Another Update, and it is still March!

So I'm doing wonderful progress in exploring twelve new systems this year.   I have to admit, each and every system I get to try has given me new insight on various gaming options and approaches.  

So here's the update on my Twelve New Systems for 2013.
Of games I've run:
Houses of the Blooded: Wilderness
Fiasco
Our Best Last Hope
Blood and Honor
The Aegis Project
Wilderness of Mirrors

Kult
Castle Falkenstein


Games I have played in:
Shadows of Esteren

The write-ups for the Wilderness of Mirrors, Kult and Castle Falkenstein games are on their way.  While I originally was posting daily updates for the blog, some people in the Google plus Circles complained about getting overwhelmed by the number of updates.  So I decided to slow the release of the posts instead and stagger them to an every-other-day flow.

But man.   Nine games out of twelve.  And it is only March!  I haven't gotten around to running Google Hangout games though.  But man, there are still so many games to try!  I still have a bunch of Kickstarter games I'm hoping to have released soon, from FATE Accelerated to Heroine to Alas Vegas there's that hope of having them come out soon so they can be part of the twelve.  But frankly, I'm seeing the twelve get completed with games like Itras By, Sea Dracula, Cthulhutech and probably even Mouse Guard.

But yeah we currently have the following ongoing Chronicles (mini-chronicles I suspect):
Recruitment : Lacuna

The Riddle of Blood : Houses of the Blooded

In Flux : The Shadows of Esteren

Blood and Silk : Blood and Honor

Significators: Kult

We have the ongoing weekly one-shot games at the Gamers Meet at Eastwood.  And I am foreseeing a sixth mini-chronicle with the acquisition of new players, and since one of them is a game master, I can even foresee myself playing more too!  

Finally, my order for Vlaada Chvatil's Space Alert has arrived.  I've been anxious for this game ever since I read a review online about it having an accompanying music CD for real-time moments of panic... oh wow.  That would be the closest to experiencing how I run my own games!  Hhehehe so yeah, here's to hoping some miracle happens and days suddenly expand to forty hours each day hehehe.

Oh the joys of being a geek.
Life is good.

The Riddle of Blood e08 : Houses of the Blooded

03/10/2013
The Riddle of Blood
Episode Eight
"The Serpent"

Winter continued its harsh and terrible toll upon the Ven.  The eight episode of The Riddle of Blood introduced a new character:  Kyocera Jalan, the estranged brother of the late Kithranus Yvarai, Blooded of the Serpent, who has been living in the frontier lands even before the trip to The New Land (which happened in Episode Five, "The Wilderness").

Kyocera Jalan, Gaius Mwrr, and Quan Wei Yvarai all wore disguises as they snuck into another's Region to watch what was called a play by the Veth.  Each one disguised their appearance as to not be seen among the Veth as they viewed the performance which was called, "The Life and Affairs of Kithranus Yvarai."  The play was a parody, with many of the dramatic moments of the Fox' life exaggerated for added humor, such as having Sapphire, Scarlet and Gold as his women.  Kyocera watched with great interest, but soon noticed a pair of far too beautiful boots worn by a cloaked man in the opposite balcony.   Quan Wei found herself speaking with some Veth who mistook her as a new Maid of the Ven lord of the land.  They opened up to her about how the Ven are careless and blind to the Veth's needs and how even the kind Quan Wei is unawares of the real reason behind the revolution in her lands.  When Quan Wei prodded for info, she discovers the Veth blame her husband, Yao Lin, was known for his cruelty towards the servants!   Gaius, unawares that his boots caught attention, made to leave the play after having seen enough.

Gauis would find a fourth Ven exciting the theater.  As the Ven motioned outside the theater, and a carriage drew up to receive her, Gaius slipped around the back of the carriage to appear as if he had arrived from away from the theater.  Dropping his black cloak, he walked up to the carriage's window and saw none other than the Dutchess of the Box herself and the late Kithranus'mother-in-law, Madelyn Yvarai.  The Duchess notes his presence and was about to invite him inside when Kyocera calls out for Gauis and instead sees his late-brother's mother-in-law.  She ushers him away and has Gauis sit with her in the carriage, then motions outside for her Vassals to act.   Gaius, uncertain how to act, plays it cool and pretends not to know why she is here.

Quan Wei realizes there is danger in staying and earnestly leaves the theater.  Kyocera walks after her, and both duck into a nearby alleyway upon hearing the sound of marching feet.    Gauis realizes Madelyn had called for her Secret Army, which then surrounds the theater, and massacres everyone inside.  "We were having wine," Madelyn tells Gaius without a moment's hesitation, "All afternoon."  Gaius realizes she had just secured an alibi of her whereabouts, but decides to play his own card.  "Yes,  and I appreciate the support you will give my patron, Ti'Anne Burghe in her bid to be in the Senate."  Madelyn is trapped, for her dislike for the Elk was quite clear.  But she relents.

Kyocera and Quan Wei find an archway to duck under in the alley way, and when the screams begin, both wonder what exactly is coming to pass.  Then it rains.  Blood.  And the streets are painted red.  Kyocera realizes the Duchess had every single veth present in the theater killed for insulting his brother's memory.  And Quan Wei hurriedly makes her way home, wishing she never came to visit the holding that was once part of the late Kithranus' Province, The Red Throne.

The three continue their tales in their own Provinces.

Kyocera finds a woman trapped under a toppled carriage on one of the paths leading to his Castle.  When he helps the woman to her feet, she introduces herself as Ming Tal, Blooded of the Wolf and Baroness of Shu.  She is the sister of Quan Wei Yvarai.  Ming mentions being attacked by a massive spider-like Ork which ate her horses and pinned her to the ground.  Soon the two encounter the said monstrosity once more, and Kyocera realizes the Ork is one of the creatures that have befriended him and serve his Province.  Not wanting to reveal such an un-Ven practice, he allows the Ork to be slain, and has Ming welcomed to his castle.  A strange hint of seduction seems to stand, but it is uncertain what her true motives are, only that she is seeking someone who had settled in the frontier.  In the other room, Kyocera meets with his Ork Talker, however, and learns that one of the Ork Maidens is seeking a Ven mate to further the tribe.  Culture dictates the Ork women rape a Ven male, preferably the best swordsman in the land, and misunderstanding some of the translations, Kyocera directs the maiden to seek out Reidon Yvarai.. unawares he had just seemingly sent an Ork to kidnap a Ven noble in another Province.

While at Wushu Castle, Quan Wei confronts her husband about the news.  He, however, does not take the confrontation well, and feels insulted she would trust the Veth over his own words.  He explains his actions are cruel to promote her own actions as that of kindness, winning the hearts of the people.  When she prods on the riots and why they began, her own servants finally confess that the riots are more due to the rumors of her being "possessed by the Dara".  Confused, she asks what they know of it and as it turns out, among the Veth the Dara is the embodiment of the Bogeyman.    It is a supernatural monster that comes to steal the undisciplined Veth children, and exists solely to destroy everything that their masters, the Ven, have created. Bothered, Quan Wei tries to ask her husband to trust her, then makes arrangements to leave while he is sleeping.  Her destination has yet to be revealed.

And finally Gaius Mwrr was dropped off at the borders of the Province of Box, to see his carriage already waiting there.  One of the Vashna is there, waiting for him, and informs him that his brother is being punished for breaking the code of silence.  While he was pardoned of his wrong accusations of being a Sorcerer, an error that the late-Kithranus Yvarai caused, he was then punished for contacting a family member.   When questioned on who reported it to the Senate, the truth reveals it to be Ti'Ann Burge herself.   Gauis arrives at his own castle to find Ti'Ann Burghe already there, and she readily admits to having reported it, not realizing the Vashna was Gaius' brother.  She promises to help, but admits she came to see him for an important reason, but the reason has yet to be revealed.

*

It was then I sprung a meta moment on my players.
But more on that once the eight episode of Lacuna : Recruitment is uploaded.

Why Schedules Matter

Why Schedules Matter
by Tobie Abad

I remember the days when gaming meant meeting up during the lunch break with my classmates, pulling out our notebooks (that contained our penned down character sheets since there were no actual sheets back then) and rolling dice on the floor as we shared stories of how Captain America defeated Doctor Doom, how the Valkyrie fighters shot down the Zentraedi battle pods and how the wizard miscast the fireball and caused it to kill the entire party.    I still clearly recall those days when gaming meant meeting up on the weekend since the next class wasn't til noon the next day, and playing out the destruction of the Prince for practicing infernal rituals.  I will never forget those times I'd be at a table at some event, meeting new faces who love Harry Potter, or StarWars, or Matrix, or Firefly, and running a game just for them to enjoy while at the said event.  There games were long, some stretching through three actual days with breaks provided for eating, sleeping, and taking a crap.   I had so much free time to do such things.

Now, as an adult with familial and relationship responsibilities, bills, chores, and actual work to do, having a proper schedule to make things work is vital if not required to still have a healthy and satisfying gaming life.

Sounds impossible?

Let me be the example here.  I am currently living with my partner at a condo unit we have rented.  We have a pet dog, and a pet fish, and some plants.  We have no household helpers.  We have a car, have laundry, cook our own food, and do our own chores.

I am also a Game Designer, handling around five to ten different game projects in a given week, and writing around three to five new game concepts each week for future projects.   I am also helping out at a family business, double checking around 50 to 100 documents each day to ensure templates, grammar, spelling and accuracy was maintained.

Finally, as I posted in my earlier post, I have a healthy gaming life right now.  With a wide range of ongoing campaigns (Esteren for fantasy, Houses of the Blooded for Drama, Blood and Honor for tragic heroism, Lacuna for thrilling mystery and soon, Kult for disturbing horror) my partner and I are very happy to have so much gaming time even with our schedules.  And frankly, the tricky part is more making sure that the groups in each game are available for their said games.  After all, we two aren't the only ones who know have lives filled with personal and work responsibilities to manage.    That becomes the very reason schedules matter.

1.  Responsibilities Do Come First
So the first thing you have to consider giving up is the idea that a game can be scheduled every weekend.  You have to make sure you open up weekends for other things, whether or not you want to.  Maybe you have no problems with having nothing but a game each Saturday.  But what about your players? What about their need to have time with their family?  With their other hobbies?  Be realistic in your expectations of other people's free time.  I know this might sound like common sense to some of you readers out there, but the gods know I've encountered some people who think this is a heretical statement to make.

But yeah, chucking dice and trading stories is pointless if it causes you to lose your house.  Or causes your friend to lose a relationship.  The game, ultimately, is a game. So be sure there is time for other things.

2. If You Can Schedule It, Try To Stick To It.
It is pointless to say, "We will game on the 16th of March) for example, if you don't try to map out your own plans with that block of time marked down for the game.  After all, you did inform the rest of the group before hand that you will try to make that weekend free.  Ideally, they are doing the same thing.   (And yes, if none of you are, then it is time to accept the fact that maybe you guys need a break from gaming.  Hobbies you can always go back to.  Responsibilities need you.  And you better make time.)

But if all save one player seem to be keeping the schedules, then consider asking that one player to be a non-playing character for the meantime.  Rather than throw all the guilt-inducing phrases or demand explanations, just understand they have to prioritize more important things and inform them to be fair for those present you are running the game still.  If the player makes a fuss over that, then maybe it is time to look into that person's maturity.

3. If You Can't Make It, Inform the Others A.S.A.P.
Everyone has stuff to do.  And everyone makes time to play.  If you can't make it, inform the rest so they know.  Don't wait for them to ask.  Don't wait for them to nag you.  Just tell them.  No one enjoys waiting.  No one enjoys wasting time.

God knows I rather be told, "Sorry I can't make it" than to play the guessing game of "will he or won't he show up" for two hours.  Don't be a jerk.

4. Responsible Gaming Is Not Impossible.
Making time to game after all also means you are being responsible in making sure other things you do have to do won't be thrown on the wayside.  The fact that table-top games can take hours to play means it requires a hefty cut of your day's schedule.  So be sure to also end it on time to handle other things.

Like sleep.
Yes, definitely sleep.

I'm lucky to be in a relationship with a guy who loves to game too.  So yeah, we work our schedules to have gaming nights when we can.  But for those who aren't, keep in mind that if you do want a gaming life to still exist, then schedules will have to matter.

The Alien Ship : Our Last Best Hope

 03/07/2013
The Alien Ship
Our Last Best Hope

It was Gamer Meet night (those in the Philippines who want to attend, just join either this Facebook group, or this Google Plus Community.) and I headed to Eastwood to run another one-shot game for whoever was present.  The game ended up being Our Last Best Hope with two players trying it out for the very first time.  This meant I get to be a player too! Woot!  After a quick discussion on what the game is like, we started on mapping out the particulars for the set-up.

 To prep for the game, I had with me the black and white six-sided dice, the index cards and markers to write stuff down, and a bunch of glass beads that can be used as Story Tokens.

The Crisis was:  Alien Ship headed to Earth.  And given how we all loved Macross/Robotech, we decided it was a massive alien vessel like a Zentraedi warship.

The Limit was: We were the only ones who knew about the incident.  Taking a slightly sci-fi twist, we were space based scavengers that had a ship and some tech to scrap any old satellites and other machinery still in orbit that were no longer being utilized.  We noticed the ship's approach and knew it was only a matter of time before others on Earth did.  We wanted to nab salvage rights.    Supposedly the characters did NOT know about it being a threat at the start.

And the Plan:  To fly into the ship and take control of it.  If we cannot control it, to rig the ship's power supply to destroy it and save the Earth from having a continent-sized vessel slam into it.

Yes, we really were feeling a tad anime-inspired for this game.

The crew was:
Captain Jim: Engineer who had brought his Lucky Rabbit's Foot with him and left behind his dog, Yoshi.  He had secretly slept with Doctor Wu's wife and was afraid of getting infected by some alien pathogen.  He liked how Badger kept him sane and found Doctor Wu infuriating.  I played the Captain (and Supply Officer) and had drawn, "Die when I refused to listen."

Doctor Wu: Doctor who had also secretly slept with Badger's wife.  I failed to remember his other stuff, and sadly he was to be the first one to die in the game. He was played by Justin, who supplied some of the other pictures in this post.  He had drawn, "Die fixing a Mistake."

Badger: Soldier who had brought his secret expertise with him and left behind his shameful past.  He secretly had killed lots of other people before during his younger age.  He would die helping a friend.  He was played by Carl.

We did not have a Scientist to help us.   We had a Highly Maneuverable Ship, Narcotics and Robotic Exoskeletons with Servo Arms as Assets.  And the game began.

The opening scene began with M.I.M.I.C. informing us that ship came into view.  I called the two for a meeting and informed them we were going to fly to the ship, go inside and look to see if we can control its systems.  We relished at the thought of becoming wealthy, scavenging a country-sized vessel of alien tech.  After informing them of the mission, Doctor Wu got infuriated and walked out.  Doctor Wu had his opening scene with Badger, as the two went to the Narcotics area to grab something to calm down.  The threat began as the Company suddenly attempted to initiate a remote sequence to send the ship back home! Bad rolls lead to the Doctor very early opting to die to save the ship.

Meteors strike the vessel, M.I.M.I.C. later malfunctions, and at some point we lose a lot of very valuable air as a rupture happens in the cargo area where the possibly infectious alien material is kept.  I face my fears and thankfully, seal the rupture before things get worse.

The Complication hits, and we lose the Narcotics supply, forcing me and Badger to reconsider our plans.  The attempt to pilot the ship fails, so we resort to rewiring the power supply of the alien vessel to prep it to self-destruct.

Badger and I learn later that an intruder had found its way into the ship!  An alien security robot entered the vessel and used its alien tech to appear as anyone the viewer happened to be thinking of.  Badger found himself staring at the late Doctor, then later, the faces of people he had killed in the past, and finally the face of his wife.  In hopes to help him, I tried activating the air locks to open, and he eventually dies helping me, a friend.

Alone in the vessel, M.I.M.I.C. informs me that the ship is running out of power, and at that point we realized there were a LOT of black dice still and just enough white dice to equal it.  Wanting to have a successful ending, I order M.I.M.I.C. to shut down all other systems save for communications.  With the remaining air supply, I record a quick message explaining what we three had tried to do, then commanded M.I.M.I.C. to send back to earth a final transmission containing my message as well as all data logs existing of the last 24 hours.   As the transmission completes, I execute the self-destruct sequence and die.. refusing to listen to M.I.M.I.C.'s warnings... as the ship explodes.

The story ends with the people of the Earth horrified to see a sudden explosion in the night sky.  News quickly spreads that there was such a dangerous object that remained undetected and so close to the planet. An Extinction Level Event would have unfolded if it had not suddenly inexplicably exploded on its own.  Then our transmission was received and all over the world news outlets broadcasted the video clips and final message of our vessel as I explained what we had done to save the world.

We are remembered as heroes, even if none of us where there to see it in the end. To quote Carl, "It's the dysfunctional and the underdogs who end up saving the planet...Just like in the movies."

*

Both players were not accustomed to this sort of a game.  Both found it very fun and admitted to now being eager to try other games as well.  I promised to run more stuff in the coming weeks.

*

In a wonderfully touching move, I received a box of Gigi's Cupcakes as a "thank you" for running games.  I admit that this gesture was very sweet and much appreciated and I do hope those who read this blog consider thanking their own GMs in a similar manner someday.  It feels very good to know the hard work of getting a game prepped, or in the case of this one, teaching a new game and mindset to approach it, is appreciated.

So yeah, I got home with a dozen yummy delectable cupcakes to share with my partner, Rocky.  I guess saving the world tastes even better when you got cupcakes to enjoy in the end.  Heheheh!

Soundtrack Suggestion: Dredd - Paul Leonard-Morgan

Dredd
by Paul Leonard-Morgan

I confess to being a fan of the 2000AD comic magazine.  And while I was no huge fan of the earlier movie attempt, this movie soundtrack for the recent remake showed much more promise.

Now whether or not the movie was impressive is not the important topic here.  The real question is, is the soundtrack worth investing on for one's games.  The simple answer is:  Somewhat.

The soundtrack will quickly remind a listener of stuff by Nine Inch Nails or the electronic beats of Daft Punk without sounding like an unlicensed clone.  The songs carry a bad-ass attitude which can serve well to enhance any games that involve action, futuristic moods, and beautiful destructive carnage without overwhelming the listener with blasts of bass beats and guttural screams.  Some of the tracks, however, can be trickier to work into a game scene given their distinct sounds.

The opening track, She's a Pass (Track 01) is a great mood builder, and can even be a perfect track to play for the character creation session to a sci-fi game.  Even better how easily loopable it is, so you can actually play it and leave it running indefinitely without a problem.  Mega City One (Track 02) is a bit of a mixed bag, however, with an intense electronic charge that can sound distorted or messed up in one's ear.  Anderson's Theme (Track 06) sounds great with its opening melodic tune, but ends with such a cacophony I don't foresee myself using it that often.  In contrast, Lockdown (Track 07) is a nice tense-builder with I feel sound have ended with the earlier mess of Track 06, but instead fades out the way I wanted Track 06 to do so.  Mini-Guns (Track 08) sounds like something you'd hear on Resident Evil's movie series with its intense staccato moments and pounding electrefica.  But once again, the track ends... hanging.  You Look Ready (Track 20) has great elements for a battle sequence, but mixes the calm with the chaotic too much it removes any hope of it being a loopable good track for combat (unless by some miracle in your games a combat lasts less than two minutes of real time to resolve.  Apocalyptic Wasteland (Track 22) attempts to save the soundtrack's usefulness with a nice attitude-rich clash of sounds that can be looped nicely to add to a game's atmosphere.

So, for a soundtrack that clocks at around 53 minutes, you have a mix of the good, the bad, and the great on film but not for gaming.  Is it worth a purchase?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.    Personally I feel the soundtrack is like the first Silent Hill soundtrack.  Lots of potential, lots of interesting takes on tunes, but would require much more effort to fit into a game session.

But if you did love the soundtrack to the first Resident Evil movie, and you want a soundtrack that supplements that feel, this would be one for you then.



Dredd OST track suggestions
WTF moment: Undefined Space (Track 10), Any Last Requests (Track 19), You Look Ready (Track 20)
Introspective/calm moment:   Mega City One (Track 02), The Plan (Track 03), Judge, Jury and Executioner (Track 18), Apocalyptic Wasteland (Track 22)
Tense/mystery moment: Lockdown (Track 06), Cornered (Track 07), Kay Escapes (Track 08), Judgment Time (Track 12), Hiding Out (Track 13)
Combat music: Mini-Guns (Track 09), Bad Judges (Track 11)
Hopeful moment: The Rise of Ma-Ma (Track 04), Anderson's Theme (Track 05), Order in the Chaos (Track 14), Taking Over Peach Trees (Track 16), It's All a Deep End (Track 17)
Drama/sad moment: She's a Pass (Track 01), Slo-Mo (Track 15), Ma-Ma's Requiem (Track 21)

Best Used In: Science Fiction games, clearly.  I used this well for a Our Last Best Hope, but I admittedly couldn't just leave it running.  Maybe Warhammer games would benefit from this soundtrack better.

Game Idea: The Lost Tourist

by Ktoine

The Lost Tourist
by Tobie Abad

Find inspiration and ideas from real experiences that one gets when travelling to a different country.  Here are some ideas which I've had based on experiences I've gone through during my many trips to different parts of the world.

The Honest Ignorance
When I was studying film at UCLA under the New York Film Academy, I had a host of classmates from both different parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico.  There was a lunch I had with some classmates that I would never forget because the discussion just made me realize how little some of us really knew of each other's countries.  A classmate learned I was from the Philippines and very eagerly asked, "Since you are from the Philippines, how long do you have to travel in order to use the internet?"  At first, I was flabbergasted.  Why would this guy think that?  I know my country was referred to as one of the "third-world countries" in the past, but did it really make people think the internet... or better yet.. the computer was so "rare" a thing for us Filipinos?  His succeeding question cleared things up more for me, "The Banawe Rice Terraces... must be nice seeing them every morning in your bahay kubos?"  It was a matter of representation.  Any Filipino Cultural events overseas feature our ethnic history and traditional roots such as the tinikling dance, the bahay kubos, these were very symbolic of the Philippines, and yes in some rural parts of the country there are Filipinos who live in such.  But then I realized when someone mentions to me "Antartica" I think desolate ice landscape like in the cartoon Happy Feet.  I fail to think there are houses and buildings there.  When I think "Hawaii", my brain conjures up images of nothing but beach resorts and volcanoes.  But Hawaii actually does have buildings too.

The grandeur of Banaue Rice Terraces. Photo by Jose B. Cabajar

This Honest Ignorance is an aspect you can add to your games whenever your players explore a new territory/land/colony/planet in the game which has a notable feature or location.  Maybe the City of the Dead turns out to have a thriving red light district and night life with dancing lights and towering alcoholic drinks.  Maybe the Fortress at the Ice Wall turns out to have an active green forest sanctuary beneath the icy walls, kept alive by natural hot springs.   Maybe the Forest Planet at the edge of the system turns out to only have the forest as its "preserve" area and 80% of the planet has become a massive tourist honey pot with numerous space stations, hybrid karaoke bars and interplanetary restaurants.
Because, yes, it does happen in the real world.  So there's no harm in revealing that Hobbiton might actually have a small Humantown around its fringes, where human settlers strive to live amongst the hobbits in peace.

What Works For the Local Stomach...
In a trip to Hong Kong once, I could not resist a chance to dive deeper into the cultural experience by having a taste of some local food hawker's cuisine.  It was some bread thing that was deep fried then rolled onto reddish powder.    Admittedly, it was delicious.  An hour later, my stomach was cursing the universe.  I wasn't sick or ill.  I was, however, realizing my stomach was not used to the food (whatever it was in the end, I honestly never got to ask again!)    Likewise, many foreign friends of mine have braved stuff which we locals feel are ordinary street food including the (thanks to shows like Fear Factor) "infamous" balut, which is a boiled fertiziled duck egg, and at times have a moment of being uncertain if they have a bum stomach for the evening or not.  While usually the symptoms pass quickly, or at least, are expelled once the toilet is visited... the idea of safe, local and edible cuisine having a temporary adverse effect on the player characters is another angle to consider throwing at them.

Maybe the undead Warlord they visit offers them sauteed corpse-eating rats, or maybe the intrepid adventurers try some of the local fruit from a nearby stand... and before the next hour passes, their stomachs make it quite clear that it did not like the decision they made.  Maybe the dignitary the team was to protect who suddenly falls ill was never really poisoned by a non-existent enemy, but merely stole in a few siomai to try and instead had trouble digesting it afterwards.  Or maybe at that alien planet the heroes visit, the stalls with beheaded roasted alien heads turns out to be just carved bacon in the shape of their race's heads which for them is as acceptable as us humans "displaying possible clothing on petrified remnants of our women, men and children."

Sri Mariamman Temple. Taken by Terence Ong in May 2006.

Religious Practices can be inherently scary to the outsider.
I recall how when my partner and I were at Singapore, I chanced upon a temple that was beautiful and frightening at the same time.  The Sri Mariamman Temple was colorful and filled with so much imagery, I could not help but feel somewhat intimidated by its massive presence.  Other than the fanged figures and blue-skinned gods, there was the real fear of doing something that a local might find insulting, or offense to their faith, and the presence of the temple might "permit" them to punish me for the transgression!   This same experience can be something translated into a role-playing game scene.  Take any local deity in the game, consider its religious practices, and find a scene the player characters can bear witness to without being given the proper context.  In the Philippines for example, during Easter, some practitioners engage in what seems to almost be a competitive display of ascetic ritual of self-flagellation, bearing of tremendously heavy crosses, and in many cases even actual crucifixion!   Imagine if a similar practice happens in your game world, and the players chance upon the event without knowledge of it?  What if the practice was a "reenactment of the martyrdom of a Saint" and what the players think they see is a criminal act in progress that others are merely watching unfold?    Or imagine an alien quadrant where wearing the remains of your recently deceased relative is a common practice, and when the players visit, they see the crowds walking around with dismembered hands, heads, and the like hanging from their belts.

While this might be ripe for comedic value, this can also be a good way to reflect how our own human practices may seem alien, unthinkable or unacceptable for outsider civilizations.  Maybe in one magical island, the act of kissing is a formal declaration of goodbye, suggesting one or the other will die within the day. And maybe the foreign hosts surround the two player character lovers with so much gifts on that day, since they assumed the two were saying their farewells.

Lost is Lost
Finally, new locations always mean getting lost.  Yes, the group is camped at the Red Lion Inn.  But who is to say there is only ONE Red Lion Inn? Maybe those markings under the sign actually were meant to specify which one, just like how there are many branches of a said hotel in a single country.    Maybe the map the players purchased is no longer updated and many roads have been renamed a few times.

Maybe the city actually changes on certain hours of the day.  Maybe the modular city of Gestappe in the Orion Cluster has five configurations, each one for a certain ten hour period.  Or maybe its as simple as the route the player know can't be backtracked on vehicles due to all the darned one-way roads.

by Jen SFO-BCN

Flip it Around
Maybe you can then throw stuff in modern day travel into a medieval or science fiction setting.  Consider Couchsurfing.  What if some places have people who allow spirits/aliens to possess them to "visit" the location as a tourism thing?  And what if a crime was committed during such a moment?   Or what about areas which are intended only for locals?  Maybe the players discover as "tourists" they are not permitted to interfere in certain activities, no matter how mundane.  And a single act of charity on their part to help becomes a huge issue as some see it as outsiders imposing their influence on their privacy.  Those tourists going around indiscriminately taking pictures of anything they want?  Imagine a bunch of wizards who visit your town, then cast spells indiscriminately to make clones of the people they find fascinating to "bring home with them."  Or aliens who take "copies of your memories" to watch when they get home.    Ideas such as those can be a story arc onto themselves.


There are a lot of gaming scenes and sources of inspiration to be found in real life experiences.  Keep an eye open and always know that every single day has something you can throw into a game for more fun.

Barker Your Table Top Game

Barker Your Table Top Game
by Tobie Abad

I'm a sucker for Clive Barker horror.  No, I don't think he's the best there is when it comes to writing horror novels and no I am not a huge fan of his movies either. But I have to admit I find a certain satisfaction in reading his books and given how often I find myself drawing inspiration from his concepts, here's my short article on how to Barker up your Table Top Games.   (Fans of Haruki Murakami can look here for another similar article.  Fans of Studio Ghibli can look here as well.)

Start With Cynicism In All Its Forms.
Clive Barker characters are known to have such bouts that many of the protagonists only seem pleasant because of the still existent sensitivity they hide.    Be sure to give the characters a reason to be angry, or doubtful, or have a penchant of questioning any good thing that comes along.

Sex Should Celebrate Itself.

Whether that celebration is one of victory, or gore, however depends on how and when it happens.  It is rare that sex does not play a role one way or another in a Barker tale.  (And while Thief of Always does not have sex, it does have the theme of wanting gratification so much that it becomes the way to defeat the enemy, so that's still close enough).

Granted some gamers might have trouble with having sex scenes in their game (I gave some advice on doing that here), you can always just throw in a bit of seduction and sultriness without crossing the line if you prefer.

Other Dimensions or Realities Linger Beyond Our Perception.
Barker loves having worlds that exist parallel to our own.  Or worlds that stand divided from ours.  Paradises.  Hells.  They're there.  So if your game allows such a place (like the Shadowlands of Wraith: The Oblivion, the Metropolis of Kult, or the Blue City of Lacuna) then you're already moving in the right direction.

If not, then time to add one in.

Be sure to make visiting the place a tricky thing: tremendously easy for some, impossible for others.  Rituals are always good.  Or sacrifices.  A puzzle box would be perfect.

Character Flaws Should Be Undeniable
Cliver Barker's characters tend to be quite human in ways that we find embarrassing.  Tremendously horny or absolutely selfish.  Defiantly rebellious or blindly religious.  Play up the extremes in the personality without teetering off outside the human paradigm of things.   Barker's characters should remind you of that uncle you really find disgusting, or that cousin you really hate.

People Die, Often.  Very Often.
Death is a frequent and expected occurrence, given the genre.  So yes, don't be afraid to have the road of your narrative paved with the dead bodies of supporting cast members.  If you must, kill even the player characters, but have them return changed.  Empowered.  Or trapped in a deal with the devil.

And when death happens, make it glorious. Bloody glorious.
Severed limbs.  Detached torsos.  Blood surging like broken faucets.  Pouring like thick rain.   Sliced fingers should fly off.  Eyeballs crushed.  Bones crumbled into dust.  Sharp things should stab deep.  Hooks should twist.  Saws should spin.

A thing doesn't just bite... it chomps like a Great White Shark.  A blade doesn't just slide into the flesh, it tears through like a train ramming through and unleashes a crimson rain.

Pain Tends To Be Self-Inflicted.

And that's another key thing to remember.  Pain is not just intense.    At many times, it happens to be self-inflicted!   Maybe its the key to a ritual.  Maybe its the way to stay focused.  Maybe it is the only way to fight the enemy.  Maybe it is how the enemy kills you.    He kidnaps your mother, ties her up, then shows you how her life is in his hands, and all he has to do to set her free is to cut out his own eyeball.  With a spoon.

And Finally, Love.
It is real.  It is powerful.
It is profound.

And it makes all the Horror worth surviving.

Barker would be proud.

Review: Fiasco

Review: Fiasco by Jason Morningstar
Bully Pulpit Games
Rating: ★★★★

Fiasco is such a wonderful game that I cannot help but wonder why this sort of game did not exist much earlier.  If there were only three things I could say to convince you, my dear reader, why this game is worth the purchase, I'd say these three things:  No GM thus everyone gets to play, six-sided dice are very easy to come by, and last is practically no prep work necessary.

So What Is This Game?

Fiasco is Jason Morningstar's game that captures the feel of movies such as Fargo, Burn After Reading, Pulp Fiction, and more tragic versions of telenovelas and soap operas.  In these games, everyone has a dream, a goal, a secret perhaps, and definitely a story to tell.  Dream big, aim high, but fly so low that you'll most likely crash and burn.  Fiasco is not about winning the game, or surviving the experience. Fiasco is about experiencing a group-developed arc of schadenfreude.  The phrase, "It seemed like a good idea at the time.." captures the direction stories in this game go very well.

Many people, and I'm included among them, first heard about this game thanks to Will Wheaton's Table Top webshow.  The game was featured in three parts:


I must admit, the show was very successful in capturing how the game is and when I ran it with my own friends, we could not help but appreciate how smooth the system works.

What's the System Like?
The dice are not rolled to resolve actions or challenges.    That probably will come as a shock to many of you, but the system is nicely narrative in nature, with the dice used for setting up a session, to denote whether or not a scene ends in the character's favor, to determine the Tilt, and in the end to determine what each character's fate will be.   And given you need three to five players to play, but given no one has to be the Game Master, its more fun for everyone!

In Fiasco, you will need a lot of six-sided dice, four for each player and preferably have them be two sets that can be distinguished from one another.  The game recommends black and white dice but I've run the game with white dice and colored dice as the sets just fine.    You will also need a lot of index cards and a marker, which allows you to write down the key things in the game and have them on the table for all to very quickly see.  Trust me when I say this is definitely a good thing to do because you don't want to waste time having a player go, "Hello... what's your character's name again?" or "I saw what's her name... your wife... *checks the sheet for the name*" which breaks the immersive quality of the game.

The game has tables, which are the meat of what are called Playsets.   At the start,  all the dice are rolled, and you get to choose from the tables by "using" some of the dice that you rolled.  Set up helps the players come up with varying reasons to what relationships their characters have with others.  It also develops the key locations which will be featured in the game as well as Objects that are important to the story.  Once those elements are set up, each player has a Scene where he has two choices:  Establish the Scene or Resolve it.  If the player chooses to Establish the Scene, he gets to determine who is in it, what it is about, and why it is happening.  However, how the scene resolves will be something the other players will determine by handling the player a single die, white for the scene to end favorably for the player, or black for the scene to end in a bad way for the player.  If the player chooses to Resolve it, the other players decide what the scene and its participants will be about, but the player gets to pick up the die he prefers to reflect how it ends for him.

During this First Act, each player gets a few scenes to run but but the die the player gets during his scene is then handed to any other player he wants to reward.   Each scene is intended to allow players a chance to achieve their goals when possible.  Once the pool is reduced to half its number, Act One ends and the Tilt is introduced.

The Tilt is when things get worse.  Of the remaining dice in the pool, you roll and determine the Tilt.  The Tilt can be an intense moment of Tragedy, Innocence, Mayhem, Paranoia, Guilt or Failure.  It will definitely shift the direction of the story to a much more desperate moment.

With the Second Act, players this time keep the dice they get in each scene.  And by the end of the second Act, players roll their accumulated dice, subtract the lower set from the higher set, to determine their Aftermath.  The more white dice, the better the possible result.  The more the black dice, the more.. tragic the end.

Death?  What about Death?

Oh players characters can die in this game.  In fact, it is expected players will die one way or another.  But that does not mean they are out of the game.  Instead, their scenes are flashbacks that reflect events that had unfolded.  Or are moments in the span between life and death where they linger on a bit longer to add to the tale.

Sounds Interesting... but not Challenging..

I guess it depends on what you define as a challenge.  If you're hoping to "beat the game" then you can challenge yourself to play the game with the goal of ending with the best possible ending.  But that, frankly is what I wouldn't support as an approach.  The game, after all, is about the people whose high dreams lead them to fall painfully hard on the way down.

Challenging for me would be the fact that you got at least three people all crafting the story at the same time, each with their own desires, needs and goals in mind, and trying to accomplish what you want without tearing the story apart.  And admittedly, I'm pretty impressed how so far it has been a successful jaunt even with players whom never tried a table top role-playing game before.

The web is filled with so many other playsets set at different times and settings that I don't foresee anyone getting bored with playing another session of Fiasco when they have time.  Admittedly, the fact the game is meant to be a single session thing might turn some players off.  But the single session aspect allows the the players the freedom to aim high and shoot for the moon with their hopes and dreams, which is quite perfect for the kinds of stories the game invokes.

Rating Breakdown:

Concept: A niche market that is far wider than I realized.  The basic idea of the game can be quickly grasped and expanded to explore further genres and scenarios.
Crunch: Tremendously lite, and yet compelling.  Choosing things from the playsets has surprisingly always been fun, and there is always that brief moment of worry when you finally roll the white against the black dice, even if we're not even aware of what the results can entail.
Layout: Very polished.  My kudos to Patrick Murphy and Robert Poppe, the people behind the layout.   The artwork by both John Harper and Robert Poppe is very effective in capturing the feel of the game.  I wish I had the actual books to keep in my collection.
My favorite part: Set-Up.  There's something fun about choosing from the table of Relationships, Needs and Objects.  The game itself is great, but I admittedly feel very excited to see more playset tables!
What I wish was better: Ongoing Options.  Maybe there's a book that presents these, and admittedly I've only seen the main book so far, but I would LOVE if there were rules for a mini-chronicle, perhaps something that spans two to five game sessions.    I would also be curious if there's a kid-friendly version of the game.  If there isn't yet, I would love to write one up!

And no, I don't think there was any political messages behind the white die vs black die.  That would just be seeking for problems where there isn't any.


How bad can your day get?
Find out today: Available at Drivethru RPG.

Just an update for March 2013.

Just opted to post some update (rather than my usual articles and content) since I feel it would be nice for my readers to also have an informal glimpse on what else I've been up to.  Who knows, this may encourage you guys to write in and chat and stuff.

So first off, my Twelve New Systems for 2013.
As some of you readers are aware, I had this promise to learn a new game every month.  Given the excitement of playing games, however, its transformed to just promising to learning 12 new games in this year.

My current list of games I've run remains at:
Houses of the Blooded: Wilderness
Fiasco
Our Best Last Hope
Blood and Honor

The Aegis Project

I have, however, also started playing:

Shadows of Esteren

So officially, I'm already half way there.  :-)  On my waiting list are games such as Alas Vegas, Apocalypse World, Cthulhutech, Dogs in the Vineyard, Fate Core, Itras By, Kuro, Heroine, Leverage, Maid, The Farm, Wilderness of Mirrors...

In the near future, I foresee co-running and playing in an upcoming table-top game which my partner, Rocky, is hoping to get off the ground.  He's been excited at the prospect of actually running his first ever game and plans to use a wonderful story setting he's had in his head since high school.  Given how its partly inspired by Magic the Gathering, we're moving in the direction of adapting the Houses of the Blooded approach to Virtues and Aspects to portray the game, and who knows maybe we can release it on the blog as a free fan thing (with John Wick's blessings, of course.)  I also have another player who is hoping to run Remnants for us soon.  And finally, I've a Kult game scheduled this weekend with my long-time gamer friends whom I haven't been able to play with for years due to real life issues and distance.  

Four Chronicles Ongoing. Oh my...

Man, looking at it from this perspective, I realize I currently have four ongoing chronicles (Recruitment : Lacuna, The Riddle of Blood : Houses of the Blooded, In Flux : The Shadows of Esteren and Blood and Silk : Blood and Honor) and the upcoming Kult sessions would mark my FIFTH.  Given the weekend sessions for gaming, I also have the weekly one-shot gaming nights at Eastwood with other friends, and the occasional table-top game session with my office mates at Indio-Entertainment.

And that's considering I haven't actually decided to dive in an start running Google Plus! Hangout sessions.

Boy!  I definitely am enjoying a life that's celebrating the geekdom I love.  The only real thing missing now is being able to attend conventions (if not host one), and finally finishing and releasing my own table-top game system (Muses) and my first role-playing book (TAGSESSIONS vol 1) for others to enjoy out there.  My earlier attempts at creating games (such as Studio Ghibli-inspired Cat Dreams, the Adventure Time rpg system, the Survivor rpg system and the Bleach-inspired Black/White game) were well-received and I honestly feel very thankful that many of them even garnered some Actual Play posts out there.  (Thank you again guys!)  It does encourage me to go for it and keep writing and get the books out.  It tells me that yes, I do have some cool ideas to share and an audience who will appreciate it.

Yes, our geekdom doth grow much.

Pacing my Posts.
Also, while I was updating on a daily basis for some time, I have shifted my stuff to be on an every-other-day basis instead as a response to some negative feedback from some Google Plus groups about too much stuff coming from my blog.   While there were many who defended my posts, seeing more value in my shared articles compared to others who might post merely some in-joke or statement others cannot relate to, learn from or draw ideas from, I decided to just reduce the frequency of the releases and at times even opt not to share the link to all the groups on the same day.  I don't like the idea of choosing some groups not to have the link, even if the link is perfectly in tune with the groups' objectives, but I rather try to reduce the negative feedback.

So yeah, TAGSESSIONS is moving forward with great strides and leaps into more and more gaming happiness.  And I am very happy so many of you out there are being supportive of this wonderful adventure. Here's to meeting more of you, virtually or in person, someday!   I used to run games at Strategicon at Los Angeles and we do travel to Singapore every now and then to visit Paradigm Infinitum.  So if by any chance you guys see me, do feel free to say hello!

Recruitment #07 : Lacuna, Part I

02/26/2013
Recruitment #07
Lacuna, Part I. The Birth of Mystery and the Girl from Blue City

Two new recruits.  Both have not gamed in quite some time, so I felt I had to deliver an awesome game.  Even more importantly, both were into games that I haven't really dipped into (one was into Warhammer and wargaming, the other was into Traveller) so I was worried if gaming styles might become an issue.  Thankfully, it wasn't.

Candidate A was Mystery Agent Fletcher, who was trained by Senior Instructor Snyder.  He was a Reader.
Candidate B was Mystery Agent Clark, who was trained by the late Agent Gardiner.  He was a Doctor.

Receptionist speaks with the two on the basics, instructs them on how the dice is approached, and advised them that no other electronic devices were permitted on the table.  Very quickly, the two grasped the systems necessary and reception reminded them that mission times typically are one to three hours long.  They confirmed and were ready for Insertion into the Blue City.

The Team Leader position was given to Agent Clark.

10:07p.m.   Mission begins.  Urban Renewal is in 2 hours.

Agent Fletcher opens his eyes and finds himself in a dark corridor.  Eight doors line the walls on both sides.  At the end of the dark corridor, an open window suggesting a night sky.  The sounds of traffic and laughter can be feebly heard nearby.  Behind him, a heavy door with a horizontal bar.  He pushes the bar and it gives, sliding into the room.  A stairwell.  The ground is tiled, but many tiles are broken.  He gathers up tiles to keep the door from slamming closed behind him.  There is no sign of Agent Clark.  The smell of sea water is in the air.

Agent Clark opens his eyes to find himself in a tight chamber.  There are steps upwards and downwards not too far away.  There is a metal door as well nearby.  A sign is nearby but Clark, not being a Reader, cannot make sense of the squiggly lines.  He hears sounds and decides to chance it.  He calls out for Fletcher.

Fletcher replies and the two realize they are both in the stairwell.  Clark nearly mistakenly heads upwards, away from Fletcher, but corrects himself in time.  He heads down the stairs to meet up with Fletcher.    On Fletcher's end, however, a Personality appears at the end of the corridor.  Body language and silhouette resemble that of a policeman or security guard.  The man waves a flashlight around and seems to be checking each door. Fletcher grabs a larger chuck of debris, and stays beside the door, ready to strike if the man peers in.  The man has a radio and soon can be heard conversing with someone else.  Only his side of the conversation can be heard and clearly it is about ensuring there are no intruders.

Clark is making his way down, but stops upon seeing an object on the floor.  It is a Lacuna device, just like the ones he and Fletcher have.  He was not aware of any other Agents present.  But then again, has yet to contact Control for Mission parameters.  As he arrives at Fletcher's floor, he sees Fletcher staying hidden and quiet and realizes there may be someone nearby.  He uses his Athletics to maneuver over the broken tiles without a sound and land behind the door as well.  The guard arrives at the fire exit, sees it open, and tries to pull it closed.  When the debris of tiles catches it, he grunts and reaches into the stairwell area to try and shove the debris out.  Fletcher slams the debris on the Personality's head, knocking the man out.   As the two quickly divie up what they could (an ID card, a pistol, the radio, and a flashlight), Clark hogties him down with his own necktie.  The two hear a distant phone ringing, and remember Control tends to contact agents via Hard Line.  Clark hurries off to find which door has the phone, while Fletcher checks the body for anything else.  He feels a bump, around the thigh area, but it seemingly vanishes.  As he checks further to the leg area, he feels it for a moment, near the knee, but again it squirms away.  Fletcher rips the guy's boot off to see something leaping away like a lizard.  With a quick slam of his own foot, Fletcher squashes the reptile, only to discover its inner workings are made of gears, wires and chips.  A machine!

Clark finds the door, opens it noiselessly to see the hard line.  Upon answering it, Control reprimands them for being slow ("An hour and ten minutes have passed since Insertion.  Are you compromised") but then seemingly goes "kind" upon confirming that Agent Fletcher was under Senior Instructor Snyder's training.  They are given the Mission Orders, which was as follow:
1) Locate Personality Petrov
2) Disable Personality Petrov
3) Acquire Reptile
4) Requisition Lacuna Device
5) Meet with Agent Mason at roofdeck.

Fletcher confirms the guard's name is Petrov, but is fascinated by the gearbox lizard.  He finds small glass vials in the lizard's head area, containing a purplish white fluid.  He pockets the lizard after wrapping it in cloth.   Clark requisitions for a submachine gun, which is delivered via the bathroom medicine cabinet.  He then hands the phone to Fletcher who is told Snyder has requisitioned for him a phone, which then appears in his left pocket.  Fletcher requisitions then for a shot gun.  But when Fletcher moves to retrieve it from under the bed, he finds a folder strapped to it as well.  Intel from Control confirms around thirty Hostile Personalities in the area.  Clark motions to Fletcher that someone is coming, and they soon hear the footfalls of two more guards walking down the corridor, perhaps calling for Petrov.

The content of the folder.

The two agents work in unison, with Clark slamming the door open as Fletcher rushes forward, fires the shotgun on the first guy, then spins to slam a kick into the second guy.  Both Mystery Agents are astounded when Fletcher's first shot hits perfectly, then his follow up kick buries his leg chest-deep into the second guard.   It seems in the Blue City, their physical qualities are heightened.

The two confirm having accomplished four of the five items, given the security guard they knocked down happened to have an ID that stated his name is Petrov.  Clark ponders, however, if the Lacuna Device they found happens to be owned by the Mystery Agent they were to meet.  They reach the stairs and hear from the radio that the Hostile Personalities who happened to be working for "the Company" are making their way to chase after them.  They rush upstairs, finding the exit to the twentieth floor blocked by an industrial strength flash light propped against the door like a wooden plank, and as they exit to the roof deck, find a bleeding Mystery Agent on the gravel.  Approaching carefully, the agent demands that they identify themselves, and Clark flashes his Lacuna device, but refuses to give his name.  Fletcher trains his weapon at the man and asks for the man to give his.    "Agent Currier," the man explains, but when its clear blood is oozing from his chest, Clark rushes to help him out.  Fletcher takes the opportunity to scan the roof deck and note that given the two air circulation vents on the roof deck, it would be strategically useful for him to remain behind the shed of the door, to shoot those that step out.

Clark administers first aid to Agent Currier, who shows his old Lacuna Device and admits, "The new ones are more portable, but don't show you your heart rate that easily.. Not to mention, are coded to your DNA..."  Clark can only do so much however, and Currier admits he has to Eject before he dies on the Slab.  "Your ally would be Agent Mason.  We were trying to map things out for you, but he may have been compromised.  The exit is at the next building.  There is a yellow door.."

Fletcher warns them the Company is on its way, and Clark and Currier duck behind one of the vents.  As Fletcher trains his shotgun at the security forces that arrive, he notes they've split in three to approach the two vents.  He takes aim on the left most group.  Clark trains his pistol at the right most group, and hopes to move fast enough to stop the third group.  Currier, not wanting to die on the Slab, Ejects.

Gunfire.  Fletcher and Clark dispatch their groups, but as the third group trains to shoot at Fletcher and kill him, gunfire erupts from the doorway, and the security forces fall dead.  Fletcher and Clark see another Mystery Agent, who holds a gun trained at Clark, and demands they show their Lacuna devices.  When told to show his, the man admits, "Lost mine downstairs.  I presume you have it?  My name is Agent Mason."

Deciding to trust him, given the Mission parameters, the three rush to the next building and make their way to the inside to search for the yellow door.  Clouds gather above and rain begins to fall as they land on the roof deck, but when more Company security appears on that very roof deck, they grab the nearest line and throw themselves to swing around and smash through a window one floor below them.  Tumbling inside, Clark drops his Lacuna device, and Mason picks it up.  Mason then trains a gun at them and tells them to give up their Lacuna devices.  "There's no point fighting them," Mason explains, "Not when they are just extensions of..." he stops talking however, and demands the two drop their weapons.  "Drop them, and I'll explain it all."  He threatens to Eject Clark, and as he speaks, the two see something moving underneath his skin.  "He's been Compromised," Fletcher admits, and his mind wanders to the sheet of paper taped to the shotgun.  For a moment the three are at a stand-off, with Mason threatening to Eject Clark forcibly if he does not comply.

When Mason's bluff is called however, Mason presses the button, only to be the one shunted away in an Eject!  Clark had switched the devices earlier and Mason had just thrown himself out of the Blue City.  Quickly rushing down the corridor for the yellow door, Fletcher finds the door and opens it while Clark keeps watch.  Fletcher steps through the yellow door and finds himself in a different location.  Thousands of people are applauding as he walks a long red carpet.  Massive chandeliers hang from the ceiling.  People in animal masks clap as they nod and approve of his arrival.  A voice over declares, "Finally, the truth has come to set you free" and Fletcher sees a priest with a pigeon's face giving him a final blessing, then a beautiful woman in a red dress welcoming him with a smile, "Now that you are here, we can bring this whole thing to an end."

Clark does not see Fletcher return.  Having stepped through the yellow door way, Clark realizes the darkness in the room is so intense, Fletcher can no longer be seen.  Before he can follow, he spies a cellular phone on the ground, which has a blinking SMS.   Reading it, the message reads:  Do not step through the door - KIRA.

Fletcher talks to the Scarlet Woman, who tells him yes this is all a dream.  That yes, his role in the Company is over.  That yes, none of them were aware of what they were signed into.  And yes, that just maybe people like him deserve a second chance.  Fletcher almost gives into the Scarlet Woman, and he looks back to see no sign of Clark.

Clark reads more warning messages on the phone, and as he steps through the doorway, he discovers some barrier forces the cellular phone to remain outside.  To step through would mean dropping the phone.  To step back would mean reading the messages.  Clark then realizes the text could only be read in the other side.  He feels uncertain on whether or not to step through.  "You have been compromised! Eject!  - KIRA"

Fletcher questions the woman on whether this is all real, and almost as if in response, he starts to see the background and far walls unfurl like part of a studio set.  He starts to see people dressed like the crew of a television show prompting the other people to do their parts.  And finally, he sees the archway he came from merely has a green screen on it. "Just take my hand and I will show you the truth.   Show you everything that is really truly happening."

Clark does not want to leave his friend. But realizes there is far too much danger to stay.  He yells at Fletcher to Eject, and knowing he too is in danger, opts to do so.  Clark opens his eyes on the Slab.  Doctors monitor his progress, and when they realize he's awakened, they send him back to sleep.


Fletcher opens his eyes to find himself in Recruitment.  Registration smiles at him and explains, "You are Candidate A.  You will be assigned a Pseudonym."  Fletcher inwardly things, "It will be Fletcher" and true enough, that name is given.  The door opens and Clark steps through.  Clark does not seem to recognize Fletcher at all, which bothers him.  Clark seems excited to take the mission.  Fletcher can only wonder what exactly they are all really signed into.  What is the Company?  And why are they Mystery Agents?  And lastly, who benefits from all this.

In Flux e01 : Shadows of Esteren

02/24/2013
In Flux
Episode One
"Donan's Journal - C and G and Eight"

My name is Donan Roik.
I am an Investigator.

And I am saying this at the start of my entry because I want to remember that is what I am.

I awoke to find myself naked (as usual) in some woman's home.  Cormarel I think her name is.  Cormirel?  Ah, I was never good with names.  I calmly leave the bed and find my Rebec.  I decide to play myself some music while I figure out what this woman wants from me.  Most women want something from me.  But this one.  She's clearly under the impression she's in charge.  I best let her keep that assumption.

She speaks of her twin sister.  Identical, she stresses, which clearly suggests she believes I am smitted by her appearance.  What is it with women who believe their beauty is that bewitching?  I don't see people obsessing over an apple, when there are melons, bananas, strawberries and grapes waiting to be tasted.  Why should women be different?  The sister's name is Gilana, or at least that's how it might be spelled.  She's a woman of Faith, it seems, which tends to mean her morals are far more important than her freedom.  And supposedly she is to be married to some man soon.  Cormereal (Gosh, that's what, my third attempt at her name now?) flatters me claiming I can teach her sister "true happiness" before her wedding night.  Clearly she's pulling on what she believes are my strings.  Even worse, I admit the prospect does interest me.  I haven't bedded a young woman of the Temple before.   She offers me two Frost as payment, but the daols don't truly interest me.  I urge the addition of a Notebook.  And one of her signature scents.  She relents.

A bit too quickly.  Hmm.

I can almost imagine it happening.  Somewhere in the vast distance, a young man is being told to do his familial duty.  He's probably brash, or barbaric.  Or maybe suave but more into men.  Regardless marrying is the least of his interests and now he has no choice but to do so.  I wonder if he even knows how to bathe.

Probably end up cutting himself or something while there.  Worse yet, with his dogs.

If I were a storyteller, I'd add the tale of one of the Varigals to the events.  Varigals were always the interesting sort.  I could not fathom having such courage, to travel between towns on one's own.  Without soap.  Or soft bedding.   But yes, I could imagine a Varigal... a foreigner to be more interesting perhaps receiving a job from the unlikeliest of sources.  Say perhaps a child.  (I was tempted to say a talking goat, but that might lure the Feondas upon me!)  He would probably be caught in events far greater than his liking. Glowing costs extra.  Humming costs extra.  But nothing matters if you can't talk your way out.  Or remember.

I just re-read my earlier entry.  I must have been sipping far too much wine the previous night.  What on this forsaken land did I just write! Oh well, at least this quill and ink were free.  I walked up to a shop before leaving and knowing how most merchants are aware notebooks are expensive things, held my new notebook just enough to suggest it was of some import.  I easily persuaded the shop owner to allow me to "test his quill and ink" and proclaimed them fit for selling.  I left with both before he could speak in his own defense.  People can be so easily spun around with the right words, the perfect timing, and the disarming smile.   The Varigal and Cormyel speak and I catch him reporting to her some message.  "They feed on Flux" are the words, and I jot them down in my memory for future use.  Too often, people let slip lines which prove to be their undoing.  I have learned never to ignore such resourceful gifts.  

While I traveled with my foreign Varigal, a dark skinned man who seemed one of the Tarish.  Rashid, I think his name was.  I felt he was just as frustrated about how Carmichel talked to him.  (Damn, what is her name really?) so I tried to reach out to him.  Offered him my Battle Axe as a show of how I was willing to place my life in his hands.  He simply informed me he does not use such weapons.  I don't think we quite connected.

The trip was long, but partly my fault.  The milk maid half a night from the town looked just ravishing.  I had to ravage her.  And the young farmer's boy a day from the destination looked delicate enough for my hunger.  We bathed in the nearby river afterwards.  Damn, I think I put on Cormariel's perfume instead.  Oh well, I can use it to claim she turned me down.  Perhaps that will gain the sister's favor.  Given her interests, I can imagine this Gilana would not approve of anything Corrie would.

Our arrival showed animosity in the air.  My eyes quickly caught the worried glances and the nervous looks. The man who welcomed us, his name was Liam, looked distraught and struggled to be accommodating.  His dogs perhaps smelled my quite gifted bone and seemed intent to attack.  I wondered if the man was indeed as barbaric as I imagined him, and easily visualized how he and Gilana would probably be at odds most of the time.  Man of the Wild to wed woman of the Temple?  You'd sooner see a cat rut with a dog if you ask me.   Liam's brother arrives.  Clearly one of the Demorthen.  I try to be courteous but he quickly dismisses me and drags the Varigal away to talk.  He mentions some contract between the Demorthen and the Varigals.  I don't recall ever hearing of such a thing.

As Liam and I walk down the corridor, I realize the dogs might not be angry at me per se.  Dogs, from what I've been told, are beasts born with their noses first.  Smell is everything.  While Liam spoke with his future bride-to-be, I slid my own personal perfume upon me and left a dab of Corrie's on the other side of the hallway.  The dogs attentions shifted to the hall, as I suspected.  My brain quickly began to consider truths.

Truths are the bread and butter of a man's words, you see.  Even the words he does not actually say.  That's why I always ask people I meet, "Are you married?" when I first find them fascinating.  The question disarms them, and immediately brands me a fop.  The misunderstood impression works to my favor, and leads them to display the tell-tale signs of how they lie.  "Yes," a woman would say, But I would catch how her throat shifts as she swallows her guilt, and her fingers fondle her neck unconsciously.    "Yes," the man would cry out, and while I ignore his passionate disgust at the thought of sparring fleshy swords, I easily see how his body speaks when he desires to make a truth spoken clear.

I wander off after speaking with a wounded Gilana, whose personality is far too much like her sister while she was riding me well.  This Gilana is by no means the woman of the Temple I was hired to "teach."

A fête.
Why they don't just call it dinner is beyond me.  Oh the terms used by barbarians and priests.    Dinner is served and Gilana addresses us all like a prepubescent virgin with an itchy fish between her thighs.  She swoons so often I feel insulted by her passions. All the gods (real and false) know how much I delight in the pursuit of fleshy flavors, but you don't see me throwing myself out there as if my hole demanded plugging.  She rises to dance and drags Liam to join him.  His reluctance is amusing.  I imagine he's the type to force a woman on all fours and take her from behind.  Just like how I take my men.  But then Liam's brother stars throwing disdain at my direction once more.  I begin to wonder how much of it is hate and how much is an act hoping to distract me from his true intentions.  He tries to convince Rashid to dance with me and I counter by inviting him to dance instead.  He feints my offer.  Frustrated, I splash Corrie's dog-luring scent upon his face.   Rashid joins me on the floor, and deep inside I weep for the Demorthen's lack of clarity.  I sense we are on the same side, but he has a point to prove.  So I decide to be the fool and bumble along.  Rashid and I dance, and for the briefest of moments, his appearance shifts.  Instead of a man, some horrid, rotting face emerges.  A festering corpse of some sort.  I remain calm and dance as if I noticed nothing odd.  I admit to Rashid that I sense we are being set up.  That I am the man made to be the murderer.  And that he to be framed as my accomplice.  There were later mentions of the terms Flux Poisoned.  Or Flux Thralled.  But damn it I failed to mark to memory why such things were mentions.  My attentions were distracted by the amusement of knowing the proud Demorthen was attacked by the dogs.

At least that cemented my suspicions on the perfume.

Later that eve, a private meeting. Liam has me and the Varigal Rashid summoned forth.  We discuss our truths and I easily make out the Demorthen's presence in the vicinity.  The burly man breathes far too loud.  Like a snoring goat.  As we discuss possibilities, I ask if the wound has been cleansed.  My brain has yet to grasp if Gilana's state of being is intentional or not, given her personality was caused by the shard of a Magience weapon left festering in the wound.  It seemed too clumsy a method to make her... an embarrassment to the temple.   (I know I would have just slipped some aphrodisiac into her food, then made sure the monks were audience to her loud fitful rutting with the barbarian groom.)  The wound in inspected and true enough a shard is retrieved.  Blue fluid oozes from the wound, and Gilana becomes the bitch we all expected her to be upon meeting her.

So far, my suspicions seem sound.  Corrie sent me to be the fall-guy, even if logic would clearly dictate a man who had just traveled days to get her could not have actually fired the bolt.  Worse even, I don't even know how to use such a device, nor weapon.   Remember, I use a battle axe.  I like having a big weapon.  Size tends to intimidate.  Even better when one knows how to use it.

Sorry.  I digressed there.  Had to relieve myself.  Forget I wrote that.  Going back, there is conspiracy afoot and I am being set to take the fall.  So it is best to give them what they want.  After all, that is what I do best.  I will take the blame.  We will have them murder me before the audience of monks and men.  And let's see who will benefit from the death of a fopish man with a beautifully played redec.

Damn.  I just realized.  Neither mountain man nor Varigal might have understood that I meant for them to FAKE my death.  I just might actually end up dead in the end!

Oh well, at least I slept with eight new people since my last entry.
And my last entry was barely a week ago.


Donan