Rise of the Runelords - Xen'drik - Episode 3 - Journal of SOS

The Journal of the Warforged known as "SOS":

Day 4: Afternoon -

Notes on Events. Location: Sand Point
Interrogation/Conversation with primary searcher/reptile expert for Sandpoint: Female(? Has chest bumps) Human Ranger.

Discussion Points: No nearby regions known to harbor the recent attackers. Vegetation removal by fire is not considered a viable search option. Sleestack tribes tend to utilize might-makes-right leadership decisions and have limited cooperation without outside direction. Primary expertise is on 'Dark Elves',not Sleestack.

Decisions Made: Ranger will investigate likely sites in order of proximity and likelihood of harboring groups larger than 50. Pink leader is likely humanoid of significant stature or power. After searching for max 3 days, will reconnect with communications here in town.

Day 4: Evening -

Location: Inn / Feathered Serpent

Biological refueling was boring. Used time to investigate knowledge from local magic expert on
necromancy. Acquired useful first-person journal written by young woman who charmed a 'Sparkle'
vampire in the past. (First data on these vampires, but obvious in full daylight due to shimmer of sparkling dust in near vicinity. Must keep watch for unusual dandruff on all haired beings.) Sadly, no information on actual arcane empowerment or resuscitation data for this field of magic was found.

Location : Non-Defunct Temple (Hasn't sunk or burned yet!)
Companions found reason to re-examine past relationships of deceased. Surviving acquaintance
(Designate: High Priest Zandros) gave additional data on history in addition to re-appearance of
female(?) human ranger. Past history indicates activity as troubleshooter and auxiliary guardian against threats in region and acquisition of significant prestige and ability from the dead figure. Apparently nobody else is interested in trying to repair him for continued function in this regard. Some taboo of some sort seems to be involved.

Day 5: Morning -

Location: Inn

Feathers acquired new data source from local informant. Letter indicating possible traitor to town is male half-elf sibling to missing female located in missing female's room. Acquired task to search local glass manufactory for clues.

Location : Glassworks

Successfully located possible invasion point for Sleestack minions.

Sub-Leader: Suto (half elf) located and subdued after difficult fight. This unit was knocked out during battle, but later review of facts established expert in unarmed and deception skills using combat maneuvers. Uncommunicative, but had journal in foreign language with useful clues. (Note: Acquire expertise in this language soon. Appears to be quite common)

Sleestack Minions: No high-caliber opponents encountered

Resources Gained: Funding (platinum, gold/silver dust) , ornamentation, potion(??), MW procurement tools, and magic ring(+1 Prot) acquired. Split of loot left ring in this unit's possession.
Information Gained: Insane female human of mixed human/demonic ancestry took body and utilized it in ritual to remove undesirable human influences. Should be considered highly dangerous, but also likely to possess useful information on arcane topics. Sleestack numbers should be considered at least 1 order magnitude greater than previous enocunters would suggest. (100-500?) Coordinated plan of attack using bridges and underground smuggling route found in Suto journal. No time frame given, but local
constabulary will be making expedited trip to Storm Reach to pull in additional fighters and repair staff.

New Goals: Shut down invasion route 1 (Glasswork's tunnels). Prepare for invasion on Routes 2 and 3 (Bridges across river)

With luck, this synopsis will be useful to local combat planners if we fail to return from the Glasswork tunnels. Leaving this with innkeeper with instructions to share with returning fighters if we fail.

Rise of the Runelords - Xen'drik - Episode 3 - Journal of Hrana

From the Journal of Hrana:

            The tengu, SOS and I finished talking to the ranger about the various sleestak tribes in the area. After that it's about dinner time so we go back to the Rusty Dragon Inn to have dinner. The tengu eats quickly and then goes to talk to Amiko about the previous priest of the Sovereign Host. I stay at the inn and enjoy my meal while SOS goes to have a chat about necromancy with the owner of the Feathered Serpent. The shopkeeper gives him a book that is supposedly a journal written by a girl about her experiences with vampires.  When the tengu returns, he suggests we may want to speak with Father Zantos, seeking more information about the early life of Father Azakian, the previous priest (whose body was stolen from his tomb under the temple.) So we all go to the temple.

            Father Zantos is pretty forthcoming about the life of Father Azakian, as least as much as he knows of it. Aside from serving during the wars, the Father also was for a time an adventurer, and after retiring from that life he used his money and influence to help found the temple in Sandpoint and to give back to the community as much as possible. Father Azakian was killed when the temple mysteriously burned down, which was assumed to be some weird accident since no one could figure out how the fire started. The temple mostly used continual light spells not candles or lanterns for lighting. So we think his death is certainly suspicious. We also asked about his former adventuring group friends and discovered that the ranger was one of them. The ranger arrived at the temple about this time, having found out that Azakian's body was stolen during the raid on Sandpoint. She confirmed what Father Zantos said about Azakian's adventuring days. She also suggested a couple of places nearby where we could look for the missing sleestak tribesmen and the “pinkskin” who may be in charge.

            After this meeting was over, we all went back to the inn to rest for the night. SOS decided to study the book he got at the Feathered Serpent while the rest of us were sleeping. In the morning, while the tengu and I were eating, he discussed some of what he inferred from the book and suggested that maybe vampires would be attracted to the girls' school in town. The tengu and I have doubts as to the accuracy of the tome he received from the shopkeeper and suggest he may want to get a second source material for further study.

            While we are finishing up our meal, a member of the inn's staff comes over to the tengu and asks him for help. Amiko seems to have left rather suddenly in the night and left behind a note in her language. The tengu reads it, and he seems alarmed. We quickly go upstairs to Amiko's room and try to find out what happened. Her bed was not slept in and her pack is gone. The tengu says, according to the note she left, she went to meet her half-brother at her father's glassworks because he said their father was behind or involved in the sleestak attack and the theft of the priest's body. After assuring the halfling woman that we will find Amiko we take off to the glassworks.

            When we get to the glassworks, it is closed and the doors are locked. While we are trying to get in, a young local girl comes up and starts asking a lot of questions. I divert the girl and keep her occupied while the tengu climbs up to the roof and enters the showroom through one of the skylights. I get back about the time he unbars the door to let us in. We check the front room for snything suspicious but everything looks OK, so the tengu listens at the two doors. He doesn't hear anything unusual so he opens them to have a look. There are two hallways, one short and one long. We take the long one find evidence that things are not OK at the glassworks. There's blood on the wall and seems like some critters have been about because there's poop on the floor as well. And it doesn't smell very good either.

            First door we get to, SOS decides to go through. Good thing it's really loud in here (the furnaces for the glass blowers are still running), because we find a group of sleestak and they don't notice us come in. There's also an elf or half-elf here, farther back in the room.

            First, SOS casts an illusion on the far wall to make the door look like it's in a place it isn't. Then the tengu creates water in one of the furnaces, causing a big cloud of steam to fill part of the room. I run up to the closest sleestak and attack it. The tengu comes up too and we manage to kill it. SOS casts a sleep spell into the cloud of steam to try to put some of the sleestak out of the fight.

            The rest of them now know there's something going on in the far end of the room and one of them steps out of the cloud to see whats going on. He yells before we can get to him. Then the cloud dissipates and we can see that SOS managed to put 2 of the sleestak to sleep but the rest are still up. The tengu runs toward the closest ones and starts attacking. SOS casts a magic missile at the elf and does a little damage, but also unfortunately gets his attention. I'm too slow to get there before he yells, then LEAPS across the room at SOS and starts attacking him. He stuns SOS before anyone can get over there to help. The tengu has his hands full with about 3 of the sleestak, so I kill the one closest to me and turn back around to help. 4 more lizards come through the door at the far end of the room. The elf hits SOS so fast and hard, he's unconscious before I can get there, but I do manage to do some damage on the guy when I can. The tengu casts some kind of weird stoneskin spell and comes over to help deal with the elf, since it's pretty obvious now he's the one in charge. He is really insulting to the tengu, but together we do enough damage to render him unconscious and then mop up the rest of the minions. Some of them get away, but it was funny watching them run into a wall where they thought the door was!

            After the fight, the tengu gets SOS healed up, and I search the bodies, and disarm the elf. Got a ring and a potion off of him, in addition to a flute, a book, a bow and arrows, a set of thieve's tools (MW) and some pouches of gold dust and silver dust and 10 platinum coins! After the prisoner was secured, in a humiliating posture (according to the tengu), we explored the glassworks further. There was a recently built wall at the far end of the furnace room, so we broke it down and went down the stairs that were revealed. There's a lot of tunnels down here, but we're looking for Amiko so we don't search the long hallways. Instead we find a place that used to be bricked up on both ends, and she's in one of the rooms in that section. She's pretty beat up, tied and gagged, and unconscious, but we get her healed and awake and after speaking with her for a short time about what happened, took her back to the inn so she could rest. She said her half-brother, Suto, lured her there to try to convince her to join him, and she doesn't know where her father is. She's horrified by the fact her brother is involved in the attack and is working with the sleestak.

            We took Suto to the sheriff's office and had him locked away, with a warning to the sheriff to be extra careful with guarding him because of his skill. Then we went to report to the priest. The book we got off Suto had some very interesting information in it, including plans of another upcoming attack, that there is a succubus involved (Suto's her lover) and she is also apparently the daughter of the former priest, Azakian. The sheriff is going to try to get to Stormreach quickly enough to bring in some reinforcements to protect the town. We're staying to try to make some plans to hinder the attack. 

Rachael Storm - She saved the world, a lot.

So I picked this up today

Is anyone remotely surprised?

I'll post my thoughts after I've read it.

Return of the Killer Shrews!

Thoughts:
1. Yes! The got James Best to reprise his role!
2. Good job on the set design; it LOOKS like the original set.
3. John Schnieder too? I wonder how many Dukes of Hazzard references there will be?
4. Notice how James Best REALLY looks like James Doohan?
5. Wow, that CG is bad. It's almost as bad as the original "dogs with bath-mats glued on".

I think this may JUST BE a bad enough movie for me to enjoy.

Farewell Paragon City

NCSoft just announced that City of Heroes will be shutting down. It's last day will be November 30th 2012.

If you go WAY back to the first few posts of this blog you will see it started out as a City of Heroes blog before I restyled it into a general expression of my nerdiness.

To be honest, it feels like a friend of mine just died.

I started playing City of Heroes a little over 8 years ago. One weekend I bought Doom III and the next weekend I bought City of Heroes. I played Doom III about a week. I played City of Heroes constantly from the time I bought it until July 2007. After that I played it on and off and was getting back into it shortly before Star Wars: The Old Republic launched. Even at that, I kept CoX fully patched and loaded on my system, just in case. I pre-ordered City of Villains and I bought Going Rogue when it released. I have several level 50 characters there including the "Big Bad Boulder Bitch" Rachael Storm - Stone Armor/Super Strength tank. Despite a couple accusations, no, she is not even remotely based on "Rachael Summers" of Marvel's Days of Future Past (I didn't even know that she'd married Johnny Storm in that timeline).

I made many friends over there. With Rachael, I saved Paragon City and it's virtual world hundreds of times over.

I remember when a friend of mine first showed me City of Heroes with his Fire blaster flying over Galaxy City, laying down hate on Skulls.

I remember Rachael (often) getting lost in Perez Park, only to be smacked down by the Vazhilok Eidelons there or the Lost Lieutenant who had a TV on his head (cuz, yeah, that makes you look tough).

I remember "Where are the Lost in Kings Row?"

I remember the first time I went to Boomtown, just north of Steel Canyon. I was on an eight man team and we were just "hunting mobs"  when suddenly Rachael took, what I thought, was a short leap - but instead fell about 2 stories down and got MAULED by a huge group of clockwork.

I remember when the "Shadow Shard" was introduced. I never cared for that zone, but the launch even was fun as the weird extra-dimensional creatures, the Rularuu, who were very poorly balanced even when there were level 5 versions of them, wandered Paragon laying smackdown on lowbies.

I remember when I first got to Talos Island. It was one the prettiest zones in game at the time, second only to Founders Falls. I was part of another street hunting group beating down Freakshow. I was "shocked" (pun intended) when a defeated boss proceeded to stand back up and start mauling us.

I remember taking my gimped specced version of Rachael to Independance Port for the "Respec Trial". We had to fight Sky Raiders trying to destroy the nuclear reactor in Paragon City. The entire party wiped on the last wave of bad guys except for a Broadsword/Invulnerability Scrapper named "Swordie". She managed to solo the last wave for us and get us the respec.

I remember being sad when many of my first few friends in game quit.

I remember taking my Katana/Regeneration Scrapper Kanpo to Brickstown. At that time, the regen powerset (and scrappers in general) were horrifically overpowered. I had fun soloing large groups of +5 Council and only dying when I didn't manage my end and "Instant Healing" toggled off. I looked at the Ziggeraut (supervillain prison) and wonder why we never had to go in and put down a prison break.

I remember the Hollows introduction - in all it's buggy glory. 

I remember the glory of Striga Isle. To this day, it is still one of my favorite gaming "experiences". As an aside, most of the stories there were written by Shane Lacey Hensley, the man who brought us the tabletop RPG Savage Worlds.

At that time, "Global Chat" was released, and I joined a HUGE supergroup called "The Conglomerate" which defined much of my time in City of Heroes. It was a guild I actually learned a great deal from, not just about gaming, but a number of things that applied to "Real Life."

I remember the JOY of logging on at 4:30 am and running the Statesman Task Force every day.

I remember getting very silly and creating my tribute to anime magical girls - "Knight Flyer", using the Epic AT - Peacebringer and the "shoulder kitty" costume option.

Good Bye Paragon City. Good Bye Rogue Isles.

Good Bye Rachael Storm, Kanpo, Knight Flyer, Demon Hunter Yurei, Cruft, Mary Sladen, 

Good Bye to the "in game friends (and enemies)" (but not their RL counterparts I hope) in no particular order: South Freedom, Cymraes, Maliss, Dr. Opie, Quantum Cat, Tri-Polar, Quantum Plumber, Captain Slap, Zyreos, Red Tomax, Mr. Shivers, GuiltTrip Girl, Lovely LaRose, Bleak Forecast, The Mayhemettes, Bolt Crank, House Call, Rei Kei, Slick Zero, Charisma, Red Vine, Allison, Status Crow, Rasta, and too many more to name.

Good Bye City of Heroes. You were my first MMO and one of my favorite computer games of all time.

P.S. Death Mages, be thankful the game is ending, I *still* hate you and your underground caves in Paragon.

TOROCAST!

Torocast is Star Wars: The Old Republic's longest running fan podcast. I mention this because I've recently been chosen to become one of the new hosts for the show. Give it a listen if you want to hear me!

This site is not affiliated with Torocast nor the Twonkhammer network beyond me being a host on Torocast.

Pathfinder REBOOTED! - Episode 1 - Silent Tide

Because of excessive issues trying to maintain continuity in the Eberron campaign, I've restarted my game (again) as a super episodic Pathfinder campaign. I'm going to be leaning heavily on old Pathfinder Society Modules. Each story will be self contained. This also means that if someone can't show up, I can still run. This also means, because I can write from the summary, that game notes will have far better grammar and be much clearer and complete (and not huge walls of text)!

Instead of being in Sharn, the characters are now in Absalom in the Pathfinder world of Golarian.

Talen is now a Gun-Mage
Kal-Torak is still (and will always be) Risen Demon Magus

With that in mind, here is the most recent episode!

Kal and Talen are dispatched by the Pathfinder Society to find Yargos Gill in hopes of securing an ancient tome he recently uncovered. To cover his tracks, the crime lord Nessian has sent a group of goons to kill Yargos, as well anyone else who might know about it.


They intercept Nessian’s minions, the War Hounders, just as they are about to shove Yargos and the rest of their chain gang of captives off a sea cliff. Kal and Talen intimidate the War Hounders and make short work of them and rescue Yargos and his friends. Yargos reveals that the codebook represents the remnants of a failed attempt to invade Absolam hundreds of years earlier. However, the invaders, known as the Black Echelon, have returned from the dead due to his work on the codebook in an attempt to complete their ancient plan.

Yargos tells them about the codebook and the need to stop Nessian. As they head out to try to find Nessian, deep in the distance, they witness a flickering red signal light. Yargos realizes that the light signals the undead Black Echelon to launch a team of operatives to poison Absalom’s central granary, and our heroes take a diversion to stop Black Echelon from tainting one of the city’s most important food stocks.

After surviving their first encounter with the silent skeletal killers, Kal and Talen, using judicious gathering of information,  discover the location of Nessian’s new base of operations hidden among a ruin of siege towers on the beach just outside of Absalom.

The heroes find Nessian's base of operations and defeat him! Furthermore, they recover the code book and return it to the Pathfinder Society.

Ivarkian Campaign Episode 5 - I'm Mister Hatemonger! I'm Mister Mad!

Eighteen Months later.

Indra is now Swordmaster for Jalen Whitecloud.
Moscato has become chief curator of the official library.
Chet is now a Lord Chet MourningManSavageWood, steward.
Baretta Walther is still swordmaster for Jala Whitecloud.

Inception has grown to be the shining jewel, eastern doorway to the west.

Innermost ring is called "The Dawning Spawn", and where the whiteclouds share power as co-rulers. The outer layer is the "academic center" - The Dawning ring. It has it's own Mage college.  There is a trade sector as well.

Indra has been on a mission and returns with a man from the "Coast of Eternal Starlight". He is known as The Hitman Jangleman - aka  Ambassador Nixus.

Moscato, Chet, and Baretta are waiting for the "emissary from the elves" to arrive. The Whiteclouds are nervous about the reception.

Nixus' hair is tied back and is dressed flamboyantly in mismatched dark colours. Moscato and Chet recognize him as a "Dark Elf" or "Death Elf" - one of the commandos of the original Elven army.

Baretta makes conversation and asks about the Coast. Nixus describes it and it's history.During the meal, Baretta is told that someone wishes to meat the ambassador. Baretta excuses herself and is brought out. Two guards with griffon symbols flank "Katyana Thorvold". She indicates she is the newly appointed sword mistress of Jeness Thorvald (enemies of the Walther family), Jarl of Westspire.

Katyana barges in and sits at the table next to Nixus. After some verbal parrying, Nixus excuses himself and talks with Moscato. Katyana excuses herself as well.

The party notes a man who seems familiar in the hall witnessing. Baretta steps aside to talk to him. He introduces himself as "Lord Thaddeus Truevillain". He says he came here on behalf of his order to monitor the situation. Specifically, that the Thorvalds have a history with the Whiteclouds and Baretta. He is cagey about who he is and who his order is.

Nixus comes to visit Baretta before the evening is over. He says we have impressed the sorcerer Uguri. and he gives Baretta a case and leaves. Baretta opens the case carefully. The case has elven writing on it (Starpiercer) and contains a long blade. It has the imagery of a Quetzalcoatl. It's a thin Masterwork rapier style blade. She finds out it is an Elven Thinblade.

Chet is given a package from "Blackfang", the gnoll who Chet resurrected the child of. The package contains a perl - a "Perl of recalling."

Indra is given a box with two blades.

Next evening there is another banquet with Jarls from other cities to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of Inception. While Chet makes a speech a mist rolls in and forms into a being which attacks Moscato. It very quickly becomes apparently, only Moscato saw this. Baretta escorts Moscato out of the hall to "Show him something" and as soon as the door closes, she lightly smacks the back of his head.

Nexus asks to "Play something" and pulls out his musical instrument. He plays a haunting melody and a few other songs.

After this Chet calls Indra and Baretta over and notes that Nixus and Truevillain have been chatty. Baretta assigns a couple of house guards to keep an eye on Nixus and Truevillain.

The week continues somewhat uneventfully. Nixus meets and entertains and sees the sights of the town. At one point he meets with Timeran. Many people are in town.

Moscato does research on the sword "Burning hatred" that Nixus sang about in one of this songs. It was probably one of the first artifact weapons. It is thought to be so dangerous as to kill it's wielder.

A couple days later, while watching a performance, Moscato, Chet, Baretta and Indra note guards reacting. They follow. They hear and crazed gutteral voice. They look and people are starting to transform in beings with yellow eyes and claws. The party is separated and makes their way to the podium where the Jarls are. Nixus, the Jarls, Moscato, and Chet run through the tunnel through a trapdoor on the podium.

Upon arriving a wolf-like being appears and starts attacking.

The swordmasters jump down and follow. The party makes their way to the central spire. They manage to get in. They look out the top of the tower and see fire and chaos. On a nearby building a mysterious figure looks on.....

Ivarkian Campaign Episode 4 - The goddess "Snooty-kins".

Moscato suggests that we leave Taraza behind, but the Ogre disagrees.

The party asks Taraza where the monument is. Taraza asks the Ogre something and he points north.

Baretta asks for a description. The Ogre says that no one has seen it in several hundred years. But we will know it as things there both die and live simultaneously. Taraza indicates thats we must amuse the guardian. The party asks for more information. Uguri leaves without answering.

The party departs. They travel for the better part of a day. The party follows the path the Gnolls would take. The path appears to be heavily travelled. Eventually, the party comes to the first major signs of water - a lake that feeds the river going east. They see a large fairey.

They use it to cross the lake without incident.

They continue on, and find a large field where they camp. First night passes uneventfully.

Two days later, they come to a valley where there is a large wall surrounded by huts. It is very quiet. There is no evidence of working hearths. They soak a shirt in fabric which Baretta uses to cover her mouth before scouting. Moscato looks through his spyglass and sees a few small gnollish figures but mainly women and children.

Baretta heads down and the smell of death is overwhelming. She sees 4 long rows of bodies covered with sheets and skins and anything else. The town is very quiet and the few gnolls she encounters are laconic and dazed, but do not seem to have noticed her.

She attempts to inspect the bodies. She witnesses a gnoll bringing a small body out and leave it amongst the dead. She returns to the group.

She reports that the plague appears to have killed most of the town. They decide to bypass the town and continue on.

A couple days later, they run across villages in similar states. While travelling the party speculates that Ogres may be immune to the plague as various areas around the villages are sharpshooters.

The party makes camp and sets watches: Moscato, then Baretta and Taraza, then Chet. Taraza and Barretta talk. Taraza indicates the mural is dangerous as it is a window from another times of  things "better left forgotten". There was a time before the human empire when "They" were watching. Baretta suspects that "They" were something of an apocalyptic nature such as a dragon or dragons. Baretta notes that during the conversation, Taraza refers to Timeran as "The Mindbender". During the war with the elves there was a "weapon" the elves used called "the Mindbenders" who were spellcasters. Baretta notes that Timeran is human. Taraza suspects that Timeran's mentor was an elf. Baretta suspects Taraza can read her thoughts, but Taraza indicates that she is very good at reading people. The rest of the night passes uneventfully.

The next day they travel. Moscato spies something off in the distance. It appears to be ruins of some type. They head to the ruins and scout the area. The ruins seem to be granite. Baretta asks Taraza if these ruins are what they are looking for. Taraza indicates that it isn't, but is nonetheless important.

There is creation text upon the ruins. Taraza and the party read the ruins. She tells the party the information they have learned could cause gods to mark them for death.

Taraza and Beretta hear a sound. A LARGE group Gnolls attack. While at first the battle seems difficult, 3 heavily armored Gnolls appear to assist, scaring off the gnolls. Baretta turns and see the gnolls who assisted.

The gnolls tell them that while they are not friends, they are not enemies. Baretta notes her wounds are healing and the forest is especially lush. They approach the shrine.The soil oddly seems dry and dead and littered with bones and corpses. Upon stepping on the soil, they start taking damage. They back up and heal immediately.

The gnolls give them healing potions. They RUN. Once they reach the inside of the shrine, they stop taking damage. Party quaffs healing potions. The party searches and finds the staff - a long staff with scales, on one side a skeleton and the other side overgrown plants. A large stag walks up behind the party. The stag talks to them. Taraza notes the stag is the guardian of life and plagues. They ask if they can have the staff. The stag suggests a proposal.

The stag takes human form, but one hand is a skeleton. "I think if you can take it then take it."

The Staff turns into a dire owlbear and jumps upon the deadly soil. It starts flying when Chet "commands" it to "Stop". Baretta runs and tries to grab it and misses. The party attempts to attack but fails. The owlbear hits Baretta and combat begins.

The battle is very difficult, but the party barely defeats the fiendish owlbear. The stag being is about to congratulate the party when suddenly a ring comes off of his finger and he falls into the negative energy zone and dies. Taraza has his ring.

Taraza tells them to let the Jarl know that expansion to the west will be unchecked for now.

The party returns to one of the plagued villages. They arrive at the home of one of the gnolls who'd saved them. His family is dead. Chet attempts to use the staff of healing on one of the dead gnolls. He brings an infant gnoll back to life. Chet heals every gnoll village on the way back. They note that Zora are in each city they pass through.

They return to Ugiri and the goblin warrior. Chet returns the staff to Ugiri and hands them the missing sealed box. The goblin with Ugiri says, "There was a time before the empire, an old time. A time of the paladin city and the paladin king. The mural that you discovered is the only known picture found in 6 millenia of the paladin king. Ugiri doesn't know much of him, but that Zora fear his name because of the power he wielded across the world."

Ivarkan Campaign Episode 3 - Do you remember that Ogre who threw a house at us?

Three months later.

First group of guards have been deployed, possible names of guard captains are being considered.

Chet has been promoted to senior clerk.He is now the steward under Jalen Whitecloud.

Wealthy families are coming in, first wall has been built. Stone masons guild have come in. Inception has been growing, many new people are arriving. The burrows are being demolished and higher end buildings are coming in.

Moscato has continued investigating history, areas before the fall of the human empire.

Chet suggests that Baretta would be a good choice for captain of the guards. He approaches her. She asks about money but has also been approached about being Whitecloud's House Swordmaster.

Baretta wants to talk to Whitecloud about his offer. Along with general security work, there is the occasional find out information for damage control. She decides to accept the position.

Chet goes on to talk to Moscato to see if his research has uncovered anything important. Moscato notes that the mural (last adventure) predates the last human empire. Moscato points to evidence that elves are apparently very long lived.

Chet meets with Baretta and asks her to gather a team of people because Moscato and he are doing an expedition to check out a wall that has been discovered (previously mentioned). Baretta picks 3 people (Bleys, Brand, and Corwin) to go with them.

Chet, Moscato, Baretta, and the three head out.

Three days later, they stop at an inn. A man walks in and picks up a package with the imperial seal from the barkeep and walks out. They get rooms for the night.

Baretta finds out that the package was delivered by official courier. (Symbol of hawk under the sun)

Night passes uneventfully.

At the mine.

As the party continues their journey they encounter a party with the emperor's seal on a standard. They encounter one of the headmasters of the sword school. He greets them (and is pissed at the emporer's group) and leads them in to the mine.

As they head in, there is a woman who they encouter wearing a simple outfit. A Zora (think Bene Gesserit).The Headmaster informs her that she and Zora have no authority here. She turns and walks back in. Two of Timeran's come in who have been researching. One of them indicates to Moscato that she knows what has been going on.

Moscato and Chet examine the mural. Baretta notes the Zora isn't looking directly at the mural. The Zora asks, "And what are your impressions." Baretta says, "It's a nice mural". The Zora turns and walks out.

Moscato starts studying the rest of the room looking for clues.Moscato notes that spells do not function in the room.

Timeran says he will post guards. He asks to speak to Baretta aside. Timeran psychically tells her that there is a situation. A package was being sent from Prince Havisham Sunlighter. On it's way to them, it was stolen by Gnolls. Lady Taraza is going to tell them she is going to accompany them. We need to make every effort to recover the package.   Taraza  needs to witness that we've made every effort to recover it. The Zora is very good at manipulating circumstance to get what she wants. We cannot leave any recourse to allow her to  manipulate the situation.

Meanwhile, Moscato is overcome by a feeling of dread while looking at the mural and he runs out.

Baretta witnesses the Zora talking to another woman. Baretta hears that the younger woman "hasn't finished her task for the Zora". Furthermore, the "southern amazon tribe are unwilling to give them an embassy because of risk of reprisal from the Silver Talon". Zora notes that Baretta has been overhearing them.

Zora tells Baretta that she (Baretta) is "Angela Bell's Granddaughter".

Timeran updates everyone.

The townsfolk show the party some Gnolls who'd been killed.

Baretta tries to follow up with the couriers about the package. The couriers indicate that they never recieved the package. Baretta asks the barkeep who handed an imperial package off. He doesn't remember anything.

Moscato investigates the stables. They notice a saddle with the seal of an imperial courier. Chet rummages through the bags. He finds rations, and water but no horses. They attempt to track where the horse that would have had the saddle went.

They do find the horse and the courier that was stomped. The Zora follows them. They follow the trail and find a settlement that appears to be made by gnolls.

The gnolls are afraid of the party and they hide. Taraza notes them to back away from the water and 4 ogres move out of the water.

The Ogre says that Uguri wants to speak with them. Taraza speaks to them in another language (Moscato has cast comprehend languages and understands what was said and that they have passage into the "singing circle"). The Ogres leave (apparently they breath underwater). The party leaves the settlment and goes to talk to Uguri. Moscato asks about the sickness the gnolls had. Apparently Chet knows about this illness because this is what the the secret item the caravan had. Moscato observes that the gnolls have it and that it will spread. Chet advises that the cure/disease is secret.

After several hours of walking, they hear a sound. Baretta shudders due to the haunting quality of the sound. The party makes camp near the area that Taraza describes as "Sacred". The party sets watches. During first watch (Moscato's) there is an unusual wind that comes up. Moscato is hit with something. Moscato cries out.

The party wakes. Baretta and Chet are hit. Taraza appears to cast something. Moments later a huge winged lion pads up to the camp and walks around. Taraza indicates that it cannot see them and they have a round to attack

The party attacks. After a few rounds the manticore flees.

The next morning, after the party wakes up, there is a loud thud. Four ogres materialize.

The Ogres lead the party up to a stone circle with a Ogre sitting in the center. After discussion, the Ogres believe that the humans have brought the wasting disease to destroy the Gnolls. Chet offers healing medicine for the gnolls. The Ogre leader tells them that if they do what he wants, they will get the "item they want".

Uguri tells them to go to an old monument. The old god of plague and healing has a guardian in the area. Inside is a staff. If they bring it back, past the guardian, he will give them what they seek.

Ivarken Campaign - Episode 2 - You mean you just wear your hair long and no one notices you are an elf?

Four Months later!

Indra - A half-elf fighter
Baretta - A swashbuckler
Chet - A Clerical Cleric
Moscato - A Half-Elf Oracle

(halflings weren't halfings they were goblins)

The party has become local legends because of having faced the Imperial Orcs and survived.

Party gets 150 (Chet extra 200, Moscato exta 100)

Inception has grown and is building a wall. Construction is beginning and clear cutting is occurring. Various skilled laborers and shopowners have arrived. Rangers and settlers for other areas.

Morning baretta heads down for breakfast. She gets a couple steaks and sits down with Niah and Galen. Talking about training the Rangers and City Guard and who is going to do it.

Chet is having his morning meeting with the Jarl and others who is showing a map of the area layout and how expansion is occurring. Lydia is there too (she is the main smith of the city). Planning to establish city guard.

Galen wants more information on the Orcs. Chet says that he thinks the orcs weren't being aggressive, more defensive. HOWEVER, they do have very large ships and have the ability to deploy orcs on our side of the river.

For Moscato, things have been "annoying". He has decided to research Orcs. He discovers the Orc empire dates back to the collapse to the old empire when humans discovered orcs. Five thousand years earlier was the last contact. They beat the human empire rather hard. That was after the human emporer died and hiswife took over then his son. They encountered Elves who were much more bloodthirsty and vicious than the orcs that contributed tot hecollapse of the human empire. He finds also about the enigma of the half0rcs and halflelves. Half Elves dont come from inside the human empire. The first was discovered among the elves. The theory is that there may be another human civilization since the Elves knew human language upon contact. similar to the half orcs.

Indra takes some of the students on a run for conditioning. They head out toward the forest making a big loop. Trainees are coming along well, others need help. She breaks the group down and picks two as "squad leaders" to help build up those falling behind.

First layer - sleep and mess
second layer - ranged practice and apprentice
third - practice
fourth - meeting.

Galen informs Indra and Baretta that his sister will be coming with a group a rangers and talens "She is a Silver Talen". (Silver Talon are a legendary order of female mercenary scouts - in the old empire they were an important ally to many).

Galen asks about the Gnolls, they were bandits and the broke easily.

At the end of his meeting, Chet gathers his notes and takes them back to his office, and grabs a bite to eat. then heads off to see the trainers.

Finishing up breakfast finishing and head into kata class.Baretta is teaching bodyguards in training and Indra is teaching about armor.

That evening, Indra, Baretta and a couple other teachers head to the "Queens Unicorn". Chet arrives and the group chats.

Indra notices an individual sitting off to the side with a beautiful masterwork sword. He is just sitting there looking around. His armor is dark silver with intricate designs. He stands and leaves. Indra points him out to Baretta. Baretta notes that he meets a woman with dark skin and robes. They walk out.
Chet observes that the guy was a half-elf.

Moscato gets up from his reserarch and starts walking home. While he is walking back, something catches his eye - a pin leaps off the lapel of a man part of a couple which he grabs. Moscato follows them and tries to catch up. He asks the couple for assistance in researching the elves and orcs since he'd heard them speaking elven. The female grabs Moscato by the throat. They realize he is a half-elf. They are suprized that no one has realized Moscato is a half elf. They let him go.

Evening winds down. (Baretta gets action).

There is a crowd outside the school the next morning.

Galen is talking to his sister.He introduces Kara to Baretta and Indra.

They see a person standing around looking confused. He tells Baretta and Indra that he is looking for rangers. Indra suggests that he speak to Galen and to the Jarl.

Indra takes her trainees on another run.

That afternoon the Talons demonstrates combat prowess.

Later that day, they witness a number of the students gathered around the Ranger with a wolf. He is discussing animal training and interaction. He relates this to interacting with environment.

Moscato goes to meets up with Chet.

Chet cannot find any information about the people from the previous evening.

Moscato finds Chet. Moscato asks about where the "Elven Ambassadors" are staying. Chet is unaware of any Elves in town.Chet takes Moscato to his office for a chat. He explains that there aren't ANY elves in town because they are bad news.Chet sends Moscato back to his place and will contact him this evening.

Chet seeks out Baretta and Indra to tell them about this. They discover Indra is a half elf too. Chet wants to hire them to figure out why the Elf and Orc are here.

Moscato is looking at the docs that Chet handed him (random docs from his desk) the "elf" appears and tells him that he is leaving him.

Chet flags the city guard and tells him to collect Moscato so they can all meet at the mayor's office.Moscato brings them up to date that the elf was leaving after doing recon in the city and were going on. There was a warning about an expedition which is bringing something "bad" back.

They go to visit the Jarl. They update the Jarl.

They decide to head out to check on the expedition. They follow the trails out.

A week later the trail is getting weaker but continue to head up to the mountaiin. They see a column of black smoke and head towards it. It leads to the smoking ruins of a small town. Looking through a spyglass, she sees knocked down tents, and burned buildings.

Baretta sneaks down there. She finds a dead body with a speak in the back. She takes the spear and keeps looking. She is attacked by a miner but easily blocks the attack. The miner is in shock. The miner reports that there were Gnolls who attacked at night. Eight ofthe miners hid in the mines.

Baretta signals the rest of the group to come up.He informs them where the Gnolls are.

The party finds a group of Gnolls with human slaves. Baretta sneaks up to see what's going on and discovers a Gnoll village. While trying to leave, the Gnolls hear her and a fight ensues. The party rushes in to help.

After a desparate battle with the Gnolls and an Ogre, the party manages to defeat the bad guys and free the captured humans. They find various precious metals, uncut diamonds, a bull strength scroll, a masterwork  spear, 300 gold coins.

The party dings 4th level.

They take the prisoners back to the village. The Foreman of the village is shocked that the party killed the ogre and defeated the gnolls. He announces they found not only silver but gold as well along with something else.

He takes the party back to the mountain, to the mine. He tells them the Gnolls wouldn't go past a certain point. He shows them a door in the mine, in the mountain. There is a room with a mural of an individual wearing black and gold trimmed plate armor with a black cloak. The eyes are brightly glowing sapphires. Below that, is written in Elven, "The Emporer made in man but not man".

Moscato thinks on the history, but doesn't know anything.

The party stays overnight but then heals and heads back.

Ivarken Campaign - Part 1

Disclaimer: As always, these notes are taken from notes taken in game and so they are poorly edited.

The story opens in the region of Ivarken.

Baretta is an ex-soldier who came here under the leadership General Denazec Clashhammer, retired. The city of Inception  She teaches one of the classes on swordsmanship at the Dawning Academic Hall.  Denazec is a co-headmaster there. Inception is the newest frontier city against the wilds forests area. Inception is run by 3 major factions : jarl (yarl) Jayleh Whitecloud "coinlord" (she controls the banks) . Her twin brother Jarl Jaygen white cloud tradelord (he controls commerce and major landowner) - Timarna arcanocon the OTHER headmaster - legendary tagteam - veteran heroes of Ivarken expansion. The Dawning academic hall is the onlybuilding the whiteclouds don't own.


Chet Mansavage (yes really), junior advisor under jarl jaygen whiteccloud . intermediary between workers and jaygen.

We are all expecting a caravan to arrive with the first years goods.


Indra works on this caravan and is working as a guard and decided to head on in hopes of joining the academy.

Moscato keeps hearing "Visit me on the way back".


Baretta has heard  that the caravan is going to be bringing people to teach at the academy.. Getting revenue for the first years work. She is waiting by the city gates.

Caravan arrives. Baretta and Chet head out to meet them. Chet arranges for items on the caravan to go where needed.

Indra heads to the inn called "Howlers" to get a room and rest.

Baretta heads back to the academy and greets the initiates and routes them appropriately.

Chet reports to Jarl who sends him to the Academy to meet.

Chet tells Baretta that the caravans have arrived. She notes that the special one has arrived  Indra and Baretta meet.

Lord jjarl asks if Chet has seen the "Special carriage" (he has).

The senior instructors return and they have 3 individuals with them, who they force to the ground. Baretta and Indra walk up. Niah orders them to check out the warehouse where the individuals worked


Warehouse worker said that 4 halfings came in, sent by Chet, to check out  the caravan. They left with it.

Until Moscato found them dead.

The party crashed the door down and moscato was arrested. At this point, the party got caught up in trying to figure out the murder mystery.

At that point, Chet found out that the shipment is missing. The party headed east looking for the caravan. As they moved east it was pretty much a single route to follow but Moscato kept looking off into the distance and suggesting that they head off into the path. The party was unaware that he was seeing a "light" because he was specifically told not to mention any "crazy sh!t".

The party was attacked by Gnoll, which they quickly dealt with while Moscato ran off chasing a gem off into the woods.

When they caught up with him, he'd found a shrine of some type run by a boy. Moscato and Chet helped him with some rituals. In return, the boy gave them a place to stay at the time and some extra equipment.

They caught to the Imperial orcs who took the carriage at the side of the river and fought them and took the carriage back and return to Ivarken.

Farewell Etta James, Rest in Peace

Save the Internet - Say no to SOPA

An Open Letter From Internet Engineers to the U.S. Congress

 

Another SWTOR Chat

Rachael: Oh, I figured out why the team limit is 4 people
Zyreos: ?
Rachael: Luke, Leia, Han, Lando (Chewie was Han's companion, the Droids were luke's) Then Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme (yeah, not quite, but still)
Zyreos: that one doesn't REALLY count
Rachael: And the reason we only see Jar Jar in the first movie, he was Qui-Gon's companion
Zyreos: because by the time Padem/Anakin counted for anything, Qui-Gon was dead
Rachael: I'm still sticking to it
Zyreos: BUT.... Luke had R2/C3-PO... and Han had Chewie. so... Luke + R2 + 3PO + Han + Chewie + Lando + Leia = 7
Rachael: I told you R2, 3PO where Luke's companions Chewie was Han's
Zyreos: but.. Luke and Han didn't make Chewie/R2/3PO wait in the Millennium Falcon while they went off to fight the Empire
Rachael: That's why Chewbacca didn't get a medal didn't need to - Luke sent R2 and 3PO on slicing missions so Han took Chewie out to help complete the team
Zyreos: I can't argue with that logic actually I reject the Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan/Anakin/Padme' but... I agree with Luke + Han + Leia + Chewie (+ R2 and 3PO doing side-quests)
Rachael: I'm posting this on my blog
Zyreos: I think Lando is extraneous for the purpose of this argument honestly... he really only becomes important and a "part of the team" in EP6 because in 5... he is self-serving, and causes Han to be suspended in carbonite... but in 6, he becomes part of the team... helps to free Han/Luke and then helps with the assault on the second death star if you base it purely on Episodes 4 and 5 though... i buy it

A SWTOR chat.

A chat that occurred yesterday via IM about SWTOR.

Rachael: Dammit! They have a server called "Kaiburr Crystal – PvE", why couldn't we get on THAT one?

Malachite: does it REALLY matter?

Rachael: YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

Malachite: The significance is lost on me.

Rachael: oh, you don't know the Kaiburr Crystal. It was introduced in the horrid novel "Splinter of the Minds Eye", but the Expanded Universe really helped
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kaiburr_crystal

Rachael: The only semi-redeeming quality of Splinter of the Minds Eye, is if it WAS considered Canon, then Luke and Leia kissing in Empire was a MINOR 'eww'. There is a STRONGLY implied "love-scene".

Malachite:  o_O?

Rachael: Remember the book came out before Empire, and was based on Lucas' notes if Star Wars was a flop. Luke kills Vader after nailing Leia.

Malachite: but, but, but all nine episodes were all completed and written out back before he filmed Star Wars

Rachael: you keep telling yourself that

Malachite: the final 3 episodes are going to begin filming any time now! I just know it to be true. Search your feelings!

My various #SWTOR tips and tricks!

In honor of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ early release, here are a few online resources to make playing easier!

First up, is this video from Beta. Really, you only need to watch about the first 10-15 minutes to get the meat of the tips that make this valuable, IMNSHO.

Now that you've watched that, check out this series by "TOR Hangout". The "Quick Tips" series is VERY helpful.

There are about 18 videos so far. I'm not going to link them all, but I trust you, dear reader, to be able to search Youtube.

On to links!

Here are some pages that help you get around and find the other basic info you need.

• Darth Hater Database
• R2-DB
• Torhead 

Each of these websites are great resources for help in playing Star Wars.

Finally, For build information, check out

• SithWarrior.com

If you are familiar with the site Elitist Jerks for WoW, you get the idea.

Hope this helps, see you in game!

I'm on the Canderous Ordo server!

MY #SWTOR EARLY ACCESS HAS BEGUN!

I am on the Canderous Ordo server!

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC - OFFICIAL SITE!

Link to The Foundation of Jhantor

Just so you understand the significance....



I mean, uhm.....splendid.

Here are my chars!

Jedi Knight - Rachael
Jedi Consular - Shard
Sith Warrior - Kurn
Sith Inquisitor - Mor-Rioghain (Morrigan was taken)
Smuggler - Myra
Bounty Hunter - Pynkerton

I didn't create my Trooper nor Imperial Agent yet, as I'm parking names for a friend.

Building Character Part 8

My LAST Star Wars: The Old Republic character.

I didn't have a strong look in mind for this character, I just played with the designer a bit.

Personality is no-nonsense, interested in money, and maintaining her reputation.If you pay her to do a job, she will do it.

*EDIT*
This isn't remotely how the character, Pynkerton, looks. I liked the random look that came up for her better.

Server: Canderous Ordo

Our Server has been selected for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.

Server: Canderous Ordo

Foundation of Jhantor was successfully imported into Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. Web support for this guild will be removed on January 03, 2012.

Building Character Part 7

This character is my Sith Warrior. He is based on an NPC I had in Star Wars RPGs I ran. He is a complete and total monster who enjoys causing pain and misery. If he lived on modern day earth, he'd be a west Texas high school football player.

His name is Kurn!

Building Character Part 6

This is my Trooper character. I don't have a strong personality in mind for this character. My main goal was to make him look like Vin Diesel. I think I got pretty close.

Building Character Part 5

This my OTHER Jedi character. She is based on the char I played in Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 and Neverwinter Nights. I was originally going to make this character based on the character I played in my first Star Wars RPG, but I realized that with the upcoming release of "John Carter of Mars", that "Tars Tarkas" would probably get banned. I could change the name, but I figured I'd go ahead and make a female char. I may change this back to a male character at launch, but this is my current planned Consular.

Her name is Shard!

Building Character Part 4

A few years ago, after watching the movie "Unforgiven", I wanted to try running a character inspired by Clint Eastwood's character. She would be a former bankrobber/highwayman. The character evolved a bit, but I never got to play her extensively.

This character is based on that concept as well, but this is her in her prime. I also decided to take advantage of the fact that SWTOR has non-human characters, so I made her a Twi'lek.

Her name is Myra!

Building Character Part 3

Now a male character! I've planned out 3 male characters. For the most part, gender fits for for the type of character I foresee playing.

The Chiss Imperial Agent: Bond, James Bond!. 

I don't know what I'm going to name him yet, but he is the super-spy in the stable of characters.

Imperial Navy Commander, CMG, RNVR, code number 265, residing on Dromund Kaas, but currently active on Nar Shadda. He has an enjoyment of speeders, a love of food and fine wine.

Building Character Part 2

Up next, in my Star Wars: The Old Republic Character-cavalcade, we present my Sith Inquisitor!

She is a pureblood Sith who had an anscestor that was sold into slavery. When she exhibited Force sensitivity, the Empire sent her to Korriban to train. However, she had been treated so cruelly in life due to her station, she has no room for compassion in her heart. She is cruel and wants to make the world pay for the way she was treated.

Her name is Mor-Rioghain!

Building Character Part 1

Soon, my new addiction, Star Wars: The Old Republic, will be in my hands after YEARS of anticipation.

During the beta session I got in on, I decided to design the characters I'll have when the game launches. Unlike other MMOs, you will have ample opportunity to see more than "Your character's butt". Because of this, I spent a lot of time designing the look of my chars. 

For the next few days, I'll be sharing my creations! Being a fan of the female form, most of my characters will be women. Yeah, I'm "that guy".

Up first, my Jedi Knight "main" character:

Her name is, quite simply, Rachael!

Looking for Inspiration

If you look back at earlier posts in this blog, you will notice that I used to post 3 times a week, fairly regularly. Since then, I've pretty much fallen off and I just generally post horribly written notes about the last role-playing game session I played/ran. These grammatically questionable posts notwithstanding, I really want to try adding new content here to work on my writing skills and provide an outlet for creativity and entertainment.

Starting now, I've decided to try to commit to 30 minutes a day of being creative here (and elsewhere). Hopefully, this will recharge my batteries somewhat and give my loyal band of crazies something they (e.g. you) vaguely amusing.

Of course, no new project goes unpunished as NOW, I need to find new sources of inspiration so that I can provide you, dear reader, with my personal brand of geekdom, nerdity, and dorkitude that you expect from this blog.

I'm not sure what will come of this "Creativity Push". Furthermore, I don't know how it will effect this blog. Hopefully, it will be vaguely entertaining to me and to you, my audience.

Star Wars - Jedi and Mandalorian - Episode 9 - It only matters if nobody's looking (or: Stealth Contained)

The party proceeds to Malachor. Kailess upgrades the scope on his rifle while Trysha meditates on the crystal.

Trysha figures that the crystal would fit in a lightsaber, just not hers. She decides she will eventually construct a second one.

Upon entering the Malachor system Kailess scans and notices that a ship is already in orbit around Malachor V. He determines it is a Republic Cruiser. The Stellar Wave assumes a parking orbit around the moon in such a location the cruiser cannot see them.

They  note that the Cruiser is in geosynchronos orbit. Kailess checks and verifies that the datapad package has arrived. They plot a course to avoid the cruiser and land. Avoiding contact, they land 3 miles from the location. They proceed there and Kailess determines that the Cruiser is over the location of the datapad.

They approach the mesa and about a mile and a half they note that there are spires on top of the mesa. The spires appear to be naturally occurring, but have been enhanced by construction.

They attempt to approach stealthily (Slyk rolled a 2) - but thankfully the party wasn't seen.

Kailess hacks into the building and the party enters (completely missing all notice checks). The party encounters a series of stairs and starts down then. About half way down, they notice lights coming up from the bottom. Trysha senses darkness and deflects an attack through the Force against her.

A group of troops come from below while a Sith Lord (GM Note: Darth Namhaid) comes from the top. Trysha leaps up to defeat the Sith while Kailess fires on the the troops from below. They quickly deal with the threats against them.

RPG tips from the player perspective

In an attempt to kick your role-playing experience up a notch*, I figured I should post a few tips on my views on being a good and fun roleplayer. My goal is to improve your fun in playing and hopefully the fun of the rest of the people in your role-playing group. Whether you play Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Storyteller, or Savage worlds, I hope you can find useful information here.

First a few observations on my my playstyle.

1. When it comes to playing, I like powergaming. Yes, really. I like having the powerful character who can do cool things like blasting bad guys with a single thought while they attempt to beat my character to death with mithral coated rattlesnakes that end up doing no real damage. I'm not necessarily great at it, but I like having a character that are uber when I'm on my toes . Interestingly, no one has accused me of powergaming, probably because it takes me a lot of research and more thought than I usually give to do it. Furthermore, I try to put a LOT of story into my chars and give them motivation.

2. I *LOVE* combat in my RPGs. I want my character to be swinging a sword** and blasting away with guns to take down baddies. If they can be doing backflips, round house kicks, and casting fireballs even better!

So here are some tips and tricks I've found that you can put into making your games more fun AS A PLAYER!.

Now for tip number the first: Write a backstory with tons of hooks for your GM to write about.

Now, immediately, I can hear readers saying, "What? Are you crazy***? Why would I give my Game Master a loaded gun to mess with my character?"

Because, lets face it, you want the GM to shoot it at your character.

Yes, I said it. Bare with me and I will explain.

If you are like me, and I know I am, I want to wade into heavy combat with my character and be the one to kill the big bad Vampiric Draco-Lich Fiend. If you want to do that, you need to come up with a reason for your character to find the draco lich.

Think of it this way. In games that provide a disadvantage system, you probably look at items like "Hunted" and "Enemy" and "Bronie" and avoided them like the plague! Remember how I like combat in my games? I always take "Hunted" and "Enemy" and provide enough details and make a point to draw my GM's attention to it. Then I can be guaranteed of the following facts

1. I will have combat centered on me.

2. I will have a plot line that is centered around me.

3. My GM will happily give me that spotlight because I've made his/her job easier - yay, more killing!

What about parents, siblings, children? Yeah, my character probably has them. I don't deny it. I just make it more useful by saying "I don't know who that person is."

Now, my GM can say "Why yes, you have a son - his name is Modred, he is you and your half-sister's son (ewww) and they both want to kill you." This messed up story is one of the reasons King Arthur is such a cool legend. AND NOW, my character has that cool back story and 10 more building points to give me a bonus to round house kicks.

If your game DOESN'T have those building points, you will still have those wonderful things, "Combat" and "Spotlight".

I'll be writing up more tips in future as I identify them!

* BAM!
** Preferably a lightsaber
*** Yes, but that doesn't matter here.

Star Wars - Jedi and Mandalorian - Episode 8 - Honey Badger don't care!

Yes, a week late, but here is another poorly edited post of the last session!

Kailess and Slyk work on how to mount the weapons on the Stellar Wave.

They party returns to the world of Nar Kaga in Huttspace so they can mount weapons and plan their next move and let Vyri know what has transpired. Kailess and Trysha return to Vyri.Vyri pays them and lets them know that a posting will be on the Holonet job postings for "as fate would have it." to indicate that he is looking for them. Vyri pays them 600 credits per person.

Kailess and Ossa look for an arms dealer to find a new gun. They head to a small store run by an alien named Jando Knippa. They buy many weapons

Trysha looks through the shops an uncovers a lightsaber crystal that stirs the force. She gets a flash when she touches it and purchases it. She pays 5k for it.

Slyk upgrades his ship.

Kailess indicates that he wants to follow up on Malachor.

On the way back, Trysha meets up with Kailes and Ossa just in time to hear, "Hey! There they are" as a gang of 15 attack led by a Hutt.

The party makes short work of the group. They demand to know why they attacked. The Hutt says it was because they were responsible for cutting into their business.

Star Wars - Jedi and Mandalorian - Episode 7 - I use my hands

The ship is released back into space. Kailess verifies that the backdoor responds and the ship is sitting there. The Stellar Wave lands back on Excarga to refuel and prep to investigate the base of operations of the pirates. Research indicates that the system the pirates operate from has a great deal of trade traffic: legitimate and illegitimate. The system is named Circumtore.

The party attempts to secure cargo to carry to get picked up so they can track where the cargo goes. Trisha acquires tracer equipment. The Stellar Wave arrives in Circumtor and is put into a parking orbit waiting for a landing bay. While waiting for a landing bay Kailess is notified that the pirate vessel is on it's way.

They deliver the cargo (earning 10k credits per person). Kailess looks at a secure terminal and gets information about the business. The ship leaves the space dock and assumes a parking orbit until the pirate ship arrives. It is given immediate access to docking (which the party is aware of due to Kailess' hacking). He orders some cargo that is being unloaded to be sent to the party.

The Stellar Wave re-docks and receives the shipment (pizza boxes? Really) Kailess, Trysha, and Ossa decide to board the pirate ship. Kailess trivially, effortlessly boards the ship from the outside (rolled a 42 - he needed a 4) and manages to clear the way for Ossa and Trysha to board.

Kailess programs a lockdown and the party heads to the bridge. The trio quickly subdue the three people on the bridge and start to question them. The captain indicates that he is a free agent who carries cargo between systems. Trysha senses his mind has been touched via the force before. Trysha examines the memory shield and determines that it was placed some years ago, tightly woven, and almost imperceptibly. If he is questioned in the correct manner it could be determined that tampering had occurred. A very skillful force user on the level of a Jedi Master likely implanted the memory alteration but with a faint dark side taint.

They undock, meet up with the Stellar Wave and start heading back to Republic space. The group examines the ship for equipment and information. One of the pieces of information unearthed was that a datapad was unloaded and sent to the Malachor system.

The group heads back to Bothuwai. Trysha notifies the Republic forces that they are bringing prisoners.

They land at Bothuwai. Kailess and Slyk stay in orbit on the Stellar Wave. Trysha turns the ship over and reports to the Republic and a Jedi Council representative. Trysha reports her findings. The Council rep contacts the council which Trysha and Kailess overhear his report. He orders that two Jedi investigate the Malachor system.

The Foundation of Jhantor - a Star Wars: The Old Republic Guild

Link to The Foundation of Jhantor

Star Wars - Jedi and Mandalorian - Episode 6 - "It's an Ambuscade!"

The group questions the Nikto (named Charlie) about the transmission. Kailess 'convinces' him to talk (by cutting off his finger). The Nikto quickly starts speaking at this point and tells them that he was approached about giving leads regarding shipments (2500 per lead). He provides the contact information for his handler. Kailess checks his account to verify the money and where the funds come from. He transfer money out of the account giving himself and Trysha 35000 credits each.

Trysha suggests that she'd rather leave the Nikto on his own volition at Excarga as she doesn't want to simply return him to face Vyri's wrath. She dumps him in the hold, bound at hands and feet.

While in hyperspace, Slyk detects a sensor shadow as they pass through the Molavar system. To flush out the ship tailing them, the ship drops from hyperspace and dodges through the moons in hopes of causing the pursuer dropping from Hyperspace. The pursuer turns out to be a shuttle with guns. Furthermore, another ship is in front armed.

Kailess attempts to plot a course allowing them to slingshot around the nearby planet to allow them to escape. The two shuttles come in on a vector toward the ship. Slyk takes the coordinates and successfully slingshots the ship around the planet. as they escape the gravity field, they jump to hyperspace.

The ship enters the Excarga system. Kailess's computer search returns information indicated about 6 different ships registered have profiles matching the shuttles who attacked. Three of the shuttles have been noted in this part of the galaxy.

Slyk checks rumors regarding the area: he determines that many of the people who have lost cargo don't remember, that where to land, and that there is a Sabacc game tonight.

Kailess and Trysha head to the port authority and request information. A Twi'lek is working the terminal with a Gamorrean security guard. Trysha asks about the ships brought up. The cargo manifests indicate cargo, but the holds were empty. Before that several ships showed up, with no cargo and empty manifests but had been reported to be hauling cargo. Kailess asks about the shuttles. The port authority contact says that none of those ships had landed at this port. He says we could indicate the other two ports on the planet.

Meanwhile, Slyk goes to the bar where the game is taking place and is shown to the table after paying his entry fee by the Ithorian who owns the establishment. He notes some oddities in the playing.

Kailess and Trysha head to the bars to get information. Trysha turns up nothing (I rolled two ones on 2d6). Kailess notes a group of pilots. Trysha buys them a round of drinks and asks one of the pilots about his last cargo run where he'd lost cargo. Trysha and Kailess head to docking bay 64. Investigation reveals that the ship couldn't travel as fast as the ship's logs indicate. They theorize a larger ship carried the freighter.

They return to the ship and Kailess preps to be outside the ship in case they are attacked in space. Slyk wins the Sabacc game.

They set up to pretend to arrive at the planet as they arrived a day early. Kailess attaches himself to the outside of the ship. While in space, the ship is caught in a tractor beam and brought aboard a cloaked ship.

The ship is brought abord and gas is injected. Trysha enters a Jedi hibernation trans and Slyk runs to the water tanks. Kailess enters the ship and thinks to Trysha what is going on. A number of aliens enter the ship and check the hold. Trysha thinks to Kailess to hack the system and gather as much information as possible.

The "pirates" find the "unconscious" Trysha. The pirates find Ossa, but Trysha telepathically suggests to the Quarren leader that the two of them were all that there were. The pirates unload the ship.

Kailess downloads all information and enters a back door into the software.

Other pirates board and the Quarran leader tells them to erase evidence. Trysha passes the telepathic suggestion that they've already completed the job and they leave and release the ship.

Star Wars - Jedi and Mandalorian - Episode 5

Trysha Starkiller and Kailes Anasazi were sent to Bothawui to investigate activities in Hutt space. They have been ordered to meet with the Republic command there.


The Unspeakable Haste lands and the pair are met by a female bothan named Dara Zeorg. They have had difficulty with spice smugglers and need them to go to Hutt space. Dara tells them that they have are to be assigned a pilot with a ship. The pilot is a Mon Cal named Slyk Suzuki. Dara indicates that a Nautelan tracker has also been employed Ossa Rynt.

They board Slyk’s ship the Stellar Wave and Kailes concludes they need to proceed Nar Kaaga. JG-94, Slyk’s astromech, enters the coordinates. Research reveals Vyri Zionz as a local Devaronian “businessman” who may provide information.

The ship lands in docking bay 42. Gamorreans hook up the maintenance cables.

Slyk heads off on his own to relax and gamble. The other three proceed to a local dive where Vyri operates.

Two Nikto flank the entrance to Vyri’s base of operations. Trysha suggests that they have an appointment and enter. Vyri greets Trysha, by name, and asks their business.

Trysha explains that they have been sent by Republic command to investigate smugglers operating out of Hutt Space and causing difficulties. Vyri is initially taken aback by the suggestion that he knows something about this. Trysha responds saying that they are not suggesting he is doing anything illegal, but simply that he may have heard something.

Vyri says that he thinks this is related to piracy occurring that has been harassing his shipments and that perhaps a leak in his organization is responsable. Trysha offers to carry a shipment for him in hopes of flushing out the pirates. Vyri concurs and sets up a shipment to the planet Excarga.

Meanwhile, Slyk is playing cards and in a series of high stakes betting starts a stare down with a Rodian player. The situation devolves into a combat where Slyk manages to defeat the Rodian with his stun baton.

Trysha, Ossa, and Kailes return to the ship. Kailes hacks into the com systems and intercepts a transmission, in Nikto language, about the shipment. The trio heads to the area of the city from where the transmission eminated.

Kailes rockets ahead and finds the building which is almost built to be a fortress. Trysha and Ossa arrive. Kailes hails the comlink so he can triangulate the location. Kailes flies and Trysha leaps to the 3rd floor of the building and run to the room.

Tossing a flashbang grenade, Kailes jumps in and subdues a Nikto. Trysha takes the blaster and the comlink and then hands the blaster to Ossa. They call Slyk for a pickup and run to the roof. They run to the roof, defeat 4 guards and board the ship with the captured, stunned Nikto in tow.

Sharn - The Cauldron - Episode 11

The unnamed person is a Teifling Monk named Druce Tourloch. They take the rats back to the garrison and start to question them. The party quickly realizes that the rats, even when they are willing to talk are completely unable to talk about Agotha or what they are doing. The group calls Mazin who comes down and quickly realizes that they are subject to a domination spell. He casts “Protection from Evil” allowing them to speak on the subject of Agotha.


The rats were ordered, by Agotha, to find individuals, capture them and mark them with a scent that she can track. The group decides to use this to their advantage and set a trap for Agotha. That same evening they head out and hang Nysra upside down, mark her with the scent, and hide.

Shortly, Agotha arrives and realizes that a trap has been set. The party manages to defeat Agotha and Kal severs the vampire's head. The remaining rats, no longer dominated, flee.

Sharn - The Cauldron - Episode 10

Bah Mole and Talyn Nichec need to take care of some errands and do not participate in this episode’s events.

The party visits Councilman Hruit. Before Hruit enters the room, Perry casts sift to see if there is anything out of the ordinary in the room. He concludes that Hruit is a druid of some type who is respected by the businessmen in The Bazaar. Hruit asks about the nature of the mission Linech Cran sent them on. He is suprised about the reason for the party being hired, but pays the party the remaining 150 gold for finding out what his enemy was up to. After speaking with him, it becomes clear that Hruit is hiding something.

The party returns to Coldflame Keep and speaks with Flamebearer Mazin Tana. Mazin agrees to provide Perry with a room in the keep. Mazin advises the party that he has heard rumours of violent crime in Lower Tavick’s Landing and advises them to check it out.

On the way down, they stop for lunch in Middle Tavick’s Landing and ask the waitress for information. She tells them that there are grusome murders occurring, no one wants to go out at night, vagrants are targeted, Ratmen are about, and the murders started in the past week. The party thanks her and give her a handsome tip. Perry purchases a bottle of cheap wine.

The party visits the Black Arch district to speak to the garrison Commander Iyana ir’Talan. Kal’ Torak shows the seal of Hruit from the paperwork they’d previously been given to bluff the way in. Iyana is helpful when she finds out that they want to deal with the murders. She provides the party with the following information (with the help of sketches of crime scenes):

1. Murders started about week ago.
2. The modus operandi is that people are hung upsidedown and there throats are slashed.
3. Two city guards have been killed.
4. The majority of the crimes have occurred in the High Walls refugee district.
5. If people stay in small groups they tend to not be targeted.
6. There have been many “Ratmen” sightings.
7. There has been an increase in graffitti in the area.

The party examines the sketches and Kal notes two interesting details:

1. The slit throats are familiar somehow – with unusual tearing on one side followed by the expected slash
2. The grafitti “Agotha is dead! Long live Agotha!”

He stops and thinks (making a very difficult INT check) and remembers…

Agotha Broska is an Elven Vampire. She brutally murdered a vagrant near the Lantern Way Orphanage and used a similar method to try to cover her tracks. However, many details are missing as these events occurred during the time of his memory loss.

Perry suggests that he use the bottle of wine that he purchased to masquerade as a drunkard and become a target.

The party sets out and discovers Ratmen in the middle of another attack. They attack the Ratmen and manage to take all three prisoner.

Sharn - The Cauldron - Episodes 8 and 9

Kal and Talyn hire a boat to go out to the center of the harbour to check out the wreck of the Arrowhead. Seanus agrees to stay in the boat while they drink the potions of waterbreathing and swim down. They quickly find the wreck and must deal with two Sahuagin that attack.

After they have done that, they investigate the wreck to discover it’s been ransacked. They swim underwater and follow the trail of detrius and flotsom to an underwater cave. In the cave they fight a giant crab and uncover a bandolier of potions which Kal determines are healing potions. They continue down the cavern and the water becomes shallower.

Bah Mole finds them and follows them to investigate the cavern. Using Speak with Animals, he talks to a fish and a bat and discovers that there are other entrances into the cavern and that groups of humanoids have been carrying things into the cavern.

They notice some dim torchlight and proceed. Talyn casts predigitation on Bah Mole’s spear causing it to be very reflective and shiney allowing him to use it as a mirror and see inside the cavern.

Meanwhile, Nysra Iradi awakes. She realizes she has been bound with someone behind her. She is unaware of where she is or how she got there. Looking around, she realizes she is in an underground cavern. Nysra wakes up the person behind her who turns out to be an elf named Perry.

Bah Mole sees these two in the reflection but cannot clearly see that they are bound. He steps around the corner and casts entangle on the area. The spell manages to also capture two humans and a Sahuagin on the far end of the cavern. They disarm the humans and Sauhagin. Upon dismissing the entangle, the Sahaugin attempts to escape. Talyn casts daze and stops the Sahaugin. Behind the two humans is a bag with Nysra and Perry’s weapons along with two greatcoats.

The party also notices that the crystal coffin IS there but it is empty.

The humans reveal the following information:

1. Their names are Carleynn and Aravyre
   
2. They were purchasing the salvage from the Sahuagin
   
3. Their boss, “Castar” told them to “Dispose” of Nysra and Perry because he thought they were “snooping around”.
   

The Sahuagin regains his senses and starts panicking and worrying about the “Demon girl”. He reveals that he saw her rise out of the coffin holding something in her hand.

The party leaves them tied up, but leaves them means to escape if they promise to say that Nysra and Perry were “drowned”. The two captives tell the party that the stairs lead up into the Mud Caves district.

They track steps from the crystal coffin to another side cave where they find a half-orc (about 3/4 human) named “Linele” who claims to be Linech’s daughter. She has no memory of how she got there but has a vague recollection of flames. Her skin is extremely pale and Bah Mole smells “death” around her.

They discuss how to “safely lead her out”. She asks for some food as she is very hungry but everything they offer her, she spits out in disgust. Talyn and Nysra decide to go ahead and get Linech while the rest of the party leads Linele out.

Taylen explains to Linech what happened to Linele. Linech demands that they show her to him.

The rest of the party gets to the outer parts of the Mud Caves shanty town and realize that due to the sunlight, Linele cannot proceed out. Bah Mole fakes and injury to buy time.

Talyn , Nysra, Linech , and Abbercombe return to the mud caves. Linech is horrified, and reveals that his daughter had been killed by his enemies. Linele “vamps out” and attacks him. The party fights and Talyn and Nysra entangle Linele and tie the other end to Linech’s cab. Linech runs to the cab. Talyn , Nysra , and Linech order the cab to leave – pulling Linele into the sunlight. She burns up immediately.

Before leaving, Abbercombe points out a gold fob watch that Linele dropped.

The party realizes that the watch is incredibly magical and very evil. They bring the watch to the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame for Archierophant Y’Thana Morr to deal with. Perry realizes that she is the clergy he is to report to. She advises him to return the next day for his “briefing”.

The party visits Linech and he rewards them with the remaining gold he owed them. They tell him about the fob watch they found.

The party then decides to report back to Hruit so that he is aware of the situation.

Belated - R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen

I was on vacation and away from a PC when this news came by. Were it anyone else, I'd probably have let it pass and not created a post, but....

The woman who made me realize at the tender age of 9 that "Hey, Girls are neat"

Rest In Peace - you will not be forgotten

Diet and Fitness Update - 5 Months into "My Last Diet"

First of all, it's worth reading this post from October or at the very least this post from January on My Last Diet.

Since October, I've more or less been eating in moderation and working out at least 4 times a week at the YMCA in the "G.I.T. Fit" Class. Its based on the principles of Crossfit and many of the workouts resemble that.

Oddly, I've lost NO weight - and I'm OK with that. I've dropped two pants sizes and I went from huffing and puffing after a quarter mile to running 1.25 miles non-stop. I went from doing 18" step-ups to 24" box jumps. I even learned how to swim! I still have a ways to go before I finish carving fat off of my body, but I've made more progress in five months that I have in the previous 39 years.

Details of what I've been doing can be found here. I've been mini-blogging on the Nerd Fitness forum tracking my progress. Eventually, I plan to collect my observations into a few cogent posts here.

I will probably post more on this, but I wanted to share my experiences thus far. Its been working - I'm getting healthier.

Finally, on Saturday I ran the Spartan Race.

From Mar 27, 2011

The Foundation of Jhantor

I've created a guild for Star Wars: The Old Republic!

Bioware has done something very interesting by allowing Guilds to be created on their website. If four or more people in the Guild pre-order it, it will be imported into the game on launch day.