Moe Lane's Blog, page 766

In the Mail: Chicago By Night (V:tM)

Chicago By Night is a bit of an extravagance, to be sure. But that’s what birthday money is for, right? Extravagances. Besides, Ken Hite did the latest Vampire: the Masquerade edition, and every little bit helps.

Moe Lane

PS: I’m not expecting the new V:tM Bloodlines game any time soon, either. I’m also not expecting anything spectacular from it when it arrives, for that matter. I know how this stuff goes.

My GODZILLA VS. KONG review.

Short version: gloriously absurd.

Slightly longer version: Do you want to see giant monsters smashing the energy blobs out of each other? Do you care how the monsters got there? Do you care how you got there? Do you feel the urge to shout TOO MANY QUESTIONS MOAR KONG AND GOJIRA right now? If the answers were yes, no, no, and NO MOAR TALK, then: welp, then go ahead and watch GODZILLA VS. KONG. it’s just what it says on the label.

I had a blast.

Moe Lane

PS: This movie name-drops a remarkable number of Golden Age conspiracy theories. Except for all the ones about the Jews, thank God.

The March Patreon stuff is up!

We have:

Pigeon : Thrill as our he… protagonist foils a lycanthropic plot! The Elmerite Order, Part 7: Those From Elsewhere : probably the last part of the Elmerite Order stuff. So: new RPG setting likely starts next month! Patreon!

‘Come Here, Fellow Servant!’

Come Here, Fellow Servant!, Diane Taraz

Tweet of the Day, It Made Me Laugh edition.

It’s a multi-layered joke, too.

pic.twitter.com/FXltfspcmH

— Steven F (@SFlipp) March 30, 2021

GODZILLA VS. KONG tomorrow!

…On the small screen, alas. Or not alas: I have a horrible habit of pausing movies, when I can. The button’s always right there, promising me the decadent joys of watching films at my speed. Oddly, I don’t miss it when I’m in the actual theater, but give me a change to indulge myself and I’ll take it.

Now watch: I’ll see GODZILLA VS. KONG and decide to run out to see it right away in theaters. God knows when I’ll have the time, though. It’s gonna be a busy couple weeks…

Moe Lane

PS: In case I haven’t mentioned it: while Kong is naturally an American cinematic icon, Godzilla has spent the last decade providing valuable close-in support to the American military on multiple occasions. I cannot in good conscience blindly allow nostalgia to supersede a proven track record without first giving Godzilla the opportunity to defend his actions. The Big Guy has earned some consideration here.

Also, we all know they’re gonna team up, and beat the crap out of Mechagodzilla.

In Nomine Tether: The HPLHS Store (Flowers)

For the game I’m running. Not quite canonical, in other words.

The HPLHS Store (Flowers) – Google DocsDownload

The HPLHS Store

(Flowers)

It always seems to confuse mortals when they find out that Divine Tethers which spring from horror fiction invariably end up as Tethers to Flowers (although, to be fair, prior to Eli’s walkabout many did end up as Tethers to Creation). Angels aren’t subject to that problem: they know perfectly well that horror-themed entertainment does not encourage violence, because they asked the Seraphim if it did and the Seraphim said ‘No’ without dissonance. It’s amazing how handy it is for the Heavenly Host to be able to quantify Truth. It gets Heaven out of so many scrapes.

So the HPLHS (HP Lovecraft Historical Society) Store is not particularly odd in that regard at all. It’s a small Tether, about ten years old, and not particularly flashy: it’s located just outside of the no-go (for angels) zone that is Los Angeles. The Host uses it to slip angels into the area — particularly ones that are being sent into LA, no-go zone or not — but it’s not exactly what you’d call militant. Partially that’s because of its covert status, and partially because it is, after all, a Tether to Flowers. They have a problem with unnecessary violence, after all. But if angels need cash, medical attention, or a place to crash in the back, their door is always open.

Just avoid Heavenly politics. LA is right over there, and the Tether is trying to keep a low profile. So don’t do anything stupid.

Curwin, Cherub Vassal of Flowers

She picked the name deliberately. Why? Because it was funny. Curwin is young, in angelic terms: barely seventy years old, and had an extremely busy career keeping the unnecessary violence down before she discovered the newly-formed Tether about ten years ago. Novalis decided to put her in charge of it, possibly as a working vacation. That being in charge of a covert Tether on the edge of Enemy-controlled territory could be genuinely considered a ‘vacation’ should indicate to the impartial observer just how difficult corporeal service to Flowers can get. She putters around the place in a variety of vessels, never keeping one for very long.

Curwin is generally helpful to everybody on the side of Heaven, knowing or not. She’s definitely accommodating to anybody coming down the Tether, too, including Servitors of Archangels normally at odds with Flowers. Her only rule there is that if you’re going to cause trouble, wait until you’re well clear of the Tether before you start. Breaking that rule isn’t a good idea; the HPLHS Store Tether has survived longer than anybody in Heaven’s expected it to, and one reason why is because nobody’s tried to turn it into a fortress. Best to keep that happy state of affairs running.

Note that Curwin is not Word-bound to the Tether: the Tether simply isn’t secure enough to justify that. One demonic patrol in the wrong place, and the forces of evil will swarm, on general principles. Novalis isn’t going to throw away… well, she doesn’t throw away anybody. But she’d rather have Curwin and no Tether than no Curwin, no Tether, and a heap of expired demonic vessels in the blast zone. Although Curwin herself might have a different opinion on the subject…

Rusty the Wonder Dog

This is, well, a dog. It’s a 2 Force dog that sticks around the Tether, and is renowned among those in the know for being remarkably easy for Kyriotates to possess. Fun fact: it’s a local legend in the community for being always there to help foil crimes and apprehend miscreants. Other fun fact: for some reason, no demon can really focus on Rusty the Wonder Dog for any length of time. Nobody’s sure why. Maybe he’s just a Very Good Boy?

The HPLHS Store: Average (8 Forces, Regular Flow, Celestial Harbor, Quiet, Attuned Seneschal)

This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games. In Nomine is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy .

Quote of the Day, Hey, I’M Weird (https://www.patreon.com/MoeLane) edition.

This is correct, and I wish that Freddie hadn’t written it. It’s damn useful if it’s less well known. That is: damn useful, to me. The fewer people who know about the Hustle, the better.

And, no: I got two books out, and I ain’t making any money, either. Hence the need for the Hustle. I say that without heat.

(Via @EsotericCD)

Whatever you do, be weird. As a consumer of writing, please, for me, be weird. Whatever this profession needs, it does not need more hall monitors or commissars and it does not need more writers who seem to have nothing to offer beyond looking down their glasses at the world in shrill derision. That territory is covered. That corner has been taken. The whole point of writing, the only reason to have an alphabet, is to say what no one else is saying. To be singular. What is the value of replicating words that have already appeared in the same order? You can’t choose to be good and you can’t choose to be successful. But you can choose to be your own.

The BAD BATCH trailer.

Looks pretty nifty. My wife’s more of a Clone Wars fan, so she’ll get more out of BAD BATCH – but it’s still something to look forward to, right? Drops in May on Disney+.

‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’

While My Guitar Gently Weeps, The Beatles