University of Tennessee
Computational Materials Research Group


MSE Community Building: The Sunless Citadel
Knoxville, TN, August 28, 2019



Members of the UTK MSE Department participated in the exploration of the The Sunless Citadel, a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The fearless party of adventures includes (clockwise from left)

  • Mr. Bayne Knight, a kenku (bird man) bard, renowned through-out the village of Oakhurst no less for the soothing sounds of his didgeridoo as for the vicious mockery of his foes (played by Cullen Pearson)
  • Sir Martin Cyte, a dwarven paladin, who wields a mighty axe with a ternary phase diagram engraved on its lethal blade (played by Cotton Pekol)
  • Mr. Vanilla Yce, a silver dragonborn ranger, whose arrows unerringly dispel vermin both mundane and supernatural (played by Connor Stephens)
  • the Most Reverend Sticklin "The Stick" Whitewalker, a blue dragonborn cleric, who smites the righteous in the name of his deity, the awesome Baby Kitten (played by Trent Charnock)
  • Mr. Austen Knight (no relation to the bard), a high elven rogue, known both for his sensitive nature and for his tendency to lunge headlong into danger (played by Joshua McCoy)
  • Ms. Faerie Rite, a tiefling (a human tainted by infernal ancestry) wizard, from whom few escape once grasped by her necromantic chill touch (played by Morgan Yount)
  • Ms. Portobello, a gnomish druid donning a mushroom cap and wielding in one hand a wicked scimitar and in the other a thorn-studded vinewhip (played by Samantha Maness)

Together this band of heroes sought to rid the village of Oakhurst of the evil threat lurking just beyond its borders. In episode I, they descended into the subterrean depths of the citadel, where they handily dispatched several giant rats, made friends with Meepo the outcast kobold, and exploded a pair of mephits in the close proximity of each other. Who knew such high drama lurked in the undergraduate student lounge! For those interested in knowing more, the adventurers may be persuaded to further elaborate upon their heroic exploits over a stout mug of ale.

More photos on the Keffer research group site.