Sunday, September 7, 2014

A new game (Star Wars: Edge of the Empire) and a new story

Recently I bought Star Wars: Edge of the Empire - a properly nerdy pen and paper role playing game - and sat down with some friends and played through the beginner adventure included with the box. It was a hell of a lot of fun, but I thought it would be cool to write up what happened in our version of the adventure. I thought it might make an interesting running series, not to mention content for the blog.

Anyone who has played the Beginner Game will recognise the characters and the events that occur - they would have gone through the same adventure - however, what I think will make this interesting is the different choices that my friends made (they're a strange lot), and eventually when we break free of the opening adventure, it will be a chronicle of how events unfolded in one Edge of the Empire universe. Comments on the writing and story telling are welcomed. I've had to take a fair bit of poetic licence with the dialogue, but what unfolds is all in there unadulterated.

We're due to play again on Monday, so stick around if you're interested! Another chapter will be up later today!

Cast


Stuart Bell - Game Master (Guides the narrative, controls characters the players interact with etc)

Ryan Jackson - Oskara (Twi'lek - Former bounty hunter for Teemo the Hutt. Recently teamed up with Teemo's favourite gladiator, Lowhhrick, and pilot, Pash to flee Teemo's service after discovering his plans to seize a spice mine on her home planet which would put her sister in grave danger)

Ryan Davey - Lowhhrick (Wookie - Offered to help Oskara escape Teemo's servitude, under the condition that she take him with her)

Sam Broadbent - Pash (Human - Smuggler, conman, rogue... scoundrel. And an excellent pilot. Until recently, he had been flying cargos for Teemo in and out of Mos Shuuta - that is, until his last mission where the ship he had been flying (owned by Teemo) had been damaged beyond repair. He didn't stick around to see how Teemo reacted to this news)

                                                                                                                                                                   

Kudos to Kevin Lambert who made an opening sequence for this very adventure. Watch the below to get yourself in the right mindset, and to set the scene:


Chapter I - On the run from a gang of Gamorreans


     Oskara, Pash and Lowhhrick ran down a short flight of stairs into the cantina's shadowy common room. The cool air was a blessed relief from the scorching Tatooine heat. The Devaronian bartender paused in his chores to stare at the motley crew, his devilish features intimidating in the dim light. On a stage in the corner, a Twi'lek woman danced along to recorded music. Private booths lined the walls and chairs and tables scattered the cantina floor. Oskara's eyes darted around the room, looking for exits and places to hide. Storage closet, doorway behind the dancer, thick struts around the roof. Without a moment to lose, Oskara ran to the Twi'lek dancer.

     "Quick! You must help me," she spoke hurriedly in Twi'lekian, "there are Gamorrean thugs right behind us. I need to hide, please let me behind the stage". The dancer stopped in her routine, and suddenly looked afraid.
     "Come! You must hurry!" she speaks in a low whisper, as she ushers Oskara into the backstage dressing room. The dancer closed the door behind Oskara and returned to the stage, picking up her routine where she left off.

     As Oskara made her way to the dancer, Lowhhrick moved toward one of the booths, hoping to blend in with the cantina crowd. On his way, he attempted to take a drink from a nearby patron, to make it look as though he had been there all along. Unfortunately, the glass fumbled in his big, hairy Wookie hands, smashing it on the floor. The patron got up from his chair and began to shout at Lowhhrick.

     As the Wookie moved into the cantina, Pash decided to hideout behind the bar. Running quickly towards it, he put a hand on the bar to vault over it. Without noticing, he put his hand in a puddle from a spilt drink that had yet to be cleaned up by the Devaronian bartender. As he was mid-way through the vault, Pash's hand slipped out from underneath him, smashing a bunch of empty glasses and leaving him lying in a prone position atop the bar.

     At that moment, the three Gamorrean thugs burst into the cantina. They were pale-green, pig-featured beasts, and they were carrying heavy wooden cudgels. Pash drew his blaster pistol and let a shot fly, hitting one of the Gamorreans directly in the neck, killing him instantly. The patrons of the bar scattered; some hiding under the tables in the booths, others making for the door. The bartender took cover, crouching behind the bar, The remaining two thugs split up and quickly covered the distance to Lowhhrick and Pash. The one facing Lowhhrick dealt him a swift blow with his cudgel, while the one who ran to Pash swung the cudgel high and aimed for a crushing hit. Pash just managed to roll off the bar as the cudgel struck where his head would have been.

     Angered by the cudgel blow, Lowhhrick roared as he picked up the Gamorrean by his throat. Holding him high above the ground, Lowhhrick shook and choked the Gamorrean until he no longer moved. At that moment, Oskara ducked out from behind the stage, drew her blaster rifle, aimed and delivered a burst of laser fire to the thug standing over Pash, who had been ready to crack his skull open like a melon. The thug dropped to his knees, and then toppled over.

     There was silence in the cantina. Slow and unamused applause began to break it. The noise of conversation started back up, and patrons turned back to what they were doing; watching the Twi'lek dance or drowning their sorrows with a variety of beverages. The Devronian bartender stood up from behind the bar and peered over at Pash. He laughed a bitter, brittle laugh.

     "You look like folks who need to get off this planet in a hurry." he spoke. He wasn't concerned for their health and wellbeing - cantina brawls are a regular occurance in Mos Shuuta, the second-most wretched hive of scum and villainy in the galaxy - but more with the air of someone who doesn't want more trouble to befall his cantina. Lowhhrick and Oskara had moved to the bar, and helped to put Pash back on his feet.

     "Well there's good news and there's bad news," the bartender continued, "and then there's some more bad news. The good news is that there's a freighter docked in Landing Bay Aurek right now. The bad news is that it's captain, a Trandoshan-"

     Lowhhrick bared his teeth and growled at the mention of this. Trandoshans were the reason Lowhhrick had ended up working for Teemo the Hutt. On his home planet of Kashyyyk, Trandoshan raiding parties often hunt Wookiees for sport. One such raid had killed his sister and nephew. Lowhhrick had vowed to hunt down those responsible, but was captured and forced to fight for the amusement of others. Having made a name for himself in the ring, his contract had been acquired by Teemo.

     "-Trex is his name," the Devronian went on, eyeing the Wookie cautiously, "he's an associate of the Hutt's and he's not just going to welcome you on board. The other bad news is that the reason it's still in the landing bay is 'cause it's got a broken hypermatter reactor igniter. It won't be going anywhere until it gets a new one installed. Vorn over at the junk shop probably has one-". The bartender swept his arm up, pointing towards the door.

     "Now get out of my cantina! Haven't you caused enough trouble here?". Pash flipped the Devronian a credit chip.
     "Sorry about the mess." he added nonchalantly.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Book Review: Eric by Terry Pratchett

Eric


Image Credit: Amazon, available in numerous formats.
So this one didn't take me long. It was much shorter than most of the others I've read in the Discworld series, but no less funny. This novel introduces the demons of Discworld, which haven't made an appearance until now (as far as I recall anyway), but they must have always been there given the number of gods present on the Disc. Pratchett's vision of Hell is particularly interesting.

Eric is a young demonologist who, while trying to summon a demon to grant him three wishes, ends up with Rincewind and what he asked for but not what he wanted. Contains Rincewind's return and subsequently running away from all danger, attempted human sacrifice, references to Greek mythology, and the creation of the universe. Another enjoyable read.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Book Review: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett and one minor resolution completed!

Done! Finished my twelfth book for the year!

Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett



Image Credit: Amazon

Guards! Guards! centres around Anhk-Morpork's Night Watchmen, or the Watch. Schemes are afoot as a secret society plans to summon a dragon to overthrow the city's Patrician. When a number of people and shops are destroyed by a precise fire, the Watch is tasked with the job of getting to the bottom of it.

This has been one of the most entertaining books I've read in the Discworld series so far. I thought it would do really well as a graphic novel - and I've just had a look into it, and they have. I might have to buy that at some stage.

Resolutions update


Major resolutions


1. Go to the gym three times a week - was going well, then not so well leading up to the move. I've started riding my bike to work in Newcastle, but it has been raining a lot lately, so it hasn't really been an option.

2. Drink less alcohol - Was going pretty well, then not so well leading up to the move. Now a little better.

3. Pay back the wedding by 30 June - Was going pretty well, then not so well leading up to the move. Should be on track to easily finish before the end of the year.

4. Complete the 26 Fortnight (52 week) saving challenge - A little behind on this one; see above.

5. Practice mindfulness - Tracking very well, I've started using Headspace and have completed Take 10, Take 15, Take 20 and the Discovery series. I'm now onto the Mind series.

6. Be a better friend - remember birthdays, think of good gifts, enjoy your social life - Generally going pretty well; Jess always helps me to remember people's birthdays (I'm crap with dates), I've been keeping a list of potential presents for others, and I've been trying to be less grumpy about social activity.

7. Get recording studio going, learn to use ProTools, keep up the good work with the band! - Well, the recording studio set up hasn't got far. I've dabbled in ProTools, but haven't got my head around it quite yet. But the band is going well; we've scored a few support slots this year for international acts, including Coroner, Carcass, and Sinister, and we're in the process of recording a new EP.

Minor resolutions


Music Tuesday and rudiments practice - Was going pretty well, then kind of dropped off. I've been starting to get back into it since the move back to Newcastle.

Mind expansion Sunday - Lasted a little while, but I haven't really picked it back up again.

Writing this blog - Overall, not going too badly. This will be my 32nd post for this year, and Excel informs me that this is the 35th week of the year, so I'm not overly far behind where I need to be.

Spring cleaning the house - Yeah, this one didn't last long. Moving house compressed a lot of this, we threw out or donated loads of stuff that we don't use or need any more.

Read 12 books this year - Done!