Category rambling

Oh well, wherever, wherever you are,

Iron Maiden’s gonna get you, no matter how far!
See the blood flow, watching it shed, from up above my head!
Iron Maiden wants you, for dead!

Between the announcement of the Run For Your Lives 50th Anniversary tour and the recent death of former vocalist Paul Di’Anno, early Iron Maiden has been on the brain. Shocking, I know. it’s had me listening to those first two albums, and reminded me of just how different they are to the rest of Maiden’s catalogue. Combine that with speculation regarding the setlist for the upcoming tour, with the setlist ranging from their self titled debut to 1992’s Fear of the Dark. Maiden bassist Steve Harris hinted in the press release that there will be ‘songs they haven’t played in years and many we will likely never play again’, which isn’t shocking as the band is 5 years older than I am. This started giving me ideas, such as a ‘Worst of’ setlist*, or ‘Movies Steve Harris has watched recently’ or even a ‘1 song from every album’ set. 17 studio albums, 17 songs? So, that’s what I’m going to do!

Iron Maiden. (1980)
The self titled debut, where it all began. The sound is rough, but the energy is there, from the short and sharp Prowler, to the glam rock stomp of Running Free or the epic Phantom of the Opera. However, it wouldn’t be a Maiden set without the song of the same name, right?

Killers. (1981)
The difficult second album, this saw the arrival of guitarist Adrian Smith and producer Martin Birch, both key figures in the bands rise to glory. As for what track I’d play, it’s Wrathchild. That’s no disrespect to the likes of opening instrumental The Ides of March or the thundering title track, but that opening drum and bass of Wrathchild just fires my soul. It’s on my Maiden live bucket list, so I couldn’t not vote for it.

The Number of the Beast (1982)
And here we see the departure of Di’Anno, the arrival of Bruce Dickinson and what is thought of as the band’s glory years. True, Invaders and Gangland are a bit naff, and Total Eclipse (No, not of the heart) would have worked far better, while 22 Acacia Avenue (A sequel to Charlotte the Harlot from their debut) hasn’t aged well. But how to choose one song? Hallowed be thy Name, a tale of a condemned man on his way to the gallows, that has been in my head every work performance review I’ve ever had. The Prisoner, based off the classic series? The title track, responsible for my love of the band in the first place? Sorry, no. It’s got to be Run to the Hills. The joy it brings me, and the way I immediately bounce around and air guitar to it, it’s the winner.

Piece of Mind.
The revolving door continues, with the departure of drummer Clive Burr and the arrival of Nicko McBrain and at long last, the classic line up is complete. While it contains one of Maiden’s all time stinkers in Quest for Fire, that’s balanced by the likes of Die with your Boots On, The Trooper and the thunder of Where Eagles Dare, in which McBrain doesn’t just stake his claim to the drum seat, he seems to hit everything on the kit at once. The legend goes that he learnt the song a half second at a time, and while I’m not a drummer I can believe that. However, my choice is the albums second single, Flight Of Icarus. I’ve joked in the past that my wife hopes someday I’ll feel about her the way I do the solo in that song and I continue to be gutted that Covid got in the way of my seeing them perform it live on the Legacy of the Beast tour. Bruce had a flamethrower under each arm during parts of it. *cries*

Powerslave (1984)
Finally, an album with no change in band members! That doesn’t mean it’s perfect though, as between the instrumental Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra) and the odd choice of two songs about fencing (The Duellists and Flash of the Blade) show. But what is left is an embarrassment of riches, with the rousing boy’s own WW2 adventure of Aces High, the anti war ferocity of 2 Minutes to Midnight, the epic title track, who’s guitar solos should be studied in schools and Back in the Village, another excursion to one of Dickinson’s favourite TV shows. But my choice is avian inspired, that being The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a song introduced when played live as ‘what not to do when your bird shits on you.’

Somewhere in Time (1986)
After an unprecedented 6 month break following the seemingly never ending World Slavery tour, and chronicled in 1985’s Live After Death, they returned to the studio determined to experiment and the result polarises to this day. Guitar synths? The purists weren’t happy, not one bit. There’s no songs from Dickinson on this one for varying reasons, it’s a product of it’s time and could be seen as a twin to Judas Priest’s Turbo, released the same year and a similar sound. As for a song choice, there’s the the epic Alexander the Great (Rhyming Aegean Sea and 334 BC is *chef kiss*), the rousing sing along of Heaven Can Wait, or the enjoy life while you can of Wasted Years, but for me it’s Stranger in a Strange Land.

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)
As with most concept albums, the theme doesn’t quite hang on, but Can I Play with Madness is a cracker, and still regularly played live to this day. The Evil that Men Do and the title track have the traditional Maiden gallop and epic in equal measure, but I have to choose the album opener, Moonchild. From the delicate intro, acoustic guitar mixing with Dickinson’s voice, to the way it builds and builds, finally launching with enough force to break orbit.

If you know, you know.

No Prayer For The Dying (1990)
Line up changes are back! It’s goodbye Adrian Smith and hello Janick Gers, a fine guitarist (who played on Dickinson’s solo album Tattooed Millionaire) and a back to basics approach, ie ditching the spandex for denim and leather. (It did bring us all together after all) As for a song choice, do I have to? Amidst the WW2 songs Tailgunner and Run Silent Run Deep, the televangelist satirising (Or at least trying to) Holy Smoke, and the forgettable likes of Hooks in You or The Assassin, it’s not an album I’ve gone back to in a long time. But if I have to choose, it’s the guilty pleasure shock horror schlock of Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter, a song that to it’s credit knocked Cliff Richard off the Christmas Number 1 in the UK that year and may it long be by applauded for doing so.

Fear of the Dark (1992)
It’s an improvement, but not by much. There’s a fair whack of Maiden by numbers (See Chains of Misery, Judas be my Guide and Fear is the Key), and I’d put money on From Here to Eternity being Steve Harris trying to write an AC/DC song, but the ferocious burst of Be Quick or Be Dead and the sombre Afraid to Shoot Strangers stand out amidst the rest. The true classic though, is that iconic title track, a regular part of the live set since then. Hearing the crowd singing along with the guitar line never fails to raise my spirits.

The X Factor (1995)
It was a long gap between albums, but not every band can immediately replace their singer. An increasingly frustrated Dickinson had jumped ship to start a solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, formerly of Wolfsbane. I have a lot of sympathy for Bayley, as he was both replacing an iconic front man and had a very different voice. The denim was now dyed black, and combined with the horrific album cover of Eddie having his body torn apart, it’s all gone a bit grim. As for a song choice, it’s between Sign of the Cross, Lord of the Flies and Man on the Edge, and I plump for the gothic epic Sign.

Virtual XI (1998)
Generally considered the least of Maiden’s back catalogue, I feel it could have been improved have several tracks been shortened. By a lot. Don’t Look to the Eyes of a Stranger is a prime example of this, and while I quite enjoy The Angel and the Gambler in it’s 70’s hard rock pomp, the 4:05 music video version (Compared to the 9: 52 length original) is by far my preferred version. In that spirit, my favourite track is also the shortest, and that’s Futureal. A right banger it is, and a highlight of the era.

Brave New World (2000)
By this point things weren’t looking good. Maiden were playing smaller venues and while Dickinson’s solo career was thriving creatively, having been joined by former cohort Adrian Smith, it wasn’t exactly setting the charts on fire. While Blaze Bayley has spoken highly of the plans for a third album in recent years, it wasn’t to be. As if in answer to many prayers news filtered though that Bayley was gone, and that both Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith were to return. Anticipation was high, could a new album restore the bands fortunes? Oh hell yes! From opener The Wicker Man, through epics Blood Brothers and The Nomad, to the storming Out of the Silent Planet it said one thing loud and clear: Iron Maiden are back. This was to be no ‘Greatest Hits’ revival, but a whole new era. Indeed, it’s the opener that’s my choice. It’s a banger, and I’d love to hear it played live.

Dance of Death (2003)
Yes, the cover art is awful, we all agree. But the albums a cracker, so I’ll forgive it this time. Yes, opener Wildest Dreams is fairly standard, but I adore the riff in Rainmaker and the thunder of No More Lies. Paschendale is a grim tale of the horrors of the First World War, matched in emotion by Montsegur, and the album ends with the bands, at the time of writing, only completely acoustic number, Journeyman. But my track of choice is the title track, in all it’s hammy ridiculous glory. It could go fully Spinal Tap, but somehow makes it work.

A Matter of Life and Death (2006)
Further tales of war and death, the band infuriated a section of fandom by playing the entire album from start to finish on a chunk of the tour. I say fuck em’, there’s only so many times you can play the old stuff. These Colours Don’t Run is a defiant cry, perhaps in response to the Ozzfest incident, The Longest Day takes us through the D-Day landings (I’m guessing Adrian Smith had recently watched the film), but it’s the opening single, The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg, that’s my choice.

The Final Frontier (2010)
The band kept themselves busy during the break between albums, recording a documentary (Flight 666) and finally returning to Australia! Nice work lads, you’d only been saying you’d be down under again since 199fucking5. It was a special night for me, and the memories I still cherish. As for the album, opener Satellite 15 is an odd one, but all becomes clear when the second half of the track, named for the album, kicks in. El Dorado gallops along at speed, while closer When the Wild Wind Blows is a nightmarish epic of fear of nuclear war. My pick? Coming Home, an emotional track about finally, well coming home. It hits me where I live, you know?

The Book of Souls (2015)
Yes, the wait between albums are getting longer, but it’s not as if the band are getting younger. This is the point when the tendency towards epics got pushed past any logical extreme, with it being the bands first studio double album, and longest ever song, Empire of the Clouds, an 18 minute long piano based number about the R101 airship disaster. (Fun Fact: One of the Eighth Doctor’s companions was meant to have died on it) I should not listen to Tears of a Clown when I’m having a bad mental health day, as Death or Glory is far more cheerful. The woah-oh’s in The Red and the Black are as addictive as Warhammer 40,000, and Speed of Light rumbles along, but it’s disc 1 opener If Eternity Should Fail that’s my choice. Originally written by Dickinson for a solo album, a reworked version appeared on his most recent disc, The Mandrake Project. While it’s not bad, it doesn’t quite have the soaring bombast of the original, and Maiden’s career long commitment to ‘too much bombast is barely enough’ is one of the reasons I love them so.

Senjutsu (2021)
Another double album? Recorded in secret and hidden away for when the then current tour, cut short by that bastard Covid 19, ended? The epics continue, though there’s a few odd notes for me. The Writing on the Wall is a cracking tune, but given Bruce Dickinson’s support of Brexit, some of the lyrics have me wanting the band to leave politics out of things. It’s the same with Darkest Hour, which despite a soaring chorus speaks a little too highly of Winston Churchill, something Doctor Who has done in recent years as well. Therefore, I’m plumping for Death of the Celts, even with the extended middle section that could have been cut in half.

*whew* 17 albums, 17 tracks. This spiralled out of control pretty quickly. In any case, if you’ve made it this far I salute you. Thoughts, feedback, abuse at my choices? I’m curious to hear.

Time for bed now. Good night all. Be seeing you…

Not very fast, kinda furious.


To be aware, this entry will contain minor spoilers for the Fast and the Furious films. You have been warned.

For Feng Shui related reasons, the Fast and the Furious binge watch has continued. I still haven’t watched Tokyo Drift, and for some reason Netflix here doesn’t have F9, but does have Fast X and the Hobbs and Shaw spin off. Crom spare me, I may have to buy the damn things at some point*, if only for the DVD commentaries which hopefully hint at the rumoured feud between several of the leading men about them not being less macho on screen than the others. Rumour has it there’s agreements where one person can’t take as many punches as the other – testosterone poisoning is a funny thing, isn’t it?

I continue to be amused that it’s gone from a series about illegal street racers, some of whom seem to be allergic to sleeves, and that runs almost entirely on the male gaze. (Yes, there’s plenty of buff dudes in tight clothing for those who like that sort of thing, but they’re vastly outnumbered by the scantily clad ladies. I’m reminded of the series Chuck, which I remember enjoying back in the day (And by that I mean the late 2000’s/early 2010’s), but that’s been retrospectively poisoned for me by stars Adam Baldwin and Zachary Levi’s embrace of the far right. I’m more likely to re-watch Burn Notice (Which has it’s own male gaze issues, but also features Bruce Campbell) or Leverage in any case. *sighs* Not everyone is as wonderful as Mark Hamill readers, remember that.

But I digress. So, the films go from a barely plausible series about street racers, to one where two loosely defined ‘agents’ have to team up to stop a cybernetically enhanced madman who has what is functionally a robot motorbike. I get it, the sequel has to go bigger, but surely there’s a point at which you stop, right? NOPE. I feel confident in saying these films throw that, like physics and reality, out the nearest high window at a great speed. There’s the 2 cars dragging a 10 ton safe while being pursued through the streets of Rio in one film, which is in turn topped in a later entry by the driving of a car out the window off a stupidly giant building in Dubai, into and through another building and then into a third stupidly giant building at which point the heroes finally leap out of the car. And I haven’t mentioned the incident with the Predator drone…

There’s no synopsis I can give that will match Grant ‘Honey Heist’ Howitt’s spectacular write up of the first 7 films, but I’m seriously considering adding a mechanic that gives players a bonus to driving checks when they mime changing gears, ala the shot gun rule.

Feng Shui 2nd Ed’s weapon damage table.

I do have a massive bone to pick with them though. Seeing Helen Mirren appear was a joy, even if was an extended cameo but that pales in comparison to Fast 8, in which Charlize Theron plays some sort of cyber terrorist, but who spends more time at a keyboard than with a weapon in hand and that is not what I watch a Charlize Theron film for. Yes, I believe she reappears later in the series, but still. It just seems a phenomenal waste. Maybe that’s why I’m not in charge of the franchise, which is probably a good thing.

So. I’ve begun writing the pitch, have been making character notes and ensuring the game starts with a fight scene. I should start learning the system as well, but I’m borrowing one of my gaming groups to run the back of the book adventure in December, which should help with that. Gonna log off here and start making more notes for that.

Be seeing you…

*As well as the Expendables films, but fortunately 3 out of the 4 are on Netflix at the moment. Based on their trajectory, I’m expecting the 4th, which I haven’t seen yet, to be the worst. Though it can’t possibly be as as bad as XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, which was so damned awful I couldn’t stomach any more after about half an hour. Copies of Hard Boiled and The Killer (I have much to thank the late 90’s SBS Saturday night cult movie slot for, but introducing me to the work of Chow Yun-Fat is in the top 5) have been ordered and will hopefully wash the bad taste of that out of my mouth. Gunpowder Milkshake is next on the watch list till they arrive, and I should probably re-watch Shoot ‘Em Up while I’m at it. Might add The A-Team and The Losers to the list as well.

2 funerals, 2 spouses and a board game victory

So, a friend posted this recently in a group chat we’re both in:

I have rarely felt so called out (in a good way) and so relieved there’s a name for what I do. Sending things to people I think they’ll like brings me joy – I’ve been at it so long that large chunks of my online time now consists of little more than “Ooh, this person needs to know about this show”, or “I know someone who’ll get a giggle out of this.” Seeing the appreciative reactions makes me happy, it’s how I show people I care about them. Or cursing them, depending on what I’ve just sent. it’s the little things that bring me the most joy, much like getting my comment read out on A Wheezing Groaning Sound*, as I found to my joy last week. (It’s in Part 3 of their look at The Green Death, for those curious enough to partake)

There was a short trip to Adelaide last week for a relative’s funeral and while I could say fuck cancer, I’m all but certain the deceased in question wouldn’t want me using such harsh language. My family tend towards the conservative side of things, bless them, and while I’m fairly straight laced compared to most, I’m by far the odd one out in the family compared to them. I have embraced the role. I don’t like funerals at the best of times, as I tend to react to confronting my mortality by screaming and running in the opposite direction. Case in point: I was recently pondering whether to use an image of Cohen the Barbarian as the main image for my next birthday party invite, or to save it for my 50th, at which point my wife said “Well, it’s not that far away!” Ah, love. I did spend some afterwards pondering a funerary playlist, and at the time of writing Brillig’s The Old Captain, (AKA the theme tune for the Pirate History Podcast) is still what I’d like to leave to. It seems fitting compared to my current earworm, which is bardcore versions of Klingon songs. Some days I out nerd even me.

The second funeral, of sorts, was scattering my wife’s Godfather’s ashes at their favourite camping spot. I endure camping at the best of times, and I’m hoping the leech bite I got on Sunday calms down soon, as I’ve never had a reaction like it. The rash is healing, but there’s been moments when I’ve all but wanted to carve the offending skin away. At the very least, some superpowers would be nice – it would compensate for the itch. I’m sure the deceased would have fallen about laughing watching us struggling to open the container of his ashes, and the levity was much needed. The story telling afterwards was how I’d hope to be remembered, and I’m not sure how, but discussion of memories, and when we’re forgotten led to me introducing one of the assembled to the story of Ea Nasir later that night. It seemed rational at the time. In any case, the deceased will be be sorely missed, but now his watch has ended.

I was hoping to catch up up with some of the LARP folks I know while I was in Adelaide, but only managed to meet one. On the bright side, it was my LARP fiancé, which means my spouses (Real and fictional) have now met. Can’t lie, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but things went very well and based on how well the game of Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu we played over dinner went, IRL wife considers LARP fiancé something of a good luck charm. The Lost Dice is a lovely venue who do a very nice burger and I’ll make sure to go back when I return. It’s a bit optimistic to have a copy of Twilight Imperium when you’re open less than 24/7, but the staff member who served us said they’d talked about an overnight lock in to play it. That’s a glorious idea that I in no way at all have the attention span for. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much LARP talk, but I continue to hope there’ll be another Path of the Warden event so our characters story can continue. Please?

Lastly, in the news I’m sure you’ve all been hoping for, I’m all but adjusted to the haircut, except for during high winds. I do find myself running my hands through it a lot, which means I have a new nervous tic I guess? That and I need a bandana before sword comes back (The hall we train in is being used for democracy the next couple of weeks), as 9 times out of 10 I’ll put my mask on only to have a strand come down over my eyes. *sighs*

Good night all. Be seeing you.

*Warning: Listening to Wheezing Groaning Sound can result in fits of uncontrollable giggling, an unhealthy curiosity as to what courses the Open University was showing, and the urge to solve problems using the Pertwee Method, namely by yelling “HAI!” and karate chopping people on the shoulder blades. You have been warned.

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.

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.

“Damn, it feels odd to be a player.”

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!

A bearded man wearing a giant leather hat.
“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…

“Brains, and the storming of”

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.

The end of The Princess Bride, with Kermit as the grandchild and Cary Elwes as the grandfather.
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.

A meme about a Klingon acting as ship's counselor.
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?

Join Starfleet for the swag!
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.

So many emotions, so little time.


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 only Doctor 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.

To boldly go…

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 MASH in 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…

“The building was on fire, and it wasn’t my fault.”

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.

Harry Dresden riding a Zombie T-Rex
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…