Happy Halloween to all. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day on this which is many a geek’s favorite day. Enjoy!
Tomorrow November begins with All Saints Day and, is according to the traditional Irish calendar, the start of Winter.
With no obvious theme, except possibly winter, I will just write about whatever strikes my fancy unless there is something you wish to see. If so, let me know! And I will do what I can.
October 2024, saw the following posts here:
Gollaon and Voddick slid the coins into their pouches. Voddick shrugged and Gollaon nodded.
A few hours later, they were standing guard over the plump summoner as they moved through the absurdly complex ritual.
Voddick leaned in, “How much of that is really needed and how much has . . . just accumulated.”
Gollaon shrugged. “But you would not want to cut out the vital part.”
“True.”
Devil Feeding Spoon
These spoons are exceptionally long and carved with holy symbols and protective runes, they are made of ivory or precious metal or a mix thereof.
News from tomorrow today! Maybe. From across the Matrix and across the world, new technologies, new advances. What will they be used for?
As always, I am seeking interesting news to inspire and inform my fellow netizens.
This time medicine, wood skyscrapers, wind turbines, drones and . . . mushrooms? Lettuce and crops too.
The future holds so many possibilities
Gollaon and Voddick trooped along the road following a string of wagons loaded with casks. Voddick frowned, his brow wrinkled in thought.
“What bothers you, my friend?” asked Gollaon, taking a break from humming a popular tune.
“Those wagons and those casks,” he said, pitched quietly so as not to carry over the creak of the wagons and the tromp of the oxen. “They are too regular. And the teamsters, very dour and close-mouthed, and even though they claim to represent different companies and wear different styles of clothes, their gear is all similar.”
“Let us stroll along the wagons and see if anything else reveals itself,” said Gollaon, their curiosity piqued.
Passing the ox-drawn carts was not difficult, they were not going anywhere quickly.
Gollaon nodded to Voddick, directing his attention to a damaged cask that leaked a pale whitish liquid.
They slowly picked up their pace to make it to the city before the chain of wagons.
Liquid and Powdered Skeletons
One of the strengths of being a necrourgist is the ability to raise a corpse, recent or old, as an unliving servant. Strangely, many people dislike having unliving creatures wandering around even if they are controlled by a respectable necrourgist. So, they have spent some time developing ways to have unliving close to hand in ways that will not disturb anyone, at least, not until they are activated.
Gollaon watched from the wall as the poorly dressed person drifted towards the gate. Even though the city was under siege and they were between the lines, they just wandered forward as if they did not have a care in the world. “That is very strange.”
Voddick’s eyes narrowed. “Do not let them in!” he shouted down.
“Why not?” asked the guard on the gate.
“They carry a plague.”
“They do not look sick,” he called back up.
“He is,” said Voddick. “Sick to the soul,” he added under his breath.
Contagious Curse Collar
The origin of these items is unknown, though an infernal source is suspected, they come is seven types each tied to a baneful type of behavoir. The wearer gains a variety of protections but becomes a bearer of spiritual sickness, encouraging others to pursue their vice
Following a few weeks after Issue 20 (and, probably the Summer Fun story) and it is now early fall and our teen heroes are back to school, those that attend school are in any case.
Cover: A garish orange and yellow mushroom cloud with our heroes caught up in the blast. “Is this . . . THE END?!”
Opening page: An US Air Force nuclear bomb in midair, an USAF base spread out below it. “One second from detonation . . .”
[If you are not interested in Magic: the Gathering, you can stop reading now. This is a long-term gripe with the design of the game that I just want to put out there.]
Dear Wizards of the Coast Magic: the Gathering Design Team,
Stop supporting Discard as a strategy in the game. It is not fun to play against and, from my experience, it is not fun to play either.
I have been playing since beta and I built the Hypnotic Specter/Dark Ritual deck back then. You know what? I played it for like six games before dismantling it because neither side of the table was having fun. And you know what? Playing against Discard decks has not gotten any more fun since that time.
We play Magic to -surprise!- play the cards in our deck. Discard denies that opportunity even more than counter-spell based decks do. And discard decks are even less fun to play against.
So, just cut it out. Leave discard to wither on the vine of future releases.
A concerned player.
.
Notes: Many years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in editing tests to work for WotC on MtG, I made similar comments then when I commented on the “playstlye of black decks” section. I always assumed that was why they never got back in touch with me.
Image from the Magic the Gathering Gatherer and owned by Wizards of the Coast, used without permission.
Back in the 2030s, the auto dealership at this location closed down (ending a run starting in the 1950s). For a decade or so afterward it was used for storage then in the 2050s some enterprising people took it over as an unlicensed auto repair shop. That lasted until the mid-2070 when one of the syndicates tried to muscle in and after some conflict, the place was again abandoned. In 2079, it was purchased, gutted, and rebuilt as a bar and service center catering to riggers and other professional drivers. Located off Highway 7 just north-west of Loveland in Pullyayup it is not in the best of neighborhoods.
The Interstate and its surrounding area take up an entire block, fenced in by five-meter tall plastilink {tm} fence with two-meter high reinforced concrete bollards every three meters. There are three entrance gates which are kept open under usual circumstances, each gate is flanked by two five point five-meter towers topped with rotating turrets containing some sort of concealed armament and has a metal gate that rises from the surface to block the roadway if needed. There are usually between two and four large and vaguely threatening vehicles parked in the corner of the lot, they seem to be armed and respond quickly to threats to the Interstate. There are deployable flying drones, reconnaissance and armed, warehoused on the roof of the main building if needed.
Read the rest of this entry ?
Gollaon looked ill as he surveyed the soldiers being arrayed against them.
“This is why I do not like fighting necorurgists,” Voddick said. “They are always coming up with new and terrible ways to use the dead.”
“And yet, and yet,” Gollaon said. “Those poor people.”
Necroanimate Prothesis
Made from body parts severed from their owner or taken from corpses, usually given a quick bath in alchemical preservatives and then imbued with necrourgic magics to empower them. They give a way to get troops quickly back into battle but the long-term effects of such dire magics are often corrosive to body and soul to those bound to them.
In contrast to my last report, there has been a dearth of Shadowrun for me recently, at least as far a CHing/playing goes. The early live August game met but the September game did not.
So, please join me this coming Saturday (Five October) for our monthly learn-to-play game at Tyche’s Games! We usually play every first Saturday and if you are in the area come and join in, new players are very welcome. If you come for a few games you can join in on the campaign play.
I will have more interesting Shadowrun-related news soon.
Missed the September issue but here we bounce into October with Seattle Scream (#101) with signs we are heading towards Halloween. Always a fun time in the MetroPlex!
Edit: Seattle Scream file updated, typos fixed.
Image from pexels and is used under their license.
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