C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 203
September 7, 2013
Progress Report: Week 2 September 2013
Long and disrupted week, this week. Still, got a little done, which is encouraging.
OverviewNew words produced: 7,430Old words revised: 0Works completed: 1Works revised: 0Covers created: 0 (1-3 variations)Works published: 1 (5 release platforms, 1-2 formats each)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 2 (22 entries across a number of different categories and 2 competitions)
Tier 2 TasksCountry Rush: Added 2,159 words
Extra TasksEdited Stiletto’s Luck ;Formatted Stiletto’s Luck ;
Publishing Tasks
Created 3 blog posts for this blog;Created 4 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Released Stiletto’s Luck on Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction, Kobo, OmniLit, and Smashwords platforms.
Traditional Tasks
Completed and submitted RPGSupplement14H
New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:
Chapbook5C: science fiction chapter book about a boy and an adventure;Chapbook5D: science fiction chapter book about a boy and another adventure;Chapbook14D: featuring a wheelchair;Chapbook14E: another wheelchair hero;Chapbook19G: paranormal urban electrical adventure;Novella6C: paranormal romanceRPGSupplement14H: about lizardfolk
September 5, 2013
Adventure Edition - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost Act Two Scene 3B
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 and Act Two Scene 3A 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. They final one will be posted next week. You should not run Scene 3A until you have both cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur. Scene 3B is only the first cut-scene. 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 B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW
You stand before the wooden platform that should have hosted the trial. Lady Amintar, a magistrate from the port city of Elios, stands in the center of the platform and her body radiates the fury in her voice. “Three months ago the farmer Breytos left this freehold to try to sell his fleece in Elios. At that time it would have fetched three times the price he could have gained from selling it to the freehold.” She waits until the murmurs rising from the community gathered around you subside. “Breytos died when his horses bolted on the road through Mairnon’s Pass, taking themselves and the wagon over the edge and into the Heirions River. I am here because the magistrates have retrieved the wagon and found evidence of Blisterionus on the harness of the both animals.” There is a collective gasp from the people around you and now their eyes understand two things: Your presence, and the disappearance of Breytos’ neighbor – with Breytos’ wife. Magistrate Amintar outlines the suspicions brought to her by Breytos’ daughters and the charge of murder laid against their mother and neighbor. “By the 101stlaw it is said that: Sabotage leading to the foreseeable chance of death for another is murder and the saboteur shall be tried as a murderer. In this case we have conducted our investigations and bring the case before you only to find that the accused have disappeared. Fortunately someone among you noted the disappearance and there are volunteers for the hunt.” She looks directly at you and you bow. There is a smattering of nervous applause from the assembled freehold. Your deeds are well known, but this is the first hunt where your prey is human. “Give them all the help they require.” With her last command ringing in their ears, the freeholders look towards you. You hear one mutter an excuse to his neighbor – something about having to take the sheep to pasture. It’s the start of an exodus. With a sigh, you realize two things – the reason you only received the call for help last night and that you’ll have to use the dogs after all.
PART A: INVESTIGATION
Let the PCs work out what to do. If they are aware of their draconic forms and abilities, they can use these, otherwise they take on the human disguise adopted by their draconic selves during this Age. They do have dogs available to them and a guide can be found to take them to Breytos’ house where one of the dead man’s daughters can be located. She can give them something the dogs can scent from and the hunt can begin – or the PCs can do some investigation first. If there is time, let the PCs move around the village asking questions.
Research (Mental): If a character uses this skillTH1: Karymnos, Breytos’ neighbor, was a fur trader and hunter. He has not been seen since yesterday evening when he was gathering supplies for another of his hunting trips. Breytos’ wife, Brinna, was last seen locking her doors an hour after dusk. (Neither of her daughters saw her this morning, however, but assumed she had business in the village – a fact that is easily checked and found to be false.).TH3: Karymnos hunted mostly the eastern side of the mountain above the village but traded with another community on the other side of the mountain. There is a trail, used only by hunters and peddlers.
Knowledge (Atlantean Geography): Characters aware of Atlantean geography for this age may try to work out other ways Breytos could have taken to escape the village without taking the main trail.
TH1: There are numerous small trails all over the mountain. Some even lead to communities on the other side but are mostly used by peddlers and hunters.TH3: If Breytos wanted to avoid using the main trail and reach a port, he would try to reach Marethykos, a village on the other side of the mountain. From there he could make his way down to the sea and take passage from the fishing village of Kykos to any of the ports. Marethykos is two days away which means the runaways won’t reach it until tomorrow mid-morning at the earliest (tomorrow evening if they stop to rest for the night).
Other Notes: A guide can be found to lead them to the trail to Marethykos. Slender and wiry, this otherwise pretty young lady bears the scars of a lion’s strike across one shoulder and the top of an arm. If asked, she calmly informs the character that she forgot that mask cats hunt in pairs. If pressed for details a shadow crosses her face and she changes the subject to the location of the path, where she leaves them. Her name is Alyssia and she is a hunter by trade. If PCs are actively trying to gain more information from her they can make an Air (Interaction) test. The following THs reveal the following information:
TH1: Alyssia knows of no other trails that the runaways could have taken as a short cut but Karymnos was a skilled hunter and had his secrets.TH2: No-one else has used the track for days.TH3: Karymnos pack-horse has a distinctive track mark. His near-fore hoofprint has an indented triangle on the inner left-hand side.
PART B: THE CHASE
From here, the PCs match their skills at hunting and tracking against Karymnos. The hunter has used the main path for much of the way, both for speed and to hide his trail. After 6 hours of traveling in the dark and 3 hours of hard riding, he left the trail and headed down the mountain, using rocky outcrops and stony ground to hide his diversion. He is heading for the Heiron’s River where he has arranged to meet a boat to take him and Brinna to Elios – which is in the opposite direction to which he will be expected to go.
If they are using the dogs , the PCs reach the rocky outcrop where Karymnos left the path around mid-afternoon. Read or paraphrase the following: The dogs are looking tired but very pleased with themselves. Eight hours of tracking and they think they’re still on the trail. The trail turns a corner and the trees give way to a bulge of rock that extends across the path and up and down both sides. The dogs stop. One sneezes. Another rubs its nose. The third dog glares at you as though it’s your fault and the fourth sits down and looks confused. It’s the lead dog that picks up the trail again. After two more sneezing episodes, it begins to pull you away from the trail and over the rocks leading down the mountainside.
If the PCs want to double check the dogs’ decision they must make an Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH1 test in order to notice that something has disturbed the rocks and nearby shrubbery. Otherwise they can follow the dogs. (Go to Part C: Rendezvous)
If they are not using the dogs , the PCs must make six Air (Senses) TH3 tests while following the trail. Success means they note some tangible sign that he has passed along the trail be it a distinctive hoof mark, a scrap of cloth from a woman’s dress, evidence that someone ‘had to go’ in the bushes not far from the trail, a discarded handkerchief etc. Once they reach the rocky outcrop at mid-afternoon, have them make another Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) in order to pick up and keep the hunter’s trail. (Karymnos had a TH1 to leave the trail successfully at this point due to the rocky nature of both the trail and the ground beyond it.) If they fail to pick up the trail at this point, they come across a hunter’s camp further on and learn that no-one has passed that way all day – the hunters can help put them back on the trail if they need it, or the PCs can back track, making tests until they pick up the trail again. When they find it, continue with Part C: Rendezvous.
PART C: RENDEZVOUS
If PCs are using the dogs:
Dusk is closing in, when the hounds begin to bay. Well, so much for the stealthy approach! Ahead of you, just beyond an outcrop of rocks you hear a shout of angry frustration and a woman’s cry of dismay.
PCs have finally caught up with the runaways. Karymnos is a desperate man and slips into hiding the moment the hounds begin to bay; his plan is to make his way into the river and let its current carry him downstream and to the other side. He has given Brinna instructions to do the same and the pair split up, confusing the dogs with a choice of two scent trails. As PCs round the outcrop, read or paraphrase the following:
Apart from a horse, still tethered to a tree, a picnic blanket spread in the late afternoon sun, and the hastily discarded remains of someone’s supper, the area beyond the outcrop is empty. The dogs reach the blanket and then begin circling to regain the scent; there is sudden confusion as the lead hound tries to continue the pursuit in one direction and the second lead lunges in another.
Let the PCs work out how to handle this before allowing them to close the pursuit. Because Karymnos is trying to be stealthy, he is moving slower than any PC and dog combination but the same cannot be said for Brinna who is fleeing headlong for the water, discarding pieces of clothing (and anything else that might slow her down) as she goes.
If PCs are not using the dogs: Have them make three Air (Senses) TH3 tests against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH3 (it’s hard to hide traces of the pack horse’s passage through the undergrowth). If the third test is successful read or paraphrase the following:
From behind another outcrop of rocks, you hear the sound of voices, soft laughter and the restless stamp of a horse.
Let PCs work out how to tackle this situation. Whatever they do, as soon as they show themselves, Karymnos and Brinna try to bolt for the river, heading in two different directions as described above. In this case, however, Karymnos won’t be trying to be stealthy unless he manages to lose whoever is following him in the undergrowth.
KARYMNOS – ATLANTEAN HUNTEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 4; Init 8; Aspects Fire 4, Water 3, Air 4, Earth 3; Health 3m; <3/ 3+ / 6+ /9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 3; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Throwing Dagger 4/L , Recurve Bow 10/M, Long Sword 10/M,Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Knife Fighting Abilities Skills Athletics 5; Knowledge: Finances 4; Knowledge: Geography 4; Knowledge: Law 3; Medicine 3; Melee 5; Ranged 6; Senses 5; Stamina 4; Stealth 6; Travel 5; Will 5; Edges: Allies: Smugglers 5; Circumspect 3, Deft 3, Stealthy
BRINNA – ATLANTEAN FREEHOLDEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 2; Init ; Aspects Fire 3, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 4; Health 4m; <3 / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+ / 24+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 15; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Abilities Skills Athletics 4, Knowledge: Farming 4, Knowledge: Finances: 2, Knowledge: Mythic Culture (Atlantis) 2, Stamina 4; Edges Allies: Freehold, Durable, Network: Freehold.
PART D: SENTENCE & REWARDOnce the capture (or apparent loss) of Brinna and Karymnos is resolved read, or paraphrase, the following:
Well, they led you a merry dance, but you caught them in the end. The scene of their capture fades, and you find yourself standing once again before a wooden platform and Lady Amintar. Brinna and Karymnos kneel before her, their heads touching the boards. “… the penalty is death by drowning,” the Lady Amintar is saying. The stern look fades from her face and she glances down at you with a smile. “And for my hunters I have a new title. You are awarded the position of Hounds of the Law and your services will be retained in perpetuity.” The scene fades and you find yourselves arrayed before Anika’s desk with one thought resting uneasily on your mind. The summons to the trial had come from a member of another brood and you had answered immediately – but now you can’t remember why. You really wish you could, because someone out there appears to owe you a favor.
Allow the PCs to work out what they wish to do next. They may wish to continue searching the house, or they may have completed their search and wish to go elsewhere. 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 OF ACT TWO SCENE 3B
Next week, I will be posting the final cut-scene, Act Two Scene 3C.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3A 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. They final one will be posted next week. You should not run Scene 3A until you have both cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur. Scene 3B is only the first cut-scene. 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 B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW
You stand before the wooden platform that should have hosted the trial. Lady Amintar, a magistrate from the port city of Elios, stands in the center of the platform and her body radiates the fury in her voice. “Three months ago the farmer Breytos left this freehold to try to sell his fleece in Elios. At that time it would have fetched three times the price he could have gained from selling it to the freehold.” She waits until the murmurs rising from the community gathered around you subside. “Breytos died when his horses bolted on the road through Mairnon’s Pass, taking themselves and the wagon over the edge and into the Heirions River. I am here because the magistrates have retrieved the wagon and found evidence of Blisterionus on the harness of the both animals.” There is a collective gasp from the people around you and now their eyes understand two things: Your presence, and the disappearance of Breytos’ neighbor – with Breytos’ wife. Magistrate Amintar outlines the suspicions brought to her by Breytos’ daughters and the charge of murder laid against their mother and neighbor. “By the 101stlaw it is said that: Sabotage leading to the foreseeable chance of death for another is murder and the saboteur shall be tried as a murderer. In this case we have conducted our investigations and bring the case before you only to find that the accused have disappeared. Fortunately someone among you noted the disappearance and there are volunteers for the hunt.” She looks directly at you and you bow. There is a smattering of nervous applause from the assembled freehold. Your deeds are well known, but this is the first hunt where your prey is human. “Give them all the help they require.” With her last command ringing in their ears, the freeholders look towards you. You hear one mutter an excuse to his neighbor – something about having to take the sheep to pasture. It’s the start of an exodus. With a sigh, you realize two things – the reason you only received the call for help last night and that you’ll have to use the dogs after all.
PART A: INVESTIGATION
Let the PCs work out what to do. If they are aware of their draconic forms and abilities, they can use these, otherwise they take on the human disguise adopted by their draconic selves during this Age. They do have dogs available to them and a guide can be found to take them to Breytos’ house where one of the dead man’s daughters can be located. She can give them something the dogs can scent from and the hunt can begin – or the PCs can do some investigation first. If there is time, let the PCs move around the village asking questions.
Research (Mental): If a character uses this skillTH1: Karymnos, Breytos’ neighbor, was a fur trader and hunter. He has not been seen since yesterday evening when he was gathering supplies for another of his hunting trips. Breytos’ wife, Brinna, was last seen locking her doors an hour after dusk. (Neither of her daughters saw her this morning, however, but assumed she had business in the village – a fact that is easily checked and found to be false.).TH3: Karymnos hunted mostly the eastern side of the mountain above the village but traded with another community on the other side of the mountain. There is a trail, used only by hunters and peddlers.
Knowledge (Atlantean Geography): Characters aware of Atlantean geography for this age may try to work out other ways Breytos could have taken to escape the village without taking the main trail.
TH1: There are numerous small trails all over the mountain. Some even lead to communities on the other side but are mostly used by peddlers and hunters.TH3: If Breytos wanted to avoid using the main trail and reach a port, he would try to reach Marethykos, a village on the other side of the mountain. From there he could make his way down to the sea and take passage from the fishing village of Kykos to any of the ports. Marethykos is two days away which means the runaways won’t reach it until tomorrow mid-morning at the earliest (tomorrow evening if they stop to rest for the night).
Other Notes: A guide can be found to lead them to the trail to Marethykos. Slender and wiry, this otherwise pretty young lady bears the scars of a lion’s strike across one shoulder and the top of an arm. If asked, she calmly informs the character that she forgot that mask cats hunt in pairs. If pressed for details a shadow crosses her face and she changes the subject to the location of the path, where she leaves them. Her name is Alyssia and she is a hunter by trade. If PCs are actively trying to gain more information from her they can make an Air (Interaction) test. The following THs reveal the following information:
TH1: Alyssia knows of no other trails that the runaways could have taken as a short cut but Karymnos was a skilled hunter and had his secrets.TH2: No-one else has used the track for days.TH3: Karymnos pack-horse has a distinctive track mark. His near-fore hoofprint has an indented triangle on the inner left-hand side.
PART B: THE CHASE
From here, the PCs match their skills at hunting and tracking against Karymnos. The hunter has used the main path for much of the way, both for speed and to hide his trail. After 6 hours of traveling in the dark and 3 hours of hard riding, he left the trail and headed down the mountain, using rocky outcrops and stony ground to hide his diversion. He is heading for the Heiron’s River where he has arranged to meet a boat to take him and Brinna to Elios – which is in the opposite direction to which he will be expected to go.
If they are using the dogs , the PCs reach the rocky outcrop where Karymnos left the path around mid-afternoon. Read or paraphrase the following: The dogs are looking tired but very pleased with themselves. Eight hours of tracking and they think they’re still on the trail. The trail turns a corner and the trees give way to a bulge of rock that extends across the path and up and down both sides. The dogs stop. One sneezes. Another rubs its nose. The third dog glares at you as though it’s your fault and the fourth sits down and looks confused. It’s the lead dog that picks up the trail again. After two more sneezing episodes, it begins to pull you away from the trail and over the rocks leading down the mountainside.
If the PCs want to double check the dogs’ decision they must make an Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH1 test in order to notice that something has disturbed the rocks and nearby shrubbery. Otherwise they can follow the dogs. (Go to Part C: Rendezvous)
If they are not using the dogs , the PCs must make six Air (Senses) TH3 tests while following the trail. Success means they note some tangible sign that he has passed along the trail be it a distinctive hoof mark, a scrap of cloth from a woman’s dress, evidence that someone ‘had to go’ in the bushes not far from the trail, a discarded handkerchief etc. Once they reach the rocky outcrop at mid-afternoon, have them make another Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) in order to pick up and keep the hunter’s trail. (Karymnos had a TH1 to leave the trail successfully at this point due to the rocky nature of both the trail and the ground beyond it.) If they fail to pick up the trail at this point, they come across a hunter’s camp further on and learn that no-one has passed that way all day – the hunters can help put them back on the trail if they need it, or the PCs can back track, making tests until they pick up the trail again. When they find it, continue with Part C: Rendezvous.
PART C: RENDEZVOUS
If PCs are using the dogs:
Dusk is closing in, when the hounds begin to bay. Well, so much for the stealthy approach! Ahead of you, just beyond an outcrop of rocks you hear a shout of angry frustration and a woman’s cry of dismay.
PCs have finally caught up with the runaways. Karymnos is a desperate man and slips into hiding the moment the hounds begin to bay; his plan is to make his way into the river and let its current carry him downstream and to the other side. He has given Brinna instructions to do the same and the pair split up, confusing the dogs with a choice of two scent trails. As PCs round the outcrop, read or paraphrase the following:
Apart from a horse, still tethered to a tree, a picnic blanket spread in the late afternoon sun, and the hastily discarded remains of someone’s supper, the area beyond the outcrop is empty. The dogs reach the blanket and then begin circling to regain the scent; there is sudden confusion as the lead hound tries to continue the pursuit in one direction and the second lead lunges in another.
Let the PCs work out how to handle this before allowing them to close the pursuit. Because Karymnos is trying to be stealthy, he is moving slower than any PC and dog combination but the same cannot be said for Brinna who is fleeing headlong for the water, discarding pieces of clothing (and anything else that might slow her down) as she goes.
If PCs are not using the dogs: Have them make three Air (Senses) TH3 tests against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH3 (it’s hard to hide traces of the pack horse’s passage through the undergrowth). If the third test is successful read or paraphrase the following:
From behind another outcrop of rocks, you hear the sound of voices, soft laughter and the restless stamp of a horse.
Let PCs work out how to tackle this situation. Whatever they do, as soon as they show themselves, Karymnos and Brinna try to bolt for the river, heading in two different directions as described above. In this case, however, Karymnos won’t be trying to be stealthy unless he manages to lose whoever is following him in the undergrowth.
KARYMNOS – ATLANTEAN HUNTEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 4; Init 8; Aspects Fire 4, Water 3, Air 4, Earth 3; Health 3m; <3/ 3+ / 6+ /9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 3; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Throwing Dagger 4/L , Recurve Bow 10/M, Long Sword 10/M,Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Knife Fighting Abilities Skills Athletics 5; Knowledge: Finances 4; Knowledge: Geography 4; Knowledge: Law 3; Medicine 3; Melee 5; Ranged 6; Senses 5; Stamina 4; Stealth 6; Travel 5; Will 5; Edges: Allies: Smugglers 5; Circumspect 3, Deft 3, Stealthy
BRINNA – ATLANTEAN FREEHOLDEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 2; Init ; Aspects Fire 3, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 4; Health 4m; <3 / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+ / 24+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 15; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Abilities Skills Athletics 4, Knowledge: Farming 4, Knowledge: Finances: 2, Knowledge: Mythic Culture (Atlantis) 2, Stamina 4; Edges Allies: Freehold, Durable, Network: Freehold.
PART D: SENTENCE & REWARDOnce the capture (or apparent loss) of Brinna and Karymnos is resolved read, or paraphrase, the following:
Well, they led you a merry dance, but you caught them in the end. The scene of their capture fades, and you find yourself standing once again before a wooden platform and Lady Amintar. Brinna and Karymnos kneel before her, their heads touching the boards. “… the penalty is death by drowning,” the Lady Amintar is saying. The stern look fades from her face and she glances down at you with a smile. “And for my hunters I have a new title. You are awarded the position of Hounds of the Law and your services will be retained in perpetuity.” The scene fades and you find yourselves arrayed before Anika’s desk with one thought resting uneasily on your mind. The summons to the trial had come from a member of another brood and you had answered immediately – but now you can’t remember why. You really wish you could, because someone out there appears to owe you a favor.
Allow the PCs to work out what they wish to do next. They may wish to continue searching the house, or they may have completed their search and wish to go elsewhere. 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 OF ACT TWO SCENE 3B
Next week, I will be posting the final cut-scene, Act Two Scene 3C.
September 3, 2013
Australian Birds: Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornus spinicollis)
One misty morning, when I was out photographing a bridge for a troll book, I saw this fellow, foraging beneath the pines. This is a straw-necked ibis, and my guess is that he was looking for insects and other tasty tidbits. A wary bird, he didn't let me get too close.
First sighting.
I start to get closer; the bird makes a casual turn and starts making its casual way towards the water culvert.
Still feeding, but much closer to the culvert.
And closer still.
But still looking for food.
First sighting.
I start to get closer; the bird makes a casual turn and starts making its casual way towards the water culvert.
Still feeding, but much closer to the culvert.
And closer still.
But still looking for food.
First Chapters: Flying with Friends as Carlie Simonsen
Jack has been looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Not just because it is a break away from school, but because, this Christmas holidays, he is going to learn to fly. The only thing that mars his trip is the flash of blue he sees behind them on a remote dirt track. Why would someone be following them way out here? Is he seeing things?Flying with Friends is the second book in the Wings chapter book series, set around a family with wings and bird-like feet.
Flying with Friends is available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction and OmniLit, and will shortly be released through CreateSpace, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Baker and Taylor and iTunes.
First Chapter: Flying with FriendsGoing on Holidays
Jack did not know where they were going. His dad didn’t know where they were going. They were following Jedda’s family in their car.They were going on a camping trip. The school holidays had started, and they would be spending the month-long Christmas break in the bush. Jack was going to learn to fly.He wondered if his dad would let him sit on the roof of the car on the way back. Jedda’s dad didn’t let Jedda on the roof of their car. He said it was bad enough she rode on the roof of the bus.Jack looked at the cars passing them. He looked at the houses. He looked at the lights as they left the town behind. He watched as the hills and the trees rose around them, like giants in the dark.Jack hadn’t been camping before. His mum and dad had always been too busy.They drove until the car clock said midnight, then they stopped. They stayed in a motel with Jedda’s family. Their rooms were right next door to each other, but they didn’t go and visit. They just went in and shut the door. Jack’s dad said they needed to get some sleep.Jedda’s dad snored. Jack could hear him through the wall. Jack didn’t get much sleep that night.“Where are we going?” he asked when they met at the cars the next morning.Jedda’s dad just smiled.“Somewhere secret,” he said, and climbed into his car.“Hurry up,” Jack’s dad called.Where they were going was so secret even he didn’t know, but he didn’t seem to care.
End of First Chapter If you would like to read more, Flying with Friends is available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction and OmniLit, and will shortly be released through CreateSpace, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Baker and Taylor and iTunes.
September 2, 2013
New Release: Stiletto's Luck as C.M. Simpson
Woohoo! Stiletto's Luck is now out in the wild. It was uploaded to Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, DriveThruFiction, and OmniLit on Sunday, September 2013, and will soon be available also from Nook, Barnes & Noble, and the iTunes store.
What's it about? Here you go:
Stiletto’s Luck is about an assassin dealing with the consequences of taking part in a battle for reasons of his own, while trying to remain uncompromised by either side.
They could have called him Scimitar, Blade or Dagger, but, no, his parents had to call him Stiletto. Stiletto did the only thing he could. He learned to be the best at what he did, and he learned to walk tall - without the heels. When he finds himself in the center of a plot to assassinate the most powerful men in the city, Stiletto has only one question: How on earth is he going to walk out of this one?
Stiletto’s Luck will be included in An Anthology of Blades , but is currently available as a stand-alone title.
September 1, 2013
Flash Fiction Challenge: Hasken's Choice by C.M. Simpson
A response for a Chuck Wendig Flash Fiction Challenge. I keep forgetting how much I love the way these exercises ignite a creative spark. This week I rolled a d20 and got to set a story in a penal colony built by elvish astronauts. A thousand words isn't a lot of space to build a character, a history, and establish a setting, especially when you know nothing about it when you start. Now, I want to know a lot more, to explore this new universe of mine and see what other stories lie within. And this is why I love these challenges. This response, excluding the title, is exactly 1,000 words long, so come and meet Hasken:
Hasken's Choice
The first guard doubled over at 1800 hours. Dusk. According to one movie, ‘magic hour’. None of the inmates had heard of the movie, let alone seen it. If they had, they would have recognized old history – an entire species wiped out by the ingenuity of man. No wonder the elves had been angry.The dragons had been a trap – an elven trap, vengeance on the human race, any race who dug so far into the world for nothing more than mineral wealth. In truth, it had probably been a trap meant for the dwarves, the world-eating hives of kesteringus, or the Venusian mole men who murdered creatures of fire and acid whenever they could.Knives in the gut, Hasken thought, seeing the figure topple as he set another seedling firmly into its pot. Poor bastard.Hasken had not approved of the idea, and the others had exiled him to the potting sheds. No one liked the sheds; they were death traps for most months of the year, but this month Hasken was lucky. He wasn’t dealing with spike-throwing anthrogens, head-biting kalloskathies, or symbiotically-linked carnivores. This month, he was dealing with sap-covered, thorn-encrusted, stink-oozing floriskanths. Nothing a good pair of protective gloves and a gas mask couldn’t deal with. Piece of cake by comparison.The second guard fell off her hadrosaur at 1805. The hadrosaur stood, staring out at the horizon, while its rider curled into a ball, groaning at its feet. Hasken caught his glove on the thorns, swore as he carefully disentangled his fingers from the grasping points, ungluing the glove from binding sap. A cuff over the back of his head reminded Hasken cursing was forbidden.Hasken apologized, crooning gently. Some of the other inmates were deliberately cruel, earning exile from the potting sheds. Most avoided the duty where they could. Hasken was one of the few who relished it. He waited for the guard behind him to move on. The guard did not.Looking up, Hasken saw the guard staring out through the fence at the hadrosaur. Hasken supposed he should do something about that, but didn’t. He hadn’t agreed with the plan. It was stupid and cruel; it sickened him and he wanted no part in it. Not even the small one being offered. He followed the guard’s gaze, gasping as though just noticing the beast and its fallen rider.1811.The guard moved like lightening, slapping a hand on the emergency alarm, and jamming a long-barreled pistol against Hasken’s head.“Don’t move.”“The skanth,” Hasken said, locking himself in place, resisting the urge to sweep the pistol away and jam the thorny sap-coated seedling into the guard’s gut. He’d been accused of murder, had indeed committed it, and had never regretted it. The death wasn’t why he’d been imprisoned.The dead man hadn’t been able to admit sabotaging the air processor, and Hasken was only half-way through repairing it when the ship’s security team caught him. Half fixed, half broken – it all looked the same to the captain, especially when the dead man had been meant to be in the life support area, and Hasken had not.Why was he there?A deterioration in air quality and change in the sound from the engines pumping the air, whenever that technician was on shift.How had he noticed that?The fact he’d been carrying his own testing equipment had only been held against him. The fact his room shared a wall with the plant equipment, ignored. What had he hoped to gain blackmailing the shipping line?In the end, Hasken had been jailed for murder and sabotage. He’d been hoping to reach Earth, put some of his theories into practice, regrow something on the wastes, replant… Bad luck to have found an elf-hating saboteur on the cruise line for which he’d gathered a fare. Bad luck to be implicated in one of the most serious of space-lane crimes.“Finish it, but slowly.”Once the guard had stepped back, and was dividing his attention between watching the door, watching Hasken and watching the hadrosaur beyond the fence. Hasken set the floriskanth seedling in its pot, tamped down the earth, and disentangled his fingers before setting the pot beside the others. When he was finished, he placed his hands on his thighs and stayed, kneeling on the floor.At 18:16, the third guard crumbled, releasing his grip on the shock chains keeping his velociraptors in check. Screams rose from the prisoners harvesting tubers two enclosures over. The elf guard swore. At 18:17 he groaned, and dropped to his knees, keeping the pistol aimed at Hasken’s head by sheer force of will.At 18:18, Hasken watched and made his move as the pistol wavered. He rose, turning as he gained his feet, avoiding the first dart. The guard did not get to fire a second; Hasken kicked the gun from his hand, while reaching behind a row of floriskanth seedlings and potting tools.“Here’s something I prepared earlier,” he muttered, pulling out the tuber he’d stashed there earlier. It was the only antidote he knew.The guard had curled in on himself, by the time Hasken reached his side. Pulling the elf into his lap and locking him against his chest with his forearms, Hasken tilted the elf’s head back, relieved when the guard’s mouth opened in a groan. With a grunt of effort, Hasken twisted the tuber so that it broke, crushing the fibers at its core and releasing a mixture of seed-encrusted pulp held together in mucous-like sap.Any runnier, and he’d have failed but, by the time the raptors had quelled the uprising in the field, and reinforcements had taken back the buildings where inmates were still struggling with locking mechanisms biometrically attuned elsewhere ,Hasken had guided the oozing mess between his captor’s lips. Not a single prisoner made it past the inner fences, but only one guard survived.Hasken had sworn he would never again be caught with a dead body on his hands.
END HASKEN'S CHOICE
Thank you, Mr. Wendig, for the inspiration.
Hasken's Choice
The first guard doubled over at 1800 hours. Dusk. According to one movie, ‘magic hour’. None of the inmates had heard of the movie, let alone seen it. If they had, they would have recognized old history – an entire species wiped out by the ingenuity of man. No wonder the elves had been angry.The dragons had been a trap – an elven trap, vengeance on the human race, any race who dug so far into the world for nothing more than mineral wealth. In truth, it had probably been a trap meant for the dwarves, the world-eating hives of kesteringus, or the Venusian mole men who murdered creatures of fire and acid whenever they could.Knives in the gut, Hasken thought, seeing the figure topple as he set another seedling firmly into its pot. Poor bastard.Hasken had not approved of the idea, and the others had exiled him to the potting sheds. No one liked the sheds; they were death traps for most months of the year, but this month Hasken was lucky. He wasn’t dealing with spike-throwing anthrogens, head-biting kalloskathies, or symbiotically-linked carnivores. This month, he was dealing with sap-covered, thorn-encrusted, stink-oozing floriskanths. Nothing a good pair of protective gloves and a gas mask couldn’t deal with. Piece of cake by comparison.The second guard fell off her hadrosaur at 1805. The hadrosaur stood, staring out at the horizon, while its rider curled into a ball, groaning at its feet. Hasken caught his glove on the thorns, swore as he carefully disentangled his fingers from the grasping points, ungluing the glove from binding sap. A cuff over the back of his head reminded Hasken cursing was forbidden.Hasken apologized, crooning gently. Some of the other inmates were deliberately cruel, earning exile from the potting sheds. Most avoided the duty where they could. Hasken was one of the few who relished it. He waited for the guard behind him to move on. The guard did not.Looking up, Hasken saw the guard staring out through the fence at the hadrosaur. Hasken supposed he should do something about that, but didn’t. He hadn’t agreed with the plan. It was stupid and cruel; it sickened him and he wanted no part in it. Not even the small one being offered. He followed the guard’s gaze, gasping as though just noticing the beast and its fallen rider.1811.The guard moved like lightening, slapping a hand on the emergency alarm, and jamming a long-barreled pistol against Hasken’s head.“Don’t move.”“The skanth,” Hasken said, locking himself in place, resisting the urge to sweep the pistol away and jam the thorny sap-coated seedling into the guard’s gut. He’d been accused of murder, had indeed committed it, and had never regretted it. The death wasn’t why he’d been imprisoned.The dead man hadn’t been able to admit sabotaging the air processor, and Hasken was only half-way through repairing it when the ship’s security team caught him. Half fixed, half broken – it all looked the same to the captain, especially when the dead man had been meant to be in the life support area, and Hasken had not.Why was he there?A deterioration in air quality and change in the sound from the engines pumping the air, whenever that technician was on shift.How had he noticed that?The fact he’d been carrying his own testing equipment had only been held against him. The fact his room shared a wall with the plant equipment, ignored. What had he hoped to gain blackmailing the shipping line?In the end, Hasken had been jailed for murder and sabotage. He’d been hoping to reach Earth, put some of his theories into practice, regrow something on the wastes, replant… Bad luck to have found an elf-hating saboteur on the cruise line for which he’d gathered a fare. Bad luck to be implicated in one of the most serious of space-lane crimes.“Finish it, but slowly.”Once the guard had stepped back, and was dividing his attention between watching the door, watching Hasken and watching the hadrosaur beyond the fence. Hasken set the floriskanth seedling in its pot, tamped down the earth, and disentangled his fingers before setting the pot beside the others. When he was finished, he placed his hands on his thighs and stayed, kneeling on the floor.At 18:16, the third guard crumbled, releasing his grip on the shock chains keeping his velociraptors in check. Screams rose from the prisoners harvesting tubers two enclosures over. The elf guard swore. At 18:17 he groaned, and dropped to his knees, keeping the pistol aimed at Hasken’s head by sheer force of will.At 18:18, Hasken watched and made his move as the pistol wavered. He rose, turning as he gained his feet, avoiding the first dart. The guard did not get to fire a second; Hasken kicked the gun from his hand, while reaching behind a row of floriskanth seedlings and potting tools.“Here’s something I prepared earlier,” he muttered, pulling out the tuber he’d stashed there earlier. It was the only antidote he knew.The guard had curled in on himself, by the time Hasken reached his side. Pulling the elf into his lap and locking him against his chest with his forearms, Hasken tilted the elf’s head back, relieved when the guard’s mouth opened in a groan. With a grunt of effort, Hasken twisted the tuber so that it broke, crushing the fibers at its core and releasing a mixture of seed-encrusted pulp held together in mucous-like sap.Any runnier, and he’d have failed but, by the time the raptors had quelled the uprising in the field, and reinforcements had taken back the buildings where inmates were still struggling with locking mechanisms biometrically attuned elsewhere ,Hasken had guided the oozing mess between his captor’s lips. Not a single prisoner made it past the inner fences, but only one guard survived.Hasken had sworn he would never again be caught with a dead body on his hands.
END HASKEN'S CHOICE
Thank you, Mr. Wendig, for the inspiration.
August 31, 2013
Progress Report: Week 5 August 2013
A busy work week, and another week of clinging flu-like symptoms, but I still got a bucketload done. One release, and advances made on several larger pieces of work. Not bad. Let’s see how this week goes.OverviewNew words produced: 8,184Old words revised: 14,962Works completed: 2 (+ 23 poems and 9 short stories revised for other, larger works)Works revised: 32 (23 poems and 9 short stories revised for other, larger works)Covers created: 1 (1-3 variations)Works published: 1 (6 release platforms) +1 (blog)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0
Tier 3 TasksChapbook10B—Flying with Friends: Revised chapters 1-8 and formatted;Extra TasksAdded 4,085 words to ShortStory36—Stiletto’s Luck, completing it at 7,398 words.
Added 2,000 words to RPGSupplement7AAdded 2,000 words to RPGSupplement15ACompleted ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice at 1,000 words for the latest Chuck Wendig terribleminds blog Flash Fiction Challenge ( Hasken’s Choice is scheduled for tomorrow’s blog).
Publishing TasksCreated 4 blog posts for this blog;Created 3 blog posts for the C.M. SimpsonPublishing blog;Updated Carlie Simonsen’s page on this blog;Updated the Young Adult page on the C.M.Simpson Publishing blog;Updated the Fireborn Adventure page on this blog;Re-uploaded corrected version of
Chapbook10A—
Wings: Wings #1
for Carlie SimonsenCreated e-book and print-on-demand cover for Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsFormatted CreateSpace, Smashwords and Amazon Versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsUploaded CreateSpace, Smashwords, Kobo, Amazon-Kindle, OmniLit, and DriveThruFiction versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsNew ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Poem112—Seasons on the Grow: for Annual13ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice: in response to the latest Chuck Wendig flash fiction challenge (to be posted tomorrow).
The following ideas were rediscovered and given a project number:Poem150: linked to Anthology38;Poem151—The Classroom: linked to Annual13, Anthology27;Poem152—Seasons on the Grow: linked to Annual13 ; Poem153—Nerves: linked to Anthology27 ; Poem154—Through the Window: linked to Anthology27;Poem155—In the Library: linked to Anthology27;Poem156—Sky Seekers: linked to Anthology27;Poem157—Dragon Battle: linked to Anthology27;Poem158—A Grey Day’s Spirits: linked to Anthology27;Poem160—The Sky Weeps: liked to Anthology27;Poem161—Baresark: linked to Annual13Poem162—The Lightning and the Wind: linked to Annual13;Poem163—The Poet’s Advice: linked to Annual13;Poem164—Two People, One Land: A Poem for Two Sets of Voices: linked to Annual13Poem165—In Darkness I Stand: linked to Annual13;Poem166—Whale Song: linked to Anthology27;Poem167—The Sleeping Warrior: linked to Annual13;Poem168—Fear Keeps me Warm: linked to Annual13;Poem169—Shutters of the Soul: linked to Annual13;Poem170—The Zombie Dawn: linked to Anthology27;Poem171—Embarrassed: linked to Anthology27;RPGSupplement15A: to do with insects… lots of insects.
Tier 3 TasksChapbook10B—Flying with Friends: Revised chapters 1-8 and formatted;Extra TasksAdded 4,085 words to ShortStory36—Stiletto’s Luck, completing it at 7,398 words.
Added 2,000 words to RPGSupplement7AAdded 2,000 words to RPGSupplement15ACompleted ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice at 1,000 words for the latest Chuck Wendig terribleminds blog Flash Fiction Challenge ( Hasken’s Choice is scheduled for tomorrow’s blog).
Publishing TasksCreated 4 blog posts for this blog;Created 3 blog posts for the C.M. SimpsonPublishing blog;Updated Carlie Simonsen’s page on this blog;Updated the Young Adult page on the C.M.Simpson Publishing blog;Updated the Fireborn Adventure page on this blog;Re-uploaded corrected version of
Chapbook10A—
Wings: Wings #1
for Carlie SimonsenCreated e-book and print-on-demand cover for Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsFormatted CreateSpace, Smashwords and Amazon Versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsUploaded CreateSpace, Smashwords, Kobo, Amazon-Kindle, OmniLit, and DriveThruFiction versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsNew ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Poem112—Seasons on the Grow: for Annual13ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice: in response to the latest Chuck Wendig flash fiction challenge (to be posted tomorrow).The following ideas were rediscovered and given a project number:Poem150: linked to Anthology38;Poem151—The Classroom: linked to Annual13, Anthology27;Poem152—Seasons on the Grow: linked to Annual13 ; Poem153—Nerves: linked to Anthology27 ; Poem154—Through the Window: linked to Anthology27;Poem155—In the Library: linked to Anthology27;Poem156—Sky Seekers: linked to Anthology27;Poem157—Dragon Battle: linked to Anthology27;Poem158—A Grey Day’s Spirits: linked to Anthology27;Poem160—The Sky Weeps: liked to Anthology27;Poem161—Baresark: linked to Annual13Poem162—The Lightning and the Wind: linked to Annual13;Poem163—The Poet’s Advice: linked to Annual13;Poem164—Two People, One Land: A Poem for Two Sets of Voices: linked to Annual13Poem165—In Darkness I Stand: linked to Annual13;Poem166—Whale Song: linked to Anthology27;Poem167—The Sleeping Warrior: linked to Annual13;Poem168—Fear Keeps me Warm: linked to Annual13;Poem169—Shutters of the Soul: linked to Annual13;Poem170—The Zombie Dawn: linked to Anthology27;Poem171—Embarrassed: linked to Anthology27;RPGSupplement15A: to do with insects… lots of insects.
August 30, 2013
Covers I Created August 2013
Occasionally, I remember that I'm no longer 'just' a writer, and then I get going with GIMP and some purchased photography, and create covers for the books being released by C.M. Simpson Publishing. It can be a challenge to schedule it all, but it's fun. Here are the covers I created this month:
Print-on-Demand Large Print
Print-on-Demand
E-book
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand
Print-on-Demand Large Print
E-book
Print-on-Demand Large Print
Print-on-Demand
E-book
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand
Print-on-Demand Large Print
E-bookAugust 29, 2013
Adventure Edition - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost, Act Two Scene 3A
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 and Act Two Scene 2 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. They will be posted over the next fortnight. You should not run Scene 3A until you have these cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE THREE A: INVESTIGATING ANIKA’S HOME:
When PCs reach Anika’s home, read or paraphrase the following:
Anika’s family lives in what looks like a small, two-story house with a tiny front lawn. You can see a policeman standing on the steps near the front door. He’s not knocking or trying to get in, but seems to be on guard. A squad car is pulled up out the front, but there’s no one inside it. The policeman’s partner must either be in the house or around the back.
General information:
The policeman is under strict orders not to let anyone in without authorization. No one wants the Press snooping around and giving out information that they’re not ready to release. The man’s partner is currently guarding the back door.All the windows (on both the upper and lower floors) have been locked, as has the entrance to the coal cellar and the external doors. PCs facing the house can see that there is a narrow pathway down the right-hand side of the house but entrance to the back yard is blocked by a locked gate. A brick wall, six-feet high can be seen on the left-hand side and observant PCs (Air: Senses, TH 4) catch a glimpse of yellow roses just visible on the other side.PCs have a number of options at this point:
Approaching either Policeman: Constables Watters (at the front door) and Mason (back door) will not allow the PCs entry unless able to obtain authorization from the detective in charge (DIC).If PCs do not have the DIC’s business card or authorization to assist in investigations: the constables will not allow them entry to the house. If PCs have already gained access to Leyila’s house and parents via an organized meeting, they are recognized at the door and given access to the house ‘for a short time only Mr/Miss …’ and ‘Don’t touch anything; no tidying up.’.Once they have been approached and denied permission to enter, the constables are particularly vigilant regarding all attempts by the PCs to gain entry to the house (+2 TH to opposed Senses tests for anyone trying to avoid detection). They will call for back up rather than confront intruders on their own, knowing that there is help 4 rounds away at all times. They will also notify the station and their colleagues at Leyila’s house of the approach and a squad car will be sent out to pick the PCs up for questioning – which will keep them at the station until four p.m. that afternoon, if they are caught.If the PCs have a business card and have been granted permission to help in investigations: the constables call for authorization, which allows PCs entry to the house. (Forensics has already been and, as long as the PCs don’t disturb the numbered markers or make a mess of the house, they are allowed inside to conduct their investigations.)If the PCs have a business card but have not been granted permission, or asked, to help in investigations: the constables call for authorization, which results in one of the PCs having to speak to the detective in charge in order to explain why they are interested. If the PC can convince the detective to either allow them to conduct their own investigation, or aid in police investigations, they will be allowed entry to Anika’s house. This requires an Air (Trickery) or Air (Interaction) test with a base TH of 3. The following modifiers apply:TH ModifierCircumstance
+1PC was cooperative when contacted by police and is of a private investigator , police or teaching background.
+2PC was cooperative when contacted by police and is of a background that is not policing, private investigation, teaching, criminal, or homeless
+3PC was cooperative when contacted by police and is of a criminal or homeless background
+4PC was uncooperative (regardless of background).
Attempting to sneak into the house unobserved: To do this, PCs have to make opposed Senses tests in order to reach the house unobserved. If they succeed, they are hidden down one of the two sides of the house. Breaking windows requires another opposed Senses test with a +3 difficulty to the TH (since it is a quiet neighborhood), although climbing to the second floor (where they will still have to break a window to gain entry) from either of these sides does not add to the TH – since it is a quiet neighborhood and most of its residents are out at work. Breaking a window to gain entry to the second floor only attracts a +2 penalty to the TH, but adds a +2 to the Climbing TH in order for the PC to avoid losing his grip and fall.Gaining entry to the house by ‘neutralizing’ the police officers on the door: Roll opposed Senses tests to approach either constable undetected, then conduct combat as normal. Alternatively PCs can try to approach the constables openly and take them by surprise. This requires an opposed Trickery test for the PCs to get close enough to attack an unsuspecting officer.
POLICE CONSTABLES WATTERS & MASONSee the ‘Cop’ entry on p. 195 of the Gamemaster’s Handbook.
Once PCs have gained entry to Anika’s house they can begin their investigation of the following rooms:
FIRST FLOOR
ENTRY HALL: This is just beyond the front door. A mirror and bureau of drawers stands opposite the door. A shoe rack sits on the floor on the right-hand side beside an umbrella stand and underneath a coat rack. There are two adult-sized mackintoshes on the coat rack but no child-sized one. Likewise, there is a set of men’s shoes and a set of sensible women’s work shoes on the shoe rack, but no child-sized shoes. Three sets of Wellington boots are also on the rack (two adult- and one child-sized set). There are two doors leading off from the entry hall: one on the left and one on the right.
NOTE: These details are important because they indicate that the parents were forcibly taken, and add to the clues that Anika left of her own accord. The door to the left leads to the lounge room and the door on the right leads to the dining room.
LOUNGE ROOM: This room can be entered through a door from the entry hall, through another door opposite the front of the house, or via the large window overlooking the front lawn. There is a picture of a mountain lake on the wall on the right and a bookcase stands beside it. The two-seater couch has been turned on its side and cushions have spilled onto the floor. Books have fallen out of the bookcase, and the coffee table is upside down in the middle of the room. A bag of knitting has been kicked over and balls of wool lie scattered over the floor. Part of the knitting pattern is poking out from under the couch and a half-completed scarf in a soft multi-shaded pink has been flung against the window.
NOTE: There is nothing to find in this room but evidence of the struggle involved in the capture of Anika’s father who was watching a late night soccer match when the Servants of Set struck.
DINING ROOM: There are two entrances to this room. One leads in from the entry hall and is flanked by two large, narrow vases filled with irises. The other entrance is in the back left-hand corner of the room. It stands open and you can see the kitchen beyond it. A large front window overlooks the front lawn and drive way. Gauze curtains hang in front of it. The street outside is quiet. The table has been laid in preparation for breakfast but nothing has been disturbed. There is no teapot sitting on the heat mat and the cups are still turned upside down on their saucers. A vase containing irises stands on a white lace doily in the center of the table. A large buffet of dark-colored wood stands opposite the door leading to the entry hall. There is a stair case leading upwards in an alcove beside the kitchen door.
NOTE: There is nothing of interest in this room. Exploring the buffet or anywhere else in the room reveals no clues.
KITCHEN: There are two entrances to this room. One door leads to the dining room and through it you can see a table set for breakfast. The other door is closed but does not appear to lead to the back garden which can be seen through the gauze curtained window above the kitchen sink. Several small pots of herbs stand on the window sill above the sink. All the herbs appear to be healthy, if well-pruned. The kitchen holds what seems to be the usual array of cupboards and shelves, as well as an expanse of clean bench space. There is also a fridge and upright freezer in one corner.
NOTE: There is no evidence of a struggle in the kitchen. Nothing has been removed or broken. All the herbs on the window ledge are culinary and not poisonous or illegal – Air (Knowledge: Plants) or Air (Craft: Cooking) test TH3).
LAUNDRY: A washing machine, dryer, clothes basket and linen cupboard almost fill this tiny space. There is an ironing board folded away next to the linen cupboard. There are two doors leading from this space. One leads into an immaculate kitchen and the other to the back garden. There is also a large sink over a small cupboard just below a window looking out into the back garden. Through the window you can see a neat lawn in the center of which is a clothes line.
NOTE: There are cleaning chemicals in the cupboard under the sink and linen in the linen cupboard. There is also an iron and ironing aid on one of the linen cupboard shelves. The only clue in this room can be found in the dirty clothes in the linen basket where a set of Anika’s jeans and one of her shirts can be found. The label from a nursery plant is to be found in one pocket of her jeans, and crumpled leaves in the other. The label contains a logo but not the name for the ‘Half-Time Nursery & Landscaping Services’. The name will have to be found by looking up the phone book. The label also has the name ‘Camellia sassanqua’ written on it and a picture of dark green leaves and a white flower. It is a decorative plant with sweetly scented flowers. (Air: Knowledge: Horticulture, or Air: Craft: Gardening/Landscaping TH3). The leaf is from a Japanese maple – a relatively rare plant for gardening and quite expensive (Air: Knowledge: Horticulture, or Air: Craft: Gardening/Landscaping TH4).
BACK GARDEN: This consists of an expanse of grass surrounded by six-foot wooden fences. Narrow garden beds containing roses and some other kind of flower flank the fences on either side of the yard. There are two larger garden beds on the back right-hand side of the yard and what seems to be a tool shed at the back left-hand side. An empty clothes-line stands in the middle of the yard.
NOTES: The other kinds of flowers in the garden are camellias, daisies, and marigolds – Air: Knowledge: Horticulture or Air: Craft: Gardening/Landscaping TH3. Nothing is concealed in any of the garden beds. No clothes are on the line. The shed contains a lawn mower, a half-empty fuel can, a whipper-snipper, leaf blower and a variety of other garden tools.) The camellias are not sassanquas (TH:3).
SECOND FLOOR
PARENT’S ROOM: This room is a mess. The bed clothes are flung back and one of the bedside tables has been knocked over. A lamp and a pair of reading glasses lie on the floor near the bedroom window. Both are shattered. The curtains on the window are drawn. The mirror on the dressing table at the end of the bed is cracked and a perfume bottle has been overturned. A jewelry box stands, apparently untouched, in the center of the dresser. One you have just walked through. The other doors to the wardrobe are closed.
NOTES: This was where Anika’s mother was captured. She was sleeping when the Servants struck. There is a small array of jewelry in the box and nothing seems to be missing.
ANIKA’S ROOM: This room is also a mess. It is a child’s room – probably a little girl’s room, judging by the pictures of unicorns, fairies and dragons stuck on almost every available surface. The bed has been turned on its side, and the wardrobe doors opened. The curtains that once covered the window have been swept to the floor. In one corner is a small desk with a drawer on one side. The chair that once stood in front of the desk has been flung back almost a meter and lies on its back in the center of the room. There is a large picture of a unicorn standing beside a stern-looking woman in almost see-through robes above where the head of the bed should be. It is hanging slightly crooked.
NOTES: PCs making an Earth: Senses TH4 test realize that all the areas that have been disturbed would have provided a hiding place for a young child and that there does not appear to have been a struggle. This is a clue that Anika was not here when her parents were taken, but let PCs make their own deductions. PCs who investigate the picture and who make a Knowledge: Art test learn the following:
TH3: This picture is slightly familiar. You think the artist can be found in the North London art scene;TH4: This picture is a copy of the original work which hangs in a gallery in Islington. Some art critics say that the work is a banal interpretation of an age-old theme but there are rumors that the unicorn and the woman within the picture move. The artist was one David Markovin who has a studio in Cambden.
PCs investigating the overturned bed must make an Air: Senses TH4 test to find the Setite identity disc dropped in the sheets. Once the disc is noticed, read or paraphrase, the following:
There’s something familiar about the symbol outlined on the disc. You’re not sure what it is, but the sight of it has drawn your companions’ attention. As you reach for it, light slides across the surface of the disc and for a moment you are blinded. When you can see again you find yourselves in a completely different room and, possibly, a completely different land.
GO TO SCENE 3C: FRIENDS OF KREDAK.
PCs investigating the desk notice (Air: Senses TH3 test) that the drawer is locked. There is no test to notice this if they try to open the drawer – it’s locked! The drawer, if opened, contains Anika’s Book of Law. If PCs do not open the drawer then use the following description when they investigate the desk:
On the desk itself are several books, and a space where one really thick book, or a few thinner books might have fit. There is no dust in the space.
This is where Anika’s Book of Law sat. She could not fit it into her bag and hid it in the drawer, intending to sneak back and collect it. Any PC picking up this book for a closer look sees the title: The Book of Law and triggers the flashback in Scene 3B. When the book is handled read or paraphrase the following:
This is no book for a seven-year old, yet it appears to open at your touch, drawing your eyes to the neat, carefully formed script. It reads: LAW 101: Sabotage leading to the foreseeable chance of death for another is murder and the saboteur shall be tried as a murderer. The penalty for all murderers shall fit the crime. As your eyes fall on the word ‘crime’ the book is no longer in your hands and you are no longer in Anika’s room.
GO TO SCENE 3B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW
GUEST ROOM: This room is immaculately tidy. There are two double beds, neatly made, two night stands, each of which has a lamp and a box of tissues standing on it. A double wardrobe standing against the inner wall and a sewing table tucked away in one corner. The curtains are drawn.
NOTES: There is nothing but coathangers in the double wardrobe and nothing at all in the drawers of each of the two nightstands. One lamp has a blown bulb and neither of the tissue boxes has been opened. The sewing table has a half finished skirt (child-sized) sitting next to the sewing machine but contains items to do with sewing and nothing else. There are no clues in this room.
BATHROOM: Vanity, mirror-fronted cupboard, toothbrushes, toothpaste, rubbish bin, bath mat, slightly damp towels hanging over racks, soap, shower over a bathtub – this room is obviously a bathroom.
NOTES: There are two adult toothbrushes but no child toothbrush (Air: Senses TH3 to notice) but all of the towels are wet. One of the face flannels is missing (Air: Senses TH3). These are the only clues in this room and they indicate that Anika’s disappearance is separate to that of her parents since hers is the only toothbrush missing. Let PCs draw their own conclusions about this. There are no bath toys (and never were but, again, let PCs draw their own conclusions).
TOILET: It’s obvious what this room is. Toilet, toilet brush in its own stand, spare paper at the back near the wall, curved rug to keep your feet warm while you wait. Nothing appears to have been disturbed here.
NOTE: There are no clues in this room.
HALLWAY: There is a long, low cabinet lining one wall. The telephone sits atop it underneath a picture of a white horse carved into a hill. There is also a picture of a forest-framed stream and waterfall but nothing else. Nothing appears to have been disturbed here and the china in the cabinet is all in one piece. There are five doors leading off from this corridor and a set of steps leading down to the rest of the house.
NOTES:There are no clues in this room.
END OF ACT TWO SCENE THREE A
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 3B, the first of two cut-scenes interlinked with this scene.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 2 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. They will be posted over the next fortnight. You should not run Scene 3A until you have these cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE THREE A: INVESTIGATING ANIKA’S HOME:
When PCs reach Anika’s home, read or paraphrase the following:
Anika’s family lives in what looks like a small, two-story house with a tiny front lawn. You can see a policeman standing on the steps near the front door. He’s not knocking or trying to get in, but seems to be on guard. A squad car is pulled up out the front, but there’s no one inside it. The policeman’s partner must either be in the house or around the back.
General information:
The policeman is under strict orders not to let anyone in without authorization. No one wants the Press snooping around and giving out information that they’re not ready to release. The man’s partner is currently guarding the back door.All the windows (on both the upper and lower floors) have been locked, as has the entrance to the coal cellar and the external doors. PCs facing the house can see that there is a narrow pathway down the right-hand side of the house but entrance to the back yard is blocked by a locked gate. A brick wall, six-feet high can be seen on the left-hand side and observant PCs (Air: Senses, TH 4) catch a glimpse of yellow roses just visible on the other side.PCs have a number of options at this point:
Approaching either Policeman: Constables Watters (at the front door) and Mason (back door) will not allow the PCs entry unless able to obtain authorization from the detective in charge (DIC).If PCs do not have the DIC’s business card or authorization to assist in investigations: the constables will not allow them entry to the house. If PCs have already gained access to Leyila’s house and parents via an organized meeting, they are recognized at the door and given access to the house ‘for a short time only Mr/Miss …’ and ‘Don’t touch anything; no tidying up.’.Once they have been approached and denied permission to enter, the constables are particularly vigilant regarding all attempts by the PCs to gain entry to the house (+2 TH to opposed Senses tests for anyone trying to avoid detection). They will call for back up rather than confront intruders on their own, knowing that there is help 4 rounds away at all times. They will also notify the station and their colleagues at Leyila’s house of the approach and a squad car will be sent out to pick the PCs up for questioning – which will keep them at the station until four p.m. that afternoon, if they are caught.If the PCs have a business card and have been granted permission to help in investigations: the constables call for authorization, which allows PCs entry to the house. (Forensics has already been and, as long as the PCs don’t disturb the numbered markers or make a mess of the house, they are allowed inside to conduct their investigations.)If the PCs have a business card but have not been granted permission, or asked, to help in investigations: the constables call for authorization, which results in one of the PCs having to speak to the detective in charge in order to explain why they are interested. If the PC can convince the detective to either allow them to conduct their own investigation, or aid in police investigations, they will be allowed entry to Anika’s house. This requires an Air (Trickery) or Air (Interaction) test with a base TH of 3. The following modifiers apply:TH ModifierCircumstance
+1PC was cooperative when contacted by police and is of a private investigator , police or teaching background.
+2PC was cooperative when contacted by police and is of a background that is not policing, private investigation, teaching, criminal, or homeless
+3PC was cooperative when contacted by police and is of a criminal or homeless background
+4PC was uncooperative (regardless of background).
Attempting to sneak into the house unobserved: To do this, PCs have to make opposed Senses tests in order to reach the house unobserved. If they succeed, they are hidden down one of the two sides of the house. Breaking windows requires another opposed Senses test with a +3 difficulty to the TH (since it is a quiet neighborhood), although climbing to the second floor (where they will still have to break a window to gain entry) from either of these sides does not add to the TH – since it is a quiet neighborhood and most of its residents are out at work. Breaking a window to gain entry to the second floor only attracts a +2 penalty to the TH, but adds a +2 to the Climbing TH in order for the PC to avoid losing his grip and fall.Gaining entry to the house by ‘neutralizing’ the police officers on the door: Roll opposed Senses tests to approach either constable undetected, then conduct combat as normal. Alternatively PCs can try to approach the constables openly and take them by surprise. This requires an opposed Trickery test for the PCs to get close enough to attack an unsuspecting officer.
POLICE CONSTABLES WATTERS & MASONSee the ‘Cop’ entry on p. 195 of the Gamemaster’s Handbook.
Once PCs have gained entry to Anika’s house they can begin their investigation of the following rooms:
FIRST FLOOR
ENTRY HALL: This is just beyond the front door. A mirror and bureau of drawers stands opposite the door. A shoe rack sits on the floor on the right-hand side beside an umbrella stand and underneath a coat rack. There are two adult-sized mackintoshes on the coat rack but no child-sized one. Likewise, there is a set of men’s shoes and a set of sensible women’s work shoes on the shoe rack, but no child-sized shoes. Three sets of Wellington boots are also on the rack (two adult- and one child-sized set). There are two doors leading off from the entry hall: one on the left and one on the right.
NOTE: These details are important because they indicate that the parents were forcibly taken, and add to the clues that Anika left of her own accord. The door to the left leads to the lounge room and the door on the right leads to the dining room.
LOUNGE ROOM: This room can be entered through a door from the entry hall, through another door opposite the front of the house, or via the large window overlooking the front lawn. There is a picture of a mountain lake on the wall on the right and a bookcase stands beside it. The two-seater couch has been turned on its side and cushions have spilled onto the floor. Books have fallen out of the bookcase, and the coffee table is upside down in the middle of the room. A bag of knitting has been kicked over and balls of wool lie scattered over the floor. Part of the knitting pattern is poking out from under the couch and a half-completed scarf in a soft multi-shaded pink has been flung against the window.
NOTE: There is nothing to find in this room but evidence of the struggle involved in the capture of Anika’s father who was watching a late night soccer match when the Servants of Set struck.
DINING ROOM: There are two entrances to this room. One leads in from the entry hall and is flanked by two large, narrow vases filled with irises. The other entrance is in the back left-hand corner of the room. It stands open and you can see the kitchen beyond it. A large front window overlooks the front lawn and drive way. Gauze curtains hang in front of it. The street outside is quiet. The table has been laid in preparation for breakfast but nothing has been disturbed. There is no teapot sitting on the heat mat and the cups are still turned upside down on their saucers. A vase containing irises stands on a white lace doily in the center of the table. A large buffet of dark-colored wood stands opposite the door leading to the entry hall. There is a stair case leading upwards in an alcove beside the kitchen door.
NOTE: There is nothing of interest in this room. Exploring the buffet or anywhere else in the room reveals no clues.
KITCHEN: There are two entrances to this room. One door leads to the dining room and through it you can see a table set for breakfast. The other door is closed but does not appear to lead to the back garden which can be seen through the gauze curtained window above the kitchen sink. Several small pots of herbs stand on the window sill above the sink. All the herbs appear to be healthy, if well-pruned. The kitchen holds what seems to be the usual array of cupboards and shelves, as well as an expanse of clean bench space. There is also a fridge and upright freezer in one corner.
NOTE: There is no evidence of a struggle in the kitchen. Nothing has been removed or broken. All the herbs on the window ledge are culinary and not poisonous or illegal – Air (Knowledge: Plants) or Air (Craft: Cooking) test TH3).
LAUNDRY: A washing machine, dryer, clothes basket and linen cupboard almost fill this tiny space. There is an ironing board folded away next to the linen cupboard. There are two doors leading from this space. One leads into an immaculate kitchen and the other to the back garden. There is also a large sink over a small cupboard just below a window looking out into the back garden. Through the window you can see a neat lawn in the center of which is a clothes line.
NOTE: There are cleaning chemicals in the cupboard under the sink and linen in the linen cupboard. There is also an iron and ironing aid on one of the linen cupboard shelves. The only clue in this room can be found in the dirty clothes in the linen basket where a set of Anika’s jeans and one of her shirts can be found. The label from a nursery plant is to be found in one pocket of her jeans, and crumpled leaves in the other. The label contains a logo but not the name for the ‘Half-Time Nursery & Landscaping Services’. The name will have to be found by looking up the phone book. The label also has the name ‘Camellia sassanqua’ written on it and a picture of dark green leaves and a white flower. It is a decorative plant with sweetly scented flowers. (Air: Knowledge: Horticulture, or Air: Craft: Gardening/Landscaping TH3). The leaf is from a Japanese maple – a relatively rare plant for gardening and quite expensive (Air: Knowledge: Horticulture, or Air: Craft: Gardening/Landscaping TH4).
BACK GARDEN: This consists of an expanse of grass surrounded by six-foot wooden fences. Narrow garden beds containing roses and some other kind of flower flank the fences on either side of the yard. There are two larger garden beds on the back right-hand side of the yard and what seems to be a tool shed at the back left-hand side. An empty clothes-line stands in the middle of the yard.
NOTES: The other kinds of flowers in the garden are camellias, daisies, and marigolds – Air: Knowledge: Horticulture or Air: Craft: Gardening/Landscaping TH3. Nothing is concealed in any of the garden beds. No clothes are on the line. The shed contains a lawn mower, a half-empty fuel can, a whipper-snipper, leaf blower and a variety of other garden tools.) The camellias are not sassanquas (TH:3).
SECOND FLOOR
PARENT’S ROOM: This room is a mess. The bed clothes are flung back and one of the bedside tables has been knocked over. A lamp and a pair of reading glasses lie on the floor near the bedroom window. Both are shattered. The curtains on the window are drawn. The mirror on the dressing table at the end of the bed is cracked and a perfume bottle has been overturned. A jewelry box stands, apparently untouched, in the center of the dresser. One you have just walked through. The other doors to the wardrobe are closed.
NOTES: This was where Anika’s mother was captured. She was sleeping when the Servants struck. There is a small array of jewelry in the box and nothing seems to be missing.
ANIKA’S ROOM: This room is also a mess. It is a child’s room – probably a little girl’s room, judging by the pictures of unicorns, fairies and dragons stuck on almost every available surface. The bed has been turned on its side, and the wardrobe doors opened. The curtains that once covered the window have been swept to the floor. In one corner is a small desk with a drawer on one side. The chair that once stood in front of the desk has been flung back almost a meter and lies on its back in the center of the room. There is a large picture of a unicorn standing beside a stern-looking woman in almost see-through robes above where the head of the bed should be. It is hanging slightly crooked.
NOTES: PCs making an Earth: Senses TH4 test realize that all the areas that have been disturbed would have provided a hiding place for a young child and that there does not appear to have been a struggle. This is a clue that Anika was not here when her parents were taken, but let PCs make their own deductions. PCs who investigate the picture and who make a Knowledge: Art test learn the following:
TH3: This picture is slightly familiar. You think the artist can be found in the North London art scene;TH4: This picture is a copy of the original work which hangs in a gallery in Islington. Some art critics say that the work is a banal interpretation of an age-old theme but there are rumors that the unicorn and the woman within the picture move. The artist was one David Markovin who has a studio in Cambden.
PCs investigating the overturned bed must make an Air: Senses TH4 test to find the Setite identity disc dropped in the sheets. Once the disc is noticed, read or paraphrase, the following:
There’s something familiar about the symbol outlined on the disc. You’re not sure what it is, but the sight of it has drawn your companions’ attention. As you reach for it, light slides across the surface of the disc and for a moment you are blinded. When you can see again you find yourselves in a completely different room and, possibly, a completely different land.
GO TO SCENE 3C: FRIENDS OF KREDAK.
PCs investigating the desk notice (Air: Senses TH3 test) that the drawer is locked. There is no test to notice this if they try to open the drawer – it’s locked! The drawer, if opened, contains Anika’s Book of Law. If PCs do not open the drawer then use the following description when they investigate the desk:
On the desk itself are several books, and a space where one really thick book, or a few thinner books might have fit. There is no dust in the space.
This is where Anika’s Book of Law sat. She could not fit it into her bag and hid it in the drawer, intending to sneak back and collect it. Any PC picking up this book for a closer look sees the title: The Book of Law and triggers the flashback in Scene 3B. When the book is handled read or paraphrase the following:
This is no book for a seven-year old, yet it appears to open at your touch, drawing your eyes to the neat, carefully formed script. It reads: LAW 101: Sabotage leading to the foreseeable chance of death for another is murder and the saboteur shall be tried as a murderer. The penalty for all murderers shall fit the crime. As your eyes fall on the word ‘crime’ the book is no longer in your hands and you are no longer in Anika’s room.
GO TO SCENE 3B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW
GUEST ROOM: This room is immaculately tidy. There are two double beds, neatly made, two night stands, each of which has a lamp and a box of tissues standing on it. A double wardrobe standing against the inner wall and a sewing table tucked away in one corner. The curtains are drawn.
NOTES: There is nothing but coathangers in the double wardrobe and nothing at all in the drawers of each of the two nightstands. One lamp has a blown bulb and neither of the tissue boxes has been opened. The sewing table has a half finished skirt (child-sized) sitting next to the sewing machine but contains items to do with sewing and nothing else. There are no clues in this room.
BATHROOM: Vanity, mirror-fronted cupboard, toothbrushes, toothpaste, rubbish bin, bath mat, slightly damp towels hanging over racks, soap, shower over a bathtub – this room is obviously a bathroom.
NOTES: There are two adult toothbrushes but no child toothbrush (Air: Senses TH3 to notice) but all of the towels are wet. One of the face flannels is missing (Air: Senses TH3). These are the only clues in this room and they indicate that Anika’s disappearance is separate to that of her parents since hers is the only toothbrush missing. Let PCs draw their own conclusions about this. There are no bath toys (and never were but, again, let PCs draw their own conclusions).
TOILET: It’s obvious what this room is. Toilet, toilet brush in its own stand, spare paper at the back near the wall, curved rug to keep your feet warm while you wait. Nothing appears to have been disturbed here.
NOTE: There are no clues in this room.
HALLWAY: There is a long, low cabinet lining one wall. The telephone sits atop it underneath a picture of a white horse carved into a hill. There is also a picture of a forest-framed stream and waterfall but nothing else. Nothing appears to have been disturbed here and the china in the cabinet is all in one piece. There are five doors leading off from this corridor and a set of steps leading down to the rest of the house.
NOTES:There are no clues in this room.
END OF ACT TWO SCENE THREE A
Next week, I will post Act Two Scene 3B, the first of two cut-scenes interlinked with this scene.
August 28, 2013
Books Read in August 2013
Reading is an important part of writing - it refreshes the mind and gives new perspective. I'm still working my way through Dick Francis's novels. This month I returned and read some of his best.
