End of Halloween

Journal 132 21 Oct- 3 Nov 2024

And spooky season is coming to a close.

Well, really its already closed but we still have all the tension of the elections to deal with. I can’t wait for it to be over.

But we’re not here to mire ourselves into the dystopia that we’ve descended into over the last decade.

I’d rather talk about fantasy novels, RPGs where the monsters are dealt with, and other media where good can defeat evil. I might love horror, and write horror into all of books no matter their genre. But I have always liked a happy, or at least optimistic, ending.

So, for now, this journal entry will firmly stay in the happy realm and ignore what’s happening. Next week, we’ll probably discuss things differently.

Still Lazy

I haven’t accomplished a lot over the last two weeks. Hell, the entire month of October has been mostly spent having a little fun.

First, I took 3 months off of watching K-dramas or any other foreign show. But in October I started again. I watched four movies, and three dramas (2.5 to be precise). Most of the movies were spooky-adjacent so worked for the season.

Of course, I’m immediately addicted again and have to go through the list of shows I intended to watch months ago and dive into them. I’ve even been tempted to go back and rewatch some of my old favorites.

Solo RPGs

I spent all of my days off running 2d6 Dungeon/Realm. I really love this game. Other games feel more like old school D&D. But they are slightly less fun. If 2d6 Dungeon had classic (non-copyrighted) monsters like orcs and goblins, dragons, etc. It would be a grandslam.

Instead, it is its own setting, mythology, and wholly unique. I enjoy the hell out of it. The game play is great, the combat is fun, the exploration and mapping are great. Every room generates story and encourages play/storytelling. If the game had just a dash more of “standard” fantasy I wouldn’t be tempted toward the other solo RPGs I have.

In any case, my realm and character are growing greatly in my current game. Besides, I still have my two games a week of Standard D&D, so I don’t NEED to have those things in my solo game.

Speaking of D&D, my Tuesday game met every week this month, and we haven’t started to rotate games yet, so that’s four full weeks of one character. Though my Saturday game took a couple weeks off, I only just had a game on Sat. last night.

D&D Story: Graza part 3

I set up Graza’s story in the last two journals, so I won’t repeat myself and assume you’ve read back through.

We continue to work our way through the Sunken Temple. But we’ve now determined that this place is way more steeped in weird metaphysics. We discovered that our world is part of a collective multiverse, a reality were all events are explored.

However, our world, our reality is actually a failed strand on the multiverse. Some power has stolen failed worlds out of the multiverse, Dead-end timelines that were supposed to collapse and die. Some great power took a bunch of these dead worlds, stole them and braided them into a hidden sub-reality.

I know it’s a lot to take in, and its kind of funny that I’m playing this massive furry mercenary fighter, but his intelligence is almost as great as his strength. So, he’s been helping create these theories.

Temple Theory

We’ve basically concluded that the “temple” is actually a massive, multi-layered spell that has taken on the form of a building. Its function is two-fold.

First, it might be one of four anchors that was created to hold the Braid of dead-realities together.

Second, it is a way to travel between the various strands in the Braid. There is a device in the core of the temple that allows the temple to “move” to another world, or another time.

Not to complicate it further but we discovered that it also moves through time. We encountered an ancient undead wizard in one of the rooms. And thankfully, we were able to talk it out with them, to the point that they wish to leave with us when we go.

She seems to be from our past. But we do know that some of the worlds have the same map, same history, to a point where they diverge. I’m about 80% sure she’s from out past.

Complication

At this point, having met the undead wizard and realizing there is not a lot of treasure in the temple, but the knowledge of this woman IS treasure. Graza wants to leave. But, our other forced ally, Deirdre the Elf Captain has revealed to us that the elves have uncovered a massive forge, that also seems to be an anchor point for the Braid.

Does this temple serve a third purpose? DD (Deirdre) has also mentioned raising the dead, and I don’t know if that is a part of the forge, or some other threat. DD is determined to find the control plate that makes the temple “move.” And she intended to go to another world with it. Denying its use to the elven army.

And this brings us to the part I really love about this game. As we are playing through all of these prequel chapters before the main game starts. Besides learning the metaphysics, learning alternate history, figuring out who the real villains are, and all of that. We also have a chance to impact what happens in the MAIN campaign.

Do we want to allow the elves to have the Forge and the Temple in the main game?

No.

D&D Story: Chamber 2

After nearly three weeks away from the character I got the chance to return to him.

Again, part 1 is in a previous post, but I’ll give you a little background. The game revolves around characters who are bound to hell… either as sinners, deal breakers, or real shitty luck. We’re scouts in the legions manning a watchtower along the border. We are also agents of Dispater who are sent to collect mortal contracts on the material plane.

Last game ended with us outside of the city of Baldur’s Gate in a small shack. We executed an alchemist who was creating potions of longevity to push off his death. Once we dispatch a target we have and hour or two before we get pulled back to hell ourselves.

So, we looted the house, took a rest, and enjoyed the smells of fresh air, grass, and wood smoke. We tasted cold water and ate food that was actually food. Then we were pulled back to the watchtower. Our time as agents over, pressed back into the scout services.

Hellbound

We returned just in time for our sergeant at arms to report that an incursion of demons had swept through our defenses and were running for the battlefields. As scouts we’d be sent out ahead to track down and try to kill the Babau Demon leading the charge.

To shorten the story a bit we ended up wading through well over thirty Manes (the least of devils) and several tougher creatures before we finally toppled the babau. The fight got pretty desperate as in the end we were surrounded by twenty manes as we tried to get to the babau.

I am kind of surprised that our fairly low-level characters survived, but we managed. At the very end, one of our sergeant devils did come in to help a little. But not a one of us dropped. We worked our way through the enemy and defeated them well.

I really can’t wait to explore this character more. We haven’t had much of a time to talk and develop who we are as characters. But at the same time, we learned a lot of each other by how we fight. Also, some of our morality started to show.

I’m fully intrigued by the priest amongst us, who prays and divine radiance blasts out of them. He heals us, but also fights like a knight, fully armed and armored. How the hell did he end up here in hell? What is his story?

Our monk has stated that they chose to travel into the Nine Hells. Why? And did they think they could easily leave? Rhett (the monk) has made comments that he’s only here for a bit and then moving on. Good luck with that.

Good Times

I’m having a lot of fun, but I still feel torn about all the work I’ve done earlier in the year, and all the work I’ve put off.

I put a ton of effort into setting up a game, and world building for the novel. And finding excuses to start neither of them. Two months left in the year and both goals seem out of reach and I’m mad at myself for ignoring all the other goals I had.

BUT…

I’m kind of still having a good time. I’m still maintaining this website, mostly, and I still have fun. Life is manageable even if I’m not always aiming for or attaining loftier goals. And that has to be considered a level of success.

So, I will leave this journal at this point. I’m happy enough to keep doing what I’m doing and I still want more.

I’ll see you on the other side of election day, hopefully we have a better ending, because I already said I hate unhappy endings.