The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance captures everything that makes a great TTRPG campaign memorable: the camaraderie, improvisation, and delight of telling a story with friends. In her debut novel, Chiara Bullen follows an ambitious historian investigating a legendary mountain where adventurers arrive eager for glory, yet somehow never make the climb. We spoke with Bullen about D&D’s influence on her writing, creating unforgettable fantasy taverns, and why food scenes are always a critical success.
The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance can be described as all the best parts of a D&D campaign in book form. I’m so curious what got you into writing and TTRPGs.
Ultimately, it was my love of storytelling and fantasy. I devoured fantasy books as a teen and in my early twenties, at which point I decided I’d learn to write creatively and have a go at creating my own worlds and characters. It took ten years and a few rocky manuscripts, but thankfully I got there! Alongside my endeavors in writing I had heard of D&D and a few other games (like Call of Cthulhu) and I was very keen to find a group of friends to play. When it comes to TTRPGs, I love the collaborative nature of the creative process. My current and former D&D campaigns are homebrew, and I love how my friends’ worlds shaped my characters, their histories and relationships. And in turn, player characters shape each other and the world around them, which I think is really special.
Do you remember your first character and their arc?
Yes! She appeared in one of the aforementioned homebrew campaigns as a wealthy noble’s daughter with a bad attitude and a reluctant interest in druidic magic due to her aversion to nature. But, she chose this path as she wished to study the stars (basically, I wanted to play a Circle of Stars druid…!) I really liked subverting the expectations and personality of a druid character. I snuck her name into my novel as one of the Misnich Inn staff members — initially, this was a placeholder name while I wrote the first draft, but then it stuck and refused to budge.
I adored this campaign and I am grateful to my friends for all of their inspiration and the creativity we shared together. My fellow party members are fleeting guests of the Misnich Inn—the least I could do was offer them a free stay after all my scheduling issues… (unfortunately, I am *that* player).
Which one of the characters in your book would they get along with best?
I turned to my campaign group for this question and the unanimous answer was: “whoever has the most money.” I’m afraid that answer speaks volumes about her…! However, while Ainsworth isn’t the richest character, I believe she would have enjoyed his prestigious company as an up-and-coming scholar in his Skarrow days before the events of the novel.
I believe D&D (and other TTRPGs) should be used in school to help teach social skills, writing skills, and other disciplines. How has playing D&D helped with your fiction?
I completely agree, there’s so much potential! I would have adored a TTRPG club when I was at school, or if they were implemented as part of English, Drama, History, etc, classes.
D&D helps with my creativity as it’s an act of creation that exists in that moment and that moment only. For a few hours, I get to sit with friends who are incredible storytellers, artists, musicians, writers, and we make something that only exists in that time, in that space, then it’s gone. You are fully present for it all, and I think that’s special in today’s fast-paced world which is otherwise full of things clamoring for your attention and distractions.
A lot of D&D players also write and sometimes inject their campaign into fiction. For those doing that, do you have any advice?
I think it’s worth leaning into the actual act and experience of playing and not just aspects like characters and worldbuilding when writing. For example, when I procrastinate from a manuscript, it’s because I’ve reached a point where I have to make a definitive choice or grapple with something I’ve been struggling with. I worry that I might make the ‘wrong’ choice. But at the table, there’s no room for that fear and anxiety; you make decisions, roll the dice, adapt. It’s wonderfully freeing, and getting to do that over and over builds confidence in my writing. I try and remember that feeling when I get stuck!
I’m always fascinated by the highs and lows of the writing process. What part of your novel was a Nat 20?
All of the food scenes. Food in fantasy fiction is my absolute favourite; they’re the scenes I relish. Characters can be on world saving quests and I’ll be wondering what they’re eating or when they’re next going to eat. The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance is, partly, a love letter to food in fantasy fiction.
What about a Nat 1?
The proofreading stage. At that point I get so anxious about my work that the last thing I want to do is read it with such attention to detail!
Any D&D hot takes you can share with readers?
The cost of the revivify spell should be higher…