tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13899860495078040942024-03-18T22:48:43.874-05:00Hill CantonsChris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comBlogger750125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-34454474086642239692024-01-05T18:37:00.003-06:002024-01-05T18:37:30.075-06:00Sex-Crazed Falling Stars, Free Weather Magic, and Adventures: News of the Hill Cantons<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WCvUcSzi5sgj_FAtqhawLTR4JqdJ9l6WjeP6e1RNrI6TxmNiMvRvCaEeBUI05IKEcOq4MiPghn2vhi0KYDhiVopo9ChiXLOhyUtGvy1WJeqlLUdZh0vBgnoGxiEMMaKCPlH2uKsWimfuTw6Z2LyA3J_18-XzoKHPhwKAt1RLSLHbyQYcHcBQnNpkmmU/s1433/IMG_0762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1433" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WCvUcSzi5sgj_FAtqhawLTR4JqdJ9l6WjeP6e1RNrI6TxmNiMvRvCaEeBUI05IKEcOq4MiPghn2vhi0KYDhiVopo9ChiXLOhyUtGvy1WJeqlLUdZh0vBgnoGxiEMMaKCPlH2uKsWimfuTw6Z2LyA3J_18-XzoKHPhwKAt1RLSLHbyQYcHcBQnNpkmmU/w435-h212/IMG_0762.jpg" width="435" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Grandma Gaya, the Rav-Witch of High Kezmarok</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, seeks the stout of limb and humble of mind in the </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">obtaining of fallen stars</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> from an upcoming prophesied shower in the</span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Field of Levic in Revoca Canton</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Retrieval of said objects will fetch no less than </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1500 gold suns a piece</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Men of science, sages and savants know the objects called</span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> “shooting stars” </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">by old wives to be in fact screeching, blazing celestial demons intent on sexual relations with recent widows and have issued a weather advisory for the coming weeks. Any suddenly emaciated women should be immediately treated by a white wizard. </span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In other weather-related news <b>Sadko</b>, <b>the renowned merchant-ministrel of Marlinko’s Mendacious Mercator contrada</b>,<b> is offering a two week course in hunch-weather cantrips and drudic enscorcellments</b>. The first day is free, the second is merely 20 golds suns, and each day after is said to double in price. First day respondents born on a sunny day will be invited to learn and practice the Clear Skies ritual spell in which said lucky student will run through the moors naked shouting “be clear, be clear, like the day I was born.” Such an experience beyond the obvious lightening of mood on the first day is guaranteed a lifetime of magical prowess. </span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-4d3ab111-7fff-df86-106e-3568c9ef05ce"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">T<a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-great-hostels-and-games.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">he Zem-renowned great hostel Duke Mraz’s Folly</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, is seeking ruffians, hedge mages, procurement specialists and other so-called adventurers to clearing out the “<b>Back of the House” of Tihomir’s Great and Evermore Abalienation</b>, its satellite location on the Isle of Foosz. Applicants should be warned that Zdenko the Scarificator, hostel chain domo/manager, is “no casual tavern thug roustabout but is paying detail-oriented attention to the large walled off section in the “more secluded” regions of the large structure. Advance payment will be made to the order of two pounds of hruz hruz (Duke Mraz’s premium hallucinogenic mollusk paste). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Back in Marlinko, the newly-rebuilt Golden Counting House is back in business after a horrific and tragic fire that swept Svako’s Square in the Mendacious Mercator</span><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-four-contradas-of-fever-dreaming.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> contrada</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> three years ago. Usual night hours of service are naturally to be observed. </span></p><br /><br /><br /></span>Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-10577415850876857322023-08-14T11:41:00.003-05:002023-08-14T11:42:47.853-05:00The Great Hill Cantons 5e Experiment Begins: Marlinko Backgrounds<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHSd59uPo952Wx4KfcVYJqcZ-sC9tWDmue-B0rbTxvygwI7b_rRDW4jhGnsf7Wfvn8OMylhrIT2ueCTEXozdWEHJpf5YksHekQXj4IqD9a2pUghMIneGGS6rw77k_TGqqffY_9W7-szNpdZAaWHsoEnV3Nl42DCO_oBb0sHNJJpF5SONBhcVVuaLtKL0/s1280/marl-1280x720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHSd59uPo952Wx4KfcVYJqcZ-sC9tWDmue-B0rbTxvygwI7b_rRDW4jhGnsf7Wfvn8OMylhrIT2ueCTEXozdWEHJpf5YksHekQXj4IqD9a2pUghMIneGGS6rw77k_TGqqffY_9W7-szNpdZAaWHsoEnV3Nl42DCO_oBb0sHNJJpF5SONBhcVVuaLtKL0/w400-h225/marl-1280x720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I still love the old ways, you can pry the increasingly deviant BX/OSE/LL subvariant of HC house system from my cold dead hands. But dammit has playing Baldurs Gate (purple-skinned Roy Kent being my own PC) got me at least wanting to experiment with a slimmed down, house ruled to death 5e as my next mini-campaign reboot of things Hill Cantons-y. </span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So on that note, here is part 1 of Hill Cantons 5e Backgrounds starting with dear, dear Marlinko. A host of Marlinko Cantons backgrounds are next and they will be the usual mix of the weird and/or stupid. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marlinko Cantons Backgrounds</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">First and foremost a Marlinkan takes their identity from their contrada (even villagers in the Canton have their “team” in the city). All native Player Character Marlinkans thus must roll (or choose if one </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">must</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">) a contrada background before taking another background. The contrada background is in addition to a character’s standard background, but may also preclude some standard background choices.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From FDM: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The four contradas do not reflect merely geographic or class divisions, but have deeply embedded cultural and psycho-geographical lives of their own. Each contrada organizes its own festivals, keeps its own histories, and pays fearful homage to the abstract-featured idol of its own unique “town god.” </span></span></p><p><span style="font-style: italic; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each contrada also maintains its own contrada hall, a large, well-maintained, ceremonial gathering place where it keeps a collection of its own unique banners, ceremonial regalia, historical tapestries, mummies, and most importantly, the various trophies it has won in the single most important city-wide bi-annual event: the great chariot race that headlines the Ebon Horse Fair. Throughout the year, contrada trainers keep their chosen condemned convict-jockey revved up and ready for the Black Race. It is well that they do, for the losers are hanged while the winner earns a contrada trophy and freedom!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="font-style: italic; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Roll d6</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1-2 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">S</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">vině (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Golden Swine) Contrada</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soudce (Yare Domesman) Contrada</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4-5</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Obchodník (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mendacious Mercator) Contrada </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Včelar (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sullen Apiarian) Contrada</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">S</span><span style="color: #212121; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">vině (</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Golden Swine) Contrada</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The northeastern ward, with its tusked, dolorous, golden boar's head banner on a field of teal, is by most accounts a benighted slum. It has two saving graces: 1. that most guilds and high offices maintain their halls in its precinct–if not their homes– (including the Rada's large council hall) and 2. that it holds the most trophies for Black Race wins. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #212121; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Skill Proficiencies: Deception or Sleight of Hand</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tool Proficiencies: Manual Labor</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Languages: Svinish (contrada dialect/slang)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Equipment: Teal and gold contrada surcoat, simple, Jaunty Cap, Tiny amount of hruz paste. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Forbidden Backgrounds: Noble</span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soudce (Yare Domesman) Contrada</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The southeastern quarter is (despite its rather dramatic banner displaying grotesquely fat red demonettes piloting finned sleds) a sleepy and mundane section of the city. The houses of quietly prosperous craftsmen and the shops of the middle ranks dominate the ward. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #212121; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Skill Proficiencies: Insight</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisans tools</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Languages: Soudci (contrada dialect/slang)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Equipment: Grey and dull red contrada surcoat, burghers hat, set of workman’s tools</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Forbidden Backgrounds: Anything vaguely criminal</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVD2gUSio7Ml1joI5MrgNuRCSvWlMwg30muhfvzgA7dCJkw9KrYEw-efPjUXgO9P5Gbf56mWqblVm_TJ2sMymHec0_r8Op9RWQctuPi1rN7-ShMZR8a-wPPImQ_YxPvGlG9EG1lw1_uYa8tw1zHDtwuxriT9eSyfe1tVO_BSpFaMPjrxi-o7ICBd7CHo/s1000/Ivan_Bilibin_004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVD2gUSio7Ml1joI5MrgNuRCSvWlMwg30muhfvzgA7dCJkw9KrYEw-efPjUXgO9P5Gbf56mWqblVm_TJ2sMymHec0_r8Op9RWQctuPi1rN7-ShMZR8a-wPPImQ_YxPvGlG9EG1lw1_uYa8tw1zHDtwuxriT9eSyfe1tVO_BSpFaMPjrxi-o7ICBd7CHo/w400-h224/Ivan_Bilibin_004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: inherit; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><p><span style="color: #212121; font-family: inherit; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p>Obchodník (</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mendacious Mercator) Contrada </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The southwestern contrada of the city, with its great golden seal depicting a grasping human hand styled in mauve and silver, oversees most daily business in the city. The sprawling, bustling South Market with its countless booths and scams is the commercial heart of the center.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #212121; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Skill Proficiencies: Deception or Persuasion </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tool Proficiencies: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Calligrapher's supplies, Cartographer's tools, or Navigator's Tools.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Languages: Obchod (contrada dialect/slang)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Equipment: Mauve and silver contrada surcoat, stack of blank contracts in vellum.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #212121; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Forbidden Backgrounds: Charlatan, Mountebank, Huckster</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="color: #212121; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Včelar (</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sullen Apiarian) Contrada</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Northwestern Quarter, with its great yellow-and-black beehive and mopey deodand emblazoned banner, contains the greatest concentration of affluence and easy living in the city. The great painted-plastered town-manses of the wealthy dominate the coveted plaza and avenue fronts in this part of town. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite its wealthy cast, the contrada has a deeply-ingrained inferiority complex--due in large part to its century-long losing streak in the Black Race. The loss has become a self-fulfilling prophesy in recent years, as convict-jockeys regularly commit suicide rather than serve out what they consider to be a foregone death sentence. Roving gangs of youths from respected families are quick to draw rapiers against any slight, as if to compensate for the wound to their civic honor. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion or Intimidation</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tool Proficiencies: Gaming set</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Languages: Vče (contrada dialect/slang)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Equipment: Black and gold contrada surcoat, codpiece, rapier, IOU from a commoner worth 1d4x10 gold suns.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Forbidden Backgrounds: Anything vaguely criminal or commercial. </span></span></p>Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-37640695964787518972023-03-21T14:14:00.001-05:002023-03-21T14:14:30.369-05:00Kezmarok, Counting Houses, and Amazon Battle-Barges: Recent News from the Hill Cantons<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now the news from the Hill Cantons…</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff9540b7-7fff-cf3f-c30f-cd5bbc381162"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iVcKZqAjzF0MbbVuKHQknfutqeStovAFIfgdZ6_ufc01SuaWpToH81NQy3b2ZqPYhfSpq6RmboyMLwiyLjXgzVRMnpxZcdGTtmeZz-5vnqa5vOYdGDmykT2PChF8Bo0TyP6760lzfEC4Titi9Hs79WJ2FEd7SGbhODwo_9gYmQZyfDrv8fDJtrVH/s696/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="696" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iVcKZqAjzF0MbbVuKHQknfutqeStovAFIfgdZ6_ufc01SuaWpToH81NQy3b2ZqPYhfSpq6RmboyMLwiyLjXgzVRMnpxZcdGTtmeZz-5vnqa5vOYdGDmykT2PChF8Bo0TyP6760lzfEC4Titi9Hs79WJ2FEd7SGbhODwo_9gYmQZyfDrv8fDJtrVH/w400-h165/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-great-tour-part-one.html">great half-ruined southern metropolis of </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-great-tour-part-one.html">Kezmarok</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is back in the shouted news of Cantonal town criers with recent developments. Not only is the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lost lower half of the city back from its sojourn in a fell pocket dimension</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the eternal host of Turko-Fey is back at the gates and resuming the long half-millennium siege of the city</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">–though from more distant positions. Contracts are once again being offered for “bonders”, paid rough men of the Hill Cantons. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But bonders are also not the only ones in demand for immediate employment, <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-great-hostels-and-games.html">the Zem-renowned great hostel </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-great-hostels-and-games.html">Duke Mraz’s Folly</a>,</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is seeking ruffians, hedge mages, procurement specialists and other so-called adventurers to </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">clearing out the “Back of the House” of Tihomir’s Great and Evermore Abalienation</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, its satellite location on the Isle of Foosz. Applicants should be warned that </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zdenko the Scarificator</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, hostel chain domo/manager, is “no casual tavern thug roustabout but is paying detail-oriented attention to the large walled off section in the “more secluded” regions of the large structure. Advance payment will be made to the order of two pounds of hruz hruz (Duke Mraz’s premium </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hallucinogenic mollusk paste). </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1U2BpdfcAQYgx9QS9VEHbD8O3ljHyRdZPbFjaOVPyeWsObNUKHN7Ldi05k3cqdqsJJuZytnxqwbwN4B2sawR9opOuoTPQE-gbLKUpFVIBrTqvHmMnG1GCbTcnmfRSD5x6i9uVPsnOx30X6eXGMoYin8XNX8Rzsx2oZoVOlEoxAOOuyGsSwqZ7DFJN/s400/hostel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="400" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1U2BpdfcAQYgx9QS9VEHbD8O3ljHyRdZPbFjaOVPyeWsObNUKHN7Ldi05k3cqdqsJJuZytnxqwbwN4B2sawR9opOuoTPQE-gbLKUpFVIBrTqvHmMnG1GCbTcnmfRSD5x6i9uVPsnOx30X6eXGMoYin8XNX8Rzsx2oZoVOlEoxAOOuyGsSwqZ7DFJN/w400-h253/hostel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marlinko,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the newly-rebuilt </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Golden Counting House</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is back in business after a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">horrific and tragic fire that swept Svako’s Square in the Mendacious Mercator <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-four-contradas-of-fever-dreaming.html">contrada</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">three years ago. Usual night hours of service are naturally to be observed. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hisfytla the newly-crowned queen of the Amazons</span><span style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (western branch) is holding a </span><span style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lavish contest in which outlanders are invited to captain large combat barges</span><span style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “long-term leased” from the Eld in a battle of wits and valor. Qualified contestants will be supplied with a barge and crew of male-helots. The winners are promised a 2,500 silver “balsaccs” (extremely-large Amazonian coins worth 5 of your masculine tainted gold suns) and magical accouterments worthy of your ranked status. Losers will be granted special lifetime entry-level positions in the Regal Torture-Harem. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Long live the Vy-Queen!</span></p><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-52164730501729487672023-01-09T13:19:00.000-06:002023-01-09T13:19:05.572-06:00News from the Hill Cantons, Both Real and Fictional<p>A quick update on my personal Ahabic project, the <i>Slumbering Ursine Dunes Omnibus</i>, TLDR version: the alpha version is going to be released today exclusively for my long-suffering Patreon backers, Hill Cantons players, and the usual frauds/ne'er do wells/vagabonds I associate with. (Never fear the print version and final PDF in its full Bilibin-ish, Lukaesque, Kalinite glory will be coming in a few months when Radegast permits the crowdsourcing to begin). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ifrUzfoAWZ8ovMzHvi-W0-4Om5uLVif6jPziJzdmZe9SL10iCdKecgr5bOR-tSg9yvI9MjpitKjsp6aoWr3LDjQy0sPB94jUlOvg0X3BR_qojyu_zVwhDy1z0OD-T7J_3nYgniBIhU2S482VDGirw42odmAQ8LPK5oAwEYdfJNsp2h5DSfENLZRi/s847/DUNES.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ifrUzfoAWZ8ovMzHvi-W0-4Om5uLVif6jPziJzdmZe9SL10iCdKecgr5bOR-tSg9yvI9MjpitKjsp6aoWr3LDjQy0sPB94jUlOvg0X3BR_qojyu_zVwhDy1z0OD-T7J_3nYgniBIhU2S482VDGirw42odmAQ8LPK5oAwEYdfJNsp2h5DSfENLZRi/s320/DUNES.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdptibccWYvObxRPlvSlWNUMJbvtIsIxYJqwNNOOq15kjLTAHj3nMmphvhGNMgmOHWugscDSFFe7ENIcI4QNaLImoTmBvGscNNxObsjQkXBhyfQ71ShU13v0p_8hRryDOTMs9ampT3CWIijkGz3dbPsRNiAfvsLcAc53z2l-vwLMIT-W9P_hSYN_0B/s360/30A9D2B6-54B3-46C1-9187-6E793DBCCE25_L0_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdptibccWYvObxRPlvSlWNUMJbvtIsIxYJqwNNOOq15kjLTAHj3nMmphvhGNMgmOHWugscDSFFe7ENIcI4QNaLImoTmBvGscNNxObsjQkXBhyfQ71ShU13v0p_8hRryDOTMs9ampT3CWIijkGz3dbPsRNiAfvsLcAc53z2l-vwLMIT-W9P_hSYN_0B/s320/30A9D2B6-54B3-46C1-9187-6E793DBCCE25_L0_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwG27PaCHGoBgyX0uBn_uKGAzlGfAfTf0eFfDVod2UfG9H4_5Hp_wdccmoKKZiM6RGiyL6Jp6YouD0TpvDXd-QehUwPRMHDwt--ysmYUvrPCP4klvpx7GUR3ruFHB3R7wLOT74-wZkxqvjp6J6iHP4hjh-J4-H4gACxCkiUCki_GVL2MFrkLJSiK6o/s865/12C6F650-1F07-480B-ABA3-A933BD7A0903_L0_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="620" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwG27PaCHGoBgyX0uBn_uKGAzlGfAfTf0eFfDVod2UfG9H4_5Hp_wdccmoKKZiM6RGiyL6Jp6YouD0TpvDXd-QehUwPRMHDwt--ysmYUvrPCP4klvpx7GUR3ruFHB3R7wLOT74-wZkxqvjp6J6iHP4hjh-J4-H4gACxCkiUCki_GVL2MFrkLJSiK6o/s320/12C6F650-1F07-480B-ABA3-A933BD7A0903_L0_001.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It lacks some art in the design holes but this is essentially its final form content wise and will be more or less what one sees when the hardback edition (and it will be in glorious high quality because that's what I want for myself selfishly). It's wild to think that the entire Slumbering Ursine Dunes series kicked off with a modest wee kickstarter in 2015 will finally be coming to an end point. I never expected to see a few, too easily promised stretch goals launch five books of material but here we are. </p><p>And guess what? I am actually running the Hill Cantons campaign again after a few years of the players being lost in eternal slumber deep inside Revoca Canton's infamous mesa (ruled by of course The Wizard of the Mesa). I have a whole new notebook of material burning a hole in my bookshelf and in need of playtest so hmu if you are a long time reader and always wanted to play online in said campaign. </p><p><i>And now the real news of the Hill Cantons...</i></p><p><span style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yesterday's <b>bi-lunar eclipse </b>has caused quite a commotion in the cantons. Vast shadowy winged metallic beings were seen by some winging their way along the porcelain dome of the heavens moments before, leaving some to wonder if the two disks had been stolen from their metal tracks. </span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0c62fc79-7fff-1c58-76e7-835a604255ed"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Boumila the Bountiless </b>has returned from a far voyage on the stout if strangely-named caravel, the Flux of Doom. The crusty sea-lass spins wild tales of the land of Cockaigne where the plum brandy runs in streams, halushky grows on trees and where no dice are rolled for saves. She is hiring for her next voyage.</span></span></p>Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-90005027787247083452022-12-08T10:52:00.004-06:002022-12-08T10:54:35.793-06:00Eldish AI Weighs in On What it Thinks Marlinko Looks Like<p>Friends, it's been a long while as I have been taking a long turn playing political player in the so-called real world instead of the shiner ludic one out here. The good news is that I am writing and planning on running the Hill Cantons again and just finished up some new material on further adventures in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/151165/FeverDreaming-Marlinko">that most feverish of cities, Marlinko.</a> It's been enjoyable bringing up the banners of the years gone by and you will possibly see some reflections right here on this blog that has been in a coma. </p><p>The bad news is that Eldish AI has weighed in on some of my old pictures of a town I lived in Slovakia and produced some sadly accurate pictures of what the entirely real Marlinko looks like. It's all true. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k63GjcG3OdLuKZjWm1NnNNP1z6nVMa-_cOlKdtZGoXBI4KfXdOc6iDs-G52rQIxputDsGJtGuwB1M_TY5BnT2gv4ZCNDrNXgXaVEu9Dae1hQKpPe6H5bfTRMNQPnVrz9LAhQemp-f3dXYnuawXJUl7PPvf2Gy5FfO3hCgFPl3J7wIrje-Rp7h5Xe/s440/IMG_0756.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k63GjcG3OdLuKZjWm1NnNNP1z6nVMa-_cOlKdtZGoXBI4KfXdOc6iDs-G52rQIxputDsGJtGuwB1M_TY5BnT2gv4ZCNDrNXgXaVEu9Dae1hQKpPe6H5bfTRMNQPnVrz9LAhQemp-f3dXYnuawXJUl7PPvf2Gy5FfO3hCgFPl3J7wIrje-Rp7h5Xe/w246-h320/IMG_0756.PNG" width="246" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lady Szara's neighbor</div><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNnoBTmkFpOL3uNT3hUjeeSBoPAuEO6jOICSagpuWs5e0hfotsrQIOBhibGPZASWD7NFPEkO7Xn5axpbWBN0N4qJW8-N2UklIGVmwCktQ-7Xqhmg4vpjeeC7zmVM1pIdGNH990esjI62jJrHgQjM9LN8Wt9hIOjAbz-hYzOgWdL-MdoDFedw0gntJ/s375/IMG_0742.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNnoBTmkFpOL3uNT3hUjeeSBoPAuEO6jOICSagpuWs5e0hfotsrQIOBhibGPZASWD7NFPEkO7Xn5axpbWBN0N4qJW8-N2UklIGVmwCktQ-7Xqhmg4vpjeeC7zmVM1pIdGNH990esjI62jJrHgQjM9LN8Wt9hIOjAbz-hYzOgWdL-MdoDFedw0gntJ/s320/IMG_0742.PNG" width="252" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Townhouses near the Counting House</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWYhQ0hbZZH1IWuL9hOYBfuxzlYLhM4x6wk0Hb7mo7PkluSKBR9RzRhONSw53EduWTxeMhfj46DG-DQz5a8mm2DZYRaWsMKrvy7pTtBEd2DjXnE87cQfPPAghCAqgnlpHwh2XkwiprpuNr66YKJRmT0IzDvP_GzY6o69MdCSw0pgCQZhwjlarMkH8/s411/IMG_0737.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="293" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWYhQ0hbZZH1IWuL9hOYBfuxzlYLhM4x6wk0Hb7mo7PkluSKBR9RzRhONSw53EduWTxeMhfj46DG-DQz5a8mm2DZYRaWsMKrvy7pTtBEd2DjXnE87cQfPPAghCAqgnlpHwh2XkwiprpuNr66YKJRmT0IzDvP_GzY6o69MdCSw0pgCQZhwjlarMkH8/w271-h320/IMG_0737.PNG" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sundome of the Sun Lord</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipon_OHD4NAGU1aNMEsZZWkFVuiejiQM5nUnUuwq11Yha6T-34mkcvPs6xKDIBqFDtkgjE3OaSo2XBGM3gMTebNKoiCJlaEyxEEIOVyKgL69q5MiOQt6aiZVM0EPlI0slpjrTZVlC7mdQT83qxAJ6QYdDItj15vDvxjtRbFbjIyafU0EMNBel0vmC4/s586/IMG_0719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipon_OHD4NAGU1aNMEsZZWkFVuiejiQM5nUnUuwq11Yha6T-34mkcvPs6xKDIBqFDtkgjE3OaSo2XBGM3gMTebNKoiCJlaEyxEEIOVyKgL69q5MiOQt6aiZVM0EPlI0slpjrTZVlC7mdQT83qxAJ6QYdDItj15vDvxjtRbFbjIyafU0EMNBel0vmC4/w267-h320/IMG_0719.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One-Armed Jiri's</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPolqnnOUwUrKUDC7dGqNgDy0FMQdNryfBUWDqQPATdll8ByRFcwXfYuZ37Rdaa2xnEgjLzzsiFHwGRc1RkM2_gaquomGosI_EzXRmEqk5xVde-De65hn_q2jf4LRJhgJy7I3W_Q2VUEcpglchucAKFdu3KGiNOwiGvHmPbJl0L0tOWlsqpQ1q7ed5/s438/IMG_0701.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="293" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPolqnnOUwUrKUDC7dGqNgDy0FMQdNryfBUWDqQPATdll8ByRFcwXfYuZ37Rdaa2xnEgjLzzsiFHwGRc1RkM2_gaquomGosI_EzXRmEqk5xVde-De65hn_q2jf4LRJhgJy7I3W_Q2VUEcpglchucAKFdu3KGiNOwiGvHmPbJl0L0tOWlsqpQ1q7ed5/w282-h362/IMG_0701.PNG" width="282" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penn Station</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-18765025335082294822022-11-25T12:01:00.002-06:002022-11-25T12:02:35.377-06:00Black Friday<p><img height="180" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/51c37249-d117-460f-bdb4-791c3fdb32d5" width="320" /></p><p>Every year the Black Friday comes. The crowds throng true places of worship, the lands called strips and malls that run without limit through zones our cities. The long stares start in the morning and extend through the day to a 1000 yards. In the backs of lines children howl and squirm. Black Friday will come again.</p>Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-15122133668006842192020-03-17T11:35:00.002-05:002020-03-17T11:35:34.593-05:00The Mauve Plague, Gravy Urns, and Batlace Frills: News from the Hill Cantons<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pIR_u57MSGkgaPcB2wHIlh4YqmxaNf9rXe0c9MtNvmuMswbH3d3nTQiSekSufYxmRIHT9tesXaKHA3mj5L1JqSU0g_1zcMU4mjYKeS4beV9MiKc7o3nk_ToGvG45GYCdr7iRuDz4kMM/s1600/himya17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="309" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pIR_u57MSGkgaPcB2wHIlh4YqmxaNf9rXe0c9MtNvmuMswbH3d3nTQiSekSufYxmRIHT9tesXaKHA3mj5L1JqSU0g_1zcMU4mjYKeS4beV9MiKc7o3nk_ToGvG45GYCdr7iRuDz4kMM/s320/himya17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And now the News...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a statement beamed from the Oracular
Society today <b>Morafans the Rickmaster</b>, the Psychosocial Health
Minister of the Overking, has issued guidelines for the<b> “mauve
plague” of crowned micro-psychonauts</b> sweeping the borderlands
this season. Hill Cantoners are advised to stay underground for
extended periods of time preferably in small armed groups of 4-12 to
avoid mauve plague infection.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Morafans also clarified a recent
statement from Our Dear Overking <b>Adaulf II</b> that his people
should “embrace chaos—we have the greatest chaos, the best
chaos--and prepare for the End of All Things” as “poetic license
that in fact means quite the opposite, all other interpretations are
nuncupatory.” Construction of the Great Ziggarut will continue in
order as part of the royal stimulus package.
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2je4f_AngVj5ew1eroIZWD0TCVZbu1AWvuU6Zf-N5byEmgwfIUlBxkdb8uGHwXb8EA4VsAowLPq1EjN3hzcpgV7wlGDq-7wq_vPanRkODJHqCBmpV8IZNW4mG-_WBz4wetlomb3XTrXk/s1600/gravy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="700" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2je4f_AngVj5ew1eroIZWD0TCVZbu1AWvuU6Zf-N5byEmgwfIUlBxkdb8uGHwXb8EA4VsAowLPq1EjN3hzcpgV7wlGDq-7wq_vPanRkODJHqCBmpV8IZNW4mG-_WBz4wetlomb3XTrXk/s400/gravy2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Panic buying of <b>white gravy</b> and
halushky has created severe shortages throughout the Cantons. <b>Lady
Draga</b>, her most serene boyaress of Revoca Canton, is offering a
cold hard <b>cash bounty of 5,000 gold suns for the procurement of
the Great Gravy Urn of Svat the Four-Faced from a nearly murderhole</b>.
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In equally important news <b>“Little
Szara”, </b>the newly-arrived Marlinko high society bon vivant, has
introduced mandiblar-bat frills into local fashion. Everyone who is
anyone is wearing them, really darling.</div>
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-18200081292920459052019-10-22T11:06:00.003-05:002019-10-22T11:07:34.860-05:00Regimental Goats, Bounties, and Free Pasturage for All: News from the Hill Cantons Returns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fY3BqX4uvU2xJL27Y5i_3XAoESV8aQKCe6Ck16k1O1g-EBWidlEn7YIcm2hELv95kou94nAgFyT5yBh52xeW5_vSHkuiFwNdl_wEhwyT9wdYx_sY8Jsc0z6Th1x-_hRL1Z5ArhWaqmg/s1600/Koza+goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="768" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fY3BqX4uvU2xJL27Y5i_3XAoESV8aQKCe6Ck16k1O1g-EBWidlEn7YIcm2hELv95kou94nAgFyT5yBh52xeW5_vSHkuiFwNdl_wEhwyT9wdYx_sY8Jsc0z6Th1x-_hRL1Z5ArhWaqmg/s400/Koza+goat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We return to our regularly scheduled program of fortnightly updates from the Hill Cantons campaign.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>And Now the News...</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Agents of <b>Koza the Regimental Goat</b>
have been spreading the political gospel of the horned exile through
the Cantons this month. The Weal-and-Chaos platform of Koza has great
if subversive appeal to the enlisted Black Army ranks and rural
lesser classes especially the newly rolled out <b>Free Pasturage for
All</b> plank.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last month's<b> horrific murders and
cannibalistic debasement of Pilof, the second son of Subgraf Androj
the Unsubtle,</b> in the wilds of Upper Marlinko Canton during a
routine investigation into unlicensed witchery has produced suspects
after a Seers and Wainwrights Guild consultation. A bounty of 7,500
gold sun has been issued for the restorative justice deaths of the
<b>so-called Revoca Seven</b>. The <b>Brothers of the Other Mother
</b>are however extending an 7,257 weregild price (base weregild plus
oracular reimbursement and a “stocking fee”) has been generously
extended to the perpetrators.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Widespread pig-rustling and petty
warfare has broken out in the <b>Translittoral Canton of Heimbutboch</b>
(spelling variable by monthly whim of the editor). Local sources say
breaking with recent tradition this round of conflict is more of a
“card-driven affair.”</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Hisfytla the newly-crowned queen
of the Amazons</b> (western branch) is holding a <b>lavish contest in
which outlanders are invited to captain large combat barges</b>
“long-term leased” from the Eld in a battle of wits and valor.
Qualified contestants will be supplied with a barge and crew of male-helots.
The winners are promised a 2,500 silver “balsaccs”
(extremely-large Amazonian coins worth 5 of your masculine tainted
gold suns) and magical accouterments worthy of your ranked status.
Losers will be granted special lifetime entry-level positions in the
Regal Torture-Harem. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Long live the Vy-Queen!</div>
<br />
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-6324931536459734912019-07-11T10:05:00.001-05:002019-07-11T10:28:05.538-05:00Radegast Speaks: Ask Me Anything about the Hill Cantons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gyQ5lw_K0WwBU9vma3llChSGz376NqhrS4RnlFN2lGJfjCm0LtF96F0d4_kMlmAa3gSLxFRIVeoLSN7QU61Jh3WTW05juziC3bMsmWishtafhieoR9gF7uqlh4qPtzt69CY2d3IMEhg/s1600/1-radegast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="656" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gyQ5lw_K0WwBU9vma3llChSGz376NqhrS4RnlFN2lGJfjCm0LtF96F0d4_kMlmAa3gSLxFRIVeoLSN7QU61Jh3WTW05juziC3bMsmWishtafhieoR9gF7uqlh4qPtzt69CY2d3IMEhg/s320/1-radegast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've been fielding a lot of questions by email and DM on the various books of the Hill Cantons (Slumbering Ursine Dunes, Fever-Dreaming Marlinko, Misty Isles of the Eld) and the setting in general. Its been fun digging out old dog-eared notebooks, coffee-stained maps and the like to remember what exactly went down in Lady Szara's Bathe in the Blood of Servants charity ball, what lies across the World Canal, where the kuduks live, etc.<br />
<br />
(<a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-world-of-hill-cantons-revisited.html">Ten-Minute Guide to the Hill Cantons here</a>.)<br />
<br />
So how about we open up the floor for a few days. Is there anything you'd like to know about the Hill Cantons? Any elaborations or clarifications from the books, setting, or blog? Projects old and new?<br />
<br />
Any idle words of mine to pounce on?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_BTz9Oo3TjbqIhH_f1mEGZCgF3RWQzs0WwMZurlOj3andKAhEM3jaRhd9cySjxA2oeuvdOrbCsd-nkyvS8HLDS_FPiV7GYif4iZzzxtIPYxA3e3NY2KBjdEw_yXqEy2yUJqCfYnGu5g/s1600/Southwest+Zem+players+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="1600" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_BTz9Oo3TjbqIhH_f1mEGZCgF3RWQzs0WwMZurlOj3andKAhEM3jaRhd9cySjxA2oeuvdOrbCsd-nkyvS8HLDS_FPiV7GYif4iZzzxtIPYxA3e3NY2KBjdEw_yXqEy2yUJqCfYnGu5g/s400/Southwest+Zem+players+map.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ad5Tc2tMz8Or8wPxHvS6SZv_erJzT4M6F8GgL9SGk5ng5chtg2gSAMZ59els4GIr4FBuKDFIFL75_y7UHBBaFloSDLzaEGChy7mhzI5w3TdvGhZFswt8posfZjIVEY0GcuTOGMwndbM/s1600/scan0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="1600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ad5Tc2tMz8Or8wPxHvS6SZv_erJzT4M6F8GgL9SGk5ng5chtg2gSAMZ59els4GIr4FBuKDFIFL75_y7UHBBaFloSDLzaEGChy7mhzI5w3TdvGhZFswt8posfZjIVEY0GcuTOGMwndbM/s320/scan0004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">crappy players map from the campaign</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-9995376555288023502019-06-26T10:49:00.002-05:002019-06-26T11:00:55.886-05:00The Branching Mysteries of Revoca<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYEyN5tY467e4kLQAooDPBM4ZgHSM_Olv1acE814SCiW0YYNuZ4eJYjnhkwZYBFqD1YfT7rXDypxJd6wieqDLWLoumASyLgv1SWAKsK9Om9qBKotdxFFnYTvhVwqHTG7K2hdbN-FgUGI/s1600/Banska_stiavnica_novy_zamok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYEyN5tY467e4kLQAooDPBM4ZgHSM_Olv1acE814SCiW0YYNuZ4eJYjnhkwZYBFqD1YfT7rXDypxJd6wieqDLWLoumASyLgv1SWAKsK9Om9qBKotdxFFnYTvhVwqHTG7K2hdbN-FgUGI/s400/Banska_stiavnica_novy_zamok.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>[A new <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2019/02/i-wanted-to-give-readers-of-this-here.html">Revoca Hill Cantons book</a> chapter, featuring the Tarn Tomb of Morvna (a dungeon), is about done. If you would like to help support that project and/or find this blog helpful, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons">please consider backing my Patreon right here</a>.]</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the things as a budding GM that
I dug about my fave classic Traveller supplement, <i>76 Patrons</i>,
was that each patron encounter/mission/hook came with a d6 chart that
made each of them variable in nature. Even better most of the higher
rolled entries became progressively more of a twist—often more
dangerous or messed up.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So an eloped couple of aristocrats on a
roll of one are in fact just being paranoid, no one is following
them. On a roll of two agents of the woman will try and kidnap her,
and on a six agents of both families will try kill the opposite
members of the family and kidnap their own!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's an elegant, creative-GM-friendly
way to bake in not just replayability and non-linear feeling choice
but also scenarios to keep players on their toes. I used to love how
it would like any great random table introduce a layer of
self-surprise for you as a GM. That oh wow moment and malicious
little chuckle.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So that gets me to the new
tentatively-titled book <i>Ground Down in Revoca Town</i>. One of the
reasons the Hill Cantons books always end up considerably longer than
I originally anticipated is that the broken brain DIY tinker in me
can't just write the damn books straight—inevitably I always want
to explore something whether its pointcrawls, chaos indexes, or how
to present urban adventures, etc.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Revoca has been no exception and one of
the things I've been currently obsessing about is presenting 76
Patrons-like variability when it comes to some of the mysteries of
Revoca Town, the mythical wilderness and Great Aviary (big dungeon)
nearby.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Example, one of the abiding mysteries
for more than a year was why the local ruling family (the Morvnas)
has had only female heirs for 17 generations. The party in the
original campaign became quite tight with the teenaged current Lady
of the castle, living under her staircase and tempted by the tripled
locked steel door leading down into the underworks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's how it worked in the campaign
but in the published manuscript I am working to weave in “but wait
it get's worse” scenarios (and a few better). So on a roll or DM
choice of say one it's just a simple run of incredibly improbable bad
luck, the males die in childbirth with an escalation up the “oh
it's getting worse” scale to a very dark and dangerous roll on the
six. Each “mystery path” in turn has some effect on the adventure
locales so a party going to the Tarn Tomb of Morvna (small dungeon in
the lake) will encounter a few markedly different rooms/themes.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's a fun way to play with things and
I am enjoying its execution. I have a feeling that it will be used
more and more at my own table as I develop new material.
</div>
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-64761733695671134712019-06-13T09:22:00.000-05:002019-06-13T09:22:12.461-05:00And Now the News Draft Download on PatreonIt's self-styled Throwback Thursday and <a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons"><b>having just released the 34-page draft booklet of Hill Cantons news to my Patreon backers</b></a> I am going to indulge my summer whims and re-post an old post (with small updates) I put together on the use of campaign news to cohere and maintain a longstanding campaign (part of my old series on building dynamic sandboxes that you can <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2015/10/building-dynamic-sandboxes-part-1.html">find here</a>). <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><u><b>News as Campaign Glue, the Hill
Cantons Method</b></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Seven of
the ten years of the Hill Cantons existence has been spent weekly
online. One of the biggest hurdles with running games online—or
hell even face to face with adult schedule--is social cohesion. There
is just something about the lack of direct human contact that
ratchets up the flake factor beyond the usual range of adult
scheduling issues: players drop out of games within minutes of
kickoff; gamemasters cancel sessions with wild abandon, campaigns
fizzle after a single game; the video hangout freezes/drops/freaks
the fuck out etc.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">One coping
mechanism is that you have to be a lot more conscious and deliberate
about engaging players between sessions. Creating a
campaign rhythm and rapport because vital. At the low end of the
effort poll is creating a community page or other discussion and
information hub, but I have found that it helps for a gamemaster to
be proactive and create certain regular entry points for the players
to be able to plug into and feel the dynamism of a campaign.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Beyond the
weekly “take,” a combined After Action Report and loot/exp haul,
I have churned out with on again/off again regularity a weekly news
report as a “campaign cohesion linchpin.” Mirroring the exact
style of 50-word news briefs I had to churn out each and every day
for a while as a news editor, the reports invariably feature 3-4
points (that rarely go over three sentences) and an image. You can
see examples hereand here.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">My campaign
news briefs come in at least several recognizable stripes (often
combining two or more):</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Obvious
Adventure Hook.</b> The incredibly not-subtle,
bang-you-over-the-head “here be adventure” hook. Usually
involving a discernible mission, macguffin and/or defined bounty.
This is always either an announcement that I have designed a new area
or to a tease a site they may have missed in their sandbox
explorations (hate wasting material).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Example: For
five long centuries the sleepy Kezmaroki-ruled island of <b>Ptuj</b> has
tolerated with a resigned shrug its sister isle, <b>Tolmin</b>,
lost to the Weird. Last year alas Smok, a youngish offspring of
the great wyrm Zirnitra herself, descended on great wings onto
the House of the Axe, a shunned temple of the cthonic goddess
called the Mistress of the Mountains. Terrified Ptujians, whose rural
residents have become the favored snack of the great beast, are
offering a substantive bounty for the slaying of the dragon:
gender-appropriate nubile concubines, a small mountain of the
island's vintage corn liquor, a local latifundia estate, and 10,000
suns of cold hard cash.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>The
Subtle Hook.</b> Perhaps only subtle relative to the above is a
mixed item (from the list below) that may contain a line signifying
that an actionable adventure or geographic place may be interesting
enough to warrant in-session exploration. The actual site or mission
will often be obscured.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Example: <b>Vatek
son of Vatek</b>, is claiming to have unearthed a 500-stone
beet from his tenant farmer's field in the hamlet of Ctyri
Ctvrt. Most strange of all is the twisted face-like blemish near
the giant beet's crown. A local shepherd claims to have heard a
booming voice emanate from the storage hut where it is currently
housed two nights ago. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Oblique
Background.</b> The Hill Cantons has developed firmly in the
bottom-up worldbuilding camp, accreting levels of detail as the
campaign rolls on (really starting just as a wilderness map of a very
small bounded area). I have a strong preference for presenting small
interesting little bites than dumping large reams of setting info.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Example: The Blood
Rains have swept into Kezmarok leaving syrupy, sticky
puddles and residues throughout the city. The Patriarch has declared
the ritual sympathetic mourning period to commiserate with our most
holy Sun Lord as he suffers his silver-chained beating from
his spurned former wife, the Celestial Lady. On pain of a hefty
fine, all residents of the city must wear the customary mustard
yellow through this period.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>The Big
Ticket Event. </b>Most all long campaigns start to generate
dramatic large-scale events; the bloody wars and earth-shattering
cataclysms that make our world so lovable. Some of these truly huge
events sculpt the world the players have to negotiate, others are
significant and dramatic but may be actionable of the party (the
latter here).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Example: Two
weeks of inexplicable, furious flurry of activity in
the Turko-Fey siege camps have been followed by an even
more ominous development--a fusillade of shelling by the dreaded
dragonne-cannons. While bonders have braced pikes-awaiting for the
usual half-hearted sortie following the bombardment, the guns seem to
have not abated in their fury. In the first time in the five
centuries of the Kezmaroksiege the outer of the three massive
wall seems dangerously close to a breach.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>The
Whimsy.</b> Quite often the last news item is an example of “I
write whatever the fuck I want.” These on self-indulgent ocassion
run over long from my usual “keep it quick” format. Shockingly
also often these tend to morph into Subtle Adventure Hooks.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Example: Of
the many family-dominated usury guilds to escape the collapse of last
decade, the Frazas were among the most infamous in deftly
transferring their massive debts back to the public treasuries of the
cantonal councils. But long before this, they had accrued notoriety
far and wide for another feat: the weaving of the Tapestry of
Xvikz. A full two centuries ago, then Frazas family head, Franzoht
Fair-Breeched, called on his dark powers to summon and bind the
Xvikz, a demon from the darkest, deepest hell of high finance.<br /><br />A
great lover of petty humiliation Franzoht tormented the creature by
refusing to put the dreaded demon's powers to appropriate use instead
compelling him to weave a great commemorative tapestry from the
velvety firmament of the domed heavens. That the required scene was
both cloying and derivative only added to the sulk of the demon who
plodded away needle point in hand. Years stretched into decades as
the demon passively-aggressively refused to finish in a timely
manner—and each successive generation of bull-headed Frazas
refusing to release the demon in turn led to impasse.<br /><br />Inexplicably
fourteen years ago, Xvikz declared his last stitch sewn. Though the
resulting tapestry was horrifically underwhelming, its unveiling was
heralded as a major cultural achievement in Overkingdom aesthete
circles and became a much-sought fixture of upper crust soirees in
the borderlands.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</div>
</div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-67534867577354462442019-06-11T12:03:00.000-05:002019-06-12T10:52:45.159-05:00Morvna and Blue Bear <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzU4K7pASjBuu4fhVnv_iCIvXxN7UZmP8815qaKUD1z-2_hQkXTF8OFYEvuAQFHLOsaI4bGI_wtpgxAyYaj5TLE1-GwQdEPpqZzevfhF2o1UxbeBaBXj_LBgG2r4YaMD16gkq4S2mfZE/s1600/Bluebear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="187" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzU4K7pASjBuu4fhVnv_iCIvXxN7UZmP8815qaKUD1z-2_hQkXTF8OFYEvuAQFHLOsaI4bGI_wtpgxAyYaj5TLE1-GwQdEPpqZzevfhF2o1UxbeBaBXj_LBgG2r4YaMD16gkq4S2mfZE/s320/Bluebear.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
[<i>The following is an "origin story" of sorts for the <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2019/02/i-wanted-to-give-readers-of-this-here.html">Revoca Hill Cantons Book</a> and a fatherly love letter to my son, Sammy, who is the original Blue Bear creator. If you find this blog helpful and most of all want to help me get a new Hill Cantons book out please consider <a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons">backing my Patreon.</a></i>]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Revoca Chant of Morvna and Blue
Bear (Modrý Medvěd)</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So it came to pass in the lands of
Morvna the Callipygian, first and last Petty-King of Revoca, that the lord felt lonely and ill
at ease both in his heart and viscera.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“I feel jejune,” said the crapulous
monarch. “Send onto word to my hirsute brother-in-arms in many a
quest, the mighty and semi-divine master of the Dunes, Medved, that
we can make merry again and find pleasures in the struggles of man
versus antagonist.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A fortnight passed and in reply, the
godling in much apology said: “Oh but great and puissant friend. I
am but busy this decade with my vexing war with the race of newts, I
will send onto you in my stead my nephew, Modrý Medvěd (Blue
Bear), so that he can attend in your hall.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And lo before him stood a great bear.
And his color was of deepest blue and his axe poled. “I come onto
you as a friend and bearer of arms in your household,” said Blue
Bear. And Morvna embraced him mightily and welcomed him to his hall
and many oaths were sworn under the shadow of the house-sabre.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Their adventures were many and many a
foe fell. [<i>The Stuzika Cycle,</i> undoubtedly of later origin in
the Revocan oral folk tradition, accounts for the many travails and
deeds the duo had in their struggle in that the ancient forest.]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And so it was on the fifth year that
Ute the Great King of the Nemec came with his immeasurable host to
the hill-border of Revoca. “Send homage to me and ye shall keep
your lands in my service. For I must must have my army feed and cross
your lands to that of Marlinkh.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In reply Morvna and Blue Bear sent
terse and cryptic word, “deese nuts”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkSz30if497vfa6TG2Mftm_l1QhyphenhyphenddBn8q1IOE1yNMyYCB_NQJE31b2HOzjcAg_dExVVxOVBoglJSGiLSH-FMfn63I-3mAY3-AqNymupd5aPVVwRFWFPsrgP_JVInEDeit43ZSnRxUPM/s1600/marches_mahler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="808" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkSz30if497vfa6TG2Mftm_l1QhyphenhyphenddBn8q1IOE1yNMyYCB_NQJE31b2HOzjcAg_dExVVxOVBoglJSGiLSH-FMfn63I-3mAY3-AqNymupd5aPVVwRFWFPsrgP_JVInEDeit43ZSnRxUPM/s320/marches_mahler.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As so a great battle ensued. The arrows
fell dark in clouds so that our beloved Sun Lord was not seen. The
host of Revoca, mighty in elan but not in numbers, fell. Only Morvna
and Blue Bear stood weakened on the field.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Thus strode Ute in his breastplate
golden to them. With a mighty swing Morvna was laid low.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Woeful Blue Bear wept. The Sun Lord
moved in his own grief and finally he spoke, “oh Ute, great lord of
all you see, today a man dies and I am verklempt.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ute's glory became grief. He wept and
embraced the body of the fallen. “Heroic Morvna will find rest
under the leaves of the ancient beech. His body will lie adorned with
gilded orb, trident mighty, and many a stone precious to guide his
husk-spirit to the heavenly firmament. Come Blue Bear, ye shall be
Het-Bear of my realm and Morvna's sons shall rule as vassals in fair
Revoca eternal.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
With great and rueful shake of cobolt
head Blue Bear said “preved.” And with that vanished beneath the
soaring trunks of the Stuz.</div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-14661510367011651892019-06-07T12:16:00.000-05:002019-06-07T12:16:38.082-05:00The Five Stupidest Weapons of the Hill Cantons<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
[<i>Pandering note: if you find this
blog helpful and most of all want to help me get a new Hill Cantons
book out please consider <a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons">backing my Patreon.</a></i>]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hear ye, hear ye!
For this month-only the Hill Cantons only semi-nomadic
weaponsmithery, Zikmund and Sons, will be making its cutting-edge
devices of things martial available in its silk-canopied booth in
Revoca Town's Trhove. Come for the free kolaches, stay for the
marvels of tools of harm both wondrous and jealousy-producing. Near
complete satisfaction or your gold suns back*!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzUp2dPWGeitiFc3W9W63HUQ7b99sXuJ1fx4JAciTrNU_vigOuMc-cAnyI-x1iSvIrlVcCNXPLQNraz5q5xsK8p8zn_aFDXN9ri1VbW3h4KqAuBASmy43hrI_4TxjuUDU2CQjUawT1Ek/s1600/Laternenschild_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="497" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzUp2dPWGeitiFc3W9W63HUQ7b99sXuJ1fx4JAciTrNU_vigOuMc-cAnyI-x1iSvIrlVcCNXPLQNraz5q5xsK8p8zn_aFDXN9ri1VbW3h4KqAuBASmy43hrI_4TxjuUDU2CQjUawT1Ek/s320/Laternenschild_01.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="tw-target-text"></a><b>Lucerna<span lang="cs-CZ">štít
(Lantern-Shield)</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="cs-CZ">+1 AC and d4+1
damage, 140 gold. Right-handed nocturnal duelists, murderhole
specialists, and compulsive self-lovers fear not, Zikmund and Sons
has you covered. This state-of-the-arm steel buckler fitted with both
external and internal lantern brackets allows you to be protected,
illuminated, and weaponized all while keeping a free hand. But wait
there is more, each shield comes with built-in dirk, steel gauntlet,
and gratuitous buckler-spike allowing the wielder to make a single
strike per round. With a mere 1 in 20 chance of a trifling left arm
break on being struck (say if you want to quantify on a randomized
20-scale a 'natural 20') this is an essential must buy!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span lang="cs-CZ">Lantern sold separately.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjICiIfDA5L8L0duezycPjqjIb9rWv4mWwOxj4_Ms6VPh7cW6U7cd570L8-RYo30u_5Fag1EbaY4-Jn4u3ail7ShomrAlVNOqXHfX02vBvC_7NH1gp-cNIL8i1IZ3Q2XyR9UYQhGDDgY/s1600/Dumb+dagger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1245" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjICiIfDA5L8L0duezycPjqjIb9rWv4mWwOxj4_Ms6VPh7cW6U7cd570L8-RYo30u_5Fag1EbaY4-Jn4u3ail7ShomrAlVNOqXHfX02vBvC_7NH1gp-cNIL8i1IZ3Q2XyR9UYQhGDDgY/s320/Dumb+dagger.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span lang="cs-CZ">Spring
Dagger</span></b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span lang="cs-CZ">d4+1
damage, 70 gold. </span></b><span lang="cs-CZ"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Get
an edge on your enemies with this nasty surprise of a sticker. Simply
press a button on the hilt and ho, you have three blades for one. Buy
our special silver-plated model at a mere 210 gold for dealing with
that stubborn lycanthrope or finanical advisor problem in your life. </span></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxdu2rrsUtSJOvbOWScwVM0T2bnqpBI-OtJejt30ungViThKoiNmRyOPk-ryRs4anW4Pu_dbL3AvX-ID63E54lHHtJOkaZ6X6DPrfZ-OhtgMB6q5V_gIxopKIqvzw8x_GDFnh8RAevu4/s1600/gunshield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="768" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxdu2rrsUtSJOvbOWScwVM0T2bnqpBI-OtJejt30ungViThKoiNmRyOPk-ryRs4anW4Pu_dbL3AvX-ID63E54lHHtJOkaZ6X6DPrfZ-OhtgMB6q5V_gIxopKIqvzw8x_GDFnh8RAevu4/s320/gunshield.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Blowgun-Shield</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>+1 AC, d4-2 damage, 25 gold.</i>
Stay protected while you penetrate your enemies from up to 30 feet
away. This amazing steel buckler combined with central holder/blowgun
is available on clearance: buy one get another free. Zikmund and Sons
is practically giving them away! (Inquiries regarding the addition of
paralytic, lethal, and passive-aggressive poison applications should
discreetly seek out the Guild of Slayers and Bloodletters in
Marlinko).
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOV-gCzx1YC0XcT3hiXoqMOvkccLvg1SxNB-525zUzGPql27souVanmahkFP8762i2zb4Be2QC0JPZP1Zqx4745eqjCJz5JqMpYjar0mgaJPyhUIXi8GIylRW2CGWxow8Sn8t2L5gCZE/s1600/gropper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOV-gCzx1YC0XcT3hiXoqMOvkccLvg1SxNB-525zUzGPql27souVanmahkFP8762i2zb4Be2QC0JPZP1Zqx4745eqjCJz5JqMpYjar0mgaJPyhUIXi8GIylRW2CGWxow8Sn8t2L5gCZE/s1600/gropper.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Tabat-Kopi</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>D6 damage plus special, 75 gold.</i>
Designed for the discriminating footman, the Tabat-kopi (also
referred to “the grabber” or “groper” by the vulgar of
tongue) is an eight-foot polearm fitted with a razor-edged,
grasping-hand mechanism that can dismount a man-sized foe a full 40
percent of the time. Afraid of being in the frontline? Soil your
metal breeches not, this product allows you to strike from the second
rank!
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCsyiBSka603_qXDDh6r_vuSROCBp571Zfr4AkE84oG9sJXSaTQ1N3usk9tjwNvEyQ1K7ziE0-OEdwsFZFWjoiPMcXYq5zWhRKUA_JHk3Ecb8YIEDvYVVPPSeS80_mcTAz3ZIDzUhXWQ/s1600/claw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCsyiBSka603_qXDDh6r_vuSROCBp571Zfr4AkE84oG9sJXSaTQ1N3usk9tjwNvEyQ1K7ziE0-OEdwsFZFWjoiPMcXYq5zWhRKUA_JHk3Ecb8YIEDvYVVPPSeS80_mcTAz3ZIDzUhXWQ/s1600/claw.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Tabat-Kopi, Giant </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>2,000 gold. </i>Need something a little
heaftier for your grabbing needs? We have it. The Tabat-Kopi now
comes in a 50-foot-long model weighing a convenient single ton. Act
now while supplies last.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="cs-CZ"><i>*All Zikmund and
Sons products are not available in Himyar, core provinces of the
Overkingdom, or other realms overly valuing the rule of law. All
refund guarantees include a modest restocking/reprocessing fee of 39
gold suns and an additional cantonal inspector-graft fee of 26.5 gold
suns. Zikmund and Sons assumes no liability for the mangling of limbs
in its products. Before using any Zikmund and Sons product, users
should seek out the advice of masters of games for appropriate class
restrictions. Dual-weapon-use prohibited while employing products
except where permitted by ludic law. </i></span>
</div>
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-91585868140221362872019-02-22T09:27:00.004-06:002019-02-22T09:44:16.252-06:00Slumbering Ursine Dunes: The Extended Dance Version (Series Omnibus)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSfI_z6kr4S6xiAh6YklC8mTNg0GYRTrAhV-mhboljf9y1rGJbBPeZWvyzdmBR5Cdm3vnSLvZkX0KKegprvfCWbkGUAcX0Lgm_fpYZ_3IC-wFybQcGE_gYo2WsUnZsfGOih4VD-i4JT0/s1600/Slumbering+Ursine+Dunes+shameless+promotion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSfI_z6kr4S6xiAh6YklC8mTNg0GYRTrAhV-mhboljf9y1rGJbBPeZWvyzdmBR5Cdm3vnSLvZkX0KKegprvfCWbkGUAcX0Lgm_fpYZ_3IC-wFybQcGE_gYo2WsUnZsfGOih4VD-i4JT0/s320/Slumbering+Ursine+Dunes+shameless+promotion.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>[Before we get
into today's matter at hand, if you find this blog helpful and most
of all want to help me get a new Hill Cantons book out <b><a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons">please consider backing my Patreon.</a> </b>I am about to drop the first chapter of the <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2019/02/i-wanted-to-give-readers-of-this-here.html">new Revoca Hill Cantons book</a> next week so it's really the optimum time.]</i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Going on two years
now 1-2 times a month I seem to field a variant of the question “are
there plans for a compiled version of the Slumbering Ursine Dunes
books?” With a whole damn reddit thread (that I was blissfully
ignorant of for a fortnight) and What Ho off my plate I think I've
reached a tipping point.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yes, I want to do
an omnibus of the first four SUD books.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I want to do
it sooner rather than later with an eye for actual value and
increased playability for both existing and new readers.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiekVc_RnGuhwF81x4fYiXhoOQ8oKBehX7Due4IgJWBPMqXEp3sA8HztkO5DtOUl55cEVVXdS3Oww5OGdFxP_qadq4vJAE53D8PKP6JpooSilyO-5RZYir0cP0iPdboTQ3cOHlWAww2g/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="984" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiekVc_RnGuhwF81x4fYiXhoOQ8oKBehX7Due4IgJWBPMqXEp3sA8HztkO5DtOUl55cEVVXdS3Oww5OGdFxP_qadq4vJAE53D8PKP6JpooSilyO-5RZYir0cP0iPdboTQ3cOHlWAww2g/s320/book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Likely Going In:</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>All Four Books.</b>
All four SUD-kickstarter books back-to-back in sequence. So expect to
see Slumbering Ursine Dunes, Marlinko, Misty Isles and What Ho under
one cover with one unified, sharper, more user-friendly layout. Hell
I want this for my own table.</li>
<li><b>Larger Format.</b> Likely switching
from digest size to full 8.5 x 11. While digest is my own personal
jam, we need to let some of those cramped tables and illustrations
breathe.</li>
<li><b>Hardcover.</b> Preferably with
stitching (better quality binding, easier to lay flat over time) and
likely with a high-quality traditional print run rather than only
Print on Demand.</li>
<li><b>Index.</b> A traditional back of the
book index to assist with play at the table.</li>
<li><b>Bookmarks for Digital.</b> The PDF
edition will have them for reasons above, a perennial ask for the
books from readers and reviewers.</li>
<li><b>More Illustrations.</b> Luka's
generous and productive mind packed the last two SUD books with
illustrations, looking back from the Dunes and Marlinko they could
use some more interior illustrations to snaz them up.</li>
<li><b>Unified Appendices.</b> All those
new monsters, items, new classes, subsystems, and weirdo subsystems
will be organized together for ease of use.</li>
<li><b>New Cover.</b> Hell, we do judge
books by their cover, don't we? Something big, something splashy and
hitting the Hill Cantons aesthetic just so.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Maybe:</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Supplementary and Cut Material.</b>
In the maybe category is pulling in wider material to give the books
more context and usability. Why I say maybe is that I am laser
focused right now on not only finishing the Revoca book but getting
it out much quicker than the previous books (and at the same quality
level) which means realistically my writing time is sparser. But with
my recent move and crazy person level of organization I keep finding
whole notebooks of campaign notes relevant to all four books (tons of
monsters, items, and even some dungeons) and pinko DIY me loves
throwing value at readers who support the Hydra.</li>
<li><b>Design Notes.</b> How and why the
sausage was made.</li>
<li><b>Largescale Aesthetic Makeover. </b>Maybe
even if we do crowdfunding really kicking it up some design chops
(more than than the significant makeover I am imagining above even).</li>
<li><b>Strong Unaccounted Stuff that
Readers Want.</b> Seriously, here's your time to chime in. What do you
want? Nagging questions from the text? New vistas? The sky is the
limit.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-74664822012345492742019-02-18T11:06:00.000-06:002019-02-18T11:40:47.713-06:00Details on the Revoca Hill Cantons Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u_tbUoyufMq9pTAJtJqWCnN1lTkpmAnT0fjL57Nk0H8GMj6iVCtEI8FzlunXgY6s1a_ZHByS8vy_3WHHWSs8miVBZoh1_pfAc-Xa16JLKhsRlQTCj7ltHBeTfBUTs_YzsEiAUT3-Hhk/s1600/IMG_1556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1004" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u_tbUoyufMq9pTAJtJqWCnN1lTkpmAnT0fjL57Nk0H8GMj6iVCtEI8FzlunXgY6s1a_ZHByS8vy_3WHHWSs8miVBZoh1_pfAc-Xa16JLKhsRlQTCj7ltHBeTfBUTs_YzsEiAUT3-Hhk/s400/IMG_1556.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I wanted to give readers of this here blog a better sense
of the Revoca book ahead, the fifth Hill Cantons book and the first non-SUD installment. If you want to support the creation of this book please consider <a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons">supporting my broke writers ass at the <b>Hill Cantons Patreon here</b></a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bhNX5q90gVkz3VnVlC3_ZkDtrhGWe_wRYggj0hssjh3qghKfnJf6j8KiTEOqMV2eN_J1Hp8lGpnN92mzTc1BezyeMVKmNjhXohijdEl59jK7uiFFpuQnIg4G8MsGS5j2x8HtepJ-mes/s1600/IMG_2956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bhNX5q90gVkz3VnVlC3_ZkDtrhGWe_wRYggj0hssjh3qghKfnJf6j8KiTEOqMV2eN_J1Hp8lGpnN92mzTc1BezyeMVKmNjhXohijdEl59jK7uiFFpuQnIg4G8MsGS5j2x8HtepJ-mes/s320/IMG_2956.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Revoca Book Elevator Pitch</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Revoca Canton book will lean in
much harder to the <b><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/08/mythical-wilderness.html">Mythic Wilderness theme</a></b> readers saw in
Slumbering Ursine Dunes (in this case the old growth woods of beech
of the Stuzika with its cycles dominated by the forest czar Leshi
giants and the town and dungeon bordering and in synch with its
reaches) again with deeper elements of the acid Slavic inspired but
still peculiar Hill Cantons cosmology playing a much heavier role. It
comes straight off of a <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2015/08/campaign-reset-revoca-canton.html">campaign phase I ran in 2015-2016</a> with a mix
of old and new players playing new low level PCs.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ebSkskGyG308Oa5M1-UAp-j8w6GpwF31qjLdDrzNQ4DnY9kaUCj5LLHhgorQ8VeTj_-mY1C0Se6kSzsFtlTfL_TCG7LP_bsVbUe7IMCZb8ks6fon-71B4JXU9Tv1YjPZCA2CvQgbDYM/s1600/Revoca+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="1600" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ebSkskGyG308Oa5M1-UAp-j8w6GpwF31qjLdDrzNQ4DnY9kaUCj5LLHhgorQ8VeTj_-mY1C0Se6kSzsFtlTfL_TCG7LP_bsVbUe7IMCZb8ks6fon-71B4JXU9Tv1YjPZCA2CvQgbDYM/s400/Revoca+Map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">The wonderful Revoca Canton players map done by the talented <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1845594191"></span>Gus L<span id="goog_1845594192"></span></a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What You Can Expect in It:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>A return to the<b> classic sandbox
triptych</b> of some of the best early D&D adventures like Keep
on the Borderlands: <b>small settlement, wilderness, tentpole dungeon</b>
(with some outlier smaller dungeons). In other words a small
geographic mini-campaign that can be slotted in a forested mountain
remote area of other campaigns and is capable of supporting either a
short or long period of play sessions.</li>
<li>A heavier <b>dark Slavic fairy tale
vibe</b>. Drawing on much more of the supernatural creatures and folk
magic of Western and Southern Slavic traditions. Currently the draft
has 15 creatures taken straight from these stories (expect that to be
expanded).</li>
<li>A <b>Twin Peaks/Local Hero/Northern
Exposure local eccentrics in a remote small-town vibe</b> (surrounded
by a slightly menacing forest and wilderness with layers of mystery).
There will be an NPC-driven (but not overly complicated and hard to
run) dynamic sandbox.</li>
<li>A <b>long rumors and hooks section</b>
that will be presented in two optional ways:</li>
<li>the <b>traditional random table</b>
for those DMs who want to just jump right in.</li>
<li>As an <b>opening scenario</b>—an
annual “truce” party at the local noble lady's house in which
the creatures of the mythic wilds rub shoulders with the local human
notables—in which the party one-stop shop learns all the players.</li>
<li>A <b>pointcrawl of the Stuz,</b> the
mythic wilderness that has sandbox dynamics to keep it changing and
feeling alive. The seasonal conditions of the forest change with
whatever Leshi has control of the czar's crown at that moment and so
do the relative fortunes of the weird denizens (and yes there is a
Chaos Index related).</li>
<li>A <b>tentpole dungeon, the Great Aviary
of Komius Otmar</b>. The main adventure site sits on the opposite
side of the wilderness from town. The upperworks sit under a vast
glass dome and have a huge array of mythic bird like creatures (taken
from a wide variety of world traditions or invented whole cloth by
me). It also has some sublevels of extreme danger and reward. The
underworks play with a lot of vertical connections and non-linear
space with lots of entrances and exits to various places.</li>
<li>A <b>hidden payoff mini-wilderness
area, Beyond the Mural</b>, that lies...well behind a magic mural in
the underworks. This is a whole square few miles of a lush
orchid/lily field and rainforest pocket dimension with its own
mysteries, sites, and creatures.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-82245546015320150082019-02-07T11:19:00.000-06:002019-02-18T15:29:25.812-06:00Fifth Hill Cantons Book is Underfoot, Come Be Patronizing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZctKyPJPwTu2mos0HimzqLxlwQ0f9Fmq8ucC8KEwOBWFJ3rY3vwVFZIepl4sc7pQy7oUv_ZFeNxUYsam4fheYsCb1JQgyF-FnmrOjCoeEiQNCHdVL_Y8pi8byG5BKrR9k7dVNincs9gs/s1600/Luka+Marklino+banner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZctKyPJPwTu2mos0HimzqLxlwQ0f9Fmq8ucC8KEwOBWFJ3rY3vwVFZIepl4sc7pQy7oUv_ZFeNxUYsam4fheYsCb1JQgyF-FnmrOjCoeEiQNCHdVL_Y8pi8byG5BKrR9k7dVNincs9gs/s400/Luka+Marklino+banner.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marlinko hillscape by Luka Rejec</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The cat's out of the bag in an
<a href="https://dungeonspossums.blogspot.com/2019/02/interview-chris-kutalik-talks-hill.html">interview today</a> about the fifth Hill Cantons book, a yet unnamed
project that covers the small settlement-wilderness-dungeon classic
set up of tiny and weirder <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-quickish-tour-of-revoca-town.html">Revoca Canton</a>. I'm 26 pages in, but boy
howdy is my writing slow and creaky af.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Readers of this blog will also have
noted the sheer, sad neglect of this space for going on three years.
Between workaholic political day jobbery, dading (these aren't words), and hobby
publishing it just squeezes your time/energy too hard. Unfortunately
it has also squeezed the vital pipeline and ferment that comes from
throwing out mad shit on the wall and having you fine folks riff and
mutilate it in real time here.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But hey I'm at a crossroads after moving to
Austin and other massive life changes when it comes to continuing
writing and designing things ludic and fantastical.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Which gets me to the pitch, <b><a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons">I just launched a Hill Cantons Patreon</a>.</b> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This Patreon is pretty damn simple in
concept:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<ul>
<li>I will produce a “chapter” (roughly
5-18 pages) of new adventure locales, pointcrawls, weirdo NPCs,
bizarre items, my usual shit in other words.</li>
<li>Each chapter will mostly build toward a
final published book or game, in this case Revoca Project X and will
likely be released every 2-5 weeks.</li>
<li>I will add goals as we go along to
produce not just my own written content but also supporting
illustrations, cartography, etc from some of our other starving
artists in the milieu.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And guess what? You don't get dinged
monthly if I don't make deadline. Your support only comes in when I
finish a section—and like the Slumbering Ursine Dunes kickstarter I
plan on doing right by those who do support this along the way and on the backend. And looky here Luka
Rejec has already generously made this eye-poppingly lovely banner of
Marlinko for the project above (you should also support <a href="https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter">his Patreon</a>as he is trying to make a go of things too). </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's a virtuous cycle upwards if you
like the work I have done so far on this. <b><a href="https://www.patreon.com/hillcantons">Please click here to patronize.</a></b></div>
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-13136227458759696772019-02-02T10:09:00.001-06:002019-02-02T10:09:38.466-06:00The World of the Hill Cantons Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's probably a testimony to how insanely busy and distracted I was over the last year with campaigns in the so-called real world, but I have been discovering and rediscovering all kinds of sadly neglected Hill Cantons material as I methodically work backwards through Google Plus archiving well over 1,000 related posts. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One great little gem is the following map drawn by one of my fecund of creative partners, Luka Rejec (go support <a href="https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter">his Patreon</a> and keep this talented guy fed and clothed.) Drawn from my own crappy players map of six years ago (which you can see in this revised post below). It's a rather nice view of the southwestern quad of Zem, the Hill Cantons campaign world. It provides a nice context to the four books of the Slumbering Ursine Dunes series which all take place in an inch wide area right in the middle. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWy7Bpt2wj3ft5ZCXMETK_VLOO3WTNrLzvwlPbK4uYxwGwmxjiItp9_XL7-i69UeCKku6rBK4g8TU1_XJ9fRDoaMUYIyDHmonU1qmG8pWxZ7AxU0m-nRvtNul7h9AJluEgHEdNbBGBvY/s1600/Zem+luka+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="1223" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWy7Bpt2wj3ft5ZCXMETK_VLOO3WTNrLzvwlPbK4uYxwGwmxjiItp9_XL7-i69UeCKku6rBK4g8TU1_XJ9fRDoaMUYIyDHmonU1qmG8pWxZ7AxU0m-nRvtNul7h9AJluEgHEdNbBGBvY/s400/Zem+luka+map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click ye here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What the Hell is This Special Snowflake?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This Slavic acid fantasy snowflake is the world of Zem. The Hill Cantons is a region proper (a loose collection of poorly-run borderlands cantons ostensibly ruled by the Overking), the name of the ten-year campaign--and of course <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=chris+kutalik&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=">now a four-part published series</a> to be ignored and smiled at indulgently like an eccentric uncle.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Zem is a world divided into four near-symmetrical parts, double bisected by the World Canal, domed by the heavenly firmament, and riding on the shell of the World Turtle that swims in a spiraling loop through the cosmic void. It is believed to have its reflection in an mirroring Anti-Reality.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Old wives also foolishly believe it to be a spherically-shaped, concentric <a href="http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/47856a978e732">“shellword” </a>, a world inside of an Overworld and containing another Underworld. And that the heavenly firmament is but the illuminated rock underside of that upper layer of the world which itself elliptically orbits an outer sun, one of countless billions.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But that's crazy talk.</span></div>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOCScB3y8U4w9ZP8uSRZV3j4x1ftHmy5cTaRw7LGKRlsrkhzAKOa2F3hpb1D3SCwOOhbR99jyCVeN0DoXb8fxZfmtTbcGykRZe6LTKtJzle_QPCbElfaLw0XZvhKSVsR_BhXsoaO8c9Q/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOCScB3y8U4w9ZP8uSRZV3j4x1ftHmy5cTaRw7LGKRlsrkhzAKOa2F3hpb1D3SCwOOhbR99jyCVeN0DoXb8fxZfmtTbcGykRZe6LTKtJzle_QPCbElfaLw0XZvhKSVsR_BhXsoaO8c9Q/s320/scan0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">You can click on me. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Where did Zem Come From?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some believe that a <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-creation-myth-for-cantons.html">dreaming Overgod in floated from Demonspace</a> to this dimension and created it in his self-loathing/loving image. Others believe that the world is but a psychic projection of another, a shadowy cave of folk-spirits and broken platonic ideals.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What Kind of Cracked God Would Want to Live Here?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For a world dominated by a monotheistic religion (<a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/06/religion-and-hill-cantons-part-one-sun.html">the Sun Lord and Solarity</a>) that denies even the existence of other divine forces, Zem is crawling wall to wall with countless cohorts of <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/06/religion-and-hill-cantons-part-two.html">failed gods</a>, <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/06/religion-and-hill-cantons-part-three.html">godlings</a>, <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-four-contradas-of-fever-dreaming.html">local gods</a>, <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/09/beast-cults-of-cantons.html">beast gods</a>, <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/06/religion-and-hill-cantons-part-four.html">hero cults</a>, and atrophied gods.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Read all about it in the <i><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/141204/The-Hill-Cantons-Cosmology">Hill Cantons Cosmology</a></i> if you aren't asleep yet. Or see here for the <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-hill-cantons-cosmology-appendix-n.html">Cosmological Appendix N</a>. </span></div>
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</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61_8DgKN5rjiJqumSJuXwM0c_yhv2qeYEGvkW6XOBkrvVgL2CbR7Se6z86UuSE55ZabAvgBZ8xz79sj0ypuS9yntJkEHuScOIUEWZYEV0yJpCwBjViKAal-C-AthYH4yo47XkDhab9jw/s1600/00-1-alfons-maria-mucha-the-primeval-slavs-between-the-turanian-whip-and-the-gothic-sword-from-the-slavonic-epic-nr-1-1912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61_8DgKN5rjiJqumSJuXwM0c_yhv2qeYEGvkW6XOBkrvVgL2CbR7Se6z86UuSE55ZabAvgBZ8xz79sj0ypuS9yntJkEHuScOIUEWZYEV0yJpCwBjViKAal-C-AthYH4yo47XkDhab9jw/s400/00-1-alfons-maria-mucha-the-primeval-slavs-between-the-turanian-whip-and-the-gothic-sword-from-the-slavonic-epic-nr-1-1912.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Just What Exactly is Up with the Weird?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Weird is a marble-cake band of mythic wilderness/underworld and magitech other dimensions bleeding over and living in a constantly changing/moving (dialectical) tension with human civilization. It is a shifting zone of Other Reality. It's where the feral things are.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But I said it way <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/02/corelands-borderlands-and-weird.html">better and with more detail here</a>. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the in-game models of this is the <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-weird-is-rising-thanks-world-engine.html">Chaos Index campaign idea</a>. </span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Civilization?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Human civilization is smaller, more </span>thinly<span style="font-family: inherit;">-rooted and more inwardly-focused than our world. There's a small-scale survey of the campaign spots in </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/145994/Hill-Cantons-Compendium-II">Hill Cantons Compendium II</a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/145994/Hill-Cantons-Compendium-II"> </a>, but here's the big picture rundown:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Overkingdom of Nemec, Nurian, Heimeti, and Pahr Lands, </i>a “bright colors” psychic projection of late 16<sup>th</sup> century Western and Southern Slavic (the Pahr) and German (the Nemec) countries. The coreland Overkingdom has three large semi-autonomous borderlands regions: the Hill Cantons, the <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/07/reavers-of-weird-by-this-axe-mini.html">Translittoral Canton of </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #040404; line-height: 20.3636px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hoimatbuch</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and the Marches of Nur (famous for its <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/10/soldier-bears-bx-or-ll-monster.html">War Bears</a> and <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-kuduk-quarterling-love-children-of.html">kuduks</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Marlinko Canton. </i>Well you can read your eyes off about <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/151165/FeverDreaming-Marlinko">Marlinko city proper here</a> and the greater Marlinko Canton here. The central original hub of the campaign. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Revoca Canton. </i> A tiny, remote canton even odder than fever-dreaming Marlinko, the fourth campaign hub--and my next book! <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-quickish-tour-of-revoca-town.html">Read a tour of it here</a>. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Kezmarok on the Rock and Over The Water, </i>a former empire now clinging to life in a half-ruined metropolis after 500 years by the Turko-Fae. Run by the Decade King, a monarch that until late was deposed and blinded each decade. Quite a bit written about this glorious dump <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-great-tour-part-one.html">here</a>, <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-great-hostels-and-games.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/07/kezmarok-questions-and-answers.html">here</a>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-holiday-in-scarlet-sun.html">Himyar</a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the 19</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;"> century Orientalist/pre-Muslim Arabic-ish “Scarlet Sultanate” of the south (with a splash of <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/02/industrial-necromancy-husk-zombies-and.html">Clark Ashton Smith necromancy</a>). </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/10/welcome-to-hy-brazos.html">Hy-Brasos</a></i>, barely-settled Magyar-esque horse nomads cum feudalists with war wagons. Pity the poor dirt-gnomes, glammer-slyphs and talking dogs enslaved by them. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Kozak hordes</i>, Old Pahr horse nomads. The western horde being led by Hetboy Pavol.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-amazon-class.html">Oiorpata</a></i>, </span>that distant and exotic isle near the resting point of the Sun Lord's daily ride, are a fine, strong-boned, if verbally assertive race of Amazons noted for their love of high-crested, baroque helmets, polished armor, and knitting circles. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/10/bottom-up-worldbuilding-and-pantless.html">The Pantless Barbarians.</a> </i> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96JEDgkc9J19HqbUsnBAsuHUjl8V3Gl-gYS392Yr2W41WGtveafhCuoxMAx8qXJJqlgp2a452Z_baSKDkGqcIzl9u0l2CpoEzw7huxpHd1_FpCly0pNXw8qU7bPe6gI_GGHNF8ig4tBI/s1600/ivanov+ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96JEDgkc9J19HqbUsnBAsuHUjl8V3Gl-gYS392Yr2W41WGtveafhCuoxMAx8qXJJqlgp2a452Z_baSKDkGqcIzl9u0l2CpoEzw7huxpHd1_FpCly0pNXw8qU7bPe6gI_GGHNF8ig4tBI/s320/ivanov+ship.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Races and Places Weird</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="font-family: inherit;">Hyperboreans. </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">A long-fallen, world-spanning super-human civilization that possessed great lost sorcerous techologies (read Kirbyesque space gods/science fantasy). Shit went south a </span>millennia<span style="font-family: inherit;"> ago and their Necromancer-King successor-states left great undercities and ruins on their way out.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="font-family: inherit;">Anticantonal Eld.</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Lords of one of the Cold Hell (a rigid, </span>hierarchical<span style="font-family: inherit;"> anti-reality). </span><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/11/art-for-misty-isles-of-eld.html" style="font-family: inherit;">You know, these assholes.</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Turko-Fae.</i> Grey-skinned and inscrutable, these strange turbaned warlords have laid seige lines outside Kezmarok for five centuries. They wipe clean (literally) any bit of civilization they wrestle control over.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Grugach.</i> Crazed homicidal and anarchic they pore forth from the so-called "Summer Country" in elk-riding hordes to lay waste to...well anything.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/08/elder-scrolls-in-game-books-and-player.html">Vlko</a>.</i> A lost (but found by the players) Old Pahr kingdom.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/06/from-sunken-lands-to-feral-shore.html">The Feral Shore</a>.</i> A former Kezmaroki borderlands completely wiped clean 500 years ago by the Turko Fey. Now thick with Old Pahr mythic wilderness and the <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2013/07/settling-feral-shore.html">center stage</a> for the current campaign.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>So Wait, Aren't We Still Talking About an Elfgame Here?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, yes we are. While I will admit to slipping semi-embarrassingly into long daydreams during the real world grind, there is no childhood hand-carving figurines, collection of awkward short stories for my made-up world. The HC is a creation that has no independent force driving it other than the anarchic and organic process of layer being laid down on lair from the repeated bruising contact with the play table over seven years of running it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a campaign world that has an arc divided up my discernible “phases”. Starting as a West Marches, radically plotless and exploration style campaign, it morphed into a broad-bases sandbox with layers of accreting layers of mystery. <a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2015/01/on-sandboxes-growing-into-special.html">(That devolution plotted here)</a>. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Still the game, D&D and its microexploration focus, drives the setting. And all roads lead to the dungeon. </span></div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-62502974806461151282018-12-04T16:15:00.001-06:002018-12-04T16:15:32.368-06:00And the News from the Hill Cantons<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/257155/What-Ho-Frog-Demons--HC04">What Ho, Frog Demons</a> is finally out (print is still behind due to some more snafus with the printing of the maps and other quality issues, give us another week) and with my real world campaign runnings dwindling it's time to get back to the Hill Cantons campaign again. Hurrah!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpjZLaD3zs5zfYiFTZPxdnIaPZ1MU_zF-x-sCAhywODa6PBtwMdDP0RxJgDFtBPm7sJxLjcAH3HyCCDfFAoIDeATnomVEulRAJHW2MYJbU5i5mkRZ7T3ZXGRZWOVjFR7_PAEhw9C8pP8/s1600/radegast+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="754" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpjZLaD3zs5zfYiFTZPxdnIaPZ1MU_zF-x-sCAhywODa6PBtwMdDP0RxJgDFtBPm7sJxLjcAH3HyCCDfFAoIDeATnomVEulRAJHW2MYJbU5i5mkRZ7T3ZXGRZWOVjFR7_PAEhw9C8pP8/s320/radegast+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>And now the News from the Hill
Cantons...</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hruz resin diviners at the <b>Temple of
All Pahr Gods</b> on the Feral Shore speak of the <b>Great Humbling
and Relife of </b>Radhošt/Radagest,
a time of cosmic divergence in which the least dying of the Old Pahr
deities is said to walk and work among mortals again after being
tossed from the Firament of the Sky Dome after his divinely
scandalous romance with <b>Nocchula the Lady of Flame Orchids Beyond
the Mural</b>. Indeed wild rumors of a diminutive, hirsute, and
suspiciously snaggle-toothed migrant field hand stepping in eleventh
hour to bring in the dank-hops harvest, muck gorgon stables, club
recalcitrant contrada dues supporters, and other proletarian tasks
have flourished all through Marlinko Canton these days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63eom9U-WLUPLh1oZI2DmnDxz46asxRVTnhunBJSaMqGUa2WkJ3unBX3XqvOPYkXkZsxbFcCFec6HKQ7S6FCA7OrhGkfKDVtKIhF7DpUib2j1fYH8hmnOxeGZCLtUr8ij7dkiimTc6UA/s1600/himya7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63eom9U-WLUPLh1oZI2DmnDxz46asxRVTnhunBJSaMqGUa2WkJ3unBX3XqvOPYkXkZsxbFcCFec6HKQ7S6FCA7OrhGkfKDVtKIhF7DpUib2j1fYH8hmnOxeGZCLtUr8ij7dkiimTc6UA/s320/himya7.png" width="257" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>And well now some news from<a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-holiday-in-scarlet-sun.html"> Himyar the Scarlet Sultanate</a>...</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Crystal rose
blooms from the Xobi</b>, the cold rocky wasteland deep in the Weird
along the southern edge of that continent, are <b>fetching record
prices</b> in the satrap town of Iltasiin. Namoj, the half-Kezmaroki
bazaar merchant, is not only paying top gold suns per pound but will
also throw in two husk-zombie porters for returning parties (control
amulet/suppository included for a modest additional fee).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Ilmuqah the True Moon</b>, the
bull-headed patron-god of Himyar, will accomplish the final of the
monthly disembowelments as he prepares for the annual wintry
ass-kicking of the Sun Lord. Raw lightning, dark nights and frankly
embarrassingly masochistic shows in front of northerners is likely by
by fanatic worshipers over the next two days.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Travelers in the wooded oasis of
<b>Chaseribad</b> should beware of a pack of Şüräle,
single-horned, long-fingered cousins of our more familiar forest
Leshy. Beware creatures offering “deep tissue massages”-- they
mean it and their tickles can bring saves versus death itself.
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGQ3IsFpxsPloPUkoeQ_3jdk-o3bt8VCL8k2nk9KQWF2BcjcGUyQ69DPyOmwvnlwTHuGyMPavbOX8ngUJ27MMTUgWjRugA7z111qCygt7WSaSU0ip5kWd9cmbsenJwsWKsQpaBg7p8Gk/s1600/surale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="400" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGQ3IsFpxsPloPUkoeQ_3jdk-o3bt8VCL8k2nk9KQWF2BcjcGUyQ69DPyOmwvnlwTHuGyMPavbOX8ngUJ27MMTUgWjRugA7z111qCygt7WSaSU0ip5kWd9cmbsenJwsWKsQpaBg7p8Gk/s320/surale.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-872336452150079092018-11-01T12:17:00.001-05:002018-11-01T12:20:35.103-05:00What Ho Frog Demons is Out, Here's its Origin Story<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLg7HIcU8a9UqlE7pyTWOvrqnZiACQJ8NK3uMpo-rTHUrg75wzsXcTpQSvPKk3ZbKW5coy6BW-1gNpCquV_6FIk_hql2P2Hoyl0TebDoeBiC34pyaoadMcFuuWETSO8soLaufioyO3oY/s1600/IMG_2660+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLg7HIcU8a9UqlE7pyTWOvrqnZiACQJ8NK3uMpo-rTHUrg75wzsXcTpQSvPKk3ZbKW5coy6BW-1gNpCquV_6FIk_hql2P2Hoyl0TebDoeBiC34pyaoadMcFuuWETSO8soLaufioyO3oY/s400/IMG_2660+%25282%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><a href="https://www.rpgnow.com/product/257155/What-Ho-Frog-Demons--HC04">What Ho, Frog Demons</a> </i>is out (<a href="https://www.rpgnow.com/product/257155/What-Ho-Frog-Demons--HC04">you can buy it here</a>, print is still in the works).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One thing I can guarantee you about the
entire four books of the <a href="https://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?x=0&y=0&author=Chris%20Kutalik">Slumbering Ursine Dunes series</a> is that while
published details can and do vary to protect the wicked they all do
represent years and years of actual at-the-table play (above and
beyond the many hours of more straight playtesting that comes
post-manuscript).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Michael aka Migellito (aka the player
of Father Jack of Fever-Dreaming Marlinko fame) relayed a ritual that
would happen each and every session of the Hill Cantons weekly game
for two years regarding the Frog Demon Temple, which lays just a few
miles out of town right on the road to the primetime adventure spots
of the time in the Marlinko Canton:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Chris, every week: "So, you
want to go to the frog demon temple?" </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Us, every week: "NO!" </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After
about two years of playing and probably more than 50 sessions, we
finally say "you know what.. ok, lets go to the frog demon
temple". </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We walk up the spooky dead tree aisle to the
temple. We go inside the main door. We start down the.. HIRELING
DIES. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We immediately leave the frog demon temple.”</blockquote>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisssEwN3s-lWEY-ukxCXXI8rASxFwPqwV2Tp1-giUx9ZgTtt9n01h78e1RNftq4Bb2wTYaRzDpXUicmb5ec1C79XFdqMI2OWzFAz9zKjZd_ut4bqR6-GwrMrdYhRFX3hbh5oCJ_t2NLjw/s1600/luka+reject+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="960" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisssEwN3s-lWEY-ukxCXXI8rASxFwPqwV2Tp1-giUx9ZgTtt9n01h78e1RNftq4Bb2wTYaRzDpXUicmb5ec1C79XFdqMI2OWzFAz9zKjZd_ut4bqR6-GwrMrdYhRFX3hbh5oCJ_t2NLjw/s320/luka+reject+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It took another 1-2 years and several
levels more powerful before the Nefarious Nine, the Google Plus
campaign group that never numbered nine, actually came back to loot
and pillage the temple.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In emergent play places and things take on quickly a significance, dynamic, and meaning beyond the
design origin. I had never intended the FDT to be anything more than
a punctuation in the campaign. Much like the Manor of the Beet God
(also presented in What Ho) had intentionally been designed as a
“Saturday Night Special”, the kind of self-contained 1-3 session
micro-site that MAR Barker threw at players to spice things up
between longer explorations.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The original intention of What Ho as a
stretch goal was to just throw these sites straight and unadorned at
you in a 18-24 page adventure. But like the emergent play of the
campaign proper the Hydra Cooperative's publishing mission seems to
zig zag and explode out of proportion out of the sheer love of
imagining the hell out of things. Untethered by worries about the
bottom line we just wanted to make something that blossomed like the
play it was based on.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So here we are. The book is out and its
busting out of its britches at 114 pages. We threw everything we
could at it (a whole Marlinko hexcrawl, tons of NPCs, an infection
index, tons of Vanican monsters, etc). If you feel so inclined you should check it out, feel free to mangle it beyond repair. And drop me a line if you thoughts about it (good, bad, or critical I want to hear). </div>
<br />Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-81376832418935530842017-05-31T11:37:00.000-05:002017-05-31T11:37:05.040-05:00Hydra Cooperative Brings (Mild and Curated) Anarchy to North Texas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCKXztv6qk8FQX-bAp8JeB1TWxH90ayyvVnyfGxcvvvRLIcPwEbKTdCI8MpmiKY9f8-dNPZgpNt63lq99IETgn1aDJHkDHPntMH3M4nDNW3_9t9tCnol_LQxAjW1ohjZVIk2DyQZg3I4/s1600/hydra+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="358" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCKXztv6qk8FQX-bAp8JeB1TWxH90ayyvVnyfGxcvvvRLIcPwEbKTdCI8MpmiKY9f8-dNPZgpNt63lq99IETgn1aDJHkDHPntMH3M4nDNW3_9t9tCnol_LQxAjW1ohjZVIk2DyQZg3I4/s400/hydra+table.jpg" width="357" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Teetering on the edge of a new,
start-now, well-paying political job (i.e. demanding AF) I get one
last reprieve of gainful unemployment this weekend: North Texas RPG
Con.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The sinister heads of the Hydra
Cooperative will all be there for our annual face-to-face planning
and bull session and of course there will be the usual marathon
gaming, corridor discussions, buying sprees, and grogging out with
the grumblers. I'm personally jazzed about getting in some games with
Merle Rasmussen and his new iteration of Top Secret.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Expect tall tales to be spun.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A list of Hydra things going on:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Table.</b> As usual we will have
a lit table. Also as usual the spot will be as much as an ongoing
hangout spot as it is a place to pick up product (or more). We are a
friendly crew (mostly) and enjoy seeing fellow malcontents from the
internet and readers, so please stop by. Also we will have some new
and con exclusive product out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/search/label/what%20ho">What Ho, Frog Demons</a></b>. I will be
running a playtest of this still-not-done beast Friday at 6pm. Due to
a screw-up the con registration has me down for only four seats
though I really am more than fine running double that. So if you want
to play in the absurd, kitchen-sink that is the Hill Cantons drop by
the Hydra table and I will give you an Electrum Ticket for the game.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/209712/Mortzengersturm-The-Mad-Manticore-of-the-Prismatic-Peak">Mortzengersturm</a>. </b>Trey
Causey will be running his Ozian whimsical newly-released adventure
Saturday at 1pm. The adventure has been played the shit out of and
seems to bring the fun each time so make sure to check it out.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://ntrpgcon.com/Program-2017-Digest.pdf">Paranoia</a>. </b>Humza
K is going to be running Paranoia Friday at 1 pm. Humza has some
published work with the game and runs a mean anarchic session. <b>
</b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/804120043/operation-unfathomable">Operation Unfathomable</a>. </b>Jason
Sholtis will be running<b> </b>Sephilax Must Be Destroyed on
Thursday at 6:00 pm set in the Odious Uplands, the wilderness stretch
goal from the Op U. Totally prejudiced as an editor of that
supplement, but it's a very typically weird and wonderful adventure
area from Jason. </div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-51581426020374409432017-03-17T08:48:00.000-05:002017-03-17T08:48:13.821-05:00The Frog Demons are Coming Y'all (Eventually)<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So the long and short of the update on
<i>What Ho, Frog Demons</i> (the fourth of the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=chris+kutalik">Slumbering Ursine Dunes series</a>) is that we are right in the middle of the editorial
process. The ever-versatile <a href="https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter">Luka Rejec</a> has jumped over from the
illustration side to being the chief editor and just when I thought I
was catching a break from the ever-demanding eye of Robert Parker I
find myself wading through a 21-point revision list for the
manuscript.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Punchline: <i>What Ho</i> is going to
take a month or three longer---but it will be tougher and stronger
for it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So in the meantime here's some actual
gameable content, one of the lesser tiers of the eponymous critters
(the full version comes complete with a random generation system
based in freakish real world adaptations to create your nightmare).
Also Luka being Luka some sketches of anuran fiends are already
percolating through the ether here are some.
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="docs-internal-guid-8438fe56-dc79-e218-8c40-ac4055b81873"></a>
<b>Frog Demonettes/Žába'dabel Nymphs</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
No. Enc.: 1d6 (3d6)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alignment: Chaotic (Evil)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Movement: 120’ (40’)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Armor Class: 5</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hit Dice: 2</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Attacks: 2 (claws or barbed steel
darts)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Damage: 1d4 or 1d4+1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Save: D2</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Morale: 9</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hoard Class: XI</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
XP: 60</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Like many extra-dimensional xenoforms
the Žába'dabel as a demonic race both mirror and defy natural
ecology. Frog Demonettes, the lowest of the three basic types—one
hesitates to call them life-cycle stages as they seem to lack rhyme
or reason alternately evolving or devolving at seemingly random
intervals of their millennium-long lives—is a uniformly
female-appearing race of man-sized, lithe, pastel-skinned bipeds with
short stubby tails.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Though the Frog Demonette is not as
intellectually well-rounded as the larger, more mutated Oorhi, they
are quite cunning and love tinkering. This dovetails nicely with
their typical caste role as trap setters, sanitation maintenance
specialists and unionized builders of the grotesque, baroque floats
that grace the annual Benighted Parade of Weltschmerz in Peklo, their
home dimension.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />Frog Demonettes can cast Mend and
Push spells once a day. Admittedly a power that will see little use
in combat with PCs. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWLx2WJONPuBHWoj0gUnhpKzAmktxXjoG4hN8qpIkWmivfkhf_YvjEfB_ieuFRnyBuy5qKL2bibzrY4etfzSAaa0qAeOv8KiKl0mBY7-t7-CzN5iWzNfhxMeLldCZcqyXcCrW6vRAC7I/s1600/001+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWLx2WJONPuBHWoj0gUnhpKzAmktxXjoG4hN8qpIkWmivfkhf_YvjEfB_ieuFRnyBuy5qKL2bibzrY4etfzSAaa0qAeOv8KiKl0mBY7-t7-CzN5iWzNfhxMeLldCZcqyXcCrW6vRAC7I/s320/001+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuNr-MvQP8MKmN5b1a8oMthPu9S21Qr0pFH96KoUs6pSjAlL21WX8wZ4nyRl4yj8JYXEYzNunxKOoFCRrvvfqn9gWNxeAFqbdsn95x7ppo-74B2jxp_PIqPAah9lhgdHynRC-0Y6osyg/s1600/001+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuNr-MvQP8MKmN5b1a8oMthPu9S21Qr0pFH96KoUs6pSjAlL21WX8wZ4nyRl4yj8JYXEYzNunxKOoFCRrvvfqn9gWNxeAFqbdsn95x7ppo-74B2jxp_PIqPAah9lhgdHynRC-0Y6osyg/s320/001+%25285%2529.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-77264146555147065142017-01-17T09:18:00.002-06:002017-01-17T09:18:33.894-06:00Hydra Needs Editors<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A good kind of problem to have, but our happy little creator-owned outfit the <a href="http://hydraco-op.com/">Hydra Cooperative</a> has enough projects going right now that it is
looking for both line and copy editors for freelance project
work.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />Qualities we are looking for:<br />1. Done editing work
previously on a professional or volunteer basis. Bonus points for
having done it in a gaming context.<br /><br />2. Have an interest
for the DIY and OSR gaming scene (broadly speaking) and pushing that
design vision.<br /><br />3. Are familiar with <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/7124/Hydra-Cooperative">the work of the Hydra Cooperative</a> (Strange Stars, the Slumbering Ursine Dunes series, Ruins
& Ronin, Weird Adventures etc).<br /><br />4. Understand the
balance between the interest of the readers and the aesthetic vision
of precious snowflake designers.<br /><br />5. Understands and
respects the need for making deadlines and general timeliness in
publishing. Communicates proactively about potential conflicts and
delays.<br /><br />If interested drop me a private email at kutalik
at the gmail dot com to talk details.<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"> </span>
</div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-56789458928013056232017-01-16T11:08:00.000-06:002017-01-17T08:27:19.338-06:00Peklo the Hot Hell: a Brief Tour on Ten Electrum Pieces or Less, Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One hell is really
insufficient for the inimical side of the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/141204/The-Hill-Cantons-Cosmology">Hill Cantons' cosmology</a>.
The reality of the Cold Hell readers of <i><a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/183439/Misty-Isles-of-the-Eld">Misty Isles of the Eld</a></i>
have experienced, <i><a href="http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-what-in-what-ho-frog-demons.html">What Ho, Frog Demons</a></i> explores some adventurable
connections to that other fell dimension, Peklo or more baldly the
Hot Hell.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>I have cut the long willow branches
from their tree and dragging them thrice around where the red bull
stomps the tall rye, I have made loving supplication to God S-d.
Erecting the lead barriers and donning the Suit of Containment and
issuing the mutterings of the Vulgar Hyperborean words of protection,
I can tell finally of Peklo.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Ludicists maintain that Zem, is
just the dream projection of a great and cosmic game. That is of
course heresy vile and ill-informed, but like most corruptions of the
mind has an element of Truth in its inception. When great Overgod
floated across the void, his ship left a wake from Demonspace. How
natural, how predictable, how convenient, that it was that the
ego-drunk Demons with their great arrow-like vessels penetrating the
heavens would also follow shortly in their vessels.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Sunlord in His Wisdom sternly warns
us of the trap of timelines, intoning of expository history and the
senseless capitalizations of portentous proper names but suffice it
to say there was a time of Conflict between Overgod and the voyaging
Captains. Overgod held his own trapping the inimical encroachers to
an infinite in-between plane of psychic friction: the fell place we
now know as the Hot Hell.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHMMkEADJ-RtunW4XJ4APDnlJyes7yCcIOovlbigQI7D4OJIR-2mTdi3Y9KgwXGOsWB9FrmuAtHO7uM-EHADMuO7as_AiOVsWF1UdbjVUwCiS2Uy_h3M0LisufL39KMqXp0jYE4FCxho/s1600/colin+hay+wanders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHMMkEADJ-RtunW4XJ4APDnlJyes7yCcIOovlbigQI7D4OJIR-2mTdi3Y9KgwXGOsWB9FrmuAtHO7uM-EHADMuO7as_AiOVsWF1UdbjVUwCiS2Uy_h3M0LisufL39KMqXp0jYE4FCxho/s400/colin+hay+wanders.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Lower and Upper Hell</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Two Hells each have their own two
hells. Much like our world the Hot Hell is divided between a flat
bedrock of daily existence and an upper firament. Unlike Zem with
its orderly domed heavens and neatly bounded earth, the Lower Hell
and the dark inky void Upper Hell are said to run dizzingly,
terrifyingly infinite.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Upper Hell is a lifeless zone, a place
of transit (astral flyover country if you will), eschewed even by the
Captains. The void is punctuated here and there by the running
lights of the hulking, ruined Vessels and cold rocky orbs. It is
known to run over the Cold Hell, a pocket dimension closer and more
imbued with its substance.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lower Hell in comparison teems with
demonic ecologies. While universally unpleasant and over-warm, the
Lower Hell is a bewildering patchwork of fiendish bio-climes
fecundly blossoming from the psychic projections of the deep
anxieties, ugly archetypes and ego excesses of the adjoining
dimensions. Here is the Malachite Scarp, a vertigo-inducing
narrow-ledged cliffscape of barely perched stork-legged backward
facing demons raised by the pure might of petty insecurity. There the
polished bronze phallic towers and monstrous hot pink orchids of
Vulvak, the Archtownship of Unsubtle Imagery.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUN9R99pqWf4j9pnWEBkvD6pNis7nQg2UG8AP53KAel8SM6Sef80WrG3_BW31C8yJ34mx6O4jVRtUyF_ujxb7iGHyompPrvRosuk8HA0SF4g2dhSfy7ck3gqVzCHGr9xxuiwIGixrOTk/s1600/demonastronaut3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUN9R99pqWf4j9pnWEBkvD6pNis7nQg2UG8AP53KAel8SM6Sef80WrG3_BW31C8yJ34mx6O4jVRtUyF_ujxb7iGHyompPrvRosuk8HA0SF4g2dhSfy7ck3gqVzCHGr9xxuiwIGixrOTk/s400/demonastronaut3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Also striking are the teeming, squalid squatter
cities thrown up around the wrecked hulks of the Vessels (more about
those later). Lording over each vessel-city are the silver-suited
Captains with the castes of the Crew eternally jockeying from the
flaming-eyeball headed engineers up to the gargantuan, multi-headed
Officers.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And those are just the thematically
discernible sections, some areas seem to be a confusing stew of
jarring elements. Great barb-vined patches of demonic tubers nestle
up against tarpits filled with lamprey-faced life coaches, cellophane
forests, and dung warrens of cold-calling bivalve psychic marketers.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the Next Part we get into some of
the hot spot (no pun intended) sites of Peklo. </div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-46657503402961755052016-12-12T15:30:00.005-06:002016-12-12T15:30:41.763-06:00Thin-Skinned Monarchs, Ugly Doublets, War-Bears on the March: News from the Hill Cantons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnwqanAW7rGklI2tvrigg0-rlTmH9cWAK-hMXDKmkk51eyJouh6tdMb3BSus9_D3ARIIWZP3N6hyphenhyphenR3NqBTcZ7dzW9MzhSXYOGseKr3bmbXDbFTGtQErUQAYwIxOw-i2zx7b3y7MpEYFc/s1600/marlinko+ziggurat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnwqanAW7rGklI2tvrigg0-rlTmH9cWAK-hMXDKmkk51eyJouh6tdMb3BSus9_D3ARIIWZP3N6hyphenhyphenR3NqBTcZ7dzW9MzhSXYOGseKr3bmbXDbFTGtQErUQAYwIxOw-i2zx7b3y7MpEYFc/s400/marlinko+ziggurat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>And now the News from the Hill Cantons...</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Late Sunlorday residents of Marlinko
were surprised by the sudden plastering of <b>a 72-panel wall-poster
onto the Tomb of the Town Gods-- penned no less by our most puissant
and august new Overking, Radulf II</b>, himself. The surprisingly verbose
and sharply-worded jeremiad is a rebuke to the passing words by Mavo
the Elder, a local junior master in the Illustrious Workers of Wood. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mavo in comments at his guild meeting had stated “for the record”
that the new monarch's claims that a 1,100 foot-high wooden scaffold
would be constructed for the overking's <b>Build the Ziggurat</b> project
was “a physical impossibility with our current construction
methods.” After 48 panels of detailed derisive comments leveled
against every individual member of Mavo's kin for 13 generations, our
beloved monarch gently corrected the record with a firm and dignified
assessment that He is in fact “quite amazing in his mastery of
zigguartry and civil engineering...and that a single wart on my dog's
teat has more comprehension of these matters than Mavo has learned in
his lifetime.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A showdown in the petty kingdom of
<b>Pohansko</b> seems eminent. Riders from the eastern wilds say that two of
three columns of war-bears are now in striking distance of the little
client state after mastodon-ambush and cave-exploration delays along
the way.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Break out the ugly velvet doublets and
mustard yellow cloaks of mourning for the<b> Sunlord </b>is nearing his
annual wintry vacation with the dead Hyperborean gods.
Traditionalists are warning Cantoners not to go soft on the
time-cherished practice of taking a favored toy of the children in
their lives and replacing them with burned beets. “Spare the beets,
spoil the child.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Goatherds in the hills north of <b>Revoca
</b>town have noticed a “totally unremarkable and hitherto unfound
small valley choked with green tube like plants and slender clusters
of rusting iron pagodas.” Surely the slivovce is flowing early and
freely in that Canton this time of year. </div>
Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-83407074664142722442016-12-09T10:23:00.003-06:002016-12-09T10:38:14.644-06:00Misty Isles of the Eld Review Round-Up<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Confession time. Despite having more
than a few years experience getting published in the so-called real world, I was disproportionately nervous about getting my first
real elfgame booklet, <i>Slumbering Ursine Dunes</i>, out in a
non-shitty form.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I spent a lot of time in that spring of
2014 reading and rereading a lot of the toughest criticism of
adventure writing in our circles trying to drill down on what the most common pitfalls are (like I already had years of strong
but untested opinions myself). Pretty high on that list was Bryce
Lynch's reviews on Ten Foot Pole blog. Tough, often funny and in my
own game design value wheelhouse his reviews were really a good
marker for that kind of weeding out.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So anyways punchline, I felt like <a href="http://tenfootpole.org/ironspike/?p=3347">his recent review of Misty Isles of the Eld </a>was a well-earned one
for our crew (and I emphasis crew the publication just wouldn't be
the same without the creative love of Luka Rejec, Robert Parker,
Humza K and Trey Causey).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And while I have you here are some
other rundowns on the labor of love:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLkPpJgDE3E">nice comprehensive video rundown on MIE</a> (do
check out the rest of his list of Youtube reviews). </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
And a <a href="http://retiredadventurer.blogspot.com/2016/07/review-ursine-dunes-marlinko-misty.html">great overarching review by John Bell in the context of all three SUD series books</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-commentary-on-misty-isles-of-eld.html">Needle's fun take on Misty.</a> He gets me.Chris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.com1