The Die Is Cast

Last week, I mentioned that, with the Barrett's Raiders Twilight: 2000 campaign now ended, the group and I would need to make a decision about what to play next. I offered the players four (and a half) options: Gamma World/Metamorphosis Alpha, Secrets of sha-Arthan, Thousand Suns, and Urheim. As you can probably tell from the accompanying illustration, they chose Metamorphosis Alpha, which, I must admit, surprised me a little bit – not unhappily so, since I look forward to playing it, but I didn't think it would be as popular a choice as it turned out to be.

So, starting next week, we'll be playing one of the oldest RPGs and the first science fiction one ever published. It's also a game I've never refereed before, though I did play in a MA campaign some years ago, so this will be a learning experience for me too. That said, I've thought a lot about the game over the years and have a number of ideas to draw upon. Whether they'll survive contact with the players only time will tell, but I'm keen to see how this unfolds.

Like OD&D and Empire of the Petal Throne, Metamorphosis Alpha is mechanically somewhat sparse, with lots of lacunae and inconsistencies, as we discovered yesterday while trying to generate characters. That's fine. Part of my enjoyment of playing older games is figuring out how to make its unclear and often incomplete rules work in a way that make sense for our campaign. I rather expect that, after a few sessions, our version of MA will develop its own set of house rules and rules interpretations, as all good campaigns do. That's as it should be in my opinion.

Right now, my only worry, if that's the word, about this choice of game is whether Metamorphosis Alpha is capable of sustaining a long campaign. One of the players asked me how long I intended to run MA and I answered, "As long as I can – like all my campaigns." Barrett's Raiders lasted just shy of four years. The Riphaeus Sector Traveller campaign before it lasted slightly less long. And, of course, House of Worms lasted more than a decade. In each case, I didn't expect the campaign would last as long as it did, but I hoped they'd continue indefinitely. That's my preference when it comes to roleplaying, because I feel that, in general, these games are best enjoyed as long form entertainment. 

I mentioned this to my players yesterday and they were unconcerned. If Metamorphosis Alpha doesn't last more than a few months, that's OK. It'll be a nice palate cleanser after Barrett's Raiders and we can always take up a different game later. They have no expectations that we'll still be playing this a year from now, let alone five or ten years from now. They're just happy to be roleplaying with friends each week, which I think is a wise perspective. Still, after the phenomenal longevity of House of Worms, I must confess there's a part of me that wonders whether any campaign I do afterwards will ever measure up. That, as my players reminded me, isn't the way to view this, but I do nonetheless. 

In any case, I'm now about to embark on yet another new campaign and I can't help but wonder if it will take root and flourish or not. Regardless, I'll write about it periodically here, starting next week with a discussion of its first session. Until then!

Taps

By now, many of you will have noticed that I haven’t posted any updates about the Barrett’s Raiders Twilight: 2000 campaign I’ve been refereeing since December 2021 – almost four years ago. The reason is simple: the campaign has, alas, come to an end. By “end,” I don’t mean “conclusion.” This is nothing like the tidy finale of the House of Worms Empire of the Petal Throne campaign last month. In this case, the end wasn’t planned, though, if I’m honest, it wasn’t entirely unexpected either.

Before getting into a proper postmortem of Barrett’s Raiders, let me explain what brought things to a close. There’s nothing dramatic here, nor did anyone grow dissatisfied with the game. Two players had real life commitments that would keep them away for an extended period, long enough that I decided to put the campaign on “pause” and let another player run a short game of his own – Fringeworthy – while we waited for their return. We’d taken short breaks like this before, so I didn’t anticipate any problems.

This time, though, the pause became an opportunity for another player to decide it was time to bow out. I don’t blame him at all. He’d been with the group almost continuously since the days of my Riphaeus Sector Traveller campaign, which began around 2017. That’s a long commitment. As I told my House of Worms players before we began The Dark Between the Stars Fading Suns campaign (as I've taken to calling it), no one is ever obligated to keep playing, especially after giving years of their time. Interests shift; life happens.

Soon after, I learned that one of the two players already on hiatus would, in fact, be unavailable even longer – effectively out of commission well into 2026. I took that as the universe’s gentle nudge that it was time to put Barrett’s Raiders to bed. We were now down two players and, truth be told, I had already been contemplating wrapping things up within the next few months anyway.

My own reasons were different. I was still very happy with the direction of the campaign. The characters’ return to the shattered USA intrigued me more than their time in Poland. I was eager to see them navigate the murky waters of the low-intensity, slow-motion civil war between USMEA, the civilian government, and New America. I’d been waiting to run this part of the campaign since I was a teenager and had no shortage of plans for where it might go.

What held me back, frankly, were the rules. While I’ve used the Year Zero Engine to good effect in other games – Forbidden Lands in particular – the Twilight: 2000 iteration had to wrestle with elements like modern automatic weapons and vehicles that simply don’t arise in Forbidden Lands. Their inclusion felt clunky to me or at least out of step with my own preferences and I regularly found myself fumbling with them more than I liked. As a result, I often avoided combat, which isn’t ideal in a military RPG.

So, while I’m disappointed that Barrett’s Raiders won’t reach the proper conclusion I had hoped for, I’m not too disappointed. The campaign lasted just shy of four years – no small feat – and we had a great deal of fun along the way. I doubt Barrett’s Raiders will be remembered in the same breath as House of Worms, but that’s a very high bar, one I may never clear again. Such is life.

Instead of dwelling on what might have been, I’m already thinking about the future: what game might this group tackle next, and where might it take us? More on that when I finally have an answer to those questions.

Campaign Updates: Catching Up

Lest anyone be concerned: all three of the ongoing campaigns I'm currently refereeing continue, but I simply haven't had the time to write any posts providing updates of what's happening in each of them until now. In fact, so many sessions have occurred since my last update that this post is going to gloss over some of the finer details in the interests of brevity. I suspect few readers will mind. However, if there's something that's unclear or about which you wish to know more, leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer your query. 

Barrett's Raiders

Despite Michael's admonitions, Vadim revealed to Lt. Col. Orlowski the truth about his background and his connection to Michael. Strictly, he was not a prisoner of war but a military defector. A doctor by training, Vadim had been drafted to serve in a unit of the Red Army's chemical troops. While there, he learned of a project to unleash a cereal crop pathogen on the United States with the intention of fostering famine and civil unrest. As a doctor and man of conscience, Vadim saw this as a war crime in the making. He used his rank and position to obtain copies of certain documents pertaining to this project and fled his unit, hoping to make contact with someone in the West to whom he might give this information.

That contact turned out to be Michael, a deep cover CIA agent in Eastern Poland, who immediately recognized the value of the documents Vadim possessed. He promised to get Vadim first to safety, the GRU hot on his heels, and then to American lines, so that his information might be put to good use. Now that they were both on the other side of the Atlantic, Vadim felt it was the time to reveal what he knew and make every effort to aid American officials – military or civilian – who could make good use of it. 

This conviction is at the root of a conflict within the characters' unit. As a CIA agent, Michael is pledged to support President Broward and his government in Omaha. Though traveling with soldiers loyal to USMEA, his ultimate loyalty lies with the reconstituted civilian authority of the USA. Orlowski has tolerated Michael's position, because of how steadfastly he had aided his men in Poland and, truth be told, harbors some qualms about USMEA himself. At the same time, he is not interested in going out of his way to cross his superior officers or otherwise do anything to undermine them. 

Vadim is likewise grateful to Michael for his aid in getting him to America. Though now an American citizen under the provisions of AR 000-00 as adjudicated by V Corps HQ, he cared little for the politics of the post-war USA. From his perspective, all he wished to do was share his documents widely with as many people as possible, in the hope that they could counter the pathogen and spare America from famine at this critical moment. On this point, he was adamant.

Col. Franks, CO of Fort Pickett, recommended that Orlowski and his unit seek out Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. That's where many of the scientists and doctors from Fort Detrick were transferred after the nuclear attack on DC and Maryland in 1997. If anyone could make good use of Vadim's information, it was them. To calm Michael, Orlowski authorized the creation of a copy of Vadim's notes, so that they could be shared with whomever he wishes. At that, the unit then set off west toward Oak Ridge.

Dolmenwood

The characters set off into the region of the swamp known as the Flotsam Pools, after all the small pools of strange debris that had arisen along the banks of the nearby river. Led by Waldra, they made good progress through this unpleasant terrain before a group of bog corpses appeared. Lumbering through the muck, they attacked the group. Sir Clement leapt into action and handled the bulk of these foul undead, while his companions kept at a distance and attacked with missiles. The menace defeated, Waldra and her blood hound (Joremey) picked up the sent of Emelda, which led them to a strange hut by the river.

Exploring the hut, which sat on stilts, neither Alvie nor Marid found any evidence of Emelda. In fact, they found very little evidence of anything other than the possessions of an aristocrat down on his luck. Not long thereafter, an elderly longhorn Breggle appeared, advancing through the river's water. Identifying himself as Sir Tekwell Onehorn (on account of his single horn), he claimed to be living in seclusion, lest his "many admirers" continue to harry him. When asked about Emelda or the Hag, he was evasive, leading Sir Clement to be suspicious of him.

Eventually, Tekwell offered to lead the characters to the borders of the Hag's domain, the location of which he admitted under some duress. Approaching that locale, with its green mist and strange sounds, the characters were beset by black tentacles that seemingly grew from the ground, trying to snatch them. Tekwell was an early victim of the tentacles but, fortunately for him, Sir Clement bore no grudge against him. With the help of his companions, the tentacles were defeated and Tekwell saved. The grateful Breggle then admitted that he had not come to the swamp to avoid his celebrity but because he'd fallen from grace in service to a high Breggle lord. Inspired by Clement's bravery, he vowed to lead them directly to the Hag, which he did.

The Hag's dwelling was a floating hut, guarded by two ogres. Sir Clement challenged them to a fight, which they accepted. Initially, the fight went badly for Clement, despite the assistance of his comrades. However, Tekwell proved surprisingly effective and played a major role in slaying both the ogres. Next, the characters decided they needed to find a way into the hut, since it was some 10 feet above them. Clement placed Alvie on his shoulders, who attempted to reach and open the door through the use of a rope.

Just as he did so, the Hag opened the door, her eyes goggling. She looked down at Alvie and smiled, "Thief-son, you may come in. The rest of you, begone!" Reluctantly, Alvie agreed to enter, surreptitiously tying his rope to the handle of the hut's door. Just as he entered, Sir Clement grabbed Marid and threw the grimalkin enchanter headlong into the Hag's home, just as its door slammed shut.

House of Worms

Táksuru had not only sent the characters on their way to Avanthár but also provided them with an ancient device that would temporarily deactivate some of its external defenses, allowing them to make use of an auxiliary entrance. Once inside, however, the defenses would soon reactivate and they would not be able to leave by the same means. This was a one-way trip into one of the most well protected and secret locales in all of Tsolyánu, perhaps all of Tékumel. The only way out was through. One way or another, the members of the House of Worms clan would soon end their adventures.

The auxiliary entrance was located inside a rise near the Mssúma River, well hidden except to those, like the characters, who knew of its presence. Kirktá made use of the device Táksuru had given them, which opened a door disguised as a rockface. Beyond was a huge, vaulted chamber overgrown with weird vegetation. Everywhere were small pillars made of a strange crystalline material. Above, portions of the ceiling flickered with peculiar lighting – a reminder that Avanthár had once been some kind of fortress from the Ancients and would undoubtedly contain many examples of technology from before the Time of Darkness.

Thus began an extensive exploration of these forgotten, subterranean levels of Avanthár, in the hopes of locating the prison of the One Other, assuming it even existed. The characters then proceeded to move carefully from one chamber to another, ever mindful of the dangers they might encounter. One room contained a series of "windows" that seem to depict possible/alternate futures, not all of them pleasant. Another housed shadowy reflections of the characters lying in ambush. And another still seemed to be an armory or repository of some kind. For the most part, the characters avoided doing anything too bold in these chambers, lest they activate a trap or defense mechanism of some kind.

Eventually, though, their luck ran out and they came to a hallway with an energy barrier that allowed on Kirktá to pass through it. A voice in an ancient tongue – translated by an eye of incomparable understanding – stated the following if anyone else attempted this, "Incompatible genetic signature. Further access denied." Clearly, at least some of Avanthár was keyed to Tlakotáni DNA, meaning only Kirktá could proceed. This was not really an option, so much time was spent trying to determine a way to circumvent the system. They eventually succeeded in this and continued to advance.

One of the more worrisome aspects of their advance was the discovery, in multiple places, that Prince Dhich'uné was already in Avanthár himself, possibly racing toward the same destination ahead of them. Dead Sárku troops attested to this, as did the charred body of Jayárgo, Dhich'uné's top lieutenant. As the characters pondered this, they realized that it made sense Dhich'úne was already here, as he had been conspicuously absent in Béy Sü during the build-up of Eselné's troops. Clearly, Dhich'uné felt that the real battle was here, beneath the emperor's palace and that nothing less than reaching the prison of the One Other would secure the Petal Throne. Needless to say, the characters soon hastened their steps.

Initial Assessment of Unidentified Cereal Crop Pathogen

TOP SECRET//SCI//NOFORN

UNITED STATES MILITARY EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF CONTINUITY INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY (OCIS)

JOINT FORCES COMMAND EAST (JFCE)

INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT REPORT

FILE NUMBER: BIO-INT-00-12D

DATE: 24 NOVEMBER 2000

PRECEDENCE: IMMEDIATE // RESPONSE REQUIRED WITHIN 24 HRS

SUBJECT: Initial Assessment of Unidentified Cereal Crop Pathogen (GR-93) in Virginia Agricultural Zones

DISTRIBUTION: TOP SECRET//SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION//NO FOREIGN DISSEMINATION

ACCESS RESTRICTED TO AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL WITH TS/SCI CLEARANCE AND NEED-TO-KNOW

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1. A novel fungal pathogen, provisionally designated GR-93, has been identified in cereal crops across multiple agricultural zones in Virginia’s southern Piedmont and Southside regions. The pathogen exhibits abnormal resilience, extended latency, and resistance to standard fungicidal treatments, raising concerns of possible artificial engineering.

1.2. This incident occurs amidst national recovery efforts following the 1997–1998 limited nuclear exchange, with international trade routes degraded and traditional defense alliances fragmented or non-functional. The United States remains heavily reliant on domestic crop production. GR-93 poses a critical threat to national food security and public stability.

Campaign Updates: Ghosts of the Past

All three campaigns have been forging ahead into new areas, most especially House of Worms, which is rapidly nearing its ultimate conclusion after a decade and a half of regular play. Though I can't say for certain when the End will finally come, I feel pretty confident in predicting that things will wrap up by the end of the summer at the absolute latest. 

Barrett's Raiders

Having left Fort Lee after several days there, Military Liaison Group 7 once again took to the highways, heading in the direction of Fort Pickett, their next designated stop. Upon arrival, the comparison between the two USMEA bases couldn't have been starker. Where Fort Lee had multiple blockades and checkpoints, as well as a large refugee zone outside its walls, Fort Pickett had none of this. The characters' vehicles were inspected at the gate and, once Col. Orlowski identified himself and explained they'd been sent by USMEA command in Norfolk, they were directed to the security office. There, they signed in, received their visitor badges, and given further directions to the office of the commanding office, Col. Edward Franks.

The name of the CO was familiar to Lt. Tom Cody. He'd served with Franks in the infantry before the war, though, at that time, he was a captain. Franks was pleased to see Cody, though he was more than a little shocked to see him wearing lieutenant's bars. Cody explained the circumstances of his field promotion and the two caught up on what they'd been doing since they last served together. Franks soon showed himself to be a fairly no-nonsense officer who didn't place much stock in formalities. He also suggested that he'd heard about events at Fort Lee, intimating that he didn't think much of its CO, General Summers, whom he referred to as a "desk general."

Col. Franks then offered to assist MLG-7 in any way that he could. Orlowski explained they were simply passing through before heading north toward their ultimate destination at Fort Meade. Franks laughed at this, saying that only USMEA would send them west so that they could go north. Orlowski did his best not to speak poorly of his superiors in reply. Franks then asked if he could ask a favor of MLG-7. He said that some of his winter grain supplies, sent in from western Virginia, had been spoiling at an unusually quick rate. The same was true of several other USMEA bases. He asked Col. Orlowski if he and his men would keep an eye out for any information about this as they traveled.

Orlowski agreed to do so and Frank added that he'd put them in touch with some of his medical staff and agronomists. They would brief MLG-7 on the nature of this strange affliction, in the hopes that it might help them in their own investigation. Once Orlowski returned to the others and explained what Franks had told him, Vadim stepped forward and announced, "This looks like the effects of a Soviet bioweapon." Before Orlowski had a chance to respond, Michael stepped forward and said, "I don't think you should be saying any more about this. The Colonel isn't cleared for that." 

Dolmenwood

Father Horsely directed the characters to the Merry Mendicant Inn as a place to stay the night. The characters made their way there and took several rooms for the night, with Falin sharing a room with Emelda, in order to be certain that nothing ill befell her during the night. Unfortunately, that proved insufficient protection. In the morning, Emelda was nowhere to be seen and there was no evidence that she'd left the room either by the front door or the window. 

The characters split up, looking throughout the Woodcutters' Encampment for signs of Emelda. One group interrogated the inn's proprietress, who explained that, during the night, a "strange woman with eyes like saucers" did come into the common room. She said nothing and everyone steered clear of her on account of the "odd feeling" she engendered upon any he looked at her. The woman spent maybe 10 or 15 minutes in the common room, staring at the stairs leading to the sleeping quarters before leaving as mysteriously as she came. Meanwhile, another group questioned the town guard, who did not see Emelda during the night, because they were too busy fending off an attack by "bog corpses" – dead bodies reanimated by black magic that sometimes wander into the Camp.

In combination, this convinced Waldra that something unpleasant had happened while they were asleep. Talking to Father Horsely revealed that the woodcutters have legends about "the Hag," a repulsively ugly old woman who was once a fairy princess, the sister of the Queen of Blackbirds, in fact. For her obsession with meddling in mortal affairs and interest in death and decay, she was cursed to age but never die. Exiled from Fairy, she now dwelt among the mortals that so interested her, where she has since been a source of much mischief. Of course, Father Horsely didn't believe in the existence of the Hag. Waldra, however, wasn't so sure. Indeed, she began to worry that perhaps the Hag was responsible for the disappearance of Emelda, either for her own purposes or to use as a bargaining chip in trying to lift the curse her sister had placed upon her.

House of Worms

Chiyé's summoning of the spirit of the First Tlakotáni, the founder of Tsolyánu more than two millennia ago, worked surprisingly well. This worried Chiyé somewhat, as his sorcery usually could not conjure the spirit of one so long dead. By all rights, their spirit-soul should have passed either to the Isles of Teretané or to one of the various hells of the gods to punish those who'd transgressed their laws. The Tlakotáni explained that Chiyé was indeed correct in his assumption, but that, in his case, his spirit lingered as a consequence of the pact he made with the One Other so long ago. Much like the One Other himself, he was bound to Tékumel. In fact, his fate was linked to that of the One Other. So long as the one remained bound, so too would the other.

That is why he begged the characters to free the One Other. Only by doing so could Tsolyánu be freed from the dire consequences of his arrogance. The First Tlakotáni explained that he had hoped, by using ancient Llyáni rights, to force the One Other to protect Avanthár and, by extension, Tsolyánu from ever falling. His desire to ensure the empire he had founded would never suffer the fate of Engsvanyálu before it had blinded him to the fact that doing so would ossify Tsolyánu forever. His empire would never fall, it's true, but neither would it change or improve. It would be trapped in a kind of living death, one where stability and tradition stifled creativity and growth. The time had come for History to reassert itself, for the One Other to be freed.

Needless to say, this thought concerned the characters, but, after some discussion, they realized that this was a gamble they were willing to take. Better to end the connection between the One Other and Avanthár than to see either Dhich'uné ascend the Petal Throne through trickery or Eselné to do so through violence. They then sought out Prince Táksuru, told him what they had learned, and asked for his aid. Though reluctant at first, he agreed to assist them, calling upon his contacts within the Temple of Ksárul to open a nexus point just outside of Avanthár, one close to a hidden entrance into the ancient fortress. He also provided them with a device that would temporarily suspend its defenses to allow entrance. Once inside, though, they were on their own and would have to find a way past its many guardians to locate the supposed prison of the One Other – if it even existed.

Táksuru bid them farewell. He stated that he did not expect to see them again and prayed that the Weaver of Skeins would smile upon their efforts. What they were attempting was madness, but, given that Tsolyánu was currently waiting to see which of two madmen might become its new emperor, perhaps there was no other way. For his part, Nebússa said that, if they should fail, it was up to Táksuru to carry the day. He felt the young man would make a fine successor to his father, Hirkáne. With that, the characters stepped through the nexus point.

Interrogation Transcript

UNITED STATES MILITARY EMERGENCY AUTHORITY
INTERROGATION TRANSCRIPT
SUBJECT: Dennis Lagrange
AFFILIATION: Suspected New America insurgent
LOCATION: Fort Lee Temporary Holding Facility
DATE: 8 December 2000
TIME: 1934 EST
INTERROGATOR: Lt. D. McAllister
TRANSCRIPTION OFFICER: PFC R. Valdez
CLASSIFICATION: SECRET

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

LAGRANGE:

So that’s it, huh? You finally figured it out. Congratulations. Really. You're quicker than most of the grunts in that junta you call USMEA.

But let me ask you something: what are you gonna do about it?

Throw me in prison? Make another report to General Summers? None of it changes the math.

You think you're preserving something here. Order. Civilization. America. But you're guarding a corpse, friend. You're dressing up a dead empire and pretending it can still give commands. That flag you're flying? It's just a rag someone left behind when the bombs fell.

[Subject paces.]

You want to know the genius of it? No matter what you do, no matter what your bosses do, we win.

You try to be humane, feed a few starving mouths? Makes you look weak. Makes people ask why you’re feeding outsiders when your own patrols are running dry.

But maybe you get smart. Maybe you crack down. Shut the gates. Round people up. Shoot a few looters. Then you're the tyrants. The bad guys. You do our work for us.

That's the beauty of it. You're trapped in the old rules. We're writing new ones.

[Subject leans forward.]

You still don’t get it, do you? The war’s over. Not the fighting. Sure, that’ll drag on a while. But the war? That ended the moment your leaders ran out of answers and reached for the launch keys.

What’s left now is the reckoning. And New America ... we’re the future. The people know it. Hell, even you know it. You’re just too scared to admit it.

So go ahead. Lock me up. Kill me if you’ve got the guts.

Doesn’t matter.

We’re already inside the gates.

END TRANSCRIPT

NOTES: Subject displayed no signs of physical distress. Tone throughout was defiant and confident. No direct operational intelligence volunteered. Recommend psychological evaluation and further containment protocols.

FILED BY: Lt. D. McAllister
APPROVED: MAJ J. Whittaker, USMEA Intelligence Division
DISTRIBUTION: USMEA Command; Fort Lee Intelligence; NCR Threat Assessment Unit
CLASSIFICATION: SECRET
DO NOT DISTRIBUTE OUTSIDE CLEARED CHANNELS

Campaign Updates: Into the Woods

After a few weeks when the frequency of the Dolmenwood campaign was more sporadic than it had been in the past, we seem to be back on track. Meanwhile, the House of Worms and Barrett's Raiders campaigns continue to barrel along, with the former rapidly heading toward what is soon likely to be the consummation of more than ten years of play. 

Barrett's Raiders

The next scheduled supply run was in the late afternoon of December 7, 2000 – the date on which MLG-7 told General Summers they'd be leaving Fort Lee to head westward to Fort Pickett. Since Lt. Col. Orlowski doesn't like leaving work half-done, he decided it would be in the best interests of everyone involved if he and his unit made sure that no more supplies from the base were being funneled to New America. To that end, he asked Corporal Forest to accompany Specialist Huxley on the run. Meanwhile, other members of the unit would scout ahead, checking out the area where the hand-offs of supplies had been happening in the past, in order to be prepared.

The scouting party consisted of Lt. Cody, Sgt. McLeod, Michael, and Radosław. According to Huxley, the hand-offs happened near a side road accessible from the highway. The side road led to several industrial parks, where small businesses of various sorts were located. Most of the businesses looked to have been looted some time ago. Cody and McLeod split off to look more closely at these parks, while Michael and Radosław headed further down the road. One of the industrial parks contained a self-storage facility whose door was closed. Two men in an irregular mix of civilian and military garb, armed with rifles, stood near it. Further down the road was a large, concrete building that was apparently part of the local water authority. Michael observed two men with rifles patrolling that area as well.

The two groups radioed back to Orlowski, who told them to keep observing the guards. Once the supply truck arrived, there'd be a delay of a couple of minutes before the rest of MLG-7 arrived in their vehicles to prevent the escape of the guards and, presumably, anyone else associated with the hand-offs to New America. Everything more or less went as planned. The supply truck arrived at its designated spot near the side road. Shortly thereafter, five men, led by Denny Lagrange, appeared, with the goal of removing a couple of crates from the truck. This time, however, MLG-7 showed up, firing a warning shot from one of its vehicles. Lagrange and his men quickly surrendered.

The sound of the shot alerted the guards at the self-storage. One of them opened up a shed, went inside, and then, after a couple of minutes emerged. He then carefully closed the shed and the pair fled. Cody and McLeod shadowed them from a distance. To prevent the guards' from revealing anything to others, Sgt. Farley jammed their walkie-talkies. Cody alerted Michael and Radosław about the guards coming their way. They then laid in wait to surprise and capture them. Then, all four members of MLG-7 worked together to do the same to the guards at the water authority building. This left only their boss, a man called Layton, inside. He surrendered without a fight, just like the others. With all ten men captured, Lt. Col. Orlowski decided to return to Fort Lee so that they could be processed and interrogated.

Dolmenwood

With Emelda Wishorn now safely in their care, the question back what to do next. While Sir Clement thought that now was the time to confront Lord Malbleat and denounce him for his nefarious crimes, his companions were none too sanguine about the prospects of that working. Instead, it was suggested that perhaps it might be best for all concerned, especially Emelda, to flee the area of the Shadholme Lodge and head eastward toward Castle Brackenwold, with the goal of seeking the protection of the duke or some other powerful figure (perhaps Abbot Nedwynne?). 

Everyone agreed this was the best solution and, after a quick visit to Sir Clement's pavilion on the festival field, they departed, bringing everyone, including Sidley Fraggleton with them. Sidely desperately wanted to escape his impending nuptials to Celenia Candleswick, as well as evade the tender mercies of Sir Shank Weavilman, who had taken an intense dislike to him. In Sidley's mind, being on the run from Lord Malbleat was preferrable to that fate.

The plan was to avoid using the Ditchway road east, since, if Malbleat wanted to overtake them, it would be much easier to do so. Instead, they would brave the forest and marshes to the east, hoping to make their way to the Woodcutters' Encampment on the verge of Hag's Addle as a stopping-off point before continuing to Brackenwold. Waldra, in her travels, was somewhat familiar with the Camp and its people, so she suggested it would be a reasonably safe place to rest before resuming their journey to Castle Brackenwold. 

Along the way, the group traveled through an area reputedly inhabited by a murderous magician, another infested with the feared nightworms, and another containing trees ravaged by a recent fire. While all of these could well have been worthy of closer investigation, Waldra instead kept her companions moving forward. She did not want to slow down, lest Lord Malbleat's servants – if indeed they were coming – any opportunity to capture them. Just before nightfall, they reached the marshes outside the Camp, where the local vicar, Father Horsely, was out foraging for herbs with his dog, Clewyd. He welcomed them and accompanied back to the settlement, offering to find them a place to stay for the night.

House of Worms

With Prince Eselné's attack on Béy Sü's Temple of Sárku to begin at first light of the next day, it became ever more urgent that Kirktá figure out just what the seven items left to him by Míru did and how they might be useful in dealing with the problems at hand. Nebússa, in particular, was very keen that this matter be resolved and resolved quickly, since there was no longer much time left to investigate. Up till now, they had the luxury of being able to take their time and put things off until later. Now, they had to act. The very fate of Tsolyánu – and their place within it – hung in the balance.

One of the first items to which Kirktá and Keléno devote any effort is the thin scroll of leather that is warm to the touch and gently pulsating. After some experimentation, it becomes clear that the scroll is keyed to the thoughts of the person(s) looking at it. Any text the viewer knows to exist appears in full on the scroll, even if it's something he cannot read. The funerary mask, when placed in front of one's face, generates a low hum that affects the wearer's vision, hearing, and sense of touch, causing pain that increases over time. Kirktá eventually took it off once the pain began to induce actual physical damage to him. 

The amount of time spent experimenting with just these two items began to frustrate Nebússa, who repeatedly suggested that they needed to focus more deliberately on figuring out what all of the items did. Míru had clearly set them aside for a purpose. What was it? This led to much discussion – some of it paranoid – about whether or not Míru, as a secret priest of the One Other, had an ulterior motive in giving these items to Kirktá. What if he hoped he'd use them in a way that benefited the pariah god whom he served? Nebússa would have none of this. "Leave paranoia to the professionals," he joked.

That's when the group turned its attention to the mummified finger kept within a reliquary. Chiyé, as a lay priest of Sárku, could communicate with the dead, so long as he had the person's body or a part of it present. Why not use his sorcery to talk to whoever the finger belonged to? Perhaps he or she could shed some light on many of the questions that so vexed them? With everyone's agreement, Chiyé performed the necessary rituals and contacted the spirit-soul of the person whose finger it was – the First Tlakotáni, founder of Tsolyánu and the mysterious man who supposedly entered into a pact with the One Other millennia ago. If anyone could give them some answers, it was probably him ...

Campaign Updates: Two for the Road

That "real life" thing that I'm sure everyone has heard of does indeed exist and it's been keeping me busy over the last few weeks. It's apparently been doing the same thing to a lot of my players, too, hence my current campaigns have convened fewer times than I had hoped. Nevertheless, we did play several sessions of both Barrett's Raiders and House of Worms. Dolmenwood, alas, remains in a brief stasis; with luck, it will resume this week. In the meantime, here's the latest news from both Fort Lee, Virginia and Béy Sü, Tsolyánu:

Barrett's Raiders

Armed with Specialist Huxley's confession, Major Hunter decided that now was the time to approach both Lt. Nolan Bennett in logistics, along with his superior, Captain Reginald Tolen. She started with Bennett, who attempted to obfuscate the issues at hand, claiming that any irregularities could be chalked up to simple "clerical error" and the stress of trying to operate a military base "under difficult conditions." Hunter then confronted him with what Huxley told her, which cause Bennett to take a different tack. He admitted that Tolen probably had a hand in what's happening, but assured her that it's because "the captain's a good guy" who's "just trying to help people anyway he can." There's nothing sinister in it and it'd be a mistake to expose Tolen, since it'd probably land him in the stockade.

Hunter suspected this still wasn't the whole truth. She used other evidence she'd collected from paperwork and reports to demonstrate that Bennett himself must have been involved too. Bennett made a few more attempts to weasel out of these accusations before admitting that, yes, he'd used both Tolen and Huxley for his own betterment. He'd been contacted by a New America adherent who made him an offer: funnel war materiel from Fort Lee to him and he'd ensure that, when the time came, Bennett would be given a meal ticket and a position of safety "out west." Bennett claimed he didn't care about New America's ideology, only that he had a future. "Look around. Open your eyes. USMEA doesn't have what it takes to put this country back together again. I decided to back the winner."

When confronted with these facts, Captain Tolen was appalled. He openly admitted that, yes, he had made arrangements, through Bennett, to send "extra" supplies to civilian communities in need of them – but he swore he did not authorize the sending of war materiel to anyone, let alone New America. He felt betrayed, though he made no bones about the fact that he was ultimately to blame for this situation. Tolen took full responsibility and offered to turn himself in to the Provost Marshal, Colonel Kearns. Major Hunter said that she would speak to Kearns first, but, in the meantime, he and Bennett would be placed under guard.

Kearns was not surprised to learn that Tolen was involved. He said that the captain was a "naive bleeding heart" but not a bad a man. Fort Lee owed a lot to his work to keep it together, but that did not excuse his "reckless" behavior. Ultimately, though, the fault lay with General Summers, the base commander, who "cared more about looking good for Norfolk than doing his job." Summers, he explained, was a desk general, who had never seen combat and now, with all the soldiers returning from Europe, was worried he might be replaced "by someone with actual military experience." Summers always preferred to paper over problems rather than deal with them.

Hunter confirmed some of what Kearns claimed when she and Lt. Col. Orlowski presented MLG-7's report directly to Summers. The general praised them for getting to the bottom of the problem and that they had done so quietly. Summers then said that they were probably keen to leave Fort Lee and continue on their journey. He asked several times when they planned to leave and if there were anything his office could do to speed them on their way. This suggested that Col. Kearns had been correct in his assessment of the general: he wanted to be sure no one in Norfolk got wind of this serious breach of security that had happened under his watch.

Hunter and Orlowski explained they'd be leaving tomorrow, which pleased Summers. He thanked them again and sent them on their way. Of course, Spc. Huxley was scheduled to make another supply run the next day, too. Now that he had been found out, New America would realize something had happened and they might change up their local operations. That didn't sit well with Hunter and Orlowski, who decided that, as part of the departure the next day, MLG-7 would look into this dangling thread personally.

House of Worms

The characters made their way to a safe location known to him through Nebússa's contacts in the Omnipotent Azure Legion. There, they took stock of the artifacts Míru had left for Kirktá and opened the chest of the topaz god to remove the priest of the One Other they'd place in stasis there. Normally, a living being struck by the beam of an excellent ruby eye is held in suspended animation unharmed until he is struck again. This time, though, that did not seem to be the case. When Míru was released, he appeared lifeless – not dead exactly but certainly not alive either. It immediately occurred to Kirktá that, having lived a double life within the Temple of Belkhánu for so long, Míru had undoubtedly learned one or more spells that would enable him to transfer his consciousness from one body to another. He had probably done so moments before he was struck by the excellent ruby eye. If so, he was still alive and working toward his own purposes.

This was unfortunate as Míru knew not only more about Kirktá's early life and purpose but also about the seven items he'd gathered for him to use. The items consisted of: a small, uncut piece of onyx; a small wooden statue of Halúb, "the Knower of Hidden Truths," an obscure aspect of Belkhánu; a polished disc of gray metal framed in bone; a thin leather scroll, warm to the touch and slight pulsating; a mummified finger; a funerary mask with a single eye slot in the brow; and a golden statuette of an ancient ruler whose face has been erased by time. Using the spell seeing other planes, Kirktá determined that the onyx, the disc, and the mask all showed strong connections to the Planes Beyond, while the others were much less potent.

Kirktá set about examining the statue of Halúb first, soon discovering that it was actually a reliquary inside of which was a scroll wrapped in silk. The scroll was made of a sturdy, thin material that was completely black. When viewed in darkness, however, the blackness "fell away," revealing dense text written in Classical Tsolyáni. The text turned out to be the terms of the pact entered into by the First Tlakotáni with the One Other. According to those terms, the emperor-to-be offered the souls of his line to the One Other in exchange for the eternal protection of the fortress of Avanthár against all external threats. So long as the Tlakotáni continued to offer the souls of princes defeated in the Kólumejálim, the One Other would ensure Avanthár never fell.

As an expert demonologist, Keléno scoffed at the pact, calling it "sloppy." He explained that, among other things, there were too many loopholes in the text, specifically that it did not spell out the consequences if one party breaches it. He said he would never enter into such a contract with a demon, let alone a pariah god. Clearly, there must be some details that were missing, because it's difficult to imagine that the pact would have held up for more than 2000 years without either side failing to live up to it. That's when Nebússa began to wonder whether or not it was already in a state of breach, which might explain why Dhich'uné was so keen to establish new terms for it.

Speaking of Dhich'uné, because he had offered protection to many priests of Belkhánu fleeing the razing of their temple, Eselné turned his sights onto the Temple of Sárku. He had ordered his legions, including the cohort led by Grujúng into position to attack it. This concerned the other characters, who worried that such an attack might well play into Dhich'uné's hands. They rushed to the Palace of War, seeking an audience with General Kéttukal to bring their worries to him. As it turned out, Kéttukal had been looking for them. He explained that Dhich'uné had made a formal request for a parley and asked that Kirktá be the one to receive it.

Kirktá, along with Keléno and Nebússa, made their way to meet the Worm Prince. There, he delivered his ultimatum: call off the attack or else he would raise an army of the undead to defend him and turn the capital into a tomb. Additionally, he tempted Kirktá to join him so that he might finally learn the truth of who he is and why that truth was hidden for so long. Kirktá did not give in, despite his intense curiosity. Instead, he and the others returned to Eselné and Kéttukal to prepare for all-out war.

Dragonlance at the End of the World

One of many things that doesn't always come through in my campaign update posts are the little moments of roleplaying and character development that are, for me anyway, why I continue to participate in this hobby after so many decades. Reading those posts and the supplementary ones that draw attention to larger developments within them, one might well think the Big Stuff is all that matters to me. Of course, the Big Stuff does matter to me, especially in my House of Worms and Barrett's Raiders campaigns, where political, social, and religious struggles are important drivers of the action. Even so, it's the characters who matter most to me. They are, after all, the means by which my wonderful players interact with the situations I set before them and I appreciate the added texture they can add to the game world.

An amusing case in point is Corporal Wayne "Rocketman" Schweyk. Rocketman was originally a back-up character, introduced during the unit's time in the Free City of Kraków. All the players had a back-up character, both to fill out the unit's complement, but also as insurance in case one of the "main" characters died in combat or through some other means. Rocketman, as his name suggests, had been part of a Multiple Launch Rocket System crew during the earlier stages of the Twilight War. He eventually found his way to the Free City and became part of a group of displaced American soldiers there, some of whom joined the Raiders when they fled Kraków and its Machiavellian politics. 

As a character, Rocketman has several defining characteristics. Most obviously, he likes rockets, missiles, grenade launchers, mortars, and similar weaponry. Second, he is a good driver and always volunteers to drive one of the unit's vehicles. Finally, he's an avid reader of Dragonlance novels and makes an effort to seek out new sources of them whenever it's practical. Now that the Raiders are back in the USA, this is a fair bit easier than it was in Poland. Recently, Rocketman has begun to branch out. He's expressed an interest in Forgotten Realms novels, too, a few of which he was able to obtain in trade from soldiers stationed at Fort Lee.

On the one hand, this bit of characterization is a joke, making fun of just how many of these novels TSR published throughout the '80s and '90s – and there were a lot of them. We looked into the matter and, assuming that, in the timeline of Barrett's Raiders, TSR stopped producing new Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels at the end of 1997, shortly after the first Soviet nuclear strikes against America, there'd still be just shy of 100 Dragonlance novels and a little less than 80 Forgotten Realms novels. As I said, there really were a lot of these novels, but, from what I understand, they sold very, very well, outshining even the gaming material on which they were based. Talk about brandification!

On the other hand, little details like help a character to come alive. They help set him apart from his comrades and often serve as motivations for what the character does. In the case of Rocketman, he really does spend time talking to other soldiers, learning if any of them shares his interest in fantasy novels and whether there's library or other potential source for more of them. Further, his interest helps ground the campaign in its time and place. Barrett's Raiders is presently set in December 2000 in an alternate timeline that diverged at least as far back as 1985, if not earlier. Seeing as we're a quarter century removed from its chronological date and in a different reality altogether, these small reminders have proven useful.

From time to time, I should probably devote more posts to stuff like this. I've repeatedly said that the success and longevity of my various campaigns is, in large part, due to my players, who have created some really fun and memorable characters. They're one of the things that keep me engaged week after week. Shining the spotlight on some of them might prove helpful or at least interesting to readers as well.

So It Begins

While I am fortunate in having plenty of ideas for posts to write, I nevertheless do appreciate it when readers make suggestions to me of topics they'd like to see discussed. Last week, in a comment to a previous post, I was asked the following: 

James, have you ever written about how you start your campaigns? What do you expect your players to know about the setting, going in? And what does the first session look like?  

I am thinking in particular about the House of Worms, but also your campaigns in the Third Imperium. During character creation was there discussion about what they were going to pursue or did you provide a lot more direction at first? And given that the PCs were citizens of those empires, did you feed the players a lot of background knowledge during the initial sessions or have them do a little reading beforehand?

That's a very good question and one I can't recall specifically addressing in a previous post. The closest I've come to doing so, at least in recent years, was this post from earlier this year about my Barrett's Raiders Twilight: 2000 campaign. What I note in that post is that I generally have what's come to be known as "Session Zero," which is to say, an introductory session where the players and referee all get together and talk about the nature and scope of the campaign, the kinds of characters the players wish to create, etc. etc. 

There are lots of reasons why this is the case – perhaps fodder for another post – but my usual approach to starting a new campaign is fairly laissez-faire. I prefer to lay out a very broad concept for a campaign with a few ground rules and then let all the players go off and make their characters independently of one another. There might be some discussion between the players beforehand or between the players and myself, but not a lot. I'm a firm believer that the best campaigns are not planned but simply occur organically through the unexpected creativity of everyone involved.

To demonstrate a bit what I mean by this, allow me to use my ongoing House of Worms Empire of the Petal Throne campaign to illustrate my manner of starting a campaign. Initially, my only idea for the campaign, if you can call it that, was to run a Tékumel campaign. I'd previously refereed two campaigns in the setting, neither of which lasted more than a few months. I wanted to give it another go, this time in the hope that it might endure for at least a year or more. With very few exceptions, I always go into a new campaign in the hope of its being a long one. I'm not a fan of "mini-campaigns," let alone "one-shots," so, after a couple of failed attempts to create a stable Tékumel campaign, I wanted to give it another go.

Once I'd committed to a new Tékumel campaign (using EPT, because it's a fairly simple game and rather similar to Dungeons & Dragons, thereby eliminating one possible barrier to new players), I decided on two other details beforehand. The first was that the game would begin not in the city of Jakálla, as so many Tékumel games do, but in a different city. I chose Sokátis specifically because there wasn't a lot of information about it and because its location on the far eastern border of Tsolyánu made it a great "home base" for adventures outside the titular Empire of the Petal Throne. The second detail I decided was that all the characters would belong to the same clan in Sokátis, thus giving them a ready-made reason for why they all adventured together. This approach deviates from the "classical" one in which all new EPT characters are barbarians newly arrived in Tsolyánu looking to make a name for themselves and acquire imperial citizenship.

I then set about finding players through the late, lamented Google Plus. To my surprise, I found eight players interested in joining the campaign. I made it clear that the campaign was open to players of any level of familiarity with Tékumel. The result was a handful of complete neophytes, a couple of veterans, and the rest in between. I am well aware of Tékumel reputation – undeserved in my opinion – as an "impenetrable" setting. To dispel that notion, I assured neophytes that they'd need know nothing about the setting in advance; all they needed to know would be "taught" through play. 

That said, at the start, before characters were made, I explained to all the players the differences between the pantheons of Stability and Change and their places within Tsolyáni society. This was important, because the first question I put to the players was about the nature of the clan to which their characters would belong. Did they want to belong to a Stability-aligned clan, a Change-aligned clan, or an ecumenical one whose members worshiped a wider range of deities? I offered several examples of each clan, complete with their names and business. Eventually, the Change-aligned, Sárku-worshiping House of Worms clan was selected, which caused one of the players to drop out, as he couldn't countenance the idea of playing a character whose clan was devoted to Change god of death. (Another of the original eight players dropped out before we played due to scheduling conflicts.)

Having settled on the House of Worms clan, I then asked the players to create their own characters and to send them to me before the start of the first session a couple of weeks hence. If a player had any questions about the rules or the setting, I happily obliged them, but I did not direct their decisions nor did I encourage them to check with the other players. Instead, I asked them to make whatever character most appealed to them within the context of being a member of the House of Worms clan in the city of Sokátis. The results were an eclectic bunch but, over the years, they've managed to become an effective group, bound by both common ancestry and interests. 

I had absolutely no "grand plan" for the campaign whatsoever. I had elements of Tékumel that interested me, but I had learned long ago that the best campaigns were those whose development was shaped more by player interest than by that of the referee. Certainly, I dangled NPCs, locales, rumors, and mysteries in front of the characters in the hope that they might take them up and, in some cases, they did. In others, though, they went their own way and I contented myself with the fact that their strong drive to do this or that probably provided more sustainable forward momentum than anything I could impart. Still, I often held on to certain ideas and would repurpose or recontexualize them later so that I might get the chance to use things that interested me. After all, the referee is a player too and should get to a little bit of fun.

I kicked the campaign off with an open-ended mystery that gave the characters the opportunity to explore Sokátis, meet some significant NPCs, and learn a little more about Tsolyánu and the larger setting of Tékumel. I didn't specifically intend it to be didactic, since that's rarely fun, but I had hoped that, by showing the setting in action, the players would pick up on its details and come to understand them more. This worked beautifully, though it took time and patience, as most good things do. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

Please let me know in the comments if you'd like me to expand upon anything I've written here or if you'd like me to devote a similar post to one of my other campaigns to show you how I try to do things. I could probably do a more generic post in which I lay out broad principles for setting up a new campaign, but I think showing what I specifically did in the case of a single campaign might be more helpful, hence this post. 

Campaign Updates: Closing In

This past week, all three campaigns made significant progress toward resolving – or at least advancing – the current plans of the player characters. In the cases of both Barrett's Raiders and the Dolmenwood campaign (which, I have just noticed, does not have a distinct name), it's likely that their focus will soon shift to other matters. That's true in House of Worms, too, though the shift is not so much in focus as it is in intensity. Things heated up in a very significant way this way week, as you'll soon read.

Barrett's Raiders

Major Hunter sequestered herself in the officer's tent, scouring through the requisition and inventory forms that Lt. Cody had recently acquired, hoping to find evidence of anything obviously suspicious. In the end, it became clearly that the records were so poorly maintained that almost everything within them could, in the right light, appear suspicious. Even so, Hunter eventually concluded that there had been a deliberate effort to conceal some kind of malfeasance by the base's logistics personnel. In fact, the most suspicious forms were all personally endorsed by Captain Tolen, whereas the majority of the others were signed by his assistant, Lt. Bennett.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Orlowski set out for the DCAZ with Sgt. McLeod in order to meet with Sarah McBride, a former Richmond city councilor, who was identified to them as a leader amongst Fort Lee's civilian refugees. McBride was an older woman and, initially, she was none too pleased to see Orlowski. She explained that lots of military officers had been to see her to "assess the situation" and "seek solutions" and nothing had come of it. Orlowski made no promises that he could effect any improvements, but he did sincerely wish to know what was happening in the DCAZ.

McBride then explained that the biggest problems were ones of benign neglect rather than malice. General Summers and his officers weren't lording it over the civilians, let alone abusing them. Sure, there were incidents from time to time, but, with the exception of the recent death of Corporal Ramos, they rarely got out of hand. Mostly, Summers was too hands-off and allowed problems to fester instead of dealing with them directly. She suspected it's because he'd rather do nothing than risk creating a PR disaster through error. 

Orlowski then questioned her about whether there was any black market operating in the DCAZ and whether they might be trading in anything dangerous, like weapons and ammo. McBride said that, of course, there were illicit goods being traded, but she added that none of them were dangerous. Further, she had the impression that at least some of these goods were being passed to the refugees by Army personnel, either out of genuine concern or just a desire to make a profit somehow. Orlowski took note of all this and returned inside the fence of Fort Lee.

Having completed her examination of the logistics records, Major Hunter then began the process of interrogating any even remotely involved with the missing supplies, starting with Specialist Darrell Huxley. Huxley, Lt. Cody had learned earlier, was a local. Hunter used this to grill him about the times the supply truck he drove got flat tires. Eventually, she made him admit that Captain Tolen had provided him with extra supplies "off the records" to be picked up by a high school friend of his, Denny Lagrange, who'd then pass them on to others in the area who needed them. He didn't want anyone to get into trouble, least of all Tolen, whom he said is "a good guy." Hunter then suggested to Orlowski and others that they might now need to approach Tolen and others in logistics to get to the real bottom of this.

Dolmenwood

Having rescued the scholar Farnham Ribblemead from the catacombs beneath Shadholme Lodge, the characters regrouped in Sir Clement's pavilion on the nearby Festival Field. Sir Clement had come to the conclusion that, in order to prevent Lord Malbleat from succeeding at the necromantic ritual he was planning on the next evening, he had no choice but to attempt a rescue of the young woman held at Redwraith Manor. The woman, Emelda Wishorn by name, was essential to Malbleat's plans. By spiriting her away from the manor, he could foil those plans. This was an eminently suitable task for a noble knight such as himself and he urged his companions to join him in it.

Everyone but Marid agreed to assist him. Marid claimed it would be better if he stayed on the Festival Field and keep watch over Ribblemead. The others thought this was a very good idea, since they did not want the old man to fall back into the hands of Malbleat or his servants. The rest then headed north along the Manor Road in order to reach their destination. They had previously passed Redwraith Manor on their way to Shadholme Lodge and found it an ominous and uninviting place, with a black, wrought-iron fence and a forbidding gate. The place looked even more uninviting in the small hours of the night. Of course, the cover of darkness this time afforded made it much more likely that they could approach without being spotted by Malbleat's guards.

Sneaking onto the manor's grounds was not easy. There were several patrols, as well as an expanse of open ground between the fence and the closest part of the building. Alvie is a thief who possesses a sprite-wing cloak, which gives the wearer near-invisibility and Waldra, as a hunter, is good at hiding herself. That left just Falin and Sir Clement, both of whom wore plate armor and were both louder and slower. So, Alvie lent Falin his cloak, while Sir Clement made use of a philtre of invisibility he found in the alchemy lab beneath Shadholme Lodge. After some near misses with guards, all four made their way to the manor.

The most obvious way in was through an enclosed garden. However, the garden was occupied by an elderly breggle who seemed to be engaged in some kind of experimentation with the plants and flowers within. Fearing something sinister, they avoided the garden. Instead, Alvie climbed in through an open window and unlocked another door. The characters then spent some time, avoiding guards and other inhabitants of the place while they looked for stairs going down (on the assumption that there must be a dungeon beneath the manor). Eventually, they found the stairs and, after a stealthy fight against several guards, made their way into the basement.

Their assumption was indeed correct. There was a secret prison beneath the manor. All of its cells were empty but one, containing a young woman, who identified herself as Emelda Wishorn. Using keys obtained from one the guards, they freed her and explained they were here to rescue her. Emelda was confused by this; she also showed signs of being drugged. So, Falin helped her out of her cell and told her they would take care of her. She agreed to come with them.

House of Worms

Rumors were spreading throughout Béy Sü in the aftermath of Prince Eselné's speech. The Temples of Karakán and Vimúhla were solidly – and publicly – behind him, as were the Temples of Avánthe and Dlamélish (due, no doubt, to Princess Ma'ín's support of Eselné). Meanwhile, the Temples of Belkhánu and Sárku opposed him. The other temples and the great clans of the city sat on the sidelines, many of them hoping that the prince's rhetoric was just that and he did not truly intend to break the millennia-old Concordat and wage war on the Temple of Belkhánu. 

Unfortunately for them, Eselné was not bluffing. He sent for Grujúng to lead the cohort (400 men) of the First Legion to attack the temple just before dawn the next day. Joining Grujúng were his clan mates and comrades of many years, all of whom wish to be present during this historic event. Kirktá worried that Grujúng had been chosen to lead the attack so that, should thing go badly, he could be used as a scapegoat. After all, he was a member of a small, unimportant clan from the eastern empire, with no noble lineage or history. For his part, Grujúng's attitude was "In for a qirgál, in for a káitar." He was already too deep into what was happening to worry about the consequences. He'd either be a hero or take the high ride on an impaler's spike. 

Grujúng was given strict instructions: kill them all. No one could be allowed to escape, since there was no way to know which priests were secretly part of the cult of the One Other. Everyone within the temple, no matter their station, must die. Grujúng had no problem with this and planned accordingly, splitting his men into two main groups – one attacking the front and one attacking the rear of the temple. Others were arrayed outside its walls to deal with any priests who attempted to scale them to safety. (There was also a second cohort, not commanded by Grujúng, whose job it was to deal with anyone attempting to flee into the underworld.)

The frontal assault met with strong resistance, while the rear assault met barely any at all. The rear group also contained a small group of skirmishers, led by Nebússa but also containing Kirktá, Chiyé, and Keléno. They were tasked with plundering as much as possible from the temple's library and treasury before anyone else sacked the place. Kirktá was worried that, when the temple was finally razed by Prince Eselné, he would not care whether he destroyed priceless artifacts or not. Plus, he was still unsure whether or not what he had been told about his role in the succession was true. If it were, he might need these items.

Inside the temple, what soon became clear was that it was largely empty but for a few fleeing priests and those who were at the front of the temple defending it. They suspected that they'd been given advance warning about the attack and fled earlier. Their suspicions were confirmed in the library, when they encountered Míru, the priest of the One Other they'd met previously. He was alone in the library and told them, "They're all gone – many of them to Dhich'uné, who offered them sanctuary. He claims he's 'upholding the Concordat as tradition dictates,' but it's just another ploy to advance his own cause." He then added, "I knew you'd come, Kirktá. I've set aside a few things for you here," pointing to a collection of artifacts. Then Chiyé shot him with the excellent ruby eye and tossed him into Kirktá's chest of the topaz god (an extradimensional container) for safekeeping. They grabbed the artifacts and prepared to leave the temple.

Campaign Updates: Reckonings

Apologies for not having kept up with updates from the three RPG campaigns I'm currently refereeing. I have been distracted by the triple threat of real life, working on the Secrets of sha-Arthan 'zine, and simply finding other topics worthy of extended interest. Consequently, I haven't written one of these posts in a couple of weeks. I will nevertheless attempt to keep the information below brief, which necessarily means leaving out (or not dwelling upon) some of the details.

Barrett's Raiders

The investigations at Fort Lee continue, starting with Lt. Cody, who decided to follow-up his previous digging by paying a visit to the base's Logistics Office. There, he attempted to make an appointment to see the officer in charge, Captain Reginald Tolen. Tolen was unavailable. Cody approached his assistant, Lt. Nolan Bennett, who set up an appointment for later that day. Bennett seemed concerned that Cody was part of "that liaison group that's been sniffing around" and that he might be looking for someone to blame for the loss of supplies. Bennett assured Cody that Tolen was "straight – probably too straight" and he was doing the best he could in a bad situation. Cody assured he wasn't here to railroad anyone; he just wanted some answers.

Later, Lt. Col. Orlowski and Sgt. McLeod were keeping an eye on their unit's vehicles, to be sure no one came by to look too closely at them. Throughout their time, they noticed that several MPs passed by and took a look in their direction, but were otherwise disinterested. On the other hand, they did notice that a younger officer (a lieutenant) wearing a Logistics insignia passed by several times in the course of a couple of hours. He was clearly watching them, but was doing a poor attempt to hide it. Later, conferring with Cody, they concluded the officer in question was Nolan Bennett.

While at the medical tent in the DCAZ with Vadim, Michael observed Elijah poking his head inside. He caught Michael's eye and asked, "Is Dutch here?" Michael told him no, but said he'd let him know that Elijah was looking for him. Eventually, Dutch goes to see him and Michael follows at a distance to determine if anything else is going on. Elijah worries that Dutch might think he's with New America; he assures him he's not. "You don't build the New Jerusalem out of bones and lies," he adds. He encourages Dutch to keep digging and says if he hears anything he'll pass it along. He also spots Michael, despite his efforts to hide. He approaches him, extends his hand, and introduces himself as Calvin Traynor "but folks round here started calling me Elijah and I didn't have the heart to disagree."

Cody's appointment with Captain Tolen revealed several avenues for investigation. Both water and gasoline are tight. Other supplies are better. The problem, he claims is twofold. One, security at the supply depot is lax. Tolen blamed the MPs and insinuated that Col. Kearns was hoping to manufacture problems as justification for a crackdown. Two, the convoys in and out of Fort Lee are chronically short – missing crate here, missing drum there. He wonders whether the problem originates in the base or outside it. Tolen then supplies Cody with records to help his investigation but admits that many are in poor order, since people had been used to doing a lot with computers before the war and they're struggling to go back to the old ways. Cody thanks him and heads out.

Dolmenwood

The characters continue to explore the chambers beneath the Shadholme Lodge. It soon becomes clear that Lord Gryphius Malbleat is planning to do something related to his long-dead ancestor, Wrygott Gnarlgruff, in whose honor the annual Hlerribuck festival is held. Previously, they had assumed that Gnarlgruff was somehow still alive, as their investigations in Faerie revealed what appeared to be correspondence between Gnarlgruff and Prince Mallowheart, a powerful fairy lord. Now, they're starting to think that the "Gnarlgruff" of that corrrespondence was Malbleat acting under a pseudonym – though there were other possibilities, as they soon learned.

During their explorations, they freed an old human man by the name of Farnham Ribblemead. Ribblemead explained that he had been kidnapped by Malbleat's servants to translate an ancient ritual from The Book of Foul Wonders. The ritual was a form of necromancy intended to raise Gnarlgruff from the dead under the command of Malbleat, who hoped to use his ancestor's sorcery for his own evil ends. However, to accomplish this, the ritual demanded, among other things, that it be accompanied by a song "sung by the most beautiful voice in the High Wold." That voice belonged to a young woman, also kidnapped by Malbleat, but whose current whereabouts Ribblemead did not know. "Most likely," he explained, "she's held somewhere at Redwraith Manor," but he couldn't be sure.

Since Ribblemead desperately wanted to leave the chambers where he was imprisoned, the characters did not linger much longer. However, they did spend some time poking around other rooms beneath the Lodge, as well as those above. With the exception of one room (the wine cellar) inhabited by a frightful spider-woman with human hands at the ends of its eight legs, they found little of immediate interest. The spider-woman caused them such fright and disgust that they fled the scene almost immediately and decided that discretion was indeed the better part of valor. They returned to Sir Clement's pavilion and prepared their next actions. 

There is one more day until the one when they believe Lord Malbleat will attempt the ritual Ribblemead described and there remains much to do in order to prevent him from succeeding.

House of Worms

After Eselné's speech in the Hall Unfurled Banners and Dhich'uné's response, all of Béy Sü is in turmoil. The great clans, the temples, and anyone else of any power or influence is hastily attempting to determine whom to support and how best to do so. While there are a few zealots among the various contending factions, most simply want to escape the unfolding chaos with their heads intact. It is now obvious that, one way or another, a reckoning is about to come upon Tsolyánu's capital city – and quite likely the Empire itself. 

As the characters pondered their own place within these events, Nebússa was met by Múresh hiQolyélmu, a member of his own Golden Bough clan, as well as the local chief of the Omnipotent Azure Legion. Nebússa, of course, already knew him, but his desire to talk was nevertheless notable. Múresh explained that Eselné's actions had disrupted their own plans for the upcoming Kólumejàlim. "Balances were already in place," he said, "The path was already clearing." Nebússa took this to mean that the OAL intended to fix the Choosing so that the "right" candidate – probably Táksuru – emerged victorious, though Múresh did not say this directly. Múresh also told Nebússa to be alert. If necessary, he should be prepared to make "a single cut, quiet and clean, before the whole loom comes down around us."

Grujúng received his orders from General Kéttukal, giving him command of the cohort of the First Legion that will attack the Temple of Belkhánu just before the next dawn. Kéttukal asked that Grujúng and anyone else who planned to join him make their way to the Palace of War as soon as possible so that they could be briefed on the ins and outs of the attack. Kirktá intended to join the attack, disguised as an ordinary soldier. His intention is to use the chaos of battle as an opportunity to loot the temple of anything he deems potentially valuable to current events. For that reason, he chose not to accompany Grujúng, lest his presence be detected too soon. After all, Kéttukal already made it clear that Kirktá would not be permitted anywhere near the temple.

Kirktá had other matters to attend to. He was informed that a delegation from the Temple of Dlamélish had come to see him. Initially, this made no sense, as he had no dealings with that temple whatsoever. However, others more versed in the intrigues of Tsolyáni politics understood that the delegation was, in fact, a cover for a visit from Princess Ma'ín, who'd recently thrown in her lot with Eselné. Ma'ín was her usual playful self, employing subtlety and innuendo rather than coming right to the point. In short order, though, it became clear what she really wanted to know was if Kirktá and his comrades were "plotting something clever – something dangerous." When Kirktá assured her he was not and that he was wholly behind Eselné's cause. "How disappointing," she declared. "You really are what you appear to be: a boring scholar."

She then left. Nebússa was very pleased. Kirktá had played his part well. 

Grigori Vasilyevich Romanov (1923–1998)

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1985–1998)

Chairman of the State Defense Committee (1986–1998)

Grigori Vasilyevich Romanov (1923–1998) was a Soviet statesman, military hardliner, and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until his death. His tenure marked the decisive end of reformist currents within the CPSU and a turn toward centralized authoritarianism aimed at preserving the territorial, ideological, and geopolitical integrity of the Soviet Union. Under his leadership, the USSR reversed decades of perceived decline at the cost of heightened repression, global destabilization, and, ultimately, the outbreak of World War III.

Early Life and Career

Born in the village of Zikhnovo in Leningrad Oblast, Romanov came of age during the crucible of the Great Patriotic War. A decorated Red Army veteran, he joined the Communist Party soon after the war and rose steadily through its ranks, developing a reputation as a rigid ideologue and an admirer of Stalin’s methods. By the early 1970s, Romanov had become the First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee, where he imposed strict economic discipline and cultivated powerful allies in the military-industrial complex.

In 1973, Romanov was elevated to the Politburo and became a full member in 1976. He was widely regarded as the most conservative senior official in the Soviet hierarchy by the early 1980s. His open disdain for the reformist ideas of Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–1991) and others earned him the backing of the KGB and powerful elements within the General Staff, who feared that reform of any kind would unravel the Union.

Rise to Power

Following the death of Konstantin Chernenko in March 1985, the CPSU was at an ideological crossroads. Though Gorbachev was preferred by the Western press and some technocratic elites, Romanov, with support from the security apparatus, orchestrated a swift and silent purge of the reformist bloc. Gorbachev was formally removed from contention under the pretense of "health concerns" and soon disappeared from public life entirely.

Once in power, Romanov moved quickly. State censorship was reinvigorated, samizdat literature criminalized, and liberal intellectuals rounded up. Universities, once semi-autonomous bastions of reformist thought, were placed under direct Party control. Economic decentralization efforts were reversed, and military production was prioritized over consumer goods.

In 1986, Romanov publicly declared a “Second Great Patriotic Effort,” a mobilization of Soviet society against the “imperialist encirclement” he claimed sought to dismantle socialism through covert means. This speech marked the ideological cornerstone of his reign: unity through siege mentality.

Consolidation and Conflict

Romanov’s foreign policy was aggressive, calculated, and unapologetically anti-Western. Rejecting détente, he sought to reclaim Soviet prestige abroad and crush all signs of weakness within the Warsaw Pact. The KGB, GRU, and Spetsnaz were given free rein to carry out covert actions worldwide.

For example, in 1987, the Soviet Union orchestrated military-backed coups in Syria and Iraq, toppling unreliable Ba’athist elements and replacing them with pro-Soviet juntas loyal to Moscow. These two client states, long at odds, were forced into rapprochement through Soviet mediation and began joint oil and military cooperation agreements. Soviet troops and advisers poured into both countries, turning them into heavily fortified buffers against U.S. influence in the Middle East.

By 1988, Soviet-backed paramilitary movements had made gains in Central Africa and Southeast Asia. In 1989, Romania's Nicolae Ceaușescu was assassinated in a mysterious “accident” after resisting Romanov's directives; his replacement, General Mihai Răducan, aligned Romania more closely with Soviet objectives.

The Soviets also undermined NATO cohesion through a sustained disinformation campaign. A major success came in 1990, when France temporarily suspended NATO joint exercises amid a scandal involving leaked CIA documents (planted by the KGB) suggesting U.S. plans to use Western Europe as a nuclear buffer.

The Road to War

By the early 1990s, the world teetered on the brink. The Kuwait Crisis of 1990 and the Korean Emergency (1992) both contributed to the increasing sense that events were spinning out of control. In response to this rising instability, Romanov withdrew from the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks in 1993 and began an ambitious nuclear modernization and dispersal program, shifting mobile ICBMs deep into Siberia and Central Asia. The USSR also quietly expanded its anti-ballistic missile systems around Moscow and Leningrad, violating longstanding treaties.

Domestically, ethnic unrest in the Caucasus and Baltics was met with mass deportations and political assassinations. The KGB’s Internal Stability Directorate, established in 1994, functioned as a shadow government, tasked with hunting down dissidents and foreign sympathizers.

The Twilight War and Final Years

The outbreak of the Sino-Soviet War in 1995, ostensibly over water rights and border disputes, drained Soviet resources but allowed Romanov to justify full mobilization. When the attempted reunification of Germany in early 1996 led to NATO troops entering East German territory, Romanov responded decisively. Nuclear weapons were used sparingly at first – primarily against hardened military targets – but, by late 1997, tactical and strategic exchanges had devastated much of Europe and North America.

Despite widespread devastation, Romanov refused to negotiate. "If socialism must perish, it will perish in fire, not in compromise," he reportedly told the State Defense Committee. Soviet authority was preserved through ruthless internal control and the relative survival of its Asian and Central Eurasian territories.

Romanov died on April 14, 1998, under mysterious circumstances – officially a stroke, though persistent rumors suggested a coup orchestrated by military or GRU officers who feared he would press for renewed hostilities. He was succeeded by Marshal Gennady Reznikov, former Chief of the General Staff and an architect of the USSR's current martial regime.