On Friday, 16 December 2011, I picked up the registration for my new car and got it inspected. I also handed over the title to my old automobile. The next day, Janice and I met role-players Sara F. & Josh C. for lunch at Whole Foods at Legacy Place in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Director Guy Ritchie is still fond of explosions, Gypsy music, and slow-motion fisticuffs. Actors Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. John Watson appear to be having a blast playing up their “bromance.” Downey Jr.’s comedic chameleon owes at least as much to Peter Sellers‘ manic Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther flicks as it does Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett’s sleuths.
Jared Harris, the son of the late Richard Harris and already a villain on Fringe, acquits himself well as that “veritable Napoleon of crime,” Dr. James Moriarty. As with the original serialized fiction, women are merely in supporting roles in Sherlock Holmes 2. Mrs. Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly), Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), and fortuneteller Madame Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace) are involved in Moriarty and Holmes’ chess game as attractive pawns.
Noted Sherlockian Stephen Fry does get an amusing turn as Holmes’ older (and smarter) brother Mycroft. In A Game of Shadows, Sherlock Holmes, Watson, and Mme. Simza race across Europe to investigate anarchist bombings and a profiteering scheme to plunge the continent into war. This plot is surprisingly faithful to “The Bruce-Partington Plans,” “The Final Problem,” and the historical facts of how the Victorian era eventually led to World War I or the so-called Great War.
I’m not sure that Conan Doyle would recognize his world in this latest cinematic adaptation, however, with its steampunky emphasis on grime, crime, and pyrotechnics over erudite detection. Still, it’s worth remembering that the late 19th century was an era of technological change to match our own, with electrical street lights, the horseless carriage, telegraphs, and machine guns all changing daily life.
Overall, I’d give Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which is rated PG-13 for violence and innuendo, a B+, three out of five stars, or 7.5 out of 10. The movie is good popcorn entertainment, and another sequel is reportedly in the works, even though its box-office performance could have been better.
>>FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 1 (5a), crew of the “Blackbird:”
-“Syzygy” [Brian W.]-Trinoid (trilateral amphibious alien) xenologist with an organic laboratory and a pet cat named “Mr. Sniffles”
-“Tela” [Sara F.]-female Tharian (winged reptilian humanoid alien) escapee from the Encegulans, engineer
-“Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran cyborg human sniper working for eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.
-“Aughest-vor…” [Jason E.R.]-male human from the Lemuria orbital city, onetime dilettante, solar-sail racer, pilot
-“Lt. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K.]-male Terran human, burned-out officer and explorer in the Interplanetary Patrol
-“Scoop Chang” [Rich C.G.]-male Jovian “near-human,” interstellar reporter kidnapped by the Olvar; psi interested in First Contacts
-“Tariq Asrad Saladin” [Beruk A.]-male Terran “near-human,” seeker of enlightenment and investigator met aboard the Ma’ari ship “Cyan Horizon”
-“Gombo Shisel” [Rich L./absent]-male Mongolian/Martian human, former horse rancher and wilderness survival expert
-“Dr. Bucket” [Non-Player Character]-United Earth Authority astromech robot assigned to the “Blackbird”
>>”From the journal of Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus, 1 to 7 November 2194 A.D./C.E. or 0 Terran Galactic Era:” I and the rest of the crew of the Blackbirdprepared to leave the the Cyan Horizon, a “Talari” (ark ship) of the Ma’ari, pale, diminutive alien wanderers.
Syzygy had asked Kligba Onagan, a secretive Olvar (arboreal, mammal-like alien) colleague in the Kharvamid Alliance, about what to expect at Oasis Station. A Precursor faster-than-light (FTL) jump gate had recently been discovered near our destination. Lt. Reese said farewell to Ma’ari Capt. Lurandi.
Tela got help from Dr. Bucket and Kedar for installing and activating the Blackbird‘s cloaking capability. She was giddy to share engineering with another Tharian, and this stealth should help us in our exploratory missions.
My day began with a request from Syzygy to come to the med bay. He was waiting with Lt. Kevin Reese and Scoop Chang, who proceeded to perform an impromptu psych exam on me. They were apparently concerned that the Ma’ari might have implanted something when physician “Felana” [Jenna R.P./Non-Player Character] removed Black Box Security Co.’s cyberware.
The interrogation went poorly until I took Kevin aside, and he reminded me of our service together back on Mars. He seemed surprised that I was “strangely amiable,” but I was declared fit for active duty.
Aughest-vor… set a course from 96 Piscium and “Venice” toward GL 884 and Oasis Station, which is about 40 parsecs from Sol. Our pilot planned to avoid the nebula Kuvor’s Veil and Mozarik system in Ru’ulok (heavy-gravity reptilian pirate) space. Lt. Reese was wary of newcomers Tariq and Kedar.
In FTL Transit, the Blackbird‘s REM drive caused Tela, Tariq, and Kedar to hallucinate. The winged Tharians later said they imagined their homeworld, while the Terran martial artist saw himselfin a past lifeon a sailing ship.
Scoop was worried, but the rest of us said to leave the dreamers undisturbed until they were needed. The journalist had sent an encrypted warning about the Encegulans (slug-like slavers) and approaching Zarkonian Armada to a military contact near Jupiter, and Lt. Reese forwarded it to Mr. Gray, his superior at Interplanetary Patrol.
While still in Transit, we approached an ion storm, whose radiation and gravitic effects forced us to drop back into normal space for a time. Syzygy secured his unhappy cat Mr. Sniffles in gel. Tela and the spider drones were busy with damage control. We noticed other FTL vessels that had managed to avoid the storm, and we soon resumed our journey.
The Blackbird next dropped out of Transit near GL 884 for a planetary survey and a course correction. The small, red star had two barely inhabitable worlds, which Kevin nicknamed “Heat Miser” and “Cold Miser” after an archaic holiday video.
Xenologist Syzygy scanned and found no signs of advanced life. Aughest smoothly moved our experimental scout vessel into orbit for a closer look. Scoop researched from the Star League database that the Olvar once had a colony, which was evacuated for unknown reasons.
Using the Blackbird‘s sensors, Kevin detected a large base nearly the size of a city on “Cold Miser.” That’s when the FUBAR happened. Lt. Reese and I initially wanted to check out the frozen ruins for abandoned tech.
Civilians Aughest-vor and Scoop thought we should not delay our primary mission of getting to Oasis Station and finding a way to report on the Zarkonian threat to the United Earth Authority (U.E.A.). As the entire group discussed how to proceed, two-dozen unidentified ships arrived in the star system!
Tela and Kedar identified their FTL as unusual “warp bubble” technology. We then debated over the best course of action. Kevin and I wanted to use our cloaking device, while Aughest and Scoop preferred to parley. Syzygy and Tariq were content to cautiously observe, and our exchanges continued and became heated. Then Tela got bored, so she hailed the alien fleet herself, locking the rest of us out!
The alien ships stacked themselves in geostationary orbits and began beaming strange force fields at “Heat Miser.” Syzygy verified that they weren’t harming local microorganisms too much, and the aliens were apparently extracting exotic minerals and somehow refining them as they relayed them to the outermost craft in each stack.
After what was probably our strangest First Contact so far, Lt. Reese took the comm. The Cetarans [created by Byron V.O.] resembled extinct Terranplesiosaurs, with prehensile front flippers like those of some seals. According to the Olvar database, the Cetarans were rivals of the arachnid Nolath [see Team 2 notes]. Aughest prepared the Yoyodyne Overthruster in case we needed a quick getaway.
After exchanging pleasantries, Capt. Geyvvig made an interesting offer. He said that his people were neutral toward the Kharvamid Alliance and the galactic trade guilds, and he expressed interest in having humanity join a group of less-populous interstellar species in a non-aligned movement.
We told Capt. Geyvvig that we’d consider his offer and pass it back to our homeworld. Dr. Bucket noted that the Cetaran mining technology could be helpful in getting resources for Terrans from Tyche, which we partly owned. Tela, Aughest-vor, and Scoop were most interested in making new friends.
I surprised Kevin, who again wanted to retreat, by suggesting that we meet the Cetarans face to face. Although the Sol system needs allies as we begin expanding into the Milky Way, Lt. Reese said, we were outnumbered and potentially outgunned. Tariq was equally cautious, and three-armed Syzygy wanted to see how we Terrans resolved our differences.
We left the Cetarans to pop out from GL 884. Aughest-vor set a course for Hip 103039, another potentiallyinhabitable system near Altair and BD+15-4733 and on the way to Oasis Station. On the way, we resumed our debate over standard operating procedures.
Extraterrestrials Syzygy, Tela, and Kedar (and U.E.A. robot Dr. Bucket) kept busy running the Blackbird and watching us. Aughest and Scoop said that with an enlarged crew, we needed a protocol for First Contact between Terrans and aliens. Lt. Reese and I preferred a military-style chain of command for quick decisions in dangerous situations. Tariq saw the value of both diplomacy and tactical readiness.
Scoop argued in favor of talking first rather than initiating scans or threatening strangers by arming ourselves. He observed that Tela may have been out of line in hailing the Cetarans, but she did the right thing while we bickered. Kevin and I asked why we should trust him and Tariq, whom we met among the Olvar/REM and Ma’ari, respectively.
Aughest tried to mediate, noting that despite our differences, we’ve usually had one another’s backs in combat and made several successful First Contacts. Ultimately, we agreed upon the following steps for observation, assessment, and contact:
–Scans: Scientist Syzygy plans to check for life signs, I will look for direct threats as gunner/sniper, and Lt. Reese will monitor the surrounding space. Survival expert Tariq can observe the behavior of aliens and scout the area during planetfalls. Dr. Bucket may be helpful for coordinating scans. Reporter Scoop and his robotic camera EVE will record all encounters.
–Defensive posture: Engineers Tela and Kedar will ready the REM drive and power for sublight maneuvering. Pilot Aughest-vor will plot a course of escape using our afterburners, and Kevin can activate the stealth system. Tariq and I must also stand ready to repel boarders.
–Contact: If we are hailed, Kevin can initially speak on behalf of the Blackbird, with advice from Syzygy, Aughest, Scoop, and then the rest of us, depending on the situation. If the other party is hostile, Lt. Reese can take tactical command. Aughest recommended working out strategy in advance if possible.
I hope we’ll be able to develop our mix of diplomacy, canny force, and maneuvering as needed to protect the Trinoids’ interest in Earth’s future… <End journal entry.>
Thanks again, Jason, for this session’s title and your generous gifts! I’ll have mine for “Vortex” Team 1 whenever we meet next. See my other posts for our January 2012 schedule. Team 2, the crew of the Appomattox, will role-play on Dec. 19. We may have some one-shots around Christmas and New Year’s, and Team 1 is currently down for Jan. 9.
In the meantime, the Pathfinder/Skype: “the Vanished Lands” telecom fantasy team will virtually convene again on Dec. 30. May all of you and your families have a safe and happy holiday season! -Gene
>>”1 to 7 November 2194 A.D./C.E. or 0 Terran Galactic Era:” During its first extrasolar voyage, from Saturn’s moon Titan to Epsilon Eridani, the Appomattox had caught up with the Chengdu, a slower-than-light generation ship from Earth. Among other things, the away team had helped extricate injured Delphine (“Uplifted” dolphin) Bob from the Chengdu‘s systems.
Capt. Gabriel Adams has another intimate dinner with bursar Ghia Shan before preparing the Appomattox for departure. Hector Chavez negotiates for antique tools and ordinance, and ARTHERR studies the colonists’ medical records and culture to eventually help fellow sentient robots Tanya and Galia.
Jasmine meets another “Synth” named Isabella, who asks via voder about the habitability of planets near Epsilon Eridani. The tiger-woman tells the “Uplifted” orca that while one planet may have seas, it’s unlikely to be immediately hospitable to the Terran pilgrims, who have already spent a century traveling.
Richmond Garrett finds the passengers of the “Chengdu” too pious for his tastes and recommends delivering the cargo of items from the Vatican Museums to its mysterious recipients as soon as possible. ARTHERR tries to entice the humans to explore with the possibility of diamonds or other natural resources.
The Appomattox continues on its way to Epsilon Eridani, which is about 10 light-years from the Sol system. Jasmine is again uneasy in Transit space but recovers once the yacht emerges from faster-than-light travel. Gabriel pilots the Appomattox past asteroid belts and two gas giants.
Hector notes the presence of buoys orbiting the star, which is slightly smaller than Earth’s sun. The humans and Synths ignore two rocky planets and head to Epsilon Eridani B, about 0.8 AU from the star. The planet is in the biozone and has seas, but the pH is too alkaline for Terrans.
ARTHERR exits a launch bay and orbits independently to scan. The probe droid finds no signs of civilization, but the atmosphere has just enough oxygen and warmth to support life. Jasmine suits up and arms for the landing party, but Richmond prefers to stay aboard in comfort with crewmembers Nero Bartholomew, Averki “Deep Dish” Dyashenko, Tanya, and Galia.
Gabriel finds some relatively level terrain to land the Appomattox. ARTHERR, who has built a magnetic slingshot for escaping planetary surfaces, happily wheels out and begins taking soil samples. Hector scans for communications, and Jasmine looks out for hostile life forms amid the algae-covered rocks.
As a volcano smokes in the distance, the team finds a crashed starship. Gabriel boldly leaps into a hull breach but is stabbed twice by someone inside! Jasmine cautiously advances, poking her rifle and flashlight into the open compartment.
Engineer Hector examines the wreckage and says that the vessel crashed relatively recently. ARTHERR compares the flying-wing design to databases and concludes that the ship is of Olvar (arboreal mammal-like alien) design.
His vacuum suit leaking air, Capt. Adams sees a short, stocky humanoid brandishing a blade. The courier throws a grenade and jumps back out! ARTHERR patches Gabriel’s suit before he can be harmed more by the caustic atmosphere, and Jasmine pulls the battered alien, which has a cute, furry face, from the ship.
ARTHERR identifies the badger-like alien as a Cestolar, a member of a client species of the Olvar. Yiushef of Geruno claims that the other survivors of the crash left him behind because he couldn’t keep up with their longer legs. Hector is concerned when the Cestolar says he believes that the Razorfeather was a victim of sabotage by one of its own crew.
Yiushef reluctantly gives the newcomers a tour of the Razorfeather, which was returning from space controlled by the Gustrall (orange-furred, raptor-like warriors). Capt. Adams heads to the bridge, which contains bodies of the Olvar killed by the sabotage and crash, contrary to Yiushef’s initial claim of cannibalism.
The Cestolar tells ARTHERR that he is a trade delegate and that several parties might want to hinder relations between the Olvar, who are part of the Kharvamid Alliance, and the mostly nonaligned Gustrall. Jasmine goes to the armory, where she picks up a few unidentified weapons.
Deep Dish radios that another ship has entered the Epsilon Eridani system and is a few hours away. It is transmitting a numerical code. Gabriel and ARTHERR take Yiushef and the Appomattox to pick up three Olvar, who have set up a distress beacon on a steep slope near a cave several kilometers away.
Hector restarts a microfusion generator to take a look at the crashed ship’s logs. The former spy salvages parts of the Razorfeather‘s engines and communications systems but is disappointed that he doesn’t have time to take more. The FTL drives in the Olvar ship’s broken wings are inoperable.
Onetime wrestler Jasmine impresses the lithe Olvar castaways and asks for their weapons. The tiger-woman leads Maj. Mohing Lankel, Lt. Doina Claren, and Mr. Kares Mussur to guest cabins, along with Yiushef.
Capt. Adams takes the “Appomattox” back into orbit, and Hector hails the incoming vessel. ARTHERR identifies it as belonging to the Nolath, an arachnoid telepathic species. Gabriel makes mental contact with Capt. Stroja of the trade ship Kazador.
The spider-like Nolath transmits a cargo manifest that matches the Vatican relics. Gabriel and ARTHERR are initially more reluctant than Richmond to complete their delivery, which doesn’t seem to benefit humanity, but the courier sees his fears as a challenge, and the robot is curious about the deal that fixer “Ramon Sanchez” [Josh H./N.P.C.] had brokered.
Hector detects an attempt to hack into the Appomatox‘s systems, so he and Jasmine hasten to the guest quarters to confiscate the radio from Mr. Mussur and threaten the mischievous Olvar and Cestolar with “spacing” if they violate hospitality and security again. Hector makes sure systems are locked down or on analog backup and activates surveillance for the possible saboteur.
Stroja and several Nolath and other space-armored spiders of various sizes come aboard the Terran vessel. They ask to inspect the cargo, and Gabriel stalls, asking for time to double-check the manifest and consider the trade. Stroja agrees and returns to the Kazador while the command crew of the Appomattox searches for other ships in the area and discusses its next moves….
Thanks again to Beruk and all those who got me The Batman Files as an early Christmas gift! I hope that all your holidays are happy! The next “Vortex” game will be for Team 1, the crew of the Blackbird, on 12 December 2011.
The Pathfinder/Skype: “the Vanished Lands” telecom group will meet on Dec. 4, and Team 2 will play again on Dec. 19. Let me know your availability for January. Take it easy, -Gene
This past week, I attended another going-away party for a co-worker, this time for Pat O., with whom I share a birthday. We went to Watch City Brewery on Waltham’s Moody Street. It’s a bit more spacious and easier to park near than Union Station in Newton, Massachusetts. However, it’s also farther from the “T,” which causes difficulties for those without cars. I’ve been busy with editing assignments in advance of Thanksgiving.
Byron V.O., an alumnus of the local role-playing groups who now lives in St. Louis, was in the Boston area this past week for work. On Friday, 18 November 2011, Byron met Thomas K.Y. & Kai-Yin H. at Janice’s and my place. We had dinner at Bertucci’s and hung out for a few hours afterward, talking about food, history, and movies.
I’ll post separately about the session, in which an adventuring party reunited in the Halmed Desert to deal with devils and return the city of Falit. The quick-and-dirty conversion worked fairly well — we’d have to review magic more carefully for an ongoing campaign — and I hope everybody had fun getting back into character.
I think Legends of Anglerre would be good for a new group and for simplifying higher-level characters. Most of my midlevel D&D and Pathfinder gamers would likely resist, however, because they have a lot of money and attachment invested in the current system and numerous powers/items. A few people have suggested using the modern supernatural Dresden Files, but I’d rather stick with Legends of Anglerre for traditional fantasy.
After another late night talking about politics, religion, and family, Byron and I drove back out to Framingham to pick up his gift basket. We saw a few morecostumes and had an easier time walking around the show, which was quieter on a Sunday morning. Janice had made breakfast, and we grabbed lunch at Wild Willy’s before Byron headed to the airport. Soon, millions of Americans will also be traveling!
On Wednesday, 2 November 2011, I had lunch with colleague Matt G. at El Pelon, near Boston College. We enjoyed the pescado (fish) burritos. Although there are several good burrito chains now in the area, including Chipotle, it’s nice to get something more authentic from a restaurant that isn’t part of a chain. Our group at TT has been dealing with some turnover lately.
That evening, I met several former IDG/CW co-workers for dinner at Bertucci’s in Framingham, Massachusetts. While I get along well with most of my current team, it was nice to recapture some of the camaraderie of the past 10 years and find out what people are doing now.
After getting our Verizon FIOS restored the next day, I met current co-workers at Union Street in Newton, Mass., for the going-away party of Alex H., with whom I went to Chicago this past summer. I’ll miss her, as I do Bianca S., Jess M., and others, and I hope to continue to meet and help train talented young staffers.
Speaking of Chicago and work, Janice and I ran into Colin S. and his girlfriend at the Christmas Craft Fair in Boston this past weekend. As usual, we enjoyed browsing among the paintings and photography, jewelry and clothing, and of course, food! We picked up a few pieces of dragon artwork from Ruth Thompson, as well as some soups, homemade soaps, and baked nuts (you are what you eat).
In addition to a Rotary Clubpancake breakfast at Needham High School, Janice and I tried out Tavern in the Square in Central Square in Cambridge. It’s apparently a sibling restaurant to Union Street, and the food and drinks were similarly decent. The portions (and corresponding check) were a bit large, however.
Thomas and Kai-Yin graciously shared a Chinese “hot pot” with lamb and pork for an early dinner with Beruk and me. We talked about upcoming movies, political and economic news, and Byron V.O.‘s planned visit.
For a few years now, our dinner options during weekly role-playing games were limited to Oak Hill sandwiches and Stone Hearth Pizza. During the past few weeks, we’ve added Indian food to the places we can order from, with Masala Art and Pronti Bistro. Variety is good!
Although Janice and I are bummed that the chocolate and baking classes offered through Needham Community Education were canceled, we won’t run out of things to do or places to eat anytime soon!
Gene's Worlds 