DCC/MCC AULDGORY Session at local shop

 Yeah, gaming stuff.

#DCC #MCC #Auldgory

Used my Auldgory setting for the DCC/MCC mashup/

At least two of the three gents seemed happy with it; third looked tired from work.

o 15 year old, Squire (attached to a Lt.), from Merchant background, with a Mental Domination spell-like-power (one of the _Ways_).  He's the CBR -- Combat Rifleman.  Blooded into the Ayqon's Inquisitors, after absorbing the Agony Runes -- he's capable of sharing the agony with others.

o 19 year old, Squire, Ranching background, don't think we got around to his power.  He's a GRN -- Grenadier, bloop-tube-style, carrying 40 grenades of various loads.  Blooded into Bledra's Bladedancers, where he had to navigate a timed obstacle course and bound a Moorwraith's dagger to himself.  This becomes _Important_.

o 21 year old, almost a Private, Sea-Fisher background, HWO -- Heavy Weapons Operator (in this case, a 'mini-zooka') carrying 3 or 5 rockets, and armed with a pistol.  Blooded into Wraicastle's Rooks, where he was subject to 'extended interrogation.'  Success saw him first branded, and then tattoo'd with the Raven.

The leader of the three was given the option to perform a mission in the East, or one atop the southernmost peak of the Lashan ranges, or, one out West, heading further West upon completion.  He chose the last.

They encounter a shepherd of zombies, she, glowing with a faint blue-white light, an apparent Half-Moorwraith.  She contacted the CBR while he dozed in the carriage as it sleet outside.  ~"We are coming, do not resist."~ Some of the zombies are their compatriot Banner Ranks personnel.

The next few days are uneventful, and these are not the players to play through Fellowship-phase activities, so we FF to the point where the carriage can no longer move West for the terrain, and ask to be permitted to fall-back to the first Fort West of the Lashans, 'We Made It!' (yes, I used it) if the PC didn't return in 3 days.

Day 1-

GRN killed an Outlier girl sight unseen firing a grenade from an underground loading bay after the girl made noise and cursed herself for it and then ran off -- but, alas, she went excite all over the Ancient site.

10 Fam then rushed to her, and the PCs cursed the day, and I broke the 4th Wall to offer a do-over, and they accepted.

Day 1 (redux)-

This time they went to the village first, then met, Dabos, whom I described as looking like the actor who plays MCU Loki.  He was pretty obviously not only foreign, but anachronistic, wearing an amazing suit, with a talking wristwatch.  Dabos gave them permission to take the 'softwood' boxes, and even ordered his locals to transport them to the Carriage who drove the firearm parts back East.

They then headed out and encountered a Lybrti Garden, normally established behind a wall, but this one looking intentionally grown in this open space.  Motherists build these FoB/Altars from which Lybrti is better able to effect Her power.  Climbing atop the mound where the altar is situated, they spot dead troopers and a few in civvies.

After collecting weapons and charge packs, the PCs don't rifle through personal effects, instead burning their bodies to deny the shepherd more flock.  Sure enough she arrives and is angered that they have done this, the GRN throws his Ghost-dagger and strikes her in the upper torso, and as he rushes her to drive it further, they are both transported to some aetheric somewhere with floating ruins amid a breathable gel of differing densities lending hues with each level.  Moorwraith begin to appear and the PC withdraws the blade and he returned to normalspace entirely bleached white, including all he carried.  He now has a ghostly scent of paper smoke and lavender which follows and moves around him.

We held it there, and I awarded them 02 XP toward their 10 for 1st Level.

From Autumn to Winter's Edge

My time in Tennessee has, so far, been very pleasant, environmentally.

I've been learning guitar and music theory and writing both lyrics and music, but haven't yet really made that breakthrough in my playing where the fifteen or so chords, and what little of the Pentatonic Scales I have learnt, unite in a moment of emergent play.

I'm still working on AULDGORY, and B/X Blackrazor is still working on B/X URUTSK, so, don't despair loyal readers, when his work is released, I'll be posting Gaming Content here again.

In the meanwhile, my amateur photography is improving nearly every day, with changing foliage and fiery fuchsia and electric plum sunsets.

Segue

Under an Old Umbrella
-- Marissa Nadler

...
And I met him yesterday
Under my old umbrella
And I met him yesterday
Under the skies of azure
And turquoise was the color of his eyes
And bitter were the color of mine

For me, this song always evokes Cabanel's, Fallen Angel.

Talk again,
-K

Combo: Gaming & Gaming-Adjacent

GAMING-

The West Wards: The Watershed

Lybrti seeks to reunite the Auldgory continent from Storm Sea, across the fruited plain, over the Mountlands, to the Cold Ocean.

Of all the difficulties facing the Banner Ranks and other specialists in the employ of the Starry Empire, even beyond the timespace anomaly which is the Necropolis Sprawl, are the ruins of the Watershed.

Warlords and cultists of various stripes wage near constant warfare over navigable routes, potable water, and ranched foods, animal and otherwise.  Catamaran and canoe brave flooded streets beset with snipers and bombardiers eager to scrap or snatch-up anything at all of value from their peeling and crumbling cement apartment complexes along what centuries prior had been numerous cites of the Saints and the Angels.

Captain Tixa Ioq had briefly transposed there, following back to their source, corsairs attacking Northfork ships of the East's Battered Shore.  These same had been brought through from the sundown shore of the west coast to the whitecaps of the Starry Banner Navy's premiere shipyards and submarine bases.  Brought through a continuous portal by a demon, these desperate cutthroats and Cold Ocean denizen creatures fought with a ferocity previously unmet in battle.  Things went poorly for the Empire in this regard until other, tangential powers could be brought to bring desperately needed relief: namely, the adoption of the Wastelander-spirit of Blastar Firebloom in the person of Black Guard, Overcommander Zhanit Sworn.

Now, Lybrti, armed anew with the mysterious power of The Wasteland, the West Wards shall be brought under the Aegis of the Banner.

ooo

Gaming-Adjacent

Writing lyrics which depict scenes and events from across the Grand Tapestry, including three from Auldgory, and one (so far) from Urutsk, at the point of the Shorrannin invasion.

More about the early days of my musical journey can be found here.

GAMING Post: Auldgory (default start and factions)

(C) 2020-2022 Kyrinn S. Eis, All Rights Reserved

Um, why do we need to know about factions when you haven't properly explained the extant Order of Things?

So, the monolithic entity which is the Starry Empire has within it, both a Republic, made up of citizen soldiers, but also includes the Noble Families of Ancient (Eastern) Bloodlines, Merchant Barons, and a Southeast of only loosely, 'loyal' subjects.

Play defaults to the PCs serving in the Banner Ranks of the Starry Empire, having gone into service at age 07, and beginning session 01 anywhere from 15 to 25 years of age.  Barbarian and Outlier characters are not only possible, but viable regardless of where the 'party's' initial deployment is located.

While it is possible to expend one's Blessings to dictate how the PC matriculated the service to that point (default is, Combat Rifleman), and which rank they achieved by start of play, there are other options, such as political aide, or, journalist.  Outlier and Barbarian hangers on or diplomats of unincorporated lands are just as reasonable an option.

However, Auldgory has the Endgame baked in from the get go, and Blessing points can be pooled to purchase caches, property, and to invest in the security and prosperity of Banner Ranks strongholds.  Or, Lodges may be joined (and infiltrated, or enemy groups destroyed), which require Downtime investments of increasing orders of magnitude (pop-pop) to attain, with no value for intermediate steps; Lodges hold Power (POW), and this can be appropriated for emergency use.

With a national Goddess who grants actual miracles and can even (not often) resurrect the dead, you can imagine the number of weblines which intersect to form a very convoluted, intricate, and merciless environment where who one knows may on the one hand save one's life, or by associative guilt, be brought into immortal peril.  This is where the Factions exist, and these are largely only the ones operating within the borders of the Empire.

The lands west of the Lashan Mountain Range/s are so varied, the distances so vast, that reaching another civilised polity (The Landmaster Concern of the Wide Roaming Lands chief among these) is a quest through alien wilderness, scattered with environmental hazards and unearthly arcane powers.  points west are the variable track of the Wasteland, which warps and alters all life which enters, and reorders the landscape into surrealistic bastions of Illogic.  ...and yet, it is the Voidbrood, from beyond space and time, who are the true menace: their least minions more than enough to corrupt and stall the advance of the Banner Ranks tasked with inevitable reunification.

I'll discuss the task resolution situation in a future post.

Non-Gaming Post: Travelllogue and Marissa Nadler Concert Report + (formatting errors corrected)

The drive through the mountains of Tennessee (Cumberland Gap, if not mistaken) was amazing. The telluric energy was so powerful, quenching a thirst I hadn't realised I'd suffered living so long in the limestone and muck of Florida, or initial forays into Continental life which Jax offers. Georgia, lovely as it is, doesn't begin to shine until the hills rise wild; lit in shimmering white of early morning mist.

Sadly, kitteh was not enjoying it, as he was gone when I came out from the hotel room I had rented: I'd fed him pouch Tuna and he had apparently recovered from the five hours of desperate panting to keep himself cool, as I have no A/C and only two functioning widows (at present). The ascent into the mountains was uncomplicated, but descending was further challenged by what I then thought was a low tyre; today, I found that the tyre was ready to come apart - likely from yesterday's return trip at maximal controllable speed. I had them replace the front-pair.

 [] Once in Nashville, I drove to the venue, but confused it for the place across the street, of which I took photos, and may post them if you let me know. From there, I saw the Music Hall, and found my hotel; fancy. The only 'iconic' Nashvillian meal I had wasn't great, but Will Arnold informed me I chose the wrong protein.

 [] Vanderbilt district was wonderfully familiar to a larger, more vibrant University of Florida, and the mottled brickwork of the corner spoke to me of Reconstruction/ism. --- Bought a binder, sheet protectors, a 5 Star notebook, and one each of a Black, Blue, and Magenta-Pink click pen. With these, I assembled my printed lyrics, re-read them, and then got to work on new lyrics. One good one came from this time, and one in the rough awaiting sober editing. This morning I wrote the thirteenth, printed it, and added it to my binder.

 [] Sunday at the End, was Marissa Nadler (& co.) 20th of 20 stops, back in Nashville. She was very kind to make time for me in moments she could rest between personal readiness, meeting visiting friends (who were very pleasant and upbeat), and then getting her game-face on for the show.

 [] First was a group whose name I never fully grasped or retained, one or the other, but the duo were likewise great fun to speak with, and welcoming. Links to the acts are listed below. The acoustic guitar, banjo, and backing vocals were a dreamy/hypnotic, very subtle Americana, as perceived with one ear-open napping on the couch in a safe place, like home. It couldn't have been a better introduction to their sound, and was a fantastic opening of the way, as it were.

 [] Next came the Nashville Ambient Ensemble (the Keyboardist was kind enough to speak with me about the local scene, and the Ensemble in particular, which was fascinating), their music is very serpentine, subtly complex, and by what I count as their third or forth piece of their set, suddenly of much higher energy and complexity: brain-stim to violin, electronics, and guitar. My already addled brain was blooming like an alien flower under the Ensemble's star.

 [] Marissa Nadler took stage, and as I stared at the floor throughout all but a few moments to look up, I was in the best mix of her music, old and new, with hints that something heavier is breeding in the dark wings. Marissa's self-effacing humour at the troubles she had with the particular entry point of Lemon Queen was so heartening -- she's a real Human, much to our delight. The hijinks with her tourmates not being on the same literal page and being surprised by the next song was fun, rather than consternating, and illustrates not only their familiarity with her work, but the camaraderie they share. The bassist, drummer, FX-pedal overseer, bard, whose name I either never clearly heard, or which leaked out of my mind; this guy is quick-witted and clutch as his musical chops illustrate. Milk(e)y, likewise, not only a seasoned Marissa Nadler tour vet, was similarly humorous and sharp to adapt to the changing situation directed by the Woman herself. 

 [] I picked up four CDs, had a few additional moments of chat with Marissa, and walked out with perhaps twenty minutes to spare on my prepaid parking.  A lot more to be said.

 [] During my stay, I saw episodes 2 and 3 of House of the Dragon, which is surprisingly great, like a high budget British TV production of one of the rarer Shakespearean dynastic plays. Also caught the HBO Elvis flowing montage production which was almost too fluid and flowing...great, but too much, I think. The third Wonderful Beasts with Mads Mikkelsen (swoon): "I am not your enemy, nor have I ever been." -- he excels in Satanologies (esp., Hannibal, and this role).  I then caught the most important portion of, Pawn Sacrifice, which was also very good.

 [] OK, Eis, out.

*** PLEASE: Don't let YouTube and Streaming services be the only 'support' you give to your fave artists. ***

 [] MARISSA NADLER :: Official Site 

  o Nashville Ambient Ensemble :: LINK 

  o Kyle Hamlett Uno/Duo/Trio :: LINK

AULDGORY This Week

(C) 2022 Kyrinn S. Eis, All Rights Reserved

AULDGORY Pinterest 

Working On:

GODDESSES OF AULDGORY & ELSEWHERE
:: Including mentions of males of great power & renown

&

Auldgoryan Witchcraft-

The various types of magic found on the Auldgory continent operate apart from each other, based upon their ideological/philosophical underpinnings.

The magic of Witchcraft on Auldgory is based around the concepts of Sympathetic Cause and Effect, where the caster desires a particular effect, and uses a focus which addresses the topic, and then performs actions which seek to join/divide, increase/decrease, create/destroy, etc.

The mindset of Auldgoryan Witchcraft is that the cosmos is ordered by these cause and effect balancing factors, that the forces which are beyond our sight are those also found within us and animals, plants, etc.  A chain of being in which the caster, the Witch, is on but one rung of the great ladder, and it is this interconnectedness which allows for the wise individual to effect change in things at various levels equal, below, and above.

When these concepts and practises are joined with the knowledge of the natural world as it exists in the current age, the Witch can brew potions which are capable of anything they have learned to affect, the Witch can also stir the medium in which all things exist and operate and in so doing, move much larger numbers of creatures/persons than could be affected by a potion, as well as change the weather of a given area.  In total, the Witch, alone, is capable of anything given enough time, resources, and experimentation.  Witchcraft is partly Alchemy, Astrology, Charming, Enchantment, Naming, Scrying, etc.  With such a diverse portfolio of capabilities, the Witch, even if they specialise, will never reach the same depth of knowledge and power as a practitioner of any single one of the fields, but is so much more potent by virtue of the variety of effects and diversity of capabilities.  The Witch can, with a twig, stir pond water into a scrying mirror, with a chant, can call forth rain and lightning or disrupt a forming storm, and with an herb-stuffed doll, stimulate nightmares of the already present concerns the target possesses.

Presenting this in the ARGUS system requires a decision to apply certain Ability Scores which will represent the Witch's particular concentrations, and then to further hone their specialisms within those.  Also necessary is the player's commitment to the philosophical grounding in the naturalistic focus of Witchcraft so that the practitioner-character does not begin to veer off into less essential pursuits and therefore lose the flavour of the Craft.

&

Noodling with music and lyrics.

AULDGORY: Starry Empire as Republic -- online game notes

 Consolidating the functioning of the Republic within the Starry Empire; here's a snippet I found today:

(C) 2020, 2022 Kyrinn S. Eis, All Rights Reserved

STARRY EMPIRE AS REPUBLIC

Starry Empire with Lybrti as Empress

President as 1st Prince

Former 1st Princes become Dukes

...

A Knight is a Citizen-Soldier

John: To clarify, and to make certain that you don't try and override me: Your character has been serving in the Banner Ranks for nearly 07 years, since your assignment as Squire.  During this time, your character has matriculated through the ranks and is poised now, at he end of 7 years, of attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG). Your character is currently serving as a Sergeant (SGT).  Your 1 remaining standard Blessing point could be used for a full promotion out of Enlisted to the rank of Second Lieutenant.

Matt's character, although slightly younger, is also a SGT, in the same situation, largely due to the character's social background influence

So, to catch you [Matt] up.  Your parent, the Baronet/te employed multiple Knights, and one of them owned the manor on which John's character grew-up.  You had bumped into each other at holidays, but only started 'hanging out' in the military.

You are both at a Sergeant rank, and have been assigned to a military interdiction task force dedicated to stopping the flow of stolen military arms to the Solar rebels in the heartland, as well as the odd shipment bound to the Lashan Hillfolk rebels.

Your home region is heavily forested with old-growth indigenous trees as well as a smattering of alien life forms (flora and fauna) which find the conditions pleasant.  It is backed in the NW with mountains, to the east with mostly fresh water, and the rest which isn't forest are grassy plains.  This region used to be Michigan's Peninsula before lake Michigan was cancelled by the mountains.

Your Company is Leander's Leucrota, and the Company Mascot Cult is the Leucrota ritual.  You all partook of a Leucrota's brain after it had been feed a criminal from the area of operations for which your Company is responsible.  You now have the memories of the criminal, as well as the Leucrota's prior victims, such as perfect recall of bird songs, and the words uttered by its victims immediately before their ambush-deaths.

John's training has him specialised in Bugging, remote surveillance technology and repair.

We need to go through the process to determine your PC's capabilities.

OK, that's it for this week/

Vrun, & Other Stuff

VRUN-

o Haven't looked into Hittite, yet.  I think I'll wait until I simply cannot get something done with Vrun as is, and then look to add only what it needs.

o It already proves to be truly Particulate, permitting math functions to be performed upon the Phonemes to create new, sub and super-structural words/phrases which still cleave to the parent sample.  This is apart from their numerical values -- not even in view for this discussion.  Very much like the Abrakadabra formula.  I don't know what to call this function which arose: stripping the Conditionals (vowels+) out, leaving the Noumenals (Consonants+), and it retained meaning and similitude to the origin text, and yet, stated something new which seemed obviously necessary after seeing it.

Other Stuff-

o I have been watching a lot of Dr. Sledge's ESOTERICA channel on YouTube; more than a few Old School D&D references in his videos.

o I have found several new-to-me female singer/songwriters, among them: Emilie & Ogden, Morgan Wade, Lera Lynn, and this one which doesn't seem to be indicative of her other work, which looks too weird for me: Fever Ray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWFb5z3kUSQ

o I have a little hobby exploration planned: braising four old US coins into as many bezels and connecting them to ribbon-pins of medals.  One coin each is the Walking Liberty, and the other, Standing Liberty.

VRUN Language Focus

o I have been diving deeper into Vrun and delineating what passes for Grammar in what is really more akin to Semiotic Icons.  The Durn influence upon the newcomer languages of the other Ethnicities (including the, Urq Keys, of Imperial Starships) was to provide their Grammar as the underpinning of all Human languages apart from true Outlier cultures, isolated and/or decidedly insular, as they were before disappearing into obscurity.

o I'm musing over adopting a variation on the Hittite, Animate, and Inanimate 'genders' for a test spin on Vrun, but, 'I ain't fer shur yet.'  I think the no/low Grammatical influence is a feature and not a bug.  Its meant to convey contextual data within Caste Clans daily operations, not facilitate poetry.  It is a very Vrun language.

o The shorter TV series idea is winning out, and I have spent hours thinking through scenes but have yet to commit their outlines to text.  I want to familiarise myself with Industry Standard formatting, and see if  my copy of, Scribus, would aid in this, or I'm better off staying in no-frills .txt mode.

o OK, That's about it.  O/O

Liminal Event Complex; What I'm Working On; AnchorFM Podcast

AnchorFM Podcast LINK

Liminal Event Complex-

I am under the impression that I will be moving out of State, but have not yet determined my destination State.  Getting my car fixed or diagnosed as a dying equine prior to a distant concert.  Moving.  In some combination.

What I'm Working On-

o Gaming: Although I open many tabs in my EditPadPro desktop app (Jan Goyvaerts), the three I am working on most actively are:

o Animals, Kladraed, and Monsters: as it says on the tin.  The format has changed a bit, and likely will, further.

o NPCeeds: multicolumnar table for quick NPC generation, event complications, and cultural nuance.

o Notes: Rules (or Philosophies of Rulings) which are written as miscellany until the corresponding section is authored and a receptacle for those rules/etc.

o TV Series: What started as scripting the outline for seven World Ages, debating whether filming the last season first and working backward was wise so as to minimise loss of access or participation of the cast and developers; or; filming key episodes which couldn't easily be handwaved should the said loss of access were to occur; this instead morphed into a much smaller tale -- possible in half as many seasons/episode total.  This one is the idea which is consuming my non-otherstuff time.

o Career: Since the show is unlikely to be the first thing, I'm looking for a way to achieve many of the same goals, in a way which reaches as many people as possible with the time I have left.  So, I'm prepared to be in a canned chicken and crackers level, but certainly would prefer something closer to the level of comfort I enjoyed in my youth.

o Alone, or, All One?

Sample Outlier Character & Updates

 AnchorFM Podcast LINK

Working steadily on the, Animals, Kladraed, and Monsters, section.  So far, I really like the solidification of my version of the Lamia, and, Leucrota.

Leucrota in a Bereme Oykh Darshin once rattled my players, or so they said.  I much prefer Leucrota to Gnolls as sapient Hyaenae.

As for my Lamia, picture, Nona, the, Kahn-ut-tu woman, wife of Tyree the Hillfolk leader and Kirk's friend from the TOS episode: A Private Little War.

Critter Template, TV, and my (eventual?) Run for the Presidency-

AnchorFM Podcast LINK 

I'm working through Gamma World and I'm cherry picking through MM, FF, and will add a few versions of thigs from MM2 -- all of those are the AD&D ones, not later editions.

When I am not sleeping, pizzaing, or driving, I'm writing, cat fooding, me fooding, and TVing.

I have finished Revolution, and it was both not good, great, and OK.

I will slot it into the Post-Apocalyptic TV timeline well prior to The 100, but even before, Tribes of Europa.

Yes, 6th and 7th Seasons The 100 did resolve characters' arcs', but many of them were literal deconstructions, or subtractive mirror events which neutralised/synthesised the character equation.  So much more should have been done with that -- it should have been a prequil, rather than the capstoen seasons, but I am fine with it.  Fine.  This is Fine.

Logan's Run the series is so nice, so much in the same overall milieu as Classic Battlestar Galactica -- Head Canon: The Galactica reaches earth of Logan, Jessica, and REM's time.  Time travel must not be tampered with, we know that now...

Rewatching ARROW, yes, I know...grown-ups watch, BANSHEE, instead, but, I was able to do both, and I'll likely do it again.  Laurel on ARROW is so effing pretty, her eyes -- her eyes!  Season 1 is so innocent and Count of Monte Cristo in comparison to shark-jumping it becomes...lol!

Incrementally watching my fave movie, The Ninth Gate, and also re-watching the Damien 666 series, now on HULU.

S3 Motherland: Ft. Salem, 2nd episode wasn't actually and episode -- its narrative structure was a like a sentence fragment where

Mood: I'm increasingly interested in becoming the President of the US.  Can I count on your support?

Question: Is 'Texting' a Gerund?

Sci-Fi Shows Older, Old, and Newish (also New AnchorFM Podcast)

 AnchorFM Podcast LINK

Animals, Kladraed, and Monsters, is my current task, translating critters from various sources as well as native weirdness takes up most of my non-pizza (non-sleeping) hours.

I really need to tackle the, Artefacts and Wonders, but I do need to converge the AKM and Cybernetics sections to address overall Artefacts stuff and from that, the Barbarian/Outlier economy, scavenging, and fabrication/production.

:: SCI-FI SHOW/MOVIE SPOILERS ::

I sort of want to talk about Orville S3 Gently Falling Rain, but also don't want to.
I found it a sufferable dog-whistle which was trying so hard to prove their orthodox hollywood credentials that it interfered with logical consequences of how they were depicting the Krill homeworld, and bad storytelling is a sin, I'm sure of it.

I finished the final season of The 100 for the second time, and I have a much more charitable view of the 6th and 7th seasons, and even the, 'Clark Griffin is the bestest evar we had to come back from the afterlife to live, grow old , and die with her!"  -- like the, Mormon Bachelorette, who flees the temple but is still attended by her Celestial servants -- even that was not as mind-shatteringly awful as it struck me first go round, but that last bit does suck.

Classic Battlestar Galactica was the joy it always is, I'm watching the Logan's Run series for the first time since it aired, and rewatching, The Starlost, which I really enjoy despite its rough production -- Dr. Who primed me for that.

Watching what was it, an NBC show?  Revolution -- I love Giancarlo Esposito -- so much more time with him as Major Tom than Fring.  His facial expressions and bearing are wonderful, and I am really beginning to enjoy Bas Monroe now that he was toppled.

Rewatched Man From U.N.C.L.E. -- I love that movie.  All the characters, including the NPCs, are great -- the ItalianAZI woman is so deliciously evil.

:: ADDED: BONUS MATERIAL ::

Honest review: Kenobi :: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DblSA-T_C-I&t=6s

Auralnauts: Larry Kenobi :: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnmeTyU1rA0

Auralnauts: Existential Troopers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKppwACQ-qk
________Part 2________________ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoU_7Xg3Zzw

Barbarian / Outlier Culture Characters III: Traders, Artisans, Beggars, Mercenaries, etc.

 AnchorFM Podcast LINK

Sorry I am a day late.

I'm also working on Conditions and Special Damage Types, Critters, and, Daily Life.

I could use some additional Good Thoughts; appreciated.

Second Installment in Creating a Barbarian or Outlier Culture Character

AnchorFM Podcast LINK

My hope to publish Auldgory before July 4th is looking less likely, but I'll keep at it.

A B/X framework for an Urutsk product is being hatched as we ... er, speak.

First Installment in the, Building an AULDGORY Character, series-

Newest AnchorFM Podcast LINK

(C) 2019, 2022 Kyrinn S. Eis, All Rights Reserved

Building an AULDGORY Character
:: _0: Starry Empire or Other?

07 Terran Old Republic Loyalist

06 Terran Easterner non-Citizen

05 Starfolk-Adopted Terran Janissary

04 Halfblood Starfolk-Terran Scion

03 Halfblood Starfolk-Terran Bastard

02 Barbarian Born Banner Ranks

01 Barbarian Born Exchange Officer

_0 Outlier     Born Guide/Translator

I am encouraging all who listen to this podcast series to leave voicemail feedback, ask systems or settings questions, and if the feature doesn't work, please let me know here.

Thanks.

About, AULDGORY: World of the Churn -- Scripted Podcast Special Allergy Edition

 Link to the AnchorFM Podcast

Script 001-

 o I have a terrible Allergy thing going on, so here's hoping you can stand my voice

 o I've written this script to try and stay on target with the topic of the cast

 o Auldgory: World of the Churn

 o My latest RPG, this being the first o use the ARGUS2 System; I had created the

ARGUS System -- originally code-named: Daedalists & Distraint, and ran more than a few

sessions over Google Hangouts

 o This time around, I have attempted to pay homage to the game systems I most like

and haven't yet written for: namely, Harnmaster, BRP, and Palladium Fantasy RPG R1e

 o There may be a bit of Chivalry & Sorcery and Gamma World as well as a dash of

Car Wars, too.  Ooh, and Behind Enemy Lines, The Companions' Edition (Red Box)

 o Setting-wise: Hmm.  This is much trickier...

 o As far as influential games and play-style: Gamma World, Boot Hill, RuneQuest,

Dark Heresy, and the Companions' edition of Behind Enemy Lines (Red Box).

 o AULDGORY's default gameplay is a theme campaign: the theme is: you are all

playing characters whose families strove hard to ensure that you were able to enter

a prestigious army company at age 07 serving as a Page.  By age 15 you had gradu-

ated to serve as a Squire, and for those of you who are playing characters who are

older than that, you have already been initiated into your Company Mascot Cult.

 o You have different options regarding your combat role, and togetehr we need to

determine your Company and its Focus, your Theatre of Operations, and your initial

interests: sights to see, foes to fight, terrain to trek, and Lodges to league.

 o if you do not allocate Blessings towards your Combat Role, you will default to

that of Combat Rifleman.

 o One way to have a more well-rounded character is to play a member fo a Barbarian

or Outlier Culture who ended up in the Banner Ranks of the Starry Empire, where you

all serve the Republic of the Starry Empire, blessed and protected by Lybrti herself.

 o Ancient Auldgoryan bloodlines exist now largely in Barbarian and Outlier Cultures

across the continent, but some remained civilised, both in the East as well as the

West.

 o The West Wards are operated by natural resource or rail barons, while the

East is the seat of the Starry Empire, and home to the Great Green Goddess, Lybrti.

 o Barbarian or Outlier Cultures are stereotyped as being influenced by one or a few

core truths of the tribe, elements from pre-'Rival invasion of Terra, and these

truths are not only held to be self-evident, but form the social structure of belief

and correct/virtuous action.  A tribe who revere the Auldgoryan Eagle and follow the

streamer of colours which trail the Eagle-like Spirit of Lybrti as is surveys the land.

 o Living in the East, much is as any typical depiction of the early USA of the 19th

century, while still owing to the style, propriety, and honour of the late 18th century

(TURN: Washinton's Spies, Sons of Liberty, Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, Ginger Snaps

Back, Strange Empire, Wild Wild West, Have Gun Will Travel, and so many others).

 o The great Conflict is the stalled War of Unification in the Lashan Mountain Range.

 o The Lashan Hillfolk are not the problem, but the Black Candle Rebels who meet atop

hilltops with their aluminium poles, horizontal mirrors topped by black candles, and

their eager eyes searching the night sky for the black winged things which bring

alien biotech weapons with which to fight the Banner Ranks to a standstill.  These

Starfiends are but the least servitors of the Voidbrood from outside timespace.

 o The far more mundane alien-Kladraed of the 'Rivals (Arrivals) number among the

  :: Moorwraith -- Semi-corporeal multi-dimensional magical beings whose aims are almost

entirely unknown by even the best-informed strategic minds in Hermasona, Ashing.

  :: The Sleeth -- Serpentbodied from the abdomen down, these beings are seemingly unknowable in their outlook, much less their aims for Auldgory and its people.

  :: Xidat -- remnants of a manifold-ancient people transformed by The Burn of the prior World Age (my Porphyry: World of The Burn product in print and pdf) now looking for how best survive this World Age.

  :: Who or what are the Wastelanders?  How best to deal with their relentless attempts to alter, first Auldgory, and later, all of Terra/Newurld, via their Firebloom?  The plant seems to feed off the power of the Wasteland, and each year, more Terran-stock plants and animals are mutated by the change that the Firebloom brings.  But, it is perhaps the way that all Kladraed, Human and Alien, Native and 'Rival, are warped, and transformed into Wastelanders via exposure to the plant or the phantasmal Twister.

 o There are a few other ways to enter play, but, as stated before, service in the

Banner Ranks is the default:

 :: Barbarian or Outlier Guides

 :: Scions of Republic Citizens who have, until recently, managed to avoid all official public service; upon Majority, aged 21, you were drafted to fight in the Lashan Theatre, and if you aren't lucky, in the Western Campaign where resistance is strongest, and Voidbrood aid to the Black Candle Rebels, the most horrific.

 :: A Foreign (Human?) Ally of the Starry Empire

Eleven Questions & Answers: Creator Spotlight: James Mishler

 Q1: When did you begin your RPG hobby, and were you into something adjacent prior to picking up your first RPG?

A1: I started with the Moldvay Basic D&D Set, which I received for Christmas 1982, so it has been 40 years now. I was into all sorts of fantasy as a child; I'd read The Hobbit in 2nd grade, and read all sorts of fantasy as I could get my hands on it. I had posters of dragons and stuff. I'd tried to pick up D&D before that, but my parents didn't like the imagery from Eldritch Wizardry, and so it wasn't until they found the much-more innocent looking Basic set that they got it for me. And then, of course, I was hooked. 

Q2: What was it like where you were first playing?  Were their negative attitudes connected with D&D and other RPGS in your personal experience?

A2: My parents had no problem with it, and my schools had no problem with it -- there were D&D clubs in middle and high school. But then there was the D&D Panic, which finally made its way to my hometown later in the phase, and our high school club got cancelled because some preacher convinced the principal it was Satanic. Very sad. Other than that, of course, at the time in my youth, D&D was a "nerds-only" activity, with all that entailed for the early to mid-80s.

Q3: Where do you rank, 'The Empire Strikes Back', in the Star Wars film category?

A3: #1. Best fights, best story development, best character development, best "world" development, best all around.

Q4: Which was your fave Indiana Jones movie?

A4: Raiders of the Lost Ark -- the first and still the best. The Last Crusade is a close second, Temple of Doom a distant third, and Crystal Skull... meh.

Q5: Which non-D&D-like RPGs do you enjoy?  Do you wish you could produce more content for that/them?

A5: Not including the various D&D clones and such related games, top of the list would be RuneQuest/Call of Cthulhu, Cryptworld (Pacesetter System in general), Lejendary Adventure, Dangerous Journeys: Mythus, the old Middle-earth Role-Playing System, Lords of Creation, WEG d6 Star Wars... mostly old school stuff. I've not played many of the "modern" games, though I am really enjoying Blades in the Dark.

Q6: Do you prefer Polyhedral dice systems over ones which use d6s exclusively?

A6: It all depends on the system and the genre. I still think the d6 system used by WEG for Star Wars was the BEST possible system for that setting. It really fit the galaxy, so to speak, in a way that the d20 system and the full range of polyhedrals never did. The basic percentile system worked great for FASA Star Trek. I think D&D could work well with just d6s, modeled after Chainmail (the WEG d6 System just would not work for the D&D style), but then, part of the D&D experience is using that full range of polyhedrals. I can't imagine DCC without all the additional intermediate polyhedrals.

Q7: Do you have a fave fantasy TV series (Robin Hood, Atlantis, Magicians, etc.)?

A7: I am a fan of the old classic animated series from the 80s, such as BlackStar, He-Man, Thundercats, etc., as well as modern takes on that style, such as Samurai Jack. Live action fantasy TV often just does not work for me, especially when it is too "self-informed". I enjoyed the old British Robin of Sherwood series (Michael Praed, before Jason Connery). I liked the first season of Once Upon a Time.

Q8: Did you see the Jason Momoa Conan movie?  What did you think of it?

A8: Saw it when it first came out in theaters. Thought Momoa was almost perfect as Conan, but stuck with a crap script. It was obvious that the writers knew nothing about Howard's Conan or the Hyborian world; they changed it to some genericized fantasy setting that did not even make internally consistent sense. An unfortunate misfire.

Q9: Do you also enjoy Sci-Fi or other genres in gaming and media?

A9: Yes, I am a fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek, in all media. Loved the WEG d6 Star Wars; enjoyed the FASA Star Trek RPG. Love Gamma World in most of its incarnations. Played the hell out of Star Frontiers years ago. Played a lot of the original Marvel Super-Heroes RPG from TSR. I like weird fantasy, science-fantasy, and horror genres, when the game works well; I love kitchen-sink campaign concepts, like TORG, though the system for that game just didn't work for me.

Q10: If you could produce RPG material for any game, past, present, or future, which game and what would you produce?

A10: Tops of course would be the Wilderlands, but that would require winning a lottery and buying out the current owners. I'd release the core material as System Neutral with support books for various game systems. I'd also like to see Gary Gygax's Lejendary Adventure get another fair shot, but that is another whole can of worms.

I have my own fantasy RPG in the works, in fits and starts and rebuilds. We'll see how that turns out...

Q11: Do you have any questions for me or Alternate Reality Games?

What is the status on Urutsk? Is it still in the works? Are you still running games?

Thanks for the interview!

James

** https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2438/James-Mishler-Games **

Recommended: OSR Blog Review; & How I would Use the Olden Lands with OSR games-

 LINK

o I'm pretty certain that I would run The Olden Lands using a combination of For Blood & Coin, Basic Fantasy RPG, and 2e/3e/4e Gamma World.

o Mishlers' Demigods pdf is too good not to use with this.  The ST:OS Space Gods and Star Wizards (popularised by some G+ fellows whose names escape recall) angle to space explorattion was not the one I was taking, but my path curved back and I see their truth; its expressed more in Series 2 Space: 1999 (Maya the Metamorph, etc.), where like Kirk before, Koenig wasn't taking any alien guff; after the reality breach-reset, Alpha'd had more than enough warring factions action in Series 1.  Demigods would exist to be toppled like the gods who fall under Stormbringer in Elric's stories.

o With For Blood & Coin, I'd use 1e/2e and permit all of those classes without concern.  The social and crime angles of 4B&C are right up my glass strewn unlit gangland alley and wildmagic-wastelands ruin shared by multiple different humanoids, a robot, and your group as they ride out a glass storm.

o Basic Fantasy RPG is hands down my consistent top pick for fantasy gaming.  Coupled with the optional rules and expansions one has all the classes and the means to make endless variations.  The version of a Confessor in BFRPG rules is wonderful and liberating -- the number of variations on the theme with other controlling or redirecting magic powers (not spells), etc.

o Gamma World would supply the Artefacts and Treasures which are paramount importance in collecting XP.  As per GW1e: when a tie needs breaking, or some other advantage decided, the character with the highest XP total would win.

o The Olden Lands would be the Pre-Cataclysmic World of Wonders.  We know things that were Ancient to the Ancients, what they called 'twice or thrice Ancient' knowledge.  They believed that Humanity had faced prior devastations and the survivors would serve as our Ancient ancestors.

o We will, in turn pass on the torches of reason and science.  We employ Mutants, both our Humanoid cousins, and the mutant animals and chimera formed in the protean pits of war targets.  Together we build civilised lands out of the wilderness and ruinscape.  Towns and Cities, Forts and Ports, Farmlands and Forested Preserves where strangers and outlanders travel to purchase goods and consult experts, carouse famous dens of iniquity, or climb a local landmark, etc.  The free exchange of knowledge and the redevelopment of fixed type printing will have similar effects, but with less history, and more savagery, how will the wilds be won?

Well, now what? The end of the Game Log readings; now the AnchorFM Podcast goes Podcasty

LINK

o Still working on Mutations

o I've got to make some hard decisions about which texts belong in which section, overall length, and is this going to be supported with Monthly content in a Patronage model?

o Then graphical layout

o I'd like AULDGORY to be out and in print by end of this June

Mulder and Scully Return

 LINK

See the AnchorFM Podcast entry for this one to better understand why they are where they are now.

Other News-

o Made a breakthrough using NBOS Character Sheet Designer as my Page Layout software; I discovered that the Text Box function meant to be Fillable in the Reader software allows me to paste text which auto-wraps.  Prior to this, I had been manually breaking text to approximate Full Justification within my 2 Column layout.  Now I can just drop in the text and worry about tweaks in the final pass(es).

o Went further and made ten, 16 page documents where each page has two columns set up as above.

o N/PC generator (four d10, one each, to determine four chunks of data for each *PC); includes roughly 260 Mutations.

After Two Week Hiatus: AnchorFM Podcast & Notes

LINK 

o Found some files of mine which came in handy with the bit I'm writing now: fast meaningful NPCs (and optionally, PCs) via 4 to 11 rolls on different columns of one table.

o Expanding Appendixes on more nuanced combat stuff and 

o Getting closer on bridging the travel, encounter, and foraging stuff together with the cottage, way-stop/tavern-inn, and the lord's manor house.

o Weather, too, needs a bit of spiffing-up for integration with the travel bit.

Sweet Fruit :: new AnchorFM Auldgory Game Log

 LINK

Writing: Orders and Factions

My reply to Vince the Evil DM's Question about OP PC Fatigue-fixes

 Vince's Video

Divide up each PCs XP total into pairs of numbers and read them as Humanoid (or Animal, or Plant) Mutations on the Gamma World table of choice and explain that the world has entered a State of Mutability of unknown duration. These mutations are affecting everything in their world and new monsters and powerful enemies are on the move.

Everything now has base CONd6 Hit Points, and Class Based HPs are just a kicker which are consumed first, except when struck with a Critical Effect which wither the CONd6 HP. These meat points are much slower to heal, 01 Point per Week of Bed Rest +/- Con Modifier; yes it is possible to get worse, not better.

Any Class Features are frozen at present Level, as Level no longer affects development, but only applies to Reknown and Allegiance Status. Use the GW version of Development rules (1e is pretty random, 2e on is less so).

Use every creature you had before, but add the CONd6 HP, and give them 2 or 3 Mental AND Physical Mutations. Add in the GW creatures you like, hell, add in the ones you hate and place a bounty on them.

I guarantee that the combination of Magic, Mutations, and High Tech will revitalise the game for everyone.

(no emotions or complaints) New AnchorFM Game Log: Captain's Knight 2B & ARGUS/Auldgory Update

 New AnchorFM Game Log reading >>> LINK <<<

---

o I'm trying to bring the travel, foraging, herbalism, hunting, crafting, carousing rules together in their respective and corresponding portions and make it feel whole.

o Trying to limit my Ability descriptions to Encounter:Critical spare genius, but largely just presenting possibilities as the template for GM rulings.

o Novel dice mechanism (to the best of my knowledge) where two different dice are rolled in addition to the Resolution dice, and the player decides whether to add one or both of these special dice.  Each of the two require something of the PC equal to the number they generate; multiple dice may be invoked by the player with the GM's approval.

o Thinking of adopting a newer and smarter Weapon Profile, but not yet certain.

o Armour received a specific change which easily adapts to an Ascending AC if folks prefer, but in ARGUS2 results in Endurance and Stun damage to the wearer on a failed pen. -- Being battered wears one down.

Click the link to hear the adventure log, stay to wallow in my miseries.

LINKY

I was out from work last week with the flux, and now I am awaiting my C19 negative result in order to satisfy my boss' demand although I herd that others have been allowed to come and go without.

I must be near a grand in the red with my bank, and last week's paycheck was diverted so that I could pay rent.  The rental office has stated that my Pizza job's income is too high for the gov't programme which subsidises the place/my rent price and that I should be prepared to move in April.

Yes, the very job which is too little hours to survive on is too much income for one person, as the Poverty Line is now a measily 13.xk annual, and 17.6 for a couple.  What?!  After the so-and-sos C19'd the world economy, the poverty line is 13k?!

I'm waiting to call back on a bus driver position, or any of the other applications which seem to take at least one, if not two weeks to reply, when they bother.

So, ...what the fuck am I supposed to do?
My car needs an oil change, but no one seems trustworthy enough to do that without fucking me over; once that car goes I'm essentially a bag lady with a fussy-eater cat.

I've started a purely gaming Patreon

I've started a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2387787&fan_landing=true