World of Weeping

Now that Cataclysm is amongst us, I have been seriously considering going back to that wretched game, despite a very strong argument pointing out why it's an awful idea. What can I say, I want me some of that troll druid action.

Click for larger trolls

As you can see my characters are not boxes. I have decided to make a bit of a change, we shall see how it goes.

So all apologies for the update-drought that has been afflicting this blog lately, I have been worked to the bones with all sorts of plays and essays, and essays about plays. I will attempt to try to update at least weekly until things get back in order, so please bear with me.

Now sit back and enjoy this image of the world's largest land based crab.

Its diet consists of coconuts and human kidneys.

 

  

Sparrows, and the machinations that consume them

Well shoot, I haven't been here in a while.

But I have good reason!

I've been incredibly busy, and will most likely continue to be incredibly busy, but at the moment I have a temporary reprieve, so here I am.

Remember when I decided to write that short story? Yeah well that didn't happen. Not only was I not completely satisfied with the concept, but I simply did not have enough time. But I do have an idea for a project that I would like to start and hopefully someday finish. It shall be known as:

And it shall be a collection of several very short stories that I have had kicking around my head for a while. They will mainly function as ways for me to get some of these ideas down on paper so I can see which ones are worth expanding on. The three I have lined up so far are:

A fantasy story set in a modern world (you never see those!)

A sci-fi story about a human ambassador who bonds with a plant like alien

A horror story about something that I'm not too sure of yet

I will get started on these as soon as possible, but don't expect them any time soon. I'm going to be busy with school for the next couple of months, so work on these will be slow at best. But know that I will finish them. 

And they will rock.

What is wrong, robot?

Gamma World was amazing.

This was the first time I ever DM'd a table top game (and only the second time I've ever played one) and the experience was completely unbelievable. It is no secret I love to write, and being a Dungeon Master is a writer's wet dream. I was telling a story that was constantly evolving, needing to change and adapt my narrative in accordance to fate and the unpredictable actions of Ratagan Manrattington (Medic), and Longshanks (Lex).

For example, the first enemy they were facing was a small robot that they were meant to kill before moving on. Instead, they made it cry and convinced it to join them in their adventure. That wasn't in the plan. But it sure was awesome.

A sketch of the party's robot, "I.G."

During their misadventures the trio managed to fight off radioactive birds, find a car, befriend a race of pig-men, and nuke a group of living plants. They were pretty productive.

I can't wait for the next session, where the party will brave the Bow River and reach St. Mary's high school, which is probably filled with snake people or something. I will have to see.

In other news, I am swamped with homework! Oh jeez oh jeez. Back to commentaries and questions!

  

What a terrible night for a brain-moose!

So today during rehearsal I was privileged enough to get to help clean dried up brain from a 30 year old moose-scalp. For those who have not had the distinct pleasure of chiseling rotten grey matter from an ancient moose skull, it is quite tedious (yet very rewarding!) work. Also, it smells exactly as you would think it would.

Judging from the skull, I assume the moose looked a bit like this.

Hopefully by tomorrow the smell will fade and I can start playing some Gamma World with Matt and Lex. I am using Calgary as a setting and have been enjoying turning all of our landmarks into post apocalyptic death-pits. The Stampede grounds are now the location of one of the area's largest settlements, and the Saddledome plays host to gladiator-like blood sports. And that's just the beginning! Teleporting plants, pigs on motorcycles, and obsessive compulsive robots await them!

And maybe, if they work together and believe in themselves, they will be able to stave of starvation long enough to get eaten by giant talking moles with British accents.

JOLLY GOOD

In which a man faces his fears

This is based on an upsettingly true story.

Click for larger leeches

So anyways, I picked up Gamma World today and I'm pretty darn excited to start playing it with some friends. The random character creation is definitely a winner; Medic already rolled his and ended up with a swarm of rats in human form controlled by a hypercognitive central intelligence. Its name is Rataguhn Manrattington and it wields a gun that uses rats from its own body as ammunition. The act of creating this character alone was enough entertainment to justify the purchase, so I can't even guess what the actual game will be like.

I assume we will never stop laughing.

I'm doing a Book note thing, I guess!

So a few of my friends have been doing "Book Notes," which involve writing down 15 books that you think will always stick with you. Keep in mind I limited myself to one book per author, to keep things a bit varied.

1) The Cthulhu Mythos - Lovecraft
2) Thud! - Terry Pratchett
3) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
4) The Hobbit - Tolkein
5) Watchmen - Alan Moore
6) The Gunslinger - Stephen King
7) Dune - Frank Herbert
8) The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
10)1984 - George Orwell
11) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Phillip K. Dick
12) A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
13) The Gods of Pegana - Lord Dunsany
14) The Conqueror Worm - Mike Mignola
15) Areas of My Expertise - John Hodgeman


I don't want to go into them all in any great detail, because that would take literal eons. Just know that every one of these has influenced my life and my writing immensely, and I STRONGLY recommend all of them. I may have been cheating with Watchmen and Conqueror Worm, since they are graphic novels, but I guess you have to deal with it 

Just for you, Glenndl

Scream Fest was excellent,  and I was slightly less cowardly then I predicted. My friends and I were some of the only people there over 15, and MAN we felt old. The haunted houses were pretty freaky, and I saw a certain terrifying zombie child in the maze. We also saw the guy from Guinea Pig shove a meathook through his nose and out his mouth then hang a bowling ball from it, which was... entertaining?

The unthinkable has occurred!

Is this the first time I have done back to back blog posts?!?!?! Mayhaps it is! But don't start burbling with pleasure just yet folks; I'm only lavishing you with this rare treat because I may be unable to update tomorrow. So Instead of doing a late post as usual, I've decided to do an early one. And for today's post, I present to you yet another rare treat, me talking about my life!

Wait how is that a treat

Anyways, I have been a pretty busy bloody bee lately, and I think its starting to cause me considerable anguish, which as though who are familiar with anguish know, is not a good thing by any stretch of the imagination. At this moment I am involved in

• A play
• My school's leadership committee
• Improv club
• Torch
• Junior Achievement
• Another play
• Writing a 3000 word essay
• Full flipping IB

When I first took all this on, I thought I would be able to manage it, but that seems to be becoming less and less the case. The leadership committee in particular has been quite antagonizing to my well being, since the two leaders seem to think that while there are literally 20 members in our group, all tasks of any importance must be delegated to me. And when I try to get the other members to help its like they all get folded into some sort of higher dimension.

They just disappear from our mortal plane. 

Its frustrating to say the least, especially when one of those leaders tells you last minute that everything you've been doing is wrong. So yeah, I've been stressed. And now that Junior Achievement is starting I have a sneaking suspicion I will be literally drowning in work. IT WILL INVADE MY LUNGS

But being the stubborn fool that I am, I refuse to quit any of these things. Although I got to say, if I had to quit one of them it would be that Bob-forsaken leadership team. I get loaded with every single menial task they can think of, and almost never get any recognition. Also, we don't seem to actually do anything so, I dunno, maybe it doesn't matter if I'm in it or not. Seriously, if I put "Leadership Group" on a university application I will be asked if I made that bull honkey up. Its a joke.

Whoa I wrote a lot. I apologize for my delusional raving, maybe I shouldn't do this kind of thing at such a late hour. I get cross.

Now time to hit the hay, gotta get ready to be murdered with fright tomorrow. Can't wait!