tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72206069841566337482024-03-17T04:31:39.779-07:00Shores of Nightstevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.comBlogger471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-74198300489229684182024-03-17T04:20:00.000-07:002024-03-17T04:20:25.108-07:00D&D Character: Taaka Sipsmith: Half-Elf Ranger<p><i> "Hush, did you hear that?"</i></p><p><b>Background:</b> Taaka was born in Ballenmouth, the child of a loving couple - a Human man and an Elven woman - who'd eloped because their parents disapproved of their relationship. Settling in the docks area of the city, Taaka's father went to work on the ships as a carpenter, helping build ships in the yards. His mother opened a shop, selling spells and magical items for ships. They often worked together, experimenting with ways to make ships safer through magic and design. Taaka went to a good school but did poorly in his studies. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K2TPE1vFz2oUOphej5lcXCOYqpLvdNQ6R7B2-l13g3AzhJVlfpmLbib0eiAtfeU5KfqJXW93wZAwjtnG93lZtJYebje2387IpZh3MpxSREahzs5rECAAM3JNLQn_5X3kt1r8b9QuZ18wYiUgq1pBzCbemmi9ONGI_VomY-ohH2fjQBeSOKySR_09SvM/s1024/Taaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K2TPE1vFz2oUOphej5lcXCOYqpLvdNQ6R7B2-l13g3AzhJVlfpmLbib0eiAtfeU5KfqJXW93wZAwjtnG93lZtJYebje2387IpZh3MpxSREahzs5rECAAM3JNLQn_5X3kt1r8b9QuZ18wYiUgq1pBzCbemmi9ONGI_VomY-ohH2fjQBeSOKySR_09SvM/s320/Taaka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>When he reached his majority, Taaka decided to see the world and the most obvious way to do that was to become a sailor. Always a dutiful son, he bade goodbye to his parents and then went down to the docks to find a job. Signing on with the Blue Wave as a cabin boy, he left Ballenmouth, sailing to the islands nearby and down the coast. This allowed him to visit many of the cities in the nearby area, learning about them. He quickly became a midshipman and was well-liked by his fellows. Captain Merryweather trusted him and even the dour ship's wizard, Jenkins, got on with him well enough. </p><p>This was before the shipwreck and Taaka's discovery of the sea monster, Guranada. </p><p>That happened in the fall of his third year aboard the Blue Wave when a savage storm blew up tearing the vessel apart even as the captain tried to navigate a safe path through. Jenkins struggled to control the elements, bellowing over the storm that it was as if something else was at work - something unnatural.</p><p>As the waves grew rougher and wilder, Taaka was swept over the side by a big wave and crashed into the ocean. As he fought for breath, he saw something in the depths, an immense creature that seemed focused on what was happening on the surface. Its eyes glowed with something that the young Half-Elf understood to be mystical power. Overcome with fear, Taaka broke and began to swim away from the scene, desperate to find safety.</p><p>He blacked out and when he woke he was alone on a pebble beach, with no sign of the Blue Wave or the monster. Slowly, he began to explore, trying to accommodate his sore body but also conscious of the need for shelter and food. Quickly realising the need for some sort of weapon to kill prey, he fashioned a sling from part of his clothing and took stones from the beach. It was a wretched, difficult business that took many weeks to perfect, but eventually, he ate on more days than he didn't. By the end of his first month on the island, he had a home and water. He'd had perfected using the sling to catch rabbits and harpoons to fish with. His survival needs were taken care of, leaving him able to consider the bigger problem: escape. </p><p>By this point, he was sure the island was deserted as there was no sign of anything but animals and birds. With no mountains, he was quietly confident no Dwarves made their home there, and the forest - which was unruly and scrub-like thanks to the constant winds. Fortunately, there was also no sign of dragons or other large monsters, he was safe from predators. Time, boredom, and loneliness were his biggest worries. To combat boredom, he used the skills his father taught him in childhood to fashion a bow and crude arrows (lacking metal he could only sharpen the arrows' shafts or lash sharpened stones to act as arrowheads), and taught himself to shoot. When he was proficient in that, he began to work on other skills, trying to master whatever he could. </p><p>All the time, he kept an eye on the sea, looking for rescuers, but to no avail. There were no ships to see. That changed after several months. When he spied a sail on the horizon, Taaka was hunting on the cliffs, stealing eggs from the sea birds' nests. Straightening to wave and shout - overcome with elation at the possibility of rescue - his hopes were dashed as he saw a storm moving in. The sea began to churn, and the monster he'd seen all those months ago made its presence felt. He watched, overcome, as the vessel sank beneath the waves. </p><p>The sole consolation was that in the hours that followed, another person washed up on the shore - a Gnome dressed in dark green Monk robes. Taaka moved him away from the shore and wrapped him in a rabbit skin blanket he'd pieced together. When the Gnome woke, the young Half-Elf gently broke the news. Thankfully, the Monk took the bad tidings stoically. </p><p>Over the next few weeks, Taaka and the Gnome - who he learned was called Zippim - became good friends. They compared stories and agreed that if they ever got off the island, they would continue to support each other's goals. Zippim was on a quest for a relic lost to his faith, and the opportunity to keep exploring and seeing the world appealed to Taaka. </p><p>Slowly, they began to plot an escape - arguing that they could build a raft to sail to shore... provided the sea monster didn't notice them. They debated for hours whether the monster dwelt nearby, and how active it was. If big ships attracted its attention, would it even notice a small raft? </p><p>Eventually, with no other options, they resolved to try and using the resources at hand created a small vessel. It took many weeks, but it wasn't long after completion that they set out, paddling into the bay. Almost immediately, the sea began to change, growing rougher. The further out they got, the worse it became. In a horrifying moment, the men realised that they were more than castaways: they were prisoners. The monster's head broke the waves and roared, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth. </p><p>Panicking, Taaka strung his bow and began to fire arrow after arrow at the sea monster, peppering its muzzle with them. Most shattered against its scales, or bounced off into the sea without harming the monster. One though, just one, hit true, slamming into the creature's eye. It howled in pain, writhing in the water as the men paddled for all they were worth away from both monster and island. To this day, Taaka is convinced something intervened, because the monster let them go. Perhaps it had never experienced pain before, or perhaps it was so surprised by them fighting back that it simply didn't think to press them. Whatever the truth, the pair managed to get free and were picked up by a ship a week later, just as they'd run out of food and water. </p><p>When they got back to shore - disembarking at a northern town called Carlsburgh - they earned some supper with their story, only then learning that there was a story about the monster. This was the first time either of them heard the name Guranada.</p><p>Soon after, Zippim announced he was heading inland, to the university city of Gallanburgh, and Taaka agreed to go with him. Once they arrived, they met with some other adventurers and began working with them as The Bright Blades. </p><p><b>Appearance: </b>Taaka is a handsome Half-Elf with long hair and piercing eyes. He's tall and lithe, making him a hit with the ladies. </p><p>You can download Taaka's character sheet <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k6AYz8_HME4W2e9aiFbDh7DTvZ_vmmet/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>I hope you enjoyed the character's background and if you decide to play him, have fun. </p><p><br /></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-82187764436371351262024-03-16T07:27:00.000-07:002024-03-17T04:31:05.604-07:00Scion Character: Rosa Lopez, Scion of Xochipilli<p><i>The Colombian woman peered at the Tarot cards arrayed before her. "You walk a dark path, Chosen of Loki, beware -"</i></p><p><i>"Can we cut to the chase, Rosa?" her client asked, drumming her fingers on the little table. Violet Steitz, thrust into the responsibility of being a Scion of Loki by the god's capricious joke was tired and in need of coffee. That made her crankier than usual.</i></p><p><i>The fortune teller sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're always in a hurry."</i></p><p><i>"Please, if what you've said so far is true, we've got a big problem on our hands," the blonde woman said.</i></p><p><i>"Okay, okay," Rosa said, rolling her eyes and gesturing towards her Bandmate. "Basically, watch your step, falling down could kill you."</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMO-LsH4GWNuqyQuupE7XAdECuPrnOHNQqG5hwFPv-FPAzYMgwc21oO1jGWM4ioEtnzHud7cCZGDKLyE4KEYcfuyXZdbCuybnppKn_lI7jq84zo7H3OJzpDWCHJEYtqLYkVDRa8uadam4y8ItEg3gtJWiifDGZdG0fsDtTboKTeeFvhnRzol5sajphAkA/s1024/Rosa%20Scion.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMO-LsH4GWNuqyQuupE7XAdECuPrnOHNQqG5hwFPv-FPAzYMgwc21oO1jGWM4ioEtnzHud7cCZGDKLyE4KEYcfuyXZdbCuybnppKn_lI7jq84zo7H3OJzpDWCHJEYtqLYkVDRa8uadam4y8ItEg3gtJWiifDGZdG0fsDtTboKTeeFvhnRzol5sajphAkA/s320/Rosa%20Scion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Background: </b>Born in Bogotá to a well-off family, Rosa (which isn't her real name) grew up in the lap of luxury. Given everything she desired, she soon became spoiled, and the young girl lived in a bubble. Home was in a gated community with security guards prowling the grounds, while school sat a short drive away. Little time was spent out of the home, or safe spaces. While much of the Colombian capital was gentrified and safe, her mother was still concerned about the levels of crime and gang violence. A highly religious woman, Rosa's mother insisted on the family attending church every week - sometimes on multiple occasions - and always seemed particularly concerned with her daughters' piety. Any boys Rosa and her sisters became interested in were rigorously vetted by both her parents though an air of mystery hung over their motives. Private investigators would be hired to assemble dossiers on teenagers and their families - so much so that it became a joke among the children. The suggestion that Father was "connected" surfaced more than once, but well away from their parents' ears.</p><p>Her father was rarely home, and her mother was highly protective. Her siblings grew up with lots of material goods in place of friends and most of those items were American-made, imported by her father's import/export business. When Father was home, it was often for important business dinners, hosting important captains of industry, American clients, and local politicians. These occasions were always very showy, with all seven children put on display in their best clothes and manners. </p><p>Rosa, an introvert, found these occasions difficult and always hated the feeling that she had to pretend to be something else to meet approval. She would dutifully make conversation, sing songs, and hug the men who her father instructed her to, but inside she hated every minute of it. </p><p>Consequently, Rosa grew up in a very sheltered environment, with little idea about the world. Until the Visitation, that is, that was when everything went wrong. Xochipilli appeared in the grounds one hot summer's afternoon, just as a storm broke (he always did have a flare for the dramatic). He approached the house, asking to be let inside and speak with his daughter. When the security guards interceded, he smiled at them brightly and "convinced" them to let him pass. To this day Rosa isn't sure what he did, but the hired muscle all seemed blissed out, lost in ecstasy.</p><p>Rosa's mother flew into a rage as soon as she saw the god, rushing towards him and landing a stinging slap across his face, which he shrugged off with a laugh. "Was I that bad a lover?" he asked, prompting her mother to slap him again and burst into tears. </p><p>Those words stuck with Rosa. Her mother had always comported herself as a devout Catholic and strictly argued for the Christian faith. The idea that she might have been unfaithful was unthinkable but was apparently true. As Xochipilli cast about the room, looking at the children, he smiled as his eyes alighted on Rosa and held out his arms to her. "Daughter, it's so very good to meet you in the flesh." </p><p>A moment later there was a gunshot, the god looked down at a large hole in his chest, and then across to Rosa's mother holding a pistol in her hand. He suddenly seemed meek and uncertain before he toppled to the floor. Blood pooled across the tiles and the family panicked, a feeling that only grew when Xochipilli started to talk, quite normally, from his position and even beckoned Rosa down to him. Gently he explained what she was, and the Calling he was giving her. When her mother tried to pull her away, he smiled gently and cursed her with an STD so bad she doubled up in pain. Finally, he rolled onto his back with great difficulty and announced that he was in a great deal of pain and was going to leave... The body grew still and cold as he vacated it, leaving her shell-shocked and confused.</p><p>Certain things began to make sense - Father had always said that Mother had embraced the Catholic faith more fiercely after Rosa's birth whereas before she had been more of a fair-weather Christian. The extra prayers and determination that her children would be "good" made more sense too. Clearly, her guilty conscience had driven her into dire straits.</p><p>All the same, Rosa retreated into herself, becoming quieter and less outgoing. She kept to her room, painting canvases that reflected what her real father had told her. Uncertain what else to do, she started to reach inside herself, seeking some sort of power.</p><p>Perhaps that was what tipped off the enemy to her existence, she still isn't sure. One evening, her mortal father arrived home with news of a new client who had asked to meet the family. An American called Dwight Ericsson who was interested in exporting Colombian goods to the USA. Immediately something felt off, most Americans who did business with Lopez's firm were Latinx; they never had names like "Dwight Ericsson". </p><p>The next night, the American came to dinner and Rosa instantly disliked him. He fitted most of the caricatures of a citizen of the USA - loud, brash, fat, and ignorant. He wore expensive but ill-fitting, clothes, and while on the surface he seemed to fit the role he was playing, something felt wrong. He took a particular interest in Rosa, repulsing her as he tried to flirt - but came across as extremely slimy. </p><p>After dinner, he sought her out and began to tell her about America - making it sound like a paradise of technological goods and luxuries. All this succeeded in was making her laugh, telling him to look around. Did her family look poor? Put out, he departed, but something told the young Scion that he would be back. </p><p>The following day, she prayed to her divine parent for the first time. She'd done some research and assembled something suitable, though her opening gambit of "Dad, we need to talk" was unorthodox, to say the least. They talked and he immediately sent her extra protection from a nearby cult in the form of some warriors. These brave souls took up places at the edge of the gated community, watching and waiting. </p><p>Ericsson deployed a two-fold strategy in the coming days, applying pressure on Rosa's father to marry her, while at night the house became subject to probing attacks. The warriors turned the first few assaults aside - Rosa never knew about them until later - and the only evidence of the fights came in the form of blood found in the grounds or the sounds of fighting in the night. </p><p>The family's security team went on high alert, doubling the shifts and working overtime. That worked well until the 14th night, when the American switched his attacks up, sending a Nemean serpent slithering into the gated community. The monster destroyed the Lopez's house (along with most of the others) and feasted upon the security guards. The family took shelter in the safe room and huddled there in fear. That was the real turning point. Truths came to the surface, and as the Nemean systematically destroyed the house, the family was torn apart by arguing. It wasn't only Rosa's true parentage that came out, it seemed everyone had their own secrets, from her closest brother's sexuality to her father's painkiller addiction. At the height of the arguing, Rosa's phone rang, against all logic. She answered it and heard Ericsson's voice. He would spare the rest of the family if she came to him now, otherwise they would die or be left to live in poverty. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggw0YoSt0_dcnb7DDjmDjGMZZt80xxMDKIzma79971GgYTV8-FIyrUcxw1CNUDhsMSE7gQp4-DZBx342RqAWokzM1CBw-oUsMvvugJZWkhhGgXSFjHyWGkiH-KZFwhFCIWYV7mdC-J057AdKYZBwDpc3QxpfnH_ggSuZFO1RIRFLHH3m3gdtQGOP4Qb3s" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="474" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggw0YoSt0_dcnb7DDjmDjGMZZt80xxMDKIzma79971GgYTV8-FIyrUcxw1CNUDhsMSE7gQp4-DZBx342RqAWokzM1CBw-oUsMvvugJZWkhhGgXSFjHyWGkiH-KZFwhFCIWYV7mdC-J057AdKYZBwDpc3QxpfnH_ggSuZFO1RIRFLHH3m3gdtQGOP4Qb3s" width="240" /></a></div>Reluctantly, she agreed to meet him, astonishing her family by unlocking the safe room and walking out into the ruins of the house. The serpent was waiting for her but made no attempt to attack. Instead, it watched her walk past to the edge of the community, where its master waited. Before she could speak, a group of men hooded and cuffed her and she was thrown into the trunk of Ericsson's limousine.<p></p><p>The next few weeks passed in a blur. She was never alone, but her guards never spoke to her. Kept drugged and bound, she had no idea of what was happening and even now only has vague memories of travelling north to the USA. Nobody protested her presence, and she's sure that her captor persuaded the TSA she was his wife. After that, she was installed at a very nice home in the southern USA (she would later learn it was Texas) and kept in a haze while her Ericsson prepared for something. He would check up on her every day, smiling at her and patting her arm patronisingly. "Don't you worry, everything's gonna be just fine, princess," he purred. </p><p>She found out what he meant all too soon when she was taken out of the house and driven to the Landergin Mesa where Ericsson's cult was waiting. They strapped her to a rock and began a ritual to summon one of the Titans. At this point, a Band of Scions arrived, attacking the cult. Everything dissolved into violence and chaos.</p><p>Afterwards, she met the Scions who had travelled from New Orleans to hunt down the cult after some crimes on their turf. They returned home, and Rosa went with them. It took her some time to recover but she began to set up home after a few months. She found somewhere to live, started to paint again, and set up as a fortune teller to earn money. She focuses on the Tarot and Western astrology because most of her clients want that, but she can also read the <i>tonalpohualli </i>(an Aztec form of fortune telling).</p><p>She has lost track of her family and actively seeks them through back channels and underworld sources, finding an "Uncle" - one of her father's business partners - Jorge who works as a smuggler. Beyond that, she's trying to find the monster who abducted her, after rumours began to surface that he had been returned to life by his masters. Determined to defeat him, she has reached out to her comrades for aid.</p><p>This led to her dipping deeper into the underworld where she found a conman who styled himself "Father Alejandro" and pretended to be a blind priest. As he gathers a church around himself, he has agreed to aid her and the two regularly share information. Finally, she attracted a roommate who turned out to be a shaman, capable of weaving potent magic. </p><p>Joining the Scion Band, she has taken a compassionate, empathic role and often acts as its leader. </p><p><b>Appearance:</b> Rosa is a medium-height Latina woman who dresses in bright clothes. She has large brown eyes, long black hair, and tanned skin. There's a small scar on her left shoulder and she has a large mole on her hip. </p><p>She has a parrot, sent to her by Xochipilli soon after she set up in New Orleans and the cult that defended her in Colombia has created a branch in the city. </p><p>As always the character I've created is available for free if anyone wants to play her or use her in their game. You can download her character sheet <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jnR2XpN0U0r8JqbNi8mkCaTDIou-j3_J/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>I'd like to apologise for not providing a character last weekend - my keyboard died and it was a tough week at work. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-24416133931748487522024-03-11T02:38:00.000-07:002024-03-11T02:38:46.073-07:00Quick Admin Notice<p> Hi, </p><p>So, um, I broke my keyboard on Saturday morning. I'd set it somewhere where the heat from my little fan heater could reach it and heard a series of pops - which I thought were from the heater. I turned that off and there were still pops going on... </p><p>Anyway, an hour later (it was Saturday and I like to get up slowly at the weekend), I pulled the keyboard out and went to start typing only to find that quite a few of the keys weren't working anymore. I managed to order a new one from Amazon and thought I'd work on things on paper but ended up finishing the Gaunt's Ghosts omnibus I've been reading for gods know how many months and then powering through V for Vendetta. </p><p>So, if you were wondering why there was no character this month, that's why. I'm going to try and get the new Scion up during the week because I want to try and keep some sort of order going and next weekend is a D&D character weekend. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3k3bDWJM5tBbr1JYfCONLYw42h6ZHcIh5OT82zAGz3nJMFCJeOAu31QGeNgo9ivwe4Cwp3ZF7iG-XwAS_CWY87fU11XRI34lx10oXy8h0sFWMLcEpsqE5YWOVcWylwHMeIVCq6JT8izpRc2P0ZuaU3_-NtBGCQko0AwzyoE-9indmi6xA-_xsebD-fGw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3k3bDWJM5tBbr1JYfCONLYw42h6ZHcIh5OT82zAGz3nJMFCJeOAu31QGeNgo9ivwe4Cwp3ZF7iG-XwAS_CWY87fU11XRI34lx10oXy8h0sFWMLcEpsqE5YWOVcWylwHMeIVCq6JT8izpRc2P0ZuaU3_-NtBGCQko0AwzyoE-9indmi6xA-_xsebD-fGw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-16380191158997618232024-03-05T10:16:00.000-08:002024-03-05T10:16:01.834-08:00The Cartoon Museum: Politics, African Superheroes, and The Wrong Trousers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp0IdD3Lxt4wqM5OUDmYV4eCtUqJL1eQZ8PFP07PjAtbljVeKwZ-75ApIPiBYGf6wkddnNkisHXv1Ja-o2pRHI-YauFXikM6B7IIDMw7MLHlXdiONf0loNH9l5X1oiVZwsnozIGS6TEaBQd9JOLl2Zz572Moz1VY9b5eM-Oon76MbVpX9EqAhFjmikTFk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp0IdD3Lxt4wqM5OUDmYV4eCtUqJL1eQZ8PFP07PjAtbljVeKwZ-75ApIPiBYGf6wkddnNkisHXv1Ja-o2pRHI-YauFXikM6B7IIDMw7MLHlXdiONf0loNH9l5X1oiVZwsnozIGS6TEaBQd9JOLl2Zz572Moz1VY9b5eM-Oon76MbVpX9EqAhFjmikTFk=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /> At the weekend, giddy from the excitement of a trip to the opticians, I went up to London to visit the <a href="https://www.cartoonmuseum.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cartoon Museum</a>. It's something I've wanted to do for quite a while, partly because Rich Johnston from <a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/#google_vignette" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bleeding Cool</a> has spoken highly of it, and because a work colleague had also spoken highly of the place (though she went when they had a V For Vendetta exhibit). So, I got up early on Sunday, caught the train up to London and then navigated the Tube... which wasn't difficult but I hadn't been up to the Smoke for 2 years when I was dating someone who lived up there and I'd forgotten how long the tunnels are and the confusion that often reins when you're trying to navigate the stations to get to the right platform. It's an easy enough journey to get to Wells Street - you just hop on either the Bakerloo or Northern Line and get off at either Goodge Street, Oxford Circus, or Tottenham Court Road and walk from there. The Cartoon Museum is pretty unobtrusive from the street, I almost walked past it, but the interior is lavishly decorated with cartoons.<p></p><p>Walking down from street level, you soon enter an area with a shop and counter - on Sunday it was operated by an older gent who quite reminded me of Humphrey Lyttleton in his manner, if not his appearance. He explained what was on display in a most erudite manner, before directing me to the toilets (which was a blessing as I'd needed the loo since I'd got off the train). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFLH31HuwKNvQvVCrh2H-2zNXwlzjASUKyk9cLeSgKXKtyCOO_bFDkQb2WO8-kwGq2kNOzsbLdEXLhnsElafOAEJiLR-A8MC2kVWrfJ3jYvSHw3N2JApQrQAnzl472Jj58OTnQRiY30hQDky7GxWYG_A25rqOcYs0JMvh4yVBr-mKdBXJHb7cpgWt4L0o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFLH31HuwKNvQvVCrh2H-2zNXwlzjASUKyk9cLeSgKXKtyCOO_bFDkQb2WO8-kwGq2kNOzsbLdEXLhnsElafOAEJiLR-A8MC2kVWrfJ3jYvSHw3N2JApQrQAnzl472Jj58OTnQRiY30hQDky7GxWYG_A25rqOcYs0JMvh4yVBr-mKdBXJHb7cpgWt4L0o" width="320" /></a></div><br />The main exhibition features political cartoons dating from the 1700s to the present day and is dedicated to the development of this art form. The museum has cartoons from Private Eye, Punch, and every national newspaper. The pieces commemorate - if that's the right word - pivotal parts of British history, from the dramatic to the farcical. It also contains a brief tribute to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitting_Image" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spitting Image</a>, a significant part of the UK's modern history where satire is concerned. The exhibit contained some surprises for me, for example, there was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Trinian%27s_School" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St Trinian's</a> cartoon which was completed while Ronald Searle was a prisoner of war! It also celebrates classic strips like Hom Sap - Private Eye's longest-running cartoon which only ended when David Austen passed away - and Bristow.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv46jpsDcuttZj6Z7y9MAwCCDbup1d_4AgZq0x5E1-PDI1BWe74DcNfItfILndQbIgF9PTbrCkwN7lSxj2wB3_pDJLcrGEcJFyeXmwnyZd6LFfAP3xBM9y5HmYfmDgx7f5oAOASPlAjfcKflhtjSmVefl-gcR1seeQ3cqVvRwgl1Vaq9hoKcGLMZpLbsk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="500" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgv46jpsDcuttZj6Z7y9MAwCCDbup1d_4AgZq0x5E1-PDI1BWe74DcNfItfILndQbIgF9PTbrCkwN7lSxj2wB3_pDJLcrGEcJFyeXmwnyZd6LFfAP3xBM9y5HmYfmDgx7f5oAOASPlAjfcKflhtjSmVefl-gcR1seeQ3cqVvRwgl1Vaq9hoKcGLMZpLbsk=w640-h262" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvoU_GGTsOzsU1OiFYZ6kQLaiK7qfogoI4iBjgY62uidCLuUixph8oXc7bmGxPXZbLkO6eN1x1WddIj_fDoqSQLn9ydEkpt0kkLNu7GbeaQDlL315XF2qNu5YenfLiVkOpBq2CJxy-XL6HiCyII8cWscLpYcwQXd0brvGtNZGWilphsieCrVcpPavXzLs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="750" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvoU_GGTsOzsU1OiFYZ6kQLaiK7qfogoI4iBjgY62uidCLuUixph8oXc7bmGxPXZbLkO6eN1x1WddIj_fDoqSQLn9ydEkpt0kkLNu7GbeaQDlL315XF2qNu5YenfLiVkOpBq2CJxy-XL6HiCyII8cWscLpYcwQXd0brvGtNZGWilphsieCrVcpPavXzLs=w640-h189" width="640" /></a></div><br />Within the exhibition there was also a smaller "highlight" which focused on a Nigerian creator, <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Poppins; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oluwasegun Babatunde </span>who worked with <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Poppins; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">worked with the artist Daniel Egharevba and book designer Charles Fate</span> to create an African super team, saying that Black Panther (and presumably other American made African superheroes) don't talk authentically. Interestingly, none of the heroes in the team had spiritual links to the gods or ghosts - they were weapons specialists instead. This stands in contrast to American-created African characters that normally accentuate ideas around being connected to spirits - presumably as a way to create a sense of "Africaness" to set African heroes apart from those of American nationality.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoAqqmLaa1Des0jj-uj4yihaFzQStMe_RDAasg-r39FyakR0MBGkpD-BzZv14ZkL8CzMxBsotskysty0TnRm4tT3r3ESDVyZkHyKnoHwpF1rNwYokwgfJX9dhWQPbEFWpwn8uNgqHWy61zbsP8x2iHsijIVtQTmIWGXFJ85fi64RNRas7OmXNvvdVbFHo" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoAqqmLaa1Des0jj-uj4yihaFzQStMe_RDAasg-r39FyakR0MBGkpD-BzZv14ZkL8CzMxBsotskysty0TnRm4tT3r3ESDVyZkHyKnoHwpF1rNwYokwgfJX9dhWQPbEFWpwn8uNgqHWy61zbsP8x2iHsijIVtQTmIWGXFJ85fi64RNRas7OmXNvvdVbFHo" width="170" /></a></div>You can see Babatunde's Artpal site <a href="https://www.artpal.com/oluwasegun" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> which shows his various designs. <p></p><p>Finally, there was the <a href="https://www.wallaceandgromit.com/films/the-wrong-trousers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wrong Trousers</a> exhibition, celebrating its 30-year anniversary. This was a smaller exhibit, focusing on how the film was made as well as the creation process of making storyboards, and the background for the characters. It included a brief interview with Nick Park and also had actual models from the film, including the characters and many of the items from the museum. </p><p>It felt like there was a lot of love for the characters and the film, and provided a great insight into every aspect of it's creation. Amusingly, there was even a note that Peter Sallis - the voice of Wallace - had asked why the character didn't just get off the train during the chase scene, which seemed so typically British and practical; showcasing the other side to our national character alongside the weird, whacky, aspect which the animation encapsulates. </p><p>All in all, the Cartoon Museum is a great way to spend an hour or two and is full of very interesting elements. Sadly, when I went the lift was broken so I can't say it's entirely disabled-friendly. The shop was small and cramped too, but there isn't much they can do about that without creating more problems. Even more disappointingly items from their website didn't seem to be in stock. I did buy a couple of graphic novels - <a href="https://www.thesurrealmccoy.com/the-wolf-of-baghdad/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wolf Of Baghdad</a> and <a href="https://www.artstation.com/marxtafford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Stafford's</a> Salmonella Smorgasbord. Both are very good reads and I recommend them. </p><p>I don't really mean this to be a sort of Trip Advisor (but be careful on those stairs), as I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would highly recommend it. There's an art room, and the shop sells art supplies, and the exhibitions are engaging. Nothing is perfect, and for me personally, the imperfections here didn't mar my trip. I would encourage you to visit when you are in London, it's well worth it. </p><p><br /></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-67340116073430647482024-03-02T11:45:00.000-08:002024-03-02T11:45:28.600-08:00D&D Character: Tullox, Half-Orc Barbarian<p> <i>"If you keep talking, I'm going to smash your teeth out. Understand?"</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxa1j6Nd1puh8Pv3KO32E69s7l2L7C3v8Dpn1iQZJ7UhLgtDbxnZp1dYI-pChmElawb-R8h8dDmzM_7sry_RxQhfU0AAfdLrrGCswtldYzDjIg0KRF96rIXy7rTkf177VhL7suL-k_guKb7gl75SsQJO4XCvOAvMrACcezJ8NFIvclXhnkhxPNZTfp0I/s1024/_73537d01-11bb-4673-96c1-5e1231212d13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxa1j6Nd1puh8Pv3KO32E69s7l2L7C3v8Dpn1iQZJ7UhLgtDbxnZp1dYI-pChmElawb-R8h8dDmzM_7sry_RxQhfU0AAfdLrrGCswtldYzDjIg0KRF96rIXy7rTkf177VhL7suL-k_guKb7gl75SsQJO4XCvOAvMrACcezJ8NFIvclXhnkhxPNZTfp0I/s320/_73537d01-11bb-4673-96c1-5e1231212d13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Background:</b> Tullox was the result of a drunken night of passion between members of two different clans in the wild lands north of Gallanburgh. A Winter Solstice gathering led two lonely souls, an Orc woman called Bagrak and a Human man called Grum to seek solace in each other's arms, and the Half-Orc arrived eleven months later, born on a surprisingly hot summer's day. His parents welcomed him with open arms, having married at Summer Solstice, and he was raised within his mother's tribe. A matrilineal group, they followed the philosophy that every adult was responsible for helping raise children and that the children were a sacred trust from the gods. While they warred and plundered when it was the season to (mostly indulging in cattle rustling with neighbouring clans, with the occasional raid south into "civilised" lands), there was an atmosphere of peace, love, and acceptance within the clan. </p><p>The young Half-Orc was a natural athlete and spent most of his childhood outside (even during the winter), running and climbing in nature. He grew big fast and took after his mother in the muscles department. He was six when his father started to teach him how to fight, sparring with him all through the summer and into the winter. The next year, his mother took over, and the young Barbarian began to lose... a lot. After a couple of years, he was drilling with the other youngsters, fighting mock battles against the older kids in the valley the clan called home. </p><p>It was a happy, rambunctious, childhood full of adventures and with few boundaries. The boy grew quickly and learned to hunt and gather food. He learned the songs and chants of his people, including the long family tree of mothers and fathers that went back generations. By the time his beard came in, he knew his whole lineage and could recite it from memory. He knew, too some of the old stories of the spirits and his clan's dealing with them. Under his parents' guidance, he venerated each of the totem spirits in turn to keep them at his back in battle. </p><p>His first taste of battle came when he was thirteen. His mother told him it was time to fight and he joined a small group of raiders under her command. They headed southwest into a rival clan's territory to rustle animals. Rushing into the place where the other clan kept their livestock, the party came under arrow fire as the other clan's warriors detected them. While his mother and friends got the animals moving, driving them forward with loud whoops and other sounds, Tullox found himself guarding their rear. Battle followed quickly, as he clashed with other warriors - most of which were striplings like himself. The fight seemed to be going well until something hit him squarely on the back of the head and he slumped into darkness. </p><p>Upon waking he found himself in a cell, stripped to his loincloth with an older Orc male Lurog, watching him. Seeing him awake, the Orc explained he'd been taken captive and would work for the clan until his own returned the stolen animals, or until a year and a day had passed - whichever came sooner. Set to work, under the supervision of older Orcs. For the first time, Tullox learned that his mixed heritage wasn't always accepted, often being mocked or scorned for his human side. He was even beaten up by his captors, though Lurog always patched him up and took care of him. There was no word from Tullox's own clan and he grew used to the life he was forced to live - fixating upon the final day when he would be free. </p><p>In the Autumn his captors held a market and Bagrak came to visit, bribing Lurog for an hour with her son. She explained that the elders of his own clan weren't willing to trade for him. It wasn't personal, but business and he had to understand that while she and Grum missed him, they were powerless to act. Shocked by this, Tullox fell into a depression. While he'd appeared resigned to his fate, deep down he'd carried a hope that his kin would come to the rescue. </p><p>He grew bleak and heartsick, stopping eating and losing his spirit. Eventually, he simply stopped and sat staring into the distance. Lurog, concerned by this, called for the Orc Shaman to come and minister to the stripping. They made a vigil over him - using both spirit magic and healing concoctions to try and make him better.</p><p>Spiritually, Tullox wandered a vast tundra locked in winter darkness until he reached a huge mountain that rose above the flat plain where the totems dwelled. The eagle spirit wheeled above the peak, while the bear spirit lived in a cave high up on the mountain. The young Half-Orc climbed the mountain and entered the spirit's cave. He's never told anyone about what happened but he woke suddenly, on winter solstice. </p><p>The Orcs recognised that something had changed in the youngster and Lurog arranged for him to rest and then start training - explaining to the Chieftain that their captive... um, guest, had encountered one of the great spirits and had a destiny. Fortunately, the Chieftain believed him and ruled that while Tullox had to work for his keep, he would be permitted to train in the axe until the day he would be released. This set the pattern for the next few months, with occasional shamanic trances as Lurog, Tullox, and the Shaman tried to divine the young Half-Orc's path. Eventually, they admitted that the only thing they could tell was that he had to go south where he would meet a "family of spirit" and forge his legend.</p><p>When his release date came, Tullox returned home, leaving with a double-headed axe Lurog had forged for him. He spent months with his kin, working the land and waiting for a sign. It came the next winter solstice; he woke from a dream where a bear led him south in search of honey. That day he bade his family goodbye and headed south, eventually ending up in Gallanburgh. </p><p><b>Physically,</b> Tullox is big, strong and has long black hair. He wears a thick beard to make himself look older - and is conscious of his youth. He wears several piercings on his ears, with piercing being a ritual among his tribe to show that he is an adult. </p><p>As always, you can download <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17E5vo8O0TI_tkCq7qgoPHblWUpagSP_X/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tullox's</a> character sheet here. He's free to play or to use as an NPC to anyone who wants to. </p><p>Next week we'll be back to Scion, with a Teotl Scion who works as a fortune teller in the Big Easy. </p><p><br /></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-6713057578261586942024-02-25T01:06:00.000-08:002024-02-25T01:06:20.288-08:00An Acrostic Poem<p> Yesterday, I went to a new writing group here in Bournemouth. I don't usually go because more often than not they're held during the week, when I'm at work, which is blimming annoying. I got the start of a couple of short stories when we were writing but utterly failed at an <a href="https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/acrostic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">acrostic</a> poem about Spring, despite starting off with lots of interesting ideas (and the discovery that my brain works better with abstracts than concrete things - asking me to work off the senses only leads to images that are abstractions). </p><p>The poem I was happy with was another acrostic based on my first name which I've placed below. I hope you like it. </p><p style="text-align: center;"> Silent for years and shadow-bound</p><p style="text-align: center;">Trigger warnings from a telltale heart</p><p style="text-align: center;">Eternally searching, a head full of dreams</p><p style="text-align: center;">Visions of darkness, as I stand apart.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Errant and wild, walking a path to Gods know where</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuMoSFEsYOQix1GpP5sVc7H9ixUG1JG1qY8XkU_-Hl6OCopp5Nv3FqIjbK_SfBGPIxwoOw5Z7w4na1kmGxOzBGvZ42cfnuQOKXsUthAlxpoAmGuUQ8LNnsEPWiVqUOA7HoTgyd9NAKsofh3WZG8ZA2azkPG2TDpHPXWsIA8UQsJjpnI38ZZsILwdLe-jo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="270" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuMoSFEsYOQix1GpP5sVc7H9ixUG1JG1qY8XkU_-Hl6OCopp5Nv3FqIjbK_SfBGPIxwoOw5Z7w4na1kmGxOzBGvZ42cfnuQOKXsUthAlxpoAmGuUQ8LNnsEPWiVqUOA7HoTgyd9NAKsofh3WZG8ZA2azkPG2TDpHPXWsIA8UQsJjpnI38ZZsILwdLe-jo" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-42105385091421821452024-02-24T08:19:00.000-08:002024-02-24T08:19:52.966-08:00John Landry: Scion of Shango<p><i> "Jesus, have you heard yourself? You don't know what the f*** you're talking about."</i></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRE8huR_KwkYbkJTx5-E2DEa9J5xC3-Zo7q1g6FKbhhEvA7fAOmtiadpMTX1ivNlVsGQt0GUYvpIZcHXMyaP7Ck1F1Iabzw12HVzZjqNL5mGyZCAFVOEi4O6SZQ3Ly9gsxhD4R0s1BL8RTUilow0rg3PA43Bd3V0N0VIg2Spd_9V-tw57zYFUHX58eEfI/s1024/_fac0f368-207c-4b82-b62f-3ae3622332bb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRE8huR_KwkYbkJTx5-E2DEa9J5xC3-Zo7q1g6FKbhhEvA7fAOmtiadpMTX1ivNlVsGQt0GUYvpIZcHXMyaP7Ck1F1Iabzw12HVzZjqNL5mGyZCAFVOEi4O6SZQ3Ly9gsxhD4R0s1BL8RTUilow0rg3PA43Bd3V0N0VIg2Spd_9V-tw57zYFUHX58eEfI/s320/_fac0f368-207c-4b82-b62f-3ae3622332bb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>Background:</b> John grew up in Saint Roch, one of a small army of children fostered by the Landry sisters, Hope, Faith, and Charity. They were poor but somehow there was always enough money to feed everyone. Looking back, Shango took an interest in his son even then and would arrange for funds to be available for the basics. Cheques would arrive occasionally, or one of the sisters would attract the attention of a local pastor who supported the family. Once, the local press ran stories about the family, prompting charitable donations from across the city - and even the state. </p><p>John was oblivious to this for most of his childhood. He had other concerns - not just the ones he shared with other boys, about sport, school, who liked who, which girls (ew, gross!) had a crush on him, but others that were very specific. The pale, translucent man who appeared in his bedroom and watched him, the sound of drumming only he could hear, the strange scents and sensations that seemed to fill the city around him. None of which made any sense before his Visitaton. He seemed to have one foot in the World and one in the Mythic Lands. </p><p>Even before he learned his true nature, John was drawn to music. He was beatboxing almost as soon as he grasped the concept and got in trouble at school (when he bothered to go) for it. A street kid, more used to hanging around watching the people repairing the city after Hurricane Katrina than anything else. He had a natural gift for percussion and when he turned 13 managed to convince a Krewe to let him join their Mardi Gras float. Self-taught, but assured, he caught the attention of other musicians and a slew of offers from music schools, tutors, and the like followed - but he turned them all down. Something kept him on the streets, though he couldn't say what. </p><p>Another five years passed before he knew. He turned 20 in 2020, when Covid was ravaging the city, and other things moved in its wake. Monsters - things he would later learn were called Titanspawn. He still doesn't know what to call the things he saw, only that they clustered wherever the disease was at its worst and seemed to delight in the pain and suffering. Finally sick of it, he gathered a group of friends and went out to deal with the problem. They were badly defeated by the spirits, and John almost died - not from wounds but from COVID-19 (which he developed in hours of the fight). Isolated in his room, he lapsed into a fever dream, only coming out of it when he heard someone - a man - saying his name. He woke to find Shango standing over him with a bright smile and a loving look in his eye. </p><p>Since then, John has been keeping his neighbourhood safe - only recently starting to move outside it. He joined up with a small Band of Scions, which led to him leaving the city for the first time (which spooked the Hell out of him after first - all that green). He keeps contact with the Krewe he joined and makes sure he performs at Mardi Gras, and with his friends - with whom he patrols his neighbourhood, acting as their leader. Musically, he's joined up with a group of BIPOC artists who seek to explore Voudon, and West African music and myth through their work, steering them to keep the old stories and traditions alive. He's done this in collaboration with a Voudon Mambo called Shalika Edwards, who has started to form a small cult around John. </p><p>Shango is pleased. </p><p><b>Appearance: </b>John is tall, handsome, and thoughtful-looking. He doesn't smile regularly, but when he does it lights up his entire face. He wears his hair in cornrows and usually dresses in the red and white associated with Shango (something he's always done - even before he knew his father). </p><p>In game terms, John has two sets of Followers - both distinct from each other. One is a mob of warriors raised in Saint Roch and loyal to him as their leader. The other is a cult who have adopted him as Shango's son and acts as a Consultant feature for the character - advising him about things he hasn't got much knowledge of. </p><p>I'm presenting this character with some trepidation and hoping he's not too much of a cliche. I'm not American and so my knowledge of African American culture and experience is quite sketchy. I wanted John to have a happy childhood, as I'm trying to cut away from characters who had traumatic pasts (partly because this isn't meant to be real life and because, well, that definitely <i>is</i> a cliche). I hope I didn't upset anyone. As ever this character and background is <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NltE8nlyZJk0p2a0BuhzwB7WtL9zUcfc/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">free</a> to anyone who wants to either play John or have him in a game as an NPC. </p><p>I also ask your forgiveness for not putting the accents on Shango's name - I don't know how to do that. </p><p>I've also made my first Path! Again, free to use - <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/14keO7yT4e3R9paBJ2uZaI0WJDzuyzJ2Kxka_u4W-_RM/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Child Of The Rhythm</a></p><p><br /></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-56406342609960430792024-02-18T06:12:00.000-08:002024-02-18T06:12:57.812-08:00D&D Character: Fidelity Carson<p><i> "Honestly, you'd think they'd protect their valuables a bit better, there only used six guards and four traps."</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-iggkcoF5lBjL2r_ZaQZdEgaVOtWnUxETWXvQocO-VPKbTt35O5fKY62gB68CokRbAxt6AO5jXv-Agm_s6v9b3eHHnzDirTSbeMoVqFjtEsFHPsKqr9kYuZZxSX3G-nihXykSbtYe2UxoRTPt7uy6rt10CU0F9KJHxTCG5wC1942J65UnXVuf0tGRy8/s1024/_2171507c-99c7-4bed-90d4-694a8ac65b4c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-iggkcoF5lBjL2r_ZaQZdEgaVOtWnUxETWXvQocO-VPKbTt35O5fKY62gB68CokRbAxt6AO5jXv-Agm_s6v9b3eHHnzDirTSbeMoVqFjtEsFHPsKqr9kYuZZxSX3G-nihXykSbtYe2UxoRTPt7uy6rt10CU0F9KJHxTCG5wC1942J65UnXVuf0tGRy8/s320/_2171507c-99c7-4bed-90d4-694a8ac65b4c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Background: </b>Fidelity grew up in a loving but poor family in Ballenmouth, where the river Ballen enters the Dalthem Sea. A bustling port with a lot of financial power in the area, Ballenmouth has strong trade links with Gallanburgh, which lies about fifty miles away to the northwest. While the university city is devoted to knowledge and magic, for the most part, Ballenmouth is an industrial hub, bustling with trade, artisanry, and crime. </p><p>Crime caught Fidelity's attention as a young woman, and she began to pickpocket in the Griffin Market and lift small items from market stalls. In time this attracted the attention of two people, Silver* a preeminent member of the local Thieves' Guild, and Watch Captain Talbot McGregor who was in charge of the Market Guard. Within weeks both these figures intruded into Fidelity's life in very different ways. </p><p>The first to make contact was Silver, following Fidelity home from the market after the young woman had spent a morning stealing and cornered her just before she entered her street. The thief's pitch was simple: first, Fidelity was breaking the Guild's regulations by stealing without being a registered thief, second, she clearly had talent. If she agreed to test her skills, she could win a free year of training and apprenticeship and no more would be said about the dues she owed. If the young woman didn't agree, she'd best be out of the city by nightfall or she'd be a legitimate target for the Guild's leg breakers. </p><p>Fidelity agreed to the tests, though she was more than a little put out by the way Silver had approached her. Thus, her path into the Thieves' Guild proper and her subsequent exile from Ballenmouth began. </p><p>The next night, she undertook the first task: to steal Talbot McGregor's keys and get copies made before returning them to the watchman. This task was intended to test her resolve, her willingness to tangle with an authority figure, and her sincerity in working with the Guild. It was also a test of her ability to plan and execute a caper, and to her credit, Fidelity managed the task well. She disguised herself, bumped into McGregor as he was returning home, stole the keys from his belt, and took them to Amicus Fitch, an artisan on the Guild's books. Fitch made the replacement keys, and then Fidelity placed them outside the Market in such a way as to make it look like they'd fallen from the Watch Captain's belt. After his initial panic, the Captain looked like a fool for losing his keys, and most people forgot all about it. McGregor, however, didn't. Instead, he began to pay more attention to his charge, ordering his troops to be more vigilant. </p><p>Fidelity's second task was to steal the Market Bell's clapper. This bell was rung at the start and end of every market day, and removing it would create problems. The young thief's solution was to borrow the set of keys she'd had cut, hide in the market in such a way that nobody would evict her from the premises, and then steal past the Nightwatch, take the clapper and let herself out. </p><p>The next day, the Market was in chaos (which nicely covered another - much bigger - job that Silver had created). McGregor became convinced that the Griffin Market was being specifically targeted by the Guild and contacted them to demand that it stop. The Guild, of course, neither confirmed nor denied what was going on, but promised that the matter would be investigated. Unsatisfied, the Watch Captain decided to set a trap, contacting an old friend of his, Farun to assist with crafting an illusory gemstone and convincing one of the market traders - a well-regarded jeweller - to place it on sale. </p><p>Soon enough, word reached Fidelity that she had another job - and that Silver had forbidden her to use any of the methods she'd used in the past few jobs. She had to break in and out again, as well as liberating the stone. Her solution to this was to climb onto the Market's roof and jimmy part of the glass roof open before lowering herself down to the floor. She chose to do this at a shadowed point, hidden behind a horticulturalist's stall. Then she sneaked out to the jeweller's stall and set about breaking in through the layers of security they'd set up. As soon as she started, McGregor closed in - Fidelity fled and the two engaged in a running battle across the market floor. </p><p>Eventually, she escaped and fled home - only to find Silver waiting for her. She explained what had happened, and the older thief took it in, nodding in places as they considered the situation. Eventually, they said the deal was still on, Fidelity had shown her talent and she was expected at the Guild's training grounds the following morning. Finally, Silver produced a small pin badge bearing the image of a magpie, giving it to Fidelity. It was a sign she was now a Guild Initiate and she should wear it at all times - albeit discreetly. </p><p>The next three years were taken up with training, learning everything from better ways to pickpocket, how to pull a second story job, running cons, embezzling, mixing poisons, potions, and elixirs, shadowing, dodging, fighting, and even assassination. Fidelity made friends, developed crushes, and was startled to discover she liked both men and women - though she usually chose to date women because they were more fun to talk to. During this time, she took to dying her hair pink, acquired several piercings, and began to frequent The Prismatic Spray, an LGBT+ bar in Ballenmouth's docks area. She took a young Dwarf woman - Thruda Fireforge - as a lover, and they set up a home near Fidelity's family. </p><p>Eventually, Fidelity graduated from training and went to work. She carried out a series of burglaries across the city, and even outside it, travelling to Gallanburgh at least once and meeting the people who would go on to form the core of the Bright Blades. </p><p>Her life changed dramatically when she returned to Ballenmouth after a period away. She returned to the city and was contracted to steal something from the Griffin Market. A magical blade was on sale and someone wanted it - she never knew who as a factor (a bland-looking Elf who was fond of grey suits and always wore gloves - he gave his name as Marilion Yescander). In reality, this fixer was another of McGregor's tests as the man had grown paranoid about security. Fidelity took the job, diving into the market and braving improved security to make the snatch. As soon as her hand touched the sword's hilt, she triggered a high-pitched wailing and guards rushed in. She fled again, but McGregor caught her and they engaged in battle. Outnumbered and overwhelmed by the Watch Captain's troops, Fidelity was dragged off to jail and thrown in a cell. </p><p>She was left alone for several weeks before Silver contacted her with the good news that her release had been secured. Unfortunately, because the job hadn't been sanctioned by the Guild (despite the Elven fixer's assurances that it was), Fidelity had lost her privileges and it would be best if she left town. It wasn't that she was exiled from the Guild, only that she'd made enough enemies that they were having a field day over this mistake. Others might follow, and they might be fatal. Fidelity took the hint. </p><p>Now, she operates out of Gallanburgh, working with the Bright Blades (of which she has become a leader), and enjoying a relationship with Talisker Sexton an Elven Wizard. </p><p><b>Appearance: </b>Fidelity is a human with tanned skin and brown eyes. She dyes her hair pink and sports many piercings. She wears leather armour and carries a sword, though she prefers to fight with daggers. </p><p>As I have with the other two characters, I'm providing Fidelity's <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rovUkMMMChklE1J5KKLBoWrit7b1zEr5/view?usp=sharing">character sheet</a> and she's free to use (she is only a basic character, I should add). Please feel free to download and play her. </p><p>*You may notice I haven't fleshed out Silver, that's because I wanted to leave them for DMs, GMs, and other people who run games to shape. Personally, I see them as an older Elven woman who's a high-ranking member of the Guild, but your version might be different. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-17592719580255351272024-02-10T01:26:00.000-08:002024-02-10T01:26:21.081-08:00Scion Character: Violet Steitz Scion of Loki<p><i>"You're kidding, a swamp monster's snatching tourists? Ugh, and I thought it was a night to wear my new boots."</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUYNwvlj4aUsRDzBZ-F3VNqKExAO1M7OGzhfI-RbO4IRvYZuiFqn5WAdzbAVA4r6G1aPPbBOiDEUlZe8iEDO_nH2Qpi0lyetBipwOZGV7c6buumgxayMVJBQteCAjeHLc2CDqJI9AsdgqNek_sUXNYkfySOS9_AHSPLaw7JIQ6XEgkiH7Fm9dJ9T-008/s1024/_c80dab7b-079d-4334-a41e-dfe522fda671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUYNwvlj4aUsRDzBZ-F3VNqKExAO1M7OGzhfI-RbO4IRvYZuiFqn5WAdzbAVA4r6G1aPPbBOiDEUlZe8iEDO_nH2Qpi0lyetBipwOZGV7c6buumgxayMVJBQteCAjeHLc2CDqJI9AsdgqNek_sUXNYkfySOS9_AHSPLaw7JIQ6XEgkiH7Fm9dJ9T-008/w200-h200/_c80dab7b-079d-4334-a41e-dfe522fda671.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Background</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Violet wasn’t meant to be a scion. Her mother didn’t succumb to Loki’s wiles, in fact, Loki never paid any attention to Violet’s mortal family. In another world, she would have lived a perfectly normal life. Unfortunately, soon after graduating from the police academy and moving to New Orleans, Violet came to the god’s attention when he overheard her talking about what she and her partner would do if they had more powers while on patrol in the French Quarter (Loki likes to visit, he enjoys the city’s ambience), and he decided to put one of them to the test. He claims he tossed a coin to decide who to make into a scion Violet or Raoul - and the former “won”- but she doubts that. Something about him choosing her feels personal.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He visited her apartment that evening to break the news, presenting her with a Quill of Ma’at he’d won in a card game by way of a gift - whether or not that was meant to be a way of sorry Violet still isn’t sure. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Confused and frightened by the new reality she was confronted with, one where strangers seemed to know far more about her than she knew about them, and where hostility was around every corner, Violet eventually blundered into Klaus Eriksson’s workshop by accident and - after a tense conversation- he agreed to guide her in return for free labour when she wasn’t at her job. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He also pointed her toward some other Scions who might be willing to teach her more about the World and the war with the Titans. This led to her meeting Little Achojah, a Scion of Ogun and they formed a Band. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">By and large, Violet has adjusted to her life as Scion, but she can feel Loki’s influence. There are times when she’s surprised by how easily lying comes to her now, for example. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Appearance</b>: Physically, Violet is a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman. She’s slim, but faster than anyone expects her to be, and she can take a punch. Nonetheless, she prefers to keep her distance, and has developed an odd knack for ricochet shots, another thing she attributes to Loki. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If you like Violet and would like to use her in your game - or play her - then you can grab her character sheet <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dZzeEEmculVuWUMKKLSCskZbZNUNvrBU/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. If you don't know <a href="https://theonyxpath.com/category/worlds/scion/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scion</a>, the game is one of the children or chosen of Pagan Gods fighting the forces of the Titans (which the game uses as a catch-all term for old, bad, deities, giants, and monsters. </span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-58581534864235366662024-02-06T11:57:00.000-08:002024-02-07T02:03:26.107-08:00Cat Cafe <p> This year I'm trying to get out to have more adventures. I started by going to <a href="https://pausecatcafe.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pause Cat Cafe</a>, the cat cafe here in Bournemouth. It's a small step and I have been there before. but I'm easing myself into it. I was hoping to go there with someone I like, but she said it wasn't her kind of thing, so sadly, that didn't happen. </p><p>So, I went alone and had a nice time, drinking tea and having some Dorset apple cake with soya ice cream. It was lovely because the cats at the cafe are beautiful and amazing. This time, the "alpha" cat, Clifford, was awake which always means that things are going to get hairy because he has to prove he's the biggest, badest cat ever (what is it with "alphas" and having to reinforce the idea that they're so important?). He had to assault a couple of other cats and while going out into the cafe's chill-out room did mollify him a bit, he did feel the need to menace the others when he came back. He even woke Michelle the white, bitey, cat because he had a noisy altercation with one of the other black cats.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkjgkJCV33771af6QLBP0GLHglQ-wGv3BViS5GyZyliE7TyRfrJXPZc92vR0_kpZ8CEGFh2kz6P2QrhXe60pmA5UZGDlJ4ZCvmBUQYWC3kESWStfJLyHF98nF-z2puCP3g2TgoPL4qIXcAoCopjZg8vs9Ay1I_E6dY3gpjKCSwgVoXz0Tyk41tGsc-do/s4000/20240204_131350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkjgkJCV33771af6QLBP0GLHglQ-wGv3BViS5GyZyliE7TyRfrJXPZc92vR0_kpZ8CEGFh2kz6P2QrhXe60pmA5UZGDlJ4ZCvmBUQYWC3kESWStfJLyHF98nF-z2puCP3g2TgoPL4qIXcAoCopjZg8vs9Ay1I_E6dY3gpjKCSwgVoXz0Tyk41tGsc-do/s320/20240204_131350.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The cat he chose to menace was Liquorice, who's a cute black cat and who ended up curling up next to me! I was so honoured by his trust and willingness to be close to me (though I think he was more attracted by my coat). <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_h3k8j6hXuXxz5ySze67ofopxksJBnavtFaN5QXb0twb1N-pfepr6tAoQTzVsKU5WQ1A0SAGmsrc1qvTkEvQiSUFRjbyGZi9w1leOFe5GkI56ytC6KfWejMmTgERT72EapmLOgVx2_Om9j07GZyW036P2sVz0bKL9-wgIaFC7D-gsCkMm6VtJAFoH0QI/s4000/20240204_132211.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_h3k8j6hXuXxz5ySze67ofopxksJBnavtFaN5QXb0twb1N-pfepr6tAoQTzVsKU5WQ1A0SAGmsrc1qvTkEvQiSUFRjbyGZi9w1leOFe5GkI56ytC6KfWejMmTgERT72EapmLOgVx2_Om9j07GZyW036P2sVz0bKL9-wgIaFC7D-gsCkMm6VtJAFoH0QI/s320/20240204_132211.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>He chilled out with me and let me fuss him while he snoozed, which was lovely. He's a lovely fellow, who I've been lucky enough to fuss before (he likes a tummy rub). </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDoUf2k5F1ToqPhZisioPyG0mlxt1PiLBoZKI0-jNFhAucuNVaof-gkNB3MDCNdTmZprMROpo3CFUmmpefAadwIg4rfUkLHVAslUAuIKWg2TyC-k7bABDPA9Y7dbMj0QXxNUdIT3Rk6jHcxD7-6pyeGm__7GwlOZA87J0HfD_60wE3qqCGRTzK-sXf6U/s4000/20240204_134329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDoUf2k5F1ToqPhZisioPyG0mlxt1PiLBoZKI0-jNFhAucuNVaof-gkNB3MDCNdTmZprMROpo3CFUmmpefAadwIg4rfUkLHVAslUAuIKWg2TyC-k7bABDPA9Y7dbMj0QXxNUdIT3Rk6jHcxD7-6pyeGm__7GwlOZA87J0HfD_60wE3qqCGRTzK-sXf6U/s320/20240204_134329.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZa0hgoIn2JF0Fiv8E4KviMbbScipHlHhLD0FDnqWyaR3e6h0OgpbU8HegnTFW5ue9TLpegi20api8gnk2zZcC7CybbDkQwfNMDvRFRw0gO27klg5u-XqFiNinRObSNFvg2s7U8eJijPBlhnourlx84DZNi8VVBiL0-o_OaGR5DZ_tdpQgfPP1mxSZxM/s4000/20240204_134535.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZa0hgoIn2JF0Fiv8E4KviMbbScipHlHhLD0FDnqWyaR3e6h0OgpbU8HegnTFW5ue9TLpegi20api8gnk2zZcC7CybbDkQwfNMDvRFRw0gO27klg5u-XqFiNinRObSNFvg2s7U8eJijPBlhnourlx84DZNi8VVBiL0-o_OaGR5DZ_tdpQgfPP1mxSZxM/s320/20240204_134535.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Poppet and Sweetcheeks were tucked away out of reach - which I can't really blame them for. Their brother, Noodle, was hanging out in a cat bed and he didn't move the entire time I was there. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHuK6c2HHpfGPSCtsvJmk1DH_yK9HSGkt50rCL0prFNPsBtdzeZJ8KPKiR88npqxnF_hC_tlqOPTERSldDCBSA6vd-MJ81he-oyfbj2O4NuRBsJCGmIaqLpc6TQHh4l5Ndpaw7EhnqrkKKEe6F679B-UBmgIIvc6Z2gAoZNhcu9_28awWBnAn2iX2ru0/s4000/20240204_132140.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHuK6c2HHpfGPSCtsvJmk1DH_yK9HSGkt50rCL0prFNPsBtdzeZJ8KPKiR88npqxnF_hC_tlqOPTERSldDCBSA6vd-MJ81he-oyfbj2O4NuRBsJCGmIaqLpc6TQHh4l5Ndpaw7EhnqrkKKEe6F679B-UBmgIIvc6Z2gAoZNhcu9_28awWBnAn2iX2ru0/s320/20240204_132140.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>It was lovely to fuss the cats and spend time in their company. The cafe is definitely worth a visit if you're down in Bournemouth (unless you dislike cats, of course). You can see customer reviews <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pause+cat+caf%C3%A9+reviews&sca_esv=5ee345275e04b3bb&sxsrf=ACQVn09lrE7kj6MQjz0o_zTnKoDWOl1iEw%3A1707250042465&ei=epHCZaLzG-zQhbIPws2gyA0&ved=0ahUKEwiimMuCwpeEAxVsaEEAHcImCNkQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=pause+cat+caf%C3%A9+reviews&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiF3BhdXNlIGNhdCBjYWbDqSByZXZpZXdzMgUQABiABDIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB5IiRlQ_QdYuhdwAHgCkAEAmAGMAqABzQqqAQUyLjMuM7gBA8gBAPgBAcICBBAAGEfCAgoQIxiABBiKBRgnwgIOEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgXCAg4QLhiABBjHARivARiOBeIDBBgAIEGIBgGQBgg&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-90259021971407262402024-02-03T03:16:00.000-08:002024-02-03T03:16:05.068-08:00D&D Character: Talisker Sexton<p><i> "Please don't treat the book like that, do you know how long it took to find?" </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwnbFEBPegcowimdn2G3ndIudImEdzjgZIv0X7LUUzqsiY7zhZJhb9SNEEeHWlS0RQivDkHupUu1BOg3TC1hUgdICu-JLbdwSib1gdH3IgSBso4Blbl7RxskUg0x_yQ8GodwIYPO1-cU9n09qgL1HbSGRMAq3Kw9G8rv8NTBdDdbEfHCCLvKu3PT5kts/s1024/_bbe737e1-3057-433f-8af2-d84e8e65a126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwnbFEBPegcowimdn2G3ndIudImEdzjgZIv0X7LUUzqsiY7zhZJhb9SNEEeHWlS0RQivDkHupUu1BOg3TC1hUgdICu-JLbdwSib1gdH3IgSBso4Blbl7RxskUg0x_yQ8GodwIYPO1-cU9n09qgL1HbSGRMAq3Kw9G8rv8NTBdDdbEfHCCLvKu3PT5kts/w220-h220/_bbe737e1-3057-433f-8af2-d84e8e65a126.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b><p><b><br /></b></p>Background: </b>An Elven Wizard from a good family, Talisker is a young woman working at a Wizard's University in Gallanburgh. A promising young student, she graduated from her class in the top percentile and was all set to embark on an academic career as a researcher in the Graduate School. The path of life never runs smoothly though, and after a year, it was clear that her dreams of becoming an accomplished Research Magus wouldn't come true. <p></p><p>Uncertain about what to do, she applied for a job in the university library, working her way up from a lowly assistant responsible for finding and returning books to their correct place on the shelves. While more dangerous than it sounds, if only because of the magical nature of the place and the frequent attempts to rob the place, she knew it was a stopgap and not what she wanted to do with her life. Plus, the pay sucked, and she had to take up other work in the evenings to make ends meet. That's how she ended up working in a local inn, the Red Dragon, where she befriended a group of adventurers, who called themselves the Bright Blades.</p><p>She loved listening to their tales of adventure, thrilled at the highs and lows they'd experienced during their travels. In addition, she developed a crush on the group's rogue Fidelity Carson, though she never dared broach the subject - assuming Fidelity would laugh in her face. Despite this, she never quite shook the feeling that the young Rogue <i>liked</i> her back. </p><p>Looking back she's not sure what stopped her asking to go on the road with the Blades, but until the library was robbed, she never did. One morning, in the Autumn, the library's staff found that someone had broken in and trashed the place. Bookcases had been toppled and tomes ripped apart. It was only later that the actual theft - of some very dangerous books - was discovered. It became clear that a group of people had broken in, stolen the books, and then created so much chaos in the hope that nobody would realise what had happened for a long enough period they could make their getaway. Talisker suggested the Head Librarian reach out to the Blades for help, and he agreed but only on the condition she accompanied the adventurers to make sure the books weren't damaged during the retrieval process. </p><p>The adventurers agreed to take the job and they started to investigate the situation, digging into who'd arrived in Gallanburgh over the past few days. Talisker found herself working with Fidelity as they approached the local Thieves Guild to ask them if the robbery had been sanctioned (which of course it wasn't - the precise words used by the guild's leader being, "If we'd done it, you'd never have known"). </p><p>In time, the adventurers discovered that one of the university's alumni had been in town recently, in the company of some dubious characters and had been overheard discussing their plans by a young barmaid at their lodgings. The group had skipped town without paying the bill, apparently vanishing without a trace (though it was later discovered they'd used an unauthorised entrance run by a university student who charged a couple of pennies per person to scale down the city wall on a rope thrown out from their room). Helpfully, the student also knew the leader of the group - Simon Tanarind, one of Talisker's old classmates. </p><p>The Blades pursued the thieves north to Appleton, and Talisker found her attraction to Fidelity growing as they travelled. She began to look forward to the times when they could be alone, volunteering to stand watch with the Rogue and help her collect firewood and water when it was her turn. The young human woman seemed oblivious to the situation, however, and simply welcomed Talisker's company. </p><p>In Appleton, the group stopped at an inn, where they were set upon by a group of hired thugs during the night, and Talisker was abducted (discovering the indignity of being bound and gagged). The thugs took her to the edge of a nearby forest and transferred her into the care of a large Half-Orc and a Dragonborn who seemed to know who she was. They, in turn, took her to a ruin deep in the forest, which Talisker recognised as one of her family's lost holdings - mostly because of the presence of the family crest. Simon greeted her and revealed part of her family history she'd been unaware of - that in the past her family had been guardians against the denizens of the Underdark and that they had sealed a particular gate that a 'friend' of his wanted opened. She, he said, was going to assist in the process, or else.</p><p>Consequently, she spent a week under guard, being interrogated about what she knew of her family's past - unable to answer most of the questions the other wizard asked her. She began to realise how much her family had either forgotten or had kept from her. At the same time, she worked to undermine Simon's plans, praying that the Blades would find her before anything terrible happened.</p><p>It took a week for the adventuring party to find her and they burst into the ruins, joining in battle with the thieves, defeating them. When she was freed from her shackles, Talisker threw herself at Fidelity, catching her in a big hug and was shocked when the Rogue returned it and kissed her fiercely. Afterwards, the group returned them to the university library. Talisker knew that she wanted to stay close to Fidelity, but at the same time, she wanted to support her friends at the library. She decided to join the Blades but promised to keep close to Gallanburgh and help the library whenever she could.</p><p><b>Appearance:</b> Tall and willowy, with long blonde hair and green eyes. Talisker dresses in dark blue and green robes and wears minimal jewellery. She's a decent seamstress and has adapted her robes to allow her familiar to ride her shoulders without causing too much damage. She carries a quarterstaff and wears a few pieces of jewellery as well. </p><p>You can find Talisker's character sheet <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rAoFkcJ8yLx4GQ2eLMUvriF1bpIqORkR/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> if you'd like to play her yourself or use her as an NPC. I hope you like her and can find a use for her in your game. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-7834151656932312562023-10-25T08:50:00.000-07:002023-10-25T08:50:02.765-07:00October's Catch Up<p> Oh no, I've managed to neglect this blog again, haven't I? Sorry, sorry. I'm awful at social media these days and half the time I spend my time completely ignoring these things. I do actually have an X account again but I've only posted on it twice, so gods know if its worth it. </p><p>All the same, I thought I should type up a quick "round up" of what's happening. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMi-sV-RG8eA9lElaeC-8z4DQXItfvoYQ_n0CZE-0acwssA7A4MP0VaglBgBYIFgl4tlFGF85K-TbEgRy7QQX0gGgH0JmFW6o20F9NrpBj9w6DwiYJSKwfc-qqwXPJAr3X1IQ2DSmIstGwzW2LMIoIbUPnJiOBUO1SW6OZFEWtA0x5kI7M_GZdjYteMnQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="214" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMi-sV-RG8eA9lElaeC-8z4DQXItfvoYQ_n0CZE-0acwssA7A4MP0VaglBgBYIFgl4tlFGF85K-TbEgRy7QQX0gGgH0JmFW6o20F9NrpBj9w6DwiYJSKwfc-qqwXPJAr3X1IQ2DSmIstGwzW2LMIoIbUPnJiOBUO1SW6OZFEWtA0x5kI7M_GZdjYteMnQ" width="218" /></a></div><p></p><p>I guess the most important thing is that I'm divorced! My ex and I started the process back in February and it was completed a couple of weeks ago in wat felt like an anti climax, if I'm honest.. I don't feel any particular exaltation or happiness over the situation and its just a shame that we couldn't make things work - though we gave it a good try (we were together for over 20 years). Ultimately, we just drifted apart and became different people. It does feel like the future is wide open, ready for me to grow and develop, but even though that's not a bad thing, it still doesn't feel like a cause for celebration. </p><p><b>Therapy</b></p><p>I'm still having therapy, which continues to be a benefit, and I'm exploring whether or not I'm autistic. I've got a GP appointment about it in a couple of weeks time and I hope to be put forward for assessment. The possibility of being autistic came up last year and I was too deep in my trauma to cope with it. The idea that the bad things that happened in my childhood were as a result of me being autistic and people struggling to cope loomed too long and too dark for me to be able to countenance it. Thankfully a year plus more of talk therapy has really helped (I'm particularly fond of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/making-the-whole-beautiful/202202/how-parts-work-helps-us-get-know-ourselves" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Parts work</a>, I'm not sure why, but it just seems to work for me), and I can now accept that there's a strong possibility that I'm autistic without feeling shame. Watching YouTube videos and consulting <a href="https://embrace-autism.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Embracing Autism</a> has been really helpful for me, as has knowing other people who are at the same point I'm at, because it makes me feel less alone. One colleague at work has been particularly supportive because we're both at the same stage of the process. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sQ102wzqaXY" width="320" youtube-src-id="sQ102wzqaXY"></iframe></div><p></p><p>This channel has been particularly helpful, and I whole heartedly recommend it.</p><p>That doesn't mean everything is plain sailing, a few weeks ago I was struggling with the feeling of being left behind and worrying about my future with work, housing and so on. I love the town I live in (Bournemouth UK) but I don't know that I'll ever be able to afford a home here, and my job doesn't have a natural lead to another one. There's no chance of progression. As a consequence I don't really feel like career advancement is possible here, and while I would love to just write for a living, I'm conscious that I'm a long way from being able to do that. Hell, I'm just trying build enough of a base to have people who like what I'm doing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiutLHFuNSfCRRc-R27F5kO5VeD_G6v-63Fg7UBbh-1eRaygavDgECEJwcbcvttLhHyjg1VFDP0v57FTao_O_gTftXp_Z05A_hastECdJwHUo9LUP7b4wD7tevNw9TZnrZQDdlkxdQsz3IOhZ5R_-Flh_fVO8ytORNBJ_fQYhTW9Nc0HFPjZPQD4PPOZs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="199" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiutLHFuNSfCRRc-R27F5kO5VeD_G6v-63Fg7UBbh-1eRaygavDgECEJwcbcvttLhHyjg1VFDP0v57FTao_O_gTftXp_Z05A_hastECdJwHUo9LUP7b4wD7tevNw9TZnrZQDdlkxdQsz3IOhZ5R_-Flh_fVO8ytORNBJ_fQYhTW9Nc0HFPjZPQD4PPOZs" width="189" /></a></div>There's also the desire to have a cat or two in my life, and none of the rental properties down here are going to let me have animals... which drops me right back to square one. I've looked at shared ownership, and it is a possibility, but at the same time feels like it resolves only part of the situation. At present I'm staving off the feelings of missing having furry overlords by regularly visiting the local cat café, <a href="https://pausecatcafe.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pause</a>.<p></p><p>As a consequence, while I don't want to move, I feel like I may have to. Honestly, when I think about that, I just feel glad that I'm generally a loner who hasn't put down any significant roots here, even though what I want to do is put down roots and find a forever home for myself. I still have a deep hankering to move to Scotland, but I'm also looking at Yorkshire, Wales... almost anywhere but Birmingham - I don't know why but I just don't want to live there again. </p><p><b>Writing</b></p><p>On the writing side I've been working on an ever growing piece about superhumans abducting another superhuman in a superhero world (none of the characters in the story can be described as "heroic" though, so I don't think it's right to call them superheroes - I mean, we're talking about some mercenaries and the champion of a nation that makes its money making superhuman guards for oppressive regimes, there's no fluffy bunnies here). I've also got a couple of fantasy pieces through to the point where I've asked a couple of friends to read them to check for places the narrative isn't quite right. On top of that I've been making novel notes for fantasy novel, which I think is quite cool. </p><p>Some of those pieces will end up on Wattpad, others will go out to magazines because I'm trying to build that base I mentioned above. I have an immense list of things to write and I'm trying my best to get things launched and expanded through short stories, so that anything I create is well thought out and matured before there's a novel attached to it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbd83nf-TnDBqDGSQ7CwL5ivXxMq4zY_-F4DedzWYASiqtUbHiPlGZ3W5prLCuremKg_U7t1CvgpYwDp-kWDs8VjtUDXGt2qevuscvPQQ45ehdPf3w5tGazN8esTXLedRwoKnbD5gNcc69nbEpX7dYs4d06kG1e_LWwKWcbJmilNEsBE2Fh8fp20vRNw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="336" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbd83nf-TnDBqDGSQ7CwL5ivXxMq4zY_-F4DedzWYASiqtUbHiPlGZ3W5prLCuremKg_U7t1CvgpYwDp-kWDs8VjtUDXGt2qevuscvPQQ45ehdPf3w5tGazN8esTXLedRwoKnbD5gNcc69nbEpX7dYs4d06kG1e_LWwKWcbJmilNEsBE2Fh8fp20vRNw=w402-h180" width="402" /></a></div><p><b>Roleplaying</b></p>My Vampire Dark Ages game is going okay. We've had two new players join, but one isn't quite working out and I'm going to ask him to leave because he's stressing me out. The other guy is <i>amazing</i> and I'm really happy he's joined our group. The game is about to go into a new phase, one that's much more focused on the Omen War between Clans Tremere and Tzimisce, which is something the campaign has been flirting with ever since it started. Where the action has been focused on sort of a cold war though, with left behind units, and the Usurpers attempting to undermine the Tzimisce Prince's grip on his city, this new part will be much more open about the hostilities, and allow me to unleash some of the monsters both sides have under wraps. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when the coterie is faced with a Zohd, or something similarly nasty. I'm not planning to kill any PCs but who knows what will happen? That's in the hands of the dice gods, really. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEh9T_6NGkzoITVkgpieJsxzejMu_6HqRQWVto-NvYWWrE_QkNcrDLVt59HhrVLOym8e9H5PqtOOlX4F5NuGF3iGXDTcVB3P_voCU_8CbCw1JLOHKsNwt7SpthsQ4BQEzrFYijUpc0_W6dcQVcpfK6_BPRCRFbQh4GMSRZ7RSDv-uUo36_OvF7hcfpst0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1063" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEh9T_6NGkzoITVkgpieJsxzejMu_6HqRQWVto-NvYWWrE_QkNcrDLVt59HhrVLOym8e9H5PqtOOlX4F5NuGF3iGXDTcVB3P_voCU_8CbCw1JLOHKsNwt7SpthsQ4BQEzrFYijUpc0_W6dcQVcpfK6_BPRCRFbQh4GMSRZ7RSDv-uUo36_OvF7hcfpst0" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Also in the gaming camp, I'm trying to sort out what to focus on beyond Vampire. I find it hard to just focus on one thing at a time (as you may have gathered reading the paragraph about writing), and I like to have something to fall back on... And I want to feel like I'm collecting something, which I really don't understand. I've been buying <a href="https://cubicle7games.com/our-games/wrath-glory" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wrath & Glory</a> books and they're well put together with good art (it's a Warhammer game, so I don't think that comes as a surprise). I'd like to run something akin to the Dan Abnett Eisenhorn and Gaunt's Ghost novels. </p><p>Another option is to focus on Werewolf the Apocalypse which feels like a very modern, very "now" game. I'd love to run Poison Streets (the game focused on the idea that Pentex gets to take over modern Birmingham... yes I know I don't want to live there, but I think the place has lots of potential for fiction). </p><p><b>A "No Buy" Year</b></p><p>Despite that, I'm also very conscious of how much I own and the need to start saving money (partly so I can afford - one day - to buy a house, but also because I want to own a new computer that can run some good computer games... which I am conscious means more spending and more chipping away at time I possibly don't have. It's been so long since I played anything other than mobile games and, honestly, starting to be interested in computer games feels like me healing a bit after going through a long period of not wanting anything to do with them at all. </p><p>Anyway, I'm trying to sort things out so that I can have a much leaner year next year and work through the books I own, rather than buying anything new. I did join the library when I moved down here, though I lost my card at some point... So, I'll switch to borrowing books instead of buying them. </p><p>In part I've been inspired by this video, but I've also had it rolling around in my head for a while - I'm very good at buying books and then forgetting about them. I love reading, even though I struggle to do it for long periods of time now, and do want to get more books read. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Bawx_r24dg" width="320" youtube-src-id="3Bawx_r24dg"></iframe></div><p>Outside of all this, I'm trying to make plans to be more sociable - though admittedly that's going to be through writing groups and geek things (the idea of going to a pub to meet people and there not being a shared interest doesn't appeal). I would like to meet someone new, romantically, and to be with someone long term. I worry that won't happen, and I don't really feel like I know what I'm doing because I hate things like dating apps.</p><p>On that "cheerful" note, I'll love you and leave you. That's what's going on right now and I'll try to update things more regularly. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-65327027377164349662023-09-09T05:01:00.001-07:002023-09-09T05:02:50.018-07:00Poison Streets<p> Hi, </p><p>I'm a roleplayer, as many of the regular readers of this blog know. I'm currently running a game of Vampire Dark Ages set in 13th Century Dubrovnik and focusing on Tzimisce weirdness, the Omen War, and the idea of a city picking itself up after a siege (this is a tangent timeline where Venice conquers Dubrovnik/Ragusa in 1242). </p><p>I'm also running some one-shots for games I want to try out - and last weekend, I ran a quick game of Werewolf the Apocalypse. Werewolf is a game that I adore, but I've never had much luck running it. I wonder if it's been the groups of players, or that I've never hit the right note; my attempts to get something off the ground have just never gone anywhere. Last Sunday's one-shot was really good though, even though it just brushed the surface - the PCs were told to go and steal some archaeological artefacts from a dig on a golf course, they fought some Fomori and a good time was had by all. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bQOSineQzuZkKXvgG8jlCHGlINOV7Zpyf08_G5SYQYTX7dpLdeuwczSujRktiaYz_zdb-G6VJ1DXsCd8xOqFG1nzNkMEK_2xWFRWBwGkrQs-tcxnFDzRZiJhW_2A9YWT7rco55woOB3JfqgyP_OUY0W9KhAvU_o8r1xiwvehoaBoF0wZuYC0DJp-qqI/s394/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="394" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bQOSineQzuZkKXvgG8jlCHGlINOV7Zpyf08_G5SYQYTX7dpLdeuwczSujRktiaYz_zdb-G6VJ1DXsCd8xOqFG1nzNkMEK_2xWFRWBwGkrQs-tcxnFDzRZiJhW_2A9YWT7rco55woOB3JfqgyP_OUY0W9KhAvU_o8r1xiwvehoaBoF0wZuYC0DJp-qqI/w400-h225/th.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've had some notes for a Werewolf campaign called Poison Streets for a while - basically playing on the UK government's freeport idea and what that could mean environmentally. Of course, in Werewolf it's a great way to include Pentex and start exploring their reach and influence. The corporation seems to have grown a great deal in the 20th Anniversary line, perhaps because Onyx Path realises how large the influence of real-world corporations actually can be. I've also been building a playlist for the campaign, which you can access <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoQMkZp9vOLW2iA2cHmLtNapygoemWyWn&si=AiHa76R5LRG3KjaK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2nFjiP0Vpp-2BCicDZ7H9c0TIrywwcRljSDgVH7hDoVU25sTujBunvwxnIsKHB0o1349pDTGYbwT12jXiulxWIrgGuTa9qlO5x488C15WvAMLfaM4-Os_DH9cj1-FQl_KhvKWSS2Ft-8W1SbSYmLBw8ReeDd6hJ-dmYVxH6M2_Z2qhIbnwJwklMytmE/s900/82f0d10f40100c6beaee2656745e9f64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="614" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2nFjiP0Vpp-2BCicDZ7H9c0TIrywwcRljSDgVH7hDoVU25sTujBunvwxnIsKHB0o1349pDTGYbwT12jXiulxWIrgGuTa9qlO5x488C15WvAMLfaM4-Os_DH9cj1-FQl_KhvKWSS2Ft-8W1SbSYmLBw8ReeDd6hJ-dmYVxH6M2_Z2qhIbnwJwklMytmE/s320/82f0d10f40100c6beaee2656745e9f64.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br /><p>Honestly, the campaign idea feels really obvious and goes back to the whole company town thing from the 18th and 19th Centuries (in the UK at least). I think it could be really fun and also give at least a short-term goal that the Garou could achieve (ridding a city of Pentex's power and influence, cleaning up local politics, improving the local environment), which I think is so important because honestly, the big picture in Werewolf is so bleak. I mean, real life is pretty bleak on the eco front, so the World of Darkness must be worse, right? </p><p>I was looking at the blog's stats the other day, I do sometimes just see what's popular and what sinks without a trace. My <a href="https://shoresofnight.blogspot.com/2018/06/101-werewolf-apocalypse-story-seeds.html">101 Werewolf the Apocalypse Story Seeds</a> post gets a lot of views, and I'm looking at doing more content like that. Let me know if you'd be interested and what you'd like to see in the comments below. I'm thinking about doing 101 packs, and (magical) fetishes - does that make that sound less dodgy? - and then doing a deep dive into the Poison Streets setting and campaign to flesh that out. Let me know. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_6iECz3Yg9vIfXQtwDVANUBQ_Yu7oNjwGHUdkQEV18a0akc0O5snYQfH1EySNfwmPZAnVmaz2KuKIsZqwoUP1qUjiGvedHMFusUkzhpXIPxaLQjOCpHyVjR2BG5DdQENkgjI3cuTL_xyQQ86-0OJg95uGaetX1uj2mBM4CXWgIJYbhRvRY7P-d2aO3k/s474/th%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="474" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_6iECz3Yg9vIfXQtwDVANUBQ_Yu7oNjwGHUdkQEV18a0akc0O5snYQfH1EySNfwmPZAnVmaz2KuKIsZqwoUP1qUjiGvedHMFusUkzhpXIPxaLQjOCpHyVjR2BG5DdQENkgjI3cuTL_xyQQ86-0OJg95uGaetX1uj2mBM4CXWgIJYbhRvRY7P-d2aO3k/s320/th%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-54129580859892627372023-08-08T10:54:00.002-07:002023-08-08T10:54:35.052-07:00Six Circlets<p> Hiya, </p><p>Just a wee bit of news. </p><p>I just self-published a sword and sorcery story on Wattpad, and you can find it here:</p><p><a href="https://www.wattpad.com/1371105230-six-circlets" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Six Circlets</a><br /></p><p>It's a sword and sorcery story set in a magical post-apocalypse story and features Markov, Clan-Warrior of the Shorr discovering something from before the world changed (for the worst). </p><p>I hope you enjoy it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCH01vTTjb0BeR2YZQ0bo0Ecu6nh1eVY9WjTJvImXBbO7MoYko25OBb_8CGAVlA7pRfFej2zVCAzkJb97_2kwSzQOHKnlwD_H_kSE1W-QQnfDyiedqWwv_hZkADKqLhy5AB7A851V8KdVZ_HT1NnFZbR9JjCbR6R3Hm0d8YvjKPemmMQeRw7f6XTa-4MY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="474" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCH01vTTjb0BeR2YZQ0bo0Ecu6nh1eVY9WjTJvImXBbO7MoYko25OBb_8CGAVlA7pRfFej2zVCAzkJb97_2kwSzQOHKnlwD_H_kSE1W-QQnfDyiedqWwv_hZkADKqLhy5AB7A851V8KdVZ_HT1NnFZbR9JjCbR6R3Hm0d8YvjKPemmMQeRw7f6XTa-4MY" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-55726398460949470742023-07-22T04:34:00.000-07:002023-07-22T04:34:15.364-07:00Favourite SongYears ago, I used to post five songs I liked on a Friday, and well, didn't keep it going because I tend to be quite forgetful about maintaining this blog. I wanted to share a song today that I love and that always speaks to me on a deep level. It often makes me want to cry, but at the same time, I find it uplifting. <div><br /></div><div>It showcases the energy I want to put into the world most of the time because I'm conscious of how hard most of us have it, and how hurt many of us are once we reach past the superficial. In a world that seems so obsessed with rushing from place to place, where "facts don't care about your feelings" when in truth feelings are what drives most of us, it feels ever more important to stop and be kind. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know if I always succeed in doing this, but I hope I do.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VwtAjv04pt8" width="320" youtube-src-id="VwtAjv04pt8"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Lyrics</u></b></div><br /><div><div>History's been leaning on me lately</div><div>I can feel the future breathing down my neck</div><div>And all the things I thought were true</div><div>When I was young, and you were too</div><div>Turned out to be broken</div><div>And I don't know what comes next</div><div><br /></div><div>In a world that has decided</div><div>That it's going to lose its mind</div><div>Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind</div><div><br /></div><div>They've started raising walls around the world now</div><div>Like hackles raised upon a cornered cat</div><div>On the borders, in our heads</div><div>Between things that can and can't be said</div><div>We've stopped talking to each other</div><div>And there's something wrong with that</div><div><br /></div><div>So before you go out searching</div><div>Don't decide what you will find</div><div>Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind</div><div><br /></div><div>You should know you're not alone</div><div>And trouble comes, and trouble goes</div><div>How this ends, no one knows</div><div>So hold on tight when the wind blows</div><div><br /></div><div>The wind blew both of us to sand and sea</div><div>And where the dry land stands is hard to say</div><div>As the current drags us by the shore</div><div>We can no longer say for sure</div><div>Who's drowning, or if they can be saved</div><div><br /></div><div>And when you're out there floundering</div><div>Like a lighthouse, I will shine</div><div>Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind</div><div><br /></div><div>Like a beacon reaching out</div><div>To you and yours from me and mine</div><div>Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind</div><div><br /></div><div>In a world that has decided</div><div>That it's going to lose its mind</div><div>Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind</div></div></div>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-17819546072159405352023-07-19T05:19:00.002-07:002023-07-19T05:19:33.218-07:00Coda<p> Or how I'm feeling today. </p><p>I hope you don't feel this way too. </p><h1 class="pageTitle" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Oswald, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif, Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 1.6em; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: 540; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 22px 0px 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px;">Coda</h1><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: auto !important; zoom: 1;"><h2 class="author" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3.2px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: -2px; padding: 0px;">by Dorothy Parker</h2><div id="content" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><div class="taxonomy-images" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: right !important; margin: 3px 7px 3px 3px; padding: 1px;"><a class="taxonomy-image-links" href="https://www.best-poems.net/dorothy_parker/index.html" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #254694; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none !important; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;"><img alt="Dorothy Parker" class="taxonomy-image-term-3170 taxonomy-image-vid-7" height="200" itemprop="image" src="https://www.best-poems.net/files/imagecache/poet/category_pictures/Dorothy%20Parker.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; vertical-align: middle;" title="Dorothy Parker" width="180" /></a></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;">There's little in taking or giving,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />There's little in water or wine;<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />This living, this living, this living<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Was never a project of mine.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Oh, hard is the struggle, and sparse is<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />The gain of the one at the top,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />For art is a form of catharsis,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And love is a permanent flop,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And work is the province of cattle,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And rest's for a clam in a shell,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />So I'm thinking of throwing the battle-<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Would you kindly direct me to hell?</p><div><br /></div></div></div>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-71744856602644090242023-07-16T14:31:00.000-07:002023-07-16T14:31:06.496-07:00Age of Sigmar: Soulbound and ChatGPT<p> Hi, </p><p><br />So, I got this game a while ago, but haven't played it. A few months ago I started looking at it properly and looking for a way to start writing something I wanted to run - unfortunately, I bounced off the Great Parch. I just didn't feel it was real, somehow (I mean, obviously it's not, but it feels like it lacked the character that abounds in the Old World setting for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay). With that in mind, I asked ChatGPT about making me a spine for an adventure and it provided something about a haunted house. So far, so Call of Cthulhu, really, but it was decent enough. I asked for a sequel, and then a sequel to the sequel - specifying that I wanted the third adventure to involve pirates. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii9aYg5Pa0MR9jeyTTjWGwrYH5E8Q-57n25aVV9Dmj34d6Ay7l8k3O0qFTbYxfRoeYNgcoADq8tOfHtKemjYq1qN-cobVW6bP7XZJSbpmdlNwrtQcWMk-rjmiF6oBlklr6aL0V-2ZS8iqObI6wHOCiEe7i-552MTcy0lQSnCzEgtN6wsVjK44UraKAiVU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="474" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii9aYg5Pa0MR9jeyTTjWGwrYH5E8Q-57n25aVV9Dmj34d6Ay7l8k3O0qFTbYxfRoeYNgcoADq8tOfHtKemjYq1qN-cobVW6bP7XZJSbpmdlNwrtQcWMk-rjmiF6oBlklr6aL0V-2ZS8iqObI6wHOCiEe7i-552MTcy0lQSnCzEgtN6wsVjK44UraKAiVU=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The LLM did its job, and it was an interesting opportunity to play around with that and the Age of Sigmar, so I asked it to start building this city - Greyhaven. It was an interesting experiment, though probably not one I'll repeat too often. The AI was usually able to "make up" interesting things (though I really hope I haven't ripped anyone off), but it definitely has its flaws. Sometimes it lost the thread of the conversation and would create new gangs or people out of the blue. It even made entire new parts of the city. I'd go so far as to say that the amount of material was never an issue, but the quality sometimes dipped or became nonsensical. The job I had to take on was editing and embellishing to make sure it all made sense, adding things the AI had missed as I went. </p><p>What impressed me most was that I could ask ChatGPT to summarise the conversation and analyse what was missing. That meant I could keep up with where we were and ask questions to develop parts of the document that weren't as detailed. </p><p>I would like to stress that this was for personal use (though I am giving it away for free here) and I've only used it for roleplaying games. As an author type, I'm very conscious of not wanting to rip anyone off and that it's important to have a strong base from which to launch my own fiction. </p><p>I still haven't played the game and really want to! I've been a Warhammer fan for a long time (even if I never succumbed to the lure of little men to fight battles with) and while I do like the Old World a lot - partly because of Kim Newman's fiction - I do like what I've seen of the Age of Sigmar. I really want to play either a Kharadron Overlord, because who doesn't like Steampunk Dwarves, or one of the Sylvaneth because Ents with attitude is such a cool idea. </p><p>Anyway, I've linked to the edited "visitors guide" to Greyhaven below and to the Valiant Circle - a group of adventurers who operate out of the city. Led by the Stormcast Eternal called Galeria, they are dedicated to defending the city and hunting out the forces that would destroy it. In particular, they're focused on the forces of Nurgle, seeking to beat back his worshippers, unaware of the Tzeentch cult that thrives within the walls of their home city. </p><p><u><b>The City and the Binding</b></u></p><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/15UWowSpH2EVeZxBsxAhdA5SSQGMT3Xw5XhnHKRo9thY/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greyhaven</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jI0WC3h0tQ0y2pdYhX67IHqRoOfF2rYr67lMn2Si5Pg/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Valiant Circle</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b9JBBVPIJcMXfnF5SUgZUS2Rcaa_qUaO/view?usp=drive_link" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Valiant Circle: Party Sheet</a><br /></p><p><b><u>Members of the Binding:</u></b></p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A8kN_f5MfqwS-6W85n1n_5UaI54vqvMe/view?usp=drive_link" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Galeria Stormcast Eternal</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bGImQyMtaZFiSJgruEtkdLFkt-kGk_f2/view?usp=drive_link" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shallara Tideborn Black Ark Corsair</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q2ko0BSFlxMiI7j5sJcxhEXiT7EG3qYa/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jurgen Dask Battlewizard</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pxT-j9GpSZhGyK5e6lZrtoa2r50UObiI/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Haaldhorn Sylvaneth Tree Revenant Waypiper</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OeQov3zTUf43Ji2xQ9aedMourK2d3JT6/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fyrgrim Blackfyrd Doomseeker</a><br /></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-2422327244139238542023-06-14T12:19:00.001-07:002023-06-14T12:19:18.912-07:00Farewell Guardian<p> I've read the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guardian</a> newspaper since I went to university in 1994. I've followed and read the newspaper loyally since then, through their weird phases and their eternal quest for... something. I don't really know, because, on the one hand, they come across as very "woke", while on the other they're so bourgeois it hurts. Currently, it feels as if they are very busy chasing fashions, not setting them and it's been frustrating to see. Basically, it's a weird paper, at once progressive on a large number of fronts but regressive on others. For example, it styles itself as feminist but happily refers to men as betas if they don't fit the largely imaginary status of being "an alpha". I don't know who that helps, as it seems to shame men who don't fit into the patriarchy... at the same time as the paper attacks the patriarchy. "Don't be a sexist arsehole... but at the same time if you're not an alpha male, you're not a man at all!" In addition, it appears that making jokes about men being cucks is acceptable, while on the other the paper appears to strive to condemn extra-marital relationships. </p><p>It makes for an uneasy balance and often offers very little in the way of synthesis - you know that idea that you have a thesis, countered by an antithesis and then a synthesis arises where ideas come together into a whole? Yeah, the Grauniad doesn't do that at all. Instead, they seem content to sit and rabbit on about their latest obsessions in the form of TV shows (White Lotus, Succession) which has also been vexing because honestly, it feels like they've shoehorned them into <i>everything</i> recently! Honestly, there was a column on parenting recently and it felt like the commentator had been told to make sure that there was a Succession reference just so the paper could link to articles about the show. It's sickening. </p><p>One thing I loathe is that the paper seems to delight in white liberal guilt. If there's a cause that they can beat themselves, and other Westerners up over, it's like gold to them, and while I'm more than willing to admit that there are areas, both historically and in the present, where the UK has dropped the ball (and in some cases that was a cannonball). However, I think there's something perverse about the pleasure the Guardian seems to take in assuming the burden of white guilt instead of being willing to apportion blame to the people who are actually responsible. The other thing and this is where being a follower of fashion makes itself felt, is that where history is concerned, they're caught up in the American cultural hegemony we've witnessed over the recent Netflix Cleopatra "documentary". For example, a few months ago, they discovered that their founder had been involved in the slave trade, and set about "examining" their links to the Transatlantic trade. However, there was no mention of the practices their founder used at his Manchester factories, the child labour that was commonly used in the Victorian cotton mills, nor of the fact that mill workers were often paid in their employers' own scrip which meant they could only purchase items from the employers' shops. They were unable to save in order to better themselves or to look to move to another employer who might be offering more advantageous circumstances. How is that not a form of slavery? </p><p>There's also been no mention of the death toll of the Irish in the Empire or how they were treated - of the indentured servants that were transported from Ireland and Scotland to labour in the fields. While I concede that their circumstances were better than the West Africans who were sold into a lifetime of chattel slavery I feel it is intellectually dishonest to maintain slavery was an issue only affecting the latter group: indentured servitude was only slavery wearing a slightly better hat. </p><p>We must of course expect the past to be less humane towards the poor, and we must expect historical people to have different standards to today. However, unless we start to frame the discussion around this as the rich and powerful exploiting the poor and weak and seeking out common ground across the groups who have traditionally been penalised, we will make no progress. </p><p>For a newspaper that claims that facts are sacred, it seems bizarre that they don't consider the holistic picture. Certainly, where History is concerned, they seem to be only interested in facts that fit their pre-existing narrative. </p><p>Back to the Guardian. These issues had been making me unhappy for a few months - and that's before we consider the commenters "below the line". Yes, I went there... foolish, foolish me. Today I read something about the way British writers are concerned about the implications of AI on their jobs, and the lack of concern and the rampant, blinkered, classism that was evident took me aback. Not to mention the number of people who appear to hate television no matter what's on... which confuses me. I mean, I don't like television very much, but I also don't torture myself by trying to watch it. Why not watch something you do like, read a book, or build a model train set? Fuck, just sell your telly and buy lots of Lego. At least you'll be doing something that's not entirely passive. </p><p>I realised that these weren't people I wanted to be associated with and that the paper's values and my own have diverged. Perhaps I've grown more rightwing... I don't think I have, I'm just tired of a paper peddling a narrative that seems purely designed to promote guilt. </p><p>So, I guess I'm giving up on UK newspapers and news sites and defaulting to Associated Press and Reuters... Beyond that, I'm going to start reading newspapers from elsewhere in the world. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-81268719056483697692023-05-15T01:45:00.000-07:002023-05-15T01:45:20.099-07:00A List Of All The RPGs I've Played Or Run<p>I got to wondering a few weeks ago - what games have I actually played in the almost 30 years I've been gaming? So, I compiled a list and I *think* I've got everything down. </p><p>This isn't every game I've owned, and I hope the list will be a lot longer soon.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-69edf112-7fff-a0f9-d56b-e1672d31edc6"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDCgqLsaiExOyUqMkwwVEraYxhnXW3UIL8qltBVShPHv2UXX0E-fSbb-3nBDryzYZyFpwxzfUsRUmL5IIIC_pQYeQRI3HXWoOLPiemWNATkFFKjjnm9b2ghou58XmKc2gKe3hfXsiTzmSZJ_g9MXKSx_y1rMLy0JBL-CO9IIwlBTss45h_4YMUqvUr" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDCgqLsaiExOyUqMkwwVEraYxhnXW3UIL8qltBVShPHv2UXX0E-fSbb-3nBDryzYZyFpwxzfUsRUmL5IIIC_pQYeQRI3HXWoOLPiemWNATkFFKjjnm9b2ghou58XmKc2gKe3hfXsiTzmSZJ_g9MXKSx_y1rMLy0JBL-CO9IIwlBTss45h_4YMUqvUr" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Legend of the Five Rings</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">7th Sea</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Vampire the Masquerade</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Vampire the Dark Ages</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Werewolf the Apocalypse</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Werewolf the Dark Ages</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Mage the Ascension</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Changeling the Dreaming</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Demon the Fallen</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Wraith the Oblivion</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Adventure!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">AD&D</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">D&D 3rd ed (Midnight and Etherscope settings)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">D&D 5th ed</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">WFRP 1st ed</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">WFRP 2nd ed</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">WFRP 4th ed</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Dark Heresy</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Rifts</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">SLA Industries</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Call of Cthulhu</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Serenity</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Hollow Earth Expedition</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Deadlands</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Conspiracy X</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Night’s Black Agents</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">All For One: Regime Diabolique</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Shadowrun</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Victoriana</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Mutants and Masterminds</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Qin The Warring States</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">FUDGE</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Homebrew games (a friend's creations)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Savage Worlds (Necessary Evil)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Dr Who</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Werewolf the Forsaken</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Atomic Highway</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Unhallowed Metropolis</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Feng Shui</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Scion</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Spire</span></p></li></ol>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-8853421715761397342023-03-01T01:07:00.004-08:002023-03-01T01:07:52.987-08:00Going To The Dogs<p> Hello!</p><p>I have some good news. One of my short stories is out today! </p><p><a href="http://96thofoctober.com/articles/going-to-the-dogs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Going To The Dogs</a> is an Urban Fantasy story published by 96th of October in their Spring 2023 issues. It features my favourite character, Armitage - also known as the Heavy Metal Magus.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsgY_WDFh5c2xXk74SblkjjPWGxvq1cgQQ6ul9dy2DXEgljwOI-78KliTlYaP_madvTmANG_heOpuYC8PXubeg0gPW5yGdgdulb7e6vKQ0v9RUp5j0ibDf6noIPgH0dA7Wqa0ZVri4Hv2q6irVqU9pMZCGz4wLLh9vRbW5GpEjp2334oJ7Fanr1rDj" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsgY_WDFh5c2xXk74SblkjjPWGxvq1cgQQ6ul9dy2DXEgljwOI-78KliTlYaP_madvTmANG_heOpuYC8PXubeg0gPW5yGdgdulb7e6vKQ0v9RUp5j0ibDf6noIPgH0dA7Wqa0ZVri4Hv2q6irVqU9pMZCGz4wLLh9vRbW5GpEjp2334oJ7Fanr1rDj" width="170" /></a></div><br />To give you an idea of the inspiration for the story, it all started when I worked in north Birmingham and went over a bridge which had bags of dog poo tied to it. My mind started wondering how that would work in Armitage's world and what effect it would have. It sort of went from there - though it took a while to get here! <p></p><p>I hope you enjoy the story, if I may be cheeky, if you do then please share it on social media. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-33129466519090749602023-02-15T05:25:00.002-08:002023-02-15T05:25:29.542-08:00Does Anyone Feel Like This? <p> So, I just pulled back from the social media site I was on, and from a couple of sites, I comment on (Bleeding Cool and the Guardian). I've been feeling overwhelmed by negativity and it's a constant thing. It feels as if no matter how much I try to be optimistic these things rise up in the form of back-biting, stupid arguments, and so on. It makes me despair of humanity, and what's worse it makes me feel like I'm trapped in a recurrent pattern where even though I know it's not good for me, I keep going back in hoping that things will be different this time. Like everyone, I'm looking for connection and a feeling of belonging, and sadly these sites don't provide me with it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtENv0TL0rJJyr5YlYJZO4v_F0ZvWeMWYZlngxmdk3jsgwJLeUmrdJpknl3kpox3Zg3VFARDd_u03lw5Z2m-wdcKMd6xUAhzh9iJb4kEFpRxBgmNHwsckMrVdve9BkjzZeVF4oMnl0535FWfYkzfjQ0y1FUr38c3b0wnyhhSVrfLMXj1c0Z29WPwUq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="474" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtENv0TL0rJJyr5YlYJZO4v_F0ZvWeMWYZlngxmdk3jsgwJLeUmrdJpknl3kpox3Zg3VFARDd_u03lw5Z2m-wdcKMd6xUAhzh9iJb4kEFpRxBgmNHwsckMrVdve9BkjzZeVF4oMnl0535FWfYkzfjQ0y1FUr38c3b0wnyhhSVrfLMXj1c0Z29WPwUq" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>So I guess I'm going to be stepping away for longer and trying to find new ways to meet people - and focusing on the real world more. I suppose, ironically, that means I won't be stopping using Meetup, even though that's a social media site like all the rest. The goal though is to get out and meet people and make friends. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-56789704650825909682023-02-04T04:16:00.000-08:002023-02-04T04:16:08.351-08:00Hi<p> Sorry, I really am poor at putting things on this site and I do need to get a regular schedule. </p><p>Work is hella busy at the moment (and for some reason I've started saying "hella") but I've also managed to get a story into the <a href="http://96thofoctober.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">96th of october</a> - which will be published on the 1st of March. </p><p>So, that's good. I got my PhD application in for the university I work at this month, and I've been working on the novel I'm writing. My Vampire game is going well, too. </p><p>Lastly, here's a picture of me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji33nRWGPpKjshmaqMjFxa270_Cv8MuF4fFwNPArK_2gxGNbaABkn57giIRhba0HxTYD6P9miYUl6K0jDz3D8sa7mXikXiPb91yneLJufDYMj_mRf_3uoXtKZzrMX2xOBAfTS2NvC426OnWO6u4kGX11w-l3i6VrGYHcdb6Qf8zrDto_44r0-y2vxO/s1400/DSC02160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji33nRWGPpKjshmaqMjFxa270_Cv8MuF4fFwNPArK_2gxGNbaABkn57giIRhba0HxTYD6P9miYUl6K0jDz3D8sa7mXikXiPb91yneLJufDYMj_mRf_3uoXtKZzrMX2xOBAfTS2NvC426OnWO6u4kGX11w-l3i6VrGYHcdb6Qf8zrDto_44r0-y2vxO/s320/DSC02160.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Have a lovely weekend, lovelies. Take care of yourselves. </p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-39140466939049406432023-01-09T00:54:00.000-08:002023-01-09T00:54:00.236-08:00Monday Messages<p> Good morning, </p><p>I just wanted to say Happy New Year (rather belated I know, so please forgive me), but also to say have a good week, full of joy and purpose if you can. You are enough and your feelings are valid. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7zxRop736gBFYCQub7MptJwDfKdEgJf_-QvVKUSU97Cy5YIeHLGtZpCuBwV41QVT8cKGrGKPCmAvAvCIuXpM6qvLKU4No9OSr_I_Xn8jO90SUaY06UdDRsZYvijIEYHPvZuEt7tRy8yVn_-Wh7RKyjCBpj2Ry-vAsw0xQhvbXWJohW7rJnIsrnKtA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7zxRop736gBFYCQub7MptJwDfKdEgJf_-QvVKUSU97Cy5YIeHLGtZpCuBwV41QVT8cKGrGKPCmAvAvCIuXpM6qvLKU4No9OSr_I_Xn8jO90SUaY06UdDRsZYvijIEYHPvZuEt7tRy8yVn_-Wh7RKyjCBpj2Ry-vAsw0xQhvbXWJohW7rJnIsrnKtA" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-3899160845562591502022-12-24T05:29:00.000-08:002022-12-24T05:29:44.665-08:00Happy Yuletide<p> Just a quick note to wish the handful of readers I have a Happy Yuletide, a Merry Christmas, a Peaceful Hanukkah, and a Harmonious Kwanza. Please add my best wishes for any celebrations I've missed. </p><p>I wish you a happy, contented, and fulfilling New Year and all the best for 2023. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqP65Ufk5Suhsc04z6XC9vJCgvWsAw2scd2B1HNzMkSYTjwGrvr95vYlaoPNgMl8QajqIJ3bUEWgjTLv1xouFKosS0_8PIUGyuBRWMgZYmPjtFwPJ3lRwE6ZhbgaNg39E3BVKPeHXWkcQmt0hNhuLRzZgTEKW0GIvrkUqJrFUUa7u6Nlekd9WJwcCS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="304" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqP65Ufk5Suhsc04z6XC9vJCgvWsAw2scd2B1HNzMkSYTjwGrvr95vYlaoPNgMl8QajqIJ3bUEWgjTLv1xouFKosS0_8PIUGyuBRWMgZYmPjtFwPJ3lRwE6ZhbgaNg39E3BVKPeHXWkcQmt0hNhuLRzZgTEKW0GIvrkUqJrFUUa7u6Nlekd9WJwcCS" width="312" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7220606984156633748.post-5586758267770343312022-12-03T04:02:00.003-08:002022-12-03T04:02:36.665-08:00Another Caturday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FvteEp6VqQo" width="320" youtube-src-id="FvteEp6VqQo"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>stevecotterillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09052926733367440241noreply@blogger.com0