Picts or it didn’t happen.

How can I wear the harness of toil, and sweat at the daily round?
While in my soul forever the drums of Pictdom sound?
Robert E Howard

It’s been a mixed last few days. Brutal heat, bad sleep and the news that Ravenswood LARP have cancelled their 2026 event. I don’t blame them, the reasons were more than sensible, but I’m still a little sad about it. Still, that’s something to look forward to in 2027, which is nice. Looking at the LARP Calendar has shown mostly battle games, and that’s not dramatic enough for me. At some point I’ll make it to a Concord and continue to foolishly hold out hope that Path of the Warden will return, but there’s precious little else out there that works for me. Still, I’ve managed to find one!

Spurred on by wifely approval and the fact that two of the 3 factions had sold out their ticket allocations, I’m going to Lost Settlers mid next year! The two sold out factions are the Barborillas, inspired by 17th Century Germany and Spain, and the Orthos, who have a British redcoat vibe. Now, I’ll miss the chance to dress flamboyantly, or Sharpely, but the faction I’ve joined (who still have tickets available!) are the Broch’Tir, who are inspired by ancient Celts, Gauls and the Picts. In short, that’s my jam, as the Skindred song goes. The chance to play with black powder weapons (albeit represented by band guns, rather than cap firing weapons) is one I’ll miss, but the chance to get my Celtic barbarian on? OH HELL YES.

Now, it’s still in the early stages. I’ve been excitedly bouncing around character ideas, looking at what kit I have that’s suitable and works for a Victorian winter. There’s also the matter of sticking to the game’s cultural brief, which sadly means modern kilts are out. Though if I’m reading it correctly (and I really hope I am), the old school great kilt is allowable to a certain degree. And at that point dear reader, I may have let out a burst of joy that even BRIAN BLESSED might have considered a bit loud. I’ve not found a suitable tartan or fabric yet, and I’ll need to get cheat pleats installed, but I’ve wanted to own one for years, and this is as good a time as any.

The two main ideas I’m tossing around are as following:
1: Big Game Hunter. Quiet, sneaky bastard, but reliable and a provider for his tribe.
2: Old Warrior. Cheerful, enthusiastic, and desperately ignoring the fact that he’s getting old.
I do have a loose third concept, but it’s more an additional idea. See, the players have been exceptionally well organised and set up a Google Sheet that has character details, and only a couple of them have taken any sort of medical skill, and from past experience at Path of the Warden, a healer is always useful. Now, from what I’ve read of the rules, combat is rather lethal – armour doesn’t add to it for starters, merely cuts down the stages of healing. Yep, none of this healed in seconds by magic nonsense at this game, no. There’s also a solid warning to bring suitable kit for a new character should the worst happen. I’m reminded of a story from a friend who had a character at a Concord event last about 12 hours, but those 12 hours were glorious.

Side note: the threat of death also happens to be something I enjoy in a LARP.

I’m leaning towards the second option, or an unholy combination of the two, mostly owing to wanting to be A: useful and B: social. It’s an important lesson to remember in LARP (along with remembering to eat and wear comfortable shoes), that while the likes of Batman and Wolverine may be fun on the page, playing an anti-social loner can turn out to be not very much fun. I’ve also inquired if any other players in my nation are interested in some IC romance during the event, but it’s early days. There’s plenty of time to sort out romantic entanglements before hand. Besides, I don’t even have a character confirmed yet!

As for inspirational material, it’s no surprise my first thought was Robert E Howard’s tales of Bran Mak Morn, the Last King of the Picts. Despite Bran appearing in few stories compared to Conan or Solomon Kane, Worms of the Earth and Kings of the Night are bona-dife Howard classics. Other reading is some Osprey books on the Picts, and I’m pretty sure I have a couple on the Roman invasion of Britain kicking about. On that note, the films Centurion and The Eagle are due for a re-watch (Or in the latter case, a first one) and I dug out my copies of season 1 and 2 of Britannia. Fingers crossed I make it more than 3 episodes in this time. Still, there’s David Morrisey and Ian McDiarmid chewing the scenery with merry abandon, which helps. There’s also the 2004 King Arthur, the Doctor Who episode The Eaters of Light (written by Rona Munro, who also wrote Survival, the last story to air in the classic series) and the 2007 film The Last Legion which I sold a friend on watching by saying it had Colin Firth in Roman armour. (That’s not a lie to be clear, but I’m not sure it salvages the film itself)

It also means I have the chance to possibly buy a new sword or axe, not to mention taking my long bow into (fake) battle again. It’s been far too long since I’ve shot it. There’s the gorgeous leather cuirass I bought at a medieval fair a couple years back I’ve hardly worn and while it would require taking the Instrument skill (A tough choice, given there’s only 5 skill slots), the temptation to buy the largest blowing horn I can find has noisily reared it’s head again. Sure, I’d likely need to walk a kilometre or two into a nearby National Park to practise with it, but I’d rather spare my neighbours that horror. Still, could be worse – I could be singing.

So yeah. I’m in that early stage of a new game excitement. It feels wonderful to have things in the calendar that aren’t my brain doctor appointments. I’m kicking around ideas for Pheno next year and still have the occasional thought of making another attempt at working on another LARP event. Either way, it’s lovely to have things to look forward to. May you as well.

The Ups and the Downs

Post con crash continues. It could be that, a spike in my depression or general exhaustion, I’m not sure. Maybe I’m getting more social contact through my time at the store, and my system is still adjusting to that. Am I putting too much emphasis on sales reflecting my self worth? Could it have been going straight from Pheno back to work with no recovery time messed with me? Is the unstoppable approach of Christmas even earlier this year making things worse? In the words of Ronnie James Dio, “Who the fuck knows?” Either way, I’ve been tired, unfocused, cranky at times and generally sleepy. Well, more so than normal. I posted about it elsewhere, not wanting to ring any alarms, more talk through it in the hope it’ll move on. While the low mood hasn’t moved on as as far I’d have preferred, I did get a lovely and gratifying amount of support and care shown my way. For some reason that continues to be unexpected, despite the long history of the people in my life being wonderful. I’m sure my wife will say I should expect that, but that’s low self esteem talking!

I’ve made it without buying too much random stuff to try to cheer myself up. Well, mostly. I’ve got a few Sharpe paperbacks from a local second hand bookstore, finally found a copy of The Klingon Art of War that was in my price range (Accursed Ferengi!) and since B5 Books was about to close down, I treated myself to the ‘What the hell happened?’ series about Crusade in digital form. Yes, I normally prefer the physical books, but this meant I could purchase more and I’m still scarred from moving. The deadline helped, otherwise I may have gone for a Captains Coat (Still not sure if wool or cotton), or adding a very pretty axe to my collection. The quest for dopamine is a tricky one, as all too often I buy something, get the minor hit and then get home where it gets added to the pile of other random unused stuff. Yes, I am looking at the stack of LARP weapons I own and have barely used. I really miss LARP – the camaraderie, the stories, the cloaks. It’s a glorious moment heading to an event in costume and have a small child look at you, then accusingly at it’s parents as if to ask “Parent, why am I not wearing a cloak right now?”

Once again, with pretty much every mention of LARP, it reminds me of the fun and makes me want to do more, and most of that is interstate. So, what do I do with the kit I have now? Do I go to the shops in costume (I don’t know if I’ve gained a reputation amongst my neighbours yet), or try to write something that I can actually run? We all know what my track record is like with that sort of thing and it’s not great. Sure, I’m contemplating one for Pheno next year, but a single session three hour freeform scores lower on the difficulty scale than a full day LARP. There’d be a similar amount of rules though, as Path of the Warden converted me to a minimal rules (I believe it’s called Nordic, but don’t quote me on that) approach. It’s a vicious circle – I buy stuff that could be used at LARP and that makes me happy, but rarely actually get the chance to use it. Maybe I should stage some small scale costume parties or wear a cape when I’m working in the store?

Switching back to the miserable, the recent malaise has been that bad it’s kept me from sword. Well, that, and an issue with my left hand – I’ve been getting wrist soreness and the muscle on the back of the hand has been sore. I think it was down to a heavy jacket (Yes, my mid life crisis rock and roll one) pressing down on that part of the hand rather than anything more serious. At least, I hope not. It seems to be recovering, though from time to time it’ll flare up and make itself known. I’ve been back at sword the last couple of weeks, and while it’s a struggle from time to time, it feels really good. I train with a lovely bunch of folks, and the welcome back’s were much needed, as nervous as I was walking back in the hall after the time off.

There has been some definite good news though – planning for the next Ravenswood LARP event has kicked back into gear, and I’m excited for it. Based on how Coach was received last year I’m ecstatic, and planning for a bigger and better Phys Ed experience, one with on and off field participation! (I’m also really hoping Spiritual House get’s some new students, so I can be the Yowie again.) New costume plans, games and ideas are floating around, and I’ve been very good and not overwhelmed the admin chat with them, or even asked any of the faculty staff if they wanted to do something IC romance wise. Tickets are on sale now, so if you want to cast some spells and have some fun, get on it! Yes, Western Australia is a trek, but the game (and the people behind it) are wonderful and well worth it. I’m really hoping to not be the only one from NSW next event.

*Never thought I’d want to hear Sauron saying “G’day cunts!”*

In other good news, I have secured tickets to a special event, as one of my favourite comics is returning. Officially, he’s here for his day job as part of the BBC Ashes coverage team, but he managed to book some shows in around that. He’s the Prince of Puns, the Baron of Bullshit, the Cardinal of Cricket Stats, the one and only Andy Zaltzman! You may know him from his recent Taskmaster UK victory, The Bugle podcast (It’s former co-host being some guy named John Oliver) his other radio and TV appearances, or the pun runs I keep playing to people when I introduce them to the Bugle. He’s also responsible for why I can’t help giggling at the merest mention of Silvio Berlusconi as well as my introduction to the Iron Sheik and for those I am eternally grateful.

I’m not sure how to end this, I’ve been bouncing back and forth. I’d like to say there’s light at the end of the tunnel and that it’s not a freight train and that would be mostly right. Have I spend more time wanting to do something than actually doing it? Emailing the NSW police to ask if I can import a flintlock cap gun instead of writing plot? (I did get a response, but it merely quoted the act at me, and not, as I asked, give me a Yes/No answer as to if I could or not) Have I spent time idly musing about a slow introduction of a supernatural element into a setting and the risks/rewards inherent in that? Really, I’d just be happy to be able to get up in the morning and get something done before having to leave for work, that would be bloody lovely. Surely that’s not too much to ask?

*I didn’t come here to be attacked, and yet here we are.*

Good night, sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.

The post event blues

And once again comes to post con crash. Slightly lessened for me this year but having to go straight back to work as opposed to recovery time, but it’s been relatively busy, so that’s kept me from too much angst. The comedown is still there though, as is the adrenaline crash. The flood of ideas for next year has continued, but more on that later. An ugly part has reared it’s head, and that’s feedback. As always, it’s terrifying to see, soul shattering to read, and left me in a crumpled heap. To be clear though, I have zero issue with it’s author, and he was kind enough to clarify what he’d said and add some quite lovely things afterward. Feedback is like a bad playtest – it hurts at the time, but it makes for a better product. Some things I can work on, other things have become part of the fabric of my events. I do regret not checking with people on pronouns and comfort levels, and am willing to admit that I was running off a “It’s one of my events, surely nothing too horrible can happen” and at times did tell people to please speak up if they were uncomfortable. I like to think that people would feel OK doing so, and can only pleased that people who choose to play my events are wonderful and who wouldn’t be jerks. It’s not an actual defence, as I had a few first timers, but I assume the best of people until proven otherwise.

(Although I could probably use a Co-GM to stand beside me and tap me on the shoulder when I’m about to go off topic, anecdote or have let players fart about for too long, no matter how much fun they’re having.)

The flood of ideas has continued. Well, less flood and more ‘I’m temporarily hyper focused on this until something else comes along’. I have met my brain before. The first idea was the ‘escaping the rest home’ and that’s mostly been about what is the actual point of the adventure and what archetypes are the PC’s inspired by. Inspirations have been the following:
Autolycus (Hercules/Xena)
Locke Lamora
Ffarhd and the Grey Mouser (In this version they’d be a couple)
Catwoman
Lupin III and Fujiko Mine (If you don’t know these names, run, don’t walk, to legally attain a copy of The Castle of Cagliostro and watch it. You’ll thank me afterwards.)

As for the plot, friends on BlueSky have been ‘helping’ with that. Perhaps the children of the PC’s are slated for execution, or borrowed their tools and need to be saved, before the PC’s are incriminated as well? Makes for a nicer idea than breaking out to see the sun one last time before the end, or a thinly veiled knock off of Bubba Ho-Tep, which I’m not sure I can manage as a GM either. As funny as that film was, it was also a lot bleaker than I was expecting. I do like the idea of choosing characters by picking a prop responding to that character’s style – the assassin get’s a dagger, the thief get’s lock picks, con artist a false moustache, etc. In no way do I claim the idea to be original, but it amuses me so it’s not being discarded.

The other idea arose from a sartorial desire. I’d idly posted about wanting tailors set up near cinemas, so I could walk out of a movie and commission versions of things I’d just seen (It’s been a dream for a while) and in an effort to explain myself, said I’d had an idea for a pirate freeform, but didn’t really have an idea short of “Let’s Dress as Pirates: The Freeform.” Since then, there’s been encouragement, a little regret at not dressing up recently, and several ideas, some less cursed than others. The current most spectacular one is the Multiverse Pirate Gathering, in which the likes of Captain Hook, the Pirate King, Davy Jones and Long John Silver (The Tim Curry version, in case anyone wondered) have a get together.

I adore my friends that they’ll jump on stuff like this. For all the chaos it can cause, it makes me feel incredibly loved. It’s eerily similar to how Australians will automatically back each other up when bullshitting to Americans, I suggest something utterly stupid and they emerge yelling things like “Write it!” and “When are we getting a second Fair and Balanced game? And before you monsters say anything, the answer is no. As for the pirate game, the Multi-Vaaarrrrsal Committee* isn’t a bad one, but mostly I’m vexed by how, despite his not technically being a pirate, can I sneak a cameo from Redbeard Rum in?

The other topic that’s been vexing me is a possible supernatural element to it, mostly is there something that hasn’t been used overmuch, or is unexpected? Skeletons, zombies and voodoo (Mostly the Hollywood version, but some more historical) are all much part of the legend these days and what else could there be? We’ve all seen the Kraken, battled zombie pirates and the like, and while I’m normally the first to jump for the old clichés, I find myself struggling for something new. Not sure why to be honest, but my ideas so far have been monkeys empowered by dark magics that fling explosive poop and piss acid, or borrowing an old idea of mine and using drop bears (AKA, crew in bloodstained koala onesies with giant foam claws) and neither of those are exactly practical for a convention one-shot. And no, I’ve no idea where the idea for the monkeys came from.

*“Wake up hon, a new Pirate LARP just got announced!”*

Bedtime now. I’ve worked all weekend, and am back at it tomorrow. Sleep well, I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.

*It’s a working title.

I AM WOODEN MAN!

*cue Tony Iommi riff*

So, the first batch of photos from Ravenswood Institute recently emerged, and now I understand why players said they had no idea who was in the Automaton suit. I’m still a bit sad that, as far as I know, there’s no footage of him walking around. I completely understand why only approved crew have cameras, as I’ve been at fantasy LARPs where players have had phones out and recording during game play and it BOILS MY BLOOD*, , but to see what it looked like from the other side would be lovely, you know? in any case, I continue to patiently wait for more photos to emerge, and not just ones with me in them.

Took a lot of willpower not to end sentences “This is the way.”

There’s been further planning for next event (Tickets are already on sale!), and I’m trying to be good and not buy more costume parts** yet. It’s helped that I’m mostly fixated on making Phys Ed better, and more inclusive, rather than how I’m dressed. Can’t take the field? I’m hoping at the very least you’ll watch, and that I can get you involved somehow. Being inclusive is important to me, and I want as many people to enjoy my events. Yes, I know I won’t have everyone on the field, but I don’t want people to feel as if they missed out owing to factors beyond their control. The fact that Phys Ed was embraced so eagerly is still a huge weight off my shoulders and brought me almost as much joy as hearing that I made people cry during my time as the Automaton. I was crying during the performance, and it’s heart warming to see the audience felt that way as well.

Work continues to go along. I seem to have a bunch of regulars at the store and my banter seems to be well received. Seeing positive reviews people have left about me has been wonderful. I got to meet Human Nephew*** for the first time yesterday, and he didn’t immediately freak out when he was handed to me, which was nice. My wife said he was really enjoying being patted to the sound of drums, at which I cackled madly with joy. He will be like us! I’m back doing driving lessons again, and I’m not sure what’s more odd, that I told my instructor a heavily censored version about an incident involving a certain Cradle of Filth shirt (If you don’t immediately know the one I mean, I’d turn safe search on), or that I spent most of my last lesson with the opening of the theme to Mr Squiggle stuck in my head. My brain continues to be odd. (On that note, yes, I’m aware of the exhibit and am sorely tempted to make a day trip to see it)

LARP wise, I’m still focused on Ravenswood, continue to be curious about Drachenfest (It’s proximity to Pheno continues to be an issue), have had several WA friends try to get me over for Concord and Lost Settlers announced dates for next year. So many events, so little time… And that’s without mentioning my wife reminding me about the New Zealand scene. I do miss running about with foam swords and shouting, but given I can’t even fly the skull and crossbones from my balcony, I don’t think I should engage in that sort of behaviour at home. I managed to get through Winterfest without buying another weapon, but that’s only cause a dagger I was keen on had sold out when I went back to buy one. Still, the hood I bought helped keep the sun off my face on the Sunday, and that was welcome. As for the upcoming Blacktown event, I’m tempted to take my fencing gear one day, but go in costume the next. It’s been far too long since I wore my giant hat out and more people need to see it’s glory.

A bearded man wearing a giant leather hat. — Is it not magnificent?

As for home, the new place is going well. We’re mostly settled in and unpacked, though renovation ideas are in motion. The feeling of knowing that it’s ours, and we can decorate as we wish continues to surprise me, and given the corridor between the main and bedrooms is now painted a dark violet, that really shouldn’t do so. I’m still not sure what art I want to put there, or above my writing area. Paralysis of choice is real. I don’t know how people can make an immediate decision and not spend weeks agonising over it, but I envy them however they manage it.

The only other planning of note (asides from Pheno), has been for future birthday events. I have a few ideas for combined movies and themes (ie, a theme of weird science and the film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension), but one thing is confirmed, at least, at the time of writing. My 50th is still several years away, but there’s a film that’s very precious to me that I’ve somehow never seen in a cinema. What film, I hear you ask? Well, it has it’s flaws, and it’s lack of adherence to the source material is pretty damn strong, but the visuals and music made such an impact on me that I invoked it on no less than my wedding day. And really, hitting the half century seems an appropriate day to have the King of Aquilonia’s chronicler tell you of the days of high adventure…

Right. Time for bed. Night all. Sleep well. I’ll mostly likely kill you in the morning.

*I’ve been guilty of taking the phone out during quiet times, but I’m trying to keep a lid on it. Leaving it back in the dorm and trying to be more involved in game helps a lot.
** A weight lifting belt over the front of which I cover with leather, and have something Roy and HG-esque written in Futhark on it, with a wand holster on one hip and a hook for my Aether Ball frisbee on the other.
*** The original Nephew is a a Schnauzer and a Very Good Dog. He got 12/10 from We Rate Dogs, so it’s not just us who think so!

The Festival of the Wand, Part Deux!

It’s time for Part 2 of the Festival of the Wand, aka my look at Ravenswood Institute’s second event! (Part 1 can be found here should you require a recap)This less a recap, more an analysis, with regrets and plans for the future. Let’s get to it.

The emotional bleed continues. It’s been a different sort of bleed to Ravenswood last year, or Path of the Warden in 2023. The former was a ‘That was fun and I can do this’ while the latter was ‘I went somewhere knowing no-one and had an amazing time’, coupled with the intensity of the IC romance. (Fingers crossed that game returns as I’d love to continue the story) I’m used to bleed happening, it’s no shock, but this time it’s felt different. A large dose of relief that things worked, coupled with some regrets (Rational and irrational) and wanting things to have been better. Don’t get me wrong, the players seemed to enjoy it and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the event as a whole, but the standard I’d set for myself was higher. I can hyper focus when things aren’t going well, and yeah, the nerves were stressing me in the lead up. Finding out mine was the last event was something else. Yes, it gave me time to build a relationship with the students and staff, and I got some good roleplay in, but the tension, the feelings of just wanting to get it out of the way and done so I could relax. *whoof*

As for bleed, binging Skeleton Crew has helped take the mind off it somewhat, and it was great fun. Made for quite the contrast with Andor S2, the previous Star Wars show I’d watched. I’m soon to head over to S2 of Doctor Who, though no thanks to the Guardian and the Doctor Who FB page, I’m already aware of the season’s big events. You’d think there would be some sort of policy on not putting giant spoilers in article headlines, or giving it a couple of days before you announce them but no… *grumbles* Mind you, I’ve likely not helped things but continuing to listen to my Ravenswood playlist mixed with a lot of AC/DC, but as associated as they are with the event, they still make me happy. I’ve long been curious as to what the reaction would be if you hooked my brain up to an activity monitor and played the opening riff of Whole Lotta Rosie.

Overall, the game was vast amounts of fun. Everyone bought into the setting and atmosphere, worked with the story and went along with all manner of shenanigans. The horse curse was a highlight, as was the finale to the voodoo doll saga. I’ve no idea how it began, but I assume it was a cursed item. If they can’t keep that bloody cabinet locked they don’t deserve to have one if you ask me. I missed the start of it, but the end involved some screaming and confrontation, Physical’s star player collapsing in the lunch area and screaming how his career was over shortly before one of the screaming folks stabbed a blood bag filled voodoo doll. Just your everyday lunch at Ravenswood, especially given the other lunch break featured the Automaton entering and a mass Remove Curse being cast, thanks to yet another cursed item. That bloody cabinet. At least, I believe that’s what happened, and stand happy to be corrected. I don’t think it was the same lunch, as I’m pretty sure the Sunday lunch I spent as the Automaton, or hiding waiting for students to choose what object they’ll scry. It’s all a blur,

“Oh, Yowies — you eat the ass end of them.”
“Ummmmmm…”

The people. From the faculty, to the NPC Magical OH&S inspector (Who’d been determined to shut the school down, but was thwarted by having his notes ‘accidentally’ destroyed) to the student body, we all seemed to understand what we were getting into. The Inspector played the role of ‘officious jerk’ to a T (From talking to him he’s been somewhat typecast, but enjoys it) and I was a little sad Phys Ed ended without him interrupting me to enquire about student safety, as we’d planned the first night. Playing the person everyone hates can be tricky, but every time I saw or talked to him about it he was having a barrel of laughs. Especially on the dance floor Saturday night – I’ve no idea what was done to him to induce that sort of behaviour, but my money’s on some sort of unholy Fae brewed cocktail. Or Truth Serum. Apparently there was a bunch or two of that being brewed up somewhere on campus…

“Some one summoned a yowie and now it’s in the woods”
“There’s 2 boys kissing in the woods?”

The main con is the distance, both to the venue and how the players are scattered about. From what the orgs have said there’s spin off potential, and I think there would be an audience in my neck of the woods, but I’m not head GM material for it. Support staff, hell yes, but not in charge. It was lovely as players began to arrive and the chorus of “Hey, haven’t seen you since last year” began, but I want to see these people more. (Even if I’m not throwing spells at them) It’s a lovely community and I’m really pleased to share a hobby with then. For example, the two people running the hazing ritual Friday night gave me some chocolate Yowie eggs as thanks afterwards. It’s the little things that can mean the most, you know?

“So, just to clarify. Have you just awarded both of the students who were doping?”

This next part isn’t so much Cons, as things I want to do better/wish I’d done.
First, taking better care of myself in the lead up and during the event, mentally and physically. I need reminders for go the fuck to sleep and eat a sensible amount of food before LARP, though the game catering itself was wonderful. You’d think by this stage my nerves would be better, but nope. I can’t help but be in brown trousers mode, whether for doing something new, or going to the other side of the country to play let’s pretend with rules. I choose to take it as a good thing, that I care about it and want it to go well and I really do. I just need to believe other people when they tell me it’ll go well.

Be more organised. The weather can be planned for (And as I’ve already said, the crew did wonderfully), and I knew kind of what I wanted, but hadn’t worked out what order to do games in and how much time things would take. Also, while I had a few cheerfully insulting nicknames prepared, I do want more.

Doing more, whether that be asking more questions, talking to other players and getting reactions. I barely cast a spell all weekend for crying out loud! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to overshadow the students, they’re the reason we do this. As I’ve said, I also really want the Yowie and Automaton to return, but a minor cameo. Too much of a good thing can ruin it, you know? Getting back to Coach, part of the initial idea for the character was him being announced and at least half the staff facepalming while muttering “By Gandalf’s beard, it’s that guy” and that didn’t exactly happen. I didn’t seem to cause any havoc on campus (the students managed more than enough) and that’s certainly a goal for next year. Still, the students seemed happy to see me, even the ones who only watched my class, and that’s a big thing. The trophy has been taken by the orgs and will be in Physical House’s dorm next year. More Phys Ed has been demanded, and who am I to argue with that?

“THIS IS NOT MOH&S COMPLIANT!”

There’s also a fair whack of things I wanted to do, but didn’t get to, for various reasons. Mostly I wanted to participate more, to establish a reputation. I’ve had moments in games and life where someone will look at me and go “That was you?” and it feels glorious. Sure, of the things I didn’t do I’m glad for – there was a brief moment of temptation to start flirting with the people talking to the Yowie at the dance, but I like to think had the reception been positive I’d have said “I’m sure you’re all lovely, but you’re a tad scrawny and well, hairless for me.” (Though if you think I haven’t done some searching for Ghillie suits or Chewbacca costumes for next year, you would be very wrong) I’m seeking parts that I can add to my costume, but I’m trying to put any purchases off till early net year, or at least till after Pheno in October, which is a lovely convention and I recommend you all attend. I should be writing that game now as I write this.

Still, if I can learn from this and put those lessons into practise for next year, I should be in good stead. Maybe it’ll be one big game instead of some smaller ones or a mini tourney between class breaks? For now, it’ll be a mystery. I’ve submitted my feedback, the orgs are meeting in a few weeks to debrief and plot for the future, and I’m trying to bask in the glow of a job well done, patiently waiting for the event photos (Yes, there’s some of the Yowie and Automaton, not just Coach) and a hell of a lot of lovely compliments.

So, what happens next? Well, for you my dear readers I’ll tell you. Has this piqued your interest? Do you have the urge to cast spells, cause chaos and be abused by a sweary Yowie? Then get on it and join the FB group! Too far away? Ask the orgs nicely, and they may agree to letting you write and run a spinoff! Prepare for next event, and make sure when it’s time you have a ticket to Ravenswood Institute, where too much magic is barely enough!

Festival of the Wand, Part 1!

I have returned from a land beyond space and time, otherwise known as Western Australia, where I’ve been teaching at wizard university (No, not the Unseen one. Sadly). That’s right, it was Ravenswood Institute’s second event and dear readers, I had a blast. Wait, I had a Magic Missile! No. Melf’s Acid Arrow? Thunderwave? Fireball? (OK, I’ll stop now) For I wasn’t a mere student this year, but a member of staff – enter Duncan Kincaid, sports coach and Phys Ed instructor! The following recollections may be inaccurate, be missing important context and will almost certainly contain events I don’t mention during questioning and later rely on in court.

I mean, what other number would I choose? (It looks more purple in the flesh)

I’d enjoyed myself at their opening event last year, and had been kicking around the character idea for most of that time. it appealed owing to the contrast between the more reserved members of staff and a sports obsessed yobbo (Albeit one magically trained) with the short version being “What if HG Nelson taught at [THE MAGIC SCHOOL THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED]?” I’d submitted it to the admins, asking more if I was on the right track than expecting to be given the OK, and to my eternal surprise it was accepted, with a terrifying speed. Learning later the amount of trust they’d put in me, that they saw what I’d brought to the last game and thought my idea could work, was incredibly flattering, and far from the last compliment I’d receive. Still getting used to that. As long time readers may know, I have a teeny problem with self esteem.

So, what happened? Dancing, wizardry, a mechanical beast came to life, strange creatures appeared and cursed items ran amok. Horses, of a sort, cute (and unexpectedly vicious) animals, shouting, far too much rain and some good old fashioned Aussie racism. It’ll make some sort of sense when explained. The Friday was setup and student arrival. A lesson in basic spellcasting took place (as some folks missed it last year which meant they were in strife) followed by after hours shenanigans. There was a request to NPC a Yowie, who was being summoned by the Spiritual Dorm as part of their hazing of new students, with some ‘extra Aussie’ flavour asked for. Challenge accepted! He was meant to be creepy at first, then funnier, but once I got a laugh I couldn’t stop. What followed was regular abuse, insults (*sniffs players hand* “Smells virginal”), some revelations (“How’d you get the name Yowie?” “I dunno, I walk up to folks, they yell “YOWIE!” and run like fuck.”) and more abuse of white people in general. This lead to the recurring question “Are all Yowie’s racist?” and if I had $5 for every time that was asked over the weekend… The summoning circle was broken (as planned) and I escaped, with a loud cry of “Jokes on you dickheads, I’m free again!” It was glorious fun getting to unleash that inner yobbo.

Saturday morning was Magical Foci with Professor Emberleaf, and that was a joy. She’s a wonderful calming presence and as awful as I am at arts and crafts, it was oddly soothing putting something together. Far as I’m concerned, it’s a relaxing amulet to be placed over the dressing room door after a game that helps sooth wounds and tempers. Cursed Objects was next, which meant I was helping with scrying. In short, students were sitting around a table talking to the object in question in a positive tone while crew walked around making noises and trying to put them off. This would last for 10 minutes, with the tension being ratcheted up every 2. The temptation to whisper in people’s ears “Who are you?” and “What do you want?” was presented, and I jumped at it. We almost made one group literally jump when we gently lifted then dropped the table they were sitting around. *maniacal cackle*

Rain meant the Magical Creatures excursion had to take place indoors, but we coped. I can’t say enough how well everyone coped with the weather, which wasn’t great. A Quetzalcóatl’s eggs were on display, and the mother herself paid us a visit (a fantastic piece of puppetry courtesy of the Magical Creatures professor). A pair of her eggs went missing, and it seemed as if the rest were about to be stolen, but I missed the rest of that plot line. IIRC Saturday also saw the Horse curse. Basically, a cursed item had gotten loose, and if you touched it, you believed you were a horse. At one point there was half a dozen of them, students and faculty members alike, prancing about. A staff member timed it beautifully walking up to them playing The Horses on his phone just as the chorus started. *chef kiss* Then it was club time, dinner and the school dance, which meant time for Coach to dress fancy!

**I am darkness. I am the night. I am Coach!**

The dance brought shenanigans, dancing and some light drugging of the inspector who’d come for an OHS look at the school. Oh, and a return appearance from the Yowie. Emerging from the darkness as ‘Every Breath You Take’ played was a beautiful accident I couldn’t have managed if I tried. So, for some folks the first words they heard the Yowie speak was a loud “WHAT THE FUCK? Even I know that’s a song about stalking!” My personal dislike of the playlist bled over, which meant when asked what music he did like, the response was something like “the primal elemental sound of this country. I believe they call it Acca Dacca!” There was more banter, the discovery of his true name (I panicked for some reason and said Artorius, which I’m retconning to Artie) and getting a slightly supercharged spell to send him home. “You hear a loud cry of ‘Fuuuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkk’ as he disappears.” The super secret faculty after party was crashed by students, and I headed for bed. I’m really hoping the Yowie cameos in future games – I have a head canon vision of him storming into the next dance, marching up to the DJ and demanding “I want a song about a very special lady, and I want it now!” Several minutes of frenzied air guitar later, he vanishes into the night, and I immediately chug a large energy drink/consume half a tins worth of Milo (NOT Kerrigan) to replace what I’ve just sweated. Rock and roll.

Needless to say, I was slightly impaired come Sunday. There was breakfast (Did I mention the event is catered?) and more NPC duty, this time as an automaton with the spirit of the previous Cursed Objects animating it. A long trek out to the woods, waiting followed by more waiting (Some students had activated a curse), but seeing the looks on their faces as it began to move was worth it. There was conversation on the long walk back, and he told the emotional story of his life before and during the scrying ceremony. I cheerfully admit to stealing the entire thing lock stock and barrel from an episode of Crusade, but hearing afterwards that I’d made some of them cry made all the waiting and sweating (By Crom, I’d forgotten just how much sweat dripping in your eyes stings) inside the costume worth it. I was crying too, before you ask.

We also got to be extra creepy during one of the scryings, which was to investigate a cricket ball that had the soul of a small child (I think, I missed a lot of that plot last year) inside. I can imagine that having your eyes closed while 3 people whisper variations on “Mummy, are you there? I’m scared. Mummy, where are you? Mummy, they keep hitting me.” in your ears isn’t fun, but points to the players for somehow not cracking. It was a toss up between that and the specimen jar one, for which I was whispering “I just wanted a chance in life like you. All they do is slice me open and stitch me up again. I can still feel the scalpels…” I remain very glad I was on that end of the ceremony, as I’m all but certain I’d have cracked and fled screaming.

Note: There’s a lot of care taken at the event, with players inputting a list of their dislikes beforehand, and we crew do our best to stay away from them. Also, if you need to step away, you’re more than welcome to put the hand up and walk, no questions asked. Self care is important. The opening for my class stressed there would be coarse language and physical activity, with an overall message of ‘If you aren’t up for it, I don’t need a reason why.”

I don’t have a name for it, but it was $8 very well spent.

Before I’d realised, it was time for Phys Ed, my class, and in the words of one of Australia’s leading stuntmen, “I don’t have the brown underpants on for nothing!” Mercifully the weather had cleared up, and after an opening warning and the casting of a spell of my own devising, that being “Sobrietus, In Extremis”*, we were on! There was sorting them into teams, some meditation and testing how awakened their sense were, by blindfolding half, with the others hurling spell balls at them. It went surprisingly well, with some lovely dexterity on display. A 3-legged race brought out their competitive spirit, with spells being hurled back and forth. Frisbee dodgeball followed and Hot (Potato) Component finished up, with me giving the trophy to 2 players who’d both admitted to taking performance enhancing potions earlier that day. Whoops?

My voice was slightly shot and I was a nervous wreck, but it went really well, and I’m already plotting how to make next years bigger and better, with more audience participation and less illegal doping. Hopefully there’ll be more nicknames, with one player who’d been channelling Elle Woods (Complete with matching Phys Ed lycra – I hadn’t expected her to participate, let alone match outfits) known as Barbie, her more goth compatriot was Wednesday and the school’s resident sports nut, who’s name was Flash, became “Gordon’s Alive.” Hearing people laugh at that damn near made my event. That film is sacred in my house, to the extent there’s a good chance any use of the phrase “I love you” is answered with “But we only have 14 hours to save the Earth!”

And it was over, and back to reality. Harrumph. I should sleep now, so I’ll keep you in anticipation for part 2 of the Festival of the Wand, where too much magic is barely enough!

*It was then pointed out the the punch at the dance was non-alcoholic. As it was fey brewed, I stand by my actions.

Convention recap time!

So, my last two weekends have been at gaming based conventions – the first, playing at Phenomenon, the second, working a booth at PAX Australia. Therefore, it’s recap time!

Pheno continues to be a delight, both in terms of the people there and the quality of games. They went the gamut from an alien beauty contest, at which I was a very stressed intern, to a new Persephone (Damn intense game, but I expect nothing less from the GM team) to an Orcish drummer. There was an inter species relationship (I was a werewolf, he was a vampire), mostly to spite her father. Also, it was a fake, to disguise the actual relationship I’d entered into late game. It made sense at the time. I even managed to come away with two player awards, which was lovely for my ego. (Though to be fair, I think I only managed that cause Niece couldn’t make it this year. Both her and my wife are tremendously skilled lumberjacks*) It’s always nice to have the recognition, to feel as if I was doing something right in the eyes of the GM, even if in both awards this year it was a team effort. For one game, a lot of political arguments, and my confusion at most of the table not realising I was referencing Raiders of the Lost Ark at one point, but we used our ultimate power to create the Scales of Equality, a magic item to even the odds, so to speak. The rich get poorer, and the poor get richer. Idealistic, I know, but it made sense in the game. The second was less a team effort, and more a 3/4’s of the team effort. I’ll explain.

The game was based around a group of Bards in a D&D setting, and the GM is well known for his love of the pun. So, when the music puns started to sing (About, oh, 2 and a half seconds into the game), we turned up the amps in response. Except for my wife, who spent most of the session head in her hands, horrified at what was unleashed. I have no defence, other than we felt entitled to return fire. There’s a reason her prize certificate said ‘For courage under fire’ after all. It’s not that I’m a regular user of the pun, but it’s possible I’ve listened to a few too many pun runs from The Bugle and something has infected me. At least, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Another highlight for me was speaking in Orcish for the first time IC – the character spoke broken Common, but intellectual Orcish, so going from “Me think you no say good” to “I say good fellow, might we settle this without any unnecessary violence?” in a proper RP accent, was delightful.

Only flaw in the con was my coming sick on the Sunday night, which marred my Monday with a lot of irritating coughing and concern about my health. Took the shine off the after party as well – between the coughs and the way my back was hurting from said coughing, it wasn’t as fun as they usually are. There was good news though, amidst the regular banter and debriefing. The good news being, I have an idea for next year, and it’s positively rational! But more about that later.

Turning to PAX, I got back from Pheno, slept the rest of the day, then the day after was on a flight to Melbourne that evening.. Setup, as always, is painful, but getting to talk to people about games can be wonderfully soothing. my abiding memory of the con being people’s faces experiencing the back cover blurb for Eat the Reich, which ranged from slack-jawed confusion at what the hell did I just read, to full blown “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!” Also, near every time I got to talk about it, I’d get the theme to The A-Team in my head. My only regrets, outside of not having more spending money (There was a LARP arming sword that was taunting me the entire con), was not seeing the Owlbear that I’d heard was at the Drachenfest booth. The dragons they had were lovely, but OWLBEAR! I did buy a very cute small plush one, my wife feels we’re on the way to a large collection. Overall, loud and exhausting, with rather overpriced food, but a lot of fun. Looking forward to next year.

Returning to the game idea. Some of my favourite moments as a GM have been when players added to the event, contributing ideas, noodle incidents or bits of canon. It’s a wonderful feeling when players add stuff, even if it’s a better idea than what I had, makes me feel like they’re getting into the spirit of things. I’ve had no small amount of them, ranging from “Was it the Mole-men?” to “We need to drive faster. Somebody give the engine a sandwich.” So, what about a game based on that premise and built on action movie logic? A game that uses a system I’ve not run before, like Feng Shui? *drum roll* Oh yes, that’s exactly the plan.

The idea is simple: it’s the third film in an action movie trilogy, an Expendables-esque** combination of explosions, quips and 10 thousand rounds per 10 round magazine. There’s existing PC relationships, old comrades, grudging team mates and a romance or two, if they have the guts to admit they care about each other. Good drama. At least, I hope. The twist is, the events of the previous 2 films, any Disney+ spin offs or ill advised prequels etc, are determined during play each session. How they met the villain, how much property damage was done in his capture and the full horror of his dastardly world conquering scheme, it’s player driven. I like the idea of getting their input, of making every session really different. Haven’t gotten much further, but there’s a lot of thoughts. Do I set a guideline for what style of event people want at the start? For example, we have three settings:
1: Relatively gritty.
2: 80’s Arnie.
3: Utterly bat-shit insane.

That seems like a good idea, but I know how tired I get near the end of a con, and things get extra whacky no matter what. I’ve had a couple of people say they’d like to request my last session, to see what sort of insanity they can cook up when I’m near exhaustion. That also goes for the setting – did you encounter the villain when he murdered your brother in an underground fighting tournament, or when you fell through a dimensional portal and found yourselves punching Mordred in King Arthur’s court? It’ll certainly test my GM improv skills and not confusing relationships in each session to session could be a nightmare, but I’m liking the idea. Character ideas are coming, and the research… I really should have watched The Old Guard sooner, but that’s led me down a “I need more Charlize Theron kicking ass in my life” path, which has meant I’m finally watching the Fast and the Furious films. I’d be lying if I thought they started well, but I’m up to Furious 6, having skipped Tokyo Drift, and the more over the top they’ve gotten, the more I’m enjoying them. Still early stage enthusiasm, but I’m hoping to hang onto that for as long as I can, so I’m ready to pitch next year. Feels good to have an idea again. Feels real good.

Lastly, Ravenswood have announced another event for neat year, which means I should probably do some more work on the NPC sports teacher idea I had after the last event. *commences idle googling for props and costume*

Be seeing you…

* A piece of slang from the old times, when convention trophies were blocks of wood.
** Let’s be fair here: it may start as The Expendables, but we all know within about 30 seconds it’ll become Hot Shots Part Deux and I’m OK with that.

Been a while.

Last week I typed “I am not good at selfies” into my phone.

Auto correct changed that to “I am not good at self-esteem.”

I have not felt that personally attacked in a long, long time.

What prompted that particular exchange was something I’ve also not done in a long, long time. Brace yourselves people, but a bit over a week ago, I got a haircut.

Newer readers may be unaware of how long my I’ve had my hair that way, but it’s been near 30 years. I grew it as part of my nascent heavy metal fandom, and kept it. It was a signature, part of my style and identity, a silent declaration of ‘this is who I am and what I’m into’. Yeah, there was the odd cry of “Get a haircut!” and the like, but once it grew past the Beatle’s mop top length, it became my style. I’m certain the only people I’m in regular contact with these days who’ve seen me with short hair are family, and they were quite surprised when word got out. It was very much the ‘make sure you’re sitting down when you read this’ type of message. Why I did this was simple. Between some gentle nudges from my wife about it’s condition, and seeing far too much of the back of my head in the photos from Ravenswood, I bit the bullet. I’m proud of not bolting for the door at the salon and I certainly understand why she goes there, as the atmosphere was lovely. They even asked if I wanted to keep some of it, and while I was tempted to take a photo of the pile of hair on the floor, I felt no need for a keepsake lock or two.

As for how it looks now, well, it’s a lot shorter. There hasn’t been as much of the “Who the fuck are you?” when I look in the mirror, though given it’s now unrestrained I do find myself sweeping it back from my eyes a lot more. The reactions have been a mix of shock and appreciation, which has been much appreciated, though one acquaintance said it was a Samson-esque moment, and my brain went straight to Hercules Returns…

Turning to gaming, thanks to the generosity of a dear friend, I now have a physical copy of Feng Shui 2nd edition. For those who know not of it’s glory, it’s inspired by Hong Kong action cinema. If you’ve seen any of the work of John Woo, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan or Jet Li, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect. The first edition was something of a revelation to me, for while I never did quite grapple with the metaplot, the idea of a game who’s combat was more than “I swing at him” *rolls dice* “And I miss”, where action movie wackiness was positively encouraged (To quote the GM advice book Blowing Up The Movies, “Any place you can have a rickety shelf packed with propane tanks, there will be a rickety shelf packed with propane tanks.”), it was a thing of beauty. Now owning a physical copy of the book has made reading it a lot easier (As opposed to the PDF), as well as learning the system (in as much I ever learn a system) and soaking all the detail in, one part of the book stood out to me. Short version: In the setting there’s a form of time travel, by accessing junctures in the Netherworld, the 4 main areas being 69AD, 1850AD, the modern day and the blasted post apocalyptic wasteland of 2074. Now, there’s a number of other junctures in the book involving alternate histories, cyborg apes and the like, all regular run of the mill stuff, but the one that stuck out the most tome shouldn’t be a surprise, at least not to anyone who’s played one of my convention games…

HOW IN THE EVER LOVING FUCK HAVE I NOT DONE THIS BEFORE? I’ve owned a PDF of the game since the Kickstarter ended near 10 years back, and somehow never noticed this. I can only assume I was rolling those particular Notice checks. It’s not that my events don’t have that particular style of wacky, but they tend to be more low budget BBC than Chow Yun-Fat diving through the air both guns blazing. This might have sparked a few ideas for bringing the Chi War to France, or reskinning the system to buckle some swash. Hell, maybe setting it in space. Firearms can pierce the hull, but swords don’t after all.. Well, unless we’re talking laser swords and that is damn tempting. Anyhow, I’m dead keen to run it, though more as the occasional one-off rather than a campaign.

Outside that, I’m still battered and sore from a sword class yesterday. A lot of time in it was spent blocking other people’s blades with my body, even if that wasn’t the intention. As a great man once said, it’s all in the reflexes. Walking today hasn’t been fun, though the shoulder that took most of the blows isn’t as sore as I was expecting. Which was nice. I need to warm up more and work on my reflexes. I adore fencing, but there’s days it really hurts.

As for the future, who knows? I’m still eyeing off going to the next Concord event to crew, hoping to hear about upcoming events (I have been very good and not been bombarding the Path of the Warden crew with questions) and am looking forward to new Lower Decks and Transformers One. Do I like Chris Hemsworth’s Optimus Prime voice? Not really. I’m also not a fan of the tone of it, at least based on the trailer, let alone the celebrity rather than voice actor casting. Peter Cullen’s voice casts a long shadow and Hemsworth based on the trailer doesn’t have it. Still, it’s not to have a reminder that at heart it’s a production for people who were my age when I first watched the show. I’m reminded of the age of the cinema audience when I went to see Muppets from Space.

That’s it, time for bed. Night all. Be seeing you.

PS: No, you don’t get a photo of my hair, you’ll have to wait till you see me in the flesh. My wife’s orders.

This one time, at Wizard camp…

No, we’re not going there, but the line was too good not to use.

So, I spent my weekend on the other side of the country pretending to be a wizard. It was a lot of fun and I’m going to talk about it. Before I do though, there’s been some lovely things happen recently, despite falling into my now traditional ‘extend the times between psych visits and immediately collapse mentally’ issues. I got a photo with the Great Maker at Supanova *and* he remembered me from being in the audience at his writing panel about 45 minutes beforehand. I get that I have a distinctive beard, or maybe it was the ‘Not the One’ shirt I was wearing but I’m still buzzing from that moment Furthermore, in what was the best $10 I’ve spent since I bought a housemate a pendant of a bloody guillotine, I entered a raffle and won a pair of lightsabers! They’re currently charging and I’m really looking forward to putting them through their paces. This might be the inducement towards finally doing some Star Wars cosplay, though I’d need a belt hook for them first.

Wait, that clip is *how many* years old? *crumbles to dust*

So, wizard school. No, nothing involved with the ‘TERF Who Shall Not Be Named’, outside of the counter spell ‘Copyrightus’, to be deployed if anything from that series was used. I spent more time doing research in the leadup listening to the Snake Boys from Smersh Pod talk through the movies and I’m still cackling over the ‘Nearly Cancelled Nick’ running gag. Mentally, it’s the traditional post event slow returning to reality and I’d expected that. On the bright side, I booked more time off work afterwards, and the rain during the event held off, as I’d been caught in heavy rain twice the previous day racing back to my hotel. The venue was nice, with a series of cabins/small houses so players and crew were all in groups. The players were split up into various styles – each did the same thing, but had a preferred style and theme – Physical, Nature, Mental, etc. We members of Physical House were bunking with the Meta-Magic folks and while jocks and nerds are naturally mortal enemies, we bonded swiftly. Main issues were the sand and dirt we tramped inside (As you all know, it’s coarse and irritating and get’s everywhere), followed by the cold. Yes, it’s winter, but there were times when I had to pee in the early morning and was desperately hanging on, hoping the temperature would rise. I was reminded of the listening to podcast about the event And Now My Watch Begins, where it snowed. Yes, the game was set on the Wall in Westeros so it was incredibly evocative, but still. Needless to say, the sleeping bag gifted by my in-laws recently came in incredibly handy.

Outside of the cold, the venue was solid. It was a good size, the dorm rooms weren’t too far away and didn’t feel like everyone was in sight, so you could plot nefariously out of sight. I was part of a group planning to summon a demon at one point (We had it’s true name, so could have banished it easily), but we ran out of time/couldn’t find the other conspiracy members when needed. Next time Gadget, next time… Moving on. the catering was welcome (I do like bread and sausages, though I understand they aren’t to everyone’s tastes) and well stocked. Food is good and they deserve more applause.

The event was split up into classes, with breaks between. Classes included spell casting (Which nearly went to hell owing to repeated attacks by undead creatures. Experience is one thing, but nearly getting students killed is another), wand making (Arts and crafts time!) and magical creatures (Cute puppets and more arts and crafts!). Classes went well, though I was hoping for more content in a couple of them. The afternoon was break time, for me mostly being nap time, before dinner and some more shenanigans, the main skirmish on Saturday night I accidentally missed owing to getting wound up in conversation and not hearing the main group of players. Whoops… There were several Fae on campus, though I’ll admit the two mushroom themed ones constantly starting dance parties did put me off somewhat. I am very much not a dance party guy, but points for commitment to the bit from the crew. Also, the horror of someone getting torn in two by the Fae king and queen, owing to a deal the school headmaster had made back in the day, that had some impact. I caught some of the plot regarding that, but as I emerged from a nap shortly before the whole drama kicked off, I didn’t get the full thing. Feelings were had, though the less said about the mandatory therapy session afterwards the better. Well meaning, but not the best execution.

Cutest. Monster. Ever. (Drink can for size comparison)

Spellcasting involved yelling something in pseudo-Latin and flourishing your foci, which for most folks was a wand. It was lovely to see how swiftly everyone got into the spirit of the thing, both in the shouting and reacting sense. I understand it can be tricky when there’s nothing to react to, but it still sparks joy when the switch is flipped and the in game becomes real, much like seeing people panic at the initial zombie release in Zedtown back in the day. (I really miss that game, and still hold out a forlorn hope it’ll return.) Other shenanigans included a list ranking students preferred teachers (I fell asleep the Saturday night to the sound of that night being debated in the kitchen and the reaction from staff the morning after was heated), mostly legal duelling and Physical House triumphing over the staff in a game of spellball, aka wizard dodgeball. it started as 3 out of 3, then grew into best of 9 as neither side refused to admit defeat or get enough of a lead. Also, we students took far longer to start using our wands than the teachers, so we had a moral victory as well.

I’ll be honest, I missed a fair chunk of the plot, and I do regret that. There were a couple points when I needed a nap, owing to general exhaustion or noise overload. It had been a stressful week leading up to game, and that reflected in my performance. There was no IC romance, though I did volunteer for it – one of the local Fae had a prophecy that he was going to be ‘laid like an egg’, and while that wasn’t my flavour, I hadn’t tried it and why not? It seemed that the prophecy was misread, and as far as I know nothing more happened. The main regret, outside of not doing more, was should I have let my character die at the final ceremony? In short, there was a large ceremony to replenish the wards around the school, and I was one of the people donating a serious amount of mana to help with that. I was having a bad brain moment, not helped by a nasty tarot reading from one of the mushroom folks. The idea of a long life devoid of creativity is an utter nightmare to me, both in and out of character, and the thought of dying as the hero really appealed for a few seconds. ‘Let me die the hero, after so many as a villain. It is far better thing I do, than I have ever done…” Still, what’s done is done.

Despite the (mostly self inflicted) issues, I still had a blast. The people, players and admins, were lovely, and getting to reunite with some of the South Australian folks from Path of the Warden was a joy. I’m looking forward to the photos, if only to see what sort of absurd faces I’m striking. Actually, that’s another issue – I regret not getting any group photos, be that the players, or the school houses. And yes, I’m planning to head back next year should there be another event, dependent on time. Shockingly, I’m already having ideas, this time for a faculty member, the school’s sports teacher. The costume would be modified sports armour covered in runes, maybe with an enchanted whistle or blowing horn. Ah, the things my brain does instead of letting me sleep.

That’s it for the moment. Be seeing you.

Swords are fun, and other surprising topics.

I’ll get the update stuff out of the way first, as the rest off this entry will be me venting ideas stuck in my head the last week. Last weekend saw Blacktown Medieval Fair, and while talking about swords, playing with swords and trying to convince people their lives would be improved by learning how to use swords was a heap of fun, it was also damn exhausting. I’ve also left feedback with them, politely asking the soundtrack please have more than the same 5 or so songs and could event the MC be sent on a Responsible Service of Alcohol course, as advocating for people to start drinking when the hotel opened at 11am, not to mention something alone the lines of ‘If you can’t drink them, give them to your kids’, was kind of horrifying and surely a relic of ages past. I was responsible with my shopping, with my main purchases being some frog earrings for my wife (Yes, even at a medieval event I can find frog items for her – BOW DOWN TO MY POWER!), a bloody guillotine pendant for a housemate (The smile that came over her face when I gave it to her was more than worth it, to say nothing of the fact that she immediately put it on) and a LARP cutlass for myself. It’s very pretty, and started my brain going, which will likely comprise the rest of this entry…

You see, that re-awakened the long held passion my brain has for all things to do raising the Black Flag (Ooooo-er!), whether I want it to or not. I mean, I haven’t helped that by starting a re-watch of Black Sails, or listening to episodes of Larps and Tarps where they discuss playing in the game Hoist the Colours, which led down a rabbit hole of trying to find cap gun flintlocks, possibly not helped by reading a recent discussion on the Drachenfest Australia group regarding their use in that game, as opposed to band guns. Furthermore, playing the remaster of Secret of Monkey Island, as much fun as that is, has reminded me of how utterly incompetent I am at puzzle games. Praise be to internet walkthroughs and hints, as I’m old enough to remember having to buy magazines to get them. Yes, I’m old, and get the hell off my lawn. I’m torn between what to buy when I finish it, the leading choices being either Sea of Thieves and Skull and Bones.

And that reminds me of a tale…*

So, yeah, my head has been slightly occupied. Old ideas have been returning to the fore, and thoughts of games starting with the shattered remnants of a pirate armada washing ashore on some unknown, foreboding island. That might have been accidentally borrowed from Hoist the Colours, I’m not sure. Either way, I might save that one for next Pheno, given the pirate RPG I helped kickstart should have arrived by then. I’m certainly happy to be having ideas again, even if they’re old ones I may have forgotten about. It’s also led to a lot of contemplation about trying to run it as a semi regular thing, or possibly go quite, quite mad and try to run a LARP again.

It’s kept my head busy at least, which has been nice. Thoughts of how much weird in the setting, when should that be introduced (As bloated as the later films got, the first Pirates of the Caribbean film did a great job of slowly introducing the ‘stranger’ parts of the setting), and indeed, should it be based in history at all? Basing in the historical Golden Age of Piracy, albeit modified, gives a good starting point and ready made villains in the British and Spanish navies, not to mention the East India Trading Company, whereas a more fantasy approach gives a larger scope for options, but at the risk of being a bit everything and the kitchen sink. I’ve seen more than a few fantasy LARPS that have no shortage of races, each with it’s own ability, and leaves them, to me, lacking in focus and fodder for min-maxing. Again, that’s a me thing, and is no way intended as a pot shot at others, as I’ve been guilty of taking part is such behaviour in the past. I’ve spoken before about the effect that Path of the Warden had on me, and it’s rules light approach has continued to do a number on what I want in a LARP. Combine that with reading Hoist the Colour’s design document, and well, it’s certainly sparked a desire to try writing something again.

Mind you, that hasn’t started yet, as between work and family my time and focus to sit down and write has been lacking. All I have so far is my long held wants at LARP, such as phones away during game and a phrase resembling “Permadeath exists fuckos, so get used to it!” in the rulebook. The former owing to them being distractions, that I’ve fallen victim to all too many times in the past, be that checking something during a quiet moment in play, or trying to maintain immersion with people taking video in the middle of play. Hell, I remember one game where one person was commentating while taking video, which more than shattered any remaining immersion. Take photos, at the start and end of the day, but between then, leave it to the crew and put your phones away. The latter being because I really like the risk of death in a game. I don’t want characters dropping like flies, and I can understand not wanting to die given you’ve put so much effort into costume and background, but what is adventure without risk? It brings that feeling similar to a convention one-shot game, where I have 3 hours to get stuff done and have no illusion of playing the character again and induces a certain hell bent for leather approach to my play, that’s frequently absent in longer running campaigns. I’m sure I’ve spoken on this before, but there’s likely new readers since that time.

Again, all of this is speculative, as it’s likely that given a few more days this hyper-fixation will fade and be replaced by something anew. It’s a blessing and a curse. It’ll likely be another half written Google Doc to add to all the others, but something that get’s in the head even slightly in gear is better than none. Still, anything to get it out of the system and let me get back to other things – I mean, Ravenswood is coming up soon, and I’ve been meaning to at least start re-reading the Rivers of London books in preparation, and writing up my character’s IMDB entry.

Anyhow, time for bed. Be seeing you…

*In short, a few years ago a group of friends were at a weekend game where a couple among them, who shall remain nameless, were in the fresh and vocally enthusiastic, shall we say, stage of their relationship, or so I heard. This led to an idea of the Fuck Tent, which I shall explain. Buy a cheap tent, set it up a sensible distance from the game zone, and stock it with condoms, lube and sanitizer, with a roster outside. For a small fee, people can book the tent for whatever they wish (IC or OC, we don’t discriminate), with the expectation they clean it when they’re done, and leave it for the next booking. The hope was for bookings to cover the cost of the tent and supplies, as said tent may be too ‘tainted’ for other uses and may indeed be ceremonially burned at the end of the event.

shoutybeardything

Category LARP