It feels weird that I haven’t submitted an event for Pheno. I mean, I’ve had ideas, but they were more fragments, such as running a sequel to a game that didn’t happen, where the players construct/have flashbacks to the previous adventure as they go through and not a worthy scenario. Yes, jokes about what happened in the last movie can be amusing, but without a solid framework of an idea, a scenario, that’s not enough for me. I guess it’s my head’s way of saying you’re taking a break? It’s not that I’m not looking forward to playing again, I enjoy that, but there’s something special about GMing at cons that sparks joy. The wonder, the variety, of seeing groups deal with things in different ways. It makes me happy, and almost die from laughter. Seems odd is all, given I haven’t had any inclination for running something at home again. I mean, I have plans, but haven’t had the brain to put them into practice. Damn brain.
True, it’s been a stressful last few weeks, with knowing the submission deadline is coming and issues with work and home. Far too many people in my life coming down sick, to say nothing of how many were sick the day of my birthday event. I was damn glad anyone made it there were so many “I’m sorry, but we’re sick” messages. (I don’t blame anyone, to be clear – I’d rather you stay home and get well than force yourselves out) The day itself was enjoyable, Wyrmspan is a fun game (Tiny Dragons!) and The Court Jester went down a storm. Given this year’s film choices were mostly swashbuckling, I’m tempted to make the choices a genre next year, with sci-fi, schlock and sword and sorcery among them. Though to be fair I can likely find something that’ll combine all 3 in one. A new tradition has also been started, that of a late night classic series Doctor Who, with The Ark in Space being chosen. It nearly got horribly derailed, given I jokingly mentioned liking them too much to subject them to Timelash, but maybe there’ll be a night when they need to see Paul Darrow chewing the entirety of BBC Television Centre after he runs out of scenery. I’m also oddly proud of the playlist I put together, as putting it together involved answering questions like “It’s a party – we probably don’t need the theme to The Prisoner.” Also, there’s only 3 versions of Run to the Hills, which I consider to be very restrained on my part.
Distractions have helped somewhat, though the theming was accidental. Between showing my wife Ghostbusters: Afterlife, picking up the remaster of the Xbox game and getting to see Frozen Empire, my brain has been stuck on “Who you gonna call?” In short: we both really enjoyed Afterlife, I adore the Xbox game, despite some issues, with the background banter between the team a highlight. I’m not sure what I find funnier, the jokes about how often Ray get’s possessed or that you can interact with the painting of Vigo in the fire house, that Max Von Sydow recorded new dialogue for. As for Frozen Empire, it wasn’t bad, but felt overstuffed with characters and had a few too many nods to the original film for my tastes. Yes, I’m aware that’s doppelganger check time for me, who lives in the past as much as possible, but even I have my limits. Who’d have thought? This has naturally snowballed into me digging up a PDF of the old RPG, some idle googling of has anyone run a live action version, and wondering how you’d represent proton packs and traps in a LARP. I can see some sort of GM controlled Bluetooth device for the PKE meters (The louder it gets the more energy is nearby, as a general thing), but the proton packs is something else. Maybe MacGyvering a laser tag system, or hi-vis on the ghost costumes that needs to be illuminated by torches on the stream throwers for a certain chunk of time? Either way, the establishment of a new branch seems like a good start for a game and it’s been added to the ever growing list of game ideas I have. Also, I enjoyed the 2016 film, still want to be like Holtzman when I grow up and hope that someday we’ll see a proton pack rigged for a left hander.
Speaking of LARP, things are up in the air. Ravenswood hasn’t sold many tickets yet so who knows (Though I did test my costume when I was acting as the Responsible Adult at Niece’s 16th birthday party), Lost Settlers hasn’t announced dates yet and I fucked up slightly and bought a ticket to Heilung in Sydney for a ritual halfway through Drachenfest. Ooops. I’m going to be good though, and not scalp the ticket for a pile of cash as a relative suggested. That leaves Concord in September, and while I know at least one person thinking of going, the nation she and her husband are looking at is the one I have the least ideas for. So, I can go with that and know someone, or throw myself into the unknown, but with a nation I’m keener on. *ponders* Taking the second option will mean there’s another chance to wear my giant hat, which is tipping the scales somewhat. Then it’s the old issues of working out what parts of the event I want to play in, creating a working character, and not an excuse just to buy more weapons and another cloak. As if I need a reason for that!
“Man walks down the street in a hat like that, you know he’s not afraid of anything …“
I could talk more, but it’s well past time for bed. Be seeing you…
So, I spent the Invasion Day long weekend having a mini vacation with my wife and as usual on a vacation, I collapsed. I slept most of the first day as is traditional, then slept badly the second night and barely slept at all the last night. My emotions are all over the shop (I don’t normally almost break down crying when reading Princess Bride memes, but it happened), my concentration is frequently… something, and I still can’t quite mesh the two competing/contrasting themes together for my Pheno event I’m planning. However, I’m going to try to talk about good stuff that emerged from my brain over the time, and a lot of that involves brainstorming ideas. Dinner on the Thursday night was a feast of ideas old and new. The creative process is a wonderful thing, and getting to do so with my wife just makes it all the more wonderful. I know I’ve talked about how she has a wonderful knack for taking my bizarre over the top ideas, shaving off the dodgy bits and sculpting them into the pieces of glorious nonsense they are. And she’s only gotten better at it. So, let’s go.
As you wish… *cries*
Resistance is *static noise* The Borg. The most implacable enemy of Starfleet. You’ve likely fought against them, or run away from them, but what happens if you are one? As far as you can remember, you’ve been part of the Collective, travelling the galaxy adding other creatures biological and technological distinctiveness to your own. Resistance is futile. And then one day, you wake up, and there’s nothing. You can’t hear the Collective, you remember nothing of your name, or past, or even what species you were/are now. (“Hey, my forehead’s lumpy, means I’m not Human!”) The Cube you travelled on is now a shattered barely functioning wreck, but there are others who have shared your fate. Some newly assimilated drones may still be wearing scraps of uniform, but for most there seems to be no trace of who you were or are. For now, survival is key – can you restore power and life support to the vessel, let alone navigation? You’ve no idea what part of the galaxy you’re in, and with no idea how this has happened to you. So, what’s next? (I have to say this was part inspired, at least for me, by memories of an old RPG called Zero, that I found for $5 at a convention decades back, but never actually ran.)
Today is a good day to die, but the day is not yet over. A few posts ago I mentioned the Klingon Empire version of the current Star Trek RPG, and an idea popped up. What if, instead of a ship full of proud warriors, you had the misfits and screw ups? Those who would create rather than destroy, a ship of Alexander’s rather than Worf’s. It would be dishonourable to kill them, so they’ve been assigned to an old Bird of Prey and sent out into the galaxy, to find their purpose or die in the attempt. Do they embrace their warrior heritage, or attempt to find a new path, one that could perhaps revolutionise Klingon culture? (Yes, I’m very much reminded of the Orion’s in the Strange New Worlds crossover) As much as the whole macho Klingon aspect appeals to me (Yes, I’m aware I have issues), I do enjoy the idea off turning all that on it’s head.
Glory to you, and your house!
Wait, what would Picard do? Lastly, this is another space one, and was begun by my wife. The idea was for one of the larger space settings like Traveller, but I’m sure it could be adapted to a lot of other settings. So, the standard group of characters in those sort of games seems to be a rag-tag group of smugglers or scrappy revolutionaries, aka space murder hobos. Case in point, the 1st Edition of the Star Wars RPG where the characters were… Rebel operatives. And that’s it. It wasn’t till 2nd Ed that ideas opened up. So, what if instead you were the command crew of a military vessel? None of you have met before – it could be your first tour, or your last. How do you deal with the responsibilities, deal with the crew, and cope with orders you may disagree with. When you can stand those orders no longer, what do you do? Work within the system and hope for change, or mutiny? And how does that mutiny go? Have you made friends with the crew, or are you more of the iron fist captain type?
There’s more than the skants!
That last idea slightly mutated into thoughts inspired by a Stargate campaign I’m playing in. So, the default player group in the game is that of an SG Team, a perfectly sensible idea for it. But the idea for other options came to mind, and there’s more than a few in that setting. NID spooks back on Earth, a group of To’kra, members of the Free Jaffa movement or former Go’auld who’ve had the snake removed. To quote my wife, “there’s no point playing one as Claudia Black did it perfectly”, but you could try, I guess? (Also, the range of Big Finish Stargate audio plays is now back on sale and well worth a listen.)
So, yeah. Feel free to use them, as I, it feels weird to say can’t, but I’m not the GM for them. Maybe the Klingon idea, but the Lower Decks wackiness is closest to my skill set. Coming up with ideas that aren’t in my skill set as a GM is a blessing and a curse. It’s good to have an outlet for them, as not all of them work for LARPS I Will Never Run. Speaking of LARP, I’ve booked my ticket to Ravenswood Institute and completed my enrolment submission form, asking my likes, dislikes and any red flags. I like drama (Desperate last stands are one my thing’s), I loathe snails and slugs (Out of character) and need IC romance to function. OK, not quite, but I’ve had a lot of fun with it and want to do more. I think I’ve got my character idea bashed out, and I’m currently in the throes of costuming options and a suitably over the top entrance to game. The two leading ideas are ‘in character’ as the evil wizard he’s best known for playing, or post fan convention very hungover. Either way, I’ve plenty of time to work on options.
Lastly, I’ve been watching Nemesis on iview. It’s been a rage-inducing documenting of Australian political chaos, or to quote The Bugle Podcast, “a Human Centipede of backstabbing.” There’s been plenty of things I’d managed to happily forget from those times, such as the smug look of entitlement on Bronwyn Bishop’s face, or Wyatt Roy. All of him. The whole ‘Knights and Dames’ thing. Hearing Christopher Pyne’s, I want to say, ‘human’ speaking voice will haunt me for years to come and if I never hear or see Michaelia Cash ever again, I won’t miss her one bit. I’d dearly love to see footage of a just overthrown Tony Abbott swearing bitterly at Malcolm Turnbull, to say nothing of the exchange between the two from a committee meeting: TUNRBULL: “If you’d let me finish.” ABBOT: “If you’d let me finish my Prime Ministership…”
High School levels of pettiness doesn’t come close. And I haven’t even gotten to Barnaby Joyce, and I try not to at the best of times. Why was I watching this? Morbid curiosity and schadenfreude mostly – watching the Liberals tear each other to bits does warm my heart, even as the rest of me is being warmed thanks to their shitty climate policies.
Well past time for bed. Goodnight all, sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.
This update may be a little fragmented, owing to an earlier version not saving and some strong emotions, which I’ll get to later. To start with the nerd stuff – the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds binge has continued and the musical episode is truly glorious. I don’t generally care for musicals (This is Spinal Tap being a prominent exemption), but that was wonderful. I’m also cursing the season ending cliff-hanger, but I really should be used to those right now. Other chunks of my mental health have been propped up by binge listening to old episodes of A Wheezing Groaning Sound, the onlyDoctor Who podcast. Their episodes on City of Death and The Time Warrior are particular highlights, the former for their glee at everything Duggan either punches or smashes (Which is a lot), and the latter for the repeated jokes about Jon Pertwee yelling “HAI” at every opportunity. I’d get into the Ian Lavender discussion during their coverage of The Pirate Planet, but that has to be heard to be believed. Suffice to say, ever since listening to that one that I’ve not been able to hear the word lavender without wanting to shout “Oh shit, it’s The Hello Goodbye Man!” I swear, it made some sort of sense in the episode.
Now that’s what I call K-Pop!
I’m making preparations for an upcoming birthday and this years viewing is determined by a poll! Saturday also saw a playtest for a friends RPG, based on her urban fantasy novels, which was good fun. Feedback was given, and fascists were punched – both worthy things. Ravenswood Institute has released their event information packet and importantly, there’s another player organising a convoy to get there, as the venue is about 150kms from Perth. The brainstorming has continued, and I think I’ve settled on a PC idea. I know that’s dangerous 6 months out, but given how much I dither, it’s good to sort that nice and early. Thee idea is this: a mature age student (I have little confidence in my ability to pretend to be a 19 year old in person) who’s life in the mundane world has led him to appear in D-grade fantasy films. The current working version is played a villain in a cult hit early in his career, and owing to fan demands (and possibly chemical intake), the line between actor and character has blurred somewhat.
“Name sir?” “My name? Foolish mortal! I am Skaldack the Destroyer! Where I tread I leave nothing but dust and darkness. All life is my enemy, all life shall perish under the reign of, oh I’m so sorry, old habits. Ah yes, the table was for 10, booked under the name David.”
Needless to say, the idea had me chuckling quite a bit, and was received positively by one of the admin team, so it’s a go I guess? The next part to choose will be what approach I take – do I go full Alan Rickman in Galaxy Quest (As I’ve said before, the best Star Trek film and that’s a hill I will die on) or dress like a cheesy goth wizard from a SyFy Original movie. Given I’ve been browsing for faux leather pants, and my wife’s reaction to that piece of information, that’s in the lead. Shallow? Who, me?
Now, to the emotional section. Saturday night saw a TV1 reunion, based around the 10th anniversary of the channel’s end. (I mostly worked for SF, their sister channel) To be clear, it was hard for me, as I loved that place and would likely still be there in some fashion if at all possible. On the way there I was browsing the invite list hoping I remembered enough people, and I did get the jitters the closer I got. It had been a long time since I’d seen them, and upon doing so I was overwhelmed with emotions. Seeing happy looks at my arrival helped ease the jitters somewhat, even if the next thing out of most people’s mouths was “And where is your wife?” I showed some of them her calendar to explain her absence, but I still don’t think that got across how busy she likes to be.
The first of two big moments involved talking to my former supervisor. We were doing the update thing, and I was discussing my journey, getting to the point where I realized I needed to talk to someone about my mental health, then stopping and managing to say “I’m sorry, this was supposed to be a fun night.” It was an awkward moment, but one that was treated with sympathy and respect, and for that I damn near wept. Not seeing someone for over 10 years means you can forget how lovely they are, and I certainly had. Emotions flooded back, joy, fulfillment, of the delight that all that useless nerd trivia I’d built up came in handy. Of feeling needed, and in control in the workplace. Oh, and having air conditioning in the workplace. I’m not saying things were perfect for me there and looking back on it there were plenty of times I could have used mental help, but it was also the workplace where I’ve felt happiest. It could be said to have ruined me for future jobs a bit and others I talked to agreed on that.
That brought back how I felt in the first two jobs I held post TV1, and how bitterly I hated the atmosphere in them. I may flip the bird to the building one was located in on the rare occasions I pass by it. (Yes, I try to hold my standards higher, but on occasion I can be spectacularly petty) I try not to begrudge people interests other than mine, but having to play ads for the Kardashians, let alone other E Channel shows, on a science fiction based channel, even one that was a pale imitation of the original that I adored, still feels like a stain on my life and soul. It felt like I was having to promote something that was opposed to everything I stand for. There’s times I take my fandoms far too seriously, and that may be one of them.
The other big moment of the night was chatting to another former co-worker, who explained that reading my gaming tales here had given her a window into a world she otherwise had no idea about. A speedy way to my heart is to tell me you read my work – all too often during my time writing a weekly nerd update at SF I’d wonder if I was just yelling incoherently into the ether and the precious few responses I got (Outside of the ones from my wife alerting me to typos) meant a lot to me. Anyhow when the person in question reads this, if you ever want to try your hand at gaming, you only have to ask. I’m always happy to help new blood into the hobby. As for the rest of the night the venue reminded me of both the farewell party we had for the channel there, and having to go to the Ivy Bar once after a team building event, which left me both feeling incredibly out of place and wanting to burn the place to the ground and salt the earth so nothing could grow their again. I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so out of place anywhere. But I digress. I managed to mostly hold it together, and only broke down when I got home and could hug my wife.
It’s late, and I should sleep. Night all.
* Except for the guy who was obsessed with the possible return of Firefly, to the extent that he’d bitch about cast members getting other jobs, as that might interfere with a possible Firefly return. Some people really need a new hobby.
OK, to get it out of the way, I started Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and it is glorious. The ‘new’ Enterprise is gorgeous, I love the characters, both new and new versions of the existing ones, and there have been a LOT of feels as I make my way through. I know basically everyone who doesn’t show up in TOS doesn’t have plot armour, but that doesn’t lessen my attachment to them ONE BIT. I will give no spoilers, though I do need to say the way the episodes pinball around can leave some serious mood whiplash. From an Alien homage to the Lower Decks crossover, the story book ep to what is functionally MASHin Spaaaaace (And I don’t mean that in the comedy sense), each episode can be vastly different from the previous. And I haven’t even gotten to the musical episode yet… I feel like I should say something more dramatic than ‘It’s really good Star Trek‘, but that’s what it is to me. I’m near halfway through S2, and am dead keen for more. I hadn’t expected to suddenly go on a Star Trek binge (Having long been more of a Star Wars fan), but here I am. Qapla!
And yes, I still want one of those tankards. My birthday’s in April, just saying…
Turning back to gaming, the event info packet for Ravenswood Institute has been delayed. Frustrating, but entirely acceptable. I’d rather wait a little while extra for up to date info after all. That hasn’t stopped me from having my usual flood of character and costume ideas though, some more suitable than others. Let’s go! 1: My current leading idea, the well dressed one I mentioned in my last post. I don’t have a goal for that one yet, but joining the magical cops seem interesting. Given I ran an IC black market in the last weekend game I played, maybe being on the side of the law in this one might be a good change? 2: A sort of goth Viking punk. Frayed, black and leather, accessorised with tattoos and enough silver bling to scare off an entire pack of werewolves. I’d also need to find way to hide a speaker on my costume to play Heilung while doing any rituals. #atmosphere 3: I don’t have any costume ideas for it yet, but someone who specialises in taking care of magical animals. I’d need to find a way to do this without going into a bad Steve Irwin impression though. “Oh boy, that’s a Greater Horned Owlbear, and isn’t she a beauty!” 4: Wannabe sex cultist. Oh yeah, time to get my Al Crowley on! Yes, I know that’s not all the Cult of Ecstasy (From the RPG Mage: The Ascension) were about, but in my defence the last time I read any of the splat books I was about 19. The idea of putting “I just want to know what it’s like to bang one of the fae” as a character goal also amuses me, but I am very easily amused, to the consistent frustration of my wife.
It has also been a consistent source of amusement at people’s reactions when I say I’m planning to go to a game set at a wizards university, “but not that one!” (TERF’s can just fuck off, by the way, It shouldn’t need to be said, but why take a chance on that?) I’m also starting to brainstorm character goals, which are as barebones as my character ideas at the moment, but here goes: 1: Look good. We all have reasons why we LARP, and costume is one of mine. 2: Do wizard shit. Cast spells, be involved in rituals, get myself almost fireballed or turned into an orangutan. (Oook!) Basically, to involve myself in the game, and justify travelling all that way. 3: Romance. In game as in life, it can be a terrifying experience, but it’s also a hell of a lot of fun. 4: Make a name for myself, or at worst a reputation. Either the sort of “Oh, X is here, he’ll save us!” or make the IC admin team curse admitting me.
Time for bed. Goodnight all. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning…
If you recognise the above quote, then you’ll have an idea about what this post is about. For those of you who don’t, go forth and read a book series called The Dresden Files. Anyhow, I’m here to talk to you about wizards!
So, I’ve discovered another LARP I’m keen to attend. This one’s called Ravenswood Institute, and the short version is it’s a wizard university, one that’s completely unaffiliated with the one we do not name. It’s a spin off of an earlier game, Kingsford School of Witchcraft, that ran in Adelaide a while ago. I stumbled across Kingsford a while back, after it’s 2 runs, so I’m glad I have the chance to play in something inspired by it. Sure, a Wizard school may not seem like my thing, but I’ve been wanting to play one for a while and this should get it out of my system. That and, shock horror, I kinda want to try something new… I’ve been struggling a lot of late with what sort of game I enjoy. I withdrew from a tabletop that a housemate is starting soon, because I can’t cope with survival horror games right now (or really at all), and to sanitise it to make it fit for me would remove the point of the game. So, I made the decision to drop out. Not an easy thing, but I’m happy I managed it. Anyhow, back on topic, there’s the added factor of the event having a structure, as opposed to the fest LARP issue of “I’m here, what the hell do I do now?” (Yes, I’m certain most fest LARP’s have policies in place to deal with that, but I still struggle with being around new people.)
Sure, Western Australia in late June isn’t exactly a local trip, but I have time up my sleeve. it also means I have things in my calendar, and that’s much needed for my well-being. It’s not that I don’t, and my schedule as is is pretty booked up, but the more sources of joy the better. At the time of writing it’s still a few days from the release of the official info packet, so it’s not as if I need to book flights today or anything. Which (of course) means more time to overthink character and costume ideas! People who know me should not in anyway be shocked by this.
POLKA WILL NEVER DIE!
The current leading character idea is less an idea, and more a costume. In short, I really like the idea of a wizard in a 3 piece suit (In conjunction with the whole wanting to dress fancier thing I’m going through, and am bouncing around ideas that will let me do that. Given it’s a modern setting, that cuts down a lot of options, which is both a help and hindrance. Who’s to say I don’t have a formal robe after all? In any case, the suit in question will need to be fitted well enough to run in, not to mention for any possible PARKOUR! It’s early days though, and given my capacity for character ideas, I expect to have more than one backup idea in the tank.
I’m also learning from my experience post Path of the Warden and plan to book a hotel for at least 2 nights afterwards to recover, though I’ll admit I’m morbidly curious about trying the sleeping pods at the airport for an hour or so. Recovery time is much needed, both for the physical and especially the mental effects. I character bleed all over the joint, as discussed previously, and time to calm down from that is essential for me.
So, yeah. Short update. Not much has happened since I last wrote, though I’m glad the green bins in my have finally been picked up. Turns out there were delays, as opposed to me wondering if I’d cursed the entire street by putting the wrong bin out. Also: I have a game idea for Pheno, but I’m keeping that under the hat for the moment. Spoilers…
As far as I know, it is functionally impossible for me to fall asleep anywhere but lying on my back. So, it’s been suboptimal that I’ve spent a solid chunk of the last few nights for some reason lying on my front attempting to quiet my brain so I can finally crash out. Alas, a lot of that time has been spent drafting blurbs for updates that I immediately forget as soon as I fall asleep. *sigh* So, I’m trying to reconstruct some of them here, or at the very least talk/write through stuff. Once again, here we go…
I have survived another year, somehow managed the Christmas season without resorting to fire and slaughter and passed New Years with barely a drop of misery. Hearing my in-laws had gone off-list for a Christmas gift had me concerned, but when said gift turned out to be a (beautiful) drinking horn, any fears were swiftly calmed. Playing Cards Against Humanity with a housemate’s mother being among the players was awkward, though no more awkward than drawing the question card “What makes me wet?” I get that it’s based on what cards people have in their hands, but based on the answers I got some of my friends have an odd idea of my kinks. And no, I’m not telling you what those are.
That has passed though. There’s been medicinal fuck-ups (Forgetting or sleeping past the allotted time, not over indulging, to be clear), far too late nights and more than the the odd bout of emptiness, both in the forgetting to eat and wondering what the fuck am I doing today definitions. I don’t fall to pieces every time my wife goes away, but it’s a bad time of year for it to happen. So yeah… Loathe as I am to Google diagnose seasonal affective disorder, Christmas does bring stress, rage and anxiety in large amounts. Good times!
In further bad news, Path of the Warden has been put back to 2025 and the news felt like running into a wall. Don’t get me wrong, I’m completely on-board with the admin team’s reasons and have zero ill will towards them for it, it just brings back memories of Covid days when the calendar kept getting emptier and the days blurred together. Yes, there are other events running this year, and I’ve started tentative efforts towards putting together groups to go to them, but as previously stated I was really looking forward to that event. *sighs*
Only bright sides are I have more time for costume prep (Or more accurately, being incredibly indecisive about what I’m going to wear for longer) and there’s a chance I’ll be able to drag Niece, then to be aged 17, to it. She’s said convention freeforms aren’t really her thing and I respect that, but I’d love to get her to a foam weapon game for her to try it. This hobby makes me so damn happy, I want to share it with people, and if that means dragging a family member interstate so they can play dress up and try to thwack people with rubber swords then I’ll do that. A provisional agreement between us to do so has been reached about it, though she’s indicated she’ll require naps during the game. I don’t blame her. I’m still surprised I made it through the event without crashing, physically or emotionally. After the game though…
Artists reaction of the author’s brain at the game postponement news.
Turning to better news, I chose to take time and grabbed a Paramount +* trial to finally catch Star Trek: Lower Decks, and it is glorious. Star Trek workplace comedy may have been the idea, but it doesn’t shy away from the more terrifying parts of that universe, even while it’s cracking gags at a speed rarely seen since Airplane. Ask me, it’s a more than worthy successor to Galaxy Quest (Still the *best* Star Trek film, and I will DIE ON THAT HILL), in that loving tribute/merciless parody mix. It’s been 3 days, I’ve burned through all 4 seasons and am hankering for more. It’s the first Trek, bar the movies, that I’ve seen all of, and I love it. They’re a shipful of player characters and that’s a Star Trek game that I could run. Sure, I won’t, as the rules system is above my preferred crunch level as a GM and I’m still keener on the Klingon version of the book. Yes, they’re my favourite Trek race, mostly because I never lost the feeling of power they gave a young and scrawny me, and that feeling continues as an older and more pudgy adult. (Also, the songs) This may also explain why I’ve spent so much time admiring the tales of a certain northern barbarian…
The sheer amount of Easter Eggs and historical gags is stunning, whether it’s taking the piss at the stranger parts of Voyager, familiar voices from other parts of the franchise (Recognising them is kind of a thing of mine), dealing with Q, or calling the TOS era ‘those old scientists.’ And the crossover with Strange New Worlds was beautiful. Also, GORN WEDDING. The line “I suppose, by the transitive property, I too must be Vulcan as a motherfucker.” And I can’t help but cackle at the bleeping – that makes everything funnier. I can’t decide what was the biggest punch the air moment for me, between the Titan’s arrival and Shaxs finally getting to eject a warp core. Also, “Moopsy” has taken it’s place in the list of things that will immediately induce sheer terror in me, alongside “Are you my Mummy?” and “Hmmmmmm.”
If you know, you know.
Continuing the TV talk, the Doctor Who anniversary and Christmas specials were a delight. I wasn’t sure about the return of [SPOILERS, AS MY WIFE READS THIS AND HASN’T SEEN THEM], but I was happily surprised. Getting to see [REDACTED] again, even if only briefly, was incredibly emotional, to say nothing of seeing [DELETED FOR SECURITY REASONS] and the whole [THIS CONTENT IS NOT AVAILABLE IN YOUR REGION]. Large sections of them has seemed to really piss off certain toxic sections of fandom, even if I did spend a couple of days of being on the same side as Ian Levine and I still feel unclean from that. The new Doctor is amazing, and oh gods, his costumes are wonderful. I’m really looking forward to the new season, but I’m like that with all Who. I love it at it’s best, and at it’s worst.
So, yeah. Bit up, bit down. My best to you and yours for the new year. Be seeing you…
I have a new sword! And it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a long time. Yes, I also have a floor ticket for Iron Maiden next year, but this is a new sword, AND IT’S MINE! I was mighty nervous holding her for the first time, though it was pointed out that I was walking faster than normal into class the night she arrived, but she just feels right in my hand. It’s the most expensive, and important to me, purchase I’ve made in some time, and I’m so damn happy that it’s worked in my favour. A fellow student had ordered a similar blade in the previous order, and it felt a bit too wobbly in the blade for my tastes, so I was mighty nervous. But yes, I now own a steel rapier, and it makes me very, very happy. There’s also the temptation alter my traditional pre-training routine to raise it above my head and yell “By the power of Grayskull!” Well, that or “Blood and souls for my lord Arioch!”, a slightly more niche reference, but one I’m more likely to have to bite back yelling when I’m on public transport. Town Hall station in summer is one of the levels of Hell as far as I’m concerned, and the people employed to clean it deserve CEO level wages. But I digress…
In other good news, Path of the Warden has announced their next event! So, it seems I’ll be heading back to Adelaide in June to hunt monsters again. Now, we currently know very little about the event, other than it’s in another part of the game world, and there’ll be new combat styles. I want you to know that I am being VERY GOOD, and PATIENT and CALM and am continuing to leave the admins alone despite the many questions I have. Most are around the new setting, but not knowing if we’ll need to create new PC’s has been on my mind, or as the Bard may have put it, “New PC or not New PC, that is the question.”
Now, regardless of the answer to that question I’m going to the game, as I had a stupid amount of fun the first event, to the point it seemed to click that this was my sort of LARP. I know it won’t be the same, as there’s been changes in the GM team, and several players have already indicated they can’t make it. Change is good – the idea of going to do the exact same plot, but somewhere else doesn’t have quite the same appeal, you know? It’s not as if I don’t have character ideas stashed away – the current leading one involves a lot of fake tan (That my wife has already volunteered to help apply) and potentially singing sea shanties as I go into battle. To quote my wife, “With your singing voice you won’t need a sword to scare the monsters off.” She’s not wrong. The urge to have a good IC death (preferably on the last night of game) has also returned, but that may have been influenced by a recent binge through random Star Trek:Deep Space 9 episodes, most of which just happened to feature General Martok, aka the BEST KLINGON EVER.
But at the same time, I’d love to see the people involved again, renew IC relationships, to see the school’s teachers again and update the black market I’d been running on garrison. (Hopefully it hasn’t been shut down in my absence, though at least one of the teachers is aware of it. I was about 3 feet away when another student let it’s existence slip and it felt like a live action Homer vanishes in the hedge moment.) To see old comrades once again, celebrate their victories and mourn their losses. To use the back scabbard I own to carry my lady’s blade, and to see if my character’s journey from penniless scoundrel to dedicated field surgeon and proud Warden continues. On another note, In-Game Fiancée and I may have spent quite some time and brain power planning ahead for our characters futures, and I’d dearly love to continue their story. It’s perfectly normal to be excited about that sort of thing, I mean, it’s not as if I’ve been Googling for IC wedding rings for us to wear, that would be utterly absurd…
To be clear, I’m not insisting this happen. It’s not a deal breaker for me. Roleplaying is a group exercise, and I have no interest in making demands of the GM team. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Oh no, I have to create and outfit a new PC, oh the horror… It’s looking like a busy year on that front, given I’m eyeing off going to Lost Settlers, Concord and the first Australian Drachenfest, to say nothing of recently being alerted to an alt history Babylon 5 game that’s being planned in Melbourne. Yes, I have already indicated my interest in playing a Centauri, and if you’re surprised by that you really shouldn’t be.
Oh, and there’s Phenomenon. It feels weird to not already know what I’ll be submitting for the next con, I have ideas, but nothing that feels solid enough yet and that’s been disturbing me. Are my new brain meds slowing that down, or am I getting more discerning? Do I take next year off and play? Or should I stop worrying, let my brain do it’s thing and see what happens? Lastly, there’s Knotfest, and while I’m incredibly keen to see 3 of the bands on the bill, those being Skindred, the Hu and Halestorm, I really don’t want to give money to Pantera, or to be specific, Phil Anselmo. I have a long term bias against that band that has nothing to do with them musically, more that every Pantera fan I knew when they first broke out was a violent meathead, and that impression has stayed with me. (I’ve occasionally often wondered if any of them discovered their glam period.) Same with The Doors, though those fans were more garden variety dickheads. But to see the mighty Skindred, to fire up the Newport Helicopter again, that might just be worth it.
Time for bed. Good night all. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.
The urge to write has kicked in again, so here’s what I’ve been up to since the last actual proper update. There’s been some gigs, some leather and more thoughts on LARP. So, let’s start with the music shall we?
Gig 1: The Sunnyboys. One of the leading lights of the early 80’s Sydney rock scene, embarking on their farewell tour. I had to travel down to Newcastle for this, though managing to book a room above a pub barely 200 meters from the venue was a masterstroke on my part. Also an accident, but enough of that. It’s been a while since I’d seen a gig with that much love in the room, and tears of love and joy. The songs were just as wonderful live as they were on record, with Trouble In My Brain hitting a lot harder knowing of both singer Jeremy Oxley’s undiagnosed (at the time) schizophrenia and my own brain issues. I’m Shaking and Tunnel of Love were beautiful in their intensity and Alone With You had the audience cheering and weeping in equal measure. I’d have loved to have my wife there to fall into her arms and weep. That song has quite the effect on me.
Gig 2: Heilung. A band best described as Iron Age folk music and who’s gigs are described as rituals, I was really glad to manage to get a ticket for it. Presentation and atmosphere wise, it was 10/10 and more shows should begin with an acknowledgement of country. A curious mix of people in the crowd, ranging from goths to Vikings to goth Vikings. Between the light show, the band chanting and people wandering round stage with swords and spears, there was no shortage of things going on. It also featured one of the most Australian things I’ve ever seen, with the cheers at the end of one song punctuated with a loud cry of “Aww, fuck yeah cunt!” Very glad I saw it, but the songs did kind of blend into one another, though not in a bad way, more a Ramones circa It’s Alive kind of way, if that makes sense. More atmospheric than air guitar, but it was a hell of an experience either way.
Gig 2: Metal Gods. A tribute to the works of Judas Priest and the late great Ronnie James Dio, fronted by former Priest vocalist Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens and featuring former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright. This was a night of air guitar, flailing limbs and HEAVY FUCKING METAL, some of my favourite things. Look, Ripper’s between song banter could have been trimmed, but getting Kill the King, Electric Eye, Hell Bent for Leather and The Last in Line all performed in a row was basically an out of body experience for me. And that’s without mentioning the two older gentlemen near me who were having the time of their lives – the excited hug they gave each other when the intro to Holy Diver started didn’t just warm my heart, I damn near wept. Yes, I can weep with joy and air guitar – it’s called multitasking. Guitar solo’s probably should have been left back in the 80’s, or when the singer badly needs to pee mid concert, but the encore of Heaven and Hell made it all worthwhile. A glorious night at which I air guitared as if my life depended on it, and I regret nothing. I’ve talked with my wife more than once about bringing her to one of these shows so she can watch me. She likes doing that.
Gig 4: Henry Rollins. The artist I’ve seen the most over my life (in band and talking mode), it had been far too long since he’d graced our shores. Basically, he will hit stage and talk at (not to) the audience for around 2 and a half hours barely taking breath and I’d missed it so damn much. It’s hard to explain unless you’re there, the way he can go from side splittingly funny to brutally emotional in about 2 seconds flat, but he manages it like no other artist I’ve ever seen. It was a friend of my wife’s first time seeing him and I’m not sure she had any idea what was about to hit her. She’d heard his spoken word albums, but the experience of seeing Henry in the flesh is something else.
So yeah, there’s been some great shows. Some other great things have arrived in my house of late – there was the giant hat I wore at Path of the Warden, which took nearly a year to arrive but was worth the wait. Thanks to an op shop I got my hands on a long held dream, that being a heavy biker style jacket. My wife calls it my Ramones jacket, I call it my mid-life crisis. Sleeves are a little long for my arms, but putting the thing on just makes me feel good, and really, that’s what’s important. Though I’m torn between feeling hell bent for leather and wanting to hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach… Lastly, some armour! I was at a recent medieval event, demoing with my sword group, and while wandering early in the day, saw it. The leather worker was kind enough to let me try it on, it fit, and unknown to me my fate was sealed there. I checked with my wife, who approved, and while I held out as long as I could, by the end of the day the urge was too strong and I raced back and purchased it. it’s not exactly a fit for my Warden character, but I’m eyeing it off wearing it at Lost Settlers next year.
Speaking of Warden, it’s been on my mind a lot, or to hear my wife tell it, “It’s all he’s been able to talk about.” She’s not wrong. Future events are still unknown and my feelings are “Don’t give me hope.” Don’t get me wrong, if one is announced I’ll be there like a shot, as I adore my character and want to continue his story, but only if things are worthwhile. I don’t want an event for the sake of one, but only if there’s a good reason in character for it. I don’t want to cheapen the experience, or have diminishing returns. If I lived closer I’d be petitioning for a smaller scale event, whether that be my character’s wedding or the PC’s coming back together to tell bullshit stories about our exploits. I also just really want to see all the other players and crew again, as they were universally lovely. To spend more time with those I barely talked to that game, swapping “No shit, there I was” stories and bouncing round terrible ideas, like a convention after party but with foam weapons. *ponders* There’s an idea in that…
It’s also had me musing on how much the short format event pushed me out of my comfort zone and to get shit done, as does the threat of perma-death. I’m sure I’ve talked about this before, but for new readers I’ll give you the short version: basically, I need deadlines to get shit done. Regular events have me going “Oh, I’ll do that thing next session” whereas one shots have me all “Gotta get stuff done ASAP!” I like getting stuff done in games, it helps things stick in my head. All too often a session will end and I’ll think “What actually happened that session?” It’s no slight at all to the other players or GM, just how my brain functions. I really enjoyed how much I managed to get done/experience at Warden, and hope to continue that at future games I get to. I’ve been looking into getting to Concord at some point, game in New Zealand again, or even trying to run something myself again, hopefully having learnt some lessons from my last few attempts. Pheno first though, for which I should be writing.
“All of life can be broken down into moments of transition, or moments…of revelation. This had the feeling of both.” Babylon 5 – Z’Ha’Dum
Alright, I grant you that’s a portentous way to begin a long, long overdue update. But I have had a revelation, a most enjoyable one in fact. I spent the recent long weekend in Adelaide, at a LARP called Path of the Warden, and bugger me with a fish fork it was the most fun I’ve had in a long, long time. It seemed like one of those “Oh, after all this time this is the sort of thing I’m into” kind of moments. It was one of those times when everything gels – the venue, orgs, players, rules set and mood, just clicked. And I’m going to talk about it, at length, so STRAP IN KIDDIESIT’S ABOUT TO GET GEEKY.
Now, I know I’ve talked about it in the past, but that was the past and you may need a refresher. The setting is heavily inspired by The Witcher series, with a grim and dangerous world in which monsters are real, the Elves are all dead (Whoops…) and humanity’s saviour is an order of monster hunters, called the Wardens, who are organised into 3 schools. 1: The Ox. Heavily armoured and enhanced by potent mutagenic elixirs, they use two-handed weapons to crack through the toughest of monster hides. 2: The Raven. Adept at using rune-casting, the only school of magic available to humans. 3: The Serpent. The support staff, who brew potions, patch wounds and keep an eye on everyone else.
So, what actually happened? Well, there was swordplay, alchemy and sorcery. Brewing potions, studying ancient and terrifying lore. Desperate battle against savage beasts, frantic moments of terror, hands slick with the blood of grievously wounded comrades. Ghosts, monsters and an oddly lovable Harpy. A Troll who’s death was mourned. Death. Romance. An engagement. New and swiftly dear friends. Excitement and an unexpectedly massive emotional investment in my character from yours truly. It was a bloody good way to spend a long weekend. I don’t have enough time or space to give a full highlight reel, but I’ll try to summarise the highlights.
To start with, the rules were a joy. Simple, elegant and easy to get the hang of. None of this counting hit points stuff (Not that there’s anything wrong with that), but a more Nordic approach – if you take a light hit in the limb, you roleplay pain. Take a big hit (AKA, a two handed laboured strike with an appropriate yell, or a hit from a large creature), the limb is incapacitated, and a really big hit, it’s shattered and you’re down and/or screaming. See, simple. So long as everyone is up for the roleplay, right? Not having to count my hit points, or worry about what target zones don’t count (Obviously head and groin shots are banned) – it felt really freeing, and a lot more dangerous. Now, if you’re armoured, you can tank a certain amount of blows that hit the armour. Note, that doesn’t make you invulnerable though. Repeated blows will crack open even plate armour. This sort of thing can lead to hilarious situations, such as me on the Saturday night having my right arm savaged by a blow from a Necrophage (A cannibal mook, in short), and my left broken by a blow from a Troll. (A Troll who was previously a member of the Wardens, one of the Ox school who had overdosed on mutagens. STEVE WAS PEOPLE! PEOPLE!) Myself and another PC bonded over our various wounds that night, a moment which led to something wonderful, but more about that later.
The GM’s and crew were bloody lovely. I was nervous as all hell in the lead up to the event, with various shades of panic rattling through my head (Is my character sensible, will my kit match the standard?), so to be welcomed so wonderfully helped put my mind at ease. The players were also universally lovely and a pile of them have swiftly become near and dear friends. We fought together, bled together and triumphed together and that’s bonding. There was inclusivity (IC and OC pronouns were asked for and given), mechanics for escalation and de-escalation of roleplay were explained, combat demonstrations and how hard to hit given for those who’ve not gamed with them before. All wonderful stuff, and really appreciated.
And now, the event itself. We were playing trainees of the Wardens, the next generation of monster hunters. Some of us were here willingly, some to avoid the noose. Actually, about half of us were there to avoid the noose, my character among them. I was playing my regular well dressed idiot, who went by the name of Audemar DuLac, but with a scoundrel bent to him – a bit of Lando Calrissian, a pinch of Rick O’Connell and a lot of me. It’s easy to play, fit within the setting and meant I wasn’t too far from my comfort zone. Also, I had a very fine hat.
Hello there…
We had come to train, to learn and hopefully carry on the Warden’s mission, and were told that not all would survive, which we found out pretty damn quick during sword training when a PC tried to grab the instructor’s blade and got his throat cut for his trouble. Turned out later he was an NPC plant, but it sure as hell felt real at the time. There was a lot of learning on Day 1, how to use a sword, not eat leaves offered by Satyrs or accept deals with them unless you’re incredibly careful (Bargaining a rare flask of whiskey having eaten a leaf that was an aphrodisiac was worth it, though IC concealing a boner most of the day got awkward.) Mercifully the Lore Master had arranged that all deals were non-binding, but we’ll come back to the Satyr later*.
If the effects of Satyr Leaf last longer than 4 hours, please, see a doctor.
There followed lessons in rune-casting and potion making, which was the first massive revelation of how much work went into this event: we were actually making potions. Potions class was laid out with a mortar and pestle, small cauldron and other accoutrements at each table and we proceeded to crush, stir and brew up healing juice, known as Gulp. For someone used to collecting laminated tags in the woods this was fucking stunning and incredibly immersive. I believe the stuff was actually drinkable, but I, like several others, went for the role play option. The day passed in a blur of learning – target practise against a Necrophage, and combat training against a Troll. Both beasts were chained, though the guy holding back the Troll was about half the Troll’s weight, leaving him looking like he’d break free at any moment, and did, in the case of one PC who got badly mangled by him. That night brought forth dinner, bloody combat and the Troll both breaking loose and my arm. Bonding happened, more of the results of which will follow. A good first day.
There was a 6 month IC time gap between days 1 and 2, which my character had spent setting up a small black market on the garrison. Nothing heretical, just booze, party drugs, smut and birth control – important stuff for a lonely outpost in the middle of nowhere. Other PC’s spent their time doing things like teaching illiterate PC’s to read, the do-gooding chumps. (I kid, it was lovely) There is a further development though – remember the mention of the broken arm thing? Another PC I was in there with queried that morning as to whether we’d bonded further in the intervening time, and why not? Hell yeah I’m up for character development and connections. That led to discreet inquiries with the GM’s about relationships within the Wardens and I’m getting ahead of myself. Day 2 was more training, brewing fresh potions and extracting Troll fat. From the Troll. He’d had prosthetic wounds placed over his body, which we had to cut open, shift past the ‘muscle’ tissue (Blood soaked cotton wool I believe) and squeeze out the fat from underneath, and let me tell you, playing nauseated at that was VERY FUCKING EASY. Major points for immersion though. By that stage, we had chosen our Paths and were ready to begin, which involved reciting the oath and taking a dose of pepper to the tongue. Ow. Next up, emotions!
You see, as Serpents it’s part of our job to keep the others alive and the Run of the Ox (AKA their initiation) doesn’t always go well. So, when one of the Ox collapsed in front of me and we couldn’t save him, it was devastating. The PC had started as arrogant jerk, but his mauling by the Troll had cooled his blood somewhat. As I said at his funeral, he was an arrogant, overdressed jerk, but was one of us damnit. The surviving Ox hearing that only 1 died this year was a shock to them, as much as it was that they had to do the pepper test as well, a moment that had several of us Serpents inwardly fist pumping. I’m not sure what the Ravens had to do, I assume more pepper? Late in the day was more monster hunting, our first giant beast, though before that was me telling the PC I’d bonded with that I’d like to spend more time with her if I get back. The rest of my band (Adventuring party of one of each type of Warden) was suitably happy at the good news, and we managed to kill the beast without too much trouble, though a common theme of the hunts were people getting caressed on the inner thigh by the beast. Kinky… (Also, I love the random mechanic used for each hunt. This group may face a glass cannon, the next a tank etc.)
That night’s combat was hellish and stressful – between the Empty One (The Necrophage boss), the Haggard Bride (Long story, and I missed most of it) and the constant ghost attacks we were kept incredibly busy. A brief interlude, aka me telling the PC I’d bonded with I loved her made EVERYTHING WORTHWHILE. Not to mention the potion mistress’s face when I explained why I was shaking. Seriously, romance in LARP can be really fun and you should try it more. Telling the Serpent in my love’s hunting band she’d better keep her alive was a wonderful moment, and getting to play nervously waiting for them to return while we could hear the screams and yells of combat was incredibly stressful and utterly magical.
The Empty One just wants a hug, you know?
My abiding memory of the night, outside of my declaration of love, was of desperate surgery (The prosthetics I described earlier came out a couple more times, though thankfully were just sewing them up this time) and frantically trying to keep everyone alive. To my pride, we didn’t lose a single PC in the medical area that night, though I believe we lost a couple in the field. Healing was mostly warming people up who’d been touched by ghosts, or making sure injured people had taken Gulp. Those worse off had to take Bone Grow, and roleplaying setting a shattered limb back in place, it’s an experience. (As an aside, I really like roleplay healing not being immediate) I was kicking myself IC for not starting a betting pool on one PC, as it seemed he was attached to the med tent by a giant rubber band, so often was he back. I began to bleed pretty badly at a couple of points, shouting at one person that I’d stab them myself to keep them awake, or nearly screaming when it was pointed out to me my love had returned badly wounded. Emotions are wonderful things and I feel them, a lot.
Long and bloody was the night’s combat, unrelenting and brutal. Much blood was shed, both Warden and foe but ultimately we emerged victorious. Post time out drinks and talk followed and reinforced how bloody lovely the group is. Also, I knew none of them beforehand, which means they’d heard none of my gaming stories and my wife wasn’t around to count how many times she’d heard me tell them. *air guitar solo*
Monday was a half day, with another time skip, our IC graduation and choosing our first assignments, at which points we said our goodbyes and walked off into the world. I shed a tear of two of joy. More emotions and photos followed. You’ll be pleased to know my IC lady and I got some of us as a couple, at which point I took off one of my rings and dropped to one knee (I’d warned her beforehand and given her the option of refusal, but I’m really glad she went for it) and oh, there was a mighty squeal of joy from some who noticed. I cannot wait to see the photos, though I’m slightly terrified of what expression is on my face. I was told later I was her first LARP boyfriend, to which I responded I can only hope I’ve set a near unattainable standard for any future ones. The epitome of modesty I am. And then it was pack up, clean up, and back to reality.
I was in no way ready to go back there though. This game has done a number on me, to the extent I’m writing fanfic about my band’s further adventures, something I’ve never felt like doing before. It was a joy, and I can’t thank everyone involved enough. I began as a petty scoundrel who cared not about death and ended up a Warden, proud of my achievements and engaged to a mighty woman. True, it doesn’t take the cake for most emotional damage (Red Sister’s, Black Skies still holds that record), but it came damn close. The most frustrating part was that it was designed as a one-off, and I’ll be gutted if I don’t get to play Audemar again, not just cause I may have some notes on his wedding vows somewhere. (I don’t want it to be a massive part of any future event, but the idea of getting to play it amuses me greatly.)
It was emotional, exhausting and inspiring. I can’t wait to do it again. It’s games like this why I love LARP so damn much.
*My lady may have arranged for a threesome with us and the Satyr when we return. I missed the IC signals during dinner, but when explained was up for it, even without more Satyr leaf.
Look, a lot of my regular updates are about things going wonky, usually my brain. And yes, that continues. Shocked, gambling, winnings etc. So, as a nice change of pace, I thought I’d make this update about a few things that are going right in my life, or that deserve some celebration. Trying to concentrate on the positive is tricky, but needs to be done from time to time. I’m sure my brain will sabotage it soon, but for now I will embrace it. Or in the words of Kurn, son of Mogh, “This is not a time to worry about stabilizers. It is a time to celebrate, for tomorrow we all may die!”
I could listen to Tony Todd read a phonebook. I suspect I am far from alone in that. *ahem* I also suspect that my relative lack of interest in Star Trek: Discovery can in part be traced to the fact it’s Klingons just aren’t hair metal enough for me.
The first big of good news! I graduated at sword! Having recently demonstrated my skills against different opponents, I have qualified as a Scholar in Single Sword and Sword and Dagger. A 2 minute bout may not seem that long, and a kilo may not seem like much to hold up, but that changes quickly. Very quickly. Having an opponent who prefers longsword come at me no holds barred, no beg your pardons was something of a shock and took some frantic adjusting to – I’m used to a more measured offence from the other rapier fencers in my group, and dirty tricks from my instructor.
Either way, I’m all but certain this is the first sporting trophy/certificate I’ve ever gotten that wasn’t participation based and to say I’m pleased by it is something of an understatement. Having your instructor tell me afterwards that at the start of the term he didn’t think I was going to pass, has me feeling, I want to say, pride? Sure, there’s some shock and astonishment as well, but I’m genuinely proud of the achievement and it’s been a while since I’ve felt that about something I did. Last term was full of that sort of thing – bouting against him halfway through he said he had to reach into the top of his bag of dirty tricks to hit me and I walked away from that lesson flying. My wife has already framed the certificate, another reason I love her so much.
Am I a good fencer? Possibly. If I was good I’d dodge more forearm shots, or not give my opponents the opportunity for them in the first place. Am I having fun? A resounding HELL YES.
My wife has noted that swords brings me more joy than well, near anything, right now, even more so than gaming. Physical exercise and I have never been friends, but put a sword in my hand and all of a sudden it becomes something I’m willing and eager to do. Maybe things are just more fun with swords? I do know I’d dearly love the chance to tell the likes of Mandy Patinkin, Oliver Platt and Michael York just how happy their work has made me, and that without them I may never have picked up a rapier. My life is better for having done so, and I can’t thank them enough. I have a blade of my own due at the end of January and the anticipation is killing me.
That fight may even best the Duel on the Cliffs as my favourite cinematic fight, because as jaw dropping as the choreography is, and it’s truly amazing, at no point do Inigo or The Man in Black look like they’re actually trying to kill each other. Yes, I’m aware they’re both Flynning, I’ve read the book, but that’s not the point. The point is, I watch the above clip and Michael York genuinely looks like he’s trying to kill Christopher Lee and that make it feel more authentic. Plus it’s one of the few cinematic duels I’ve seen where both participants are exhausted by the end of it and I bloody love that touch. I’d dearly love a comprehensive making of documentary for the films, as I’ve read numerous different accounts of injuries, actors having to double for their stunt doubles or the conversation between Oliver Reed and Christopher Lee that went something like: Then I said to Oliver, ‘Do you remember who taught you how to use a sword?’ He said, ‘You did.’ And I said, ‘Don’t you forget it.’ I want, nay need, the full version of that story.
Going from steel swords to foam, I’ve booked at an upcoming LARP, Path of the Warden. It’s a 3 and a bit day event loosely inspired by The Witcher series, running in SA mid next year and I’m kind of excited. It was a fairly spur of the moment thing – I’ve been waiting for Swordcraft Brisbane to announce dates, this one was running and I need things in the calendar to keep me going, so yeah… There’s a structure to the event that appeals, as my big issue with large events is “What do I actually do?” I’m pretty rubbish at things like making my own fun at large events. That’s why while I’m keen to go something like Swordcraft Quest, I’d prefer to go as a group, as if I go solo it’s likely I’ll get overwhelmed, and spend the entire time nervously wandering round and not actually doing anything. Hence the appeal of Warden. Now comes the frustrating part – what character do I play? The eternal struggle begins again.
There’s three base classes, or Warden Schools – The Ox, who are all big weapon potion make strong smashy smashy, the Raven, who use rune magic to empower their weapons*, and the Serpent, alchemists and healers, more support staff. Of those three, it’s the Ox and Serpent that interest me more. Initially it was just the Serpent, but then Anvil of Crom came up on my playlist and well, long term readers will have some hint as to the effect that song has on me. Actually, a lot of decisions in my life have revolved around when I last heard Anvil of Crom. I’m still a bit saddened I didn’t get to play it during the Zedtown at the SCG, even if only while the crew made our venue check. Just to hear “Between the time the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas” and I could have dropped dead happy. I sorely miss that game, though I doubt it will ever return. Alas.
So, characters. The idea I’m currently running with is ‘the spare to the heir who’s determined to do something good in his life’, which is a minor variation on well meaning and very pretty idiot, basically my stock RPG character. It’s got a decent dramatic hook, potential for growth and lets me dress fancy. One of these may be slightly less important than the other, but a large part of why I LARP is costume, so yeah. The second most prominent idea was ‘unrepentant thief who may discover responsibility and comradeship in a good cause’, I’d like to say inspired by Avon and Villa from Blake’s 7 with a tiny dash of Locke Lamora. Mostly the idea of being introduced to the other PC’s while I’m being unlocked from shackles amuses me greatly. You’re finally awake…
There’s the typical flood of other ideas (Former City Watchmen dragged out of retirement and very much Too Old For This Shit was one. I’d need to re-read the City Watch novels if I chose that one, and oh the horror that research would be), but weeding out the one’s that are going to be fun for me to play in the long term has always been far harder than coming up with the ideas in the first place. I’m pleased that a lot of them aren’t based around a piece of kit or weapon – that’s been the downfall of many a character of mine in the past. Playing an older man who’s near death, who has lost everyone in his life and seeks to do something worthy of remembering has a nice dramatic hook, but when it comes to character bleed I’m a haemophiliac, so that one may not work so well. It’s been more than 5 years and I still get a little emotional hearing Sabaton’s Night Witches. if you read this, thank you Melody.
Other issues include the fact that I’m flying there, so while taking large weapons and heavy armour isn’t impossible, it’s certainly inconvenient. Clearly another vote for Serpent. And yet, as I write this, I’m still tempted to clank it up. The War Factory make a gorgeous looking leather cuirass (The one in their store appears to have recently sold), Make Your Own Medieval have a decent breastplate in their discount section, and the overwhelming options begins again. Sigh. What mostly puts me off is how long it’s been since I’ve regularly worn armour and the faint memories of hauling it around. It’s a good drawback to remember, much like how much less kit is needed to fence rapier rather than say, longsword. Still, I’ve time up the sleeve, thankfully.
Moving along, Glass Onion is a sheer delight and immensely satisfying. If you’ve not seen it, or Knives Out for that matter, run and do not walk to do so. And if you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, do so as well. Just don’t watch any trailers – there’s a reveal in the first film you won’t want spoiled. To say it utterly caught my wife and I by surprise when we watched Knives for the first time was something of an understatement. The first things that comes to mind are me nearly falling off the couch laughing during The Fart Song from Bob’s Burgers, or my wife when Kylie Minogue appeared on Galavant. I’m not joking – her jaw dropped in shock and I was genuinely concerned for a second, before she burst out laughing and didn’t stop till the song did.
Every time I watch that show I somehow forget that Timothy Olyphant can sing. Not sure how I can manage that, as he’s a wonderful voice, but that’s my brain for you. Turning to styles of music more my tastes, Skindred and Metallica have both announced new albums and it’s about damn time for both groups. I’m expecting to be disappointed tour dates wise, but new material will help cover that wound. Combine that with the (relatively) recent announcement from Scott Lynch that he’s sent new Gentlemen Bastards material to his editor. By Crom it’s good to have things to look forward to again.
Time for sleep. Night all. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.
*Also, I don’t think Explosive Runes is a thing in the setting otherwise I’d be all over that.
shoutybeardything 