[Milieu] Sidereal Year Data-

Prompted by Rob Conley's blog post for today, I have this to add to the Urutskan Database:

Copyright (c) 2010 Kyrinn S. Eis

There are 46 weeks of 8 days forming one 368 day stellar year.

Every 5,760 days (15.65 years), an additional non-calendar day is added.
--This is known in Vrun as, Avdmurtkal: 'orbital adjustment', and is due to the rotational 'wobble' upon Urutsk' axis.

Avdmurtkal is celebrated in most Northern Hemisphere cultures as a time of omens, and in particular, a time in which new possibilities are ripe for the working. Accordingly, magickal and priestly groups and their adherents often set aside the days prior for fasting and self-discipline so as to enter the new era devoid of the trappings and shortfalls of the prior era.

It is estimated that there have been roughly 2,755 occurrences of Avdmurtkal since the formation of the cosmos, placing the date of the observable cosmos at roughly 43,116 years (as of year 777 New Calendar).

[Milieu][RPG] Still digi-painting...and so forth-

Having first hand-drawn the KB & Environs map and then scanned it, I am finding all sorts of artefacts that need to be tracked down and erased/painted over, as well as re-doing all the location names and data in type layers.
--It's a bit trickier than I had first thought, but by all accounts, it's looking nifty.

Working via the right lobe of my brain is helping to unlock ideas for inclusion in the text.

I'll detail things a bit for you folks:

This product will serve as a grounded entry point to the milieu, and to that end, I am including several stat formats for the bulk of you who dig on the d&ds, while still retaining UWoM statting. This itself is to illustrate the correlation between the two systems, and help acclimatise you folks to more intuitively judge at a glance what future UWoM stat formatting actually means --relative to the d&d-centric point of view. This should allow snappy use of my stuff with your preferred (d&d-esque) game.
--Gala apples to Fujis, so to speak.

Regardless of the timestamp, it is 2:24 AM, and I'm outta' here.

[Milieu] AFTERMATH, Killraven, Sabre, The Elementals, and Urutsk-

Much of this is stream of consciousness.
--I had to put-down my beloved cat of 17 years today, and I'm slightly deranged as a result.

1). AFTERMATH (FGU)

:: While an organisational nightmare far too common in that period of gaming, and the system is equally opaque (possibly due to the distribution of core concepts and 'setting-mechanics') upon first and second glance, the data contained within this game was for me extremely though-provoking and in fact, caused me to seek out Real-World knowledge on the various subjects. This is also true of The Morrow Project. Twilight 2000 came late in my interest in Post-Apocalyptic gaming.
:: I realised just a few moments ago upon glancing at the upright-standing box of AFTERMATH I purchased (my replacement copy) in Jacksonville, FL. around 1997, the strange world depicted in the books has had a noticeable impact in the psychic construction of Urutsk, given that my setting began in much the same condition as that of those illustrations.
--Strange, slightly futuristic armours, relatively plausible energy weapons, skinny/gaunt figures in streets reclaimed by nature but otherwise untouched by 'hot' weapons, and less of a fantasy-P-A, nor the military/martial P-A of T2k and TMP.

2 & 3). Stir-in Jonathan Raven from War of the Worlds/Killraven, and McGregor's later work, Sabre, and a very different sort of P-A setting has been half-formed in this weird chick's brain.

4). But, since Urutsk started as a Supers game set very near the end of global civilisation's final grasp on normal existence (normal, of course relative to Urutsk), there has to be Powered individuals. Cue Marvel Superheroes, Heroes Unlimited, Mayfair DCH, GURPS Supers, and in our case, Villains & Vigilantes in that order. But, before any of those (for me), there was the obscure comic book by TSR and OS great, Bill Willingham: The Elementals (and the semi-related non-Willingham, Justice Machine).
--While the apparently anti-Judeo-Christian themes in The Elementals are no longer ones I embrace, the rest:

Death

The Elementals, and indeed most of the superhumans in the comic, are dead. In the comic, the main ways to gain superhuman powers are through dying, often in a manner that attracts the roaming energy of Shadowspear. While the Elementals, and other superhumans, lived on after death they were changed, generally being physically tougher than ordinary humans but also more emotionally distant, and often able to only relate fully to other superhumans.

Supernature

Unlike most other superhero comics, Elementals did not sharply distinguish between superhuman powers and magic. Indeed, all of the superhuman powers in the comic come, in one way or another, from supernatural sources.

Fame

After the Elementals dealt with Saker and his minions, they were the only super-beings walking free on the planet. The four quickly became the world's most famous celebrities; according to Tommy, this wasn't due to their abilities, but the fact they were dead. The Elementals were, at least until other paranormals began to appear, the ultimate pop icons.

Government

The Elementals had a love-hate relationship with the Federal government of the United States, which sought to control them. At first, a single agent, Porter Scott, was assigned to tag along with them. Later, an entire government agency, F.I.S.H. (Federal Intelligence Security Headquarters) was created to monitor paranormal activity. Later still, the Elementals began to wonder if they and their fellow super-beings should not simply govern themselves.

Violence

The series had a gruesome flair, as Willingham exposed all consequences of fights. As Morningstar said, "This is a war, and in war people die." The protagonists' ability to heal wounds enabled them to survive brutal amounts of damage; Vortex, in particular, managed to get badly mauled with alarming regularity.

Sexuality

Peekaboo nudity was a staple of Elementals, as the author tried to push the limits of (then) acceptability in American comics world. Also controversial was the issue in which Morningstar discovered that her fiancé, Eric Chessman, was actually the sadistic villainess Shapeshifter, toying with her emotions."

-played a very large role in Urutsk's conception, and these influences, I feel, are ones not only under-represented in gaming ([including the idea of retro-clones/simulacra of the FGU game , TMP, or T2k]), but under-exposed cultural gems of a bygone era --post-Reagan administration, Ministry's new-found voice of distrust/hatred of government, and Camper Van Beethoven's Key Lime Pie.

[RPG][Milieu] Kelzsyn's Bluff Progress Update-

It took me a while to find an art programme on the web for the Mac specifications I needed, but I eventually found ArtRage Studio Pro 3, and quickly fell deeply in like with it.

The demo allowed me to fill in and alter areas of the Bluff & Environs 'map', but it is feature-limited so as to save only in its native format, or export with two very annoying adverts. Fortunately, I was able to print without such restrictions and then scanned the printout and brought it into my PC's Photoshop 7.x where my previous copy (and more importantly, the Text layers) resided, and they were mated.
--I now need to tweak a few things (I can use the mouse for this stuff) and then label the smaller communities in the area, as well as natural features.

I like ArtRage Studio Pro enough to want to purchase it, when the funds are determined to be available.
--Now, to figure out how to get my tablet to work (again) with my desktop unit.

When I feel it is presentable, I'll post a link to it.

[Playtest Campaign] 5th, FebRuary-

"Be flexible."
--That was my outlook for this session on my drive up to the store.

Devlyn MqKullyn (not MqKlellyn, as I had previously thought) was asked by cousin Ylnel to finally get something to eat before trying to re-claim her baggage, now that they had Tyb's authorisation. Encounter Qwyl and his 'low sorts' friends, and sits with them. Meets a silvery, salt-and-pepper haired fellow in nice clothes who first sends over a black bottle from the Black Crown (AKA, The Marnharnnan Yirinn Empire of Bereme Oykh, MYE/BO), then chills it with a grasp, and aids in dispensing the very cooled liquid that turns to vapour as it heats up at room temperature. Drinking it does 'funny' things to those imbibing. Devlyn decides to introduce Llellyn Thorp (WI) to the governor, and Ylnel is left behind, drunk, without a second thought.

During this time, Tyb had been kept informed of the stiff losses the joint Human-Humanoid anti-Pirate tunnel force was suffering, and of the reports by them, and captives of some sort of 'monster' in the tunnels, very near to the tesseract, as well as the ship's projections as to where the Planar Generator was that had poisoned Ahnni with unknown radiation. He learns from Ylliya (his youngest daughter) that one of the captive pirates is still suffering un-ease regarding the monster. During her Telepathy (as in the spell) she is afflicted by some sort of feedback loop that makes her see herself from the monster's psychic perspective, as there is no mind for her to read, save her own. A Pro from Elementals (Um, ...huh? Okay, I roll with it for a bit of her relief, given the Elemental nature of the setting), Darius' Forcefield Generation (another third of relief), but Tyb's perplexed. He decides to visit the Merry Tea-Time group's leader at her home. As the carriage arrives to take him and Darius, Devlyn and Llellyn show up and come along for the ride.

The guards at her gate refuse even the Governor from entering, but Ahnni blips in and kills a two-headed dog and blips back with it. The guards acquiesce, but now the servants at the front door refuse access. Tyb senses the pitch of the Aether is very odd, in a powerful way, and he uses a fancy command spell of some sort to make the most trusted senior staff member flee. They gain entry only to have all spells and powers cease immediately, as if the energy was siphoned out of them. They meet with the lady of the house, clad in a voluminous black robe who explains that they cannot disturb her at present. Sounds of oddness resound from behind the closed double doors. Tyb goes to open them, is shouted at not to by the lady, and then they hear what sounds like one thousand goats laughing in unison.

The thing dominates the round, bull-rushing Tyb, and then a bounce into the wall for 20 points after armour reduction, and with its second action, curses Darius (still carrying Ylliya) with some word that knocks him through the front door to land harshly on the grass (Ylliya takes 24 points). I think that was preceded by Tyb using his nifty new shadow rope/whip/awesome-thing to disarm the beast's scimitar still in the scabbard. The angry critter, very large, goat-like (its hoofs covered in molten gold that boils away after damaging surfaces?), runs after the lady of the house who fled into her underground passageway that leads (among other places) to House Ahzinbakh. The house burns down, but not before I describe the rest of the Merry Tea-Time decapitated, splortched, and generally deadified (fingers broken at strange angles, faces contorted into horrified visages, etc.), and Tyb rescues the summoning tome.

A runner is dispatched to reach Ashta, who arrives in the sphere and helps localise the weird brimstone-like fire, with the aid the rain. Attempts to encapsulate the scimitar in TK fail, even powerful effects, so it is instead buried. The digging by the TK reveals very old skeletons in the walls of the cellar. Clearly the MT-T group had a dark past Tyb had no idea of.

Tyb skims the book, learns that the 172 named creatures listed therein are more like circumstantially-personified abstract forces made material when summoned. This one was related to fear of things wild and chaotic, and specifically of rapine lusts. He makes the connection with the great fear both sides of the tunnel fighters were facing, and he ponders the true nature of the threat. There had been a goat-festival at House Ahzinbakh when the PCs first became the Governors of Doran, but I don't think anyone remembered that.

Both players had to leave around 8/8.5, but stayed later, apparently enjoying themselves.

[RPG][Milieu] Kelzsyn's Bluff Setting / Adventure Pack-

With Sean Wills' blessing and assistance, I will be 'officialising' ;) his adventure, and am still at work on the Environs section of the mini-setting book. More news, namely other names being added to the roster, may be forthcoming in the early part of next week.

At present, I have taken time off from writing and am colouring the first of at least two maps. The first is the immediate areas surrounding the Bluff (Mirror Lake, the southern reaches of the Smokewood Forest, the Green Dome Woods, Cat Alley 'Highway', etc.). Sadly, this is slower going than I had hoped, as my WACOM tablet simply won't work with my tangle of USB peripherals. I may port that and the art files over to my 10.5" laptop (:: squint-squint ::), or the Mac in the other room to try and finish the first map by Monday or so.

My SO is working tonight, so she won't be attending the game, but I ought to have at least Tyb/Darius and Devlyn, if not Ymmyk.

I hope any Friday-gamers out there have a good session. :D

A Brief Diversion-

Close Encounters of the Redneck Kind from Marc Bullard on Vimeo.

Via Jeff Grubb