrak: some were carved only days before (by the cultists), some hundreds of years old, some a thousand or more years old. One set of carvings is a prank: "Thorvald was here". Others reference the cavern as a place of shelter—the term "Scymrelde" is used. The party notices that some of the runes resemble those on pages they've found recently.

Barclay slaps the bound cultist awake for telepathic interrogation. The man, Hune, confirms many details from the found note. When asked about Eltheodir, however, the man's head caves in. Barclay suffers a spike of psychic feedback.

The live lighthouse keeper and bodies—cultists, dead lighthouse keeper, and guards—are returned to Lyrum. Our heroes explain what happened to the alder and his council of sheriffs.

Sentie visits Whirsyllir and helps prepare a variety of potions and other remedies.

Bartholomew's ship can finally dock and diverse groups of people disembark: elves, soldiers, and several scholars.

Renn meets with Nimbri, an ancient elf, priestess of Currend and Lioris, and scholar of ancient languages. She spoke with Decius and his assistant (and Renn's sister) Liliani three years ago. They were inquiring about some runes and were advised to seek out Khainandr Wildwander, a scholar of magical history. Khainandr was last seen in the Leyan River valley in southern Loril.

Raehendra meets with Saba'idum, a Stoneling/goblin, and scholar of literature and specialist in folklore. He gives Raehendra a duplicate of a volume on obscure pets hand-written by Valyric Paega. Chapter 17 of the book is on Greebles, a mysterious creature that Raehendra is searching for.

Barclay overhears a third passenger mentioning that she is descended from a member of the Longdays Society.

Our heroes intend to speak sternly with Bartholomew—next week!

Soundtrack:

Might and Delight, Book of Travels Soundtrack (2021)

The Main Cast, our player characters:

• Barclay Stone (he/him), human bard (college of eloquence)
• Aevyr, his imp familiar
• Kodrak Kukkerlun (he/him), dwarven fighter (battle master)
• Raehendra Tiddlybumpkin (she/her), gnomish ranger (hunter)
• Renn Summerstar (he/him), elven cleric of Lioris (twilight domain)
• Sentie Rancis (they/them), human wizard (school of transmutation)

The Supporting Cast, non-player characters:

• Hane Selley, alder of Lyrum
• Nimbri, elf, priestess of Currend and Lioris, researcher/scholar of ancient languages, specialist in Eastern languages
• Saba'idum, Stoneling/goblin, researcher/scholar of literature, specialist in folklore
• Sivela "Siv", regional manager of Bartholomew & Company in the Reeves
• Whirsyllir, owner of Whir's Worts in Lyrum
• [name not revealed], human, descendant of a member of the Longdays Society

See the full cast list at Campaigns in Elsemorn—now with photos of the miniatures used in the game!

How to Paint Stone and Lichen Effects

Here's how to paint a stone or a lichen-covered stone effect.

Get Your Materials Ready

Start by priming your pieces in grey, or prime and apply a grey base layer. You don't need to "Zenithal prime" or do anything fancy because the painting process adds highlights.

I'll be painting some 3D-printed stairs and a wall with a stone effect, and a Reaper bridge with a lichen-covered stone effect. I primed them in grey and also added a grey base layer.

These stairs, a wall, and a bridge were primed in grey and then given a grey base layer.

Painting

The trick to this technique is using a scrumbler brush or rounded makeup brush. Get some paint on it, then push the brush into the palette and move it around. This splays out the bristles while loading them with paint. You're going for a random, speckled look, so the more splayed out your brush's bristles are, the better.

Left: a scrumbler brush. Right: push the brush into the paint, splaying out the bristles.

You'll need 3 or more grey colors for the stone effect. I used Reaper's Stone Colors triad: Shadowed Stone, Stone Grey, and Weathered Stone. If you're applying a lichen effect as well, you'll want 3 or more subdued green colors. I used Reaper's Moss Colors triad: Jungle Moss, Highlands Moss, and Pale Lichen.

Start with your darkest grey paint. Apply paint to your brush, rub the brush on your palette, then dab the brush on your piece. Be random and aim for 25% coverage at most, although try to get more dark grey paint on the lower/bottom parts of the piece. (You may want to apply a dark wash next, but keep reading.)

Move on to a shade lighter paint and repeat, hitting both unpainted and painted parts at random, although try to get more paint on the middle-ish parts of the piece.

Move to the lightest paint, painting as before, but also hitting the higher parts and edges.

That's right, you're painting a stone effect while also adding highlights.

At some point, you'll want to apply a black or dark wash. If your piece is meant to be indoors or underground, I recommend applying the wash before the two lightest grey colors. Those last two colors will be all the highlights you need. If your piece is meant to be outdoors, I recommend applying the wash after the grey (stone) layers are done, before starting the green (lichen) layers.

Top left: after applying the darkest grey paint. Top right: after applying a dark wash on the stairs and wall (only).
Bottom left: after applying the medium grey paint. Bottom right: after applying the lightest grey paint.

When it comes to the lichen-covered stone effect, you'll paint exactly like you did before, proceeding from the darkest green through the lightest green.

Top left: after applying a dark wash on the bridge. Top right: after applying the darkest green paint.
Bottom left: after applying the medium green paint. Bottom right: after applying the lightest green paint.

That means:

Indoor/underground piece: neutral grey base layer > darkest grey > dark wash > medium grey > lightest grey

Outdoor piece: neutral grey base layer > darkest grey > medium grey > lightest grey > dark wash > darkest green > medium green > lightest green

The end result: a stone effect on the stairs and wall and a lichen effect on the bridge.

When you're done, clean up any parts you need to and apply some varnish. Add to a base if necessary.

Closeups on the stairs and bridge.

I'll go through the lichen-covered stone steps a second time with a custom foam monolith. I cut the basic shape out of pink XPS foam (Foamular). I also added some lines and random marks for a runestone-ish look. For added stability, I slide some skewers inside the foam. (Unfortunately, they weren't angled well and ripped some of the foam. It adds some interesting texture so we'll call it a "happy little accident". Thanks, Bob Ross!) Then I applied a layer of Mod Podge and, finally, a layer of grey craft paint. I cut some 1/4-inch MDF into an oval shape and hot-glued the "stone" onto the base—at an angle, because this is an "ancient" runestone that's shifting over time.

Two skewers, carved pink foam, and a carved MDF base.

From left to right: base coat in grey, darkest grey paint, medium grey paint, lightest grey paint.

From left to right: dark wash, darkest green paint, medium green paint, lightest green paint.

The end result, with some flocking, bushes, and flowers on the base.

That's it. Have a great weekend!