Reviewing the Highlights or Playing Monday Morning Quarterback

 

This morning I woke up early enough that I was able to engage in something of infinite gaming value – mentally recapping the game. This is not just going over the game again to make sure I commit the details to memory, it is taking it apart bit by bit to assure that I have both been fair in my judgments and not made any huge mistakes. I believe that if you are playing a dungeon crawl, this is not that essential (did I stab that kobold enough times?) but if you are playing a multi-year intrigue game it is invaluable.

 

For instance, last night, I felt I was getting cut off by one of the other players. At the time, I solved this by splitting from the party and doing a few things on my own. Instead of carrying this feeling over into the next game, the isolation of meditating on the game allowed me to break this little scenario apart. My character is not the brains of the operation (but I as a player am not exactly stupid, so this is a fine line) and I had a real life migraine that was messing with me. It could be that distorted my view, or perhaps the other person felt that speaking up for me was helpful. Nothing to hold a grudge over. For me, who can hold a grudge better than a dwarf, this is a break though.

 

There is also the matter of how to improve my own performance. I painted myself into a corner when I designed this particular character. She is a ‘one-shot’ organization character which means I will likely play her for a handful of times over the next few months. Still, I have a character I pigeonholed myself with. She is good at three things – breaking and entering, and being stealthy. That is about it. When I have nothing to steal, and nowhere to sneak to, I find myself thinking – what now? So recapping the game also allows me to tear apart her abilities and where I can better use them next time. Should I have been the one that went to the estate to look for clues, or should I have stayed in town and tried to break back into that noble estate for a second time? There are always clues for ways to do things better.

 

If you are really being reflective on how to improve your gaming, invite a trusted game member to give you feedback, too! I have one member of my gaming group and we always call each other the day after a game and recap. Usually this involves making sure the other noticed all the clues and significant bits of information, and sometimes he tells me I messed up or did something really right. These bit of praise or criticism I file away for future endeavors. If I blew it when I talked to NPC X, how, and how can I get it right?

 

I am 5 foot 1 inches and have short stubby legs and a large chest. Gaming is my sports. Recaping by myself and with others are my highlight reel, because I want to be the best gamer I can be, and that comes from reviewing the footage.

Returning to Athas

So after a long game break, our group has begun the return to Athas and the start of Dark Sun Chapter 4. Jason (our long suffering DM for those who do not know) has been running mini games for us with the spotlight on various characters. As I get ready to start gaming Zarnian again, I wanted to highlight a few moments for her.

One moment that is important to chapter 4, at least to me, is her newly cemented relationship with Trakas. Chapter 2 ended with them going their separate ways, Chapter 3 saw them go through rocky times, but Jason and I both decided that they would be together at the start of Chapter 4. But anyone can tell you, unpacking what has been at times a tempestuous romance can be tricky.

I wrote and rewrote this a few times, yet I am happy with it. The part of me that is Zarnian is thrilled and this makes me anxious to start Chapter 4.

So here it is, a story snippet with Zarnian and Trakas, a few days after Kalak's death.

*****

 

                She felt his presence before she heard even the softest of his footfalls. His scent and presence were familiar to her, so she did not move from her place as she tried to arrange things in her new room in Tyr. Then, she felt his arms around her. A flood of comfort tinged with guilt stabbed through her all at once. “Zarnian,” he whispered as he buried his face in her neck. She turned to see him now. Trakas had not recovered from his ordeal in Kalak’s chambers over the last few days. His skin still hung on him like beggar’s rags and the dark circles under his eyes made his face appear as haunted as her soul felt. Seeing him like his, some of the pain of Malik’s death leeched from her bones. She hugged him with her one working arm, holding him against her. For long moments, they said nothing, just holding each other until finally Trakas confessed, “You were all I thought about while I was in the chamber. You kept me going. Just thinking about killing Kalak and being with you, raising the kids, being a family.”

                Her confused feelings over Malik wrenched her soul. She loved Trakas but she had loved Malik, too. Malik had rejected her twice before he died. Why? He wanted her to be happy, to build a life without him. It was what gave him hope. Trakas had hurt her to the core, but he hadn’t meant to. He probably felt he had no choice. The druid’s smell swept over her, the way his heart beat against her skin, the way he gently touched the base of her neck. If she said she would try again for this third time, it had to be permanent, no regrets, nothing held back. “Trakas, right before the fight, I kissed Malik.”

                He gently positioned her good shoulder so he could look her in the eye. “I don’t care,” he divulged with a trace of his old mischievous twinkle in his own green eyes. “I don’t care what happened yesterday or before this minute, with either one of us. All I care about is the two of us, here, now. Zarnian,” he paused for just a moment as he gazed into her eyes, “I love you.”

                Zarnian released a breath that she didn’t even know she had been holding for the last three years and with it allowed all the old hurt to flow out. She didn’t say the words this moment, instead saying them with a lingering kiss. She’d tell him how much she loved him and wanted a life with him, but later, when they didn’t sound mimicked. For now, she would just enjoy this moment.  

Only Children and Gaming

 

I will say that I am a proud only child. When I was seven, my mother sat me down and told me about boat children from Cambodia. They had no homes, and they needed to be adopted. She said we could adopt one so I would have a brother or sister, my choice. I started crying and said “Give them my clothes! Give them my toys! But I don’t want a sibling!!” My mom left, going to the other room. I thought that I upset her, but it turns out that she was laughing her ass off.

 

The irony is that skip forward a few decades and I have a large extended family – my gaming family. I have siblings I love, a few that have driven me nuts, but we are all there for each other at each and every crisis and life point. Recently, when Jason and I talked about starting a family, I evaluated a local birthing center. I found myself making sure that the immediate waiting area for family would support a game of Lords of Waterdeep or Cthulhu Munchkin. Sometimes my Mother-in-Law talks about ‘family only’. Not to hurt anyone’s feelings, but when your biological brother does not invite you to the Christmas party and your friend on 30 years shows up the instant he finds out you need help picking a lock at your own house at midnight, how do you define ‘family’?

Now learning how to game late in life and as an only child has not been without its own challenges. Sharing is something I still struggle with at times. I have always been unique – a fact I pride myself on. I am unique for a few reasons: being an only child, having red hair, being a female comic book nerd in my youth, and knowing Star Wars front to back while still being able to ‘pass’ in society as my mother calls it… all things that are rare. I LIKE being rare. I LIKE being unique.

 

This does not always work in the RPG world. I play with people I think of as siblings. We think alike. We act alike. This means that if I come up with something that is cool and ‘unique’… well, Solomon said a hell of a long time ago that there was nothing new under the sun, and we was right then and now. Does this sometimes cause me ‘chaos’ as we say in my group? Yes. Have I learned to live with it a hell of a lot better? Yes. At 30 something I have learned the concepts of sharing (most things) with at least an air of grace… and now those in my group can stop laughing at me making that statement.

 

At the same time, I would love to hear from all of you. Do you care if you have something who creates things very similar to you, or do you think that there should only be 1 ranger in a party of 4? What do you think?

 

-Madelyn

School Wars - Dark Sun Notes from 12 10 12

Notes for Dark Sun 12/10/12 – School Fighting

 

Barok was approached by the templars to a great display in the arena. Tosh from Nibenay arrived and he wanted to see the best of what the school had to offer. Barok was even invited to sit in the posh seats with the other dignitaries. He was asked to select five of the best gladiators from Barok’s School for Gladiator Who Want to Fight Good and Do Other Things Good Too (now called Barok’s School). Barok chose Xraneth, a thri-kreen from Xanus’s clutch, Tryranicus Thawk, the younger nearly identical brother of Adamicus Thawk, Red Teeth, a Halfling with teeth stained red from blood, Mighty Nautilus a dwarf in a mask, and El Draque, a Dray with yellow and black armor. There would be five challenges.

 

After arriving at the arena, they learned they would be facing two other teams of gladiators. One group was from Nibenay, and the other was from a famous but unnamed school within Tyr. There were nicely dressed elemental priests from all the elements, plus one. The challenges would be based on these elements. Each gladiator could only represent their team once and then would only be relegated to a helper role.

 

The first challenge was the challenge of Earth. Barok’s team fronted Nautilus the dwarf, while the other two teams but in a human and a mul. Everyone else on the teams could throw rocks at the other two school’s entries as they scrambled to get to the top of a small hill of jagged rocks. At the top was a crown of obsidian. The winner would scramble up, snatch up the crown, then they would win. The three tiers they had to climb were covered with sharp rocks, though. Once the competition started, Team Barok pelted the mul with a ton of rocks. He was almost dead before he made it to the third tier, but the human remained pretty unpelted. He made it to the top at the same time as Nautilus and snatched the crown. Nautilus used his giant hair belt as a whip to snatch the crown away and won at the last minute. In reward, he received a very nice set of armor.

 

After the game of the Earth, everyone got a small rest. The mul was dead, and the human battered. Barok’s team used some of their special items to bribe the attendants to learn the next contest was the contest of fire, and that one of the opponents was a half giant. Tryranicus bribed an attendant to slip a laxative into the half-giant’s drink, and then the game began.

 

The challenge of fire was to defeat a fire elemental in a ring of hot coals. Everyone only had a dagger, but better weapons could be obtained from burning braziers around the ring. The dray competed for Barok’s school and there was also a half elf. The dray grabbed the half-elf and face planted her into the elemental, beating her until she was unconscious. The half-giant attacked the fire elemental a few times before the Dray turned her attention on him, breathing fire in his face. Then she attacked the elemental, almost killing it, but the half-giant could have stolen the victory. Tryranicus Thawk distracted the half-giant, giving the Dray a chance to make the killing blow, which she did and got the gem.  In reward she got a nice sword.

 

The next competition was the competition of air. Barok’s team selected Red Teeth. In this chariots of various colors and prestige would attack those teams who summoned them. Each had two colored kestrekel tails and if the gladiator could grab those they would score points. The other members of the team built the stands to attract the chariots. Red Teeth proved very effective, as did the rest of Barok’s team. Because they had good teamwork and better tactics than the other teams, Red Teeth was able to attract the best chariot, the Golden chariot, twice. Both times he took the tails, and he won. In reward, he got a new cloak of kestrekel feathers.

 

There was a small break before the next two contests to be resolved next game…

Grandmother's Notes 12/8/12 - Warhammer

Grandmother’s Report 12/8/12

 

Aloysia

Just before riding out to the group, Aloysia joined the group. She was hired by Grandmother to keep an eye on the group. Then everyone took the coach out to the Holtz farmstead, the lead that Kat got from the Tilian. Riding up to the Hotz farmstead, smoke and fire were seen off to the right. After some “quick” caucusing, everyone decided to investigate the smoke and fire, even though it was to the right of their  destination.

 

Bloodbath

The farmstead was in ruins when the group arrived. The barn was still on fire despite the rain, and after a few party members investigated, they found the animal pens had been smashed and there was a torch tossed in to start the fire. There were no animals left in the barn. The house was also in ruins, with blood on the floor in splotches. There was a chaos star painted in blood. There were a few bedrooms in the house with empty bunks. Since no one was alive, everyone decided to quickly ride to the Holtz farmstead to warn them or see if they needed assistance.

 

The Farmstead

It took 20 minutes to get to the Holtz farm, and when they did they found two people arguing. One was a mutant, the other man normal. The other members of the farm were also mutants. The larger man said “I warned you not to stop Tristan” but the other man said “My whole family are dead, damn you!” and tried to stab the larger man. Aloysia managed to net Tristan and other members of the Holtz family pounced on Tristan beating him into unconsciousness. When the group said they were looking for Reiner Holtz, one man started looking uncomfortable and an older man ordered him to talk to the group. He said that he did encounter Florian but Florian sold him his cart and horse and said he was leaving town quickly. However, he broke under further interrogation and explained that he had taken Florian to sacrifice to the Beastmen at the Hag Tree. Everyone in the area did this once a month or their farms were attacked. Tristan’s family stopped making the sacrifices and they were attacked. However, the Holtz’s wanted to stop. They wanted to save Stromdorf. An older woman offered to take the group to Fredrik who was a shaman of the Beastmen and willing to help. He said the only way to stop the beastmen was kill the leader and capture the white stone in the clearing that was emitting lightning. The group agreed to help, and started walking out into the woods.

 

How to Commit Suicide, Quickly

After about 30 minutes, the group came to a large tree in a clearing that looked like a hag. Once there, Fredrick (the shaman beastman) explained that Iska of the Mad Teeth clan wanted to destroy man. But Fredrick’s mother was human and he did not want to see that happen. After scoping out the clearing where Iska was having his meeting, the team could see the stone and an altar was the symbol of Khorne painted on it in blood. There were about 25 beastmen in the clearing, and Florian who was bloodied. The team made a plan to attack and launched an attack on the leader of the beastmen while Kat crept forward trying to rescue Florian. Quickly, the beastmen attacked back. Shortly after reaching Florian Kat was attacked and fell to the ground, as Heinrik shot Iska and then got cut down. Aloysia climbed a tree and shot the beastmen that tried to come after her, as Hanz launched into a fury with his halberd. Franz used the stone’s augmentation of his Celestial magic to cast several spells, wounding beastmen. Geita rushed to Kat’s aid then got cut down herself. Finally, Iska fell with only three beastmen left. Hanz, Franz, and Aloysia threw the stone and their unconscious party members in the cart and left for the town.

Oh Sigmar! It hurts!

While most of the team were in the temple of Shallya trying to heal their horrific injuries, Franz (or Franz the Uninjured as certain members of the team started calling him behind his back) took the stone to his friend Nicholas Shulman, another Celestial Wizard for viewing. After saying he would need some time to look the item over, he stole it. Franz and Aloysia gave chase, on horse, then in boat when Nicholas stole a boat and rowed out to a vortex the stone was helping channel. In his attempt to draw the power into himself, Nicholas was destroyed, and Franz almost died. Aloysia recovered Franz and the stone, taking them back into town.

 

 

Aftermath - A Dark Sun Short Story

**This story takes place between the 9/12 and the 9/19 gaming sessions**

Aftermath

                Carefully, Zarnian wrapped a single sweaty curl of Trakas’ hair around her finger. His hair was wet with sweat from their love making, but just yesterday that sweat was from the chilling shock of Sorin’s constant attacks. She felt as if he almost died yesterday. Today they agreed to start over, making love in Trakas’ room carefully, respectful of each other’s injuries. In his arms all she wanted was to forget everything except that she was here and that in his arms she was not a warrior, leader, or rebel. In Trakas’ arms she was a woman – the only place that was true.

                Suddenly, he held her a little tighter, his energy shifting a bit, just enough for her to notice. “Is all well?” Zarnian inquired, hoping that the panic remained away from her voice. Yet, it was in her heart. Their new start was a very small sprout, and such sprouts were easily crushed by a misplaced step.

                Trakas turned, looking at her with his deep green eyes, the color of lush vegetation that never suffered from lack of water or soil. Eyes that were the color of everything pure and right. “I just want to savor every moment that we have.” The rest remained unspoken but understood.

                Nodding, Zarnian agreed, “Yes, we will. Even when our bodies are not joined, our hearts will be.”

                This seemed to trouble him slightly. “Zarnian, my heart is with yours. If I had my way, I would take you and Timmuth and Sorin and smuggle you out of town. I’d tell you to not stop running until you got back to the House so you would be well away from here before the fight, before Kalak defiles.” Anger crept over his face as his hands tightened into fists. “I would give anything for that.”

                “Yet, you cannot have it.”

                Trakas shook his head. “You’re integral to this, Zarnian, in a way that I don’t even think you understand. This will fail without you.” He traced the tip of her ear with a single finger, a move that made her blush. He smiled at that, warming with her. “When all this is over, I am going to take you to the most beautiful place you can imagine. It’s green and beautiful and there is water and all the plants there just radiate joy. You’ll love it, and the thought of showing it to you is what is getting me though all of this.”

                Shifting, she sat up, twining her fingers in his. “You are getting me through all of this.” She kissed his forehead. “Trakas, seeing you suffering under Sorin’s assault, you almost…” She shook her head free of the thought. “I cannot have that occur. You cannot die during the upcoming battle.”

                “Zarnian…” He reached up, cupping her face in his hands. He smiled, yet it held too much sorrow to truly be a smile. “I don’t know what is going to happen during this battle. I have a mission, a mission that is bigger than you or me…than us. We’re two lives against the lives of a city, or perhaps all of Athas. That is why I haven’t told you yet those words I hold in my heart. Even if that is how I feel, I want to wait until we’re past all that. If we survive, then I can look you in the eye and tell you.”

                “I can wait,” she promised, surprised by the truth of it. “Besides, I would rather say those words to you once I can be sure that I won’t have to lie with anyone I do not wish to. That still might occur before all this is over. I will do what I have to in order to protect this house.”

                “ I know.” All traces of his smile fell and he gathered her into his arms holding her against the upcoming storm. Though neither one wanted to leave the embrace, finally, Trakas announced, “It’s been about an hour. We should probably make sure that C’aro doesn’t have Gahaz standing over the kids with a whip while they make their pots.”

                Zarnian’s eyes flashed with fear and rage. Lightly, she hit him in the chest. “Do not suggest that to either one of them.”

                “I won’t,” he promised, his old mischievous look in his eye. Silently, quickly they dressed. He reached the door first. Zarnian was still buckling her chest armor in place. “I won’t, for now.” He added, dashing from the room and down the stairs before she could catch him.

                Shaking her head, Zarnian finished buckling her armor, picked up her spear and dashed out of the room after him. Her legs were longer and when she caught him, he would pay.

Dark Sun Gaming Notes 9 5 12

Gathering the Conspirators

Cael and Zarnian returned to the estate and informed the rest of the House that they all had to report to Ageis’ estate that night to meet with the other members of the conspiracy and Kalak’s oracle. After some discussion Cael decided to take Bellesaria, Bay decided to take all the noble members of his Cabal and the scribe, and Zarnian asked Trakas and C’aro to attend. Ohzon mentioned bringing Horchada, and idea everyone else rejected, and Barok said he was fine with who was going but decided not to bring anymore.

 

Waiting for the Gathering

While everyone waited for night to fall, Ohzon rented some penthouses in tenement buildings, with holes in the ceilings for his Skyfollowers.  He secured several. Then Bay went to visit Mitzrah the Lion, to inquire if Mitzrah was able to get slaves for him. Mitzrah said he had found and could get slaves for Bay, but they would be porters, and 1 gold each. Bay balked at the price, and said that he wanted discount slaves. Mitzrah said he could accommodate that, but he would need 100 ceramic down, and he got to keep it whether Bay wanted the slaves or not. The deal was agreed on, and Bay left.

 

Rising Tension

Back at the house, everyone heard shouting and screaming outside. The templars were rounding people up for just being outside, making up charges out of nothing. Zarnian made sure the kids and guards were inside, so they could not be taken. The Urikite ‘businessmen’ looked on with increasing fear. After seeing this, Zarnian took all the children to C’aro’s office and showed them the bolt hole. C’aro reminded them they could not use it unless it was an emergency, then sent them back to work making pots. Timmuth called Barok up to the loft so he could place his hand in the wet clay.

 

Gilded Chariot

Bay went to the bar to recruit Inicles for the meeting. At the Gilded Chariot was the gigolo who had been with Drugar. Bay did find Inicles and he agreed to come to the meeting with Bay at Ageis’ estate. When Bay asked who the gigolo was, Inicles said that he was some trash that Hericles picked up at the elven market. Inicles was going to ask to have him removed, but Bay asked him to wait.

 

Leaving Town

Finally, at night, everyone left. They decided to use the Stadium Gate to say that Barok was going outside the city walls to train so no one could see his moves for the upcoming games. During the journey, Zarnian got a slight feeling they were being followed, but did not really notice anyone. Then when everyone arrived at the gate, there were four half giants, several guards, and a handful of templars. They announced that the gate was closed, and it was unlawful to be out in this area after curfew, although no such law had been announced. They said one of the party had to become a slave for the brickyards to pay the fine. Instead, Zarnian gave up her agafari and iron spear, so the group was allowed to pass. Then, after the gates had closed behind them, they heard Drugar’s protests as he was being hauled away for the brickyards. Though Bay considered intervening, at the end he decided not to.

 

The Missing Oracle

Once at Aegis’ estate, the group found the courtyard deserted. The entire estate was deserted, with no slaves and slowly dying fields. Finally, Zarnian knocked and Aegis came to the door, but did not want to admit the Noble Cabal, who had arrived before us. Finally, everyone was allowed in the small sitting room (which was too small for Barok) and there was Meticles, Lycinia, Thaxos Vordon, Meticles, and another noble, named Lord Vericles. He was a noble of a moderate level, and he was a philosopher. Here was also a redheaded chic that Bellesaria knew. There was a mood of crankiness in the room because Kalak’s oracle never appeared, and suddenly there were many people that they did not know in the conspiracy. There was some bickering, but Aegis and Zarnian tried to calm everyone down. Zarnian ended up giving Thaxos Vordon the verbal smackdown. It was also revealed that Tithian had not yet agreed to help, and though Aegis was placing pressure on him, it had not been enough, yet. The members of the conspiracy who had already been together said they had a plan, but would not share with us. Zarnian explained about the obsidian orbs under the ziggurat and said that Astinicus knew a secret entrance into the ziggurat and he was not dead, but in the clutches of Sericles. After much talk and debating, little was accomplished. Vericles pulled Barok outside and said that Aegis and Sadira were trying to recover a special spear. He wanted to know if Barok could get into the games and throw that spear at Kalak. After everyone left, without the oracle ever appearing, C’aro complained that they whole thing had been a waste of time. The group got in again through the merchant gate.

 

The Day After

The following morning, Bay sought out Rodrigo and Jugalo. He paid them 10 silver pieces to find out information on the Templar that had Zarnian’s spear. Ohzon went to see Mitzrah and wanted to have the skyfollowers smuggled in. At first, Mitzrah was going to charge 10 gold but once he learned who they were, he wanted 20 gold, and 3 gold to smuggle in just Searchion. Aein returned and said he had news of Malik. Malik went to a whore house called the Unsheathed Sword and never bought a whore, but drank alone. Rodrigo came to see Bay and told him that the templar in question drank for free at the Gladiator’s Blood bar, then worked the gate and went home to the Golden City. Cael was going to watch the gate during the day, but then got distracted when Bellesaria said she wanted someone to track Aegis and Sadira, so Cael was going to do that. That night, Zarnian dressed in clean clothes and armor, before making her way to the Unsheathed Sword. She talked to Malik and learned that he was dying, poisoned by Hamdi for trying to protect a boy Hamdi was trying to rape. Malik’s only strength in his last few days came from plans of revenge and thoughts that Zarnian was safe and having a happy life. Though she wanted him to come with her so she could try to get psionic healing he refused and turned away from her, saying that if she loved him at all, she would go, so she did.

 

Sorin

Before Cael left for her mission, she decided to talk to Sorin about what he was talking to. She had to haul him off the assembly line (to his discomfort since he did not want to get in trouble with C’aro) and Cael took him up to their room. There, she asked him whom he was taking to. It was revealed that he was talking to Tzitch, the insane nature spirit grew insane from being defiled. It blamed Cael for its pain, and said she tried to kill it like she killed Sorin’s father. Then, Sorin revealed that Tzitch said she would kill him, too. Zarnian and Trakas got in on the conversation when Cael returned the child to his workroom, and Trakas offered to take him away to be trained as a druid. However, Zarnian objected. She was drunk from mescal she had borrowed from C’aro. Since her own heart was broken, she did not want the children to be separated, since Timmuth thought of Sorin as a brother. Trakas said he would try to dispatch the spirit again.

 

Afternotes

After that, Cael left to follow Aegis and Sadira. They headed into the mountains and disappeared. Back at the house, all the sky followeres simply showed up at the gate and were let in. The Tyrian templars also started shaking down the Urikites.