(Painting) More Gnomes and a Random Crate

When I was a little kid, the big family vacation was a 12-hour drive to visit my cousins in Maine, and despite knowing that we would be waking up to leave at 4am, I would stare at the ceiling of my room well past midnight, with anticipation for the trip.  

Our extended weekend to Wellsboro (and the torrential rains outside), woke me up way too early and I ventured down to the basement to check for water and finish up a few random things on the bench.  Both ended up as positives. 

I believe these are the last two German Gnomes to be painted in the "Die FleiderAffes" (Flying Monkeys) paint scheme.  Moving onto more Leinenkugel and Yuengling themed units.  

The tiny crate between them was part of a vignette of a space dwarf sitting on a crate from the Alpine Dwarf Kickstarter.  The dwarf was retrained as a pilot for a future project and the crate will see life in the Pulp game. 

Next: Arabs of all shapes and sizes are still on the bench, OGRE infantry, and I continue to ponder what figures in the lead pile to lay out if I ever do #30Days30Miniatures

(Painting) 28mm Single Story Building with Chimney from My Gaming Table

I might be away for the weekend, but that doesn't mean I didn't clean up some stuff from the painting bench.

I feel like I need a high powered laser to cut my glue-stuck fingers apart, but I have completed the second building from My Gaming Table, sold through Dave's Baggage Train, a Single Story Building with Chimney

The addition to the chimney did not complicate the assembly, although my big fingers failed a few times on the framing for the windows and doors.

With two buildings, I can use these as huge outbuildings for the mice, or, as I've alluded to previously, our Pulp game may make an appearance to the land of meatballs and bikini teams.

Historicon is still on, although my budget took a severe hit this past week.  I'll happily tell you that I'm the healthiest fat person I know.  Blood pressure, cholesterol, etc, are all usually great, even if Maja and Millie now wind me running up and down the basketball court.  So when I felt very unusual pain in my abdomen, I figured it would be smart to run myself to the ER.  Many hours later, an MRI, and a copay that made me cringe, I have a random piece of small intestine that is irritable.

If that was a tiny piece of irritable intestine, those of you with far larger GI issues have my sympathy.

So ViscountEric must begin the harrowing journey into "middle-aged men tests" *insert scary music*

However, I did learn that "UNREMARKABLE" on all my take home reports is a badge of honor for middle-aged dudes.  Apparently my weight and minor vices should show some signs of abuse on my body, yet my tests and scans showed no obvious damage, no fatty tissue, etc.

My liver is perfect! Apparently all that moderation in college is keeping me together now. 

Next in the Queue:  I've got some miscellaneous stuff getting appearing tomorrow, then Arab Civilians, Arab Revolt, and OGRE infantry slowly getting paint.

Heading Back to Wellsboro

While we're planning a cruise for next Spring, and possibly somewhere in Europe for 2020, this year is a quick escapade up to Wellsboro for an extended weekend, and not a moment too soon.

It's a great time to relax, browse the shops, visit Pop's Culture Shoppe once again, and perhaps, take in the mightiest endeavors of the ViscountEric clan: The Turkey Path

If I could do it when I was five (prior to all the safety renovations, and my wife and I did it pre-kids, my current roster to should have no problem.  But, if we save the Turkey Path's 2.5 mile roundtrip hike and 800 foot drop in elevation for Saturday, I can guarantee the kids (and my wife) sleep through the ride home.

(Kickstarter) Frogs Team - Football Fantasy

I try to avoid mentioning first time Kickstarters or the bevy of "Bowl 'o Blood" Fantasy Football teams.

Spanish sculptor Raul Martin Villarreal has launched a Kickstarter for a frog team for Fantasy Football.

Nice sized frogs, great sculpts, and an in for crocodile or lizardmen players.

#30Day30Miniatures Challenge

Earlier this week, James Walls over at Living 4 Crits starting posting about the #30Day30Miniatures Challenge.

The concept is pretty self-explanatory, but copying from his blog:

1. At the end of each day, you need to complete the painting of one miniature.
2. Basing is optional. 
3. It can be any miniature you want, from any game, from any system, from any manufacturer. 
4. Partially finished miniatures in your pile are fair game. I figure that this is about finishing miniatures, and working through those pesky figures in your vault. Why not include them?
5. Have fun!

With the Schutztruppe finally finished, and with a little prep time to organize 30 simple projects for the painting bench, I probably could pull this off.

I might file this away for a mid-winter project.

(Edit: On second thought, I am not only liking the idea more and more, but I realize it's a great way to move some of the random lead pile into the painted category.  Warzone, Eureka Teddy Bear Pilots, random promo sprues of Perry historicals I've picked up over the years.   

It would require a solid bit of planning and scheduling, but I should definitely pencil this in for January.)

Ballad of the Pigeon God #64: The God-King Is Upon Us!

On the last day of NonDec, in the year 1072, tens of thousands of beings had flocked to a large lake in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Crosedes.  Legends and prophecy foretold of a "God of Goodness and Light" from eons past who would make his presence known, unite the tribes and lands, and usher back the glory days of the great Empire of Feraso.

Or so that was the story told by the Cult of Apotheosis, also called the Cult of Light, guarding some ancient burial chambers of long-dead Ferasean kings while they waited for the 1st of DecDec to arrive.

Most pilgrims and curious on-lookers of every race and social class (including goblins, orcs, trolls, ogres, and even a number of giants) had arrived around the site at Lake Apotheosis and had oddly co-existed without much effort.

A few more concerned citizens had just arrived from the nearby village of Eding:

Echelon Reimann: A simple eccentric cleric of the eastern god of the sea, Tshang Kai Ching, turned Baron of Eding, turned resurrected man wanted from treason by the new king.   He had organized the resistance against the king, gotten killed in some foreign land, but was brought back to life by his god to aid his friends in obtaining ancient relics necessary to stop the apocalypse, the return of the God-King, or perhaps just the King of Crosedes (Prophecies can be a bit vague).   He wields Wave, a trident of unusual power. 

General Sir Norm Dingleberry: A failed dwarven mushroom farmer who some how managed to travel to far-off worlds, slay fantastic creatures, and upon his return to Crosedes, sway the current king for a knighthood and a command of an army, an army he more than competently used to curtail aggression by the dwarves of Skyforge.  He wields Overwhelm, a dwarven battleaxe of immense power.

Kane: A Eastern monk with elemental control of water. After seeing the world (and at least one other world or dimension), the humble priest decided to retire from adventuring, but his friends interfering with political machinations and the end of the world brought him back out.

Thorrin Slatebelt: A simple, no-nonsense dwarven blacksmith from Nuxom Keep. He fell into the party by meeting the heroic General Dingleberry.  He's never quite sure what the others are doing in this strange mess, but at least he knows he's pulling his own weight.

Sigard of the Slate Gap: A paladin of Akana, Sigard had become disillusioned with the new king and an apathetic church hierarchy, so he traveled to the lake to the the return of the God-King.  But first he ran into "Baron Felix" who expressed doubts and worries about the occasion.  He's fallen om with Echelon and his lot more out of convenience, but so far, they have not steered him the wrong way.

Beourn:  A ranger from Ras-Prythax might be a black mark for some, but with the word of Thorrin, he offered to stand with our heroes.

1st of DecDec 1072 - Lake Apotheosis
Early before dawn, Echelon and company bid everyone farewell.  Our heroes listed above would make one final visit to Eding, to ensure defenses were completed, and lead the front of Norm's army, as everyone marched toward Lake Apotheosis.

Before noon, the army arrived at the Cult's encampment.  Despite orcs on the far shore of the river, and people of all walks of life working their excitement to a fever pitch, Norm ordered his troops to drive a wedge through the throngs to reach near the center.

Beourn was the nimblest by far, and was able to scramble up the side of a makeshift guard tower thirty foot off the ground for a better view.

On the other side of the lake were the sheer cliff walls that housed the ancient Ferasean kings, but above them stood sheer hordes of goblins, trolls, orcs, ogres, and even giants.  A few winged dragon-looking creature would fly out of the crowds do a few twirls and come back down.

On his side of the lake stood the motley assortment of humanity.  First were the thousands of converts to the Cult of Apotheosis in their white costumes.  What had started as a few dozen individuals guarding the lake had turned into the largest force on the soil of Crosedes, even if they weren't as well armed as the army.

An even larger contingent of common folk surrounded them.  Pilgrims or curiosity seekers, it did not matter.  Whether they arrived months earlier or just a few minutes like Beourn, they had been welcomed by the gladfull flock of Apotheosis.  Even a few barbarians from the distant plains of Galmar had arrived, although their dealings with the others were far more formal and far less congenial.

Outside of these dirty commoners, finding whatever high ground their rank could afford them, stood the wealthy, the famous and the noblemen.

It was tough to make out the occupants of carriages and inside tents that had been erected, but Beourn saw a few notable figures keeping a safe distance.  He relayed this information to Echelon & Company.

First was the King of Crosedes himself, Cervinal.  Known in these parts as "The Dread Lord," a nickname earned from his pre-royalty exploits, the sovereign of Crosedes was dressed in full battle gear, mounted upon his horse, surrounded by his heavy horse Lifeguard.  A few of his assassins and mages probably milled about the lesser people, scoping out trouble.

In another spot was the banner for the Kingdom of Aragain.  A lone figure in half-plate stood at his meager camp, staring towards the lake, his compatriots lounging on some tree stumps.  King William had actually been acting Baron of Eding for a spell before he returned for his royal coronation.  Echelon's half-brother Talis had had an supposed tryst with his wife, the Queen of Aragain, but luckily for everyone, Talis had died, so Echelon hoped there was no bad blood between them.

There were numerous religious orders throughout the crowd, some martial, some purely scholarly, but none shone brighter than some holy warriors for the Ispatlia, displaying their colors for Akana.  Velandro, pious devotee to Akana, friend to the peaceful kobold, and friend of our heroes, had finally returned.  And to Beourn's eyes, he brought a LOT of allies with him.

Finally, to the south of this site lay the southern swamps and marshes.  Hiding within the edges of the swamp were lizardmen, more orcs, and even some intrigued gnomes from Masgoth.

Sometime during the afternoon, with the sun descending towards the west, Brother Zaccharius, High Priest of the Cult, began a ritual to ensure the God of Goodness and Light's return.

Starting in the center of the site, Zaccharius' chants spread out through the masses, man and humanoid, until most in attendance were repeating it in unison.

Echelon & Company tried to avoid participating in the chat, averting their eyes away from the lake, keeping a close watch for any changes to the nearby crowd.  There were none.

After an hour of chanting, a four lights emerged from the four main tomb entrances across the water.  The lights moved twenty foot out onto the lake and began to rise together.  They reached as high as the top of the cliffs when they merged into a blinding white light.

Out of this light, the God-King, the God of Goodness and Light, and King Come to Reclaim the Throne of His Peoples, emerged.  He was a huge figure, standing atop the water, but reaching a height of forty, nay fifty foot tall.   He wore gleaming armor, a sheathed sword, but he held a shield
whose front undulated with arcane electric blue energy.

The being raised his free hand, and in a voice that rattled windows in Omsjik and Eding said, "Bow down before me, my loyal subjects.  I have returned to bring you peace and order you need."

Some threw themselves prostrate on the ground. Most, even most humanoids, decided to take a knee with their heads bowed.  Those that didn't bow, like the party, were slightly grateful that they weren't  immediately smote.  Rather they viewed the god surveying the scene of absolute silence with a sense of smug satisfaction. 

If the God of Goodness and Light wasn't pre-occupied with the showing of faith by his devoted, he may have noticed a commotion atop the cliffs behind him, specifically were the native Nightwood Goblins had staked a claim.  Echelon and company only noticed the end of a the fracas, where a lone figure, armored and carrying a two-handed sword, burst out of the goblin horde and jumped off the cliff.  He plunged his sword into the back of the god at mid-shoulder, and like a swashbuckler using a tapestry to slow his fall, ran his weapon right along the spine of the deity.

The god wailed in pain, as his followers rose to their feet in disbelief.

Echelon could only smile, a smile so big it hurt his face.

"Zabty, you old dog..." 

The half-orc was dangling by his sword at the small of the god's back, but no one noticed him.  Rather, the pure cleansing light of the god was changing into one of orange, with a smell of brimstone.   With a shockwave, knocking down hundreds close by, the entity shed the armor and skin like a rubber suit.  A new dark visage, accompanied by eight huge arms (or legs?) stretched out the length of the tombs.

There was never any God of Goodness and Light, just the arachnoid form of Baraxus the Destroyer....

DM Notes:  For those late to the party, Baraxus the Destroyer is a Spider-God from an alternate dimension the party fought (and defeated!?!?) early in their careers.  He may or may not be responsible for the Spider-People Dopplegangers terrorizing the kingdom, but it makes logical sense.  Using some vague texts about returning kings/gods/etc that plague most religions, he helped build up the Cult of Apotheosis from simple keepers of ancient crypts, to a full blown phenomenon stretching multiple kingdoms, and attracting all types of races. 

Despite the true (but manipulated) intentions of the Cult and their many leaders (25 sacrificed their life essence to Baraxus, in alphabetical order) some people like good ol' Count Zabty, half-orc paladin, knew something was up, and when the time was right, revealed the shocking truth to everyone.  

Now let's see if the thousands in attendance, and the millions more at home can survive the Spider-God's next move.

NEXT:  #65 The Chaos of Goodness and Light

(Kickstarter) Sci-Fi Bounty Hunters from Antediluvian Miniatures

Antediluvian Miniatures has recently launched a Kickstarter for Sci-Fi Bounty Hunters.

Good Lord, another tempting Kickstarter.  Don't these people know I'm trying to save up for Historicon right now???

(Kickstarter) Grimtooth's Trapsylvania

Goodman Games, under license from Flying Buffalo, have created a Kickstarter for Grimtooth's Trapsylvania.

Not only will they offer the 144-page campaign and sourcebook in both softcover ($25) and hardcover ($40), they also offer the following add-ons:

• Grimtooth's Lair ($10) - This is the legendary "lost 8th Grimtooth book." It contains a tournament adventure centered around Grimtooth-style traps, originally released at Origins 1983. The adventure is systems-neutral and designed to be played with any fantasy RPG. Goodman Games has arranged access to the last known copy in existence, and we have scanned and digitally restored it for exclusive publication via this Kickstarter. The original format was a digest-sized, 12-page publication.
• Grimtooth's Ultimate Traps Collection, Softcover ($40) - A 460-page tome collecting all five of the original Grimtooth’s Traps books! More than 500 traps in a systems-neutral format, suitable for any fantasy RPG. Also includes an extensive interview with the original Grimtooth’s creative team, a black-and-white cover gallery showcasing 30 years of editions (in English and many foreign languages), and a look behind the submissions process.
• Grimtooth's Ultimate Traps Collection, silver foil hardcover edition ($80)
• Dungeon Crawl Classics #87.5 - Grimtooth's Museum of Death!  ($10) A level 1 adventure for the DCC RPG system. The adventurers must wend their way through a maze of traps in Grimtooth’s Museum of Death, a curated collection of the deadliest and most devious traps ever assembled in one place. Along the way, they might even cross paths with a few of Grimtooth’s allies: Grimtina, Spike the Grimdog, and Sludgeworth. Tread lightly, delver. There are no refunds for this tour!
• Grimtooth's Tomb of the Warhammer ($10) - A level 4 Grimtooth adventure compatible with DCC RPG. Written by Tunnels & Trolls creator Ken St. Andre. Can you go where no troll dares to tread? Long ago, the elves killed Grimtooth’s father in a great battle. They hid the troll leader’s body and his mystic warhammer somewhere in the vast plains beyond Trapsylvania. After years of searching, Grimtooth has finally located his father’s tomb, but the elves have magically rigged it so that no troll can enter. Now Grimtooth is looking for a party of foolhardy adventurers to enter Grimfang’s Tomb and return with the legendary warhammer… 

Historicon Releases from Brigade Games

Brigade Games has been hinting at new releases for Historicon, most notably screwing around with my shopping list for the con by adding more to the Post-Apocalyptic (and very politically humorous) line.

Left without comment....

 This one took me a second.... and according to Lon, he still needs a name. 

 I myself would suggest "The Bear Hunter" or the "The Cheet-o Hunter".

It might be another flea market and Brigade Games run this year....

(Kickstarter) Mykelings 2 - 28mm Mushroom and Fungus Miniatures

When it rains it pours in Kickstarter land.

Krakon Games has launch their ninth Kickstarter, Mykelings 2, 28mm Mushroom and Fungus Minis

Watch out!  This is a short one that ends on June 30th.

(Kickstarter) A Mischief of Giant Rats

Midlam Miniatures is at it again, offering a Kickstarter for A Mischief of Giant Rats

Ten unusually large-sized rodents (13-20mm tall!), sculpted by Bob Olley and cast in metal.

(Kickstarter) Twixt

Everything old is new again with a Kickstarter for a reboot of the old 3M game Twixt. 

I'm wildly amused that one of the games I grabbed at the Cold Wars flea market for a couple of bucks is making an all-out comeback.  $25 (Free Shipping) for the standard game, $45 for the wood box collector's edition.

(Painting) German East African Schutztruppe

It's done.  

After gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands, and inhalation of sealant fumes, my German Schutztruppe are done.

It's been forever since I placed an order for these from Pulp Figures

Three packs German Colonial Rifles (PGS15) and an accompanying pack of German Colonial Officers and NCOs (PGS16) later, and there are 20 Colonial Germans ready to wreck havoc on whatever I paint next.

With so many varieties and combinations of uniforms, I stuck with East African Südwester colors, although most WWI and "alt-history Pulp" Germans would be wearing tropical hats.  

They may see some action in the "Pulp Egypt" game.  If I've allowed gnomes, elves, and the supernatural in it, some German influence on the undefined map couldn't be that unusual.  

Worst case, they'll be incorrectly dressed Germans in a "what-if" Second Samoan Civil War Scenario where the Germans actually get active during the hostilities.  

I do have the two machine gun team to paint up, but their pretty far back in the queue.  

Next in the Queue:  The Arabs (Civilians and Revolt) take over the role of 800-pound gorilla on the painting bench, but I'd like to refurbish some dinged-up Samoans and possibly visit some 6mm powered infantry from the New Transnitrian Scientific Republic.

Frisbees are an Alignment-Neutral Summertime Toy

(Kickstarter) The Dungeon Dome Card Game

The good folks at the One Shot Podcast (aka James D'Amato) have launched a Kickstarter for a card game version of their popular Dungeon Dome.

The Mike Lung Gallery #53: Oriental Rugs and the Petal Throne

Quite some time ago, Mike sent me a link regarding some cool miniature oriental rugs from a fellow in Turkey.

While he attached a different blog for samples, Mike's order underneath some of his painted Empire of the Petal Throne figures displays them nicely

Ballad of the Pigeon God #63: Awaiting the Oncoming Storm

20th of NonDec 1072- Chateau d'Echelon, Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
It was unsure if the news had traveled to his enemies, but to the common folk of the Barony of Eding, they were equally relieved and worried about the appearance of the assumed dead Baron Echelon.  But he was not there to take back his title from the ten-year-old Baron Timmy.  He had the prophetic return of a God-King to worry about and the possible subsequent Apocalypse to prevent.

After smiting three score worth of bounty hunters looking his head (by royal decree no less), few people of ill intent even pondered bothering the eccentric cleric.  He spent most of his time using a long covered porch in the back of the Chateau as a war room, accepting guests, garnering intel from them, and barking back plans to execute.  Sitting at his feet was his wolf, Pathfinder.  The two shared an psychic connection, but the wolf knew things were better left unsaid and certain questions shouldn't be answered.

The Chateau's current owner, "Baron" Felix had been riding to the Cult of Apotheosis daily to return with a scouting report, but as a prominent citizen allied with Echelon, he was putting his life in danger.  He had met a young paladin of Akana, Sigard of the Slate Gap, and after much discussion with Echelon (and numerous attempts to confirm he was not one of the dread Spider-People dopplegangers that plagued the kingdom) he was offered the job of spy for the gathering masses.   The halfling villages also sent their finest riders on their fastest ponies to report to Echelon of the huge movements of monsters and tribes through the thick Nightwood Forest to the north.  Very oddly, most did not venture south to harass the halflings.  In fact, some of the orcs kindly apologized to the halflings for their intrusions, and quickly sped away.  Their destination?  Lake Apotheosis and the tombs of the ancient Ferasean kings.

23rd of NonDec 1072- Chateau d'Echelon, Kingdom of Crosedes
Sigard reported back that the Cult's encampment had swollen to be miles across.  Somehow, their priests were keeping the peace, even though King Cervinal,  "The Dread Lord" to our heroes, had ordered troops to patrol the ever-expanding outskirts.

Rumors from the far side of the encampment claimed that the Grimsong Clan of orcs from far-off Markovia had arrived along the river above the lake and had established a ferry service for humans and orc alike?  Surely, it must be madness, but madness had been par for the course recently.

24th of NonDec 1072- Chateau d'Echelon, Kingdom of Crosedes
Echelon's remaining adventuring companions were without their own worries.  Thorrin Slatebelt alternated his time between the small forge at the Chateau, and the much larger on in the village.  The dwarf was forging as many arrow tips, spear heads, while repairing anything the locals brought to him, free of charge.  He had befriended a mountain of man who volunteered to aid him at the village forge.  Beourn was a ranger from Ras-Prythax that had the same worries as the entire Chateau.  He was never vetted like Sigard, but spoke of "having the heroes and villagers backs," should the prophecy go south.

The strange eastern water mystic Kane did a variety of tasks throughout the Barony, healing pilgrims, aiding families departures before the 1st of DecDec and the appearance of the "God of Goodness and Light, and reinforcing some of the defenses of the Chateau.  No matter what happened, the Chateau, not the village of Eding was to be the last line of defense, in order to let the last few locals a chance to escape, should things to horribly, horribly wrong.

Echelon's mentor, Mohammad, was perhaps the most powerful holy man on this side of the kingdom, yet he still showed no signs of recovering from the moment he was able to become a conduit for his god, Tshang Kai Ching.  The divine power scrambled his brain, and the already legless priest still spend most days in a second story broom closet, hiding from the open air.    But when Echelon took a moment away from his back porch command post, he had noticed his teacher staring out an open window in the bleak winter weather.  For such a cryptic prophet, he seemed resigned to the fate of the world... and his friends.

26th of NonDec 1072 - Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
Kane was never a heavy drinker, but with the impeding doom/divine nirvana merely eleven days away, a trip to the Blue Wizard Inn seemed to be in order.  Outside the establishment, the militia was doing their best job possible moving the mass of humanity moving towards Lake Apotheosis, but there was a different commotion distracting most people.  The remaining people in town were either too brave, too poor, or too stubborn, having survived goblin invasions eleven years prior, then a series of plagues, droughts, and tornadoes that preceded Echelon's rule.

It seemed that some of the stalwart old timers were chucking rocks at a gigantic (6'2") elf.  It took an appearance by Captain Torm Touchberry of the Baronial Militia to disperse the locals, but he was equally unhappy by the elf.  The elf was a former travelling companion of Torm's, a loudmouth elf cleric who nearly brought on the goblin invasion all by himself.  He and Torm were the only members of the adventuring party to come back and face charges of dereliction of duty in defense of the village, although this elf, Markuus Brightelm, disappeared before trial.   His arrival was a bad omen, and a worse one for Touchberry.  If Markuus was here to atone for his sins over a decade ago, something horrible was going to happen on the first of Undec.  Torm swallowed his pride, bought Markuus a drink, and the two caught up.

31st of NonDec 1072- Chateau d'Echelon, Kingdom of Crosedes
More reconnaissance confirmed orcs moving up from Masgoth, en masse, right alongside gnomes.  The lizardmen of the southern marshes were acting as police to the keep the two groups from interacting.

32nd of NonDec 1072- Chateau d'Echelon, Kingdom of Crosedes
Desperate pilgrims from Ruuna were first to report it, but actual barbarians from the distant plains of Galmar were peacefully riding down the road from Ruuna to find a late spot in the ritual.  Once word of them reached Echelon, he demanded an audience, expecting his friend and former adventurer Rolf Wolfsblood with them, but alas, he was not.

32nd of NonDec 1072- Chateau d'Echelon, Kingdom of Crosedes
Reports of kobolds, hobgoblins, and even an army of minotaurs were matched by rumors of King Cervinal himself nearing the Lake, along with a good portion of the Crosedes military in tow.

35th of NonDec 1072 - Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
In all the pomp and circumstance one could muster from a long, muddy early winter march, General Norm Dingleberry rode into Eding from the East, escorting nearly 2,8000 soldiers the dwarf had commanded while they freed the Duchy of Ruuna from the hands of the Skyforge Dwarves.

After a great ceremony, Echelon rode from the Chateau to greet him.

In two days, they would gather their friends and reach the gargantuan encampment of the Cult of Apotheosis (Cult of Light) to see the prophesied arrival of the God of Goodness and Light back onto this earthly plane of existence.    But for now, it was time to drink and regale their new allies with tales of their fallen comrades.

DM Notes: The Apocalypse is upon us, but for Echelon, Kane, and the others at the Chateau, there was only time to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  The arrival of Norm meant that there was still hope their other friends, many long missing, might return to aid them in their time of need.

Or the return of  God of Goodness and Light was legitimate and a time for great rejoicing!

The actual finale of the campaign was run at Griffon Games, the game store I managed.  We closed up early on a Saturday, brought everyone in with snacks and booze, and played till until completion. We did allow three new players to bring in some characters to fill in some gaps.  Sigard is a character run by Albert U, whose actual character name is lost in time.  Beourn was Matt B's long-running ranger, and Mike Dalcin returned to the campaign world with the same character he had played years ago, Markuus Brighthelm, a super strong wild-elf cleric with a loud personality and zero filter.  We may cover his exploits sometime in the future, but for now, the response by the long-time villagers to him was quite warranted.

Next: #64 - The God-King Arrives!

Father's Day and the Battle of Mirbat

Father's Day isn't so much the crazed holiday of traveling, food, and questionable gifts that it is for a lot of families.  With my wife traditionally working that Sunday, and the kids old enough to fend for themselves without the possibility of imminent death, it's a day of guilty pleasures.

First off, with the pending heat wave and snoring children, I avoided the super-early miss-the-crowd breakfast with the kids and ventured downstairs and painted without interruption.    Of course, I'm still not done with the infernal Schutztruppe that have haunted me the last few months.  Just some details on the hats and some static grass and I'm done, but who knows when I'll get a chance to go downstairs this week.

After the pitter-patter, I mean *thump thump * of feet, we had breakfast, watched the end of the last season of Flash on Netflix, and shot some hoops before it got too hot.

But it's Father's Day, so there's always a game.

With my wife coming home early, I gave the girls a choice between two games:  the next episode of our Pulp "Egypt" game or just a fun game with "army men."

They chose army men, so the crate of green dudes and worn out shoebox houses came out.

The next army guy game from my backlog of blog ideas was the Battle of Mirbat, pulled from an old issue of Wargames Illustrated.  The map provided looked to be played in smaller than 15mm, certainly not 54mm.  And the author didn't anticipate us playing with Burning Plastic, rules which are going to be 25 years old this year...

The revolutionaries storming the training facility.  

With Millie in charge of the revolutionary horde, Maja took charge of the British, we not only reacted swiftly to the attack, but charged out of the their blockhouse in brazen fashion!

Burning Plastic is Offensive dice vs Defensive Dice for a dice chucking frenzy kids (and most grown adults) love.  And as the too sides converged, Defensive was winning the day.

The British finally  took care of the revolutionaries stalled by the barbed wire, but Maja could not successfully roll for her heavy reinforcements (a machine gun, mortar, and air support after turn 3) were not.   Millie, realizing her reinforcements were literally "grab a handful of guys from the box and line them up at the table edge"  so politely asked "Daddy, if all my guys work together, can we tear down all the barbed wire? 

With no resistance on the other flank, I gave them a full turn without any actions would open the barbed wire wide-open for the hordes behind. 

The Barbed Wire Falls....

Maja's reinforcements from the beach finally worked their way up and held their own (she actually used cover for some of them!).

With revolutionaries finally pouring into the base, Maja finally rolled for her mortar and decimated the first wave, taking a few of her defenders with them!

Millie moved her right flank onto a nearby building to set up snipers for the mortar (also on a roof), as well as a flaming pegasus statue the British stole from the people (it's not in the WI article or Wikipedia, but my girls insist it's true!)

The problem for both sides was that the machine gun team finally appeared and walked outside to a firefight.  The soldiers with the machine gun were killed and the rest traded gunshots and grenades with the revolutionaries on the roof...

The chaos of that firefight barely muffled the sound of an incoming aircraft that strafed the remaining revolutionaries.

*takka takka takka takka BOOM!*

With the encroaching forces at the base of the building, the revolutionaries took well aimed shots at the mortar (and the sacred statue).  Rolling 2d6 on the attack, Millie chucked some dice on her three shots

12
12
12

With rolls that good, the mortar team had a catastrophic event.  And the statue was destroyed.

Just enough time to clean up, put everything away, and have our mandatory tea party, now with peanut butter cupcakes!

And as I appear to have done this in previous years, links to previous Father's Day games:
2017 - Against the Ape God
2016 - Assault the Secret Base
2015 - The Lost Shrine of Tu'Lip
2014 - Battle of Hook's Farm
2013 - Attack of the 50-Foot Princess
2012 - Rorke's Drift

2011 - Battle in the Mists  (Father's Day Weekend gaming with friends, no bambinos)

A Pilgrimage to #FreeRPGDay2018

A perfect, messy storm occurred on Saturday.  My wife had won a free hour-long massage from one of the vendors a wine festival she had attended.  Between the distance to the place and the whole production of a massage, it seemed like a perfect excuse to take the kids and and participate in #FreeRPGDay.

Except, no one local this year was participating!   AAAAARRGH!

Last year my local shop and the local games cafe joined forces to split the cost of the box (they ain't free for the store folks), and had organized a few events.  That would have been great, except the the owners of the game cafe closed up for the day and ran down to Philly for some anime con.  

Needless to say, this may have left a bad taste in the game store's mouth and a reluctance to do it again.  But none of the other stores remotely in the area decided to do it either.  I could imagine something that doesn't generate insta-Magic or GW profits and forces them to learn about other products frightens them.  

However, with the wife gone, a beautiful day, and a full tank of gas, we could venture further away, and visit The Portal for a second time. 

Braving interstate construction season, we made it down in good time to an excellent greeting and "elevator pitch" about Free RPG Day, where the free stuff was (in the back of the store in the open gaming area), and of course, the 15% off RPG sale. 

They call him... Tim (From The Portal's Facebook Account)

We ventured back to the open gaming area I hadn't checked on my review to discover the shelves and table o' gaming.  

The staff and the volunteer from the local gaming network were very nice.  My eyeballed estimates, might be wrong, but it seemed like they might have splurged on two boxes, allowing people to comfortably taking two items each.  

My daughter Maja immediately snagged a Cthulhu Confidential/Fall of Delta Green from Pelgrane Press.  

Millie was fascinated by the Muchkin CCG promotion card, and both of them were enthralled by the cover  "Skitter Shot" Starfinder module. 

The adorable Skittermanders are the "We Be Goblins" of the Starfinder universe.

Dear old Dad?  I grabbed the Kids on Bikes quick-play rules and left a copy of CoC's Skitter Scratch on the table. 

Of course,  the the whole purpose of Free RPG Day is to promote (and hopefully support) the FLGS experience, and we were happy to oblige.  A few dice bags, a hellhound "puppy" for Millie to paint today, some Magic cards for Maja, and traditional cardboard baseball card boxes for all the stuff we've accumulated recently.  It amazes me how many stores don't stock the $3 two row white shoeboxes (or any size items), forcing ignorant customers to buy "official storage product" with logos or artwork that wear out in weeks.  I know, some stores don't have storage, and others are two lazy to assemble the boxes, but a dollar box or three dollar shoebox is an impulse buy that even the people only window shopping will pick up. 

We would have stayed and tried to play something if, (a) we didn't drive to Easton to visit/check on my mom (b) we had told my wife where we were for the day and (c) the wife and I didn't already have late afternoon plans.

Happy Fathers Day 2018

Happy Free RPG Day 2018!

Today is Free RPG Day!  Check out the Store Locator to find a participating store near you! 

No one local is participating this year, so I might venture down to The Portal with the girls Saturday morning and perhaps a short visit to my Mom.

(Painting) A Fun Guy Around Mushrooms and a Twister, Heyna!

School is officially out, Summer is in full swing, the grass is growing like a weed, yet I've made progress downstairs at the painting bench.  Minis are getting sorted, tables cleared, and the lingering remains from the flooded basement getting chucked in the trash.  

Paint is getting applied to figures, primer sprayed on new projects, but only the random items I based and flocked to get off the table can be considered "completed."

Dug out a pack of mushrooms I got on clearance at Michael's awhile back.  

Of course, I didn't find anymore when I went there with the kids on Wednesday night.  A lot of new gnomes and buildings which are just a hair out of scale for Gnome Wars.  Once I get a childless trip, I'll see what I can find, but that will be awhile.

The shopping center made national news a few hours later:

Photo from Nanticoke Fire Department

The picture above is all that's left of the Dick's Sporting Goods that is next door to the Michael's.  You may have seen the pictures of the Panera Bread and U-Haul store devastated by the tornado that touched down in the shopping district after hours.  Luckily, there were only a few minor injuries.

To add levity to any serious situation:  The tornado touched down just passed a local gentleman's club and disappeared after Dick's.  Please construct your own joke.  No-Prizes may be offered.

With a few cancelled meetings at work and some downtime during the 5e online game, I've managed to reorganize and clean up the backlog of dreams, plans, and desires in my blog drafts.  I've complained about this before, my dream schedule is nothing like real life, so planned games/projects get pushed back until everything is compacted in a short timeframe and things just get pushed back even further.  It's like an accordion, going back and forth, until I need to retune it completely to 1-3 topics each week.  June and July seem reasonable and with the anticipated RPGaDay, my Summer appears book solid.

And remember how I mentioned on Monday that Lost Dispatches, the next RPG Actual Play, was slowly getting developed?  Let's change that to the first five episodes are outlined, two are  already in rough drafts, and I'm awaiting details from players for a little more continuity.

Next: The infernal Schtuztruppe.  The devil is in the details, and Bob Murch has plenty of small, but clean details I want to show off.  Another laser-cut mdf house, and the possibility of the painting this weekend.

And, of course, we all know it's Father's Day Weekend, and this Dad has enough power tools and ties.  Time for gaming....

The Mike Lung Gallery: #52 Gun Cocked and Drawn

Mike was a supporter of the Lemonade Wars Kickstarter, and his mind is racing in fifty different imaginative directions, but here he present The Rooster at “the Coop” supervising the loading of barrels of illegal lemonade. Besides being in the lemonade business, rumor has it that he runs several Hen Houses and is also a big-time gambler at the gnome car races.

Things are going to get crazy this Fall!

Ballad of the Pigeon God #62: The Hour of Reckoning is Near!

7th of NonDec 1072 - On the Road to Omsjik, Kingdom of Crosedes
Upon gathering the intelligence and supplies they sought out, our heroes were en route back to the Chateau d'Echelon, to prepare for the apocalypse/god-king that had been prophesied.  There was less than month before its arrival, so they tried their best to overcome the inclement weather, pilgrims and the curious clogging  the roads, all wishing to reach the camp of the Cult of Apotheosis.

Echelon, former Baron of Eding, fervent priest of Tshang Kai Shing, de facto leader and inspiration against the Dread Lord, and until a few days prior, previously deceased.  Wielder of the trident, Wave. Oh yeah, he was still disguised as a woman.

Kane, an eastern mystic with elemental control of water.  He had discarded the adventuring, but upon learning of the resistance against the Dread Lord, dug out his old armor and took up arms.

Thorin Slatebelt, Dwarf blacksmith, sworn by General Sir Norm Dingleberry with the task of protecting Echelon.  So far, so good.

The mass of humanity (and other demi-humans) perplexed the party.  Not only was the travelling community peaceful and helpful to one another, soldiers and cavalry of the King (The Dread Lord!) was not only letting these heretics pass unmolested, they sometimes aided those in need!

8th of NonDec 1072 - Outside of Omsjik, Kingdom of Crosedes 
Nearing the town Omsjik, but before the fork in the road leading to their rendezvous at Maless Manor, the mass of humanity slowed to a near crawl.

Rumors pushed through the caravan of pilgrims about humanoid monsters from Markovia and elves from Agenmoor pouring across the border, all wishing to witness the arrival of the God-King.

News would stall the march, but a long series of wagon alongside the road was actually causing a near halt.  Atop the wagons were a series of convicted criminals, strung up on posts in the wagon, completely eviscerated.  Each had a sign below them with their names and details of their crimes.

Theft, Swindling and Abusing Poor Pilgrims, the offenses seemed minor compared to painful death.

The last wagon held the lone woman of the collection.  Disembowled like the rest, her sign read- Mellandria - Scribe and Forger for the Traitor Echelon Riemann.  Guility of Witchcraft, Heresy, and High Treason.  Bounty paid out to Sterling Riverbend.  

Echelon's head dropped.  He had sent Mellandria to Pojunct with Sterling.  He was a swarthy individual, but no one picked him out as working for the enemy.

Less than a mile down the road, the took and empty road to the left and head for Maless Manor.

The Manor was in far better shape then they had left it, much in part of their enigmatic Michael.  He sat in a chair, openly weeping, holding a small creature in his lap.  Upon closer inspection, it was Horatio, Mellandria's owl familiar, and it was barely alive.

Michael looked up, tears streaming down his face.  "The owl arrived two days ago, barely alive.  It lead me to the carnival of criminals down the road.  Did they really need to do that to her?  She didn't deserve any of it!"

He collapsed to the floor, still coddling the now-lifeless body of the owl.

9th of NonDec 1072 - Maless Manor, Outside of Omsjik, Kingdom of Crosedes 
The trio consoled Michael as best they could, but they left him in the parlor to find food and a warm bed.  The following morning, they resupplied, disguised Echelon as an ugly woman yet again, and headed for Eding.

Along the way they picked up the regular talk: humanoid and foreign armies marching on the Cult's camp, talk of forced conversions of Omsjik townsfolk, and some obviously overblown stories of quarter-ogre Sterling Riverbend, hunting down some of the heathen rebels against good King Cervinal.

"Mellandria was the first.  He's on the path of a heretical priest, a lecherous rake, and a shaved dwarf.  Total Losers!"

15th of NonDec 1072  - Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
Echelon arrived at Chateau, confirmed he was indeed alive (Wave the Trident helped confirm he was not a Spider Person).  He removed his disguise, mounted his horse and rode to the center of town.  He publicly announced his return and his intent to slay the King.  The royal cavalry garrisoned in Eding attempted to move forward and arrest him, but five separate groups of bounty hunters emerged from the group and assaulted the cleric for their own financial gain.

Displaying the skewering power of Wave for the first time in public, Echelon made short work of the bounty hunters.  The King's men stepped back and returned to the barracks.

Echelon cleaned the blood off of Wave, surveyed the bodies (Sterling was not among them), and declared:

"I have not returned to rule over you.  Obey Baron Timmy.  Obey Lady Iris.  Do not venture near Lake Apotheosis, even to quench your curiosity.  When the time comes, defend your homes if you must, but I beg that many of you heed my warning and flee far away, or even to the halfling towns, if that might be far enough.  I can not guarantee your safety, even with my power."

With that, Echelon hoisted Wave, and started walking back to the Chateau.  Upon a quarter mile, he turned around to fetch his horse.  Once mounted, he sped off to the Chateau, post-haste.

DM Notes: Echelon has returned to Eding, but not without discovering the betrayal by Sterling and the loss of the wizard Mellandria.  Fun fact: Since his first appearance, Sterling's goal was to recover Echelon or one of his compatriots, not for any love or allegiance to the Dread Lord, but for the almighty gold piece.  Couple that with Mellandria's player no-showing session after session... and Sterling's player scheduled to miss a month of sessions, I figured the pair journeying together to Pojunct was the perfect time for him to make his move.  

Maless Manor was more a safe place to stay and resupply, and I still don't know who or what Michael was, but I figured the loss of the wizard would crush him...

RIP:  Mellandria (and Horatio).   Damn you Sterling!

In twenty-two days, the God-King returns...

NEXT: #63 -  Awaiting the Oncoming Storm

Google Celebrates Garden Gnomes!

Today's Google Doodle greeted me to a celebration of Garden Gnomes!

Rainy Days and Finales Always Get Me Down

You would expect a lot more productivity from a half-sunny/half-rainy weekend, yet all my accomplishments are "real-world" and not gaming related. 

I came into the weekend looking at putting paint on figures, putting figures on the table, and maybe grabbing some family fun.  But alas, the closest I got to my painting bench was installing new fluorescent bulbs over it. Definitely much better lighting than six bulbs were burnt out, but I'm still interested in an adjustable desk lamp to keep these aging eyes going.

My biggest accomplishment was taking the early hours of Saturday morning and finishing the last episode of Ballad of the Pigeon God.   Seventy-six episodes, starting from April 4, 2017, and running every Tuesday morning until September 18th this Fall have been a joyful chore.  The realist in me knows that the Pigeon God can't be finished until the last episode posts.  Episode #62, posting this Tuesday, was still rife with major errors when I reviewed it on Saturday, and I'm sure I'll want to add some more commentary in the DM Notes as the campaign reaches it's climax. 

As I've mentioned before, something RPG/D&D related will fill the Tuesday slot.  The Lost Dispatches is slowly getting developed, and I'd love a little more gameplay before Adventures in Gulluvia or the first special episodes of Trogs Redux sees the light of day. 

Otherwise, things are staying busy.  I've passed on a number of Kickstarters so I can spend more in the pledge manager of Scenic Grass and Tufts and the Pelegian Sapper.  Past that, other than getting an SRD copy of the new edition of Arcanum, I'm letting things progress slowly. 

Even podcast-wise, I'm in the doldrums.  Ken and Robin haven't piqued my interest, outside of their convention broadcasts, Happy Jacks have been 2-hour snoozefests, and even my military history and Savage World podcasts have been swings and misses. 

Even the Campaign Podcast, which had been on a short hiatus, came back to announce that the two minds who had helped develop the One-Shot Network into the cool, indie, improv RPG podcasts that they had were splitting up, and one was leaving the network.  Of course, it's the GM for Campaign that's leaving, which leaves us with 90+ episodes after the short backlog is complete, and a possibly different format for the future. 

I got a full day of conference calls for four different projects at work tomorrow, followed by grass cutting, and my online 5e game.  We will get some progress on the wargame/painting/gnome front shortly.

(Kickstarter) Harvesters the RPG by Troll Lord Games

It appears that Troll Lord Games has launched a Kickstarter for Harvesters the Role-Playing Game, an RPG where the smallest creatures become the world's greatest heroes!

There are plenty of anthropomorphic games out there, both RPGs and skirmish wargames, but Troll Lord Games is one of the well respected third-tier gaming companies,

Harvesters is a role playing game specifically designed for family play. Using the wildly popular and easy to use Castles & Crusades Siege Engine, players choose any one of the listed animals to play, in any of the classes provided. Designed for children ages 6 and up, Harvesters is the perfect game to bring everyone together. Children delight in taking on the roles of their favorite animals and parents find the role of Castle Keeper easy and fun!
I myself am hoping for the $7,000 stretch goal to be reached,  so frogs are a playable race

The Mike Lung Gallery #51: Eggyptoos!

It's been awhile since Gaming with the Gnomies has paid homage to super-fan, great painter, improving sculptor, and gnome commander, Mike Lung.

He's been a busy man, putting together a full Duck army of Eggyptoos from Fortress Figures

I've got a wrongfully accumulating a bunch of stuff from Mike that's been collecting dust.  I'll do my best to start posting up all the awesome stuff on a weekly basis.