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Locke Forest Temple - the lost below
by bss 13 Dec '25

13 Dec '25

Nia successfully returns with her climbing gear. [Just starting a new thread since the Locke one was getting long and, well, we're not in Locke anymore.] -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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[OOC] Holidaze
by bss 08 Dec '25

08 Dec '25

Hey hey, just a heads up that I am going to be out starting on the 14th through the rest of the year, with only limited (or maybe, rather, sporadic) computer time. I'll try to check in on things if there are updates, but also, considering it's holiday time, I won't be surprised if we're all pretty busy. I'll officially be back online on the 2nd. -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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OOC: Just a bit on Cypher System 2e
by bss 31 Oct '25

31 Oct '25

While we wait for Mike (who has been sick, so we'll give him a bit of time before forcing things forward), I thought I'd mention that after calling myself out on my lack of attention to detail, I did learn yesterday that it is believed that early access to Cypher System 2e (now called just Cypher) materials will be given to backers in December. I've thought a bit about trying to hack together my own bridge to the sneak peeks we've seen to this point, but considering that is only ~2 months away, I think I will just wait until I get access to those materials before making any changes to our game, /but/, here are some of the things to expect of that edition: 1. Wound system --- this seems to be the biggest change. Taking damage will usually accumulate wounds rather than going direct to your pools (but poisons, withering mental blasts, etc. may still do direct pool damage). You can spend from your Might pool to recover wounds, or rest. Still need to see some details on this one. 2. XP split --- Murph and others noticed that XP is split into two categories in the MCG tools --- Story XP and Action XP. I'm not doing anything with this yet, but it's from Neon Rain and my understanding is that it'll be in 2e as well. The gist of it is that XP from GM intrusions is Action XP which can be spent on rerolls, and immediate, short, and medium-term benefits, and character arc and GM awards are Story XP that can be spent on long-term benefits and character advancement. This makes sense to me, and I'll probably just switch to it when it's convenient to do so. 3. A distinction in block vs. dodge --- dodging will be Speed-based and an all-or-nothing attempt to avoid damage, when you can. Blocking will be a Might-based task to reduce the severity of damage on the damage track, with the strength of the armor easing the task. I think it makes sense, but it does mean a bit of a rejigger for those wearing armor. 4. More kits --- it sounds like there will be more sub-classes, essentially, in the core book, and foci will have more branching options to pick from, so people might want to respec when we see those; that'll be fine. 5. Other small stuff, probably --- they're tweaking out-of-combat durations to be more abstract, and probably other stuff like which won't matter much to character sheets. Anyway, I just wanted to get it out there that I am keeping an eye on that and hoping to fold that stuff in when we have it, because I don't think any of it will be /major/ changes. -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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OOC: State of the Game Address
by bss 06 Oct '25

06 Oct '25

Greetings! Thought I'd take a moment to post real quick about the state of this game as I see it. Don't worry, there's nothing earthshattering here. State of the Tech --- Pretty good, actually? I dusted off mailing list stuff to start this, and wasn't entirely sure how it'd pan out, but I think this part is going pretty well despite the nature of email providers these days. I think some consistency in how we all author replies would probably help, but maybe that's asking a lot of said providers' default interfaces. I don't know. One thing that surprised me, or maybe not, is that the IRC channel is in use as a way to get at a dice bot more than as a vector to ping people. I think that's fine, I just didn't expect it, thinking people would be just rolling however they found most convenient and reporting on the result would be the norm. But maybe the IRC bot is the most convenient? State of Updates --- I've done PB-Post and PB-IRC before, and this is about what I expected, especially of my updates, where I had an optimistic hope that I'd be quicker on the draw, but suspected that it'd be difficult as life got in the way for the myriad reasons it does. So, I don't think I have anything to really push for differently here, but also, wow, it's been almost four months already. One thing of note is that we haven't seen ckeen since the game started, basically. I am always hopeful for a healthy set of active participants, but if the timing isn't working out, that's fair. My oldest gaming group had the concept of "the barrel", where characters who were out of action (because their players were) were kept, ready to pop out at any moment. I think of Asal that way. State of the Play Itself --- I think I'm struggling a bit to get to the action. I like a bit of mystery and exploration in my fantasy games, and maybe I'm trying to find the right way to balance it out and not hitting it yet. One thing I'm unsure of is how much combat might bog us down, or maybe it gives a clear set of things to transact in doing, so updates flow more readily? I guess we'll find out. Feedback welcome. Speaking of honest feedback, how is Cypher doing for folks? I know we haven't gotten to said action yet, but character build stuff, the checks we have done, is that all okay? I don't think State of the Union addresses normally end on a question to the audience, but I'll leave it as a call for feedback for now. TTFN! -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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Locke - the beginning
by bss 18 Aug '25

18 Aug '25

On one particular unseasonably warm autumn evening, you have all found yourselves --- coincidentally or not --- in the village of Locke, where the chatter of the town is still the anomalous event "out past the hills". The blue glow is not strong enough to overpower the lamp lights --- a recent technological improvement, by Locke's standards --- that line the major streets of the village, creating a strange, sickly combination of yellow and blue light that helps cut the small point of civilization out of the wilderness. You may have found yourself in one of the few inns, taking in the local fare while listening to exaggerated and drunken tales of courage and heroism regarding the site of the pillar and the laments of those who have been working to rebuild broken structures and machines and settle the consistently distressed livestock, or perhaps you have spent more time out on the street and at the edges of the village, where you get a chance to observe the muted and limited response from the volunteer guard of Locke. If you have a family or friends here, they too find their idle time consumed by talk of the event, as nothing much else of note happens here usually, at least to this degree. The night is like every other night, otherwise. Quiet and calm, most folk retired to their homes or passing time at the bar. Locke feels at times like a forgotten stop in the march of technology --- not quite skipped over, but much behind --- and yet you can see pieces of magitech here and there --- the lamp lights most notably, but occasionally a minor machine or enchantment in the streets and establishments, an improved tool that has ever-so-slightly started modernizing the otherwise rural farming life out in the wilds of Mystvil. The smell is that of fresh earth and the air after a thunderstorm, pulling your thoughts back to where you are --- and where you are not. [Pausing here to allow for folks to advance and/or establish connections with one another. Don't forget that the character tool will have given you some seeds for how you know someone else on the adventure, which you can solidify and embellish on to your heart's content. And as a reminder, post within this thread be replying to it, until there is a major scene change, and please bottom post (i.e. the text you are replying to quoted above your text) when at all possible.] -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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OOC: bss AFK
by bss 21 Jul '25

21 Jul '25

A heads up that I will be out on vacation for one week, starting tomorrow and going through the 29th. I will have my laptop and probably some time to check in on things, but especially next week, I will probably be busy vacationing it up. Please finish establishing character intros and party composure, get whatever other equipment and whatnot you'd like to go adventuring, and that kind of deal. I'll update when I can, but it'd be keen if we're ready to hit the action when I'm back. -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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OOC: Cypher System changes meta-discussion
by bss 21 Jul '25

21 Jul '25

It figures that right after getting this game started, Monte Cook Games announced they are working on a new thing that sounds like a new revision or edition or set of modular optional rules. Most of what's changing is on the character creation side (which I'm not concerned much about on my side as that's easy to redo), rather than changing the core rules in a material way, but we've only gotten a couple teasers so far. They have committed to all the setting books, white books, etc., being intentionally compatible (maybe with a couple conversions) of whatever the new thing is, so I don't expect any major edition reckoning shifts in our game even if we do "switch". One thing that /does/ look to be changing, though, and I keep going back and forth on, is a new Blades-like Wound system rather than Damage going directly to the pools. I don't know enough to know what their plans are, but we haven't talked about damage yet and it is one of those things in the system that trips people up sometimes, so I understand why they might want to change how it works now, and don't discount that it could be good. (The current way is that damage dealt to PCs subtracts directly from the pools, almost always starting from the Might pool, with a correlated rule that as your pools go to 0, you drop from Hale to Dead on the damage track. It makes sense in that damage reduces your ability to be effective, and it's a pretty simple mechanic, but some people get bothered by the idea that taking damage detracts from your ability to do cool stuff with Effort and Abilities, including the ability to avoid taking damage --- a supposed death spiral.) As you've already seen, I don't shy away from tinkering and house-ruling, so between the eye towards the future and doing a thing that might feel lees weird to new players, I /am/ toying with the idea of taking what they've said so far about the Wound system and trying to fit it into our game in a way that makes sense, to get on the train to "2e" (or whatever it is). I figured I would let you all know that I'm going to be eyeing up a system where PCs take minor/moderate/major wounds which accumulate until they are debilitated or eventually dead, and resting or pool spends can take wounds off the track. If we go through with this, it'll probably be a bit volatile as we discover where I got the idea wrong and/or MCG publishes more details. (Or, hopefully, we see the finished product in a year and we're still playing!) If anyone is concerned about the idea of me potentially going astray and fiddling with the game again, please let me know; Cypher System is pretty modular at its core, so I think I can do this without disturbing anything else in the game, but let me know anyway. -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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OOC: Welcome email and chargen thread
by bss 17 Jul '25

17 Jul '25

Hellooooooooo! I'm just getting something out there to get the archives up and running and to organize creating characters for folks hopefully taking part in that. https://orb.moe/emerald-flame/ has all of the stuff you'd be interested in to at least start the process, to be filled in as we collab on existing world details and/or just plow ahead with questions and answers. Weeeeeeeee! -- bss (Brian S. Stephan) | https://bss.zone/ | GPG: 0x80895FCB

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Introducing Dax Crestfall
by Stuck Ey 08 Jul '25

08 Jul '25

Dax grew up close with all of his family, cheering anyone who is a little bit down. In that sense he feels responsible for keeping everyone up beat and smoothing out any conflicts between family members. He travels to the forest most days, so much so that people half think of him as a child of the Fey. He doesn't really talk about the ancient library of Penstanishuri'a where he spends his time as it is supposed to remain a secret between him and Yalan (Elven warden), but often talks about weird places and traditions that don't exist - people think he's got an expansive imagination. Dax is smaller in stature, standing 1.7 meters (5'7"), has a gentle face, and makes nice conversation, and is often helping others before himself. People think of him as kind, a bit odd in some of his sayings, and as a helper in his family's business. Youngest child (human) to Pendrid [dad] and Zia [mom] CrestfallSibblings: Tobin[male, married], Emony[male, married], Audrid[female, married], Ardelon[male], Lela[female] Family business: Crestfall's Threads of Fate (mostly dealing in low cost magic items, specializing in clothing). Located in <<name of bigger city with lots of magic - since I only knew of the city Locke I wrote that, but probably too small?>>One of their most famous products is "dimensional pockets", which can be attached inside of any pocket, holds around what a medium purse would. Schooling: Home taught from all his various family.Self taught through access to the Ancient Library of Penstanishuri'a found in ruins located underground in the <<name of woods that falls at least partly under elven control - lacking knowledge of world I just wrote Locke Woods, but probably could be better>>. He spent a lot of time with Yalan, an Elven warden of that forest. Dax spent most of his spare time reading books there, which are written in a ancient language Halashoum, which no one really speaks any more and is about a time long forgotten. He researches for Yalan on occasion. Dax did work with a young woman of a noble family <<GM can make up something, or their surname could be Gabriella Cendrillion >> - awkwardly flirted, but nothing became of it, they are friends. The family generally would not remember him. -- this could be a tie in to another character?? I figured Dax could know Gegren through his families business. Out on business out there either to deliver some things or pick things up. Dax wrote in his journal, "Everyone freaked out as Gegren has grown horns. I think they look good on him, and folks should leave him alone. I brought him some pastries this morning." If Nia things she would know Dax from something in this background, that would be great too. What else do people want to know???

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Gegren Ile introduction.
by Mike Bloy 08 Jul '25

08 Jul '25

[Gegren Ile is a Tough Helborn Adept who Crafts Unique Objects with a Skills And Knowledge Flavor] [Random Connection Prompt: Pick one other PC. That character comes from the same place you do, and you knew each other as children.] [Gegren is from Locke so if anyone else also wants to be from there, feel free to grab this connection hook.]Gegren hit the ingot with his hammer, just starting to shape the metal into its rough form. Few in town mix the right steel for a plow, or a sword, or a set of cookware, and very few could match his skill. As always the huge forge doors were open, leaving an entire wall open to the street. Rain or shine, winter or summer, the doors were open while the forge was operational, to let out the intense heat. Consequently, Gegren had an audience again today. The open doors invited the town gossips, the town layabouts, and those looking for a half hour break from their own work to wander in and hang about. While not particularly gregarious, Gegren didn't mind as long as they stayed a safe distance out of the way. Over the years he'd picked up a lot, almost certainly more than people knew, just by listening and learning who was exaggerating stories for effect, who was outright trying to start malicious rumors, and who was telling the honest truth. A shout caused Gegren to miss the ingot entirely, striking the anvil with his hammer. Thon, the woodworker's apprentice, pointed at the sky. "What in the hells is THAT?". The alert gave Gegren just enough time to come around the quenching tub and see a pillar of blue and green light pierce the sky, appearing to touch the ground somewhere beyond the closest hills. Almost immediately, a visible wave of bluish-black crackling energy spread out from the same area. As it passed, the wave flattened some trees while leaving others standing. The old watchtower on the top of the hill had one corner of the roof sheared off, and the rest of the roof tiles turned purple. The wave reached the town at about the same time as the sound from the event, a deep rumbling drawn out boom, almost drowned out by the crackling sound of the energy wave. As the wave passed through Gegren, he felt something _shift_ within him, painfully. Fractions of a second later the energy wave threw the red-hot ingot off the anvil in the direction of Thon and the other townsfolk. Gegren reacted instinctively and reached out for the ingot, even though it was much too far away. The wave passed, and Thon was looking somewhat cross-eyed at the red-hot iron ingot hovering inches from his nose. After a few seconds of bewilderment on everyone's part, the moment passed and Gegren relaxed. As he did so the ingot crashed to the ground and scorched the floor before Gegren picked it up with tongs and transferred it to the anvil. He turned around to see Thon and the others looking at him, goggle-eyed and backing away. Thon stammered out "G-gegren? Do you have _horns_?" [OOC: bss if the above description doesn't fit what you're looking for in an initiating event, I am perfectly willing to retcon, but the general idea is Gegren was human and... now he's part demon and has magical powers because something was awoken in him by a local anomaly that may or may not have been known already] [I am still thinking about a faction for 13th Age style relationships, but maybe a shadowy magic user's 'guild' that doesn't like 'naturals' appearing on the scene without having to go through them for learning, or for a positive relationship an association of craftsman, smiths, and tinkerers]

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