C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 201
September 19, 2013
Adventure Edition - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost Act Two Scene 3 Finalization
You can find the introduction to the Babes in London adventure sequence HERE, the background to Act One HERE, the Overview for Act One HERE., Act One Scenes 1-2 HERE and Act One Scene 3 HERE.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 3A can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 3B can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3C can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
GMs, please note that these scenes have not been playtested, so you may need to adjust them on the fly. If you do, I would be grateful for any feedback.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
FINALIZING SCENE THREE
After Searching Anika’s House: When PCs have finished searching Anika’s house, they have a number of options. They can:
go and search Leyila’s House (Go To Act II, Scene 4);go and investigate the gallery in Islington to find out about the painter David Markovin who has a studio in Cambden (go to Act III, Scene 1);go to David Markovin’s studio in Cambden (go to Act III, Scene 1);try to find mythological references to red boars (go to Act III, Scene 4);try to find out what the symbol on the disc and the Red Boars means (go to Act III, Scene 4);go to Emblae (if they have played The Fire Within) – in which case the faery identifies the creatures as the Red Boars of Set and gives them the information listed on pp. 36-37;go the Fae of Haverhill (if they have played The Fire Within) in which case PCs receive the information on p. 37check out ‘Half-Time Nursery & Landscaping Services’. (Go to Act 4, Scene 1.)END OF FINALIZING SCENE THREE
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 4A.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 3A can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 3B can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3C can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
GMs, please note that these scenes have not been playtested, so you may need to adjust them on the fly. If you do, I would be grateful for any feedback.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
FINALIZING SCENE THREE
After Searching Anika’s House: When PCs have finished searching Anika’s house, they have a number of options. They can:
go and search Leyila’s House (Go To Act II, Scene 4);go and investigate the gallery in Islington to find out about the painter David Markovin who has a studio in Cambden (go to Act III, Scene 1);go to David Markovin’s studio in Cambden (go to Act III, Scene 1);try to find mythological references to red boars (go to Act III, Scene 4);try to find out what the symbol on the disc and the Red Boars means (go to Act III, Scene 4);go to Emblae (if they have played The Fire Within) – in which case the faery identifies the creatures as the Red Boars of Set and gives them the information listed on pp. 36-37;go the Fae of Haverhill (if they have played The Fire Within) in which case PCs receive the information on p. 37check out ‘Half-Time Nursery & Landscaping Services’. (Go to Act 4, Scene 1.)END OF FINALIZING SCENE THREE
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 4A.
September 17, 2013
Australian Birds: The Blue-Eyed Raven (Corvus coronoides??)
I saw this guy down by the lake - and, yes, it could just as easily be a girl, but I don't know how to tell, so live with it. What struck me was the colour of its eyes. It really does have blue eyes, a startling, surprising blue. Check it out.
And throat feathers that remind me of a beard, when he checks out the sky.
Although the effect disappears when it turns its head.
After taking a good, long look at me and deciding I was no threat, this not-so-little guy continued hunting for whatever it was that had taken his fancy earlier.
But I wonder if it's the same bird. All the descriptions I've seen of Corvus coronoides have it with white eyes. Why does this one have eyes so clearly blue?
And throat feathers that remind me of a beard, when he checks out the sky.
Although the effect disappears when it turns its head.
After taking a good, long look at me and deciding I was no threat, this not-so-little guy continued hunting for whatever it was that had taken his fancy earlier.
But I wonder if it's the same bird. All the descriptions I've seen of Corvus coronoides have it with white eyes. Why does this one have eyes so clearly blue?
September 16, 2013
Flash Fiction Challenge: No Secret Safe
This week, we had to randomly roll a conflict and centre our story around it. I rolled 'dark secret revealed' and this is what came out. Once again, I had no idea what to write when I sat down to write this, but once the first sentence had arrived, the story followed.
No Secret Safe
The first secret was revealed at dawn. Sigrun sweated, hearing her littlest sister deliver it to her father’s fiercest friend and most deadly foe, felt her stomach grow cold. Now Valgerd had what he needed.Sigrun stood a jug of mead on the tray. She did not know when her father and Valgerd’s friendship had soured; she only knew it had. She could mark the day Heldar started keeping secrets from his friend. They had hoped, but not known Ieitha would find her gift so soon, or that she would be alone when she revealed the vital thread. Sigrun shivered as Ieitha’s piping tones filled the hall.“The one you seek. She hides in shadow, but revels in the light. She will put a torch to the darkest parts of your soul and reveal all.”Valgerd had betrayed them, but only father knew. He had explained to Sigrun when he’d rejected Valgerd’s bid for her hand.“No daughter of mine will give him the power.”Sigrun had been hard put to hide her relief. She’d heard stories of Valgerd’s lovemaking, and long-suspected the cruelty rotting at his core. Valgerd and her father had taken their rite of passage in the mountains, journeying there together, but only her father had returned whole, and he had not suspected Valgerd could be touched. Not by something he had shaken off with a mere shrug of the heart.Heldar had not known that Valgerd had no heart, that Valgerd had not grown into the man his boyhood had promised—that the salamander had swept the boy away in a night beyond Valgerd’s wildest fantasies, bringing him to manhood and consummating her success by leaving him in an agony for more.And she’d done something else as well. Salamanders—slimy by nature, subtle infectors of the mind and will… and other parts. Sigrun had heard rumours, and they were not pretty.Sigrun laid bread and cheese beside the jug. She knew the salamanders well. She’d been fighting them all her childhood dreams. For her the gift of sight had manifested as early as Ieitha’s, but not as something to reveal what others needed to know. No, Sigrun waged war in her sleep, slipping beneath the dream shadow to follow the trails left by their enemies, directing her father and his men to their prey. In her own way, Sigrun had more blood on their hands than they.Ieitha could not have known the one Valgerd sought, that the salamanders suspected her existence, or the existence of one like her and raged to unveil them. As she listened to her little sister’s first prophesy, she sweated and she smiled. Ieitha’s sight was strong—Sigrun indeed hid in shadow, and she loved the light more fiercely than life itself, or she would not do what she did so well. Her father knew it, and her mother knew it—but the warriors did not, and therein lay a portion of the bitterness feeding Valgerd’s treacherous heart.Valgerd felt he had been Heldar’s friend long enough that the chieftain should keep nothing from him. Heldar had not become chieftain by giving away more trust than he had to, and his secrecy had kept Sigrun safe, giving his tribe the edge against their hereditary foe.Valgerd would feed them all to the salamanders, but only if he caught Ieitha’s thread. For their survival, the tribe needed him to notice it, and he did. The big man crouched in front of the three-year-old, placing a hand on either shoulder.“It will do you no good to harm me,” Ieitha said, still in the grip of her gift, terror in her eyes, but serenity in her face and voice.Sigrun knew, as she tucked the knife behind the loaf and hefted the tray, that Ieitha’s gift would eclipse her own. The thought made her fear for her sister’s life in spite of Valgerd’s next words“I will not harm you, little one.”“Liar! You would harm us all if you knew how.” Ieitha’s voice was losing its serenity, but sounded much older than her three years. Abruptly, the child stilled, and her voice became calm once more. “She will kill you, you know.”Valgerd glanced nervously around the hall, but the few warriors eating there appeared to be deep in conversation, and Sigrun had held herself just inside the kitchen door. The warrior glared at the child.“I think you should still be abed,” he snarled, and Ieitha stared at him wide-eyed.“She will sear your soul.”“Who?” Valgerd shouted, as Sigrun stepped into the room.“Uncle Valgerd,” she said, but he ignored her, ignored the warriors shifting carefully in their seats, preparing their weapons.“Who?” he roared, shaking Ieitha so hard her head snapped back and forth, shaking her so hard she fell out of the trance and began to wail.“Mama!”Valgerd relaxed.“Your mama’s no threat to me,” he said, and seemed to recognise that Ieitha was no longer a seer.“Mama!” Ieitha shrieked again, beside herself in the way that only toddlers can be.Sigrun caught a whiff of heat in the air.“Your mama’s long gone, little one,” Valgerd said. “She died abirthing you.”With a twist of vindictive acid, he added, “You killed your mama, and now she can’t answer.”It was a lie, and Sigrun breathed easier that Ieitha was no longer entranced. The second secret was safe a little while longer.“Mama!” Ieitha screamed, and Sigrun tossed the tray to one side.The disrespect Valgerd showed for Heldar’s long-departed wife and the child she had been forced to abandon revealed the rot. A frisson of power flew across Sigrun’s skin and the long-house doors slammed opened, sheared from their hinges.Sigrun swept Ieitha from Valgerd’s grasp and kept running. She had learnt to hide in shadow and revel in light at her mama’s knee, back when Valgerd had been her father’s friend, but what mama could ignore her child?Valgerd’s scream revealed all.“Dragon!”
No Secret Safe
The first secret was revealed at dawn. Sigrun sweated, hearing her littlest sister deliver it to her father’s fiercest friend and most deadly foe, felt her stomach grow cold. Now Valgerd had what he needed.Sigrun stood a jug of mead on the tray. She did not know when her father and Valgerd’s friendship had soured; she only knew it had. She could mark the day Heldar started keeping secrets from his friend. They had hoped, but not known Ieitha would find her gift so soon, or that she would be alone when she revealed the vital thread. Sigrun shivered as Ieitha’s piping tones filled the hall.“The one you seek. She hides in shadow, but revels in the light. She will put a torch to the darkest parts of your soul and reveal all.”Valgerd had betrayed them, but only father knew. He had explained to Sigrun when he’d rejected Valgerd’s bid for her hand.“No daughter of mine will give him the power.”Sigrun had been hard put to hide her relief. She’d heard stories of Valgerd’s lovemaking, and long-suspected the cruelty rotting at his core. Valgerd and her father had taken their rite of passage in the mountains, journeying there together, but only her father had returned whole, and he had not suspected Valgerd could be touched. Not by something he had shaken off with a mere shrug of the heart.Heldar had not known that Valgerd had no heart, that Valgerd had not grown into the man his boyhood had promised—that the salamander had swept the boy away in a night beyond Valgerd’s wildest fantasies, bringing him to manhood and consummating her success by leaving him in an agony for more.And she’d done something else as well. Salamanders—slimy by nature, subtle infectors of the mind and will… and other parts. Sigrun had heard rumours, and they were not pretty.Sigrun laid bread and cheese beside the jug. She knew the salamanders well. She’d been fighting them all her childhood dreams. For her the gift of sight had manifested as early as Ieitha’s, but not as something to reveal what others needed to know. No, Sigrun waged war in her sleep, slipping beneath the dream shadow to follow the trails left by their enemies, directing her father and his men to their prey. In her own way, Sigrun had more blood on their hands than they.Ieitha could not have known the one Valgerd sought, that the salamanders suspected her existence, or the existence of one like her and raged to unveil them. As she listened to her little sister’s first prophesy, she sweated and she smiled. Ieitha’s sight was strong—Sigrun indeed hid in shadow, and she loved the light more fiercely than life itself, or she would not do what she did so well. Her father knew it, and her mother knew it—but the warriors did not, and therein lay a portion of the bitterness feeding Valgerd’s treacherous heart.Valgerd felt he had been Heldar’s friend long enough that the chieftain should keep nothing from him. Heldar had not become chieftain by giving away more trust than he had to, and his secrecy had kept Sigrun safe, giving his tribe the edge against their hereditary foe.Valgerd would feed them all to the salamanders, but only if he caught Ieitha’s thread. For their survival, the tribe needed him to notice it, and he did. The big man crouched in front of the three-year-old, placing a hand on either shoulder.“It will do you no good to harm me,” Ieitha said, still in the grip of her gift, terror in her eyes, but serenity in her face and voice.Sigrun knew, as she tucked the knife behind the loaf and hefted the tray, that Ieitha’s gift would eclipse her own. The thought made her fear for her sister’s life in spite of Valgerd’s next words“I will not harm you, little one.”“Liar! You would harm us all if you knew how.” Ieitha’s voice was losing its serenity, but sounded much older than her three years. Abruptly, the child stilled, and her voice became calm once more. “She will kill you, you know.”Valgerd glanced nervously around the hall, but the few warriors eating there appeared to be deep in conversation, and Sigrun had held herself just inside the kitchen door. The warrior glared at the child.“I think you should still be abed,” he snarled, and Ieitha stared at him wide-eyed.“She will sear your soul.”“Who?” Valgerd shouted, as Sigrun stepped into the room.“Uncle Valgerd,” she said, but he ignored her, ignored the warriors shifting carefully in their seats, preparing their weapons.“Who?” he roared, shaking Ieitha so hard her head snapped back and forth, shaking her so hard she fell out of the trance and began to wail.“Mama!”Valgerd relaxed.“Your mama’s no threat to me,” he said, and seemed to recognise that Ieitha was no longer a seer.“Mama!” Ieitha shrieked again, beside herself in the way that only toddlers can be.Sigrun caught a whiff of heat in the air.“Your mama’s long gone, little one,” Valgerd said. “She died abirthing you.”With a twist of vindictive acid, he added, “You killed your mama, and now she can’t answer.”It was a lie, and Sigrun breathed easier that Ieitha was no longer entranced. The second secret was safe a little while longer.“Mama!” Ieitha screamed, and Sigrun tossed the tray to one side.The disrespect Valgerd showed for Heldar’s long-departed wife and the child she had been forced to abandon revealed the rot. A frisson of power flew across Sigrun’s skin and the long-house doors slammed opened, sheared from their hinges.Sigrun swept Ieitha from Valgerd’s grasp and kept running. She had learnt to hide in shadow and revel in light at her mama’s knee, back when Valgerd had been her father’s friend, but what mama could ignore her child?Valgerd’s scream revealed all.“Dragon!”
September 15, 2013
New Release: Yard Boss as Carlie Simonsen
So, after a hectic week,
Yard Boss
has now been uploaded to the Kobo, Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, CreateSpace, DriveThruFiction and OmniLit platforms, where, if not already live, it will soon be available. Also, in a few weeks, it will be available from such platforms as iTunes and Nook, amongst others, thanks to the Smashwords distribution system.
Originally designed to be a stand-alone title,
Yardboss
will be the first book in the Schoolyard Adventures series, which is set in the school grounds of multiple people, places and times. In
Yard Boss
, a new kid arrives at a boarding school and is targeted by bullies.Robert just wants to get on with getting on. He's at a new school and he's trying to find his feet. Allan knows he needs to put the new kid down hard, but which one? How about the big one that returns his gaze? His sidekick, Tom, doesn't think that's such a good idea, but since when did Allan listen to Tom, anyway?
September 14, 2013
Progress Report: Week 3 September 2013
Yet another busy week, but more achieved than last week. I’ve been stretching the old writing muscles this week, and learning how to regulate my time a bit better. Looking forward to next week.
OverviewNew words produced: 15,383Old words revised: 2,613Works completed: 5 (2 for blog, 3 for a larger project)Works revised: 1Covers created: 1 (1-3 variations)Works published: 1 (6 release platforms)Works submitted: 1Competitions Entered: 0
Tier 2 TasksRomanceNovel14A—Country Rush: Added 8,500 words,
Tier 3 Tasks Chapbook11A—Yard Boss:Added 800 words, revised and edited, formatted and added cover.Extra TasksShortStory45—The Reptile’s Blade: Added 3,000 words;ShortStory69—A Dragon in the Last Day’s Light, a piece of flash fiction for a larger project;ShortStory73—The Sun and the Stars, a piece of flash fiction for a larger project;ShortStory74—A Choice of Colour, completed in response to Chuck Wendig’s terribleminds flashfiction challenge, this short story can be found HERE.ShortStory75—Last-Ditch Defender, a piece of flash fiction for a larger project.ShortStory76—No Secret Safe, completed in response to the Chuck Wendig terribleminds‘Spin-the-Wheel-of-Conflict’ flash fiction challenge;
Publishing TasksCreated 10 blog posts for this blog;Created 4 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Chapbook11A—Yard Boss:created cover, formatted and uploaded to Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction, OmniLit, Kobo, Smashwords, CreateSpace;Updated G+, Pinterest and Linkedin with
Yard Boss
;Updated Pinterest with covers July through September covers;Updated Linkedin with
Stiletto’s Luck
;New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Annual16: lots of writing, lots of formsShortStory69—A Dragon in the Last Day’s Light, completed;ShortStory73—The Sun and the Stars, completed;ShortStory74—A Choice of Colour, completed;ShortStory75—Last-Ditch Defender, completed;ShortStory76—No Secret Safe, completed; YANovels14A-D: Inspiring titles only; I’m not ready to share. Possibly science fiction.
Progress Report: Week 2 September 2013
Yet another busy week, but more achieved than last week. I’ve been stretching the old writing muscles this week, and learning how to regulate my time a bit better. Looking forward to next week.
OverviewNew words produced: 15,383Old words revised: 2,613Works completed: 5 (2 for blog, 3 for a larger project)Works revised: 1Covers created: 1 (1-3 variations)Works published: 1 (6 release platforms)Works submitted: 1Competitions Entered: 0
Tier 2 TasksRomanceNovel14A—Country Rush: Added 8,500 words,
Tier 3 Tasks Chapbook11A—Yard Boss:Added 800 words, revised and edited, formatted and added cover.Extra TasksShortStory45—The Reptile’s Blade: Added 3,000 words;ShortStory69—A Dragon in the Last Day’s Light, a piece of flash fiction for a larger project;ShortStory73—The Sun and the Stars, a piece of flash fiction for a larger project;ShortStory74—A Choice of Colour, completed in response to Chuck Wendig’s terribleminds flashfiction challenge, this short story can be found HERE.ShortStory75—Last-Ditch Defender, a piece of flash fiction for a larger project.ShortStory76—No Secret Safe, completed in response to the Chuck Wendig terribleminds‘Spin-the-Wheel-of-Conflict’ flash fiction challenge;
Publishing TasksCreated 10 blog posts for this blog;Created 4 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Chapbook11A—Yard Boss:created cover, formatted and uploaded to Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction, OmniLit, Kobo, Smashwords, CreateSpace;Updated G+, Pinterest and Linkedin with
Yard Boss
;Updated Pinterest with covers July through September covers;Updated Linkedin with
Stiletto’s Luck
;New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Annual16: lots of writing, lots of formsShortStory69—A Dragon in the Last Day’s Light, completed;ShortStory73—The Sun and the Stars, completed;ShortStory74—A Choice of Colour, completed;ShortStory75—Last-Ditch Defender, completed;ShortStory76—No Secret Safe, completed; YANovels14A-D: Inspiring titles only; I’m not ready to share. Possibly science fiction.
September 13, 2013
New Cover for Carlie Simonsen - Yard Boss
And here is my latest cover from C.M. Simpson Publishing. This is for Carlie's soon-to-be-released chapter book:
Yard Boss
.
Yard Boss is the first book in the Schoolyard Adventures series, which is set in the school grounds of multiple people, places and times. In Yard Boss, a new kid arrives at a boarding school and is targeted by bullies.
Robert just wants to get on with getting on. He's at a new school and he's trying to find his feet. Allan knows he needs to put the new kid down hard, but which one? How about the big one that returns his gaze? His sidekick, Tom, doesn't think that's such a good idea, but since when did Allan listen to Tom, anyway?
Yard Boss will soon be available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, Nook, DriveThruFiction and iTunes.
Yard Boss is the first book in the Schoolyard Adventures series, which is set in the school grounds of multiple people, places and times. In Yard Boss, a new kid arrives at a boarding school and is targeted by bullies.
Robert just wants to get on with getting on. He's at a new school and he's trying to find his feet. Allan knows he needs to put the new kid down hard, but which one? How about the big one that returns his gaze? His sidekick, Tom, doesn't think that's such a good idea, but since when did Allan listen to Tom, anyway?
Yard Boss will soon be available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, Nook, DriveThruFiction and iTunes.
September 12, 2013
Adventure Edition - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost Act Two Scene 3C
You can find the introduction to the Babes in London adventure sequence HERE, the background to Act One HERE, the Overview for Act One HERE., Act One Scenes 1-2 HERE and Act One Scene 3 HERE.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 3A can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3B can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
GMs, please note that there are two sizable cut-scenes interlinked with Scene 3A. This is the final one for this Scene. You should not run Scene 3A until you have both cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur. Scene 3B was posted last week. Also note that these scenes have not been playtested, so you may need to adjust them on the fly. If you do, I would be grateful for any feedback.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE THREE C: FRIENDS OF KREDAK
You are sitting around a rough, wooden table on benches worn smooth by use and time. The walls appear to be made of mud bricks and heavy wooden shutters cover deep, narrow windows. Outside a storm wind howls but, somehow, you know that the constant hiss against the shutters is sand, not rain. It is not a day to be outside. Or, possibly, a night. Who can tell? The storm has raged for so long it could be either. Your host is about to continue the epic he was reciting for your entertainment when there is a sudden thud from the trap door at the top of the stairs leading to the roof. For a few seconds it is followed by nothing more than the howling wind, and then a roar shakes the building. Either there’s a lion on steroids out there, or you’ve got company…
Let the PCs decide what to do. Inspired by the heroic deeds in the epic he was reciting, their host is all for climbing the stairs and taking a peek – something he does if the PCs take too long discussing the situation. (A Senses [Earth] TH2 test is all that’s required to notice him picking up his scimitar and heading for the stairs – he’s not being subtle.) Roars and shrieks can now be heard from above and it sounds like there’s some sort of fight going on up stairs. Their host is insisting he sees what is happening on his roof. If/when the PCs open the trapdoor read, or paraphrase, the following:
The wind is so strong that it snatches the trapdoor out of your hands and slams it open into the roof. Sand stings your skin and beats against your robes but you see that the crash of the trapdoor has drawn some interesting attention. There is a dragon to the left of you, his snout and claws bloody as he uses his wings to keep him on the roof. There are deep gouges in his chest and flanks and the shaft of a snapped spear is lodged in one shoulder. The creatures between you are a strange mix. They look like an oversized cross between wild boars and men. Some are wielding scimitars and some spears. All are wearing what looks like a rough leather skirt at their waist and thick cloth bands criss-cross the red-black bristles of their upper torsos. How they flew to the roof, you’ll never know, but they outnumber the dragon eight to one and he is barely holding his own. The one nearest you turns: “Be gone humans,” it roars, “lest you join this one in death!”
Let the PCs decide what they are going to do. If they try to talk to the dragon they get no reply as he parries another spear thrust with a swipe of his foreclaw and struggles to keep his balance on the edge of the roof.
NOTE: The Red Boars of Set are particularly powerful. The PCs may need to use their draconic forms in order to survive this battle.
If PCs decide not to do battle: read or paraphrase the following: No, that’s not how it happened. There was a battle, a glorious battle and you won the admiration of your host and a new friend. The creatures were destroyed, shattering into so many shards of sand as each death blow fell. They died and Kredak became your friend. The world turns on the memory of his name and you are once again, standing in Anika’s ransacked room.
NOTE: If PCs choose not to fight the Red Boars of Set, they do not receive the heritage AP for the battle, even though they still become known as Friends of Kredak.
If PCs decide to do battle: Give players the choice of what form to use in the battle to come and role initiative. (For new characters/players, go to the Notes for New Characters Sidebar II.)
NOTES FOR NEW CHARACTERS SIDEBAR II:New players/characters may not know to use their draconic form in this battle so have them turn to their dragon descriptions and read, or paraphrase the following:
With the beating these things are giving that dragon, you’d be a fool to take them on as a man. You feel your bones shifting as you leap into the fray with a roar.
RED BOARS OF SET – WARRIORS (7)Era Mythic; Race Mythic supernatural being; APL 6; Aspects Fire 5, Water 4, Air 3, Earth 3; Init. 8, Health 3m; <3 / 4+ / 8+ / 12+ / 16+ / 20+ / 24+ / 28+; (the four Boars facing Kredak are currently on three wound dice, while the four facing the PCs are on two), Size/Reach 1 / 5; Armor 5 (cloth + natural hide); Karma 15 (currently 5); Stride 50 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Scimitar 9/M, Medium Spear 7/M, Sequences Rank & File, Long Arm Abilities Skills : Athletics 2, Knowledge: Set 2, Melee 3, Senses 2, Stamina 2, Will 2;Edges: Aggressive 1, Brutal 2, Deft 1, Resilient 1Powers: Swift 2, Undeterred 2Traits: Alternate Form 2, Ferocity 1,
RED BOARS OF SET – CAPTAIN (1)Era Mythic; Race Mythic supernatural being; APL 7; Aspects Fire 5, Water 4, Air 3, Earth 3; Init. 8, Health 3m; <3 / 4+ / 8+ / 12+ / 16+ / 20+ / 24+ / 28+; (currently on 1 wound dice), Size/Reach 1 / 5; Armor 5 (cloth + natural hide); Karma 15 (currently 5); Stride 50 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Scimitar 9/M, Medium Spear 7/M, Sequences Rank & File, Long Arm Abilities Skills : Athletics 6, Knowledge: Set 3, Melee 5, Senses 3, Stamina 4, Will 4;Edges: Aggressive 2, Brutal 3, Deft 2, Resilient 2Powers: Swift 2, Undeterred 2Traits: Alternate Form 2, Ferocity 1
KREDAKEra Mythic; Race Noble Beast Dragon; APL ; Aspects Fire 3 (3), Water 6 (4), Air 5 (3), Earth 5 (4); Init. 8, Health 5m; <6 / 6+ / 12+ / 18+ / 24+ / 30+ / 36+ / 42+ (currently at 2 wound dice); Size/Reach 4 / 20; Armor 8; Karma 50 (currently 15); Stride: 90 ft. (Speedy), Fly 45 ft. (Slow, mnv 4)Weapons:—Foreclaw: 12/M—Hindclaw: 18/M (Grab move ready requirement)—Bite: 18/H—Gore: 21/H—Sweeping Tail: 18/Size 5 (Weapon Sweep move)Sequences: Barroom Brawling, Swift (Archangel, Underhanded)Skills : Athletics 3, Casting 3, Interaction 6, Knowledge: Atlantean Culture 3, Knowledge: Geography 3, Knowledge: Kehebite Culture 3, Knowledge: Kehebite Language 3, Knowledge: Set 3, Medicine 3, Quickness 6, Ranged 6, Senses 6, Stealth 6, Trickery 6, Will 3;Spells: Aegis AB, Catcher’s Creation ABCD (Coruscating Bolt AB, Flash ABC)Edges: Adaptive 3, Casting 5, Deft 4, Stealthy 2, Trivia 1Powers: Alternate Form 5, Group Mind 2, Heightened Senses: Hearing 1, Heightened Senses: Scent 1, Heightened Senses: Sight 1, Heightened Senses: Touch 1, Metabolic Control 4, Nobility 3Legacy: ShapeshifterTraits: Heightened Senses, Horned Skull, Sweeping TailHoard: 3
Red Boar Tactics: The Boars have been sent to destroy Kredak who has been investigating their activities on behalf of his brood. They have the Undeterred power until his death and the return of his head to the High Priest of Set; this makes them particularly difficult to kill. They continue to attack Kredak in preference to any other attacker but, as only four can get to the dragon at any one time; that leaves four to deal with any PC interference. On reaching their death, they shatter into an exploding whirlwind of sand. The Red Boars fight back to back in two rows with one row attacking Kredak and the other row defending against the PCs. The captain of the Boars is in the row facing the PCs.Kredak’s Tactics: Kredak has spent the last three days trying to outrun these creatures. He has used every trick of stealth he knows and still the boars are able to find him. So far, he has managed to take down enough of the creatures to escape, but this hunting party caught him by surprise, chasing him through the storm until they caught up with him. Kredak is tired and in desperate need of his brood. He is using his Group Mind ability to call them for aid. He has been calling them for the last three days but doubts they will reach him in time. With the arrival of the PCs Kredak’s only goal is to survive long enough for his brood to rescue him.
The Rooftop: The rooftop is shared by a long row of buildings. It is twenty-feet deep and about eighty-feet long. Kredak is currently pinned in one corner, but PCs have enough room to come at his attackers from three sides.
If Things Go Badly: PCs are rescued by two other members of Kredak’s brood. Read, or paraphrase, the following: With your brood badly wounded and the dragon looking more injured than ever, you think this is going to be the end. So much for good intentions, you’re thinking, when another roar breaks through the noise of the storm. “GET BACK!” you hear, but the voice is inside your head and you find yourself backing up before you have time to think. Fire bursts over the giant boar-men, singing your skin as lightning rips through the flying sand. The stinging grains feel heavy against your flesh, coagulating as rain begins to fall. Two other forms plunge into the midst of the battle, landing on the boar men, great jaws snapping closed as teeth and claws tear your opponents apart. Go to ‘Aftermath’.
If Things Go Well: read, or paraphrase, the following: “Thank you,” the dragon says, sinking to the rooftop, seemingly oblivious to the sand tearing at his hide. You open your mouth to say something when two massive forms plunge out of the storm. “Friends!” the dragon bellows struggling to stand. “They’re friends!” The forms sheer off and lightning snaps through the storm. A sheet of flame causes sand to turn liquid and spatter onto a rooftop nearby. The dragon slowly collapses again: “My brood…” he whispers as the two forms settle at the other end of the roof. Go to ‘Aftermath’.
Aftermath: Allow the players to decide what to do next but, before they can actually react read, or paraphrase, the following: The scene fades. You know how it ends. Kredak – the dragon you saved from creatures he named the Red Boars – swore friendship to you and your brood. It seemed your goals weren’t that far apart. His broodmates were friendly, but noncommittal – allies, you think, but not friends. You are staring once more at the disk and the strange symbol marked on its surface, realizing that each of the boar men had a similar mark branded into its left shoulder. What was it Kredak had said: The Red Boars, the Red Boars of … who? If PCs have searched the house and Anika’s room, and garnered all the clues they can, Go to the section titled: ‘Finalizing Scene Three’.
END ACT TWO SCENE 3C
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 3 finalization.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 3A can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3B can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
GMs, please note that there are two sizable cut-scenes interlinked with Scene 3A. This is the final one for this Scene. You should not run Scene 3A until you have both cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur. Scene 3B was posted last week. Also note that these scenes have not been playtested, so you may need to adjust them on the fly. If you do, I would be grateful for any feedback.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE THREE C: FRIENDS OF KREDAK
You are sitting around a rough, wooden table on benches worn smooth by use and time. The walls appear to be made of mud bricks and heavy wooden shutters cover deep, narrow windows. Outside a storm wind howls but, somehow, you know that the constant hiss against the shutters is sand, not rain. It is not a day to be outside. Or, possibly, a night. Who can tell? The storm has raged for so long it could be either. Your host is about to continue the epic he was reciting for your entertainment when there is a sudden thud from the trap door at the top of the stairs leading to the roof. For a few seconds it is followed by nothing more than the howling wind, and then a roar shakes the building. Either there’s a lion on steroids out there, or you’ve got company…
Let the PCs decide what to do. Inspired by the heroic deeds in the epic he was reciting, their host is all for climbing the stairs and taking a peek – something he does if the PCs take too long discussing the situation. (A Senses [Earth] TH2 test is all that’s required to notice him picking up his scimitar and heading for the stairs – he’s not being subtle.) Roars and shrieks can now be heard from above and it sounds like there’s some sort of fight going on up stairs. Their host is insisting he sees what is happening on his roof. If/when the PCs open the trapdoor read, or paraphrase, the following:
The wind is so strong that it snatches the trapdoor out of your hands and slams it open into the roof. Sand stings your skin and beats against your robes but you see that the crash of the trapdoor has drawn some interesting attention. There is a dragon to the left of you, his snout and claws bloody as he uses his wings to keep him on the roof. There are deep gouges in his chest and flanks and the shaft of a snapped spear is lodged in one shoulder. The creatures between you are a strange mix. They look like an oversized cross between wild boars and men. Some are wielding scimitars and some spears. All are wearing what looks like a rough leather skirt at their waist and thick cloth bands criss-cross the red-black bristles of their upper torsos. How they flew to the roof, you’ll never know, but they outnumber the dragon eight to one and he is barely holding his own. The one nearest you turns: “Be gone humans,” it roars, “lest you join this one in death!”
Let the PCs decide what they are going to do. If they try to talk to the dragon they get no reply as he parries another spear thrust with a swipe of his foreclaw and struggles to keep his balance on the edge of the roof.
NOTE: The Red Boars of Set are particularly powerful. The PCs may need to use their draconic forms in order to survive this battle.
If PCs decide not to do battle: read or paraphrase the following: No, that’s not how it happened. There was a battle, a glorious battle and you won the admiration of your host and a new friend. The creatures were destroyed, shattering into so many shards of sand as each death blow fell. They died and Kredak became your friend. The world turns on the memory of his name and you are once again, standing in Anika’s ransacked room.
NOTE: If PCs choose not to fight the Red Boars of Set, they do not receive the heritage AP for the battle, even though they still become known as Friends of Kredak.
If PCs decide to do battle: Give players the choice of what form to use in the battle to come and role initiative. (For new characters/players, go to the Notes for New Characters Sidebar II.)
NOTES FOR NEW CHARACTERS SIDEBAR II:New players/characters may not know to use their draconic form in this battle so have them turn to their dragon descriptions and read, or paraphrase the following:
With the beating these things are giving that dragon, you’d be a fool to take them on as a man. You feel your bones shifting as you leap into the fray with a roar.
RED BOARS OF SET – WARRIORS (7)Era Mythic; Race Mythic supernatural being; APL 6; Aspects Fire 5, Water 4, Air 3, Earth 3; Init. 8, Health 3m; <3 / 4+ / 8+ / 12+ / 16+ / 20+ / 24+ / 28+; (the four Boars facing Kredak are currently on three wound dice, while the four facing the PCs are on two), Size/Reach 1 / 5; Armor 5 (cloth + natural hide); Karma 15 (currently 5); Stride 50 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Scimitar 9/M, Medium Spear 7/M, Sequences Rank & File, Long Arm Abilities Skills : Athletics 2, Knowledge: Set 2, Melee 3, Senses 2, Stamina 2, Will 2;Edges: Aggressive 1, Brutal 2, Deft 1, Resilient 1Powers: Swift 2, Undeterred 2Traits: Alternate Form 2, Ferocity 1,
RED BOARS OF SET – CAPTAIN (1)Era Mythic; Race Mythic supernatural being; APL 7; Aspects Fire 5, Water 4, Air 3, Earth 3; Init. 8, Health 3m; <3 / 4+ / 8+ / 12+ / 16+ / 20+ / 24+ / 28+; (currently on 1 wound dice), Size/Reach 1 / 5; Armor 5 (cloth + natural hide); Karma 15 (currently 5); Stride 50 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Scimitar 9/M, Medium Spear 7/M, Sequences Rank & File, Long Arm Abilities Skills : Athletics 6, Knowledge: Set 3, Melee 5, Senses 3, Stamina 4, Will 4;Edges: Aggressive 2, Brutal 3, Deft 2, Resilient 2Powers: Swift 2, Undeterred 2Traits: Alternate Form 2, Ferocity 1
KREDAKEra Mythic; Race Noble Beast Dragon; APL ; Aspects Fire 3 (3), Water 6 (4), Air 5 (3), Earth 5 (4); Init. 8, Health 5m; <6 / 6+ / 12+ / 18+ / 24+ / 30+ / 36+ / 42+ (currently at 2 wound dice); Size/Reach 4 / 20; Armor 8; Karma 50 (currently 15); Stride: 90 ft. (Speedy), Fly 45 ft. (Slow, mnv 4)Weapons:—Foreclaw: 12/M—Hindclaw: 18/M (Grab move ready requirement)—Bite: 18/H—Gore: 21/H—Sweeping Tail: 18/Size 5 (Weapon Sweep move)Sequences: Barroom Brawling, Swift (Archangel, Underhanded)Skills : Athletics 3, Casting 3, Interaction 6, Knowledge: Atlantean Culture 3, Knowledge: Geography 3, Knowledge: Kehebite Culture 3, Knowledge: Kehebite Language 3, Knowledge: Set 3, Medicine 3, Quickness 6, Ranged 6, Senses 6, Stealth 6, Trickery 6, Will 3;Spells: Aegis AB, Catcher’s Creation ABCD (Coruscating Bolt AB, Flash ABC)Edges: Adaptive 3, Casting 5, Deft 4, Stealthy 2, Trivia 1Powers: Alternate Form 5, Group Mind 2, Heightened Senses: Hearing 1, Heightened Senses: Scent 1, Heightened Senses: Sight 1, Heightened Senses: Touch 1, Metabolic Control 4, Nobility 3Legacy: ShapeshifterTraits: Heightened Senses, Horned Skull, Sweeping TailHoard: 3
Red Boar Tactics: The Boars have been sent to destroy Kredak who has been investigating their activities on behalf of his brood. They have the Undeterred power until his death and the return of his head to the High Priest of Set; this makes them particularly difficult to kill. They continue to attack Kredak in preference to any other attacker but, as only four can get to the dragon at any one time; that leaves four to deal with any PC interference. On reaching their death, they shatter into an exploding whirlwind of sand. The Red Boars fight back to back in two rows with one row attacking Kredak and the other row defending against the PCs. The captain of the Boars is in the row facing the PCs.Kredak’s Tactics: Kredak has spent the last three days trying to outrun these creatures. He has used every trick of stealth he knows and still the boars are able to find him. So far, he has managed to take down enough of the creatures to escape, but this hunting party caught him by surprise, chasing him through the storm until they caught up with him. Kredak is tired and in desperate need of his brood. He is using his Group Mind ability to call them for aid. He has been calling them for the last three days but doubts they will reach him in time. With the arrival of the PCs Kredak’s only goal is to survive long enough for his brood to rescue him.
The Rooftop: The rooftop is shared by a long row of buildings. It is twenty-feet deep and about eighty-feet long. Kredak is currently pinned in one corner, but PCs have enough room to come at his attackers from three sides.
If Things Go Badly: PCs are rescued by two other members of Kredak’s brood. Read, or paraphrase, the following: With your brood badly wounded and the dragon looking more injured than ever, you think this is going to be the end. So much for good intentions, you’re thinking, when another roar breaks through the noise of the storm. “GET BACK!” you hear, but the voice is inside your head and you find yourself backing up before you have time to think. Fire bursts over the giant boar-men, singing your skin as lightning rips through the flying sand. The stinging grains feel heavy against your flesh, coagulating as rain begins to fall. Two other forms plunge into the midst of the battle, landing on the boar men, great jaws snapping closed as teeth and claws tear your opponents apart. Go to ‘Aftermath’.
If Things Go Well: read, or paraphrase, the following: “Thank you,” the dragon says, sinking to the rooftop, seemingly oblivious to the sand tearing at his hide. You open your mouth to say something when two massive forms plunge out of the storm. “Friends!” the dragon bellows struggling to stand. “They’re friends!” The forms sheer off and lightning snaps through the storm. A sheet of flame causes sand to turn liquid and spatter onto a rooftop nearby. The dragon slowly collapses again: “My brood…” he whispers as the two forms settle at the other end of the roof. Go to ‘Aftermath’.
Aftermath: Allow the players to decide what to do next but, before they can actually react read, or paraphrase, the following: The scene fades. You know how it ends. Kredak – the dragon you saved from creatures he named the Red Boars – swore friendship to you and your brood. It seemed your goals weren’t that far apart. His broodmates were friendly, but noncommittal – allies, you think, but not friends. You are staring once more at the disk and the strange symbol marked on its surface, realizing that each of the boar men had a similar mark branded into its left shoulder. What was it Kredak had said: The Red Boars, the Red Boars of … who? If PCs have searched the house and Anika’s room, and garnered all the clues they can, Go to the section titled: ‘Finalizing Scene Three’.
END ACT TWO SCENE 3C
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 3 finalization.
September 11, 2013
Flash Fiction Challenge - A Choice of Colour
The latest Wendig Terribleminds Challenge revolved around an article in an on-line magazine. I thought of spiders, of moths, of beetles and, finally, I thought of fairy rings, and this is what I came up with. Enjoy:
A Choice of Colour
Shiloh saw the first tower ring as she stepped out onto the porch. The sight made her heart beat faster. She hadn’t counted on being found so soon. Glancing around, she breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing above the door. Nothing on the opposite lintel. Careful now, Shiloh looked down, butterflies stirring restlessly in her stomach, her toes instinctively curling away from the innocuous palisade of white in her front of her feet. That one had nearly worked.
Taking a cautious step backward, Shiloh stood in the doorway, taking stock of the day. Grey, pre-dawn light softened the world outside, drawing long shadows on the red earth beyond her front porch. Cool air touched her skin, something to be relished before the sun rose and the air became a moving blanket of warmth.Shiloh glanced down at the tower ring. The warmth would nullify most of the magic, but she wondered how those on the other side would cope with the sudden influx of red dust and heat. She wondered if they would be attracted to it as she had been, if any more would be tempted to cross.A milk crate stood to one side of the door. The station hands used it as a seat when they took off their boots before coming inside, or when they wanted a smoke at the end of the day. West-facing, they stared into the growing dark, watching the sun fade from the sky and enjoying the cooling pallor of evening before heading in to shower the red dirt from their skins and hair.Shiloh didn’t want to think of what would happen to those bright-eyed boys in the shadowed cold of the other world. She glanced at the towers inside their protective silk fences and sighed. Who knew refusing a marriage would be so hard. She fetched the old metal dustpan from the kitchen, found a paint scraper the boys used for cleaning cow shit from their boots, and crushed each tower complex with a decisive swat of the flat metal blade.Even with the protection of iron to shield her, Shiloh felt the sting of dying magic touch her through the scraper’s handle, felt the outrage of its creator and the resulting sadness in her heart. Of course, there was only one who could have tracked her. The partial pre-marital bonding still held, a barrier to her finding happiness with anyone else, a tangible link between this world and the next. Or, perhaps, she truly did love the man she’d promised to wed. Loved him, even when she could not live within the constraints of his world. The bonding should not have held when she disrupted the last ceremony, destroying the gifts that would have completed the tie. Only her only feelings maintained it now.Shiloh swept the crushed remains into the old iron dustpan. Again, the wooden handle protected her from the last sparking remains of power, but not the emotions of its creator. Joy? A faint surge of happiness eclipsing the chagrin and anger at the destruction of so exquisite a crafting? Even sensing the emotion raised Shiloh’s pulse. Sweeping the remnants into the rubbish bins at the side of the stockmen's quarters, Shiloh looked up at the sky, using the brightness of the sun to dry her tears. She didn’t want to run again.Shiloh wiped the back of her hand over her eyes, brushing the last tell-tale moistness away, then she turned and walked back inside. She’d be safe until just after dusk. Dusk, when the air would grow cool enough for her fiancé to make another attempt. Moving would do her no good. He’d only find her again. And again. And again.Shiloh knew she’d just have to face facts. The ceremonies didn’t work unless the attraction was there already, unless each half of the couple wanted to make it work. Tallean was her choice of partner. His persistence proved he had chosen her. Their differences aside, they both wanted the same thing. The only problem was that Shiloh didn’t want everything that went with it. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—live in The Grey.As usual, thinking of him and the world beyond, opened the link enough she could imagine hearing his voice again.“Come back, princess mine.”The words were always the same.“Come back, princess mine.”But she couldn’t.Shiloh returned to the porch, moved the milk crate back to its position by the wall, sat down. Staring out into the wild country surrounding the stockmen’s quarters, she let her mind wander, absorbed the colours. The red of the earth, the bright blue of the open sky, the myriad of green and grey foliage, the white splash of paper daisies and the brilliant yellow cluster-puffs of wattle. Much as she loved Tallean, she couldn’t, wouldn’t, give this up.“Colour my world.”The words brought tears to Shiloh’s eyes.I can’t.“It wasn’t always grey.”It’s so cold. Always cold. Shiloh blinked, soaking in the heat reflected from the ground outside. Even she couldn’t go out in such brightness, the warmth of full day always too warm for Shiloh’s otherworld skin.“It’s grown colder since you fled.” The sadness in Tallean’s voice brought more tears to her eyes, blurring the brilliance of the world beyond.Ridiculous, Shiloh thought. I can feel him standing at my side, his hand on my shoulder, as in days gone by.“But that’s because I am here.” This time Tallean’s voice was an all-too-real rumble from just above her head.Shiloh drew a sharp breath of surprise, but Tallean continued, “I can see why you like it here. The colours…”Shiloh waited, feeling her lover’s pleasure in the sight, feeling his regret, the gentle squeeze of fingers on her shoulder.“I cannot ask you to give it up,” Tallean said, and Shiloh felt the pressure of his fingers start to fade. “But think of me.”“Tallean, I…” But he was gone.Can I really bring colour to your world?“Yes.”
September 10, 2013
Australian Birds: Cattle Egret
This little guy was stalking fish, and I was stalking him. He was a lot better at stalking fish and keeping big bunches of reeds between us than I was at taking photographs.
