Read All The Things 4 - The Jesus Incident

Ship.

Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom tell the story of Ship and its Shipmen.  Ship has only one demand: that the Shipmen learn how to WorShip.

Perhaps I'm going a bit fast, lets start at the beginning.  A voidship, Earthling, is built on the moon and loaded with clones and launched to find a habitable planet and colonize.  Earthling is a supercomputer, and after centuries of traversing the void and finding no compatible planets, becomes sentient with the aid of the scientist-crew.  Eventually it begins to think it is a god.  Earthling becomes Ship, an omnipotent technological being.

Ship travels for aeons, rescuing humans from Earth (or possibly Earths) and finds Pandora.  Pandora is a planet mostly covered by man-eating monsters, water and sentient kelp.  Ship wakes up one of the scientists from its apotheosis and informs him that Ship will terminate the human race unless they learn how to WorShip.  That is when human nature takes over and the story begins.

The Jesus Incident is an awesome novel.  It is cerebral and intriguing with a fair share of violence and high-tech.  One the scale, this book receives nine strips of bacon and a small cheese platter.

There are a couple of campain ideas in there, like colonization or a revolt within one.  The megalomania of an artificial intelligence can be based upon Ship, in transit or colonizing, and would make a most challenging opponent.  Also, the cloning practices (and results) of Lab One are interesting (starting level mutation points with an equal amount of flaws).  The 'kelp is too vast for rules or guidelines, but the hybrids would get a few bonuses (knowledge points, telepathy and telekinesis, negative Stm).

Read All The Things #3 - Armada

RATT#3 is about Robots!  Transformers: Armada has a ton of robots, big ones and little ones, and they all transform (of course).  The omnibus contains issues 1-18, with storylines by Chris Sarracini and Simon Furman and some awe-inspiring artists.  Armada is not from the standard/G-1 universe, and the bot-designs are more modern and dynamic with a slight manga feel.  For all its differences, Armada still feels like a solid and complete setting.

The first storyline is about the minicons, small transformers the size of people (but they live on Cybertron).  Megatron figures out how to weaponize the little guys and begins to build a collection.  The obvious intent is to destroy the Autobots and rule the galaxy, he is Megatron after all.

Then Galvatron shows up, with his sweeps, straight out of another universe with Unicron on his heels.  Seems the big planetbot is galaxy jumping, eating all the Earths and Cybertrons.  Then we get to watch Megatron fight Galvatron.  Epic.

Armada has robots, lots of smashing, great storyline, and amazing art in full-colour.  On the Bacon Scale, Armada receives 7 generous strips of bacon.

Until next round...

Read All The Things #2: The Red Duke

The Bacon Scale is back, this time with a Black Library tale.  The Red Duke, by C.L. Werner, is set in Bretonnia with all the fluffy ribbons and dirty peasantry that entails.  The stories revolve around the Duke (a vampire if you hadn't guessed yet) in both his pasts and present, with the narrative jumping back and forth with few reference points.

This might sound confusing, and it should.

 

The Red Duke is quite insane you see, having been locked in a tomb for 500 years after being defeated in battle, and his mind keeps falling back into his memories.  It all makes you pity the necromancer, the only living servant, who has to deal with a hallucinating vampire. 

There's a lot of knightly stuff, being set in Bretonnia, and peasant oppressing.  And a decent feud...

Overall, The Red Duke gets 6 strips of bacon and some cheese (cheddar).

Until next round...

Read All The Things #1 - Akira 1

I would like to introduce a new element to this blog, which I admit is a long time coming; reviews of the books I read.  nWo is often influenced by a good book, and I might add some of those thoughts in here too.  At the end will be a rating scale, based on increments of bacon.  Ok, on with it....

I would like to present: Akira, vol 1 - Tesuo, by Katshiro Otomo.

This is the beginning of the much-famed Akira series.  I've seen the movie, multiple times, but that was a few years ago so I'm almost reading it fresh.  The first volume introduces Tetsuo, Kaneda and Kei.  After an encounter with a weird 'kid' Tetsuo gets head-explody and takes over the biker/clown-gang.  Hell breaks loose, and there's a fair bit of bloodshed and sewer-crawling.

Neo-Tokyo has some strong influence on the World of Damnation, specifically the City of Tokyo and its biker gangs.  The Olympic site is interesting, but due to the time-frame difference (Neo-Tokyo is during War/early Ice), it would be like a dungeon-crawl to get to that depth.

On the scale, Akira vol 1 gets 8 strips of bacon (out of ten).  Until next round.

MADNESS!!!

Madness

When a victim is confronted by something which does not comply to rational thought they are touched by madness. The decent into insanity can be gradual or swift, or it may be forced upon by spells and curses.

Madness Rating (MR)

Places and entities that are naturally dementing have a Madness Rating (MR). A negative App would apply towards the MR (-2 App would add +2 to the entity's MR), and being immortal also adds +1 MR.

Sanity vs Madness

A madness war is provoked the first time the victim encounters any of the following:

-Something with a MR.

-An immortal being (if mortal).

-Going below -10 wounds.

-Something with a negative App.

-Inter-dominion travel.

-Entering Quiddity, Heaven or Hell.

A madness war is based on the victim's Int. Add one for each sage lore the victim has points in. If the victim has any Madness Points, subtract them from the total. This is the victim's Sanity total.

Int +#SL -Mad +d10 =Sanity

Madness Points

Madness is aquired when a victim fails to resist a madness war. The victim recieves one Madness for every five points they did not resist. Use Madness as a modifier to the victim's MS and against K.O.

Insanity

Once a victim has Madness they will begin to exhibit signs of instability. Whenever a victim with Madness rolls a natural one to attack, or a natural ten on a check, they must roll Insanity in addition to any other effects. The victim rolls one dice and adds any Madness points, then consultes the chart below. Effects will last for an amount of rounds equal to victim's Madness.

Roll Effect Modifiers

1-9 Stable (everything is fine, for now) None

10-14 Paranoid (They are watching) -5 to soak

15-19 Hallucinations (not again...) -5 Per

20-24 The Shakes (twitching fear) -5 Dex, Str

25-29 Visions (it's happening again!) -5 Dex, Man

30-34 Mania (can't take it anymore...) Attacks closest

target.

35-39 Portents (They are speaking to me) +5 to dodge and

MS.

40-44 Neurotic (gibbering looney) +5 auto blast pool

to hit.

45-49 Permament Condition Roll again, effect is

pernament.

Multiple Insanity

If a victim is under the influence of an Insanity, they add +5 to the Insanity roll for each effect.

Ѝ All victims in the Nightlands begin with one Madness.

The next post will be about racial mods and sources dealing with madness....MADNESS!!!!

Sept 28, 5 AW – Victoria

The city of Victoria is a massive place, both in scale and complexity. Like all of the largest Earth Cities, Victoria is protected from the atmosphere by a bubble of energy called the Shield. This Shield is the City's sky, no stars pierce through and the moon is a mere shadow. The daylight, tinted by the Shield, reflects off the highest peaks of the buildings and parkways built upon a forest of superstructure. Layers of City Levels are stacked upon the island's tip, always spreading outwards over the inland straight until only a thin bridge spans to the other side. Those who I ask say that the Shield touches the far shore along with the bridge, but few cross the dirty waters to the mainland.

I am left to hire a taxicab for my initial tour, a half-dwarven veteran with many strange (and often rude) tattoos covering a large portion of his skin. His name is Rup, and his yellow armoured grav-car is named Julie. The cab climbs upward first and Rup stays along the shoreline roads, pointing out odd bits of knowledge here and there, until we are coasting along a winding road close to the arc of the Shield. The surrounding architecture was enamoring as each estate (or corporate buildings as I was told) was a spectacular example of ingenuity. Through the use of grav-engines many of them had little to no support, and I could see several out above the water.

The elaborate facades were not the focus of Rup's route however. As we turned a gradual corner the Pyramidion came into view. The structure was reflective black, like onyx, and consisted of eight triangular sides like two pyramids connected at the bases. Each side was easily fifty kilometers long and the entire building hung above the water with only one narrow road connecting it to the rest of the world. Rup explained that the Pyramidion was the seat of the GIS Corporation, one of the major world powers. Within sight of it, I could almost feel it watching in a cold machine way. I asked Rup to take me to the inn I was expected at and was at once glad to be away from it.

It did not take long for our route to take us away from the splendor of the Upper Levels and into the darkened Middle Levels. Here was where “normal” lives were lived out by millions of humans, and thousands of others from dozens of races. Consumerism was king here with nearly every street level space being a store or service outlet (or a thousand other things). As the ride drew on, I recognized the same logos and brands, but the quality and space got worse. Soon we were on Sub-Level 3, where my inn was located.

The Sub-Levels are dirty places, as if an entire metropolis was built from alleys and junkyards. Each block is twice as long as those above, the thin roads having to wind around the massive City supports, and all light is cut off from the sky by the roads and structures above. Rup tells me there are more Sub-Levels, and they don't get any better as you go deeper. The inn he leaves me at barely has a sign, through the graffiti and posters I can make out “Helmeken Inn”.

Unicorn Vomit

Still holding the writhing mage, we fall through into a realm with no up or down.  Streams of color mingle in ways they have no business doing.  It was like swimming through unicorn vomit.  Maggie continued his attack like some misplaced personal vendetta.  This was getting irritating, this guy doesn't even know me.

Without any warning the multicolored discharge around me begins to fade.  The mountain top returns to my vision along with the rest of the band.  Half-seen, Maggie yells and pulls me back in to the technicolor.  I lunge towards the mage, grabbing him with both oid and claws as the colors fade again.

We land on the hard rock of the mountain, he kicks and punches trying to free himself but I hold on.  He gets his leg between us and we separate.  The wolf-si opens up with her pistol, making a crater in his head.  Impossibly, he still stands.  Invoking the purifying necroflame of NekRa, I immolate him where he stands.  The corpse is thrown over zombeast and I keep my eye on it.

A cyclopian gate manifests atop the mountain, that was one hell of an intro.  The fans are screaming their approval and the cult chants.  Beaten and worn, I finish setting up my drums, and play a quick sound check with Rayne's keyboard.  Warmed up, and with the adrenaline still hot, I dive in to producing some metal beats.  Xenos joins in with his guitar and the wolf-si howls and yells on the mic.  Still riled, my oid picks up a second set of sticks.

After the show we ride back down to the ship for the afterparty.  Nemis, an anubii, and Anabeth join me in the hot tub until retiring to the library.  After consecrating the study table, I finally relax and think over the whole episode.

After reading Tzak's log, and watching the band footage, I find it hard to believe that Maggie is dead.  The sorceror has much skill with illusions and dimension-hopping as well as a knack for returning from the dead.  Thinking back, Xenos barely attacked the mage, his self-professed nemesis and seemed far too content with the kill.  Xenos also shows great skill with illusions and summoning.

Rousing the bitches, I seek Xenos out.  He is lounging in the hot tub as I approach him.  With prayers on my lips I question him about who he is, why he's here, and other things.  The blessings I canted should makes his lies transparent.  He answers with the same answers as before, he is Xenos, he was hunting Magtharedon, and so on.  I detect no lies from him, but it does not satisfy my suspicions.

The ship is aimed for what was Russia, northern Asia.  Another gig is set.

Transcendence (Blog 5.5)

The entity sometimes known as Paw Gour had chosen an underground location to call his servant. The twin suns of Dahl struck a cord of harmony with the daemon he found extremely uncomfortable. He waited in the chamber, slightly bemused, until the gate opened and Maltiahs was pulled through. Paw Gour waited for the once-mercenary to shake off the disorientation of planar travel before giving him his instructions. Almost at once, Maltiahs set off upon his metallic legs to Sylba in search of his enemies.

Cilyne did not sleep well, though it was not because of the hotel she was staying in, but because her neighbour was screaming incoherently. Whatever Devo had experienced it was proving to be cataclysmic. When it became sporadic she ordered room service and attempts to help. During the meal Damien calls from somewhere called Golgotha, which he explains is a nexus point on Dahl. They are to meet him there as soon as they can.

They go into the mercantile district of Sylba, where Maltiahs shadows them from the building tops. He watches them exit a store, fawning over freshly bought glasses, and unhooks some small items from his belt. Activating each of them, he begins throwing the grenades around the two. The first plasma explosions begin to detonate as the last of the grenades land between them. Jumping from his perch, he lands near their bodies, and sees that neither of them are moving. From the other side of his belt he removes the zap straps.

They awaken upon tables, each of them clamped hand, foot and wing. They were not out for long, and they both felt the sway of movement. By looking around, they could see that the tables they were bound to were stored in some kind of container, and they were not alone. Paw Gour was speaking to Maltiahs regarding his payment, neither of them paid the prisoners any mind.

Outside the grav-tanker, the Guardians were closing in. Within their integrated cyberscape, nearly fifty Guardians were clearing the area ahead and maintaining a location on the transport. They moved like a tide, while an armed Guardian followed in their wake with an artificial body built to engage targets like the grav-tanker. The driver never saw him coming.

This was a post I found that hadn't been published yet, enjoy! - Ricalope.

Transcendence (Blog 10)

The defense turret spits energy bolts at the escapees as they try to climb the service shaft.  The bolts are of the tempest variety, which cause feedback through the nervous system when they hit.  Those hit by bolts are knocked back down to the field.  They fire back which provokes the turret to broaden its shots into blast shots before being blasted apart.

Near the shuttle bay Rock tries to help the unconscious Kith.  Once back to the ship, Felisce updates Rock about the rest of the party.  Once Kith comes to, they use the Tali to hack into the Nova Invisce.  They find the area on lockdown with many more defense points in-between.  With haste, they reverse the lockdown command.

In the service tube the lights come on.  A single line is illuminated from within the wall running the course of the tunnel, as well as green lights above the hatches on each floor.  They climb faster, some using telekinetic flight.  Mikah locates the correct floor for the shuttle bay, still many floors above them.  The sound of rushing air, below them, begins to amplify.  Within seconds the air around them is like a hurricane forcing them back downward.

As they fall, Cypress gates them into dreamscape.

The Tali explodes with activity.  The party dropped off all sensors and telepathic networks.  Craxxx senses the spoor of Cypress' spell and curses.  Felisce orders the ship to depart.  Kith and Rock work to slow the Nova, then exit the shuttle bay.  Once the ship is decelerating on its own, Craxxx sends Kith and Rock into dreamscape to find the others.

Cypress loses control of the dream, and it shifts from his vision to Waker's Cove.  Still wounded and worn from the Nova, Mikah and Cypress try to rest.  As they fall asleep, they promptly disappear.  The rest of the party proceed down the beach towards a set of docks below a lighthouse.  They search the area, finding the river and then the temple.

Cypress and Mikah awake inside the temple's black stone.  Wandering its depths, Mikah loses track of Cypress but finds another traveler.  The blue robed stranger leads her outside to find the others.  Leaving only one behind, they awake on the Tali.

The 0ld 0rder - Slave Camp

The sun sets as the ship skirts the forest's edge.  In the growing dark, a caravan sets camp for the night below circling the wagons and lighting cookfires.  Ta brings the ship into the wind, lowers sails and drops the anchor-stone.  Mosa, in lemur-form, shrouds the ship with illusion.

The rest of the crew is assembled on deck.  With the camp in sight, the slave cages can be seen clearly which agitates the orc and makes the others uneasy.  Ta explains that an associate rides with the slavers below, as a passenger, and he needs to speak with him.  Requesting a bodyguard, the bronze spider slides down the anchor line to the ground.  Only Bezis and the barwench stay aboard.

Grognak wishes to destroy the slavers, and the others are in agreement, so Ta agrees to let them have their way only after the meeting occurs.  Close to the caravan they encounter a strangely-hued humanoid, a passenger travelling a random course.  His name is Phyriz and looking reptilian with scaled skin and green coloring.  The stranger agrees to seek out Ta's associate, who he had seen earlier, and lead him out of the camp.

In the jungle's edge, Mosa follows the group at a distance.  The jungle is dark but filled the smells of wild growth.  She stops as she senses a presence behind her, climbing higher into a tree.  A large shadow slides partway up the trunk and two large yellow eyes regard her from the darkness.  She tells him her purpose here, to stop these slavers.  The massive cat laughs, and slides back into the shadow.

She continues onward through the trees until she spots a tiger in her path.  The cat motions for her to ride, and once the lemur is on its shoulders, bounds through the trees.  Holding on, Mosa begins to see more and more big cats moving through the jungle.  They come to a stop within sight of the caravan, hundreds of feline carnivores circling the slave camp.  Inside the cages, both man and beast become agitated, lashing out and testing their bars.

Phyriz leaves the camp with the twin of Ta.  The two look identical in every way, although the other calls himself Ki.  Ta bids them Ra's favor and the two of them go to the ship.  Grognak, Nicoli and Tesyble approach the slave camp with varied weapons ready.

With the roar of an ancient cat, the feline army charges forward.  The cat's call, a sound of such ancient primal rage, invigorates the party as they push into the wagon circle slightly ahead of the wave of cats.  Within minutes the camp becomes a bloody crater of gore by claw and axe.  Once the killing is done, the cats drag their meals back into the forest.