tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83294442720183141852024-03-13T13:38:43.744-07:00The Kibitz KnookNymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-80060671824930604432023-11-18T16:51:00.000-08:002023-11-18T16:51:41.385-08:00Thank you Veri<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1m1ga" data-offset-key="7r4f7-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7r4f7-0-0" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><span style="color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I posted to Ao3 the entry I wrote for the 1 year vtuber debut anniversary of @VeriVixen on Twitter. Thank you Veri for bringing us heathens together. You encourage me to strive to be more than I am capable of.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/51682021</span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7r4f7-0-0" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><span style="color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7r4f7-0-0" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><span style="color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You can find her on twitch at <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/verithevixen">VeritheVixen</a> or join her discord at <a href="https://discord.gg/h4TXxUghVH">The Forsaken Shrine</a></span></span></div></div>Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-88473946333066327702022-12-30T08:02:00.001-08:002022-12-30T08:02:55.937-08:00Station23<p> There is a social media craze right now started by Sean McCoy dubbed <a href="https://seanmccoy.substack.com/p/dungeon23" target="_blank">Dungeon23</a>. Dungeon23 is a framework for creating a megadungeon. You write up one room a day with the idea of having a completed level each month. At the end you have a 365 room dungeon.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I was thinking of doing something similar this year. I have a friend that DMs on a small community discord server I am a part of. He created a D&D 5e encounter every day during 2022 as part of a New Year's Resolution. I was already picking his brain before I found out about Dungeon23. He was looking to do something similar in 2023, but scale it back or introduce some variety. He was really feeling the it this month. He ran into organization issues as well. Organization was something he did not consider when he started. He just started making encounters with no real structure for referencing them later.</p><p>I have settled on building out Rectification IX. This is a space station in Vustrana near Mistava and the Terrax Empire in the <a href="https://www.worldanvil.com/w/the-dalinor-dominion-nymiethepooh/map/bdbd6f32-d20b-4671-a61f-cb12a4f00d0b" target="_blank">Dalinor Dominion</a>. The station acts as a hotbed of political drama. Dalinor may be the capital of the civilized galaxy, but it is in the Western side of Courtspace. The various peoples of the Eastern portions of the galaxy use Rectification IX as neutral ground for political maneuvering. Rectification IX is the ninth space station built at this location. Parts of the previous stations and various ships are integrated into its construction. By building a megadungeon, I have locales for adventure to break away from the political intrigue or run two player parties focusing on completely different types of stories in the same location.</p><p>I plan to organize the dungeon into sectors found on Rectification IX rather than by traditional dungeon levels. I have worksheets in google drive ready to go with google draw or draw.io for mapping. I have templates set up to work in photoshop or affinity if I decide to go that route. Either way, I have some flexibility, but also a means to easily cross-reference my work. I considered obsidian. I prefer obsidian for "finished" work that I can reference during play. I plan to go back and clean up the end result in 2024 rather than use it directly as is so may place it in the obsidian vault for the setting at that time.</p><p>I am incapable of keeping a daily schedule. I plan on not restricting myself to one room a day. I am setting aside the 7th, 14th, 21st, and the last day of every month. I will focus on creature design these four days a month. During the process of creating a room I will create creatures, but I won't worry about getting full stats until one of these break days. The 7th and 21st I will also either create a new faction for the megadungeon, or expand upon an existing faction. The 14th and last day I will create at least one random event for the sector. This leaves me with 317 rooms instead of 365. I think the slight change in what I am working on might help. These days also give me a chance to catch up.</p><p>There will be a focus on architecture, but I will have things like initial lighting, hazards, puzzles, denizens, and treasures. I will have factions, but who occupies an area will adjust over time. For me, a good megadungeon is not a place players go through once and are done. A good megadungeon offers reasons for players to return. The ecology should be flexible enough to shift and change with time and circumstances. In the end, I hope to clean up the results to have reference material for my setting that I can get use out of for years to come.</p><p>I still need to figure out what game system I will be building encounters around. We used <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/302992/Ultramodern5-REDUX-5th-Edition" target="_blank">Ulltramodern5 Redux</a> in the past. The rules were a big hit. The players loved the character building options. We also liked that it wasn't just D&D with a scifi wrapper. You can feel the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/13/R-Talsorian-Games-Inc" target="_blank">R Talsorian</a> influence throughout the product with inspiration from games like Cyberpunk and Mekton coming together with D&D 5e to create something new. There are issues with digital tools however. I have been an online only GM since 2017 so digital tools are a big consideration for me. No platform has direct support for UM5 Redux. 5e sheets work for characters, but there is no option for vehicles of any variety, and UM5 Redux has rules for a variety of vehicles from ground to air to space to mecha. UM5 Redux also introduces a 7th stat, saves, and resource for its magic system. I find the magic cool and interesting, but it is another thing that is not easily tracked with existing digital tools. So on the upsides, popular with my friends and scales with other D&D 5e products. There is a plethora of creatures from various companies to cherry pick from. Downside is the lack of digital tools.</p><p>We are currently shopping for which system to use going forward. Leading candidates are <a href="https://paizo.com/starfinder" target="_blank">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/17946/EDGE-Studio" target="_blank">Genesys</a>, and <a href="https://www.sw5e.com/" target="_blank">Star Wars 5e</a>, but we'll see how things shake out. I plan on initial write ups of creatures to use the <a href="https://www.montecookgames.com/store/product-line/cypher-system/" target="_blank">Cypher System</a>. Cypher lets me get into general power scaling and focus on flavour in a manner that I can restructure to another system later when one is chosen without wasting a lot of time and energy.</p><p>I do not plan to update this blog with progress. I feel like this is an interesting challenge with a lot of flexibility in how one can approach it. This is my plan going into this. I have the games I run aside from this. I usually do not share what is going on in games as it is extra work for something that the people that should care are already there for. I may post the occassional post here and ther, but please do not take me posting this as an indicator that there are more posts on the horizon. There are not unless I feel the urge to share something with the world at large rather than keep it to just my friends.</p><p><a href="https://itch.io/blog/462261/dungeon23-resources" target="_blank">Here are some good resources for anyone looking to partake in the dungeon23 challenge</a>. Happy spelunking!</p>Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-71596061942210418662020-04-24T04:02:00.002-07:002020-04-24T04:03:12.698-07:00Ihsan Rolls a One<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br id="docs-internal-guid-cb942f84-7fff-8e59-7b12-f307fc3370d1" /></span>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ihsan’s almond skin shimmered with a light perspiration as he slowed his pace under the smoke-choked sky. His pointed ears registered the laboured breathing of his running partner falling behind even with the distraction of mentally composing a letter to his wife. There was something else as well. A rustling sound between them in spite of the sparse vegetation after years of the hellbreach slowly baking the region with its sulfurous heat. A small bow sprung from Ihsan’s bracer into his gloved hand as he pivoted on the spot attempting to identify the sound.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Is this when you finally strike, mole?” asked the man between breaths. He might have been blond. It has been more than a month since anyone out here had the luxury to get properly clean. The man’s face already red from exertion deepened in anger. Blue eyes sparked to life as he pulled a wide sword of impure iron from his waist. The man stomped toward Ihsan. The dark blade failed to reflect much light when he raised it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hush” came Ihsan’s monosyllabic response. Ihsan’s tone was subtle. The corners of his mouth pulled wide as he spoke. His tongue was flat. Ihsan’s voice did not sound natural to anyone in Vernas. This included himself. It had changed without his permission during his year on this primitive continent.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ihsan’s eyes continued to dart around the area. The Scandian had at least ten seconds before he reached Ihsan. Longer if he was smart about his approach.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You might kill me, but I won’t go quietly!” the man said as he used what strength remained within him to initiate a plodding sprint. Metal wires burst from the ground directly in the Scandian’s path. Their barbs dug deep into his leg. Ihsan saw a flash of bone through the spray of blood. The scent of copper and iron penetrated his senses briefly through the sulfur. The Scandian tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword as he collided hard with the parched earth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ihsan sprung forward pulling a dagger to cut his partner loose before promptly stowing it in favor of the bow. This earned him a glare from the Scandian as Ihsan continued to scan the ground. “Worm?” Ihsan asked in the screaming man’s direction.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spittle flew from the man’s mouth. The Scandian, unable to leverage his thick blade to cut the deviltwine said, “Cut me free! I can fight!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Three holes cracked open in the ground to Ihsan’s left with another two on his right. Ihsan let an arrow fly as a sliver of flesh poked out of one of the holes. As soon as the arrow was loose he pulled his dagger again and tossed it to his partner.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another opening split the surface. Some sort of mammals Ihsan was unfamiliar with climbed out. Their rounded bodies were slightly larger than rabbits. Tendrils of metal danced at discordant rhythms from their noses. Their eyes were fused over with a metal plating that spread up over the top of their tiny heads. Thin spikes protruded from their spines. Gnawed grayish pink flesh showed through patches of gray or brown fur. Their oversized paddles in place of paws reminded Ihsan of makeshift shovels. Well, he was in Corrisbank after all. A land where the only things to be found in abundance are poverty, fire, and shovels even when there was not an invasion from the hells taking place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The creatures churned the ground with their metal whiskers causing clumps of dirt to burst into rolling clouds. Ihsan let loose with another arrow where he thought one of the creatures might move to. There was no response from where the arrow should have hit. Ihsan was instead greeted by the whine of metal wires rubbing together accompanied by the renewed screams of the Scandian. The shrieks of metal continued as the Scandian’s own were cut off. Ihsan shot in the direction of his former partner before running and leaving the body behind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A break in the clouds bounced light into Ihsan’s eyes bringing him to a halt. Deviltwine sprouted out of the earth in front of him. The wire grazed the leather pouch at Ihsan’s waist. The muscles in Ihsan’s face drooped as enough money to house his daughter for a year and a compass clattered onto the ground. The compass popped open upon impact. The needle pointed East then swung West. It rotated back East again before rapidly flipping back and forth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The creatures coming at Ihsan from behind rushed past him as he watched the compass in mute fascination. Those ahead that were closing in unknown at the start came out of their holes. The bulk of the creatures tilted their heads to the side or implanted their tendrils into the ground. A couple circled sniffing the air.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Panic bewitched Ihsan as he glimpsed his hollow features made more gaunt by a sharp bone structure in the metal plating covering the eyes of the closest creature. All of the tiny heads snapped in Ihsan’s direction when he shuffled through the coins in an attempt to get away.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am sobbing even though I feel no nothing. The little aches and pains of life left along with the injuries I just suffered. The tears are not for the ribbons of flesh and leather looping around the bones which I am standing over. Nor do I weep for the state I find myself in. I suspected joining the forces at the hellbreach was a death sentence when I joined. I am bawling over the money Jalila will never get. Who will save my daughter now? The money will run out and she will be put out on the streets or worse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fuck this place. Fuck their gods. Fuck their petty politics. Fuck their demon-forsaken ways. Most of all however, fuck me. There is no moon to bless this land. My Hana will not know how to find me here. Hana is my moon, but she needs light to see by. Our daughter will die in this land of heathens. I am a fool. This is my doing. I should have kept with the ones strong enough to cope with this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do I do now? Find that queen of ravens perhaps? The others used to tell me she guides the dead here. I never should have left them. Maybe she can send someone to help Jalila when I meet her. I wonder how long it will take for her to show up. Do I seek her out? Where would I even start to look?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I watch the silhouette of my partner finish my food and water. I am satisfied that Havalorn was not killed. We are both carrying the same message. He passed out during the attack. He might never walk again. Once the creatures thought he was dead they moved on. They were not hunting for a meal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I keep watch over him. I am surprised they did not return due to his snoring. He has a job to do. I do not know how I will help Havalorn should I spot trouble. I have to try.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some scouts are sifting through my remains with sticks. Havalorn is telling them I turned on him. They share their relief over my demise as they prepare a litter to get him to a medic. I don’t really care. Many humans and elves are suspicious of those with my breeding. Being from a place few of them believe to be real did not help relations much either. They can think whatever they want of me as long as he delivers the message.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They split Jalila’s money between them. My partner gets the lion’s share since he was the one to earn it according to their rules. My cheeks sting as I scream at them. They do not hear me. They deem the compass to be broken since it does not point North. My heart hurts for the unicorn as her sacrifice is deemed useless and tossed aside. The degenerates use my remaining letters to Hana for toilet paper. I never did finish that last letter. Is that why she is not here? Am I unfaithful?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They drape my magical cloak over the scraps that are my remains. I am angry with myself now. Why did I not think to use the cloak to escape the creatures? I could be alive right now and sending Jalila her money instead of watching them pick my remains clean. Why am I such a coward? The cloak is used as the fuel to burn my corpse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fuck Corrisbank.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One scout clutches the bracers Blimgunot made for me. She slashes herself across the forehead with a spring-loaded dagger while attempting to read the inscription on one of the bracers. The others laugh after seeing it is just a flesh wound. I remember that same dagger being used by a child to cut a friend in the same place. I remember the broad strokes of my friends. The details of their faces are fleeing my memory. They were heroes. They deserve better than I gave them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The scouts discuss a sale price as they walk away. They would get a lot more than their estimates if they knew what they have. I would not tell them the value even if they were capable of hearing me. I know I am being petty. I need this small act of spite right now even if I am the only one who knows about it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it has been a few days. I have trouble tracking time without Havalorn to measure cycles by. I can not travel far from where my body fell. I have yet to determine what causes the distance to vary, but it is not far enough to find someone that might be able to see me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The women that were supposed to walk beside me are not here. Neither of them are. Hana has a good excuse. Where is this raven?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is that burst of light to the West? Did we lose? Are demons sweeping the land?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Something approaches. It is hazy around the edges, but feels more solid at its core than anything else I have seen since my death. Could it be the raven? I was never given a description. She is larger than I imagined. I guess she can do that being a deity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am being lifted by a great wind. I weep with joy as the raven is opening herself to take me in. The air is cool. Chilly even. Why do they call her the raven if she has no feathers? Or a beak? Or any other birdlike features at all?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why am I shivering? How is it so cold? Is that circle a mouth? I am freezing! By the Moon! It has rows of teeth!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I do not want this!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I DO NOT WANT TH-</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-23070589822182408942018-05-07T05:35:00.004-07:002018-05-07T05:37:38.900-07:00Ihsan's Leters - 7th Day of the third ten day of Winterwane 1572 MPThis is part of a series of letters a D&D character I play writes and keeps on his person. This one is a bit longer than what I plan for most. The character was too sick to write a letter at a natural stopping point. I missed the following session so am basing much of the details on what I have been told along with following the journal of another player in the group found <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SigrunsJournal/comments/8h1nnc/sessionjournal_entry7th_day_of_the_3rd_ten_day_of/">here on reddit.</a><br />
<br />
Honey Melon,<br />
<br />
Much has happened since last we spoke. Fortune is with us. The troll hunters that tolerate me hunt other things as well. I get ahead of myself however.<br />
<a name='more'></a>The creatures that had chased me through the woods had given a doll of their own making to a child without his parent’s permission. Thankfully, I travel with good people that will take time from their own concerns to protect a child. The troll hunters permitted me to assist them in this matter. This did cause a small delay in our hunt for the troll, but I know she will understand. The Tharn boy and his neighbors are well thanks to these hunters.<br />
<br />
More of those creatures accosted the town while I was assisting one of the hunters with the boy. I listened in as events were related later. These beings are vile. The people are toys to them. Their emotions nothing but a form of entertainment.They are like cats with no fear of mortals.<br />
<br />
We left the town of Luftfeld to look for a troll later that same day. These hunters do not give the sand time to shift under their feet. The troll hunters received guidance from one of the local nature callers as to where we might locate a troll along with a blossom needed to help one of the woodland creatures that appeared to be independent from the others of her kind.<br />
<br />
Along the trail we came across some mushrooms with restorative properties at the sight of a battle between two large creatures. The hunters assured me one of the combatants was likely a troll! This was a good day even if the water continued to fall from the sky. I had gathered some of the mushrooms in case it might prove useful.<br />
<br />
That evening I fell a boar. I will spare you the details, but I have willingly brought shame upon myself. I now know that the passage, “Partake not of the flesh of the swine for it carries the sins of man.” was written with the best of intentions. It is good one of the hunters carries the mushrooms. I was tempted to destroy what we had gathered after my unfortunate meal. I would have written to you then, but the sin was too great.<br />
<br />
We found the troll’s lair the next day. How can so much rain fall in one place in so short a time? How do their towns stand? They are marvels of architecture that my untrained eye has been incapable of appreciating fully.<br />
<br />
We engaged the troll in combat. Fortunately, this one had some intelligence. It was able to communicate with one of the troll hunters through a shared tongue. Many here call her “The Hunter”. After this I am starting to believe she is the one with the true training in hunting trolls. The others are valorous men of great skill as well, but the fight might have cost us dearly if the sharing of ideas was not possible. The Hunter and the troll were able to negotiate a trade. I will have the some blood after their nature caller gets what he needs. I pray it will be enough for now.<br />
<br />
The sky turned green later that day during our travels. We moved away from the town in search of the blossom that sparks. That night we camped in the midst of great stone obelisks. The divinity conduit among the hunters examined the stones while I was busy trying to figure out the best way to keep the mud out of my boots. He found a case with a scroll written in an older form of Elvish. I could barely make out the words. The scroll glowed when I attempted to read it. I stopped upon the request of the others as I had failed to notice the change in the scroll’s appearance myself.<br />
<br />
We moved camp after that. The Hunter told the others things of a personal nature. I will not relate them here as these are not my burdens to share. I do however find it odd yet refreshing how open and honest the people of this land are. We do not know each other, but I know more about their challenges than most of my cousins. Is this a reflection of the words, “He who does not trust will not be trusted?”<br />
<br />
I have much to learn from these hunters. The troll hunters are helping me to navigate their customs and keeping me from making some of the larger mistakes. They are watched over by something truly wise and holy. I will write again when I can. We are headed to the bluffs in the morning.<br />
<br />
Your Soggy Slipper,<br />
IhsanNymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-63233187215122070802018-04-23T04:05:00.003-07:002018-04-23T04:26:23.641-07:00Ihsan's Letters - 5th Day of the third ten day of Winterwane 1572 MPThese letters are for a D&D character. This is the first letter Ihsan wrote after meeting the other player characters<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
Note: Ihsan still struggles with using a solar calendar. It is easier for me as a player to use the game's solar calendar since that is how time is measured where the game is occurring. Also, the moon went missing while Ihsan was at sea.<br />
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My Little Hellbeast,<br />
<br />
I heard a man use this recently with a woman he seemed fond of. These people are strange, but admirable. There are many hard workers to be found in this new land. People that are not afraid to get their hands dirty from a day of working.<br />
<br />
I found myself being chased through a rotting forest full of bells while studying the herbs there. I broke through some sort of barrier into a vibrant forest of green. The things I saw there make me question my own sanity. I entered the rotting forest again in an attempt to escape. I managed to evade the bell tollers to find a town.<br />
<br />
I received quite the welcome upon bursting through their rope wall that the forest was pressing up against. I did not realize I had atlatls poking snared in my clothes at various angles. I must have seemed most mad attempting to talk with the people of this land with them dangling off of my body.<br />
<br />
I found some troll slayers among the residents quite by accident. They are outsiders as well. None of them had the fiery hair ridge I have read about. One was a little shorter than myself, but the other two were much taller. Perhaps the texts had this portion wrong. I hope that is all they got wrong. The three did not boast of past deeds as some of the others I have tried to work with have done. There is a quiet confidence which I find reassuring.<br />
<br />
We head out tomorrow to hunt a troll. They have a plan. I am willing to follow their lead. Hopefully this tree will bear some fruit. There is not much time left for many more false trails.<br />
<br />
Your Troll Tamer,<br />
IhsanNymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-3857039216722786572018-04-23T04:01:00.000-07:002018-04-23T04:01:54.824-07:00Ihsan's LettersI started a new character in an existing Dungeons & Dragons game. I wanted to have him write letters outside of the game itself. Ihsan Yima Rostami is a stranger in a fictional land which is sort of like how people picture a medieval Transylvania. He never sends these letters anywhere.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
I am keeping the set up intentionally vague because the other players do not know his background yet. We played the first session with him. He attempted, and failed, to convince them he spent six months sailing from his homeland to take a trophy from a troll. The following are some snippets from letters Ihsan carries on his person that he wrote after he left his home before meeting the other player characters.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
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My Moon,<br />
<br />
I worry about leaving Bhhazeru. How will we find you when the time comes. I am not yet to this new land, but the stars are already shifting. I am afraid I will be lost to you. The texts Ahmad and I have read leave no alternatives we can pursue at home. I have to go. I just hope I can still find you.<br />
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Eternally Yours,<br />
Ihsan<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
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Light of My Eyes,<br />
<br />
The sea is a strange place. We go for days without seeing land. Qamar and I have been able to keep the crew from investigating our cargo. They are more disciplined than I originally gave them credit for. Still, I shall remain vigilant. I am learning much about living without land. It is a strange sensation after spending my entire life with the still ground firmly beneath me. I have started to learn their means of hunting and gathering. The breath of the gods travels quickly here with no land to slow it down.<br />
<br />
Sweet Dreams,<br />
Ihsan<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
Will of My Heart,<br />
<br />
I crossed a threshold today. We are skirting the coast of a land called Zhou. I am sorry for coming here without you. I know how much you wanted to see one of their temples for yourself.<br />
<br />
There is no moon in this land. This is my biggest mistake since leaving to join the hunters that day. How will we find you? Are the roads the same? I will return to Bhhazeru once my task is complete so I may find you when the time comes. There are so many unanswered questions. I know not what I have to do, but I will not allow any to stop me.<br />
<br />
Your Ihsan<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
My Hana<br />
<br />
We landed in a port town in Vernas two days ago. The locals call it a city, but it is no Ziwai. I am sorry for not writing sooner, but I had many preparations to make and used what vellum and ink I had left a moondrop and a half ago. At least, I think it was a moondrop and a half. I have been in a fog since losing you.<br />
<br />
I have set Qamar up with lodging. He has done much for us. I dare not think what would have happened if he did not find me after your leaving. I have taken on various jobs since we landed to pay ahead on the rent. I leave tomorrow. They have libraries where I hope to answer the questions that brought me here. I will be redeemed when I see you next.<br />
<br />
Your Servant,<br />
Ihsan<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
My Guiding Star<br />
<br />
This land is a wretched place. The air is always full of water. The scent of decaying vegetation is pervasive. I believe I may have arrived during their rain season. This is my penance. A little discomfort is to be expected. I miss you dearly.<br />
<br />
Qamar and I found some leads. I am pushing West on my own. He is staying behind to mind things. We are living on borrowed time, but hopefully I can buy us more.<br />
<br />
Your Cucurbita,<br />
Ihsan<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-46471867782340799662018-03-26T08:32:00.002-07:002018-03-26T08:33:00.737-07:00My Thirty Day World Part Three - Villain<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">This is for day two of #My30DayWorld Today’s question is, “Who is the most nefarious villain of your world?"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">There are a few big bads. If limiting it to mortals, the most famous is the Necromonger. This necromancer never remains dead. His spirit seems incapable of leaving Tyar. it is probably the Necromonger that would spring to most people’s minds. There are big bads more powerful, and more purposefully evil, but the Necromonger is the known quantity by the populace. The other names that might come to mind are Unan and Talvi, the two heads of the Celestial Reclamation whom have consumed, chased off, or enslaved most of the deities that have set on Tyar since their rise to power.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Most of the big villains have goals they consider worthy. Nylva, the Goddess of the Shadowfell may be the one exception in that she wants to merge the Shadowfell with Tyar. The Chronomancers want to survive and ruling is a byproduct of that. The Sun Quenchers are working to prevent the end of the current age by stopping the sun from leading Tyar to the Purge.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Read more about #My30DayWorld at </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">http://news.absolutetabletop.com/2018/03/15/my30dayworld-join-worldbuilding/</span>Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-6831949886246430492018-03-25T07:33:00.004-07:002018-03-25T07:33:53.883-07:00My Thirty Day World Part Two - World NameThis is for day two of #My30DayWorld Today’s question is, “What is the name of your world? Why is it called this?"<br />
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The world itself is called Tyar. This is the name of the creature the world encases. The people talk about Tyar the planet as a living thing even though they do not really see her any differently from other planets. In the view of the denizens, all planets are living. The magical energies Wizards and Druids tap into come directly from her.<br />
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The continent where the focus of the game occurs is called Mudar. It is thought to be the body of a dragon that grew old and tired. He decided to lay down one day. The continent the people call Mudar is only part of what was the dragon’s body.<br />
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Read more about #My30DayWorld at http://news.absolutetabletop.com/2018/03/15/my30dayworld-join-worldbuilding/<br />
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<br />Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-12663699785258898272018-03-24T06:42:00.001-07:002018-03-24T06:42:29.893-07:00My 30 Day World Part Day One - Elevator Pitch<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-8999013a-583d-6b30-9b71-f41a2005aa29" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is for day one of #My30DayWorld Today’s question is, “What is the thirty second elevator pitch for your world?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dragons soar the skies of Tyar, a world built on top of the bones of previous civilizations that are little understood by the scholars of today. Getting to the technology of the past is dangerous yet profitable. The continent of Mudar is cut off from the rest of Tyar by the Wandering Border to the East while travelers that venture far from the shores of Mudar by sea never return. The Mudar Merger does its best to seek out solutions to combating the Wandering Border, a rolling fog bank which spews forth monsters, but their resources and influence vary with the whims of the various rulers of Mudar.</span></div>
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Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-51811201249392209592018-03-23T09:35:00.001-07:002018-03-23T10:07:14.820-07:00How to Mudar a GameThis is the lead up to my attempt at #My30DayWorld. You can read more about My 30 Day World <a href="http://news.absolutetabletop.com/2018/03/15/my30dayworld-join-worldbuilding/">here</a>, and find the kickstarter that it is tied to <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/absolutetabletop/a-dead-mans-guide-to-dragongrin-campaign-setting-g">here</a>. I am not affiliated with Absolute Tabletop or any of their affiliates. I have never talked to any of them. I do watch some of the youtube videos the various contributors make.<br />
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<br />
I have not blogged in a while. Last September I got back into tabletop roleplaying games on a regular basis. I was approached by a stranger to be a game master (narrator) for a 90s Marvel themed Mutants & Masterminds game using roll20. That game is closing in on five hundred hours actual play time and I love it.<br />
<br />
I currently run two Dungeons & Dragons games as well. One is Lost Mines of Phandelver for kids which is the first time I have actually ran an adventure written by somebody else, and a mature adults only D&D game. I play in a Masks, Scion, and D&D game. The D&D game is the only one of the three I do not run that occurs on a weekly basis. This is all a lead up to talking about that adult D&D game I am running.<br />
<a name='more'></a>I was approached by a player in the Mutants & Masterminds game. She wanted to play a game with a married couple. The wife is her best friend. This player found another player to join them for a total of four. We held a pregame session to get to know each other. The husband was in and out, but his wife was there for the whole session.<br />
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We came away from the session with the decision to play in a custom world. Something similar to Middle Earth or Faerun. There were more details, but the players expressed the desire to possibly be epic heroes of legend in a world full of dungeons and dragons. We discussed the potential of there being a prophecy concerning the player characters. There would be dragon deities. The dragon deities were central to the point where weather patterns would be named after dragons. One of the players offered to write up a dragon pantheon. Another player offered to write up an Elven themed pantheon. For dungeons, there would be layers of previous societies that had fallen. Later civilizations literally built on top of the fallen ones. Before the session was over we settled on the basic idea that the party would be going into the ruins early on even if it was just somewhere near the surface. There were other details such as resurrection should be difficult, expanded downtime activities (crafting in particular), and no firearms, but the broad strokes were setting up opportunities for the player characters to be big heroes, dragons are pervasive, and underground complexes crisscross the land.<br />
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So I started work on the world. I used some software to make a map of a European inspired continent. I created the basic framework for some nations and set up an area for people to design nations and other details of their own if they wanted. I laid out the skeleton for some pantheons. The player working on the Elven pantheon got me information on three of the deities. I hammered out five big bads with the potential to end the world so I could trickle down from any of them to fit what the characters do. I found some tactical battle maps and got them set up for a week long journey with loose plans for each day. I made a map in GIMP of the town the characters would be going to. I even made a couple of simple dungeon maps in GIMP. All throughout were a mix of social, combat, and a couple of puzzle challenges.<br />
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I came into the first session full of hope. I looked forward to seeing what ideas the players might have come up with. I wanted to know what kind of cool dragons might be in this world. The player character were to meet up with their employer in a tavern. Yep, cliche, but I wanted them to meet her in person before pulling her away for a while as she is far too busy to go where she was paying them to go. The two friends played sisters that grew up with the character of the husband. The other player character was hired on as a guide.<br />
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I lost interest completely during the first session of this game. This was a combination of things.<br />
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For one, I had to rethink the campaign on the spot. The husband showed up with an evil character in a party where the others were either good or neutral. This is after it was expressed emphatically during the setup session that the players wanted to make being epic heroes one of the three pillars of the campaign. The player was not wrong in any way for electing to play an evil character in a good aligned campaign. I simply had no idea it was coming before we sat down together that session. It went against everything I was told the players wanted going into this first session. His character details were still being put in after we were supposed to start playing. The player was actually really good about it looking back. He is not playing a stupid evil character. He is not twirling his mustache. The character does have bonds to two of the other player characters. It makes sense for him to be there beyond just the money from their patron. I wish more people playing evil characters in a good campaign were like this character.<br />
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The second turn off was some of the jokes. When I have to say something after a game requesting that if rape is part of the game it is something we should never take lightly or joke about, then there is a pretty big problem. The jokes crossed my line long before we got there. I have run games for people with RPG horror stories, and the "jokes" during this game were right there with some of the worst cases I have heard. With most groups I would have had a discussion before the first session. I sometimes use X Card if running a game for strangers not because people tend to use it, but because using X Card ensures that conversation takes place and there is a visual reminder in front of everyone. Three of the four players were good friends however, and the fourth was friends with one of them so I thought they would be used to each other. I was not the only one made uncomfortable by the jokes. This should be a lesson to myself.<br />
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The third turn off was beyond the three deities and some background information on the player characters that are sisters, I got nothing else out of the players before that first session.<br />
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The fourth, and the one that killed the game for me was two sides of one issue. On one side I was trying to create a world for them, and after the setup session it felt like they did not care about the world or what I did with it. On the other side, the side I did not see at the time and the heaviest hitter in the attempted murder of this game, I was not making a world that I wanted. There really was nothing in it for me at the time.<br />
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The party never left the inn during that session. I didn't care enough to push them out the door so I ran encounters and events I had planned in case I needed them inside the tavern.<br />
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I probably would have quit if not for the fact I adore the person that asked me to run this game. This game killed my desire to play any RPG for weeks. I kept pushing through however.<br />
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Another player was added for session two. The player that was playing the guide gave me a background story which gave me some elements to work into the story. The other players toned down the crudeness of their jokes. While the new player never made a rape joke (I did discuss this with him before he even made his character as I considered it the hard rule for the game), he was jumping up and down on that line for me. Of course, I stopped caring by this point. The player that was bothered by some of the jokes from the first session loved it. My response to it basically boiled down to, "Fuck it. Whatever."<br />
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We had a cancellation so took a week off. I took the time to start thinking about what I wanted. I still do not know what I want, but I began making changes to the world without altering anything that had been presented to the players. Somewhere between session two and three I set up a <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/tearsoftyar/home">google site</a> because it works a lot better than trying to share all of the world details in roll20 handouts. Everybody in the group can edit the google site for the game. I only put information on there scholars of the world might know. I have the basic layout for the solar system. I have an idea of how the four calendars work even if I have not written them up yet. I never did tell them much about the fallen civilizations so that was still open to whatever I wanted to do there. After asking the players stated they were comfortable with using the planes in official D&D material instead of having something custom so I touched on the relation between Tyar and the various planes. The player working on the Elven pantheon fleshed it out a bit more.<br />
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I also worked on some house rules. I swiped and reworked the revival system from <a href="http://www.dmsguild.com/product/228484/Xanathars-Lost-Notes-to-Everything-Else?src=newest_community&filters=45680">Xanathar's Lost Notes to Everything Else</a>. The one player that cared told me they liked <a href="https://geekandsundry.com/use-critical-roles-resurrection-rules-in-your-own-campaign/">Matt Mercer's system</a> after I did that so we are using his rules instead. I began to shape a hunting/gathering and basic expanded crafting system based on that from <a href="http://www.dmsguild.com/product/226033/City-and-Wild?term=city+wild&test_epoch=0">City and Wild</a>. More in depth crafting was something that was requested in the setup session. All of the player characters started play with one free tool proficiency at their request. After presenting the crafting rules I was <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/7rb6rj/i_have_put_countless_hours_into_a_roughly_175/">linked</a> to some different rules by one of the players. I can say with relative certainty that the player has read neither the rules I was working on, nor the rules they linked me to. The rules they linked were greatly expanded herbalism rules that we are definitely using. It does mean however that the alchemy rules are now very loose and open to my interpretation until I have time to focus on how to incorporate the exhaustive herbs list into a structured crafting system.<br />
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I was drunk for session three. I was not tipsy. I was straight up sloppy drunk. Surprisingly, this proved to be exactly what I needed. I was way too uptight about this game The players still had fun. I talked to them all later and they claim to not be aware of the fact that I was drunk for that session. I started to care about roleplaying again which is good because I had the first session as a player in a different game a few days later.<br />
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I went into session four caring again. Not as much as I did going into that first session, but at that point I was willing to take whatever I could get. It was good. The players had fun. I had fun. The jokes in three and four had toned down and felt natural. The session was very much what I needed.<br />
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Session five was scheduled for last night, but was canceled due to life. This does not deter me in the slightest as life always takes precedence. Well, life should always take precedence. If it does not then we need more than a break.<br />
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As I stated at the beginning. This is my preramble to starting #My30DayWorld. It strikes me as a structured way to think of the world for this game alongside the other work I am doing on the game. I could scrap this world and do something completely different. This feels like it might be the campaign that teaches me that a game or a world is salvageable. I just need to figure out what pieces to keep and build a new world on top of the bones of the old which is one of the three pillars of the setting.<br />
<br />Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-8155224409134025252017-07-22T06:41:00.001-07:002017-07-22T06:41:28.942-07:0022 Jul 2017 - Art UpdateI have not drawn much in the last two weeks. Some of it is laziness, and some of it is running around and some of it is using the time to do things like clean models and earn the Summer seasonal ship in Star Trek Online while cranking out my reputation. That said, I took pictures of my board today as it had been two weeks since I cleared it off. Here is some of the last two weeks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oib2Z5IInj4/WXNUxvVVUZI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/nMLrKqGJjQoJBbNG6gXVcqeY4j5TrBbMACLcBGAs/s1600/MentorCropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1299" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oib2Z5IInj4/WXNUxvVVUZI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/nMLrKqGJjQoJBbNG6gXVcqeY4j5TrBbMACLcBGAs/s320/MentorCropped.JPG" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really should use reference until I have a better handle on anatomy. This was more about getting the concept, but good anatomy would have been nice too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JLwLPlnrudk/WXNUyK3cZQI/AAAAAAAAAhY/nYsBT2MRpwwh-gS0OOdLsWse1Uhw3LsMgCLcBGAs/s1600/211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JLwLPlnrudk/WXNUyK3cZQI/AAAAAAAAAhY/nYsBT2MRpwwh-gS0OOdLsWse1Uhw3LsMgCLcBGAs/s320/211.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the waiting room of the Neurologist</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anrPL-WLGDs/WXNUx60qqtI/AAAAAAAAAhU/raFIj_NAPkgn5-8OvL1fWfYXYNZQWgJZgCLcBGAs/s1600/208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anrPL-WLGDs/WXNUx60qqtI/AAAAAAAAAhU/raFIj_NAPkgn5-8OvL1fWfYXYNZQWgJZgCLcBGAs/s320/208.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drawing Up a Storm. Picture of a statue used as reference.</td></tr>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-70941343065516407362017-07-07T09:21:00.000-07:002017-07-07T09:21:24.288-07:00Another WeekThis week I had been playing with the charcoal pencils that came in last week. It is a new medium for me. There have been some graphite drawing as well, but not much. I took pictures of the charcoal drawings as I pulled the newsprint off my board today. Here are a couple of those sheets.<br />
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<a href="https://kibitzknook.blogspot.com/2017/06/new-pencils.html">The blocks are the same pencils from last week.</a> I wanted to see what they looked like on the newsprint.<br />
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1.) Prismacolor PC935 Noir Black<br /> 2.) Prismacolor Ebony 14420 Jet Black Extra Smooth<br /> 3.) Conte a Paris 1710 Pierre Noire B<br /> 4.) Eberhard Faber American 2 HB (School Pencil)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iW1mIXTCKc/WV-zpRLvPVI/AAAAAAAAAg0/gLYUKMYAKKcAzdoKy62j5F5MiVloRk_bwCLcBGAs/s1600/Heads.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iW1mIXTCKc/WV-zpRLvPVI/AAAAAAAAAg0/gLYUKMYAKKcAzdoKy62j5F5MiVloRk_bwCLcBGAs/s320/Heads.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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My faces need a lot of work, but I am pretty happy for the short amount of time I have been drawing. The camera even boxed a couple of these which is good for my overinflated ego.Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-29536734116496571222017-06-30T14:24:00.001-07:002017-06-30T14:24:06.818-07:00New PencilsI drew every day since posting except for Wednesday. I ordered some pencils and newsprint over the weekend as I could see myself running out of materials. I can archive things on the computer before I toss them out. The pencils and paper arrived today. I had barely started on a warmup page so I decided to turn it into a pencil test page. The paper was a cheap 50lb pad I bought years ago. I tried not to smudge the pencils for this. Tones were attempted primarily via pressure.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdeHTri9RUU/WVbACo_Z20I/AAAAAAAAAgY/9wYp8ZM0an0hq47ae3KV5XbD1FelZBS7QCLcBGAs/s1600/30%2BJun%2B2017%2B-%2BTest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdeHTri9RUU/WVbACo_Z20I/AAAAAAAAAgY/9wYp8ZM0an0hq47ae3KV5XbD1FelZBS7QCLcBGAs/s320/30%2BJun%2B2017%2B-%2BTest.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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1.) Prismacolor PC935 Noir Black<br />
2.) Prismacolor Ebony 14420 Jet Black Extra Smooth<br />
3.) Conte a Paris 1710 Pierre Noire B<br />
4.) Eberhard Faber American 2 HB (School Pencil)<br />
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1.) I was using the Prismacolor this morning because I figured I would be putting it away after today's delivery. It is smooth with a flat black that is not very reflective. I have not used this pencil a whole lot. I love the color and gradation, but it does not erase easily.<br />
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2.) These were on sale (a dozen for $7 US) when I was placing my order. This is a graphite pencil with a thicker core than a writing pencil. This pencil had the most reflective blacks of the four tested. It is very easy to erase. It had the smoothest glide of all the pencils I tested.<br />
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3.) These were recommended to me for use with newsprint. I waffled between the B and 2B, but settled on the B since it would be closer to the HB I am used to. This pencil is soft. It picked up the grain of the paper rather strongly. This pencil produced the deepest black out of all of them I tested and was not reflective when I tried viewing it with lights from different angles. It is easy to pick up and push around the pigment after laying it down. An eraser removes this pencil rather easily. This is the only charcoal pencil of the bunch, and I believe it might also be pigmented. I need practice to get a greater tonal range and smoother lines. There was a lot of glue residue all around the core which is not a big deal, but was a difference from the other pencils so I am mentioning it.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cu9b0DOn2uY/WVbAB_ODEPI/AAAAAAAAAgU/Hyeaa9CPUYoRuj0kNYc7IvIRIBzr9hKtACLcBGAs/s1600/Pencils.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>4.) This was a standard school pencil I have been doing most of my drawing with so I decided to throw it in at the end. I like it quite a bit and figured it was a pencil most people might be familiar with. This pencil does not erase quite as easily as 2 or 3. The core is much narrower than those in the other pencils.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cu9b0DOn2uY/WVbAB_ODEPI/AAAAAAAAAgU/Hyeaa9CPUYoRuj0kNYc7IvIRIBzr9hKtACLcBGAs/s1600/Pencils.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cu9b0DOn2uY/WVbAB_ODEPI/AAAAAAAAAgU/Hyeaa9CPUYoRuj0kNYc7IvIRIBzr9hKtACLcBGAs/s320/Pencils.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-50328739871223993342017-06-23T22:41:00.001-07:002017-06-23T22:41:05.613-07:00Freehand CirclesI do not know how much art I will be sharing. If the blog in general is any indication then not much. I found my circles were really weak when warming up today so I did a page of circles in addition to the other pages. All but one circle are freehand and done with a bik pen so I could not erase. That one circle was me trying to spin the paper which shifted during spinning so looks as off as my freehand ones.<br />
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I need to work on photographing drawings. Ballpoint seemed a good medium for testing so the extra circle page from today is what you get. I did not use the clipboard when drawing, but needed something to hold the paper for the camera. I found that when laying the paper on a table or other flat surface I can not see the view window since I can not get over the camera to look down. The lighting was better with the table view though. I had to adjust this in Gimp using a gradient map to lighten the left side of the page some.<br />
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In related news, I used up the printer paper I originally pulled to practice on when I decided to attempt drawing again. Tomorrow I have to decide if I will continue using printer paper or move to the 50lb paper I have. I made a small sketchbook using that 50lb paper and drew my first Reilly head in it so it would not continue its existence completely blank. I am trying to decide if I want to order some newsprint and graphite, or wait and see how much my practicing will move to a Wacom tablet when I buy one of the enthusiast pads soon. If I can figure out the lighting and camera then I might focus more on the traditional. Either way I will be doing a mix of both, but how much of each will determine if I need to order supplies sooner rather than later and in what amounts.Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-56052445142255049392017-06-21T15:56:00.000-07:002017-06-21T15:56:41.206-07:00I Suck...and the only person that cares is me.<br />
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I have been wanting to try my hand at scultping for a while now. I've sculpted bits, but never a whole model. Like every wargamer, I have ideas for what might make for a cool miniature or alternate sculpt. The desire was great enough to where I picked up a pencil to bang out some concepts. It was then I realized the pencil is not my friend any more.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>It amazes me how many artists state they knew they wanted to be artists since forever. The thing I really wanted to be as a child was a Hardy Boy. Sadly, my last name was not Hardy so the dream was not a long one. It was probably not until I was about ten or twelve before I first started to draw outside of a class assignment or coloring book out of boredom. It was also around this same time I discovered comic books. Ninja Turtles were pretty popular at the time as well. I was a dabbler, and art fell to the wayside as I went into High School. I did take an Art 101 and Ceramics class Senior year because I needed to fill out the day and already maxed out on what science and math courses were available at my school. About the only thing I remember making was a landscape illustration of a barn and trying to pass off hand-made pipes as other objects.<br />
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After High School I ran into the issue of no time and my body becoming harder to control. I lost pretty much everything through a series of moves and homelessness. The only art I have from growing up was a piece my great grandmother kept where I straight up copied a Rob Liefeld drawing. I was going to toss it after she left it to me, but my roommate talked me out of doing so. It's in a closet or storage unit somewhere right now.<br />
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It was not until I was playing the MMO City of Heroes that I tried drawing again. This was 2006 or 2007.To give you some perspective, I was supposed to graduate in 1997. I drew infrequently, but I had fun trying to draw the characters of people I knew from the game. I did not draw much at that time. I think every "finished" drawing but one is on <a href="http://nymiethepooh.deviantart.com/">my deviantart page.</a> The last 2D image I uploaded to deviant art was in March of 2009. The only thing I had drawn since was a logo onto a ginormous stocking as a gag for the local game shop that was running a stocking stuffer sale.<br />
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So I am trying to learn the basics. Basically the things I skipped at the start because I did not want to do them. I have spent the last few weeks filling pages of printer paper with jerky lines and potatoes that were wishing to be ovals. If I could not draw then I at least experimented with ways to hold the pencil every day. I am holding a pencil while I type this even. I am trying to get comfortable just holding a pencil. There have been some gesture drawings to break up the monotony. I watched a lot of youtube. I spent more time on youtube than I should have compared to the amount I have been drawing, but meh. I drew my first portrait yesterday. It is sketchy and misshapen even though it is based on a photograph. I am hesitant to go back and alter it as I can use it as a recording point. Also, I do not want to get stuck on one piece right now. For me it is not so much the art itself, but the stories art can tell which intrigue me.<br />
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There are many things I can see which are wrong, but I can see some good as well. I am finding my sense of form in 3D is stronger than it was when I was younger. I do not know if this is from years of working with miniatures, or something I would have picked up on my own with age anyway. So much of art is how we perceive things that it is natural to change with time. My anatomy is off and my lines are shaky, but it is nice to see something there I know was not present in my art before.<br />
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I need to keep up with exercising my hand-eye coordination and line confidence. I think I will also try to start some anatomy studies. I want to try my hand at either brush inking or acrylic painting since I have the materials, but I do not feel my basics are there yet. I might move on to using a different paper from the printer paper I've been using however. I can see myself getting lost in a new toy instead of focusing on a foundation for future growth.<br />
<br />Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-35882922755958484472016-11-10T21:04:00.000-08:002016-11-10T21:04:06.980-08:00Election 2016I have not posted in a while. My painting setup I had in Spring was not working in the long term. It was blocking a closet and the room was slowly filling up with stuff. I have been shifting everything around and realized I do not have the space for everything I want to do so sort of stalled out. While this is a personal blog, it had become mostly focused on gaming and miniature painting which have both been rather scarce for me lately.<br />
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The rest of this post is mostly political. I do not know when I will be updating the blog again, but wanted to acknowledge it had been some time before I launched into my spiel. If you are here mostly for the painting or gaming then this might be where you want to stop reading.<br />
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I attended two High Schools, four Middle Schools (while missing half a year during that time), and more Elementary Schools than I can remember. I know I went to at least three private schools, some schools of mixed ethnicity, some purely Caucasian, and at least one school where the student body was just over 80% African American. I never really was anywhere long enough growing up until that second High School to really think of any single place as home, but it did give me a lot of opportunities to see how different schools operate. At least from the perspective of a student.</div>
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That second High School is the place I think of when I hear the word “Home”. Most people from there move away as adults. There are some people I admire there, but there is a truly ugly side. I lived there in the nineties. “Rolling Fags” had nothing to do with cigarettes. There were some that invited me to join them when they were bored, but it was something that meant leaving the county so I thankfully did not have to look for excuses to not participate very often. I knew people that tortured animals. Some from boredom, but at least one because he hated cats and got his start as a young child.<br />
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I failed to notice there were no minorities in the school until one kid gave a class report while wearing the robes and hood. I do not remember what the report was on as I was too busy shitting bricks at the time. Up until this point most of the schools were teaching us to be “Colorblind”. Even the school that was 80% African American was peddling it in the eighties. There was less hate there than some of the schools I had attended. There was a couple of kids that made certain I knew I was a minority, but it was no worse than teasing I received in other schools and I was able to leave it at school. I got a small taste, but it was not something I had to live with for the rest of my life. Being Colorblind seemed like a good concept at the time. I have come to since think of Colorblind as merely being blind to the issues as it can only truly work if there are no hate crimes. Otherwise it doubles as a means to not see what is going on.<br />
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It was safe to have people know your were a member of the Klan back home even though it was not something openly discussed. The Klan moved into the area to oppose the Catholic church after all so was not considered a hate group by many in the area even though moving to a place to suppress the beliefs of others is exactly what a hate group does. Most of the members in the area were part of the Klan because their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were. For them it was as natural as being the same member of a church your parents are members of and you were raised in. Many were not directly racist. Then again, they had little to no opportunity to be directly racist. Klan members were a minority of the population, but they operated largely unopposed. Nobody spoke out against them. One does not have to be a member of the Klan to tolerate their activities. Then again, they functioned more like a local Lodge and were not breaking any laws so were easy to ignore.<br />
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I share this partly to help explain why I was not shocked by Trump’s win on Tuesday. I do not watch a lot of television, but I am online and know people from various places. I was seeing a lot of support for both candidates. It is also hard to be surprised after seeing Trump succeed in spite of every expectation of failure through the primaries and all the way up to election night along with knowing how fear of other humans can influence us.<br />
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Trump's promises concerning minority various groups that were not his target demographic were well known. This was before Mike Pence was named his running mate and carried over the course of his campaign. Voting for Trump does not mean that a person is racist or any number of hateful traits that can be attributed to a person. It does however mean that person either does not believe what Trump says, or are willing to overlook racism and homophobia. That is why accusations are leveled against Trump supporters. Hate crimes were just acknowledged as acceptable even if not directly participating in them. There were other reasons to vote for Trump. The message received is that those reasons are good enough to trivialize the rights and safety of some citizens.<br />
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I understand the appeal to want to break the system. Many Americans have lost faith in the system. I don’t see how anybody believed an elitist that farms production jobs out to other countries was going to change the system, but I understand the desire for changing how things are even if it comes down to not caring what form that change takes. The reports we are getting right now has his cabinet filling up with career politicians who were already very much part of that very establishment.<br />
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As of right now, I have more respect for the KKK and the Westboro Baptist Church than the people that acknowledge Trump as not qualified to be President but were essentially triggered into voting for Trump because they were tired of being called something they do not see themselves as. This feeling of low regard also extends to those that are literally shifting the responsibility of their decision to vote for Trump to others. Both present themselves as victims with no choice but to vote for Trump.<br />
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For me there are some directly personal reasons for my feelings. Even though I am a straight white male in my thirties I can not claim that my reasons for wanting to preserve the rights of others are purely selfless. Yes, I believe in equality. True equality would benefit all people except for those in truly exulted positions of society in the long run. There is also the issue of safety.<br />
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My home county experienced an HIV outbreak this year. My youngest sibling just graduated from the same High School I attended. There was no Planned Parenthood due to funding cutbacks at the state level thanks in no small part to our recently elected Vice President. This made the virus harder to track and contain.<br />
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There was talk about real change in the area. People who had been living their lives and putting up with what was around them started to speak up. Then the police declared they had arrested everyone involved with one particular drug line into the county. The county fair was just after that and life went on. The only mention I have seen from anybody concerning it at all since the arrests was when one woman accused another of stealing her boyfriend over facebook and claimed the other woman had Aids in the process. Other than that, online it was like it had never happened.<br />
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Numbers I have say that 9.1 K votes were counted for my home county. Of those, 67.04% (Around 6,100) voted for Trump. This means two thirds of the voters in a county directly threatened by HIV because of Pence’s policies were okay with him being Vice President. This makes me feel so many things I do not know what to express.<br />
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Obama is my President. Bush was my President. Before him my Presidents were Clinton, Bush, Regan, and Carter. Trump will be my President as well. This is my country. I have lived in most of its states at some point during my lifetime. This may not be the circumstances I would have chosen for my country, but it is the place we find ourselves in. I wish for the best for my planet and its inhabitants.Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-78649078712488039792016-06-08T23:58:00.000-07:002016-06-08T23:58:58.079-07:00Wednesday in Progress - 08 Jun 2016I just realized I forgot this week's WIP, so here it is.<br />
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I did not paint last week. The final round for this year's Iron Painter is "Critters". I DNFed (Did Not Finish) last round so I am completely out of the competition. This includes the raffle. I decided to follow along this round, but I am not submitting anything to the contest.<br />
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I went through a few ideas. The prominent one was Donald Trump being piloted by one of the creatures from the Critters movies. It felt like a bit too much work for the time frame as it would require me to sculpt and paint everything. Another idea was to paint anthropomorphic models. I can do the archery scene from Robin Hood using just mice people if I wanted to, and there are other animal people in my collection as well. The idea I settled on was to replace Star Trek tribbles with critters.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ast8UxvOpJg/V1kTMxmOL2I/AAAAAAAAAek/ToR4RgifV_c-yQzSG-vrfZjBeDn5F6QNwCLcB/s1600/07%2BJun%2B2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ast8UxvOpJg/V1kTMxmOL2I/AAAAAAAAAek/ToR4RgifV_c-yQzSG-vrfZjBeDn5F6QNwCLcB/s320/07%2BJun%2B2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The model is from the Through the Breach female multi-part kit by Wyrd Miniatures. I originally imagined a male in the role, but there were fewer details to cut off the female parts than the male parts. There will be a mix of tribbles and critters in the scene. The tribbles in the picture are regular Sculpey (a bakeable polymer clay) before they went in the oven. That batch took me about two and a half hours. It went faster once I got a rhythm going so I might be able to do the same in two hours or slightly longer later.<br />
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The plan for the critters is to sculpt their little bodies then do their fur in the same manner as the tribbles. The model will be shooting one. The other critters and the tribbles are going to be built up behind her just out of her sight. The working title was going to be "The Complication with Critters", but I was uncertain I could get that to fit on the paper towel. I still need to figure out what to base it on and what the ground is like. I should have everything sculpted and assembled at the very least by next Wednesday.Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-69883368260800515032016-06-01T17:30:00.000-07:002016-06-01T17:30:57.472-07:00Iron Painter Round 4 - Wednesday is Paused for 01 Jun 2016I managed to do a little more work on the Monstrosity since my last blog post. It's not finished, but I am done with it for now.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-elO4wRmgYQQ/V095ul1vZhI/AAAAAAAAAdw/wj8jWX1EL7cHclmctF7iGJ8_5q461klGgCLcB/s1600/12%2BMay%2B2016%2BFace%2BForward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-elO4wRmgYQQ/V095ul1vZhI/AAAAAAAAAdw/wj8jWX1EL7cHclmctF7iGJ8_5q461klGgCLcB/s320/12%2BMay%2B2016%2BFace%2BForward.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Round four of Iron Painter has come and gone. The theme this round was "Armed and Dangerous". <a href="http://themostexcellentandawesomeforumever-wyrd.com/gallery/category/31-round-4-armed-and-dangerous/">The submitted entries can be found here.</a><br />
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I failed to submit a model this round. I am now out of the competition. In spite of this, I thought it might still be worthwhile to talk about what I failed to do.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2BGNS6dTFcU/V095vLjqvgI/AAAAAAAAAd4/BK-ZzyWHMJQHzLmRWxAfsLGw5QofhJjngCLcB/s1600/Light%2BBox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2BGNS6dTFcU/V095vLjqvgI/AAAAAAAAAd4/BK-ZzyWHMJQHzLmRWxAfsLGw5QofhJjngCLcB/s320/Light%2BBox.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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To start, I finally got myself a light box. Well, a homemade light box. I feel the image is pretty self-explanatory, but just in case it is not I cut the top off of a distilled water bottle. I did not do it in the pictures here, but the plan is to be able to put a slip of paper to line the back and curve to the bottom for use as a backdrop. I am trying to be productive by testing it out on the unfinished projects from the last two weeks.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7j1mZNKTE2U/V095vS4gx-I/AAAAAAAAAeA/rH3kOY-U8DYLeQgTxU1intAizvkz24D1ACLcB/s1600/Wrath%2BConcept.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7j1mZNKTE2U/V095vS4gx-I/AAAAAAAAAeA/rH3kOY-U8DYLeQgTxU1intAizvkz24D1ACLcB/s320/Wrath%2BConcept.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tL6XBFEcssY/V095vauZDBI/AAAAAAAAAeE/a9D8vSUpAS0q9KiFHuOWDWzbkXex09mGACLcB/s1600/Wrath%2BRepose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tL6XBFEcssY/V095vauZDBI/AAAAAAAAAeE/a9D8vSUpAS0q9KiFHuOWDWzbkXex09mGACLcB/s320/Wrath%2BRepose.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first entry idea I worked on was to have somebody being dragged into the ground by a multitude of arms. I selected Wrath from Wyrd Miniatures along with a bunch of arms from their male and female multi-part kit since Wyrd is the company running the contest. While working on the project I realized I would need to resculpt large parts of Wrath to get his body right and would likely have to sculpt some arms to ensure I could get them all to flow in an overall pattern to direct the eye where I wanted it to go. I tried to go for a more stressful pose, but realized I would need to redo most of his torso to pull it off As an aside, he is way too symmetrical. I think even if I were to use the default pose I would want to do something to his abs. I started to rework the idea to have the same model standing on a stage inciting a riot. The overall pose was not straining enough for the original idea which was going to be a lot of work. I started preparing to use different arms that already had weapons in their hands where before the only weapons were a few blades I was thinking about clipping.<br />
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I came up with the idea a couple of days into the round of having a child finding a locked box in their parent's bedroom. The original idea was to use a bed. Reaper makes one. I planned to pick one up from my local shop as I had seen a couple there. Going through my own bits I found a cabinet. I decided to use that instead. The child on the ground is a Reaper model. The wireframe is supposed to be another child between the size of the one standing on the ground and an adolescent. He was meant to be handing a box down to the smaller child. The cabinet doors are some plasticard that I took a knife to for wood grain for the frames and some clear plastic blister sandwiched between the two frames of the doors.<br />
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I did not get time to work on this idea which was going to take me a while. I worked on alternatives. The one was a fairy that looked to me like she was running away from something. I removed the wings and trimmed some bits. The model chasing her is a teddy bear with yarn for hair and a giant knife.<br />
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Again, I did not have much time. So, I went with a model where the only prep work was to clean some mold lines. I did not even take the time to prime her. This is the only model out of the bunch to have any paint on her right now. I want to work on my lighting, so I went to work with black and white to try and get that right. I was not concerned with blends. The plan was to glaze over this then refine everything. I never got back to her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Y1VeioIak0/V095vEZRzxI/AAAAAAAAAd8/Bo5BO55JZ9soMo2C76a_neGgWBvDjQajgCLcB/s1600/Round%2BFour%2BMess.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Y1VeioIak0/V095vEZRzxI/AAAAAAAAAd8/Bo5BO55JZ9soMo2C76a_neGgWBvDjQajgCLcB/s320/Round%2BFour%2BMess.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pile of partially worked projects</td></tr>
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It would be a lie to say I am not a little disappointed. I feel I peaked in round one and have been in a decline since then. I am happy I decided to participate. I produced a couple of pieces I never would have attempted and feel a certain amount of pride with those accomplishments. I plan to work on something for round five if I am able even though I am completely out of the competition at this point. it has been a positive experience for me overall.<br />
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Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-63261207948646486472016-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:002016-05-11T12:11:30.722-07:00Iron Painter Round 3 Ends- Wednesday in Progress for 11 May 2016
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Round 3 of Iron Painter is over. I
scraped together what I had to submit an image Monday morning. I was
still painting half an hour before I had to have the image submitted
and spent next to no time going through pictures and making the
collage for this round.</div>
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<a href="http://themostexcellentandawesomeforumever-wyrd.com/gallery/image/7600-wyrd-science/">My partner for the round,Neveroddoreven, submitted a fantastic piece.</a> He sculpted
the entire model aside from the head. I really enjoy the model.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7ntJp7W288/VzOBqEyRYhI/AAAAAAAAAdI/XqCR05yT6K89jYmHaOxkJ9W4uI52bW9zACLcB/s1600/Monstority%2BIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7ntJp7W288/VzOBqEyRYhI/AAAAAAAAAdI/XqCR05yT6K89jYmHaOxkJ9W4uI52bW9zACLcB/s320/Monstority%2BIP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Submission Image</td></tr>
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I am not happy with myself. The model
is unfinished. Actually, pretty much every project is an unfinished
project, but I feel I was not even at the eighty percent mark on this
model which is disappointing. I have been working on the model a
little since the deadline had expired. So far it has just been some
work on the base, face, and skin touch ups. This also feels the least
inspired of my Iron Painter entries so far to me.</div>
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The base is pretty much done now. I
added some shadows from the model after taking the picture shared
here, but it is much the same as it appears in the image.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iT9I2kW9dFE/VzOBqg7saHI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/ggylhVjdyacGjdxP_tgDsk-J6VA4Unf8wCLcB/s1600/10%2BMay%2B2016%2BBase%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iT9I2kW9dFE/VzOBqg7saHI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/ggylhVjdyacGjdxP_tgDsk-J6VA4Unf8wCLcB/s320/10%2BMay%2B2016%2BBase%2B2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Base</td></tr>
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I have some more work to do on the
face. The original plan was to have a stylized atom symbol in a
bright pinkish purple to be an attention grabber. Since time and
theme are no longer of any concern I decided to try a face. I could
always strip it or paint over top of it later. I like where it is
going. I need to taper the scalp so it recedes more into the shadows
of the face plate. After that I think I will seal it then try for
some surface reflections.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AdpGqTGytMI/VzOBqdzf1rI/AAAAAAAAAdM/hdnRj9e_DD4Mtl9tQQHlMCOPEyKs3DA3QCLcB/s1600/10%2BMay%2B2016%2BNight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AdpGqTGytMI/VzOBqdzf1rI/AAAAAAAAAdM/hdnRj9e_DD4Mtl9tQQHlMCOPEyKs3DA3QCLcB/s320/10%2BMay%2B2016%2BNight.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First pass at the face.</td></tr>
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That is it for now. The rest of the
week will likely see me tinkering away on this model or cleaning
parts for future projects.</div>
Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-81107979558765778942016-05-07T06:35:00.002-07:002016-05-07T06:35:58.243-07:00Captain's Personal Log - Stardate 13016.128
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Our destination is Ironius Paintorus
III in the Wyrd system. Preparations are underway to present the
representatives with a scientific gift that will interface with their
technology, but not be of their own making. The engineers ensure me
that all of the components are available and assembled. My Science
officer will be calibrating the prototype model while the ship's
Counselor will be overseeing the final preparations. We must arrive
and present the model no later than the morning of 13016.130, or all
is for naught.</div>
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This is a personal entry. It is a
little bit on the long side. It is a post that many should probably
skip. There is a bit of me feeling sorry for myself in this post.
This post may contain Too Much Information (TMI). Consider that a
final warning that you will not get back the time it took to read the
remainder. I feel it is important to share life's hiccups on
occasion, and I have the time to do so right now.</div>
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For those that do not know me
personally, I have a neurological condition. Doctors have theories as
to what it is, but when it comes right down to it, they do not know.
Multiple Sclerosis was the leading candidate for many years. It is
still a consideration, but they have as of yet to find any lesions.
Lesions should be relatively easy to find in my condition.
Somatization is a possibility. The only doctors to suggest it are
doctors that were in and out of clinics so I only got to see either
of them once each. Somatization is a hard diagnosis to accept. I am
not actually diagnosed, and Somatization is actually not all that
likely, but it is still a path I continue to pursue just in case. I
had a doctor think it might be Muscular Dystrophy, but I had only
seen that doctor once. Lyme Disease was suggested but never seriously
pursued. The current contender is Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating
Polyneuropathy (CIDP for short), which shares a lot of symptoms with
Multiple Sclerosis, but is much harder to identify. There had been
others, but those are the big ones.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Regardless of the actual condition, it
means I face certain limitations. I started having trouble gripping
things on and off in the nineties. There were times I had no energy.
I was prone to dizzy spells. I had occasions where I was unable to
move my body. I chalked it up to being lazy. The last time I was able
to stand on my own was in 2005. The last time I was able to sit up on
my own was a couple of years after that. There are days I can not
hold up my head. Some days I am unable to get out of bed. There are
times other people can not understand my speech because I will slur
or mumble.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I entered Iron Painter because my
health has been in a bit of an upswing. That is the nature of life
for me. It used to be massive spikes of mountains and valleys where
for the last few years it had petered out to be more like rolling
hills. Sometimes I do better than others and the reason as to why is
rarely identifiable. I do not know if I will be able to participate
in a painting competition after this. I know that sounds fatalistic,
and it may not be the case, but it might be. I have never been part
of a large miniature painting competition, and I wanted to know what
it would feel like. I do not want to be looking at future Iron
Painters or other painting competitions and thinking to myself I
should have joined while I still could.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first round went pretty smoothly
for me. There were a few issues health wise, but they were minor as
far as their effect on the competition. I did my best to relax the
week between the first two rounds. I was chomping at the bit and
cleaning models for gaming purposes going into round two. Round two
started out okay, but I started losing it part way into the project.
There were times I was painting with a stuffed animal wedged up
against my neck for my head to rest on, and I had trouble with the
brush. I had to watch my hand because I could not tell the position
of the brush by touch. Quite a bit of the time between round two and
three was spent in bed. I was partially relieved when I switched
projects and had to wait on shipping. The delay meant more downtime
before I had to get back to the competition even though it also meant
I was looking at less time to actually paint.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Earlier I mentioned I had the time to
write this right now. I am on my fourth change of undergarments since
I have been up with only one diaper left. I did manage to paint the
binding on one foot in that time. I hope to return to the model in a
bit, but it is a little bit of a struggle. I am taking a little bit
longer of a break at this moment before returning to painting. I am
attempting to do something productive during this break.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some people claim to enjoy seeing how
the sausage is made. The way I make the sausage is to keep painting
even if doing so seems to make things worse. Sausage making is a
messy process. Sometimes I stumble. Okay, I stumble a lot. Everybody
has their struggles. Mine is no more detrimental to my hobby time
than most. Just because we face different struggles does not mean
that one struggle is more real than another. Some people have family
or work or other commitments or health issues of their own. I am
lucky in that I have no life or commitments. This is the only real
obstacle I face when it comes to painting miniatures.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is a difficult hobby. I do not
feel I am particular good at it, but I do love this hobby. It
combines so many creative endeavors that I love. Please keep at it if
you love the hobby. Keep stumbling. Even if the stumble is backward,
it is still movement. Pick a direction. Keep your focus on your goal
and not necessarily on where you are at in relation to that goal. Try
not to worry too much on which direction you are actually moving as a
painter as long as you keep moving.</div>
Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-13393444999718263512016-05-04T11:25:00.000-07:002016-05-04T11:25:14.773-07:00Iron Painter Round 3 - Wednesday in Progress(?) for 04 May 2016
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://kibitzknook.blogspot.com/2016/04/iron-painter-round-3-wednesday-in.html">Last Wednesday</a> I talked about starting
the third round of this year's Iron Painter. Then I talked about
restarting. This week I am going to talk about restarting yet again.
Shipping took longer than I had hoped for the second project I
started, so I am on a backup that I started yesterday. There really
is not a lot to share at this point.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The model is a Monstrosity for the
Cephalyx faction in Privateer Press' Game, Warmachine. I finished
cleaning, pinning, magnetizing, and putty work on this model
yesterday. I had already cleaned on the model to use for gaming
previously, but I gave it another go because @#$%! Privateer Press'
plastic models. To be fair, the monstrosities have been a joy to
clean compared to other plastic models I have picked up from the
company.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpbJxKr1RIc/Vyo99QPqVjI/AAAAAAAAAcs/WbxMdmnlgNow6QbYhkndmPUttBwun4bawCLcB/s1600/TheCharm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpbJxKr1RIc/Vyo99QPqVjI/AAAAAAAAAcs/WbxMdmnlgNow6QbYhkndmPUttBwun4bawCLcB/s320/TheCharm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The base is fairly simple. I trimmed
out the center of a 50mm round lipped base and cleaned up the rim.
The insert was cut from a piece of terrain for the game Deadzone by
Mantic. I added some thin brass rod for some detailing while trying
to keep the base somewhat subdued.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Paint wise I started by covering the
model with GW Incubi Darkness and Reaper Umbral Brown. Some places
this was a mix and some areas I used one or the other straight. I
then started on the skin. The skin was the same colours as the
shading as well as GW Tallarn Flesh and some white.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NcF_D05LjLg/Vyo9vh_-16I/AAAAAAAAAck/BYFGTeTaB6sDNZHvj2MS2Hiw-Hg7fCpHQCLcB/s1600/03%2BMay%2B2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NcF_D05LjLg/Vyo9vh_-16I/AAAAAAAAAck/BYFGTeTaB6sDNZHvj2MS2Hiw-Hg7fCpHQCLcB/s320/03%2BMay%2B2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I knew I wanted to have some black
areas. Originally I was thinking of making my own black, but I
realized I wanted at least the faceplate and possibly some of the
hoses to be man-made materials and definitely not natural. I hit most
of the model with some black paint today as it did not make sense for
me to use black later without having some black in the recesses on
other parts of the mode.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I considered painting lava under the
grate, but I was worried it might pull the eye away from the model a
little too much. I did a dirty wet blend of GW Incubi Darkness and GW
Enchanted Blue over the grating. I painted over the grate with a mid
of Reaper Umbral Brown wixed with black for now as I think I will go
with either rusty metal, or a warm metal later to contrast with the
water a little bit.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3_i7Od0ztXE/Vyo9v7xd1KI/AAAAAAAAAco/gecOIFLO3TkrOwK3braRbmd4U6EdxB7UgCLcB/s1600/04%2BMay%2B2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3_i7Od0ztXE/Vyo9v7xd1KI/AAAAAAAAAco/gecOIFLO3TkrOwK3braRbmd4U6EdxB7UgCLcB/s320/04%2BMay%2B2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I switched the recipe for the skin
today to black, GW Tallarn Flesh, and white for now. I will glaze in
the GW Incubi Darkness and Reaper Umbral Brown to tie the flesh back
in with the rest of the model later. I also switched whites. I had a
bad pot I keep trying to use and finally decided to chuck it today.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As stated, there was not a lot to
really show today. I thought I would take this time to document a bit
since that is part of what I hope to do with the blog. Deadline is
Monday morning, so I really need to be done with this model by
Sunday. It will be a tough round, but I will be content if I can get
this model ready to submit at this point.</div>
Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-1382349360923647032016-04-27T13:40:00.000-07:002016-04-27T13:43:27.690-07:00Iron Painter Round 3 - Wednesday in Regression for 27 Apr 2016<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Wyrd announced the theme for round
three of Iron Painter on Monday. The theme is "Wyrd Science".
<a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20160509T09&p0=25&msg=You+Have+Exactly+This+Much+Time+Left&font=slab">We have until this counter reaches zero to submit our entries</a>. My
partner for this round is Neveroddoreven. You can find their <a href="http://themostexcellentandawesomeforumever-wyrd.com/gallery/image/6858-56f72ff9f419f-ophelia-prettyinpinkjpg/">round one entry here</a>, and their <a href="http://themostexcellentandawesomeforumever-wyrd.com/gallery/image/7208-better-off-undead-neveroddoreven/">round two entry here.</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I spent most of Monday brainstorming
ideas before gathering up materials. Tuesday saw me cleaning models
and cutting up some wood.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YPDBgdkhJBM/VyEiYa8dooI/AAAAAAAAAcM/7AhhatcgFDoDJIzJuntC1avWUl7Vsz9BgCLcB/s1600/IP%2B2016%2BRound%2B3%2BStart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YPDBgdkhJBM/VyEiYa8dooI/AAAAAAAAAcM/7AhhatcgFDoDJIzJuntC1avWUl7Vsz9BgCLcB/s320/IP%2B2016%2BRound%2B3%2BStart.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The models that were to be used.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I went through many ideas. The one I
settled on was a scientist using a box that allowed him to view
alternate fates for himself. These would be projected into the corner
of his laboratory. The corner would spin to show different
possibilities for his own destiny. The whole thing would be enclosed
within a larger version of the box the model is holding. Part of the
detailing on the outside would include a dial that turned the portals
so only one showed at a time. After all the cutting I was looking at
roughly a foot deep by two feet long and seven inches tall for the
outer dimensions of the box everything fits inside of. It breaks down
into three pieces for storage and access. I was calling it <i>The
Dial of Destiny</i>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I realized today (Wednesday) that it is
highly improbable I will have everything assembled to my satisfaction
let alone painted before the deadline. I was looking at five different environments not including the outer casing for the larger box. I am happy this revelation is
coming to me today instead of a week from now. I had a backup model
already planned out for if I was down to the three day mark which
will still be out should I need it later. Switching projects now
gives me more flexibility. The Dial of Destiny is getting boxed for
now. It may become a side project after Iron Painter is over as I
like the idea.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VChh4Ip3MOQ/VyEiYdGHNCI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/QXMPS6WBaOYklG5y6Ffr_DGI7tZD7ESAwCLcB/s1600/Day%2BTwo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VChh4Ip3MOQ/VyEiYdGHNCI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/QXMPS6WBaOYklG5y6Ffr_DGI7tZD7ESAwCLcB/s320/Day%2BTwo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the materials for The Dial of Destiny.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The new project is technology themed
Norns. I ordered Haley 3 from Privateer Press today to fill the role
of the three Norns that are known for maintaining Yggdrasil. I may
strip down my Old Witch of Khador that I started painting a week
before round one to stand in as the maiden and drop one of the
Haleys. I would use Wyrd models, but the ones I would want to use for
this project are all parts of sets and for factions I do not play so
I was looking at a lot of money for three models. one alternative is Abuela Ortega which I do own, but she is sealed where Old Witch is only partially painted.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The layout will be rather simple. The
three models will be at the base of Yggdrasil. The well they draw
water from will actually be a portal similar to the one connecting
Earth and Malifaux in the game Malifaux by Wyrd Miniatures. There
will be hoses and machinery to do the work instead of buckets and
spades. I am tempted to add a steam shovel, but that might be a tad
too silly and would require making the whole thing larger.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am sorry about the lack of pictures
for the second idea I talked about in this post. I am still in the
planning phase for the layout and am working without the models on
hand for now.</div>
Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-904073017896936372016-04-20T21:56:00.001-07:002016-04-20T21:56:28.456-07:00Better Off (Un)Dead and Wednesday in Progress - 20 Apr 2016
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This was the final submission image for
my entry to the second round of this year's Iron Painter. The theme
for round two was Better Off (Un)Dead. I ended up not adjusting the levels at all as I normally use levels to attempt to make models look closer in colour to their in person appearance, and that simply was not happening. The only editing on any of these pictures was cropping, resizing, and combining multiple images into one file.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtCeqsceErc/VxhauN3KmZI/AAAAAAAAAbw/Eg9bjlSctDMnfgh0dsQSubV2tvMC6b2NgCLcB/s1600/UndeadCollageBlack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtCeqsceErc/VxhauN3KmZI/AAAAAAAAAbw/Eg9bjlSctDMnfgh0dsQSubV2tvMC6b2NgCLcB/s320/UndeadCollageBlack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The image to be judged.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This model was much less
straightforward than my entry for the first round. I struggle quite a
bit with textures. The first round proved to be good for getting
feedback so I wanted to try some things I know do not come easily to
me. I also wanted to see if I could convey a scene involving multiple
models by only using one. My hope is that the judges would pick up on
the details and create their own version of the scene.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The model itself is a combination of pieces from the multi-part male kit for the Through the Breach RPG by Wyrd Miniatures, and epoxy putty. The wall was some scrap flat pieces from a picture frame covered in textured styrene sheets with epoxy putty over that. The basing is built up epoxy with kitty litter and sand. The vines and bushes were some terrain I picked up from a local hobby shop.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I worried about my theme this time
around. I do not feel like I tapped into the theme as tightly this
round as I did in the last round. After seeing the other entries it
feels like almost everybody was kind of on theme, but not as strong
on the theme as last round. I imagine the theme portion of the
scoring will drop slightly for most of the participants across the
board, including myself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNuLlGJ8L0w/Vxhauh9DcUI/AAAAAAAAAb0/Mq-IiuKCLtAR8DuPij_oWJxXMSQttyePgCLcB/s1600/CollageProgress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNuLlGJ8L0w/Vxhauh9DcUI/AAAAAAAAAb0/Mq-IiuKCLtAR8DuPij_oWJxXMSQttyePgCLcB/s320/CollageProgress.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colours feel way off here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I had some trouble with the camera on
the last day. I wanted to take pictures on black because I envisioned
the scene at night. The camera does not white balance well on a black
background. I could not figure out how to turn on the macro function
hen I turned off the auto function so I could control the white
balance. I tried taking the pictures on white, but it felt all wrong
to me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NT4kGXi7A1Y/VxhavSWf61I/AAAAAAAAAb4/f8agATKsD28S3uqKpxSJW3VSffC2RoBWQCLcB/s1600/DSCF1322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NT4kGXi7A1Y/VxhavSWf61I/AAAAAAAAAb4/f8agATKsD28S3uqKpxSJW3VSffC2RoBWQCLcB/s320/DSCF1322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auto white balance with no flash, but the macro function was working.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The work by others this round was truly
impressive. It feels like everybody really stepped up their game from
last round. <a href="http://themostexcellentandawesomeforumever-wyrd.com/gallery/category/28-round-2-better-off-undead/">I highly encourage anybody that is interested in painted man-dollies to check out this round's gallery</a>. That link is to the first of three pages. Dioramas versus single
miniatures aside, the composition and technique of many painters has
greatly improved over last round.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am continuing to clean models this
week. It's a mix of Cephalyx, Cygnar, and Khador for Warmachine. I am
also cleaning some Malifaux models, but not assembling them yet. I am
thinking of hosting some painting/terrain building days at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crazysquirrelgamestore/">CrazySquirrel Game Store</a> in preparation for the new edition of Warmachine.
The announcement of the new edition has sort of killed my drive to
play right now, but the local community is a great one and I do feel
the urge to have models ready to hit the ground running when the new
edition comes out. I have a Khador jack primed that I may paint
before Monday. One of his arms snapped off so I need to pin it,
but that should not take long or prove to be too terribly difficult.</div>
Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-54171097310106797272016-04-13T10:47:00.000-07:002016-04-13T10:47:29.865-07:00Iron painter: Better Off (Un)Dead - Wednesday in Progress (Part II)<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I finished up with the sculpting for
the Better Off (Un)Dead submission for the second round of Iron Painter. I have also been slapping paint
on the model. I am not happy with how things are going. I have four
days before the deadline if I plan for at least one day of no
painting. I kind of want to break the putty back out and do some
alterations. I want to repaint the leather jacket and have not done
anything with the rest of the leather. There are also minor details,
some freehand, and global illumination yet to do.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IMMxjZh2wmg/Vw6Fg3ay4ZI/AAAAAAAAAbc/AIaqhFyEodAFTDkYm3dQMzZco3l6ftTZQCLcB/s1600/Wall%2BFill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IMMxjZh2wmg/Vw6Fg3ay4ZI/AAAAAAAAAbc/AIaqhFyEodAFTDkYm3dQMzZco3l6ftTZQCLcB/s320/Wall%2BFill.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8POgePCfpM/Vw6FfUdVolI/AAAAAAAAAbU/TR4GrJijA3MfYPvhQtu0AVz6W1x-FPLFwCLcB/s1600/12%2BApr%2B2016%2BFront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8POgePCfpM/Vw6FfUdVolI/AAAAAAAAAbU/TR4GrJijA3MfYPvhQtu0AVz6W1x-FPLFwCLcB/s320/12%2BApr%2B2016%2BFront.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8329444272018314185.post-21349415053002221172016-04-06T18:26:00.000-07:002016-04-06T18:26:18.148-07:00Iron painter: Better Off (Un)Dead - Wednesday in Progress
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I managed to secure a spot in the gold
bracket going into the second round of this year's Iron Painter. The
theme this round is "Better Off (Un)Dead." The bits and
pieces people have shown of their work so far for this round has been
impressive. A lot of people are fired up. Judging from the Wyrd
forums, I expect the entries for this round to be more involved than
the first.</div>
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I had a bit of trouble settling on a
subject for this round. Last round was a lot easier for me to choose
what I was working on. The thing that held me up was I wanted to do
some things that may be controversial. I may do a piece or two on my
own later that I thought up for this. If anybody is going to face
backlash because of a model I painted then I want that person to be
me and me alone. My theme is not as strong as I would like. I believe
it fits, but I am certain many other people will hit closer to the
theme than I will. I may be a three out of five on this one where
last round I felt more like a four or possibly even a five.</div>
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This round I am going with something
much less on the nose. I hope to tell a story. I am not going to tell
the story directly, but by providing clues to get the viewer to ask
questions and hopefully try to make their own story by adding up the
details. I know the story that caused those details to be included,
but the story I wrote is less important than the viewer writing their
own. If I get close to finished but do not then this will likely not
work. It should be cool if it does what I am aiming for. I am going
to fall flat on my face if it does not. It is a gamble. The piece
will be an all or nothing model.</div>
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There is not a lot of work done yet. We
received the theme on Monday. I was out all day Tuesday. I did get
some work in today and will again in a little bit after some things
have a chance to set. All of the parts for the model itself are taken
from the male multi-part kit for Through the Breach by Wyrd
Miniatures.</div>
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Nymie the Poohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050179606965469392noreply@blogger.com0