Who is BardWired?
Setting. Dueling Lutes Tavern
“A Promise from the Tap.”
The Dueling Lutes are one of Vhao’s most well-known taverns, spreading far and wide between its many continents. Signature red oak furniture and live entertainment are the only constant across these taverns, as even the eldest among Vhaotian settlers seem to be in discourse about how exactly the Dueling Lutes came to be.
Area Description.
The Dueling Lutes has the following general features.
Dimensions & Terrain. Red oak floors and bar tops are pristine. Rare spills of taverngoers result in the floors becoming difficult terrain.
Lighting. Sconces and stage performances produce dim light.
Sounds & Smells. Aged oak. Eager storytellers. Ruckus laughter.
BardWired is a community of creators who prioritize great stories written with the players in mind. Our adventures focus on character-driven narratives, leaving room for player and narrator interpretation, while prioritizing authentic, easy-prep storytelling for everyone at the table.
Our adventures are delivered in three formats: Field Notes, Verses and Chronicles. Each provides their own benefits, ensuring at least one will fit your tables unique needs.
- Field Notes. Two-page condensed content that prioritizes Narrator (DM/GM) and Player creativity to come alive. Field Notes offer the essentials for low-prep, high-performance episodes tailored to fit into your world.
- Verses. One-shot modular episodes for all-levels of prep. Verses provide 3-5 hour adventures which can be woven into your campaign, or strung together to tell a unique story unlike any other.
- Chronicles. Multi-level campaigns exploring the world of Vhao. Chronicles bring folklore to the forefront through the lens of fantasy, deeply exploring the root of their history and bringing life through our narration and your voice.
BardWired’s design philosophy aims to lower the barrier between emotional resonance in storytelling, and prep-time in the modern day hustle-and-bustle. Our adventures provide guidance when you need it, letting you get past the prep and into the play! You can find these tools, like our Snapblocks, across Field Notes, Verses, and Chronicles alike.
Meet the Party
Doriam “BardtenDor” Couto
Lead Writer & Creative Director (he/they), Class: Bard
Meet the Bard
Doriam‘s bartending and tabletop careers kicked off in 2014 where he took to being a drink-slingin’ bard at Tabletop Commons from Day 1. His passion for collecting and telling stories, especially those inspired by his regulars, neighbors, and community, are what keep our BardtenDor going day-in and night-out.
Tendor the Bard, Doriam’s character in the world of Vhao, is deeply inspired by (or has deeply inspired) his bartending personality and whimsical nature. Tendor serves as one of the many faces you’ll meet in Vhao—as friend of foe depends on the story.
Doriam has been a cast member of BardWired (Narrator), Crucible of Fate (Elysin Halphert), Gnoll & Void (Makhona, SDCC 2025), and Journeys with J.A.D.E. as well as a featured author and professional Dungeon Master for West Coast Adventurer’s Guild on titles including Ruins of a Sunless Sky, and The Fallen Oasis.
NPC Snapshot
Tendor, the Bard
NG medium humanoid (allegedly), talewright
“What’s a teensy-little bargain between friends, aye?”
~Tendor, the Bard
What They Want. To bring life and voice to marginalized communities through intentional, mindful and enjoyable storytelling in all its forms.
Deirdre “Misty Blue” R.
Artistic Director (she/her), Class: Cleric
Meet the Cleric
Deirdre is a graphic designer with 8+ years of professional experience and more than 12 years immersed in the TTRPG Community. Her work blends visual storytelling with fantasy, drawn from years of character creation, world-building, and collaborative storytelling.
The Arcane Illustrator turns design and imagery into real-world, interplanar, magic—not by mirroring the plane around her, but by offering an escape from it. From the heart of the Big Apple, she crafts worlds of soft color, flowing light, and quiet beauty standing in contrast to the concrete and noise.
Her works are a deliberate act of refuge, shaping atmosphere and meaning the way others shape spells.
NPC Snapshot
The Arcane Illustrator
CG medium humanoid (tiefling), artwright
“I’m in my blue phase.”
~ The Arcane Illustrator
What They Want. To carve their place by creating immersive, magical designs—enhancing stories players bring to life. When the world grows loud, she returns to her cozy rituals: reading, gaming, and crocheting.
Adam “aDM” E.
Writer & Mechanics Lead (he/him), Class: Artificer
Meet the Artificer
Older than Google and nearly as full of random facts, Adam has been playing and running TTRPGs for over fifteen years. He delights in telling stories and helping others tell theirs; tabletop games being a favorite outlet for this passion. Despite his frequent and unfortunately ominous laughter, rest assured that Adam is not in fact plotting his players’ demise—he’s only enjoying himself.
The Wordsmyth is a peculiar creature beholding to both creative and mechanical process, living for game and stories. Whether writing or playing, designing or dreaming, he is crafting a memory worth sharing… unless it’s chicken. The Wordsmyth does not share chicken.
In addition to being a founding member of Bardwired, aDM also headed the Rules Committee of Crucible of Fate, a D&D game show where he placed Top 15. He has volunteered at NYC ComicCon, working with Inclusive Communication Services to run accessible tabletop games!
NPC Snapshot
The Wordsmyth
NG medium lizardfolk, techwright
Quote
~Character
What They Want. Personal goals or values.
Keir “(e)B-LOC” B.
Editor (he/him), Class: Warlock
Meet the Warlock
Harvested from the sea of farmland known as “The Midwest“, Keir is a professional lab rat with a sense of humor as corny as his homeland. His TTRPG journey began in 2018 with Dungeons and Dragons (5th edition), while his penchant for creating wild and zany characters traces back much earlier (ask him about his custom NBA 2K teams)!
The Crafter modeled (e)B-LOC (aka Block and QB) as a simple wooden fella who, in past life, was a contestant and Rules Committee member for Crucible of Fate. Entering among the first contestants, Block reached the finale after some underhanded promises, deception and treacherous maneuvering.
Their presence has been limited to daypasses at Midwest events, his sights are set to travel out of the region in the coming years.
NPC Snapshot
(e)B-LOC
NG small construct, formwright (druid)
I LOVE tomatoes! 🍅
~(e)B-LOC, #0067
What They Want. (e)B-LOC wants simplicity; his favorite activities include repossessing chicken eggs, transforming into a were-wolf, and annihilating tomatoes to quell tummy rumblies. You know, the simple life…
Meet the rest of BardWired in our Community Server!