Struggling to write a bit today - my writing seems to have dropped off a lot lately and I'm not sure quite why. It probably doesn't help me finding all of Bleach that can be watched Youtube stylee-online. It is giving me a few good ideas, but not something I can really use anywhere at the moment. Misery has stalled fairly hard, which I'm going to attribute to not writing it for over a week at the beginning of the month. I seem to have been fairly run down since Springfest for some reason and I'm not entirely sure why. I was fairly ill for the few days afterwards but I've been... I dunno - mind blanking a lot for the past couple of weeks. Which has been frustrating especially when I've not been larping for most of this month, except Saturday just gone when I ran at Black Country with mine and Phil's new plot.
I wrote the awesome thing at the begining of the week this week which took a lot out of me, which knocked me down for a couple of days. I just haven't been able to get up and going again with it.
Part of it - I think - is just a bit of a character crisis. I'm getting fairly jaded with my own characters and it's other charcters that I'm really enjoying writing about (quite largely inspired by some AWESOME stuff a fellow writer has been sending me over the last couple of weeks.) However they seem to have a much better grasp of the other characters than I do and no matter how much I hate myself for it, I always seem to have to fight myself really hard to stop myself making it out to be very special fucking snowflake (aka Mary Sue/Marty Stew or whatever you want to call that particular literary abomination.)
Quite often the character themselves would real me in if I try that and Lahsaa is especially very good at stopping me doing stupid stuff that makes him out to be a lot cooler than he ever could be (fantasy sorcerer powers aside.)
I need to push the boat out on my writing a bit, try and write things I'm not used to writing maybe? Scenarios I'm not used to writing? I might put Misery in Middale on hold for a while, at least until I feel I can come back to it. Or maybe, just edit it. Problem is once I've done the 750 words for the day, I really don't feel like doing more writing or doing editing. 750 words feels like a very doable, sustainable about day in and day out, the 3100 words I did for the End of a Saga wrecked me mentally as I said earlier
Though... it is a muscle just like any other... maybe it just needs exercising more. It's gotten used to the 750 words a day and has gotten a bit used to writing that - so I need to start pushing the boat out a bit. See if I can work up to the NaNo-esque heights of 1667 words a day. And then push it further still. I'd love to be able to crack out 2000-2500 words a day with no really effort (but wouldn't every writer?) I know I need to be reading more (I have ASoFaI, and the Mistborn Trilogy to read as well as a bunch of other stuff on my she;f. Reading just hasn't been up there recently.
I wonder if I need to let my streak lapse and start again. I've felt like a bit of a cheat lately on 750 words - using my Patron status and the "Time off" feature a little too much maybe. I don't really want to lose a 76 day streak though. Even if around 10 of those days I've probably time-off'd.
But is that in the spirit of the whole writing thing though?
I envy these people who can juggle plot lines and juggle reading multple books at once. Especially with how SHORT my days are seeming lately. Work, maybe gym, home, eat, catch up on the world for the day, write and then bed. With the list of things I have to do seemingly getting longer (Warhammer army, bits for larp, writing for larp, story writing, reading, bits of art I want to do, projects like the Phyrehawk Reads Twilight I started, catching up on blogs and internet stuff I do, larping, socialising, gaming, tidying up, housework etc.) how does anyone try and fit all of that into their day? Or even their week half the time? I miss being young and having days stretch away endlessly - feeling like there is all the time in the world. That just seems to have gone completely.
Ah well... that's a catch up - I wrote, I unloaded a bit. Time to blog it and finish watching Bleach for the evening before going to bed and starting everything bright and early again tomorrow.
Sigh.
Showing posts with label larp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label larp. Show all posts
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Head made of fuzz.
Springfest is over for another year - it was all manner of awesome but my brain is not up to writing all down because it is bunged up. As is the rest of me. But it was awesome.
MiM is on hold, possibly for the rest of the week until I can get my head on again.
Don't miss me too much.
MiM is on hold, possibly for the rest of the week until I can get my head on again.
Don't miss me too much.
Friday, April 27, 2012
So much to write and do!
No Misery in Middale tonight I'm afraid folks - I'm still waiting and hoping to hear back from BC local players to get some stories from them to perhaps show up some cameos. If I don't get any, I know of three characters who will probably make an appearance anyway but... we'll see how it goes.
So! What am I writing about if not Misery in Middale?! Well - I meant for Thursday's 750 words to be a life catch up one every week - but that didn't happen - so it's moved to Friday this week and we'll see how it goes.
So - what's been happening? ... Well - I was hella ill over the weekend (hella? Really? Why did I use that word?) - vomitting Friday and then feeling all kinds of gross with a stomach complaint. Didn't stop me LARPing Saturday though, nosirree - managed to stomp all over some Bequifisians for the end of Phil's first plot. Which was a lot of fun - especially as they were trying to birsmirch Lahsaa's good name... or something.
But - that arc is finished - and me and Phil are teaming up at trhe end of next month to run something which should be a little bit cool all told. I need to make a few more tabards (and I hope he's making some too) for a couple of new factions that are going to pop up in the Middale area. We're tryng to aim for fairly low fantasy and concentrate on building up an area and get people interested in it, its people and its problems - much like Bill and Dan did with their Konn/Crawstone region plot.
Icons is - for now at least - on a bit of a back burner... as I realise that a lot of the larp plots I write are TOO big, they try to do too much and even a plot where I tried to write it without needing anything passed... still ended up needing things passed. ¬_¬
But! You live and learn - and I'm determined to run (or at least co-run) a mission that is going to be all kinds of fun. My biggest weakness when it comes to running - I think - is thinking on the fly. I'm fine when it's stuff I can play days, weeks or months in advance but when a player does something really unexpected on a mission - I struggle to get my brain out of that second of panic where I think "Okay... instead of simply killing a bunch of orcs, they've opened Thirteen simultaneous portals to Sharda... what the fuck do I do now?!" and I'm hoping that's where having someone there who I know will be there every time to play off - will work well. One of my biggest worries about running missions in Fools and Heroes is having something happen and someone look up at me and say "What the actual fuck?! You can't do THAT!!!" I can't see me ever having anything that radical happen, but... ,you never know.
I think that's where Fools and Heroes is so awesome and makes things so difficult. Because of the sheer amount of input and influence everybody can have in the game world - it becomes a living breathing game world where... yea... things don't always make sense, and x might react differently in y place over z place - but to be honest, I'm not sure that matters too hard. Not with the little things. I mean there are some things I refuse to touch with any plot I run and that's Sharda - because, hell, it's fairly complex and it's one of the big mysteries of the system I'd rather encounter as a player. I always get nervous when people pray, and striking that balance of the "Word of the Gods" as being something vague and lesson giving and outright giving the players the plot.
I think it's just something I need to get used to - writing plot, running missions, seeing what does work and doesn't work on missions. Some people I know have that down brilliantly, some people... they can't always get it to work for them, but when they pull out a gem then damn does it shine.
I've complained of late that I don't have any ideas, that writers block is a cheap whore who never delivers and I seem to be in this kind of... creative vacuum... Just lately it's been absolutely the friggin' opposite and there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do! My current creative list currently stands as follows:
Misery in Middale - this little novella I've been working on that people have been reading and commenting on and - by and large - enjoying. (I hope - please constructive crits would be great. I know it's raw and unedited but still, don't be scared of my feelings - just don't pick on spelling and grammar. I know it sucks.) I was hoping to have it finished by Springfest, but I don't think that's going to happen now. I have a rough idea of stuff that's still to happen within the story and then I need to see how the characters react at the big climax.
Oh - and continued special thanks go to Nicola and Phil for consistantly commenting on each and every entry that I post. MiM would not have gotten as nearly as far as it has without you guys constantly praising me for it.
The Annals of Aylix Goth - even if Aylix falls off the starting block and breaks his face when I first start playing him, I owe it to him to get this finished. I've come to love this character (my first ever proper roleplaying character) and seeing how he has grown from his humble beginnings on Santharia to know is just... it means a hell of a lot. (And if I get him to where I WANT him as a character when he's played in Fools and Heroes - I shall consider that a bit of a triumph to be honest.) But the story is slowly coming along with the main story arc fairly down, some arcs being built up and so on. It's just working down into the details (mainly on the time in the Konn) - my wonderful roleplaying partner Jenni and I are nearly finished with the Guiadon arc (and... there may be tears when that's over) it would just be concentrating on what he's been doing since being back in Ithron - Misery in Middale has helped with that and I have an idea for the rest of it.
Haart of a Dragon - You may have seen the first chapter I posted up the other week and it's something I've been toying around with for a while - a proper fantasy epic written and published in the fantasy world. I'm not sure I'd hand write the entire thing in Rhonnish though - that would be a biiiiiiitch. But - a love story between a dragon and a Vleyborian while the Dragon is on the run from the Axirian Empire. That sounds fun, right?
The Mercian 108th - Eight and Aces - Phils and my plot - the group need quite a bit of work doing on them still, as do various other factions. I think the biggest headache with this is getting people to play each of the roles we need to 'cast.' This doesn't just include writing either - various kit is needing to be made for it as well - I've made one tabard, but three more and a few belt flashes also need to be made. And hopefully - even a banner. =] This should be fun.
BlackCountrySecretProjekt. - >=]
None Fools and Heroes related stuff includes:
Xeonphotrix - people who know me have heard me mention Xeon so many times and at some point it needs to happen. A trilogy set throughout three different points of a universes history, where magic is rife and two planes beside the physical one for things to happen on. A world will be remade as the apocolypse is brought about - but what rises from those ashes may not be a good thing... This is the epic and the BIG thing I have in my mind. It's just reluctant to go anywhere and I'm not sure why. I may put snippets onto the blog to see what people think.
As of yet unamed, unplanned, spark of a zombie idea - I know zombie books are a BIG thing right now, but they're such a timeless antagonist. Undying. unrelenting, with no concept of pain or fatigue all they have is an all consuming need to feed... It may end up being shit, it may end up being a literary masterpiece I just want/need to write a zombie book.
... So - no small feat then? But - I'm confident - more and more confident with my wiritng as each day goes by. This 750words project has been an absolute gem, and I'm currently up to a FORTY EIGHT day streak (thanks to being able to book days off with Patron status.) That's at roughly FORTY FOUR DAYS I've written at LEAST SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY words. That's at LEAST Thirty three thousand words on this streak, and seeing as Misery in Middale is pushing about 36k at the moment, it's going to be even more than that (hell - this entry is 1552 words as of that number right there.)
Otherwise in life, I finally have a passport - so I can head to the bank and get some LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG overdue stuff sorted there, I apparently - in the last two weeks - have lost around five kilos - which doesn't sound like much in my head - but isn't bad. Even for a bit of varience in that, that's still a pretty good amount really. And I'm hoping that kind of dropping of weight carries on. Hell - 5lb and I'm back under 20stone - and that's a fucking awesome place to be in my mind. I just need to be better at going the gym as I've done (very) badly this last couple of weeks. I'll blame that on feeling extremely cruddy.
Springfest is next week, which I'm vastly looking forward to - seeing people I don't see often, a weekend of... well - maybe not much being Lahsaa as I'm fairly sure I'm up for quite a bit of monstering - (helping to run at least two missions I think, plus, diving about in armour should be fun.)
And... I think that's it. Yup. Pretty sure of it. I'm hoping to get a new headset next week - so my Phyrehawk reacts to - TWILIGHT! series may return on Youtube as well as video blogs and.. I dunno. Do I have that much to talk about?
I also want to get started with my Empire army again - I REALLY want to start playing Warhammer again after spending god knows how much money on it all over the years. Anyone fancy buying me the natty new paint set? =D
Until next time ladies and gents!
So! What am I writing about if not Misery in Middale?! Well - I meant for Thursday's 750 words to be a life catch up one every week - but that didn't happen - so it's moved to Friday this week and we'll see how it goes.
So - what's been happening? ... Well - I was hella ill over the weekend (hella? Really? Why did I use that word?) - vomitting Friday and then feeling all kinds of gross with a stomach complaint. Didn't stop me LARPing Saturday though, nosirree - managed to stomp all over some Bequifisians for the end of Phil's first plot. Which was a lot of fun - especially as they were trying to birsmirch Lahsaa's good name... or something.
But - that arc is finished - and me and Phil are teaming up at trhe end of next month to run something which should be a little bit cool all told. I need to make a few more tabards (and I hope he's making some too) for a couple of new factions that are going to pop up in the Middale area. We're tryng to aim for fairly low fantasy and concentrate on building up an area and get people interested in it, its people and its problems - much like Bill and Dan did with their Konn/Crawstone region plot.
Icons is - for now at least - on a bit of a back burner... as I realise that a lot of the larp plots I write are TOO big, they try to do too much and even a plot where I tried to write it without needing anything passed... still ended up needing things passed. ¬_¬
But! You live and learn - and I'm determined to run (or at least co-run) a mission that is going to be all kinds of fun. My biggest weakness when it comes to running - I think - is thinking on the fly. I'm fine when it's stuff I can play days, weeks or months in advance but when a player does something really unexpected on a mission - I struggle to get my brain out of that second of panic where I think "Okay... instead of simply killing a bunch of orcs, they've opened Thirteen simultaneous portals to Sharda... what the fuck do I do now?!" and I'm hoping that's where having someone there who I know will be there every time to play off - will work well. One of my biggest worries about running missions in Fools and Heroes is having something happen and someone look up at me and say "What the actual fuck?! You can't do THAT!!!" I can't see me ever having anything that radical happen, but... ,you never know.
I think that's where Fools and Heroes is so awesome and makes things so difficult. Because of the sheer amount of input and influence everybody can have in the game world - it becomes a living breathing game world where... yea... things don't always make sense, and x might react differently in y place over z place - but to be honest, I'm not sure that matters too hard. Not with the little things. I mean there are some things I refuse to touch with any plot I run and that's Sharda - because, hell, it's fairly complex and it's one of the big mysteries of the system I'd rather encounter as a player. I always get nervous when people pray, and striking that balance of the "Word of the Gods" as being something vague and lesson giving and outright giving the players the plot.
I think it's just something I need to get used to - writing plot, running missions, seeing what does work and doesn't work on missions. Some people I know have that down brilliantly, some people... they can't always get it to work for them, but when they pull out a gem then damn does it shine.
I've complained of late that I don't have any ideas, that writers block is a cheap whore who never delivers and I seem to be in this kind of... creative vacuum... Just lately it's been absolutely the friggin' opposite and there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do! My current creative list currently stands as follows:
Misery in Middale - this little novella I've been working on that people have been reading and commenting on and - by and large - enjoying. (I hope - please constructive crits would be great. I know it's raw and unedited but still, don't be scared of my feelings - just don't pick on spelling and grammar. I know it sucks.) I was hoping to have it finished by Springfest, but I don't think that's going to happen now. I have a rough idea of stuff that's still to happen within the story and then I need to see how the characters react at the big climax.
Oh - and continued special thanks go to Nicola and Phil for consistantly commenting on each and every entry that I post. MiM would not have gotten as nearly as far as it has without you guys constantly praising me for it.
The Annals of Aylix Goth - even if Aylix falls off the starting block and breaks his face when I first start playing him, I owe it to him to get this finished. I've come to love this character (my first ever proper roleplaying character) and seeing how he has grown from his humble beginnings on Santharia to know is just... it means a hell of a lot. (And if I get him to where I WANT him as a character when he's played in Fools and Heroes - I shall consider that a bit of a triumph to be honest.) But the story is slowly coming along with the main story arc fairly down, some arcs being built up and so on. It's just working down into the details (mainly on the time in the Konn) - my wonderful roleplaying partner Jenni and I are nearly finished with the Guiadon arc (and... there may be tears when that's over) it would just be concentrating on what he's been doing since being back in Ithron - Misery in Middale has helped with that and I have an idea for the rest of it.
Haart of a Dragon - You may have seen the first chapter I posted up the other week and it's something I've been toying around with for a while - a proper fantasy epic written and published in the fantasy world. I'm not sure I'd hand write the entire thing in Rhonnish though - that would be a biiiiiiitch. But - a love story between a dragon and a Vleyborian while the Dragon is on the run from the Axirian Empire. That sounds fun, right?
The Mercian 108th - Eight and Aces - Phils and my plot - the group need quite a bit of work doing on them still, as do various other factions. I think the biggest headache with this is getting people to play each of the roles we need to 'cast.' This doesn't just include writing either - various kit is needing to be made for it as well - I've made one tabard, but three more and a few belt flashes also need to be made. And hopefully - even a banner. =] This should be fun.
BlackCountrySecretProjekt. - >=]
None Fools and Heroes related stuff includes:
Xeonphotrix - people who know me have heard me mention Xeon so many times and at some point it needs to happen. A trilogy set throughout three different points of a universes history, where magic is rife and two planes beside the physical one for things to happen on. A world will be remade as the apocolypse is brought about - but what rises from those ashes may not be a good thing... This is the epic and the BIG thing I have in my mind. It's just reluctant to go anywhere and I'm not sure why. I may put snippets onto the blog to see what people think.
As of yet unamed, unplanned, spark of a zombie idea - I know zombie books are a BIG thing right now, but they're such a timeless antagonist. Undying. unrelenting, with no concept of pain or fatigue all they have is an all consuming need to feed... It may end up being shit, it may end up being a literary masterpiece I just want/need to write a zombie book.
... So - no small feat then? But - I'm confident - more and more confident with my wiritng as each day goes by. This 750words project has been an absolute gem, and I'm currently up to a FORTY EIGHT day streak (thanks to being able to book days off with Patron status.) That's at roughly FORTY FOUR DAYS I've written at LEAST SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY words. That's at LEAST Thirty three thousand words on this streak, and seeing as Misery in Middale is pushing about 36k at the moment, it's going to be even more than that (hell - this entry is 1552 words as of that number right there.)
Otherwise in life, I finally have a passport - so I can head to the bank and get some LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG overdue stuff sorted there, I apparently - in the last two weeks - have lost around five kilos - which doesn't sound like much in my head - but isn't bad. Even for a bit of varience in that, that's still a pretty good amount really. And I'm hoping that kind of dropping of weight carries on. Hell - 5lb and I'm back under 20stone - and that's a fucking awesome place to be in my mind. I just need to be better at going the gym as I've done (very) badly this last couple of weeks. I'll blame that on feeling extremely cruddy.
Springfest is next week, which I'm vastly looking forward to - seeing people I don't see often, a weekend of... well - maybe not much being Lahsaa as I'm fairly sure I'm up for quite a bit of monstering - (helping to run at least two missions I think, plus, diving about in armour should be fun.)
And... I think that's it. Yup. Pretty sure of it. I'm hoping to get a new headset next week - so my Phyrehawk reacts to - TWILIGHT! series may return on Youtube as well as video blogs and.. I dunno. Do I have that much to talk about?
I also want to get started with my Empire army again - I REALLY want to start playing Warhammer again after spending god knows how much money on it all over the years. Anyone fancy buying me the natty new paint set? =D
Until next time ladies and gents!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
750 words - Thursday life update.
So, no Misery in Middale tonight, and then I've actually used my Patron status to book time off over the weekend. And for Springfest weekend - which is bloody useful.
So why no Misery? Because I want to try and make Thursday my life check in day - so I can tell people what's going on with my life and... all the rest of that balls.
This week marks week number... 3, I think, of gym going, and while last week was a little bit fail (I only went twice and managed to put on 2lb) this week wasn't a great deal better (because of Monday illness - good job I was off already) - however I'm hoping I've still lost some weight this week. Last Wednesday's gym session was pretty gruelling with a PT who pushed me BLOODY hard, especially with the weights and such and mein gott did my limbs feel it the next day. Well... after LARP. I may have made it worse trucking around in plate and steel chain Thursday night for the night mission, but... no pain no gain. However I don't like being unable to straighten my arms out. That hut a lot. But - even after just a couple of sessions I've done it's kind of awesome to be able to poke at my biceps and actually feel some proper muscle definition there. I really need to work out a training schedule though and stick to it, properly. My plan is to do Monday and Wednesday as gym sessions, then either Thursday or Friday as swimming. And then, most weekends at least, LARP where I'll monster in steell chain and throw myself round like a mad man. I'm feeling pretty buzzed coming out of the gym, exercise can be fun. Who knew?
Main thing I'm struggling with is watching what I eat... because the things so bad for you are so tasty... and come in big portions. I've been trying to calorie watch a bit (not the best of ideas I know) but it's not working so well I don't think.
But - I'll get there - slow and steady progress... and even slow progress is good progress, right?
In other news - in about 3 weeks I will FINALLY, after 26 bloody years, have a passport! Which means I can... well - not go anywhere really cause I can't afford, but still. It's ID, with my current address on it as well. Next stop, driving?
Other than a cold besides that, I'm not doing too badly. Jenni and myself have very nearly finished the trip through Guiadon as part of Aylix's backstory - and as sad as it may sound, I'm actually getting really antsy about the scene coming up... Because soemthing BIG happens... and the prospect of it is making me kinda sad. But it is inspiring me to work on the planning for the rest of the backstory - including the cut down version to send to refs and stuff so I can get the special part of his backstory passed. It's awesome, and I've already got a volunteer to actually run the plot - and I know he'll do a fucking AWESOME job of it. I just have to hope, and pray and the rest of it that the fact that his backstory is so huge that it doesn't count as "kit curse" and kill him first mission out. That would blow so many chunks. I think as soon as he's done, I need to work on the next character. I've been toying with the idea of trying to get a Dwarven Runesmith (very Warhammer-esque I know) passed to play, and what better time to try it?
One thing that always kind of gets me down with coming up with character ideas like this though, is that the people I want to be excited about it, never really seem to be. I know that someone else is never going to be as enthused with your idea as you are but... meh - I think it comes back to needing encouragement if I'm ever going to get anything done. I think it's why some stuff has been going well lately, because I've had people there supporting me, even when I am being an annoying pain in the arse and not seeming like I want to help myself with it. I do. I really do. I just need a kick, more than just a little and the people who are helping me with various aspects of stuff that I'm changing (money, gym, weight, writing and so on) - you have no idea how grateful I am to each and every one of you for doing what you're doing. Just carry on. I love you all to bits. You're awesome. You should know who you are, but if you aren't sure and you think I'm talking about you, ask and I'll tell you.
That'll do for today I think. Still things to do before I hit the hay.
So why no Misery? Because I want to try and make Thursday my life check in day - so I can tell people what's going on with my life and... all the rest of that balls.
This week marks week number... 3, I think, of gym going, and while last week was a little bit fail (I only went twice and managed to put on 2lb) this week wasn't a great deal better (because of Monday illness - good job I was off already) - however I'm hoping I've still lost some weight this week. Last Wednesday's gym session was pretty gruelling with a PT who pushed me BLOODY hard, especially with the weights and such and mein gott did my limbs feel it the next day. Well... after LARP. I may have made it worse trucking around in plate and steel chain Thursday night for the night mission, but... no pain no gain. However I don't like being unable to straighten my arms out. That hut a lot. But - even after just a couple of sessions I've done it's kind of awesome to be able to poke at my biceps and actually feel some proper muscle definition there. I really need to work out a training schedule though and stick to it, properly. My plan is to do Monday and Wednesday as gym sessions, then either Thursday or Friday as swimming. And then, most weekends at least, LARP where I'll monster in steell chain and throw myself round like a mad man. I'm feeling pretty buzzed coming out of the gym, exercise can be fun. Who knew?
Main thing I'm struggling with is watching what I eat... because the things so bad for you are so tasty... and come in big portions. I've been trying to calorie watch a bit (not the best of ideas I know) but it's not working so well I don't think.
But - I'll get there - slow and steady progress... and even slow progress is good progress, right?
In other news - in about 3 weeks I will FINALLY, after 26 bloody years, have a passport! Which means I can... well - not go anywhere really cause I can't afford, but still. It's ID, with my current address on it as well. Next stop, driving?
Other than a cold besides that, I'm not doing too badly. Jenni and myself have very nearly finished the trip through Guiadon as part of Aylix's backstory - and as sad as it may sound, I'm actually getting really antsy about the scene coming up... Because soemthing BIG happens... and the prospect of it is making me kinda sad. But it is inspiring me to work on the planning for the rest of the backstory - including the cut down version to send to refs and stuff so I can get the special part of his backstory passed. It's awesome, and I've already got a volunteer to actually run the plot - and I know he'll do a fucking AWESOME job of it. I just have to hope, and pray and the rest of it that the fact that his backstory is so huge that it doesn't count as "kit curse" and kill him first mission out. That would blow so many chunks. I think as soon as he's done, I need to work on the next character. I've been toying with the idea of trying to get a Dwarven Runesmith (very Warhammer-esque I know) passed to play, and what better time to try it?
One thing that always kind of gets me down with coming up with character ideas like this though, is that the people I want to be excited about it, never really seem to be. I know that someone else is never going to be as enthused with your idea as you are but... meh - I think it comes back to needing encouragement if I'm ever going to get anything done. I think it's why some stuff has been going well lately, because I've had people there supporting me, even when I am being an annoying pain in the arse and not seeming like I want to help myself with it. I do. I really do. I just need a kick, more than just a little and the people who are helping me with various aspects of stuff that I'm changing (money, gym, weight, writing and so on) - you have no idea how grateful I am to each and every one of you for doing what you're doing. Just carry on. I love you all to bits. You're awesome. You should know who you are, but if you aren't sure and you think I'm talking about you, ask and I'll tell you.
That'll do for today I think. Still things to do before I hit the hay.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
750words, Einherday and FnH Magic
So todays words are also likely to be filler just because it's 20 to one in the morning and this is possibly the only time I'm going to have to actually write anything today. Today in Einherday - a larp event 4 months ish in the making where the Einherjar go and do an awesome bit of personal plot with little to no physical reward expected... We ARE expecting it to be hard. Very hard. Do it or actually all die hard. We expect to be pushed to the very edge of what our characters can endure, and maybe a bit beyond that.
Personally, I'm all kinds of bricking it. I feel like the weak link in the chain, feel like the one who could possibly let the side down cause I'm not the fighter, I'm the mage, and because it's an extra long mission I have to be really careful about where my power goes and who gets it cast on them... and I think it'll be one of these longer missions where the weakness of mages is going to shine through a bit. All three of the casters are going to be a bit enchant-centric because we're fairly sure that's what we'll need. Personally I'd much prefer to take out all my power in offensive spells and blow the shit out of everything we come across... but I can't really do that. I have to make every bit of power count - and it'll be a much bigger test to see if I can pull that off.
I was talking with Chris T - current SR for Knights and Religion - about various things earlier and he got me thinking about one thing that's obviously important to my character in FnH and that's magic. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on how magic works in system and a lot of mages kind of come at that from a very... almost scientific name for things using equations and formulae for it where as I like to think of things from a "DnD Sorcerer" point of view, magic should be (IMO) very emotive and very reactive to how the character is feeling. Maybe it's just the way I view magic in FnH but I see as it as very intrinsically linked to the characters soul. The souls of the characters in FnH (again, IMO) are made of soulfire (hence the name) which to me/Lasaa makes a lot of sense. It's that that is connected to the Tower of Magic, it's that that is awaken to use the soulfire that it is made from and use it as a conduit for all manner of magical experimentation. That's the manner of it I like to come at it from, and while part of me wonders whether it's too late to actually add these bits to the character, I think they're things I'm going to try and push for... maybe not as Lahsaa but a character further down the line. A emotionalist - as it were - who casts spells by force of will and energy rather than by understanding what soulfire is.
One thing I try and do (to varying degrees of success) is roleplay the draining effect that using all that power he's given every day has on his body. He relies on this soulfire for power now, feeds off of it, and uses it to power himself - when he's used the power and he's out, it's going to be draining, it's going to make him tired and ache. I have played it a couple of times where casting out as actually just made him pass out, or collapse just becayse of the mental and physical exertion of unleashing all this power - especially for the higher active spells... the main thing I (and Lahsaa especially) gets frustrated at is the limits of soulfire - the limits that he's provided from the Tower and he's been thinking for a while now of getting more power - accessing more of that soulfire as he uses the spells more and more - almost as if the soul was a muscle that could be exercised.
Problem is - not many ways exist to do that in FnH that don't involve making deals with fae, demons, undead or Axir. And those things are never good to do. More than once Lahsaa has been massively frustrated at the fact that "If I had enough power for this one last spell I could have... x." where X could be anything from save this person from dying, stopped this bad guy getting away or stopped this bad guy wrecking carnage and bloodshed all over his friends. I understand that a lot of it is just down tot he mechanics - but it's frustrating when the mechanics stand in the way of furthering roleplay. It's one of the frustrating things about FnH where in character "excuses" as it were that don't entirely make sense have to be concocted to handle out of character mechanics.
But anyway.
Einherday. Going to kick ass. Can't fucking wait. Somehow I've knocked out 900 words - so I'ma leave it there.
Like I said - hopefully new Misery in Middale bit Sunday. Comments welcome on my ramble... even if it's just the (inevitable) moaning at that I'm wrong.
Personally, I'm all kinds of bricking it. I feel like the weak link in the chain, feel like the one who could possibly let the side down cause I'm not the fighter, I'm the mage, and because it's an extra long mission I have to be really careful about where my power goes and who gets it cast on them... and I think it'll be one of these longer missions where the weakness of mages is going to shine through a bit. All three of the casters are going to be a bit enchant-centric because we're fairly sure that's what we'll need. Personally I'd much prefer to take out all my power in offensive spells and blow the shit out of everything we come across... but I can't really do that. I have to make every bit of power count - and it'll be a much bigger test to see if I can pull that off.
I was talking with Chris T - current SR for Knights and Religion - about various things earlier and he got me thinking about one thing that's obviously important to my character in FnH and that's magic. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on how magic works in system and a lot of mages kind of come at that from a very... almost scientific name for things using equations and formulae for it where as I like to think of things from a "DnD Sorcerer" point of view, magic should be (IMO) very emotive and very reactive to how the character is feeling. Maybe it's just the way I view magic in FnH but I see as it as very intrinsically linked to the characters soul. The souls of the characters in FnH (again, IMO) are made of soulfire (hence the name) which to me/Lasaa makes a lot of sense. It's that that is connected to the Tower of Magic, it's that that is awaken to use the soulfire that it is made from and use it as a conduit for all manner of magical experimentation. That's the manner of it I like to come at it from, and while part of me wonders whether it's too late to actually add these bits to the character, I think they're things I'm going to try and push for... maybe not as Lahsaa but a character further down the line. A emotionalist - as it were - who casts spells by force of will and energy rather than by understanding what soulfire is.
One thing I try and do (to varying degrees of success) is roleplay the draining effect that using all that power he's given every day has on his body. He relies on this soulfire for power now, feeds off of it, and uses it to power himself - when he's used the power and he's out, it's going to be draining, it's going to make him tired and ache. I have played it a couple of times where casting out as actually just made him pass out, or collapse just becayse of the mental and physical exertion of unleashing all this power - especially for the higher active spells... the main thing I (and Lahsaa especially) gets frustrated at is the limits of soulfire - the limits that he's provided from the Tower and he's been thinking for a while now of getting more power - accessing more of that soulfire as he uses the spells more and more - almost as if the soul was a muscle that could be exercised.
Problem is - not many ways exist to do that in FnH that don't involve making deals with fae, demons, undead or Axir. And those things are never good to do. More than once Lahsaa has been massively frustrated at the fact that "If I had enough power for this one last spell I could have... x." where X could be anything from save this person from dying, stopped this bad guy getting away or stopped this bad guy wrecking carnage and bloodshed all over his friends. I understand that a lot of it is just down tot he mechanics - but it's frustrating when the mechanics stand in the way of furthering roleplay. It's one of the frustrating things about FnH where in character "excuses" as it were that don't entirely make sense have to be concocted to handle out of character mechanics.
But anyway.
Einherday. Going to kick ass. Can't fucking wait. Somehow I've knocked out 900 words - so I'ma leave it there.
Like I said - hopefully new Misery in Middale bit Sunday. Comments welcome on my ramble... even if it's just the (inevitable) moaning at that I'm wrong.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Ready for battle...
"PRAISE BE TO KRYGAN!" the bestial roar echoed around the clsoe woodland and the party of four adventurers looked at each other nervously, raising their weapons where they had them.
"Greg... What was that?" Leanna's voice was nervous and breaking and her knuckles were whitening as the grip on his staff tighetned.
"What we came to look for, I'm guessing." the reply was resolute and steady, emphasised by the ringing of a sword from a scabbard as he drew the greatsword from his backscabbard. Though he looked calm, the nervous gaze around as he tried to pinpoint the sound gave away his feeling of unease.
"Some foul beast of the mother of monsters, lass, that's all it is." the harsh voice of the dwarf that stood alongside the two humans was like rocks striking each other - but it served well to bring them back to focus. "Jus' ye focus on yer teachings, an' all'll be fine."
"The short one has a point." the fourth voice sniffed. An elf, standing tall, aloof and slightly apart from the crowd, an arrow knocked already on her bowstring. The dwarf gave an answering growl and rounded on the Elf, though was cut off by Greg before he had the chance.
"Eliana, Grundown... cut it out. How are we supposed to do our duty to the Seven if we just bicker and infight? We know why we're here, and now - we appear to have found our quarry. And we will win and the Light of the Seven will shine out this day." his voice was firm and his gaze stern as he looked at his companions, his hand absently touching the sword pendant around his neck as he spoke. "Settle your racial differences when we're not just about to interrupt some foul heretic ritual."
"We'vre not going to be in time to stop it if Father Crow doesn't show." Leanna said softly, her feet shuffling uneasily on the carpet of dead leaves, she looked up at the sky. "It had to be completed when the sun reached it's zeinth, yes? That gives us maybe five minutes..."
A rustle from behind them, made her spin, while the others watched the path ahead, not flinching as a hooded figure dressed head to toe in black, came striding out of the bushes - a skull pendant around his neck, a shield on his left arm and a massive mace in his right hand. Leanna was fairly sure she's never be able to lift it with two hands, never mind with one. "I'm here. The souls of the fallen are tantemmount, and I will not shirk my duty to send them on. Especially the souls of a heretic, who go to the Allfather to be judged for their sins." the voice was slightly muffled behind a face mask and only his eyes showed - piercing and blue.
Greg nodded respectfully, and murmered a prayer to the God of the Dead - his head bowed - before he looked up at his fellows.
"They're in the hollow just ahead - some kind of large lumbering beast is doing some kind of ritual that Eliana says is prophesied. Apparently today is some kind of special day for them. But whatever it does - cannot be good for the locals... especially as it's right next to the river."
"Get on with it manling... times wasting." Grundown rolled his eyes, a large double headed azxe in one hand and a hammer in another.
Shooting the dwarf a look, Greg continued. "Leanna, Eliana, stay on the top of the rise and cover us - Father Crow, Grundown and myself will storm them disrupt anything we can. Take care of your footing - if this is some kind of religious ritual - and the fact that they're Kryganites - there's likely to be something nasty down there..."
He met each of their eyes. "May Crowa guide our blades and grant us strength."
"And may Kharach shepherd our souls to the halls should we fall." Crow's reply came.
Greg leaned forward to Leanna and kissed her cheek. "Eliana will look after you, just watch out for any blessed or poisoned blades and cover us, okay? You'll be fine.."
Leanna smiled in return, though looked too nervous to talk, and contented herself with pulling out a handful of cards from a pocket on her gold robes.
Without further word - the group turned and broke into a run, heading for the hollow - Greg leading the charge, bastard sword in hand. They crested the rise and without a second thought he launched himself off the top of the slope that fell away eight or so feet nearly vertically.
"PRAISE BE TO CROWA!" was his cry, as battle errupted and his sword flashed through the midday air...
"Greg... What was that?" Leanna's voice was nervous and breaking and her knuckles were whitening as the grip on his staff tighetned.
"What we came to look for, I'm guessing." the reply was resolute and steady, emphasised by the ringing of a sword from a scabbard as he drew the greatsword from his backscabbard. Though he looked calm, the nervous gaze around as he tried to pinpoint the sound gave away his feeling of unease.
"Some foul beast of the mother of monsters, lass, that's all it is." the harsh voice of the dwarf that stood alongside the two humans was like rocks striking each other - but it served well to bring them back to focus. "Jus' ye focus on yer teachings, an' all'll be fine."
"The short one has a point." the fourth voice sniffed. An elf, standing tall, aloof and slightly apart from the crowd, an arrow knocked already on her bowstring. The dwarf gave an answering growl and rounded on the Elf, though was cut off by Greg before he had the chance.
"Eliana, Grundown... cut it out. How are we supposed to do our duty to the Seven if we just bicker and infight? We know why we're here, and now - we appear to have found our quarry. And we will win and the Light of the Seven will shine out this day." his voice was firm and his gaze stern as he looked at his companions, his hand absently touching the sword pendant around his neck as he spoke. "Settle your racial differences when we're not just about to interrupt some foul heretic ritual."
"We'vre not going to be in time to stop it if Father Crow doesn't show." Leanna said softly, her feet shuffling uneasily on the carpet of dead leaves, she looked up at the sky. "It had to be completed when the sun reached it's zeinth, yes? That gives us maybe five minutes..."
A rustle from behind them, made her spin, while the others watched the path ahead, not flinching as a hooded figure dressed head to toe in black, came striding out of the bushes - a skull pendant around his neck, a shield on his left arm and a massive mace in his right hand. Leanna was fairly sure she's never be able to lift it with two hands, never mind with one. "I'm here. The souls of the fallen are tantemmount, and I will not shirk my duty to send them on. Especially the souls of a heretic, who go to the Allfather to be judged for their sins." the voice was slightly muffled behind a face mask and only his eyes showed - piercing and blue.
Greg nodded respectfully, and murmered a prayer to the God of the Dead - his head bowed - before he looked up at his fellows.
"They're in the hollow just ahead - some kind of large lumbering beast is doing some kind of ritual that Eliana says is prophesied. Apparently today is some kind of special day for them. But whatever it does - cannot be good for the locals... especially as it's right next to the river."
"Get on with it manling... times wasting." Grundown rolled his eyes, a large double headed azxe in one hand and a hammer in another.
Shooting the dwarf a look, Greg continued. "Leanna, Eliana, stay on the top of the rise and cover us - Father Crow, Grundown and myself will storm them disrupt anything we can. Take care of your footing - if this is some kind of religious ritual - and the fact that they're Kryganites - there's likely to be something nasty down there..."
He met each of their eyes. "May Crowa guide our blades and grant us strength."
"And may Kharach shepherd our souls to the halls should we fall." Crow's reply came.
Greg leaned forward to Leanna and kissed her cheek. "Eliana will look after you, just watch out for any blessed or poisoned blades and cover us, okay? You'll be fine.."
Leanna smiled in return, though looked too nervous to talk, and contented herself with pulling out a handful of cards from a pocket on her gold robes.
Without further word - the group turned and broke into a run, heading for the hollow - Greg leading the charge, bastard sword in hand. They crested the rise and without a second thought he launched himself off the top of the slope that fell away eight or so feet nearly vertically.
"PRAISE BE TO CROWA!" was his cry, as battle errupted and his sword flashed through the midday air...
Thursday, March 08, 2012
On the Annals of Aylix Goth...
Day six seems to be coming down to the wire a bit - I've left it a bit late so I hope I can finish todays entry before the midght hour.
What have I been doing instead? Oddly enough - writing. Since SEPTEMBER last year, I've been roleplaying out my next LARP characters backstory over Skype with a wonderful woman called Jenni Wildman. We've been keeping each other entertained as my next character (Aylix Goth - a Mercenary and my first ever roleplaying character reworked for Fools and Heroes) travels through the country of Guiadon (basically France) as he makes his slow way home from a warzone in what is essentially the Middle East in the game world (political influence? Nah that never happens.)
She's been playing a character I just gave her the name for - the backstory that's been made for her is all Jenni, which I am VERY thankful for and she has done an absolutely beautiful job in portraying this beautiful, independant, strong willed Guiadonese woman who wanders as the wind guides her. Rani and Aylix have been through a LOT - in no small part to a piece of Aylix's past he knows nothing about that dogs and hounds them every step of the way. I won't say too much because... well it will give the game away a bit - but I have to say that I have never looked forward to a character more and I hope and pray that all the special bits of his backstory get passed with no problems.
But yes - Jenni has been playing a character called Rani Lucerina - two names which I think collectively about a dozen people on my friends list may recognise. Seperate friends, from seperate parts of my life... Some may frown, some may be slightly shocked... but I chose the names for a reason... as a form of dedication to two friends I've lost in the last six years - Kim and Ana.
Before anyone crticises me - I picked these names out of respect and love I have for those two people... I was close to each of them - and this is my way of remembering them. Jenni has done an amazing job of bringing the character based of those two namesakes to life despite me essentially throwing her in at the deep end and giving her the barest of character concepts and saying to her "run with it." We've had RP sessions last until two or three o'clock in the morning before - making us sluggish or late for uni or work the next day. Clever? No. Worth it - I'd like to think so.
We're coming to the end now, coming to the conclusion of where Aylix and Rani part ways and I'm sad about it. Together, we've churned out over 110000 words just for this section of Aylix's life - and I have much more to write besides. It has been the highlight of many nights in what has been a bit of turbulant eight or more months, to the decrement of other things some nights - and I apologise to anyone who feels like I may have neglected them some nights - but I've been so very wrapped up in this absolutely gem of creative endevours I've occasionally let some important things slip by a little bit.
Of course finishing this roleplay won't be the end of the story and it will need heavily editing to get it to flow well and not have it as a list of actions and dialogue. To get it out of the instant messaging format it's currently in - but I'm looking forward to doing it. I'm looking forward to working back over the past sixth months and re-read Rani and Aylix's adventure together. It's been wonderfully paced, there's been tension - there's been love, and betrayal and heart wrenching agony. It's been an absolutely beautiful ride and I'm going to be very sad when this part of it ends. And I get a feeling it will - which (spoiler alert) some measure of emotional finality.
But it's been a novel and unique experiennce - to share such a creative endevour with someone else who can pick up on queues of where you try and steer something without it feeling railroaded - we've passed the torch of "games master" almost back and forth numerous times as inspiration has hit and as we've thrown almost everything the Fools and Heroes game world has to offer that a couple of magicless, human fighters can try and beat back or escape from. With the game world itself there has been a bit of suspension of disbelief required now and again, but not enough to be flow breaking or story destroying.
So - that's been my main project - who knows, when it's finished I may put the unedited log somewhere online for people to read (with Jenni's permission of course) so you can read everything we've had this poor couple go through.
And I'd like to round this off by saying thank you to Jenni... I couldn't have done it without you.
What have I been doing instead? Oddly enough - writing. Since SEPTEMBER last year, I've been roleplaying out my next LARP characters backstory over Skype with a wonderful woman called Jenni Wildman. We've been keeping each other entertained as my next character (Aylix Goth - a Mercenary and my first ever roleplaying character reworked for Fools and Heroes) travels through the country of Guiadon (basically France) as he makes his slow way home from a warzone in what is essentially the Middle East in the game world (political influence? Nah that never happens.)
She's been playing a character I just gave her the name for - the backstory that's been made for her is all Jenni, which I am VERY thankful for and she has done an absolutely beautiful job in portraying this beautiful, independant, strong willed Guiadonese woman who wanders as the wind guides her. Rani and Aylix have been through a LOT - in no small part to a piece of Aylix's past he knows nothing about that dogs and hounds them every step of the way. I won't say too much because... well it will give the game away a bit - but I have to say that I have never looked forward to a character more and I hope and pray that all the special bits of his backstory get passed with no problems.
But yes - Jenni has been playing a character called Rani Lucerina - two names which I think collectively about a dozen people on my friends list may recognise. Seperate friends, from seperate parts of my life... Some may frown, some may be slightly shocked... but I chose the names for a reason... as a form of dedication to two friends I've lost in the last six years - Kim and Ana.
Before anyone crticises me - I picked these names out of respect and love I have for those two people... I was close to each of them - and this is my way of remembering them. Jenni has done an amazing job of bringing the character based of those two namesakes to life despite me essentially throwing her in at the deep end and giving her the barest of character concepts and saying to her "run with it." We've had RP sessions last until two or three o'clock in the morning before - making us sluggish or late for uni or work the next day. Clever? No. Worth it - I'd like to think so.
We're coming to the end now, coming to the conclusion of where Aylix and Rani part ways and I'm sad about it. Together, we've churned out over 110000 words just for this section of Aylix's life - and I have much more to write besides. It has been the highlight of many nights in what has been a bit of turbulant eight or more months, to the decrement of other things some nights - and I apologise to anyone who feels like I may have neglected them some nights - but I've been so very wrapped up in this absolutely gem of creative endevours I've occasionally let some important things slip by a little bit.
Of course finishing this roleplay won't be the end of the story and it will need heavily editing to get it to flow well and not have it as a list of actions and dialogue. To get it out of the instant messaging format it's currently in - but I'm looking forward to doing it. I'm looking forward to working back over the past sixth months and re-read Rani and Aylix's adventure together. It's been wonderfully paced, there's been tension - there's been love, and betrayal and heart wrenching agony. It's been an absolutely beautiful ride and I'm going to be very sad when this part of it ends. And I get a feeling it will - which (spoiler alert) some measure of emotional finality.
But it's been a novel and unique experiennce - to share such a creative endevour with someone else who can pick up on queues of where you try and steer something without it feeling railroaded - we've passed the torch of "games master" almost back and forth numerous times as inspiration has hit and as we've thrown almost everything the Fools and Heroes game world has to offer that a couple of magicless, human fighters can try and beat back or escape from. With the game world itself there has been a bit of suspension of disbelief required now and again, but not enough to be flow breaking or story destroying.
So - that's been my main project - who knows, when it's finished I may put the unedited log somewhere online for people to read (with Jenni's permission of course) so you can read everything we've had this poor couple go through.
And I'd like to round this off by saying thank you to Jenni... I couldn't have done it without you.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Don't bump your head...
So, as I've mentioned I'm writing some plot for LARP in which there are a number of items.
One of them is Snorri Underwarrens Mining Helmet and thanks to a wonderful donation of a helmet from a friend, I've been able to start on it.
Epic long picture dump is epic and long here btw...
First pic is the helmet unedited. Nice, plain, white and... a bit boring.
I didn't get a picture of the rough plan I drew on it - but the idea was a band of rivets around the bottom and over the "crest" of the helmet as it were. Next two pictures are with the 'rivets' (which are actually metal buttons with the bottoms clipped off) taped on to the helmet just to get an idea for positioning. Which I didn't completely stick to as the rivets were SLIGHTLY bigger than my drawn ones...
Also in the second picture is what is going to hold the stub of a melted candle which would have been the miners "light source." (Mainly because I couldn't find a plastic torch that would have been suitable.
Last three are of everything finished - pre-painting. It still needs sanding some more I think to make sure that the paint sticks properly - though I'm kinda neverous about the candle holder when it comes to that as it's essentially thick card and masking tape... I just hope it holds. I was also (as you can see from the back picture) toying with the idea of having a hanging piece of leather down the back of the helmet, but that would havebeen a massive pain in the arse I think - especially with the tools I had at hand. So... I don't think I'll bother. The leather I have isn't that great a quality anyway.
Hopefully will be spraying it black in the morning - I have some leftover GW primer (about half a can I think) which I HOPE is enough to cover it, though it will need resanding again - especially each of the rivets. Then I have some metallic grey paint though I am kinda stuck on how to make it look weathered and old... If anyone has any ideas - would love to hear.
So yes. That's the helmet half sorted!
There is also Beltha Underwarrens Precision(/Unstoppable) Chisel (still tossing up on the name.) It's a bit of a WIP shop, but yes - that is a REAL chisel (which was also kindly donated.
The current version has leather over the pointy bit to (hopefully) lessen any chance of damage to fools.
As I've posted the full list of items IC - I can post it here too - as well as mark the items I have DEFINATE phys reps for...
(The ones in bold and italics I have phys reps for...)
Mages – Staff of Abramelin
Cooks – Ladle of Haffi Everstirrer ((Damnit I knew I should have bought the one I saw in TK Maxx...))
Merchants – Scales of Edward the Unbalanced
Brewers – The Honey Coated Vessel ((I have a couple of spare tankards... now to pick on.))
Alchemists – The Stone of Alchemical Perfection ((This one I'm struggling with most - I know what I want, it's just finishing it.))
Physicians – Pares’ Rod ((Need a stout walking stick for this one.))
Tallowmakers – The Ever Burning Candle ((Candle - and done.))
Blacksmiths – Forgehammer of Ungrum Forgetender ((Not sure... an actual forgehammer might be a bit too far.))
Scouts – Drakes’ Map to Everywhere ((Pretty much done - gotta work out the details of the item first.))
Miners – Snorri Underwarrens Mining Helmet ((As above!))
Masons – Beltha Underwarrens Precision Chisel ((As above))
Mercenaries – Michaels Folly ((Part of it has been acquired.))
Farriers – The Shoes of Thundar ((Will be being donated by a lovely lady from work. :) ))
Law – Gavel of Tomas the Just ((Got an idea of what to use... it's just finding one.))
Cobblers – The Last of Dickie Heelworker ((... yea. Anyone got an old shoemakers last they want to donate?))
Farmers – Giles Call ((Ditto a dogwhistle?))
Tanners – Pelt of the Nightstalker ((... Gonna need a large fur for this one. So far - searching has been fruitless unless anyone has a LARGE piece of black fur they don't want any more?))
... Think that's everything for this post.
Comments welcome. :)
One of them is Snorri Underwarrens Mining Helmet and thanks to a wonderful donation of a helmet from a friend, I've been able to start on it.
Epic long picture dump is epic and long here btw...
First pic is the helmet unedited. Nice, plain, white and... a bit boring.
I didn't get a picture of the rough plan I drew on it - but the idea was a band of rivets around the bottom and over the "crest" of the helmet as it were. Next two pictures are with the 'rivets' (which are actually metal buttons with the bottoms clipped off) taped on to the helmet just to get an idea for positioning. Which I didn't completely stick to as the rivets were SLIGHTLY bigger than my drawn ones...
Also in the second picture is what is going to hold the stub of a melted candle which would have been the miners "light source." (Mainly because I couldn't find a plastic torch that would have been suitable.
Last three are of everything finished - pre-painting. It still needs sanding some more I think to make sure that the paint sticks properly - though I'm kinda neverous about the candle holder when it comes to that as it's essentially thick card and masking tape... I just hope it holds. I was also (as you can see from the back picture) toying with the idea of having a hanging piece of leather down the back of the helmet, but that would havebeen a massive pain in the arse I think - especially with the tools I had at hand. So... I don't think I'll bother. The leather I have isn't that great a quality anyway.
Hopefully will be spraying it black in the morning - I have some leftover GW primer (about half a can I think) which I HOPE is enough to cover it, though it will need resanding again - especially each of the rivets. Then I have some metallic grey paint though I am kinda stuck on how to make it look weathered and old... If anyone has any ideas - would love to hear.
So yes. That's the helmet half sorted!
There is also Beltha Underwarrens Precision(/Unstoppable) Chisel (still tossing up on the name.) It's a bit of a WIP shop, but yes - that is a REAL chisel (which was also kindly donated.
The current version has leather over the pointy bit to (hopefully) lessen any chance of damage to fools.
As I've posted the full list of items IC - I can post it here too - as well as mark the items I have DEFINATE phys reps for...
(The ones in bold and italics I have phys reps for...)
Mages – Staff of Abramelin
Cooks – Ladle of Haffi Everstirrer ((Damnit I knew I should have bought the one I saw in TK Maxx...))
Merchants – Scales of Edward the Unbalanced
Brewers – The Honey Coated Vessel ((I have a couple of spare tankards... now to pick on.))
Alchemists – The Stone of Alchemical Perfection ((This one I'm struggling with most - I know what I want, it's just finishing it.))
Physicians – Pares’ Rod ((Need a stout walking stick for this one.))
Tallowmakers – The Ever Burning Candle ((Candle - and done.))
Blacksmiths – Forgehammer of Ungrum Forgetender ((Not sure... an actual forgehammer might be a bit too far.))
Scouts – Drakes’ Map to Everywhere ((Pretty much done - gotta work out the details of the item first.))
Miners – Snorri Underwarrens Mining Helmet ((As above!))
Masons – Beltha Underwarrens Precision Chisel ((As above))
Mercenaries – Michaels Folly ((Part of it has been acquired.))
Farriers – The Shoes of Thundar ((Will be being donated by a lovely lady from work. :) ))
Law – Gavel of Tomas the Just ((Got an idea of what to use... it's just finding one.))
Cobblers – The Last of Dickie Heelworker ((... yea. Anyone got an old shoemakers last they want to donate?))
Farmers – Giles Call ((Ditto a dogwhistle?))
Tanners – Pelt of the Nightstalker ((... Gonna need a large fur for this one. So far - searching has been fruitless unless anyone has a LARGE piece of black fur they don't want any more?))
... Think that's everything for this post.
Comments welcome. :)
Monday, December 19, 2011
So, there's this large creative-blocking wall, right?
(Post I wrote on my iPod last night using the BlogPress app, which then crashed when I saved it and crashes every time I try to reload it.)
So, text blog this time as I don't have a mic while I'm hiding underneath my duvet, cause it's freezing in here...
So. Mission one of my plot is nearly complete and the pre-froth is out there in the Mercia boards for anyone who is interested. Still stuck for two encounters though, mainly because I'm stuck for storylines for several of the items I've got on the list... Hopefully my wonderful assistants will be able to make some suggestions tomorrow. =P
I'm quite happy how some of the sub plots are going to pan out in my mind at least and hopefully dab one is varied enough that the missions won't be boring. May need some help with that, though it depends on my monsters on the day for that.
Struggling a bit for what I can write as the blog is public and a lot of the potential players could read it (though whether they would...) and it's hard cause I'm really psyched for this... I just hope I can keep the momentum going... S'gonna need me to run at least once a month if possible to make sure that it doesn't take forever, and I need to get a phys rep for all of the items as well, some of which will be trickier than others. Really want to make sure I have physreps for everything the players are likely to find...
With regards to other projects, Aylix's backstory is on hold, which it really shouldn't be... With the rate that characters have been killed off in FnH recently I definitely need a backup. And maybe a couple more after that.
Other than that... I think I need a new writing project... Still toying with Xeonphotrix it's just getting it out that I'm struggling with...
Guess I need some kind of inspiration... Envy those friends who are struck with it seemingly frequently.
Gragh. Creative boost needed. Any tips?
Anyone?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod
So, text blog this time as I don't have a mic while I'm hiding underneath my duvet, cause it's freezing in here...
So. Mission one of my plot is nearly complete and the pre-froth is out there in the Mercia boards for anyone who is interested. Still stuck for two encounters though, mainly because I'm stuck for storylines for several of the items I've got on the list... Hopefully my wonderful assistants will be able to make some suggestions tomorrow. =P
I'm quite happy how some of the sub plots are going to pan out in my mind at least and hopefully dab one is varied enough that the missions won't be boring. May need some help with that, though it depends on my monsters on the day for that.
Struggling a bit for what I can write as the blog is public and a lot of the potential players could read it (though whether they would...) and it's hard cause I'm really psyched for this... I just hope I can keep the momentum going... S'gonna need me to run at least once a month if possible to make sure that it doesn't take forever, and I need to get a phys rep for all of the items as well, some of which will be trickier than others. Really want to make sure I have physreps for everything the players are likely to find...
With regards to other projects, Aylix's backstory is on hold, which it really shouldn't be... With the rate that characters have been killed off in FnH recently I definitely need a backup. And maybe a couple more after that.
Other than that... I think I need a new writing project... Still toying with Xeonphotrix it's just getting it out that I'm struggling with...
Guess I need some kind of inspiration... Envy those friends who are struck with it seemingly frequently.
Gragh. Creative boost needed. Any tips?
Anyone?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod
Friday, December 09, 2011
Audioblog the second.
In which I mostly ramble about Fools and Heroes - a non-profit, UK based live action roleplay society.
Also, if people could actually let me know if they ARE listening, it would be appreciated. >.>
Also, if people could actually let me know if they ARE listening, it would be appreciated. >.>
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Audioblog #1
Audioblog #1 in which I talk about various projects I have going, creative block, LARP and other things.
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