Beyond the Mists

2002-09-25T09:26:00.000-04:00

It's been a while...

Life has been busy. What more is there to say? Sometimes we barely have time for the essentials. (House of Cards of course being essential.)

Anyway, it seems as if my routine is settling down again. Of course Kris and I are complicating that by beginning a new PBEM Shades of Darkness. It's a World of Darkness game and I have been given a variety of different characters all ready. We also have some wonderful plot elements wandering around in our heads. The character creation phase is still going strong if anyone is looking for a game.

Beyond that, I hope to get caught up on Wishes some time soon. And I'd like to get some more info on Lilly's blog. So be on the look out!

2002-08-23T16:17:00.000-04:00

Parenting Secrets Revealed

For the second day in a row, my 3 1/2 year old son, Kristopher, has fallen asleep on the couch after eating Corn Pops straight from the box. Mind you this is a child who almost never naps. I might be onto something here... Can Corn Pops induce sleep? Or at the very least will my belief in their ability to make rambunctious preschoolers nap prove to be enough to make it so? Hmmm....

Good thing I have two boxes of them in the house. I see much experimenting over the next few days... LOL!

2002-08-23T15:53:00.000-04:00

Game Wish 9

[Yes... I do seem to have skipped number 8. We have been sooo busy as of late I simply haven't gotten to reading everything that is out there. Hopefully I will get to it sometime soon. Even by answering #9 I am still 2 wishes behind as it is. Anyway, here is my answer to what I consider a relatively *easy* one! ]

Have you ever gotten a significant other into gaming? Those of you in "mixed marriages", where one spouse is a gamer and the other isn't, how did you work this out?

It's funny, but every guy I have ever dated gamed. Every single one. I'm sure that in and of itself says something about me. But I held out. No way was I going to be drawn into some childish game of make believe. I was about to start hoarding dice or complaining when others touched them. And I certainly would never see the need to own all of those books...

Then I met Kris.

For Kris gaming was never something he did to simply pass a few hours with friends. Or atleast by the time I had met him he was quickly moving away from that. For Kris gaming was and is a full time hobby. It is his creative outlet and in some ways his obsession. He uses it to learn more about who he is. Sometimes it's all fun and games other times it is an emmotional fire keg. But no matter what he would not be complete with out it.

Like most non-gamer girlfriends, I initially didn't realize any of this. I naively thought I could change him. Or maybe I believed he would out grow it. So I gave in, let him have his night with the guys, and nodded politely as he tried to share his stories with me. This was good for quite sometime. I was able to hang onto my delusions for a good two years I think.

Slowly though I got tired of it. I got tired of the nodding. Being with his friends was something I dreaded because ALL they talked about was gaming. I realized something had to give. Being the stubborn person I am I decided I was going to try to understand my now husband even if it killed me. You see I have this self righteous streak that's about a mile wide when it comes to my marriage. None of our friends thought we would last six months together. As a newlywed I was determined to prove them wrong. In order to do that, I had to eliminate ANYTHING that might cause problem. So I began to ask questions.

Once I began to ask, my mind opened up. Slowly mind you. Like I said I can be stubborn at times. My first step into gaming was playing a character very much like me. Heck, all of my first attempts were characters Kris suggested because they would be familiar to me. The we began playing Vampire. Kris was determined I should be playing Toreador because they are the most human. Me? I wanted no part of them. Too hedonistic I said. (And at the time they were.) I wanted to play a Malkavian. I thought of this awesome concept and he let me go. That's when I ceased being a gamers girlfriend and became a gamer in my own right.

Now? Well aside from the fact I can play one hell of a hedonist, I have embraced gaming as my own. It has given me a creative outlet and a place to let my passions run free. I no longer play mere reflections of myself but enjoy playing people who are in many ways my complete opposite, like Lilly in House of Cards. I think if Kris had pushed me, I would have resisted and resisted hard. But by allowing me to discover gaming on my own, I was given a true gift. No wonder I adore my husband so much.

2002-08-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Another Maxim

Now that I've done my wish and have begun to read what others are saying, I thought of something else...

Speak a Common Language.

Nothing, and I repeat nothing, is as bad as finding out the character you have been given to play for the night is mute and can not communicat with *any* of the party members. My annoyance at that was only tempered by the fact that someone actually created this character. I couldn't believe it. Why would anyone want to play a character who not only couldn't speak but had a lower intelligence score then some of the local rocks. All I could do was kill things. Lovely. I vowed never to play AD&D again!

The there was this time we were playing Werewolf. Two of us decided on Lupus characters. The GM decides we have just undergone the first change and do not know human language. Fine. I could have lived with that. Then he puts us in a situation where we have only kinfolk to teach us what we need to know. The Kin couldn't speak the garou tongue. The ensuing scene, while absolutely hilarious, totally obscured any serious edge the game might have had. It took us forever to get anything done. To this day the quote left over from that game is "Thank You. Pants." Needless to say, that game died a rather quick death.

On a similar note, taking speech imediment can also really hamstring a character. We had someone take stuttering as a flaw in a GURPS game one. The flaw lasted a session before he practically begged the GM to allow him to change it.

All in all anything that affect communication between the players is going to have an affect on the game. As both a GM and a player we have an obligation to take note of that. Even when say half of the PC's can speak a particular language things get interesting. The other half will no dobt become distrustful of what they don't understand. Wether or not that is appropriate in the game is something that really should be considered.

2002-08-08T11:35:00.000-04:00

WISH 7: Maxims

List three or more maxims/proverbs/bits of conventional wisdom/etc. that you've learned in your gaming career, and explain what they mean and how you've seen them apply in your gaming experience.

If it’s not fun, don’t do it.

It’s weekly gaming night. Your friends are due to arrive any minute. The table’s cleared off, chips are at the ready, and everything is as it should be. Well almost everything. Instead of looking forward to this gathering, you feel sick. The game has been dragging, the group annoying the heck out of you, and every ounce of your being is dreading another night of *that* GM. A good game has officially gone bad. Still there you are.

We’ve all done it. Sometimes we just need to remind ourselves why we game. If our games begin to cause us more stress then enjoyment, it’s time to quit, to move on, or at the very least take a break. Sometimes it’s simply a system or a GM that needs to be thrown out. Other times it’s the entire group. Whatever the cause, we owe it to ourselves to put our mental health first.

Never Try To Turn Into a Pink Elephant.

I mean that literally. Many years ago, in a mixed World of Darkness game, I was playing a semi powerful Verbena named Caroline. She was a curious sort who tended to act before thinking. Many times it was Caroline who kept things moving while every else wanted to plan. This was both a good and a bad thing.

One night the group encountered the Changeling Court of the Duchy of the Black Diamonds. To make a long story short, the Childers were having a scavenger hunt and one of the things they were looking for was a *chimerical* pink elephant. In an effort to attract them, Caroline decided to use her life magick to become said elephant. Anyone who has ever played White Wolf’s Mage the Ascension knows just how stupid that was to begin with. Unreal things in the WoD attract all sorts of bad stuff. To make matters worse my roll was horrible. It wasn’t pretty but somehow she managed to survive.

What’s the moral of this story? That’s easy. Sometimes a stupid action is just a stupid action. I was completely in character with what I did with Caroline but that didn’t make it any less stupid. Sometimes common sense needs to outweigh character. With a little more thought on my part, I could have found something much more constructive to do that was still uniquely Caroline.

Leave the Boyfriend at Home.

It usually begins with the best of intentions. Gaming is something you truly enjoy and you want to share it with your significant other. So you invite them along to sit in on a game. For several hours they sit there twiddling their thumbs, bored out of their minds.

I know. I’ve been there. It’s like trying to watch a movie from the middle. To make matters worse there are all these rules you don’t understand. What began as an exercise to show support for your S.O.’s inner gamer, turns into a grueling ordeal. Within an hour you’re questioning why anyone would ever want to do this. By hour three you’re vowing to never play or sit in again.

There is another part of this. That’s the boyfriend or girlfriend who has agreed to play in order to spend time with you. I personally have had some horrid experiences with people of this sort. There was this one woman who kept wanting to create her own rules and do her own things while having her feet massaged by her fiancé’. If they were left out of the action for any length of time it became full out foot sex. There was another woman, one whom I really liked, who was completely pressured into it by her boyfriend. She wanted no part of it but he refused to believe that. All night long she would just sit there barely contributing as she watched the clock tick. I can go on and on but I think I’ve made my point.

The truth is, if you are passionate about you hobby, if half of the conversations you have involve gaming in some way shape or form, if there are gaming books accessible in you house, then chances are eventually most boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends, etc. will find gaming on their own. Allowing them to discover the joys without pressure is the best thing you can do. Not only did this work for me, (I eventually got tired of not understanding half of the conversations Kris was having in my company.) it has worked for friends. In one case, the husband used to GM at his house. Slowly the wife began to ask questions, and then she would sit in on her own accord. Finally she began trying to make comments. But her husband, the GM, had a rule. Only those with character sheets on the table could have input. After a few sessions she got tired of not being able to say anything about the PC’s planning and she created a character. Again I could offer many more examples but I think I’ve said enough.

2002-08-06T15:12:00.000-04:00

Just a Little Something

The last two days have found me dutifully sticking address labels to meet notices as something of a favor to my mother in law. I say something of a favor because the truth of the matter is I get paid rather good money for this mine numbing task. In order to keep my somewhat hyper active mind from being totally bored I have taken to reading the labels as I work. Every once in a while this habit of scanning as I'm sticking gifts me with a little gem.

Last year I found myself sending mail to Many Pantankin. I've also found some cool names that stuck in my head and formed themselves into characters. Today's find though particularly struck me. Evidently there is a town in New Mexico named Truth Or Consequences. A place like that is just asking to have a game set in it or a story or something. Maybe a convention game. It would just be fun to use that as the event title. "What are you going to play next?" "Truth or Consequences!"

Anyway, I just thought I'd share...

2002-07-31T10:44:00.000-04:00

Wish #6: Secrets

Sometimes the plot of a game requires a GM to keep secrets. Is it better for the GM and other players to keep most out-of-character knowledge secret, or to assume that players are capable of keeping in-character and out-of-character knowledge separate? Where and how do you draw the line as a GM and/or player between what secrets should be kept and which ones are OK to reveal?

For the most part, I think secrets are good for plot development. After all, who would want to play in a game where you knew exactly what was going to happen? The GM has a duty almost to keep things from their players. As the story unfolds more and more should be revealed. Mysteries keep the players interested so long as there are hints and foreshadowing to avoid total player frustration.

Player backgrounds can be something different entirely. In some games background secrets are vital plot enhancers. In games like Vampire or Amber or anything with a political feel, secrets often have their place and can make for a much more interesting game for all.

All of this sort of gets thrown out in PBeM’s though. I know in HoC for instance there are things going on out in shadow that we in Amber have no clue about. Secrets are being revealed and some of our characters our nearly powerless at the moment. But that in its own way is a good thing. It creates dramatic tension. I have also seen online GM’s do unseen asides which I very much enjoyed. It gave the players a glimpse into the mind of the opposition without spoiling too much.

I, like Kris, very much prefer when PBeM’s have open threads. I might not read them, but at least if I’m waiting for something to be resolved, I know it is happening. As a GM I trust my players to only read others threads if they can keep themselves from using that information. Some of my players openly admit that they can’t and as a result only read their threads. That’s fine.

As for where to draw the line? For me that is a personal decision. I’ve had players who absolutely did not want certain secrets revealed. So I kept them quiet. Other players have babbled their entire character history to anyone who would listen. I am fine with that too so long as there are no complaints afterwards about someone using something they could not have possibly known. That is usually solved by making sure people know what knowledge is in character and what is out though.

As a GM I tend to be tight lipped if I have something good cooking. Every once in a while an idea just skates across my mind that I run with. When that happens I keep everything very close to my chest and allow the idea to blossom to both the delight and horror of my players.

2002-07-29T11:11:00.000-04:00

UnShore Forest?

I find it disturbing how real life can invade gaming and vice versa. It's not that I can't draw a line between real and imagined, I can and easily. But there are times when I look at something and it just needs to filed away in the universe I carry around in my head because it belongs better there then it does here.

Take my cousin for instance. He's in his late teens now. For most of his life he has been in trouble in some way shape or form. His parents have tried everything to help him mend his ways including sending him to boot camp a few years back. I can attest to the fact that these are not bad parents. They have really done everything they could to help their son.

Professionals have told them that he was a lost cause. Some people, they said, are just born that way. My favorite story is of the professional who tried to confort the mother by telling her that while her son had all the makings of a homicidal maniac, she should taking comfort in the fact that he truly loves his immediate family and though he might steal from them he would never kill them. Uh huh. That sounds comforting to me.

Anyway, he came up to the campground on Sunday with his father. He is an almost startling presence with longish but well shaped jet black hair, light olive skin, and eyes as blue as the sky on a cold winters day. This is someone who could be a model, easily. On this particular day he was sporting a soul patch as well.

That small amount of hair on his chin triggered the image I think. One moment he's standing there, impatient and brooding, the next he is sporting horns from his brow and has cloven hooves. An unseelie Satyr my mind cried out. Why hadn't I seen it before? With a smile I put that thought into the back of my mind where it belonged and sought out my husband to share this revelation. Kris whloe heartedly agreed.

This of course led to further discussion about how the Shore Forest Manor Campground could be used in a White Wolf campaign. One could easily imagine the owners as Children of Gaia kinfolk. And I swear my grandfather's presence is still very strong there in spite of the fact he died miles from there nearly five years ago. For years he was known as the mayor of Shore Forest. He loved that place, spending nearly every summer there for many, many years. Whenver his name comes up at my parents or one of my dad's sisters sites, a lite will flicker. To my amusement this even began happening at our tent site this weeked.

Before we left, we took some brochures and maps from the office. It seemed almost funny to be taking this stuff from a campground I have been visiting for as long as I can remember, but we did it anyway. That way if I set a Con game or even a FtF game there, I have lots of interesting props to hand around the table. Now all I have to do is remmebr all of the wierd things that have happened to me on that mountain and see if I can't form a game around them!

2002-07-29T10:41:00.000-04:00

R & R

This weekend we took the kids camping. For the first time in a good five years I actually slept in a tent. I had no choice really. During those past years we stayed at my parents seasonal camp site and I and at least some of the kids slept on the pull out sofa in the air conditioned trailer. This began when I was pregnant with our third, continued through his first year, extended into Kate's infancy, ending just after July fourth.

Why did it end? For one my sister in law is pregnant. It seemed only fair that she be allowed the couch after years of sleeping in a tent. More importantly though, it eneded because we decided to break down and get our own site. Not owning a camper or anything even remotely close, we pakced up out ents and more pillows and balnket then I knew we owned and set out.

It was wonderful.

I had gotten so used to the stress and chaos involved with spending a weekend within yards of my parents that I no longer even noticed it was there. This weekend was so much quieter. Our kids went to bed easier because their was no one sitting just outside the trailer playing cards. We made our own campfire and didn't have to put up with extended family gossip from aunts, uncles and cousins who also camp very close to my parents. The kids were better behaved because they were out of the realm of grandparents from time to time. We had only one stressful moment when Kris' work pager went off and the cell phone wouldn't get a signal to respond. That aside it was smooth sailing.

We enjoyed ourselves so much we reserved a site for the middle of August....

2002-07-25T14:18:00.000-04:00

Kids Stuff

I think I watch too much TV....

But it's not what you think. Not by a long shot. I can't even remember the last time I watched something geared towards adults. My day is filled with Disney, Nickelodeon, Noggin, PBS, and the Cartoon Network. They are on constantly. Mind you the kids are usually no where to be found until I try to turn the set off. Then of course they were watching that!

It reminds me of being a kid myself. Only then my dad controlled the TV. We watched what he wanted. The only thing he gave into was Christmas specials. Even when he would doze we had to leave his shows on. As soon as we would turn the channel he'd wake up and complain. In truth it didn't bother me much. I just assumed I would get to control the TV when I was an adult.

So here I am, fully an adult for some time now, and I've never had control over my TV. Even when Kris and I break down and watch adult shows he usually chooses. The only time I get the power is during the Olympics. Then my family knows better then to take the remote from me.

In the meantime, I watch kids TV. It's not bad either. Well once you throw out Barney and the Teletubbies and Maisy and... well and a few others it's not bad. Japanese anime definitely has it's place. I was addicted to Sailor Moon for a while there. Cartoon Network has even been responsible for a character or two and a few game seeds. Almost everything the two older boys watch is palatable if not down right interesting.

But even the preschool stuff has gotten better. Ok, maybe not better then some of the Kermit the Frog/Grover skits on the classic episodes of Sesame street but definitely better then the faire my younger brother was offered. Right now Kristopher is fully involved in a Veggie Tales video that is just hilarious. Anything that can parody Hamlet for kids and do it well enough to bring a smile is good in my book. The Book of Pooh also has at least one episode that tells kids about Shakespeare. "Who is this William fellow and why is he shaking spear?" Pooh asks Owl. "Yes, he sounds quite fierce." Piglet adds. From there they are off. Fifteen minutes of the best of Shakespeare laid out for three year olds.

Having all of this knowledge of children's media has it's uses. I've thrown werewolves into Umbral realms where these shows exist. It's great, especially at Cons. You get lots of people who have no clue what the Island of Sodor home to Thomas the Tank Engine is. They can't play with out of character knowledge. And yet I know that Island like someone who grew up there. And that is just one of dozens of obscure places I can easily visit while thoroughly confusing my players.

So it might not seem like knowing the names of all of the Wiggles and their corresponding colors is important. But you never know. It could turn up in a game...
Tara Kunkel

2002-07-24T16:07:00.000-04:00

Role or Roll?

With all of the current talk on communication, it occured to me that there is one thing I never say to a GM: "Can I make a roll to... "

To me that phrase causes me to break character. It makes me start focusing more on stats and less on personality. There was this one con game a year or two ago. It was one of my first attempts at In Nomine. For the first hour everyone kept asking to make rolls and this and that. Somehow my character, an angel, got seperated and sent in to make a deal with a demon (who looked exactly like Jonathon Frakes ).

I guess I was getting disgusted with the "can I do this" and "can I do that" attitude in the room because I overcame my inherent shyness in a big way. The GM and I just connected. I was totally in character, in that elusive gaming zone and having a ball. I wound up only rolling once all night and still managed to be the hero of the game. Never once did I ask to make a roll. Asking would have killed that momentum. I might have actually had to look at the character sheet then. It is my favorite con experience to date.

It is only followed closely by a Vampire game I ran in which the Nosferatu was the same way. The guy playing the character didn't even own dice. He was so into the character and so into the game, it didn't matter. I think I maybe asked him to roll twice. The others in the group were more inexperienced. They liked their dice and constantly asked to make rolls, so I let them. The thing is, with the way I run, they probably would have gotten away with more by not asking. By the half way point of the game they seemed to be grasping that. In the end, everyone had given themselves over to their characters and we had a great time.

So the next time you have the urge to ask about making that roll, think twice. Let your character be who they are. If the fates are needed, have faith that your GM will know to call upon them.

2002-07-24T15:50:00.000-04:00

Fun Quote for the Day

"Your eyes are like two big white ping pong balls floating in a sea of mildew." - Grover Monster to Kermit the Frog

2002-07-24T14:04:00.000-04:00

Wish 5: Communication

Gaming requires the GM and players to communicate a large amount of information about system, plot, setting, character, and actions (among other things). There are a lot of places where a failure to communicate on the part of the GM and the players leads to disappointments for the GMs and the players. How do you deal with miscommunications and invalid assumptions as a player and a GM? Give one or more examples of situations and how you resolved them or how you are avoiding them.

As a player I try not to assume anything. That can be difficult, especially when I am playing with people I have known for ages. I ask questions when I need to and expect the GM to tell me when I’m off. Fortunately I haven’t had too many bad situations. There aren’t any that come to mind actually. (There have been moments where fish were talking and I *thought* I had to be misunderstanding but that is another story all together.) I guess that says a lot about the people I game with.

As a GM I find I deal with invalid assumptions much more frequently in my PBeM’s. It’s usually something I clear up with a quick note. More often then not it’s just a matter of a player attempting to be in two places at once or assuming that they can use life magick on people. Over the past few years I have come to know my online players and they me. That has really helped. Knowing a GM’s or a player’s style allows for both parties to be able to tailor things as needed.

I’m afraid I don’t really have much to offer in the way of examples. As soon as I see a problem, I try to resolve it as quickly and painlessly as possible. If that means having to back up or rework something, so be it. Happy players and a good story are what mean the most to me.

2002-07-16T09:03:00.000-04:00

WISH 4: Systems

"Describe three systems you have gamed under: one you thought was good, one you thought was all right, and one you didn't care for. What were the good points and the bad points of each system? Did the systems support their genre? Were they complex or simple? How easy were they to GM and play? Is there a system you'd really like to try that you haven't? Which ones wouldn't you try based on reading them?"

Ii>"Describe three systems you have gamed under: one you thought was good, one you thought was all right, and one you didn't care for. What were the good points and the bad points of each system? Did the systems support their genre? Were they complex or simple? How easy were they to GM and play? Is there a system you'd really like to try that you haven't? Which ones wouldn't you try based on reading them?"

I am certainly not the authority on gaming systems that my husband is and my be a bit under qualified to answer this but I'll give it a try anyway...

My first thought in the good column is Everway. I like the fact that it is so simple. It takes literally minutes to teach and character generation can be simple enough for very young gamers. On top of that it does have a random element provided by the fortune deck. The fortune deck gives the game master a good guidline without dictation. I like that as both a GM and a player.

The funny thing is, the game I play the most is the one that wouold fall into my all right category. I play White Wolf's Storyteller system near constantly. I've been running a crossover mage/changeling PBEM for 2 years now. The sytem in general is easy to learn, has dice for those who need them, but puts emphasis on storytelling over numbers. (OK.. it's SUPPOSED to be like that if you read the books but there are a lot of number crunchers out there.) As a GM the World of Darkness offers lots of complexity and amny places to explore.

That brings me to what aggravates me about White WOlf... They have developed several different takes on the storyteller system to coincide with each "race". The mage system is different slightly from tyhe Vampire system which is slightly different from the Werewolf system and so on. Most GM's have very little interaction between the groups becaus it requires far to much knowledge to do so. And then there are all those damn supplements. We literally have bookshelves filled with WHite Wolf product. Why? Bwecaus we are completest. I curse myself out for that everytime I need stats for a certain spirit or am lookinf for a particular merit or whatever.

As for the bad? I am lucky enough to have a husband who weeds out most of the truly bad games before the get to me. We played Alternity once and that just didn't work at all. And then there was the nightmare session of AD&D I played. I swear I will NEVER play it again. (Mike and Kris did get me to play D20 though.) My biggest issue with AD&D was the magick system. Never try to explain that sort of magick to a Mage player.

Like Kris I would play more Fvlminata. No the system isn't particularly fair but neither was Roman society. The game developers went for a historic feel all around, system included. There is a huge part of me that really likes that. I'd also like to *play* more In Nomine. Though that too has less to do with the system, though it's another easy one, and more to do with the genre.

2002-07-11T15:26:00.000-04:00

Life Altering Walks

It must be me. A few weeks ago one of my werewolf characters was faced with having to walk the black spiral or watch her packmates suffer. Being the philodox that she is, she made a deal. She convinced the Dancers to let the whole pack make the walk. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Then just last night, my newest Amber character is given the news of her father Caine's death by her Uncle Julian. Julian then decides that it would be best to sneak her in castle Amber and have her walk the pattern. His reasoning for this was entirely his own. After he explained the details of the walk Teh'ah had one question: How will this effect my child. His answer: Shit! Rather then let that deter her though she took the time to strengthen her body and walked it anyway. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

In the first case, the garou, Becca aka Rose Among Thorns, had an ace in the hole. Sept mates had managed to sneak into the hive to try to rescue them. She knew in her heart that trying to out and out escape would more then likely mean death or worse for all of them. So she called upon one of the septmates, her father, and had him perform the Rite of the Silver Forge on her and her packmates. Her two packmates were unaware of this. The plan was simple, walk the spiral, step sideways, land in Erebus and atone for their sins. That too seemed like a good idea...

Of course Erebus is otherwise known as werewolf hell. And floating along in lakes on molten silver is a bit painful. And she had no clue just how much of a past Billy had. And so on and so on...

Needless to say they are heroes. In the end they managed to leave Erebus after only a few months. Not only had they managed to keep their sanity, they were now immune to the Wyrm. In the end it really was a good idea. A long, painful, excruciating, good idea but a good idea none the less.

And so I hope it is for Teh'ah. The idea of a newborn inherently attuned to the pattern is a bit daunting. Can you imagine trying to watch over and inquisitive child who can manipulate shadow? Teh'ah is going to need every ounce of humor she can summon. On the other hand, she now has an escape if she needs it. Living as close as she currently is the Black road that could be useful. And eventually her son will grow up to be a man who handles pattern magick like eating and breathing.

I only hope he doesn't end up like Bleys...

2002-07-10T16:27:00.000-04:00

Murien Culture

Kris and I have both talked about Muriens. the man sized bi-pedal, blue eyed lemurs who are the native inhabitants of a fantasy world of my creation known as Tarren. We have both eluded to their differences from humans, especially those who share the planet with them.They are much more open about sexuality, have little technology, and worship three separate gods: Shon - Earth, Wah - Water, & Tamock - Air. Their gods grant those who are chosen inherent magical abilities.

Creating this culture has been interesting. We have slowly discovered them. As Kris was playing Bart, the Muriens became something more then an idea, they became real. As the world evolved they gained depth. I am planning on detailing them in the blog. It may take time. They are after all a complex people. It is to the point where I have began to record some of their language, mapped their homelands, and even figured out how their fur differs between the northern and southern tribes.

I'd also like to discuss the gods further. We've had some interesting debates over things like rainstorms and who controls them. For those who are wondering there is a fire god. He is the god of the humans. It is the fire god which allows for the creation of machinery and harnessing of power. The earth god also has many different faces. He governs not only living beings and plants, but rock, earth, natural metals and so forth. The there are crossovers. Are the creatures of the sea born of Shon because they are animals or Wah because they live in the sea? What about creatures who make their homes in both? These are all thing Kris and I have talked about at length over the course of the past year or two.

As I have time I will be adding more about Tarren too. The human societies are very complex as well. When we set out to create a world, we tried to make it interesting. One culture would have been boring. As it stands there are still places in Tarren we have yet to explore ourselves. I personally think it will be fun to share all of this over time.

2002-07-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

Inner Flower Test

what's your inner flower?

[c] s u g a r d
e w

2002-07-08T11:45:00.000-04:00

Shon-Teh'ah

Shon-Teh'ah or simply Teh'ah, is my current PC in a ftf one on one Amber game Kris is running. She is the daughter of Caine. She is little more then half human. The other part of her heritage is Murien, which resembles a bipedal man sized blue eyed lemur. They are close enough genetically to mate with humans though their mating cycles are a bit different. Muriens do not conceive as readily as human woman and there fore consider children to be a blessing of the gods, Shon their Earth god in particular. Muriens mate for life.

Teh'ah is a bit more Randomish in many ways then her father. She also has a strong connection to her peoples Earth god, Shon. Her grandmother was Caine's friend and lover for many years but decided to marry somehow closer to her own species to maintain her roots. Or at least that was part of it. She was also concerned that Caine's apparent lack of aging would cause them much hardship over tiem.

Caine accepted the decision but never stopped caring for the woman came back for a visit and met her daughter. In an effort to re find his love, he become close to the daughter. The relationship was rather short lived though and Caine left again before finding out she was with child. When Shon-Teh'ah was born, May'ah declared Caine as her father. Because their people mate for life, Caine was considered May'ah's husband and all of her children would now have to be sired by him.

Nearly twenty years later, he returns to visit his true love once more and is surprised to find Teh'ah. It is during the time of troubles, right before Caine is "killed" by Corwin. Because of that, Caine decides his daughter, the only one he is aware of, needs protection. Complicating things further, is the fact that Teh'ah has just taken a mate and is expecting a son. Almost uncharacteristically, Caine offers Shaq, the husband/father, the opportunity to travel with his new wife. Shaq looks human except for his eyes. They are very Murien in appearance. He is aligned with the god of the skies, Tamock, and is a wonderful archer and singer.

The two have now been brought to Arden. Caine has entrusted Julian with the knowledge of who Teh'ah truly is. They are going to stay in a farm hose of Arden's edge until, she can safely be introduced to the family as a whole.

Teh'ah has Shon magick. That means, quite simply, that she can heal, accelerate plant growth, talk to animals, shift between a pure human and a pure Murien form (as opposed to her natural half-bred looking self). All ready she has discovered that Morgenstern isn't exactly the most friendly horse she has ever met. When Julian comments on her attempts to talk to him her reply was, "Oh your horse could understand me just fine. He was simply being stubborn."

That's where the game stands. Two complete outsiders to Amber trying to tame the lands surrounding Arden. Neither really has any fear though they probably should. Teh'ah is more concerned about the lack of pubs then anything else.

2002-07-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

Because I just couldn't help myself...

Take the Disney Villain Test Now!!

Or atleast the masculine side of me would be...

2002-07-05T10:32:00.000-04:00

Take the Disney Villain Test Now!!

All I have to say is this... Kris' seems to fit him much better! LOL!

Maybe I should try the male version...

2002-07-03T12:36:00.000-04:00

WISH #3

Discuss three setting ideas or ideas for elements of settings that you got from movies/books/TV/etc. that you have read or seen recently. These do not need to be full-fledged settings, but can be single elements that could be incorporated into existing games.

I am in the midst of reading The Onion Girl by Charles DeLint. Last night I came to a chapter which gave me thoughts on Arden. In many of CDL’s books, there exists a great wood in the Spirit realm just beyond physical reality. It is not uncommon for his heroes and heroines to go visiting there. Normally they stay on the ground beneath the great canopies. In The Onion Girl, the main character, Jilly, climbs up into the tree tops. There she walks along bows as wide as two lane highways. There are pools of water forming small fresh water lakes. Flower and plants have taken root in the heights as well. It was an unexpected image and yet one that made perfect sense.

While it’s not quite what was being asked for, I have to share all the same. On our vacation to family friendly Bethany Beach DE we found ourselves close to two interestingly named beaches; Slaughter Beach and Broadkill Beach. Both of these are located in State Parks and are family friendly environments. It was the contrast between the name and the place that really stuck in my mind. Because of that either of these places could show up in my games if for no other reason then to keep the PC’s on their toes.

About two weeks ago, Kris and I sat up late watching Young Guns. Then last Friday we visited Frontier Town, a tourist attraction just outside of Ocean City Maryland. Those two things had us both thinking Old West.

More then that though, it has me thinking of life on the Indian Reservations back in those days. Chavez talks of starvation, inadequate housing, and the killing of innocents. One particularly memorable line speaks of his young sisters having their skulls crushed under the boots of the cavalry to save on bullets.

Then there is the imagery that was shared with us by Laughing Wolf of the Cherokee Nation. He told of how the traditional Native American dances changed during those times. They became faster and more elaborate. Children began doing the hoop dances in those days. It was a time of desperate preservation on a culture that was in many ways coming to an end.

I’d love to put characters on one of those reservations. It’s just different enough from the traditional western town setting to keep things interesting. Beyond that it provides to opportunity to give a real human feel, to explore emotion, and to see things from yet another point of view, that of the Native women and children.

2002-07-02T14:50:00.000-04:00

Wish #2 Part 2

Sometimes the end of a romance can be the beginning of a new life. For the past nine years of so, Kris and I have had two characters, Lynn Warren and Karl Walsh, that we use both PC and NPC’s. As such we have literally put them through hell. They are forever intertwined. Way back, during their mortal days, they were husband and wife. Then Lynn simply disappeared one night.

Their love story is epic in and of itself but I’m not going to get into that. Instead, suffice it to say that they have spent a lot of time over the years hating one another then loving one another, then falling into the traps of hatred once more. As the years passed they managed to become friends or at least friendly and each remarried.

Lynn, who was a Vampire at the time, married one of her Childer. The two of them had quite a history and were very much in love as well. Their relationship seemed wonderful. Then one day a mood struck me. I was using Lynn as a NPC and decided to kill off her husband. I’m not sure why, but I did.

Kris reeled. He literally called me from work to make sure he had read the post right. He absolutely could not believe that I would do that to Matt. When he came home that night, he asked me again. Immediately he jumped into the role of Karl and we played out Karl’s reaction to the loss of Lynn’s husband.

That reaction became a game in and off itself. We spent days working through the consequences of that loss. It is amazing sometimes how something so simple can completely change a world. The loss of her husband eventually led Lynn to regain her humanity. She no longer had a reason not to try; everything that had kept her tied to the Vampiric world was gone.

It made for some very dynamic game situations between Kris and I. There were tears shed in those days, real emotions called forth on behalf of the players not just for love lost, but for love re-found.

2002-07-02T14:29:00.000-04:00

Wish #2 Part 1

Describe two romantic relationships involving a PC you've seen in a game. One should be a romance that worked for the participants and the other should be one that failed, died, or came to an end. What was good and bad about these relationships from the point of view of plot and character development? How did the GM make the romance appealing to the players?

Friends of mine and Kris’ have, over the course of many years, created a fantasy world known as Illiberith. One night they invited us in. The result was a rather long running freeform game that was quite a bit of fun for all involved.

I was playing Jade Princess of High Reach sent to the Kingdom of Freehold to secure an alliance between the two Kingdoms through my marriage to one of their Princes. Of course Jade absolutely hated this idea. Reluctantly she was convinced to make the journey but she was determined to undermine any attempt made at actually marrying her off.

The Crown Prince, Tarry, while well loved by the people, annoyed Jade to no end. It seemed no one in the castle could do so much as breathe without his help. Then there was the bastard Prince whose mother was not married to his father, Caine. There was absolutely no way Jade was going to even be alone with him never mind marrying him. The third Prince, Wendell, had the lowest self-image Jade had ever seen. While she felt sorry for him, she viewed him as more a sad puppy then a husband.

And then there was Prince Mallet. Mallet was simple minded. He had the innocence of a child and a capacity for love like Jade had never seen. He knew no hatred. For his giant size, he would not hurt anyone knowingly either physically or mentally. Soon Jade found herself falling deeply for him.

Of course there were problems. Mallet not only had the innocence of a child, but the intellect of one as well. The Queen believed Jade was simply using her son. The more compassionate family members believed she would soon grow bored and hurt Mallet deeply. Jade however held onto her desire to be with this man whose heart was pure and loyalty unquestionable.

In time they overcame and were married conceiving a child during their wedding ritual.

This romance was core to the game. One PC was playing the Ambassador to Freehold and it was he who was supposed to be ensuring Jade’s marriage. Even he did not agree with her choice at first but realized that the stubborn Princess would not take no for an answer. Kris was playing Anya, Jade’s best friend and bodyguard. The two of them plotted together throughout to whole adventure.

Most fun was the fact I did something the GM was totally unprepared for. After all everyone loved Tarry and she expected more of the same from Jade. By going for Mallet, I broke the mold she and her husband had created over the years and brought new life into her world. All in all it was a fun game for all involved.

2002-07-02T13:44:00.000-04:00

WISH # 1

Describe three NPCs (not major villains) that you really liked and what they added to the game. The NPCs can be from any game you've been in as a player or GM, and any system or genre.

The first NPC that comes to mind was a Spirit companion of a werewolf character I played a few years ago. It was the first time that particular GM ever ran a game, and it was wonderful. Tim was so full of new ideas and had none of the bad habits that develop with time. He added a lot of color to the world of darkness through his NPC’s.

My character, Sabrina, was an Uktena theurge born under the waning crescent moons that had strong, yet unknown, ties to the ancient Aztecs. She was a dark character, very introverted, and a bit of a troubled soul. Her best friend was the spirit of a crow – or so she thought.

The crow had a thick New York City accent. He was seldom serious and cracked wise remarks at the young pack’s expense all the time. Straight answers were almost impossible to acquire from him. In many ways he was Sabrina’s opposite but they connected because they were both rather pessimistic. They also liked taunting their pack mates.

Needless to say, the majority of the pack discounted the bird spirit and wished he would simply fly away. He never did. In fact one night, while they were dealing with a particularly malignant entity in the Umbra, the crow exhibited tremendous powers causing all of the party to simply look at him rather slack jawed. In a voice that was deep, resonant, and contained not the slightest hint of an accent, he said to us, “I don’t like doing that.” We never questioned his worth again.

Then there is Lucy. Lucy is a Gangrel Vampire who has played opposite one of my close friend’s PC Jeb in several of my Vampire games. Jeb is the epitome of what a Vampire in White Wolf’s universe should be. He’s dark and inhumane and rather arrogant. He just assumes people are going to do things his way. And the smart ones do.

Lucy isn’t smart.

No, she is little more then a teenager with no real clue how dangerous her life is. She is sunshine to his darkness. Anticipating her is very difficult for an Elder Vampire. To make matters worse he can’t simply eliminate her because somewhere along the line she developed a good friendship with some of the local Garou. Her disappearance might make them come looking for the perpetrator and that is not something Jeb wants to risk. So he is stuck with her.

Last is Simone. Simone is an Eshu who has become something of a personal storyteller for one of Kris’ long running characters, Garrett. As an Eshu, Simone has a knack of turning up exactly when things are about to get interesting. It has gotten to a point where Kris is a bit paranoid of her presence. That paranoia is present in Garrett too. While he considers Simone one of his closest friends and sidekick there are just days when he can’t help but to wish she wasn’t there.

Not only does she work as a wonderful foreshadowing device, Simone also is in some ways, a nemesis to Garrett. He is a member of the Cult of Ecstasy and rather addicted to sex. He can count the number of women who have turned him down on one hand. Simone is the only one who isn’t gay. The two of them have great tension between them as a result.

2002-07-01T18:24:00.000-04:00

Testing...

I'm sure many of you who are reading this are familiar with the online tests done at TheSpark.com. Two of them The personality test and The Inner Child Test, have recently been the subject of much discussion around the Kunkel household.

Kris and I are less compatible then most people we know.

Part of me was disturbed by this. Another part of me had to agree with it. We have always had a very passionate relationship filled with lots of ups and downs. Yet we also have a very strong, loving, honest, caring relationship because we have been forced to work through so much. I truly can not imagine being with anyone else. So I suppose being middle of the road compatible works right for us.

There was another person who I was 96% compatible with in the personality test, and I think 26% compatible with in the inner child test. What was scary was somehow that made sense. We have a wonderful relationship until we hit a bump and then we have a heck of a time getting back on track. The reason for this is because deep within we have totally different approaches to things and at times have issues understanding each other.

So the point is... While these are just silly internet tests when you combine the two you get a pretty good view of the whole person. Not that they should be given more then their due. But the two can still make for an interesting conversation or three...

2002-06-30T22:09:00.000-04:00

Calm Within the Storm

After being away for a week with my husband, children, father in law, his wife, brother in law and sister in law, I have come to several conclusions. Vacations are a wonderful way to feed the creative spirit. Relaxing with family can indeed be wonderful. There is beauty in under scheduling even if, in my step mother in law's words, our plans were a bit "loosey goosey". And we all know time alone...

The latter has been in rather short supply lately. For all the wonderful relaxing I did on the sands in Bethany Beach Delaware, I'm worn out. Why? Because I have not been truly alone in days. I know, I know... I'm a stay at home mom to four, including a 2 year old and a three and a half year old. Alone time should be something that I rarely find. Maybe that is why I value it so much.

Normally, my alone time is more of a someone else is watching the kids time. Moments where Kate, the 2 yo, is napping and Kristopher, her slightly older brother is off at the playground with my next door neighbor. Or long lazy bath times when Kris is off from work. This week though, showers have been quick, and time without kids has been time with my husband. Mind you I'm not really complaining. I LOVE my husband to pieces. And I adore spending time with him, I really do. Heck we'll go out of our way to find some time for one another. But there is usually at least some me time in a normal week.

Me time is what I need to organize all the creative thoughts I have running through my mind. It is when I can focus, when I can sort through the jumble of stimuli I have been receiving. My best game seeds, my favorite characters, any good writing I have done has all been found in my mind in those precious moments of solitude. The total lack of others scrambling for my attention allows me to focus inward. It keeps distraction at bay. When your mind is the normal mess of unrelated thoughts that mine is, the less outside distraction the better.

I rarely put on a radio and almost never watch TV when I'm alone. Being one with my thoughts every now and then literally keeps me calm, relaxed, and somewhat sane. Hopefully there are others out there who can understand me need for occasional solitude. To me it is just another form of escapism just like gaming is.

If this post made no sense, well I'll blame my kids. You see they are all still awake, the TV is on, and everyone seems to be talking at once...

Good thing it's nearly bed time...

Better thing that Kris will be gone 'til 11 or so....

It might be less then 2 hours of time to myself but after this week I REALLY need it!

2002-06-20T14:40:00.000-04:00

Uncle Patrick’s Story Time
By Kris Kunkel
Edited by Tara Kunkel

This is a background peice Kris wrote for a PBEM I began running about two years ago set in the fictional town of Crossroads MT. It was something of a collaberation between the two of us. All in all it is one of favorites.

Patrick picked up one of Max's apple spiced sausages in one hand and dark pint of Guinness in the other and began, "Long before the European settlers `Won the West'," Patrick begins then leans conspiratorially toward Caitlin adding in a softer voice, "More like `Over ran the West', but that's another story." He pauses to take a quick bite of the sausage and a long draught of the porter.

"Right, where was I? Oh, yes. Before the west was even known by the explorers, here there were people. The legends speak of three brothers who guarded these lands, the oldest wise beyond his years and a keeper of great secrets, middle brother, as loyal and stubborn as the rugged earth, and their little brother, fiery and a great warrior. They and their cousins, some who we now know as the Northern Ojibwa, cleansed these lands of the monsters that dwelt here. Now I can see the speculation in your eyes. Monsters? But remember this was an untamed land, and no white man had ever walked these trails and seen what horrors dwelled in the `New World'. Some spirits have always walked the earth, selfish and cruel, and needed no Dutch trader or Spanish explorer to say hello, just so he might terrorize some folk. No, the brothers fought these, and by their side were the little-people. Not the leprechauns of my homeland or the dwarves of Scandinavia, but the manitous, the little-spirits, of the trout, the trees, of the wild rice that flourishes to this day on the banks of the Smith."

Patrick once again turns to his young companion at the table. "O' course it wasn't the Smith then. What a stupid name for a river. It was the Nahimana, which in the Algonquin means mystic, for even then they knew this place was special and always would be.

"Anyway, the little people, who were not always so little, embodying the mountains beneath us as they do, struck a deal with the youngest brother, Tala. Tala had been born of both spirit and earth and his father, Sasquatch was a kind and gentle spirit known for a keeping peace between the tribes. The little people promised to provide a home for Tala if he protected their source of medicine, a dancing circle used for summer festivals. Now many of us don't understand a native's belief in personal medicine or even what they mean when they speak of it, but to the common man it's their spark, their magick, their glamour, if you will. They drew strength from connections to spirits of Mother Earth. Eventually the white man came and with him the spirits of Europe, the bogeys and the bluecaps, the phouka and the sidhe. The white man's numbers were too much for even a great warrior like Tala, and in his sorrow his heart chilled like the northern winds. He hid his home with aid from a sister and disappeared to the frozen north, allowing the other spirits to make a home here."

"Just as before, there were dark spirits which accompanied the newcomers, but now there was none to face them save those who always had. So the light of summer rose up against the dark of winter and eventually drove most of them from this valley, but all were changed. The little people, upon returning to their summer homes found other spirits inhabiting them, clearing the trees and turning the land to civilize the valley and forcing their religion on their cousins. They raged at the newcomers, but stripped of their medicine, they were helpless. They withdrew into the forests, where they may be even today, waiting to regain their home."

"Eventually, as the spirits of light began to tend to their new home, the land began to accept them. The Faire began as two sets of wagon ruts, where common trails met. Not used often enough to become a rail line, still local people gathered here to trade their news and their wares. Some even moved closer to make carrying their goods to market easier, but that's another story…"

2002-06-20T14:34:00.000-04:00

Angie

Evidently today is sex day in the Blog Universe. So in honor of that I thought I'd take a look into one of my alter identities. Angela Rosa is a member of the Cult of Ecstasy in White Wolf's World of Darkness. For those of you who know very little of them, I'll start with some Tradition background.

First off they refer to themselves as Ecstatics, never Cultists. They special in the Sphere of Time. Outsiders see them as hedonistic drug addicts and some are. Some. Once you get past the stereotype they are a bit deeper then that. Believers of pushing the envelope, they view experience as the food of the souls. Occasionally that search for the ultimate experience takes them to depths of kink and in some minds depravity that many could never imagine.

The single most important thing about them is the fact that they believe in consentuality. Forcing someone to do something against their will is one of the worst crimes imaginable to them. Due to this, they are a very accepting lot. Ideally they never judge others and live by a motto of to each their own.

The fun in playing an Ecstatic comes not from the fact you can be a complete hedonist but rather from pushing the limits of you character. Like I said ideally they never judge and they welcome a wide range of experiences in the name of enlightenment. Still, their are very few people in this world that can live up to that. And then of course there are the traps of addiction and disease many young ecstatics fall into. Mix that with family and spouses that just can't understand how living like a worthless hedonist has any redeeming value what so ever. As you can see, they can be very dynamic characters to play.

Over the past few years I have taken several characters into this world. Angela probably ranks as one of my favorites. She started out as something of a standard Italian American Princess. Her father is a Don. She has something like 8 sisters. Her first husband was Mr. Right. And their first child a son. Angie's life was destined to be just like her mother's. Or at least that is what she thought.

Unknown to her, her husband was a Garou. Her sister, Gina, was the Ahroun of his pack making her kin. Kin very often become targets and Angie was no exception. You can't have a husband whose Garou name is "Deals with the Devil" and not expect trouble. She was kidnapped and underwent quite and ordeal. It was this ordeal that caused her awakening.

It took her some time to uncover her path and begin following the ways of the Ecstatics. Michael, her husband, tried very hard to support her. He went along with the idea of an open marriage embracing the party scene and exploring his own sexuality in the process. Neither of them were prepared however for her ordeal with drugs.

You see Angie never does anything half way. She is the type of person who jumps into everything with both feet. Sometimes that can be very dangerous. It took her loosing her husband, her son, her money, her self-respect, and finally nearly her life before she was able to beat the addiction. Once she was clean, they tried to salvage the marriage but both decided it was impossible and went their separate ways.

In the years since, Angela has found her true soul mate, Ben Richards. (Their avatars, or spirits if you will, are linked.) She and Ben have married, legally, though not without much question from her family. (They all absolutely adored Michael and blame Angie for the break up.) Ben and Angie have become involved in a poly-amorous relationship with two other couples. The six of them are very happy and have a wealth of children between them.

Angie has also just taken on her first student, Lynn Warren. I could write pages upon pages about Lynn and still not get to everything. Suffice it to say the most awkward part of this relationship is that Lynn is the Mother of one of her spouses. That spouse is also a Tradition mate. There have been some interesting dynamics between the three of them and certainly a lot of envelope pushing.

For now I leave it there....

2002-06-19T14:13:00.000-04:00

Unicorn's Chosen

This is a story told by Ben Hawthorne aka Spirit's Ally to would be packmates. This is the basic history of Unicorn's Chosen and will ost likely come up in my posts concerning the packl and it's sept, the Sept of the Green Silences.

Ben seats himself in a rather lumpy looking chair beside which is a large pile of books. Taking a sip of his iced tea he begins, "I'm not much of a storyteller but I've heard this tale told many times. Still, Johny, you should probably hear it again the way Patrick tells it, I'm sure it will be worth your time. Well here goes".

"Years ago there was only one caern in this area, the Bone Gnawer caern which still exists just outside the fair grounds. At that time it was headed by an Ahroun who's rage often took the best of him.As time passed the taint of wyrm grew within him infecting both the sept and the caern. Many lived in fear of this man for many different reasons.

"Those who perhaps feared him most were his family. He had a wife, four sons and two daughters. The wyrm drove him to a deep hatred of woman causing him to abuse and torture his wife and his daughters. He even went so far as to kill one of his own children shortly after birth because the child was a girl. His attitude towards women spread to his sons as well. These young boys knew no other way.

"The wife and daughters were known throughout town. The oldest daughter had been proclaimed to be `retarded', the youngest was mute. People whispered of their situation but fear prevented them from doing anything to aid the family. Some took pity, sneaking food and small gifts to the girls knowing that their father allowed them only the scraps that were left from his sons meals.

"One day a stranger came to town. He had recently lost everything he knew and loved, sadness weighed heavy on his heart. Drawn to the fair, he saw her for the first time, the elder daughter of this hated man. Something about her grabbed his attention, be it a natural charisma or some other charm. She handled her plight far better with a sense of dignity and was fiercely protective of her younger sister. Soon she disappeared into the crowd, but the stranger could not erase her from his mind so that evening he sought her out.

"That night the father returned home very late, the smell of alcohol upon his breath. His manly urges called to him and he longed for release. Spying his two daughters lying on the floor in the living room he made a move towards them but this time something was different. The older one had recently entered puberty and he did not want her to conceive a child by him, so he went for the younger who was barely three at the time.

"Her struggles awoke her sister. The older daughter felt rage well up inside of her, and she began to change, striking out at the man who had abused her all her life. It was a battle she would have surely lost if not for the arrival of the stranger. He aided her and in the end her father was gone, though not dead. To this day no one knows for sure what happened to him. They say that he simply disappeared before the dying blow could be delivered.

"The stranger and the girl left the town together, heading for the eastern coast were it was thought that the girl might have kin. Their journey is a story in and of itself. Both learned many things along the way. He once again found joy and love, she for the first time was free from cruelty and took to the way of the Garou like none the man had ever seen. She also learned many mundane things, like reading and math, and how to write. By the time they arrived in North Carolina they had completely changed one another.

"He stayed by her side as she met family she never even knew existed. Her rite of passage went very well, and soon she was given a garou name, one that the man had chosen for her. While it was true that she was far happier here then she had ever been she longed to return to her home. Their were things there that she knew that she needed to face including her family and the wyrm tainted sept her father had left behind.

"Of course the man accompanied her on her journey. They stopped at a great caern to the south of the fair to find aid, knowing that they were going to have to go face the wyrm. With the help of others, the garou of her fathers sept were either cleansed or punished, some meeting their death. With the aid of a Child of Gaia she was then able to start her family on the process of healing. It was a hard journey for them all.

"As time passed she began to question her place in her fathers old sept. Many did not trust her for no reason other then her heritage. There were also those he wouldn't allow her any type of responsibility due to the rumors of her mental handicap. What had begun as a time of rebuilding for her was turning into an ordeal.

"One afternoon she sought solitude, needing to think about all the things which had occurred. She was also trying to make the decision to stay here in Crossroads and continue to try to heal her family or to return to the Carolina's where she knew she would be welcome. Wandering off into the Umbra she approached the fair grounds. There
she sat, over looking the joy which is clearly visible even on the other side of the veil.

"It was there that he found her, a young Wendigo from a reservation in Canada who was searching for a way to balance the customs of his people with his love of the modern world. He had been trying to do all that was asked of him since his first change, which included an arranged marriage. But he longed for the life he was leaving behind. He, too, was looking for his place in Gaia's world.

"They began to talk and it seemed as if their friendship had always been. It seemed like a very logical decision to journey off into the umbra together, following a spirit of the northern wind to where ever it might lead.

"The first place they encountered was the Bone Gnawer home realm. It was an interesting place to say the least. They found themselves having to defend her as a member of the tribe. Then something strange happened, an old woman came up to them and presented her with a gift, a fetish that would allow her to be treated as an equal by those of other tribes. The woman went on to proclaim that the girl was destined to be a great leader of not only her tribe but of the Garou nation as well.

"Next they traveled to Wolf Home. It was a treacherous place, and they found that no matter what they tried there was no way to leave that realm. Worst of all they could not access any of the gifts Gaia, including the ability to move between forms. They were forced to live the life of the wolf, an experience that changed both of them. After a time they had all but forgotten their homid ways, their minds now filled with the instincts they needed to survive. It was at this point, after they had given up on returning and had fully accepted the way of the wolf that an exit from that realm appeared before them.

"Their departure then led them to the Children of Gaia home realm. Here their heart guides told them of the way of Unicorn. It was there that they agreed to follow her. With Unicorn's help they finally felt ready to return home and face the decisions they needed to make. Both expected it to be difficult but felt secure enough in each others
company to do what needed to be done. In both cases they felt that relocation was the best thing to do, however they decided to return to the sept that her mentor was now calling him. It would still be close enough to her family that she could visit. Besides that his uncle was also part of that sept.

"While they were on their adventure things continued to happen at home. There was a minion of the wyrm who was corrupting garou and destroying caerns. Her mentor formed a pack with others, the Child of Gaia Philodox who had aided them in Crossroads, his uncle a great Wendigo warrior, a disillusioned Fianna Galliard newly arrived from Ireland, and a young Theurge Child of Gaia, to fight this terror. It was a difficult path but in the end they were successful. They even gained another member, a Wendigo Theurge of lupus stock, along the way. Proudly they had served Gaia and completed the mission they had set out on.

"All had returned to the sept on the same day, and there was much rejoicing in honor of them all. The young Theurge felt an immediate pull to the two Cliaths and a friendship formed. In time the Theurge decided to leave his pack for his packmates were all Athros and Elders and he was barely a Fostern. He knew in his heart that his destiny now lie with the other two.

"Then something extraordinary happened. On the night that the Theurge joined the pack the three of them were awoken by a strange dream. It was as if Unicorn was summoning them. Quickly they got up and went outside into the night air. There standing before them was the grandest Unicorn that they had ever laid their eyes upon. She turned and ran off into the woods. In no time there were three wolves at her heels.

"They traveled for an hour or two when they came upon an open glade in the woods. There unicorn slipped into the Umbra out of their sight. Cautiously the three went to where she had stood. As they neared they felt their bodies being pulled through the gauntlet, a gauntlet which was not to be easily broken. Upon their arrival in the Umbra they could sense power as if this place had an untapped abundance of spiritual energy.

"'Children,' Unicorn said, speaking for the first time, 'I have chosen you.' She went on to tell them of the place where they stood. It had at one time belonged to the Manitou, the little mysteries, who roamed these woods in times long since passed. When the Europeans arrived in this area they were forced to flea leaving this place of power unprotected.

"As more and more people moved west, minions of the Wyrm followed. The Incarna Spirits were afraid that this place would fall into the Wyrm's hands. They joined together to protect the area. This place had to be sealed off for there was no one in whom its care could be placed. Unicorn was then appointed its guardian for it's power was the ability to calm the mightiest of warriors. It was then decided that a search would be made to find someone worthy of the task of overseeing this would-be caern.

"For years she had searched among the elder Garou to no avail. And then her attention had turned to the young. It was then the she noticed the three that were now before her. Each had overcome many things and yet not one among them held hatred in their hearts. They had perhaps the greatest gift of all, the ability to forgive. She had found those with whom she could entrust her charge.

"Giving them directions on how to access and then open the caern, Unicorn was off. Her last request was that the caern be opened soon for the final days approached and the Garou would need every resource that was available to them in their fight. The three young ones were a bit overwhelmed by the expectations that had been laid before them. Still, they were eager to prove themselves, and more importantly they were eager to serve both Unicorn and Gaia.

"And so a plan was formed. They summoned those who they called allies. Most importantly they called the pack that had been so integral in their lives. When everyone had gathered the next night, under the light of the half moon, they joined hands and shared their tale. The opening of the caern their intended climax.

"All who were there were astounded. The young one then asked the other pack to serve as their mentors and guides for they knew that they could not protect such a powerful place alone. There were many tears shed that night, as emotion poured through them all. It was quite a sight.

"Word of the new caern spread quickly. Packs began to come, some on missions from other caerns, others just out of curiosity, a few sent here by Unicorn to aid in the caern's protection. Many who came stayed. Why? I'm not really sure. I think that they just found a level of understanding and acceptance here that was absent in their former homes.

"Of course there have been difficulties. We have discovered that this place seems to have close ties to a Mage node, I believe they call it, not far from here. So we have found ourselves in the precarious position of having to defend that place as well. There have also been a few raids by our dark brethren. So far they have only sent a few packs at a time and we have been able to deal with them without suffering casualties but we must always be on the look out for more because we don't know where they are hailing from.

"Oh, yes, in case you have figured it out, that young girl was and is Becca, named Rose Among Thorns by her mentor Keirnan McLir. The Ragabash is of course Billy, and I'm the young Theurge. The other pack of which I spoke is Wyvern's Guardians, comprised of Keirnan, the caern's Grand Elder David Smith, Patrick O'Grady, Billy's uncle Johnie, he's the Caern Warder, and Sheera, she's the Rite Master.

"So what do you guys think?" Ben asks as he finishes his tale. He takes a long drink from his iced tea glass and looks around at the others awaiting a response.

2002-06-19T14:08:00.000-04:00

Rebbecca Davis

"I only ever feel all right late at night. Late, late at night.
When I'm dreaming.
When I'm a wolf.
When I'm leading my pack."

from _The_Onion_Girl_

by Charles DeLint

Becca is one of my favorite Werewolf characters of all time. I'm sure there will eventually be much concerning her on the blog. For now though, this is a quote I found that seems to sum up her early years perfectly.

2002-06-19T13:02:00.000-04:00

In the Beginning...

There was a girl who was afraid of the dark, believed in faeries, and never quite felt in step with the rest of the world.

But I've grown up now.

I'm no longer afraid dark...

This blog is here to unmask my true self. You see I am not the mundane soccer mom that I so often appear to be. Indeed I am rather far from it.

So come with me, Beyond the Mists...