C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 205
July 28, 2013
First Chapters: Wings by Carlie Simonsen
Wings
is the first book in the Wings series, which follows a family of people who have wings and bird-like feet. They have lived as normal a life as possible, concealing their not-so-human aspects as best they can. So far they have been successful, but that’s all about to be turned upside down.Jack has wings, but he keeps them well-hidden. When a new girl comes to school and does not hide her own wings, what changes will she bring to Jack’s life?
Wings is available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, Nook, DriveThruFiction and iTunes.
First Chapters: Wings
Jack had wings on his back and claws on his feet. He had feathers on his legs and a bell around his neck. He took the bus to school.Jack had green eyes and dark skin. His father had green eyes. His mother had dark skin. His mother had wings and his father had claws on his feet.They tried not to let people know.Jack’s father wore shoes all the time. They were big shoes that cramped his claws together, just like Jack’s. Jack’s mother hid her wings under a coat. It looked like she had a big lump on her back, just like Jack.People laughed at Jack’s mother. They laughed because she had a hump on her back, and the unkind ones called her deformed. They laughed because she wore a long coat in summer. One that reached right down to her toes.Those same people laughed at Jack as well. Jack hid his wings under a jacket. He looked like he had a hump on his back. The meaner kids at school called him ‘Camel’ or ‘The Hunchback’, but not where the teachers could hear them. Jack’s jacket did not reach down to his toes. His wings were not as long or beautiful as his mother’s.One day a girl came to Jack’s school. Her name was Jedda. She had wings like Jack and she did not hide them.
END FIRST CHAPTER: WINGSIf you would like to read more, Wings is available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, Nook, DriveThruFiction and iTunes.
July 27, 2013
Progress Report: Week 4 July 2013
Another very quiet week this week. I had to study.OverviewNew words produced: 2,950Old words revised: 2,287Works completed: 0Works revised: 0Covers created: 0 (1-3 variations)Works published: 0 (2-3 release platforms)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0Publishing Tasks
Created 3 blog posts for this blog;Created 0 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;
New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:
Chapterbook19D: About a boy, a girl, some dogs and a train.Chapterbook19E: About a boy, a girl, and a dog with wings.Chapterbook19F: about a boy, a girl, some dogs and another train.Chapterbook19G: about a boy, a girl, a dog, and yet another train.
Older work rediscovered, edited and/or recorded:
ShortStory63—Mayleigh’s Promise: about the sacrifice one woman makes for another (completed)Poem62—The Wreck’s Mixed Blessing (completed);Poem63—You Decide(completed);Poem64—A Distant Marriage (completed);Poem65—Buaya, Buaya: about a monkey and a crocodile;Poem66—Uncertainty in Battle’s Lull;Poem67—Captive on International TV;Poem68—I was there;Poem69—Modern Mount;Poem70—Bright-Eyed Mount;Poem71—Classroom Escapism;Poem72—The Eagle Spreads its Wings;Chapterbooks 19A-C: about a boy, his girl, and some dogs.
July 25, 2013
Adventure Edition: Fireborn - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost - Act One, Scenes 1-2
You can find the Introduction to the
Babes in London
adventure sequence HERE, the background to Act One HERE, and the Overview for Act One HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ; Fireborn Player'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.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
A CT O NE: C HILDREN I N T HE P ARK Preparation:For Scene 1: Familiarize yourself with the playground and its surrounds.For Scene 2: For new players it is helpful if the players have nominated something of their dragon’s background by this stage. If they have not, and you don’t want to spoil the surprise, nominate a temporary disguise for the mythic land of Albion (last mythic epoch) that the player can fill out later. Such guises include an Albion warrior, druid, diplomat, bard, seer, or member of such a one’s entourage. The PCs, at this point in the mythic age, have been searching for the Seer of Cathach and found her. They have wended their way through the forest in human guise since it’s easier to move through the thick undergrowth this way—and because the Seer’s representatives requested that they do so. When the scene starts they are not aware of their guise until it is time to roll initiative for the attack. When preparing descriptions for the characters, make sure the have all the basic stats that belong to the dragon and its abilities in human form; a brief description of the character’s equipment would also help.For Scene 3: Make sure you are familiar with the possible paths the PCs might follow.
SCENE ONE: THE PARK In their search for the Serpent’s Torc, the PCs have learned that the Seer of Cathach can give them the clues they need with which to discover its whereabouts. The person they consulted regarding the location of the Seer has sent them to this park in the south of London. Read or paraphrase the following when they arrive:
22-90 Latham Road is a park. You can tell it’s a park because there are swings, a graffitied picnic table with bench seats, a climbing frame or jungle gym, and a worn-looking round-a-bout. The grass is longer than it should be and a small public toilet block is the only other feature. Elm trees provide a rim of shade. The park is empty, save for two young girls sitting on the edge of the round-a-bout. Their heads are bent together as they whisper to each other but, occasionally, they glance warily at their surroundings. One of these glances falls on you and suddenly you find yourself under the joint gaze of eyes blue as sapphires and green as an emerald star. The air around you shimmers.
S CENE T WO: D RAGONS E NTWINED …And the girls are gone. The park is gone. And Latham Road with its kirtle of close-packed houses and its shopping strip consisting of a milk bar and bakery, greengrocer, news agency and butcher shop is also gone. You’ve come through a forest. That much you can remember. And you came to ask a favor – what it was, you can’t remember. The undergrowth has thinned after impeding your progress for the last three days, and you can see the green-tinged sunshine that signals a clearing ahead.
Give the PCs some time to react here. Try to provide them with the following ‘boxed-text’ information in response to questions, rather than just reading it out.
The elm trees surrounding the clearing are huge, and the round-a-bout has been replaced by a small mound. No children here, though. No – no children. Just two dragons reclining together, their heads raised as their emerald and sapphire eyes regard your surprise with gentle amusement. “We heard you were coming,” the great-clawed beast dragon says, “but we didn’t know it would take you so long to get here…” The sun glints off her hide creating colored reflections on the surrounding leaves.
Now is the time to ask the PCs to turn to the descriptions for their Alban human forms. and read it.
GMs may also wish to give players a chance to spot Havram disguised as an elm, but the discovery should coincide with the imp attack.
When players are ready to continue, read or paraphrase the following:
There is a disturbance in the forest and a bird cry of alarm brings tension to the clearing. The beast dragon lifts her head, alert. One minute the golden scales and lithe form of the other dragon is there, the next it has disappeared. Beside you, one of the elms utters a sigh. “Here we go again,” and unsheathes its claws, sprouting a draconic head that glances at you with amber eyes. “They never give up,” it mutters as it turns and lashes out at a blur of movement exploding from the undergrowth. There is a sickening crunch and an oddly pungent odor fills the air. You cannot see what the clawed elm just hit, and there isn’t time to ask as more shapes emerge from the bushes. Scorpions! If the Servants of Set have risen once more… but these scorpions are different; they are blue, and they have riders – bloated creatures also blue-skinned, looking like wizened old men save for the talons that serve them as claws. You know who sent these… but the name won’t come to you and the first of the scorpion-riding little creatures is preparing to attack. Its mouth parts in a hideous battle grin, revealing rows of pointed teeth as it launches itself towards you.
Now have the PCs roll initiative. These creatures won’t occur again as they are a link to the next arc. For now, they serve to alert the characters to the minions of Set, who are the main focus of this arc, and they link the characters to their past.
Blue Imps: Era Mythic Arabia; Race Supernatural being; APL TBA; Init 8; Aspects Fire 5, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 2; Health 7m <3 / 3+ / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach -2/0 ft.; Armor2; Karma 10; Karmic Range 2; Stride 5 ft. (Fast); Combat Claws 6/L; Bite 4/L; Sequences Double Gut, Overhand Stabs, Flying ForkAgg F10/W1/A1/E1-Power + L Weapon Strike + Power + R Weapon Strike: Dmg +20Neut F5/W3/A3/E2 – L Weapon Strike + R Weapon Strike: Dmg +5 Abilities Skills Athletics 5, Melee 5, Quickness 4, Senses 4, Stealth 5, Will 4; Edges Daunting 3, Dervish 4, Follow-Through, Resilient 5, Stealthy; Powers Heir of the Storm 3 Witch’s Countenance 3; Traits Imp
Blue Scorpion Mounts: Era Mythic; RaceSupernatural animal; APL 1; Init 7; Aspects Fire 5, Water 3, Air 2, Earth 2; Health 2m <3 / 3+ / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach -1/1 ft.; Armor 8; Karma 10; Karmic Range 2; Stride 13 ft. (Fast) Combat Pincer (2): 6/L; Stinger 8/M; Sequences NoneAgg F9/W3/A0/E0 – Grab + Press + Press + StingerNeut F5/W3/A2/E2 – L Pincer + R Pincer + Press + PressDef F0/W8/A2/E2 – Dodgesequence Abilities Skills Athletics 4, Melee 5, Quickness 5, Stamina 4, Senses 4, Stealth 5; Edges Aggressive 2 (Melee), Durable, Rapid 3, Survivor 1; Powers Heir of the Storm 1;Traits spined, venomous
Imp & Scorpion Tactics: The imps have taken an aggressive stance and launch themselves from their mounts backs using their Flying Fork attack sequence. The scorpions attack until destroyed. The imps attempt to destroy the characters until only one of them is able to get away. At this point, the last imp activates a magical ring that returns it to its master in distant Arabia.NPC Dragon Tactics: Assume that there are enough imps and scorpions to keep the NPC dragons busy. The imps and scorpions listed here are for the PCs only.Ending the Flashback: The flashback ends as soon as the last imp opposing the PCs has been destroyed, or has disappeared to report to his master. Once this happens, read or paraphrase the text in Act I, Scene III.END OF ACT ONE, SCENE 2
Next week, I will post the Act One, Scene 3 of Little Girls Lost .
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ; Fireborn Player'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.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
A CT O NE: C HILDREN I N T HE P ARK Preparation:For Scene 1: Familiarize yourself with the playground and its surrounds.For Scene 2: For new players it is helpful if the players have nominated something of their dragon’s background by this stage. If they have not, and you don’t want to spoil the surprise, nominate a temporary disguise for the mythic land of Albion (last mythic epoch) that the player can fill out later. Such guises include an Albion warrior, druid, diplomat, bard, seer, or member of such a one’s entourage. The PCs, at this point in the mythic age, have been searching for the Seer of Cathach and found her. They have wended their way through the forest in human guise since it’s easier to move through the thick undergrowth this way—and because the Seer’s representatives requested that they do so. When the scene starts they are not aware of their guise until it is time to roll initiative for the attack. When preparing descriptions for the characters, make sure the have all the basic stats that belong to the dragon and its abilities in human form; a brief description of the character’s equipment would also help.For Scene 3: Make sure you are familiar with the possible paths the PCs might follow.
SCENE ONE: THE PARK In their search for the Serpent’s Torc, the PCs have learned that the Seer of Cathach can give them the clues they need with which to discover its whereabouts. The person they consulted regarding the location of the Seer has sent them to this park in the south of London. Read or paraphrase the following when they arrive:
22-90 Latham Road is a park. You can tell it’s a park because there are swings, a graffitied picnic table with bench seats, a climbing frame or jungle gym, and a worn-looking round-a-bout. The grass is longer than it should be and a small public toilet block is the only other feature. Elm trees provide a rim of shade. The park is empty, save for two young girls sitting on the edge of the round-a-bout. Their heads are bent together as they whisper to each other but, occasionally, they glance warily at their surroundings. One of these glances falls on you and suddenly you find yourself under the joint gaze of eyes blue as sapphires and green as an emerald star. The air around you shimmers.
S CENE T WO: D RAGONS E NTWINED …And the girls are gone. The park is gone. And Latham Road with its kirtle of close-packed houses and its shopping strip consisting of a milk bar and bakery, greengrocer, news agency and butcher shop is also gone. You’ve come through a forest. That much you can remember. And you came to ask a favor – what it was, you can’t remember. The undergrowth has thinned after impeding your progress for the last three days, and you can see the green-tinged sunshine that signals a clearing ahead.
Give the PCs some time to react here. Try to provide them with the following ‘boxed-text’ information in response to questions, rather than just reading it out.
The elm trees surrounding the clearing are huge, and the round-a-bout has been replaced by a small mound. No children here, though. No – no children. Just two dragons reclining together, their heads raised as their emerald and sapphire eyes regard your surprise with gentle amusement. “We heard you were coming,” the great-clawed beast dragon says, “but we didn’t know it would take you so long to get here…” The sun glints off her hide creating colored reflections on the surrounding leaves.
Now is the time to ask the PCs to turn to the descriptions for their Alban human forms. and read it.
GMs may also wish to give players a chance to spot Havram disguised as an elm, but the discovery should coincide with the imp attack.
When players are ready to continue, read or paraphrase the following:
There is a disturbance in the forest and a bird cry of alarm brings tension to the clearing. The beast dragon lifts her head, alert. One minute the golden scales and lithe form of the other dragon is there, the next it has disappeared. Beside you, one of the elms utters a sigh. “Here we go again,” and unsheathes its claws, sprouting a draconic head that glances at you with amber eyes. “They never give up,” it mutters as it turns and lashes out at a blur of movement exploding from the undergrowth. There is a sickening crunch and an oddly pungent odor fills the air. You cannot see what the clawed elm just hit, and there isn’t time to ask as more shapes emerge from the bushes. Scorpions! If the Servants of Set have risen once more… but these scorpions are different; they are blue, and they have riders – bloated creatures also blue-skinned, looking like wizened old men save for the talons that serve them as claws. You know who sent these… but the name won’t come to you and the first of the scorpion-riding little creatures is preparing to attack. Its mouth parts in a hideous battle grin, revealing rows of pointed teeth as it launches itself towards you.
Now have the PCs roll initiative. These creatures won’t occur again as they are a link to the next arc. For now, they serve to alert the characters to the minions of Set, who are the main focus of this arc, and they link the characters to their past.
Blue Imps: Era Mythic Arabia; Race Supernatural being; APL TBA; Init 8; Aspects Fire 5, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 2; Health 7m <3 / 3+ / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach -2/0 ft.; Armor2; Karma 10; Karmic Range 2; Stride 5 ft. (Fast); Combat Claws 6/L; Bite 4/L; Sequences Double Gut, Overhand Stabs, Flying ForkAgg F10/W1/A1/E1-Power + L Weapon Strike + Power + R Weapon Strike: Dmg +20Neut F5/W3/A3/E2 – L Weapon Strike + R Weapon Strike: Dmg +5 Abilities Skills Athletics 5, Melee 5, Quickness 4, Senses 4, Stealth 5, Will 4; Edges Daunting 3, Dervish 4, Follow-Through, Resilient 5, Stealthy; Powers Heir of the Storm 3 Witch’s Countenance 3; Traits Imp
Blue Scorpion Mounts: Era Mythic; RaceSupernatural animal; APL 1; Init 7; Aspects Fire 5, Water 3, Air 2, Earth 2; Health 2m <3 / 3+ / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach -1/1 ft.; Armor 8; Karma 10; Karmic Range 2; Stride 13 ft. (Fast) Combat Pincer (2): 6/L; Stinger 8/M; Sequences NoneAgg F9/W3/A0/E0 – Grab + Press + Press + StingerNeut F5/W3/A2/E2 – L Pincer + R Pincer + Press + PressDef F0/W8/A2/E2 – Dodgesequence Abilities Skills Athletics 4, Melee 5, Quickness 5, Stamina 4, Senses 4, Stealth 5; Edges Aggressive 2 (Melee), Durable, Rapid 3, Survivor 1; Powers Heir of the Storm 1;Traits spined, venomous
Imp & Scorpion Tactics: The imps have taken an aggressive stance and launch themselves from their mounts backs using their Flying Fork attack sequence. The scorpions attack until destroyed. The imps attempt to destroy the characters until only one of them is able to get away. At this point, the last imp activates a magical ring that returns it to its master in distant Arabia.NPC Dragon Tactics: Assume that there are enough imps and scorpions to keep the NPC dragons busy. The imps and scorpions listed here are for the PCs only.Ending the Flashback: The flashback ends as soon as the last imp opposing the PCs has been destroyed, or has disappeared to report to his master. Once this happens, read or paraphrase the text in Act I, Scene III.END OF ACT ONE, SCENE 2
Next week, I will post the Act One, Scene 3 of Little Girls Lost .
July 20, 2013
Progress Report: Week 3 July 2013
This was part of the ‘computer-broken’ time. I still got some stuff done, but not as much as I needed to. I have also embarked on the somewhat ambitious goal of writing a poem a day, as of Monday, July 15, 2013. Anyone know anything about poetry?
Overview
New words produced: 11,708Old words revised:3,364
Works completed: 0
Works revised: 0Covers created: 0 (1-3 variations)Works published: 0 (2-3 release platforms)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0 Tier 1 TasksRevised SciFiNovel1A Chapters 11-15Extra Tasks These aren't really 'extras'; they're just tasks I know I have coming, but haven't really scheduled for. Here's what I completed 'ad hoc' this week:
Added 3,108 words to Novella21A for PenName1;Began format and compilation of new material for Anthology6—An Anthology of Gods and Older Magic;Began format and compilation of new material for Anthology10—An Anthology of Ancient Egypt;Began format and compilation of new material for Anthology 19—Another Anthology of Dragons;Began format and compilation of new material for Anthology34—Another Anthology of Battle;Began format, compilation and edit of material for Annual13. Publishing Tasks
On the independent publishing front, I completed the following this week:
Created 4 blog posts for this blog;Created 1 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Uploaded 32 titles to Kobo on behalf of C.M. Simpson Publishing, including titles from C.M. Simpson, Carlie Simonsen, and Madeleine Torr. New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Annual13: about poetry;Annual14: about flash fiction;Annual15: about war;CrimeNovel7—Redevelopment (working title);SciFiNovel8A—Calliope (working title);Poem37—Duct Tape and Tar (completed);Poem38—Dragon Bait(completed);Poem39—Old Gods, New Servant (completed);Poem40—Pharaoh’s Prayer (completed);Poem41—The Four Winds (completed);Poem56—What if there were Velociraptors?NonFiction1C—about tourists. Older work rediscovered, revised and recorded:
Poem42—At the Patriarch’s Funeral (completed);Poem43—Ayam-ayam Menakut HarimauPoem44—Beasts in my Office (completed);Poem45—Calling the Words (completed);Poem46—Ironing to Dream (completed);Poem47—Overwhelming Kindness (completed);Poem48—Surviving a Walk in the World (completed);Poem49—The Base Protector (completed);Poem50—The Dead and the End of a War (completed)Poem51—The Elders are Sleeping (completed);Poem52—The Sand and the Sea (completed);Poem53—The Youth (completed);Poem54—Wasted: A Poem for Two Voices (completed);Poem55—We Hunt: A Poem for Two Voices (completed);Poem57—White Moon, Blue Sky (completed);Poem58—Defiance(completed);Poem59—Golden Sun in Radiance Descending (completed);Poem60—Surviving the Seasons (completed);Poem61—When the Seasons fall Down (completed).July 19, 2013
Blogging Elsewhere: Wednesday, July 17,I visited with the DSDU Blog
After a week with a broken computer,I forgot to let people know I was guest blogging over at Dark Side Down Under. A group of Australian writers of romance and other paranormal genres, they kindly hosted me on their regular A Bite Of… blog spot on Wednesday, July 17. I talked about the inspiration behind the stories and poems in An Anthology of Battle(which may also be found in my collection of Short Stories and Poems of 2012 collection), and gave an excerpt from one of my favorite stories, Jalaya . Feel free to go over and check it out.
Progress Report: Week 2 July 2013
Computer broke L. Not much got done…OverviewNew words produced: 2,189Old words revised: 0Works completed: 0Works revised: 0Covers created: 1 (1-3 variations)Works published: 0 (2-3 release platforms)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0Publishing TasksCreated 0 blog posts for this blog;Created 3 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Released C.M. Simpson: Short Stories andPoems from 2012 as a print-on-demand title from CreateSpace;Uploaded titles for Ellie Moonwater, Eleanor Maine, and Madeleine Torr to AllRomanceEbooks.New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Novella21A
July 18, 2013
Adventure Edition: Fireborn - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost - Overview
You can find the introduction to the Babes in London adventure sequence HERE and the background to Act One HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook; Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
DISCLAIMER: 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.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
OVERVIEW :Act One begins with the characters searching for the Seer of Cathach in South London. It is assumed they are aware of their draconic natures at this stage, although some notes are provided to adapt the module for those who aren’t. In the first scene, the characters notice two girls in a playground. As they look at the closely-huddled youngsters, the characters flash back to a scene where two dragons are looking back at them with the same expressions on their faces.
In this encounter, the PCs defeat an attack from some blue imps mounted on blue scorpions and are alerted to an enemy they might face in the modern era. Characters ‘return’ from the flashback just as the girls’ parents arrive, scolding them for being out so late in the afternoon. The PCs do not receive an opportunity to speak with the children at this time because of the events that occurred a year before, although the parents will agree to an interview if a character with a law enforcement background (or a plausible story) approaches them correctly. If the characters interact with the parents, or follow the children to their homes, they notice that other groups are interested in the families. Those characters that have links to LN7 and/or the Gehenna Consortium might recognize these organizations at work here.
Act Two opens with the PCs learning of the disappearance of the two girls. Since they were seen near the girls in the afternoon (whether or not they tried to speak with the children or their parents), the police pay at least one of them a visit and request the party’s presence down at the station. During their interaction with the police, the PCs learn that the girls have disappeared and are told not to leave town. If they have law enforcement contacts, are private investigators, teachers or of some respected profession, they can offer to help look for the children.
The investigation begins with the children’s homes. At Anika’s home, the PCs discover that Anika’s parents have disappeared and the house shows signs of a struggle. They also find the Book of Law that the child has been writing and this triggers a flashback to a time when the PCs were hunting and delivering a criminal to be tried under one of the laws Anika mentions in her book.
In this flashback the PCs may earn the title Hounds of the Law and learn of one of the human identities that Anika wore. Upon their return from the flashback, they discover an identity disc used by the Servants of Set – the first clue to the third group interested in the girls. This disc triggers another flashback in which the PCs are asked for sanctuary by a dragon called Kredak who is being hunted by the Servants of Set; it indicates that an enemy from their past has resurfaced in the present. The final item found at Anika’s house is the children’s drawing of a well-known piece of fantasy art that their parents cannot identify.
Scene Four sees the PCs continue their investigations at Leyila’s house where they find her Book of Songs which triggers a flashback to mythic Keheb where the girl was once a Dancer of Prophecy in a Kehebite temple. In this flashback, the PCs must prevent a Setite assassin from murdering her as she dances a new prophesy in a packed temple. Success at this mission gains the mythic Leyila’s gratitude for the brood and begins to build a picture of how longstanding is the alliance between the PCs’ brood and the feud between them and the cultists of Set.
Scenes Three and Four can be played back-to-front, depending on the PCs' choices.
If the PCs have played ‘The Fire Within’ Learning of the Seer of Cathach: If the group has played The Fire Within module, they may have learned of the Seer of Cathach from Emblae (The Fire Within,2004:36-37). How he conveys this information to them depends on you, the GM. He may have ‘heard it in a dream’ or he may recall it as a vision when asked.Dealing with the Gehenna Consortium: If the group is currently being patroned by the Gehenna Consortium, they become the operatives in the park. They are protecting Alice McIntyre as she searches the area for the ‘source of power’ the Consortium has detected in there. Alice does not participate in any flashback scenes unless otherwise specified. GMs will have to make minor modifications to the scene to incorporate this.Dealing with LN7: If the group has been given a ‘friendly’ assessment at the end of The Fire Within, the LN7 operative assigned to them is also in the coffee shop, but at a different table to Newspaper Guy. This operative is not interested in the children, only in the PCs; he, or she, has no contact with the other LN7 operatives in the area. If the PC group has been given a ‘neutral’ assessment at the end of The Fire Within, the fact they are near the girls the night before they disappear is enough for them to earn the ‘containment required’ designation. If they earn ‘containment required’ or have already been assigned the label, LN7 puts the pieces in place and springs an ambush to capture the PCs once they have reunited the families (at the end of Girls and Boys go off to Play). If the PCs end up working for LN7 during the scenario, and perform satisfactorily, the ‘containment required’ designation may be downgraded to ‘neutral’ or even ‘friendly’. If the PCs end up working for LN7 during the scenario but continue to display the behaviors that earned them the containment designation in the first place, then the ambush will go ahead as before and GMs may wish to run the adventure series titled Designation: Containment Required.END OF ACT ONE OVERVIEW
Next week, I will post the Act One, Scenes 1-2 of Little Girls Lost .
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook; Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
DISCLAIMER: 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.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
OVERVIEW :Act One begins with the characters searching for the Seer of Cathach in South London. It is assumed they are aware of their draconic natures at this stage, although some notes are provided to adapt the module for those who aren’t. In the first scene, the characters notice two girls in a playground. As they look at the closely-huddled youngsters, the characters flash back to a scene where two dragons are looking back at them with the same expressions on their faces.
In this encounter, the PCs defeat an attack from some blue imps mounted on blue scorpions and are alerted to an enemy they might face in the modern era. Characters ‘return’ from the flashback just as the girls’ parents arrive, scolding them for being out so late in the afternoon. The PCs do not receive an opportunity to speak with the children at this time because of the events that occurred a year before, although the parents will agree to an interview if a character with a law enforcement background (or a plausible story) approaches them correctly. If the characters interact with the parents, or follow the children to their homes, they notice that other groups are interested in the families. Those characters that have links to LN7 and/or the Gehenna Consortium might recognize these organizations at work here.
Act Two opens with the PCs learning of the disappearance of the two girls. Since they were seen near the girls in the afternoon (whether or not they tried to speak with the children or their parents), the police pay at least one of them a visit and request the party’s presence down at the station. During their interaction with the police, the PCs learn that the girls have disappeared and are told not to leave town. If they have law enforcement contacts, are private investigators, teachers or of some respected profession, they can offer to help look for the children.
The investigation begins with the children’s homes. At Anika’s home, the PCs discover that Anika’s parents have disappeared and the house shows signs of a struggle. They also find the Book of Law that the child has been writing and this triggers a flashback to a time when the PCs were hunting and delivering a criminal to be tried under one of the laws Anika mentions in her book.
In this flashback the PCs may earn the title Hounds of the Law and learn of one of the human identities that Anika wore. Upon their return from the flashback, they discover an identity disc used by the Servants of Set – the first clue to the third group interested in the girls. This disc triggers another flashback in which the PCs are asked for sanctuary by a dragon called Kredak who is being hunted by the Servants of Set; it indicates that an enemy from their past has resurfaced in the present. The final item found at Anika’s house is the children’s drawing of a well-known piece of fantasy art that their parents cannot identify.
Scene Four sees the PCs continue their investigations at Leyila’s house where they find her Book of Songs which triggers a flashback to mythic Keheb where the girl was once a Dancer of Prophecy in a Kehebite temple. In this flashback, the PCs must prevent a Setite assassin from murdering her as she dances a new prophesy in a packed temple. Success at this mission gains the mythic Leyila’s gratitude for the brood and begins to build a picture of how longstanding is the alliance between the PCs’ brood and the feud between them and the cultists of Set.
Scenes Three and Four can be played back-to-front, depending on the PCs' choices.
If the PCs have played ‘The Fire Within’ Learning of the Seer of Cathach: If the group has played The Fire Within module, they may have learned of the Seer of Cathach from Emblae (The Fire Within,2004:36-37). How he conveys this information to them depends on you, the GM. He may have ‘heard it in a dream’ or he may recall it as a vision when asked.Dealing with the Gehenna Consortium: If the group is currently being patroned by the Gehenna Consortium, they become the operatives in the park. They are protecting Alice McIntyre as she searches the area for the ‘source of power’ the Consortium has detected in there. Alice does not participate in any flashback scenes unless otherwise specified. GMs will have to make minor modifications to the scene to incorporate this.Dealing with LN7: If the group has been given a ‘friendly’ assessment at the end of The Fire Within, the LN7 operative assigned to them is also in the coffee shop, but at a different table to Newspaper Guy. This operative is not interested in the children, only in the PCs; he, or she, has no contact with the other LN7 operatives in the area. If the PC group has been given a ‘neutral’ assessment at the end of The Fire Within, the fact they are near the girls the night before they disappear is enough for them to earn the ‘containment required’ designation. If they earn ‘containment required’ or have already been assigned the label, LN7 puts the pieces in place and springs an ambush to capture the PCs once they have reunited the families (at the end of Girls and Boys go off to Play). If the PCs end up working for LN7 during the scenario, and perform satisfactorily, the ‘containment required’ designation may be downgraded to ‘neutral’ or even ‘friendly’. If the PCs end up working for LN7 during the scenario but continue to display the behaviors that earned them the containment designation in the first place, then the ambush will go ahead as before and GMs may wish to run the adventure series titled Designation: Containment Required.END OF ACT ONE OVERVIEW
Next week, I will post the Act One, Scenes 1-2 of Little Girls Lost .
July 17, 2013
Australian Birds: Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
This beautiful pair have come every year. I haven't seen the cygnets yet, but I guess they're working on that.
They swam below the polluted pool.
Climbed the bank.
Ate.
Returned to the water.
And swam some more.
The sun glare was a menace today. It's something I'll have to remember to take into consideration in future.
They swam below the polluted pool.
Climbed the bank.
Ate.
Returned to the water.
And swam some more.
The sun glare was a menace today. It's something I'll have to remember to take into consideration in future.
July 12, 2013
Adventure Edition: Fireborn - Babes in London - Little Girls Lost - Background
You can find the introduction to the Babes in London adventure sequence HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook.
Both are available from www.drivethrurpg.com.
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.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
BACKGROUND :
In the mythic age, the rise of taint led to madness amongst those of the race of dragons, and a rift formed between these and other creatures of the age. With entire broods losing their souls and minds to the insinuating evil, other broods began to research how the threat might be defeated. One of these was the Lawgiver’s Brood.
Led by a dragon who had been known to take the form an Albion druid, an Atlantean lawgiver, and an Erebean Unicorn Maid, the brood also included a powerful seer known as the Seer of Cathach in Albion, the Lady of the Bower in Arcadia, and Shefru, Temple Dancer of Prophecy, in Keheb. It was this seer who learned that the main form of salvation for the dragons would be in magical items that would prolong their resistance to taint until such a time as the means of taint’s destruction could be found. To this end, the brood used the talents of a dragon known as Havram the Gardner to delve into the secrets of the plants and to create places of karmic refuge, while Lewistrom the Smith sought finer methods of crafting in which to incorporate the magic of the last member of the brood, Shillealagh.
Their research led the brood throughout the world, traveling along the leylines and exploring the pooled power to be found where such lines met. In Keheb, it led them into direct conflict with the cult whose members called themselves the Servants of Set. In time, their conflict led to the cult sending assassins after them until they could find no peace in which to follow their research—or they would have found no peace if it hadn’t been for a small brood of dragons that happened to be in the right place at the right time, the PCs.
Having encountered the cult, this brood set itself to the task of eliminating the cult from the land, enabling the Lawgiver’s brood to return to its research. What items the brood discovered and whether or not it had even begun down a path that would lead to the final destruction of taint is unknown, for magic was bled from the world before they had decided to share what they had found.
Now, like all dragons, the Lawgiver Brood has been reborn and each of its members are slowly waking to discover their human form contains more than the fantasies of a child.
Anika Lawgiver (now Collins) was a toddler when magic swept into the world. She has just reached seven years of age. The Seer of Cathach has been reborn as Leyila Andrews, a lonely ten-year-old prone to daydreams, and Lewistrom the smith is now a bright, if somewhat independent and stubborn, two-year old. They live in the city of London and have only begun to discover who, and what, they are. Shillealagh and Havram the Gardener do not appear in this adventure sequence and their present forms are yet to be revealed.
Anika always had an overblown sense of fairness and the stubbornness of will to see that justice was done. Some of the things she came out with as a three-year old were far beyond her years, but nothing to compare with what she has been coming up with lately. You see, Anika is writing her own Book of Law—and living by it. When she started school, she soon discovered the presence of a girl that drew her like no one else—Leyila Andrews. They are friends, strong friends, and almost inseparable when not in class. The depth of their friendship sometimes worries their parents, but its depth is put down to an incident that happened a year ago.
Leyila was being stalked by a strange, but friendly, woman that she met in the local library’s children’s reading group. At first it was nothing sinister, but then Leyila noticed that the woman would sometimes be walking in the park at the same time as she and Anika were playing there and the lady always had something for them. Usually it was sweets, but sometimes it was a trinket or the name of a particularly good book that she was willing to lend.
Leyila began to sense that something was wrong, and Anika noticed that the favors she and her friend received were never extended to the other children in the reading group.
So it was, that when the woman called them over to her car, waving a book she had promised to lend Leyila, the seer experienced a foreshadowing of gloom. She hesitated, and the woman became impatient. At the same time, a man who had been walking his dog around and around the park began to move towards them. Lawgiver that she had been, and prone to noticing the little things that didn’t add up, Anika reacted. Knowing they would never reach their homes in time, she dragged Leyila towards the public toilets, hoping to lock them in safely until their parents came looking.
What transpired when the girls weren’t able to lock the cubicle door is not known, but the man’s dog refused to enter, and the noises coming from the toilet block were enough for nearby residents to call the police. When they arrived, Anika was standing near the man who was lying on the floor. Every time he moved, she kicked him. The woman was huddled in a corner unable to take her eyes off Leyila. Neither child seemed to have suffered more than a nasty fright and a bad bout of temper. The police later found that the man and woman were part of a pedophile ring.
Since that time, Leyila and Anika have been inseparable, with the younger child taking her lessons in Leyila’s classroom and only parting when each girl goes home with her parents. Both the school and parents have put it down to the trauma of the attack, but the parents are now having second thoughts. Such a close friendship can’t be natural, they reason and so moves have begun to separate the pair.
It was the job in Australia that became the catalyst. Leyila’s mother found employment in Melbourne and her father was offered a job with the same company. They are moving at the end of the month. At the beginning of this sequence, the two girls have decided to run away together, especially now they have located a third member of their brood. Their parents are worried since the pair have been ducking school for some purpose neither will explain—in truth, the girls have been looking for a place to hide out in, and spying on Lewistrom the Smith (now Beam) and his mother.
The PCs, meantime, have been looking for an item they remember from their horde. It comes in the shape of a torc made up of the entwined bodies of serpents rendered in silver, platinum, bronze, copper and gold. Its other distinguishing feature is an oak leaf made up of alternating pieces of ruby and emerald in a setting that locks and unlocks in the middle connects the heads. All the PCs can remember is placing the item in the care of the Seer of Cathach, but where she is, what she was, and where she might be now is beyond them.
The only clue the PCs have to Seer’s whereabouts is that she frequents this park and children’s playground.END OF BACKGROUND
Next week, I will post the Overview section for Act One of Little Girls Lost .
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook.
Both are available from www.drivethrurpg.com.
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.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
BACKGROUND :
In the mythic age, the rise of taint led to madness amongst those of the race of dragons, and a rift formed between these and other creatures of the age. With entire broods losing their souls and minds to the insinuating evil, other broods began to research how the threat might be defeated. One of these was the Lawgiver’s Brood.
Led by a dragon who had been known to take the form an Albion druid, an Atlantean lawgiver, and an Erebean Unicorn Maid, the brood also included a powerful seer known as the Seer of Cathach in Albion, the Lady of the Bower in Arcadia, and Shefru, Temple Dancer of Prophecy, in Keheb. It was this seer who learned that the main form of salvation for the dragons would be in magical items that would prolong their resistance to taint until such a time as the means of taint’s destruction could be found. To this end, the brood used the talents of a dragon known as Havram the Gardner to delve into the secrets of the plants and to create places of karmic refuge, while Lewistrom the Smith sought finer methods of crafting in which to incorporate the magic of the last member of the brood, Shillealagh.
Their research led the brood throughout the world, traveling along the leylines and exploring the pooled power to be found where such lines met. In Keheb, it led them into direct conflict with the cult whose members called themselves the Servants of Set. In time, their conflict led to the cult sending assassins after them until they could find no peace in which to follow their research—or they would have found no peace if it hadn’t been for a small brood of dragons that happened to be in the right place at the right time, the PCs.
Having encountered the cult, this brood set itself to the task of eliminating the cult from the land, enabling the Lawgiver’s brood to return to its research. What items the brood discovered and whether or not it had even begun down a path that would lead to the final destruction of taint is unknown, for magic was bled from the world before they had decided to share what they had found.
Now, like all dragons, the Lawgiver Brood has been reborn and each of its members are slowly waking to discover their human form contains more than the fantasies of a child.
Anika Lawgiver (now Collins) was a toddler when magic swept into the world. She has just reached seven years of age. The Seer of Cathach has been reborn as Leyila Andrews, a lonely ten-year-old prone to daydreams, and Lewistrom the smith is now a bright, if somewhat independent and stubborn, two-year old. They live in the city of London and have only begun to discover who, and what, they are. Shillealagh and Havram the Gardener do not appear in this adventure sequence and their present forms are yet to be revealed.
Anika always had an overblown sense of fairness and the stubbornness of will to see that justice was done. Some of the things she came out with as a three-year old were far beyond her years, but nothing to compare with what she has been coming up with lately. You see, Anika is writing her own Book of Law—and living by it. When she started school, she soon discovered the presence of a girl that drew her like no one else—Leyila Andrews. They are friends, strong friends, and almost inseparable when not in class. The depth of their friendship sometimes worries their parents, but its depth is put down to an incident that happened a year ago.
Leyila was being stalked by a strange, but friendly, woman that she met in the local library’s children’s reading group. At first it was nothing sinister, but then Leyila noticed that the woman would sometimes be walking in the park at the same time as she and Anika were playing there and the lady always had something for them. Usually it was sweets, but sometimes it was a trinket or the name of a particularly good book that she was willing to lend.
Leyila began to sense that something was wrong, and Anika noticed that the favors she and her friend received were never extended to the other children in the reading group.
So it was, that when the woman called them over to her car, waving a book she had promised to lend Leyila, the seer experienced a foreshadowing of gloom. She hesitated, and the woman became impatient. At the same time, a man who had been walking his dog around and around the park began to move towards them. Lawgiver that she had been, and prone to noticing the little things that didn’t add up, Anika reacted. Knowing they would never reach their homes in time, she dragged Leyila towards the public toilets, hoping to lock them in safely until their parents came looking.
What transpired when the girls weren’t able to lock the cubicle door is not known, but the man’s dog refused to enter, and the noises coming from the toilet block were enough for nearby residents to call the police. When they arrived, Anika was standing near the man who was lying on the floor. Every time he moved, she kicked him. The woman was huddled in a corner unable to take her eyes off Leyila. Neither child seemed to have suffered more than a nasty fright and a bad bout of temper. The police later found that the man and woman were part of a pedophile ring.
Since that time, Leyila and Anika have been inseparable, with the younger child taking her lessons in Leyila’s classroom and only parting when each girl goes home with her parents. Both the school and parents have put it down to the trauma of the attack, but the parents are now having second thoughts. Such a close friendship can’t be natural, they reason and so moves have begun to separate the pair.
It was the job in Australia that became the catalyst. Leyila’s mother found employment in Melbourne and her father was offered a job with the same company. They are moving at the end of the month. At the beginning of this sequence, the two girls have decided to run away together, especially now they have located a third member of their brood. Their parents are worried since the pair have been ducking school for some purpose neither will explain—in truth, the girls have been looking for a place to hide out in, and spying on Lewistrom the Smith (now Beam) and his mother.
The PCs, meantime, have been looking for an item they remember from their horde. It comes in the shape of a torc made up of the entwined bodies of serpents rendered in silver, platinum, bronze, copper and gold. Its other distinguishing feature is an oak leaf made up of alternating pieces of ruby and emerald in a setting that locks and unlocks in the middle connects the heads. All the PCs can remember is placing the item in the care of the Seer of Cathach, but where she is, what she was, and where she might be now is beyond them.
The only clue the PCs have to Seer’s whereabouts is that she frequents this park and children’s playground.END OF BACKGROUND
Next week, I will post the Overview section for Act One of Little Girls Lost .
July 10, 2013
Australian Birds: Spur-Winged Plover
These two spur-wing plovers were stalking something in a nearby field.
And, I guessed they were catching it, too!
They worked apart, competing with the swallows. (See if you can see the swallow in the picture below!)
And together.
They were a formidable couple
But I needed to get much closer <sigh>
And, I guessed they were catching it, too!
They worked apart, competing with the swallows. (See if you can see the swallow in the picture below!)
And together.
They were a formidable couple
But I needed to get much closer <sigh>
