Solo T.O.O.T. : The GameMaster's Apprentice Deck

 No, despite what it sounds like, this is not a video of me off by myself expelling gas. T.O.O.T. stands for Tools Of Our Trade, and this is the first video in my promised series showcasing the various tools and player aids that are available for solo roleplayers.

This first video covers the versatile GameMaster's Apprentice Deck by Larcenous Designs.

Eastern Wastes of America: Afterpost

(Read the last chapter here.)

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links. Any purchase made while using these links might benefit this website financially.

So that wraps it up for my Post-Apocalyptic experiment (Experiment? Yeah, right!), at least for now. When I began this campaign it was for the purpose of tying out the MicroLite20 system, specifically using one of the post-apocalyptic iterations. Originally, I was only expecting to make three or four posts. The reality?  The first post went up on March 17, 2021 and the campaign officially ended in December of 2022.  That’s a total of 21 months and 14 chapters, my longest campaign yet!

To be fair, I wasn’t focused solely on this one story for those nearly two years. I also posted two full Wretched and Alone games, one audio and one written; a Quill campaign (Halloween ‘21); a Delve playthrough that was posted as a video series; a Whispers in the Walls campaign (Halloween ‘22); and a separate video project unrelated to solo RPGs. Oh, and I also created and published a Hex Flower tool.  Whew!  I’ve been busy.

As I often do after a long campaign, I wanted to make a quick afterpost to offer some insights I had during the playthrough.

OMEGALITE20/MICROLITE20

As I said above, one of my motivations for this campaign was to try out the OmegaLite20 system, a post-apocalyptic version of MicroLite20.  If you are familiar with DnD 5e you have a good idea of what the MicroLite20 system is like. It is basically a simplified d20 system. At the beginning of this year, in real life, I was asked to join a Dungeons & Dragons group playing 5e. Having played Eastern Wastes for most of the previous year I found it gave me the background I needed to transition into the “more complex” system much easier without excessive explanation by the GM.

GAMEMASTER’s APPRENTICE DECK

This was the oracle tool used for Eastern Wastes. However, to call it just an oracle tool is really selling the system short. There is so much random information on this card, including character traits, sensory input, direction, word combinations, random loot, symbols (that you can define), and more.  You could potentially run an entire solo campaign using just this tool. You don’t even need dice.

The only thing that was lacking a bit in my particular game was the amount of “and/but” modifiers to my oracle responses. However, this may very well be because of how I defined the system. GMA does not have “and/but” responses. It only has an “Exceptional Yes” or an “Exceptional No”. I used these as an “and/but” trigger, randomly determining which modifier to use. Unfortunately, the number of “exceptionals” in the deck is rather low, so I had very few modified results. This could have been remedied by redefining the system. For instance, draw a second card and compare the d8 result. 1-2 is an “and” and 3-4 is a “but.”

NINE STEPS AND A BLOODY HEART

For my investigation, I used a modified version of Ricardo Freggi’s Nine Steps and a Bloody Heart. This is a really nice system for running a solo investigation, but it also resulted in one of my biggest regrets of the campaign: what questions would I choose for the investigation?

In NSAABH’s setup, you need to ask three questions that require answering and several possible answers that will be eliminated one-by-one until you are left with the solution. The first two questions were easy: Who killed Alex and what was their motivation?  The last question was a bit trickier.  What was unknown about this scenario that would need to be explained? The best question I came up with was “Why was Ken at the intersection where they found the radio?” My potential answers were he changed his mind about killing her and left her alive; he got lost but eventually found the road; the plan was always to leave her for the animals; or he intentionally left her in an attempt to scare her.  There were several problems with these options.

First of all, unless he was the killer, the reason he was at the intersection was probably irrelevant and didn’t need to be answered at all as the real killer's purpose was still accomplished. The larger problem, however, was that the reasons were not mutually exclusive. This was especially the case with the “got lost” option. Ken had three possible reasons for leaving Alex in the cabin: let the animals kill her, just scare her, or give her a chance to live due to a change of heart (but not save her outright for some reason). Getting lost leaving the cabin could have happened in addition to any of the three. In fact, one of the other three had to be true as well. (Which is what turned out to be the case in Eastern Wastes. The cards revealed he got lost, but for story purposes, I wrote that the plan was to leave her for the animals).

The last thing that made Ken’s question problematic was that, without any witnesses, it would be almost impossible to know which of the four was true. Who would know if he intended to leave her to die or only scare her? Did he change his mind or was it part of the plan? Did he get lost or did he come down the road and just hop back into the woods to take a dump?  I did eventually come up with a partial explanation for this, but during the investigation, I had to dismiss incorrect answers primarily through the speculation of the people who knew Ken instead of with hard facts or information. I still don’t know what a better question would have been, but I do know this one wasn’t that great.

FIRST PERSON PERSPECITVE

While I have posted several stories written in first person (It’s pretty much the default POV for journaling games), I found this perspective a bit more cumbersome for writing an open-world, multi-character narration of a tabletop RPG. I’m not unhappy with the result. I rather like the story and a few of the themes Alyssa explored. However, it certainly slowed down the process. Instead of just writing what happened, I had to think about how I can present the story from my main character’s point of view and understanding of the situation. To make it feel more like her voice, I had to layer in personal insights into what she was thinking, something that is not always necessary in third person unless it’s something I am intentionally trying to get across. Also, I can do a little more “hand-waving” in third person and quickly skim over unimportant events or conversations where in first there is more of an onus to pay more attention to these things, especially if it was important to Alyssa. All in all, unless I visit this world again, it is probably not a POV I will use for my major campaigns in the future.

And that brings to an end another successful campaign. What’s next for Tev? Well, I believe I will be revisiting my Tunnels and Trolls campaign next and continuing the story of Kage Gordain. However, don’t expect anything in the near future. Just as I had directed much of my leisure time to solo roleplaying over the past couple of years, I am now feeling drawn to my other projects and plan on focusing more on them this next year. I don’t know how much time I’ll have left for this, but I do know I have a lot of games and tools I want to try and more stories to tell, so I’m sure I’ll still be posting, just not as often. If you are interested in my other projects, you can find information about those using the link in the sidebar.

Thanks for reading, and good night.

Eastern Wastes of America: Chapter 14 - I Accuse

(Read the previous chapter here.)

System: OmegaLite20
Tools: Gamemaster’s Apprentice Deck; Nine Steps and a Bloody Heart 

[Scene 1, Tension Lvl:2]

We stood outside the old Pennsylvania Army National Guard Building which now acts as the  Mausdale Security Force’s Headquarters: Nate, Dorothy, Steve, Ernie (bound with Christmas lights), and myself.  Dale had gone into the building to speak with Clint Morrow, the head of the MSF. Since he insisted Nate and I leave town, we felt it was best if Dale go in alone.

The Old Pennsylvania Army National Guard Building

We drove to the MSF HQ immediately after leaving the cabin. The walk back to the car was uneventful. <To be fair, I failed to make any encounter checks.> The ride back was a bit cramped. Dale’s car was already full. Now adding another hoop meant Steve had to ride in the trunk with the top up.

We saw Dale exit the building first. He walked over to rejoin our group while behind him walked Clint and three additional members of the force: Kelli and two I hadn’t seen before: a hoop and a human female. The only weapon I saw was the large energy mace that Clint held with both his hands. but I wasn’t dismissing the possibility that the others had concealed weapons.

<For the sake of the remainder of the narrative I had to reveal the solution to the investigation. First, I made an assumption that the characters would follow. Next, I revealed any unknown cards. Finally, I used this information to direct the conversations, accusations, and any admissions or denials. For you the reader, however, I will hold the results until later.>

“I thought I told the two of you to leave town,” Clint said, addressing Nate and myself.

“You’re right,” I agreed. “And we were trying to do that. Steve and Dorothy here were showing us an abandoned cabin where we could spend a night or two. Yes, the same cabin where Ken Watkins took Alexandria Andrews.” I saw Clint’s face give a questioning look when I mentioned a cabin. “But while we were looking it over, someone started shooting at us. We discovered it was Ernie and were able to stop him.  We’re here now to turn him in.”

“Now why would he be trying to shoot you?” Clint asked in a fashion reminiscent of every small-town sheriff trope.

“To protect his brother’s reputation,” I explained. “Ernie knew that someone convinced Ken to set up Alex’s death to look like an accident. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know who. But Ken is generally well-liked in Mausdale and Ernie didn’t want us tarnishing that reputation. He prefers the story remain as a romantic get-away gone bad.”

“Is this true, Ernie?”

<A MND Comm skill check between Ernie and Alyssa determines Ernie’s response.  If he wins by 2, he denies. If they are tied or 1 point different, he says nothing. If Alyssa wins by 2, he admits his guilt.  Roll: A=18 E=Nat 20>

“They’re lying, Clint,” Ernie protested. “I know nothing about my brother wanting to harm Alex. I didn’t shoot at them.  They just jumped me. They’re just trying to get you to let them stay.”

“If you didn’t shoot us, then what caused these?” Nate asks our captive as he pulled his flex armor down to show Clint the rifle shot wounds.

“Alyssa’s right,” Dorothy added. “Ernie shot at all of us. He hit Dale as well.” She nodded at Dale for him to display his would as well.

As Dale did this, Steve continued. “And whether it’s true or not, that is the story Ernie told us about his brother.”

<Another MND Comm check between Alyssa and Clint to see if Clint believes the story. He only considers this because she is backed up by everyone else, plus A gets a +1 to her roll. A=22 C=6.>

“It appears their case against you is pretty strong,” Clint tells Ernie. “I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed. We’re supposed to be upholding the law. If you're telling the truth, that someone put your brother up to this, it would be in your best interest to tell us who that person is.”

“If I could, I would,” Ernie pleaded, accepting that continued denials were futile. “He didn’t tell me. You got to believe me. I asked, but Ken wouldn’t reveal the name of the person he was speaking with.”

“You sure you don’t know, Ernie,” I asked, tired of his ruse. “Back when you attacked us in the hotel parking lot you seemed pretty concerned that people might think it was you and your friends.”

“What are you getting at, Red?” Kelli asked, challenge in her voice.

Accepting the challenge, I said, “I think you know. You have been very vocal about us leaving things well alone. We know you hated Alex for stealing your boyfriend. We also know Ken was interested in someone, a hoop in fact, but didn’t have the guts to break it off with Alex. Was it you he was interested in? Would getting Alex out of the way make things easier?”

Everyone, including Clint Morrow, looked at Kelli waiting for her to respond.

“It’s no secret Alex and I wasn’t the best of friends. Yeah, that little witch swooped in with her charms and stole Charlie from me. And she didn’t stay with him that long before hooking up with Ken. She destroyed our relationship so she could have a month of fun before moving on. I don’t even know if she cared for Ken or was just using him to get in with his group of friends. After the bombs dropped and he changed, she didn’t seem as interested in him physically anymore, but didn’t want to break things off either. Ken came to me looking for a friend, someone who was going through the same things as he and could understand. He was cool and I did like hanging out with him. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say the thought of stealing Alex’s boyfriend from her felt satisfying. Karma, you know. But that’s all it was. A thought. I never planned to kill her or tell Ken to do it for me. In fact, if I thought there was something dangerous out there in the woods, why would I risk Ken’s life?”

<MND Comm challenge between Alyssa and Kelli to convince Clint who is telling the truth. Before the challenge, I rolled on my reaction table to see how he responds to Alyssa’s accusation and it came up with a -1 modifier to Alyssa’s roll.  I will say this is because she is a stranger to Clint and he is more inclined to believe the people he knows. A: 2+1MND+2Comm-1=4  K: 9+3 Skill=12>

“Don’t worry, Kelli,” Clint assures her. “I’m not arresting you on wild speculations.”

Turning to me, he continued, “We will take Ernie off your hands and see to it that he is dealt with appropriately for attacking all of you, but I think we’ve had enough of all this silliness about murder and conspiracies. You’ve stirred up enough already, I think it’s time you and your friend pack it up and head out of town as you promised.”

“Silliness? Conspiracies?” I shot back. “Ernie as much as told us Alex’s death was intentional. You’re not a great keeper of the law if you just ignore that.” <Does she accuse Clint of being involved? (even) No.>

<Reaction table to see how Clint responds: 7=Uncertain or confused. Sounds like middle of the road.>

“You are about to push me to my limit, young lady. Again, the best thing you can do at this moment is go back to the Thompson’s hotel, pack your things, and leave Mausdale.”

And with that, Clint, directed his people to take Ernie into custody.  Kelli gave me one last contemptuous look as she walked past.

“You might have everyone else fooled, but I’m not so blind,” I told her. “If you want to settle this, you know where to find me.”

“That’s enough, Alyssa,” Nate said, taking me by the shoulder and directing me to Dale’s car. “Let’s just go.”

Before climbing in the car, I gave one last glance back toward the HQ where Kelli stood watching, waiting for us to leave.

[Scene 2: Tension Lvl: 3]

<The set up for this scene involved several oracle questions and rolls.  I will reveal the results at the appropriate times during the narrative.>

Would she? Wouldn’t she? That was the big question for the night, but I wasn’t taking any chances. While everyone else got ready for bed, I prepared my room for the night. I moved a chair next to the bed, facing it toward the door. My spiked crowbar lay on the mattress within easy reach.  Instead of sleeping, I decided to get some reading in, specifically the supernatural romance I just picked up from the hotel’s lending library, Angel In The River. About the only thing I did as usual was to remove my jacket and clothes and put on a t-shirt and boxers. It might not offer as much protection should Kelli be stupid enough to attack me in the middle of the night, but it is a bit more comfortable. <Does Alyssa go to sleep? (even) No.  Is she wearing her protective clothes? (bad) No. AC:11>

After about an hour, I heard a click from my from the door to my room, as though the lock disengaged. As I reached for my weapon the door slowly opened and I saw Kelli peeking in, a lockpick gun in her hand. Seeing me awake, she threw the door open and lunged at me with her knife. <Alyssas Survival vs. Kelli’s Subterfuge.  Both equaled 21 so neither has any surprise or advantage>

Not having time to make a full swing, I thrust out and caught Kelli in the gut, doubling her over <11 damage>.  In retaliation, she swung wildly out and sliced my arm. <3 damage> Neither of us spoke. We had no need for words. They’d all been spoken already. Now it was time to end this feud with only one of us standing.

In the tight confines between the wall and the bed, it was hard to dodge and maneuver. This made it easier for Kelli to slip her knife under my defenses. Luckily, she mostly landed knicks and cuts. <6 damage>. I couldn’t get a full swing in myself, however, and had to rely on pummeling her with the rounded end of the crowbar. <5 damage, successful morale roll so she doesn’t flee>

My break came when Kelli staggered back from a hit to the face. With a loud grunt, I swung and struck her hard on the shoulder.  The white hoop crumpled to the floor and blood gushed out over the room's carpet. The Thompsons might not be renting this room out for a while.  <Alyssa’s final hit was for 8 damage, dropping Kelli to -6.  Alyssa does not attempt to pull her blow, which would only render her unconscious instead of wounding her with the added danger of bleeding out).>

At the same time, Dale ran through the door. “Are you okay?” He asked.

I showed him my wounds but assured him I was fine otherwise. Once he was certain I would be fine, he checked the body on the ground. “She’s still alive. Quick,” he said to Nate who just came through the door as well. “Go find my dad.  He’ll show you where the medical kits are.”

Nate left as I fell back on the bed, exhausted.

<Per an oracle check Dale planned to stay up and keep watch while Alyssa slept.  However, Kelli made a successful Subterfuge check to sneak past him undetected. Every two combat rounds I made a roll to determine if anyone heard the battle.  Each character had a different DC check depending on where they were and what they were doing. For example, Dale was awake but possibly out of earshot, so he needed a DC14.  Others who were asleep and not close to Alyssa's room needed a DC20.  Dale heard the commotion after two rounds but needed (d4) 3 turns to reach the room, meaning he didn’t arrive till the fight was over. Finally, because of Dale’s arrival, I didn’t roll on the death table for bleeding out since he tended to Kelli immediately.>

[Scene 3: Tension Lvl: 4]

Despite my best attempts, Kelli survived the night.  Harsh, I know, but I had no love for that woman . . . rabbit . . . whatever she is.  Besides, she probably had Alex murdered and would have killed me, given the chance. She was bound and detained in another room. In the morning Ross went to alert Clint to the break-in and attack.  Since there was no question that Kelli was the aggressor, the MSF Chief did not complain about the beating or defend her actions in any way.  He just cuffed her and agreed that some form of justice would be forthcoming.  He did, however, once again suggest that Nate and I leave town and not return.

Jesse agreed to drive us back to Sean Murphy’s farm when he went to fix the tractor. While we were waiting for him to swing by the hotel in his truck, Dale and Ross came over to say good-bye. Dale had a small bundle in his hands wrapped in used copier paper.

“I wanted to give you this,” he said, handing me the package.

The paper was taped together like a poor man’s birthday gift. Finding a seam I tore at the tape and pulled back a flap to reveal four paperback books. They were the four volumes of the Ernest Harding Aliens series that I saw on the book swap shelf, including the fourth volume, Aliens of the Stars, the one Dale said he was currently reading.

I gasped, knowing how rare it was to find a full physical set of any series.

“I can’t take these. They’re your set and . . . and you haven’t even finished Stars.”

“Yes, I did. Last night while I sat up keeping watch. Sorry about that, by the way. Kelli should never have gotten past me. But about the books, I know you really wanted to read the last two.”

“But this is the entire set.”

“If you have the last two, I thought there was no reason for you not to have the full set. Besides, I’m sure if you needed to trade them the full set will be much more valuable than just one or two random books.”

“You bet they will be!”

In a spontaneous show of gratitude, I threw my arms around Dale and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Once I let go he sheepishly looked away.  In fact, if it weren’t for all the grey fur I may have been able to see him blush.

Jesse pulled up about that time.  Nate and I said our goodbyes and climbed into the bed of the truck. Once we were on the road, Nate pulled out a small package of his own. Instead of fancy copier paper wrapping, his was just a plastic bag holding a box.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Something I found at the WAmazon Marketplace down the road.  I had Ross drop me off there this morning before he went to the MSF.”

I opened the blue plastic bag.  Inside was an unopened Newton’s Cradle. 

“Oh my!  I can’t believe you found one.”

“Neither can I.  It was way back on a shelf in the store’s toy section. Probably has been there forgotten for months. I know it’s not as fancy as the one in the warehouse, but still, it’s a Newton’s Cradle. I guess they’re not that hot a commodity in the Apocalypse.”

“Eternity Restored!” I said, and flashed Nate a wide smile.

He put his arm around me and we settled back against the truck’s cab. I expected we’d be back on the road in a few days. But for now, it was nice to just relax and enjoy the ride with my new best friend.

EPILOGUE:

Eric Noel sat on a bar stool in the Suds & Such, his paw wrapped around a glass of the latest batch of the local moonshine. The Flat-Visions mounted on the walls were dark and silent, local broadcasting having ceased with the attack. However, a PEECE sat on a shelf behind the bar playing old country tunes that had been loaded onto it. There were a handful of other patrons, including a couple of hoops at a table and one at the bar. Eric overheard snippets of conversation here and there and was comforted by what he heard.

News about the two strangers and their investigation had quickly spread throughout Mausdale, specifically their suspicions surrounding Kelli. Opinions were varied, but anyone who knew the accused admitted that they wouldn’t have been surprised if the accusations turned out to be true. 

Let them believe that, Eric thought. It was better for him since he was the only person in town who actually knew the truth.

Eric had grown up with Zach and Joann Andrews, Alex’s parents. They had been friends since grade school. He was one of Zach’s groomsmen and for years the three still enjoyed a close friendship. 

Once Alexandria was born, however, Zach began to change. He did not adjust well to the role of parent.  Alex’s father hated that Joann and he no longer had the freedom to do as they pleased without having to also consider their daughter’s welfare. Finances grew tighter year after year and Zach began sending more time at the bar instead of at home. He would get drunk, go home, and take out his frustrations out on his wife. Joann turned to Eric for comfort and the relationship soon grew into a full-fledged affair.  Still, Joann refused to leave on Alex’s account, believing an intact family was better for the young girl. 

Throughout most of her childhood and early teens, Alex was only a spectator in her parent’s fights, not a participant. However, As she grew older and started confronting her dad, his rage would often turn on her. Like her mom, Alex also found a sounding board in Eric. She would freely tell him how she hated the way her dad treated her mom and how it would just be better if he disappeared. Eric agreed, not only because it would stop the abuse, but it would also clear the way for him and Joann to explore their own relationship more openly.

That was when he decided to take of things himself.  After a long night of drinking, Eric led Zach out to the woods, shot him, and buried the body in a place where he was sure no one would find it.  After Zach had been missing for a few days, Eric “recalled” that Zach had made mention over the past several weeks about wanting to leave Mausdale. When Alex’s father didn’t return, both she and her mother assumed that he went through with that plan.  They weren’t upset that he was gone so they never looked into it too closely.

With Zach out of the way, Eric moved to take his place in their lives. Unfortunately, Alex wasn’t as eager to have a man in the house.  She saw her father’s absence as an opportunity for her and her mother to spend time together and bond. Additionally, she didn’t think it was healthy for her mother to get involved in another relationship right away.  She discouraged her from spending time with Eric and would insert herself as much as possible in anything they did. 

Eventually, Joann caved to the pressure and broke it off with Eric. You’d think the brat would have been a bit more grateful, as he had been a friend for years and stood by them all this time, even taking the role of father figure for Alex when Zach fell short.  Hell, he did her a favor, getting rid of her father, even though she didn’t know it. Well, he knew how to take care of the troublesome teen, and with Alex out of the way, he would be the one to comfort and care for Joann in her time of grief.

He had to be careful, though. It was no secret about Alex’s dislike of his and her mother’s relationship. If she went missing, people might start suspecting him.  No, Eric had to distance himself from the deed.  That was when he became drinking buddies with Ken Watkins, Alex’s boyfriend.

Ken was very susceptible to his suggestions that Alex may not be the sweet girl Ken thought she was. Eric started by questioning her loyalty, mentioning that he had seen her hanging out with other boys. Next, he shared rumors and stories he heard about her sleeping around. Then, when he had Ken convinced Alex couldn’t be trusted, Eric began to speculate that she may even have been involved in some minor burglaries that had occurred around town, his proof being items he noticed around the Andrews’ home that looked like the items that were reported stolen. Of course, most of what Eric told Ken was nothing but a bunch of hooey, but Ken believed it nonetheless.

Once the young man was sufficiently worked up, Eric convinced him that something had to be done to stop her. However, being a tramp wasn’t against the law and, since the bombing, there really wasn’t a legal system to hold her accountable for any crimes she may have committed. If she was to be stopped, or at least held accountable, they would have to do it themselves. And by them, Eric meant Ken.

He knew outright murder would be a hard sell. Too many consequences for Ken if he was caught. Understandable, that’s exactly why Eric was inciting Ken, to protect himself. But, if Ken could stage an accident? That might be an option. Eric knew the woods weren’t safe for someone alone who had little or no wilderness experience. What if Ken were to take Alex out to the wood and “happen” to get separated from her?  If she ran into a wild animal or something else, that would be a tragedy but hardly something that Ken had any control over. Who would know anything different without any witnesses?

Surprisingly, it took very little to convince Ken to carry out the plan. He was already angry at her because of Eric’s stories. Pair that with the fact that he wanted to get more serious with Kelli but couldn’t because Alex kept hanging around, and he was itching to get it over with.  Everything would be better once Alex was gone.

About a week later, Eric began hearing the buzz around town that Alex had gone missing. In fact, the news was better than expected in that Ken never returned as well, presumed attacked by some wild animal. Now Eric didn’t need to be concerned that Ken might start blabbing and point fingers at him.  The only wrench in the seemingly perfect plan was the guy and gal who came to town and started asking questions. However, since they directed suspicion toward Kelli and have since left Mausdale, it was looking more and more like he was in the clear.  Give it a couple of weeks and perhaps he might try rekindling the relationship with Joann.

“Sam!” Eric called out to the bartender.  “Gimme another.  I feel like celebrating!”

“Hmph, what’s there to celebrate?”

“Life, Sam. Life.”

“Have you looked around lately?” Sam asked, filling Eric’s glass from a mason jar full of clear moonshine.

“Yeah, I have. Think about it.  No government watching over us. Tech-West couldn’t care less about some backwoods town. We have a security chief with a bunch of wannabe deputies and no authority backing him up to enforce any laws.  For the first time, we are truly free. Opportunities are endless and our future is bright.”

Sam didn’t respond. Instead, he wiped up a few drops from the bar and gave Eric an if that’s what makes you happy nod.

“You’ll see, Sam.” Eric took a long drink from his glass.  “You’ll see.”

THE END

<The only fact about the investigation that I wasn’t able to fully determine was who was ultimately responsible for Alex’s death.  The last two possibilities were “A Town Leader” or “Alex’s Boss/Guardian”.  When I created the original suspect list I didn’t know exactly who the characters would be so I used generic descriptions except for Ken.  As the game progressed, I decided that “Town Leader” would be representative of Kelli.  While not an official leader, she was on the security force and had some authority around town to uphold the laws and standards.  For boss/guardian I leaned into the “guardian” aspect. While not legally married to Alex’s mother, Eric was beginning to fill the role of stepdad.  That was probably as close to a guardian as I was going to get in this game. 

Before the first scene of this chapter I determined who I was going to accuse of the crime (Kelli), then I revealed the answer to know who actually wanted Alex dead.  Turns out Kelli was innocent and it was Eric. So there you have it.  Kelli turns out to just be a mean-bunny with a chip on her shoulder and Joann’s ex is a cold-blooded killer.>

(Read the Afterpost here.)
========
Psalm 35:23-27

Eastern Wastes Of America: Chapter 10 - Destroyer of Eternity

 (Read the previous chapter here.)

System: OmegaLite20
Tools: Gamemaster’s Apprentice Deck; Abandoned Warehouse Hex Flower

(The above contains affiliate links.)

[Scene 1, Tension Lvl:3]

“What was all that ‘discuss your relationship’ talk about?” Nate asked once we started down the hall in search of a computer that could get us access to the warehouse’s inventory. He and I had just left Charlotte and Sebastian in the warehouse’s lunchroom. Charlotte was recovering from a nasty encounter with a security robot and Sebastian was staying behind to keep an eye on her.

“Charlotte’s pregnant,” I stated plainly.

“What do you mean she’s pregnant?” he asked shocked.

“I mean she’s going to have a baby. Or a litter. I don’t know. Not exactly sure how hoops work.”

“How do you kn . . . Oh. The sickness. So she told you?”

“Yes. And so far Sebastian doesn’t know. And Charlotte wanted to keep it that way. So, unless it’s obvious they’ve talked about this, I wouldn’t say anything to him.”

Up ahead, the hallway turned to the right. Before that, however, was a closed door on our right <per oracle roll>  Finding it unlocked, we stepped inside and was in yet another rather unused office. This one wasn’t even completely set up yet, as many of the items, such as the computer and flat monitor, were still in their original cartons. Nate just wanted to move on but I took a quick look around. All I found was the dried carcass of a dead mouse caught in a trap. <Alyssa made a successful search roll and the oracle confirmed a find. Per GMA: Feral Vault>

At the bend, the hallway continued to the right and a door stood to the left. Of course, we tried the door and found behind it a janitorial closet. While there were no computers, we took some time to search hoping to find some useful items. Nothing interested Nate, but I discovered several cans of light brown and red spray paint. Suddenly, I had a curious idea. I didn’t know if it would work but I threw serval cans in my pack just in case.

<Alyssa’s successful search roll turned up a “trick weapon”. What that means exactly will be revealed later.  Additionally, in the process of making several oracle rolls to determine what type of room this was, I triggered an event. The rune was Wunjo  which represents joy and happiness, pleasure, or a spiritual boon.  This will also be revealed later.>

We made our way from the closet to the next door. Finally, we found an office that actually looked like it had been occupied. Everything was set up, neat and clean, and personal items decorated the room.  Pictures and certificates hung on the walls. More pictures and knick-knacks adorned the desk and a bookshelf. What was very obvious in what had, up to now, been a rather quiet office hallway was a steady clacking. Looking around, I spotted the source of the noise. On the bookshelf was one of those desk toys that has a row of suspended steel balls. I think it’s called a Newton’s Cradle. When you pull back and release the ball on one end, the kinetic energy causes the ball on the opposite end to swing out and back. Theoretically, the two end balls swing back and forth perpetually until someone, or something, stops them. <A successful search of the room revealed something that was “Distractingly Eternal”.>

While I stood mesmerized, Nate plugged his little box into the computer and started working on hacking the password. <Nate will need to make a hacking check. The better he rolls, the more info he can get. DC5-Hacks password; DC10-Finds Map of warehouse; DC15-locates the automotive supplies.>

Clack -- Clack -- Clack

“I’m in,” he cries, jolting me back into the moment.

“You cracked the password? Can you find what we need?”

“Don’t know yet. It’ll take a few minutes to figure out how to navigate their network.”

Clack -- Clack -- Clack

“Okay, this is helpful.  I’ve found a map of the warehouse, but it just has areas labeled with vague product types.  What we really need is a database or specific product location spreadsheet.”

Clack -- Clack -- Clack

“Here it is! Let me search for filters . . . I think this is the one we need. It’s on shelf AA42.  Now all I need to do is find that on the map and . . . “

Clack -- Clack -- Clack

“Oh my goodness! Can you just shut that thing up!”

“But, I think this has been going since the building was deserted,” I said dumbfounded. “Wouldn’t stopping it now be sacrilegious or something?”

“Don’t be an idiot!” Nate shot back with uncharacteristic hostility.  “That has not been going for over a month. That girl we found in the other room must have started it.”

“I don’t know. I really believe it has been . . . “

My words were cut off by the sound of a framed desktop picture that Nate had flung across the room crashing into the Newton’s Cradle.

“Nate!” I yelled, bending down to pick up the tangled mess up off the floor.

A few more mouse clicks and Nate had found what we needed on the map. He stood up to leave while I was still trying to straighten out the balls and strings on the toy.

“C’mon. Let’s go!” He urged. I gave a couple more tugs on the hopelessly knotted strings before resignedly tossing the relic aside.

<Nate rolled a modified 20 for his hack check.  This had the following effects:
1. Nate can use the same password to log into any computer (at least for inventory/administrative reasons).
2. Party will be able to shift one hex to the left or right of the direction they roll on the Hexmap (to simulate knowing the layout of the warehouse).
3. Specific item find counter (on hexmap) is increased by 30%. (Not 100% because they might pass other useful items before reaching the filter, but they will find the filters faster.)>

[Scene 2, Tension Lvl:2]

“I’m gonna be a father!”

When we got back to the breakroom, Nate was nearly bowled over by an excited Sebastian who practically hopped into his arms. Yes, I said hopped. Up till now, Charlotte and Sebastian, heck, practically all the hoops we’ve met so far have walked with a human gait. Sebastian’s current exultation, however, must have removed any inhibitions about embracing his rabbit nature and now he was hopping all over the place.

“I guess you told him?” I asked Charlotte who just nodded back.

Sebastian bounced my way and gave me a great, big hug. “Charlotte’s going to be a mother.  All is right with the world!”

“We’re in a war zone,” I reminded him.

“So? We still have children to raise. A little Sebastian, or a little Charlotte.”

“Or both,” I suggested.

“Oh! That’s right! She might have a litter. Even better!”

Out of Sebastian’s line of sight, Charlotte rolled her eyes. She was not thrilled at the thought of having a litter.

“What’s most important now is that we get Charlotte to safety,” Sebastian explained, calming down a bit. “What did you two find out?”

Nate told them about the search. To my disappointment, however, he left out any, mention of the Newton’s Cradle. I mean, that was the really amazing find, wasn’t it? He also discovered that the room behind the well-secured door we passed earlier was the security office, A fact he failed to mention to me.  He thought if we go back there we might be able to hack into the security system and disable the cameras and robots.  Sebastian was on-board with that. Anything that made the trek out of the warehouse safer for Charlotte was okay with him.

<Much of the previous scene was dictated by the earlier event that was drawn in the janitorial closet.  My original intent was to make some oracle draws/conversation rolls between Charlotte and Sebastian to determine if the pregnancy was discussed and what Sebastian’s reaction would be. However, since the event Rune indicated joy and happiness, it just made sense that it referred to Sebastian’s reaction.  What this means in game terms is that Sebastian will make decisions based on protecting Charlotte or in response to things that happen to her.>

About ten minutes later we are standing at the heavy door and Sebastian is running his bare paws over the lock area of the door. The door is thick and the rubberized area doesn’t fully penetrate, so it takes him several rounds of rubberizing, scraping, and rubberizing before he can pull the door open. <Sebastian had to make a Physical skill check to see how fast he could get the door open. The better the roll the faster it took and the fewer random encounter rolls needed to be made. They were able to make it through without any robots spotting them. However, there is a camera just beyond the door pointed right at it that will require a DC20 to destroy before attracting a robot.>

Behind the door was a short hallway and another door, basically a man-trap protecting the security room. More importantly, there was a security camera mounted just over the far wall that was focused on the door we just forced open. Nate was quick with his rifle, but no sonic beam blasted the camera to shreds.

“Damn!” he exclaimed.  “Dead cell.” <Nate failed the DC 20 check and rolled a Nat 1 on his attack, indicating a dead power cell.>

Acting fast, I pulled out my crowbar and ran at the camera. Reaching it easily, I shattered the lens into a billion pieces. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough to stop it from alerting the security robot <28hp> that was currently rolling toward us. Sebastian and Charlotte took shots at it <S hit for 1>, but the thing was more concerned about who destroyed the camera, as it ignored them and fired its laser at me, hitting me square in the chest and throwing me back into the door. <9 hp damage>.

I shook my head to clear the cobwebs and ran out of the hall into the warehouse where the robot had closed the gap and was now attacking the group with his claw. That was a good time to try my secret weapon. I pulled out one of my spray paint cans and tried to push my way through to the robot. As I did, Charlotte is hit hard <6 hp damage> and stumbled away from the battle.  I used the opening to aim and the mechanical eye and push the nozzle. The robot was moving in Charlotte’s direction and the paint sprayed harmlessly behind it. <Spray Paint required a Physical challenge based on DEX. DC12 = the paint hits for partial coverage (-2 to melee attacks, -4 ranged) DC16 = full coverage (same as partial, but with disadvantage)  Alyssa failed the check.>

Sebastian jumped in between the robot and Charlotte. “Stay away from her!” he yelled as he swung his pipe into its side. <6hp damage, plus a successful distraction roll to draw its attention away from Charlotte> The robot immediately responded with a swing of its own, hitting Sebastian right in the chest and doubling him over <10 hp damage>. While the robot’s focus was away from me I took another shot with the spray can. This time I hit it square in the “eye” <Phys Check=17>. I gave an extra long blast to make sure it was covered. Unfortunately, I failed to release the nozzle as I pulled the can away and ended up spraying Sebastian, who had recovered and stood up, directly in face. <S rolled a Nat 1 on the next turn, losing an attack>

The effect of the paint was about as good as we could have hoped for.  The robot, unable to see, just flailed about wildly with both its arms. I was concerned it might start shooting off its laser in random directions, but so far it held fire and just rolled aimlessly and flailed. This gave us a chance to back away safely. Charlotte took a couple of shots with her laser pistol, but the robot’s wild movements were too erratic for her to get a sure aim and she missed with both. Nate, however, had better luck. Having loaded a new power cell, he fired and caught the twirling machine in the wide cone of the rifle’s blast. Gears, wires, and other bits of metal and plastic flew from the machine until it finally slowed down and fell to the ground defeated. <12 hp damage>

“What the hell, Alyssa!? Are you trying to blind me!?” Sebastian was still rubbing his eyes, trying to get the paint out. “What was that anyway?”

“Spray paint?” I said. “It worked. The robot couldn’t see us.”

Having regained some semblance of sight, he glared at me. “And I couldn’t see it!  You could’ve got me killed!”

I know it was serious but, seeing a nearly six-foot-tall, black-furred bunnyman standing in front of me with a tear-streaked face covered in light-brown paint, it was all I could do to keep from laughing.

Quickly we all moved into the hall and closed the door behind us. It took Sebastian a few minutes more to disable the lock on the inner door and we were in the security room. Nate went right to work hacking the security camera while Sebastian, Charlotte, and I tended to our wounds. <Medical and healing kits were used. C: +9hp  A:+6hp  S:+4hp  Sebastian still has uses left in his healing kit>

We were in the security room

“That was surprisingly easy,” Nate said from his spot in front of a wall of monitors.  “I’ve shut down all the cameras and robo . . . oh crap! I spoke too soon. They have some type of anti-tampering software loaded, of course. My hacks are being overturned and everything is live again. This is going to a bit more time.”

While Nate continued to work on the security I searched the room for anything useable. <A and S made successful searches. Is there anything to find? (even) Yes, and . . . it’s a pretty good haul.> In a cabinet I found two handguns. When I wsa sure the others weren’t looking, I stuffed them in my belt under my jacket. I wasn’t trying to necessarily hide them from our new friends. I just felt Nate and I’ve been doing a lot of the work since we’ve been in the warehouse and we deserved a little reward of our own. The easiest way to get that? Just take it and not tell anyone else. <There was a total of 25 bullets that will be split between Nate and Alyssa>

Meanwhile, Sebastian found a medical box with a lot of supplies <Med Kit (4 uses)>. I used some to patch up more of my wounds (+12hp) and suggested he do the same. He declined, choosing to save it in case Charlotte needed it later.

“It's not great news,” Nate told us, “But I’ve made some progress. Can’t shut down the robots, but I was able to disable the cameras. Not much, but it helps. That being said, I had to introduce a virus to confuse the camera system and the anti-virus is fighting against it.  The cameras could come back at any time so I suggest we try to find the parts as fast as we can.”

<Hacking the security system.  Initial Tech Check: DC5: locate cameras (+2 to sneak rolls) DC10: disarm camera or robots  DC15: disarm both.  Nate’s roll = 11  Random system: camera.

Next, I rolled another Tech Check  to see how effective the disarming was: DC1-10: 1d10 turns  DC11-15: 2d10 turns  DC16+: Permanent  Nates roll=8>

[Scene 3, Tension Lvl:3]

We left the security office and Nate suggested we stop at the distribution center’s control hub, since we would pass it on the way.  If he could hack into that, we could have the automated retrieval system just fetch the parts for us, as well anything else we might think of. Smart thinking, but yet another thing he discovered back in the offices that he failed to mention to me.

While we walked, I motioned to him to hold back.  Once the two hoops were in front of us, I passed him one of the handguns and some ammo. He gave me a questioning look.

“You’re not the only one with secrets,” I said and sped up, leaving him wondering what in the world I was talking about.

We arrived at the hub without encountering any security robots or cameras except for the one that was now overlooking the control area. It was stationary, suggesting it was still inoperable, but Nate had Sebastion shoot it out while he examined the hub controls. <A random event was indicated when I consulted the GMA for details of the area. That event will be revealed at the end of this chapter.>

The main computer system was located on a raised platform. It had several monitors, a few keyboards, and miscellaneous other computer equipment that meant nothing to me.  Near the platform were several bins ready to be dispatched to pull product. Just beyond them was a conveyor belt that disappeared into a rectangular cut out in the wall. I assume that was where the product was unloaded from the bins and placed on the moving conveyor to be sent to the packing area.  Near the opening in the wall was a door, which probably led to the said packing area.

Nate at the Control Hub

With his previous experience with the Wamazon computer system, Nate quickly hacked into the system and navigated the retrieval program. He programmed a bin to pick up the fuel filters Jesse needed, as well as few additional mechanic’s tools that were located in the same area. <These were actually found during the hex rolls to get here, but it made more sense in the narrative for the group to not stop and pick up anything on the way but have the bins collect it for them.> The bin rolled away and the rest of us hunkered down behind the bins that remained, in case a security robot wandered by.

<It will take the bin (2d4) 6 turns to retrieve the items.  In the meantime, I will roll once per turn for wandering robots. 1-in-6 chance.>

“What was all that about secrets?” Nate asked me while we waited.

“You didn’t tell me about the security office. You didn’t tell me about this control hub. I thought we were a team?”

“You’re upset about that? You were more interested in that stupid toy than our mission.”

“What toy?” Sebastian asks.

“There was one of those perpetual ball machines in an office we explored. You know, the type that swing back and forth.”

“It was still going,” I broke in. “Since the office had been abandoned. It would have probably continued forever if Nate hadn’t thrown a picture at it.”

“It would not have kept going forever,” Nate argued, exasperated.

“We’ll never know now, will we? Destroyer of Eternity!”

Nate sighed.

“Where is that bin?” Charlotte asked. “Shouldn’t it have been back by now?”

“Let me check the computer and see where it is,” Nate said.

He stood up and headed for the platform. As he was climbing the steps he was suddenly hit by a laser blast which knocked him to the floor. <A positive encounter check. Robot 30hp. The group failed its Subterfuge check to successfully hide from the approaching robot.  Additionally, the cameras were only out of commission for 4 turns, so they are now live, as well.> Without hesitation, Nate rolls over, aims, and fires back at his attacker (7 hp), hitting it square in the chest.

It took the rest of us a moment to realize what was happening, but quickly we had our weapons ready and were poking our heads out to get a bead on the robot. Unfortunately, the other carts and raised podium kept us from getting a clear shot.  Nate, however, still had an open shot. (10 hp). But that also meant he made an easy target as well (hit for 11hp, down to 12 total).

As he scrambled to hide behind the bank of computers, the security bot switched its attention and began rolling toward those of us behind the bins. Charlotte hit it with shots as it approached (10hp). Instead of riding as well, I ducked back and readied my crowbar. As soon as the robot came around the corner of the bin I swung and took out its legs. The thing fell face down and I smashed the back of its head until it lay still. (5 hp, reducing it to -2)

“Nate!” I called out.  “You good?”

“I’m good.”

“Where’s that bin?”

“It’s still near the automotive products.  I think it’s stuck.  We’ll have to go to it.”

<Okay, do you remember way back at the end of chapter 8 when I drew a random event that I said I would hold until the appropriate time? Well, now is the time. The symbol was Naudizand one of the explanations was "an almost-complete quest requires an extra step". My original plan was, should the group make a successful roll during the hex crawl to find the filters, I would consider that roll a fail and make them continue until they make a second successful roll. Narratively, I could see them coming across a different bunch of auto parts but not the filters. However, when they arrived at the control center, that would no longer work because they could program the bins to pick up the exact part. Therefore, the next option would be to obstruct the bin in some way to force the group to go to it instead.

How many turns to reach the bin? (d4) 3>

The trip to where the bin was stopped wasn’t too bad. We were able to take out another camera without alerting any robots and Charlotte pulled some card and board games from a shelf as we passed by.

<Move 23: Direction 7 - Room - The room is the previously described door. They walk past.

Move 24: Direction 9 - Hall and camera. Hall doesn’t make sense so I’ll just handle it as a 75% chance of camera. There is a camera and Nate makes his sneak roll.

Move 25: Direction 9 - 50% chance of robot and 50% product. No robot and the randomly generated product is a children’s card game.>

When we reached the cart it was obvious what the problem was. Wedged under one of its front wheels was a small box that must have been knocked off the shelf when it retrieved the filters and tools. We still had room in our original bin, so we transferred the new items to it. Sebastian saw a single air compressor and remembered Jesse needed a new one, so he grabbed that as well. Now that we had what we came for, it was time to leave.  <It will take (d6) 6 moves to get to the door through which they came in.>

[Scene 4, Tension Lvl:2]

We knew we were getting close to the exit when we began to see signs of our earlier passing: camera remnants hanging from the walls, shattered or disabled security robots lying on the floor. Sebastian led the group and was continuously looked back to check on Charlotte.  Was she doing okay? Did we need to slow down? While I think she enjoyed the attention at first, after about the third or fourth inquiry her responses started getting shorter and it seemed to me a bit irritated.

“Still fine. You don’t need to check on me every five seconds.”

“I just want to take care of our family,” Sebastian explained as Charlotte rolled her eyes. He had turned to face us and was practically walking backward.  “I think the exit is just down this next aisle.”

As soon as he faced back forward and reached the corner, a robotic arm reached out, grabbed him by the neck, and flung him into the shelving on the far side. He fell into a crumpled heap on the ground.

Damn! We were too comfortable. Too sure of ourselves.  We dropped our guard.

Charlotte jumped with a start and fumbled the pipe in her hand, dropping it to the ground. Nate pulled the trigger on his rifle, only to drain his last power cell (Nat 1). One of us down, the other two weaponless, we had to gain an advantage. For that, I grabbed my paint can and sprayed at the robot’s head. Luck was with me as I gave it a thick coat of brown paint across its eye lens.

<Robot has 21hp. Due to paint, attacks at -2 with disadvantage and defends at -2>

Just like the other robot I had sprayed, this one started to spin and flail out aimlessly with its arms. Nate switched to his weighted so and we had to be careful not to get within the robot’s attack. Still, we were able to get a shot in here and there. (Both hit for a total of 12 hp)  Charlotte retrieved her pipe and looked for an opening. It would have been better for her had she not because the moment she got close enough its arm hit her in the side and she went down. The robot must have sensed that he hit something because it stopped spinning and focused its grabs and swings in Charlotte’s direction. This made it much easier for Nate and I to approach it from behind and strike in its weak places, quickly disabling it.

Without hesitation, we tended to the unconscious hoops. Using supplies from the medkits, we helped them revive and get to their feet. Both were dazed and it was a good thing that Sebastian was correct when he believed the exit was just at the end of the aisle. Nate helped me lead both of them out the door and shut it behind us before slumping to the asphalt to rest against the Steel Plated Turbo-Thingy Omega-Dildo, or whatever this beast of a vehicle is called.

Nothing followed us out of the warehouse. No person, animal, or creature passed by. We just sat quietly for the next ten minutes, thankful to be out and alive.

After a bit, Sebastian stood up and brushed himself off.

“Enough rest,” he said. “Let’s get this stuff loaded and head on home.”

“Not yet.” We all turned to look at Charlotte who had a determined look on her face.

“What do you mean not yet,” Sebastian asked. “We need to get you home and safe.”

“No. That woman, dead in the warehouse. Her baby might be out here. We need to find it.”

END OF THE CHAPTER

Notes:

Okay, there is a bit to unpack here regarding the end of this chapter.

First of all, what’s up with Charlotte?  Back when they reached the control hub I mentioned that I drew an event that would be revealed at the end of the chapter. Well, this is that event. The rune I drew was Raido which GMA describes as” travel, evolution, moving forward, gaining perspective”. Some of the in-game suggestions are “a quest, a journey for the sake of some greater objective or learning an important secret”. As was hinted from her lingering at the dead woman’s body, Charlotte’s pregnancy has her thinking more deeply about motherhood and what that means.  Even though it is not her baby, she is developing this sense of protectiveness. Therefore, the event is that she feels obligated to take on the quest of finding the baby, either to save it or let those who are guarding it know what happened to the mother.

On another matter, I took the liberty of condensing the last several moves through the warehouse in the narrative to save time and keep the story more interesting. There were actually two robot encounters and several product searches. By now, however, I was getting tired of basically writing the same combat encounter over and over again (and you were probably getting tired of reading it) and I was ready to get out of the warehouse. So I included the products in the previous scene and used the highlights of both battles to form one final fight.  For those interested, the detailed moves are listed below.

Move 26: Direction 10 - Blank spot

Move 27: Direction 3 - Camera (that exists and triggers robot) and product chance.  The resulting battle knocked Charlotte to 0 hp and Sebastian to -3 hp.  Both survived. Also, it was in this battle that Nate used up his last power cell. The product was something Jesse asked for.  This was the air compressor that was acquired when they reached the stuck bin.

Move 28: Direction 6: Product that would benefit the service center. These were the additional tools that Nate programmed the bin to retrieve along with the filters.

Move 29: Direction 3 - 50% product chance that resulted in nothing.

Move 30: Direction 8  - 90% product.  Random-cables.

Move 31: 50% chance Robot/50% chance Product.  The group rolled a natural 1 on the sneak check, so the robot got a free attach, targeted Sebastian and reduced him to -2hp. In the end, the robot was destroyed and everyone survived.  No product was found.

Finally, my thoughts on the Abandonded Warehouse Hex Flower. As you may recall from the start of the warehouse adventure, this is a tool I created myself based on Goblin’s Henchman’s Hex Flower concept. This game was the playtest for the tool. For the most part, I am pleased with the result.  If I ever do revise it, the part that needs the most work is the hall/room mechanic. My original thought was that the additional hexes would determine movement from room to hall to room, etc.  In reality, this didn’t make much sense in the game and, as you know from reading this playthrough, once I entered an office area I ditched the hex flower and used other methods for creating the office map.  What I am considering doing with the warehouse tool is just use one “room” symbol and pepper it in a few hex across the flower. A player landing on one of those spaces would encounter a door exiting the warehouse and it is up to them to determine what the door leads to (hall, closet, office, etc) and how to run exploration beyond the door.  If you are interested in downloading and using my Abandoned Warehouse Hexflower tool you can find it here on DrivethruRPG.
===============
Eph. 5:25-29

(Read the next chapter here.)

[Note from Terrence "Teviko604": It's no secret that I'm no speed demon when it comes to posting these episodes of Eastern Wastes. I only have limited gaming time and each chapter typically takes several hours to play through.  Then there's the time it takes to write the narrative, proofread and edit, possibly manipulate a few images, and finally post (which has its own additional formatting that needs to be done.) Needless to say, one chapter often represents several weeks of playing and preparation. But it's something I enjoy doing.

Which brings me to the point of this note. Now that I've pretty much wrapped up the warehouse portion of the story I will be putting this campaign on hold, probably for a couple of months. It's not because I'm tired of this story. I am having fun with it. Also, I still have several things I need to resolve (such as the Alex mystery) before I end this campaign. No, the reason I will be stepping away for a bit is to pursue some other interests I have, specifically a couple of video productions I want to put together.

The first has nothing to do with solo roleplaying. It is a song-parody project my wife originally did for her job that we want to revise to be more interesting and accessible to the general public. While it has nothing to do with our genre, I might post a link here when it's done for anyone who is interested. The other project is completely solo roleplay-related. It is a playthrough of a solo map-making game and I will certainly be posting them as each episode is completed.

I expect each of these to be rather time-intensive in and of themselves, and then I always have other hobbies and interests that I enjoy spending time doing. Oh yeah . . . there's also serious responsibilities that take up most of my day. So yeah, I just wanted to let you know in advance so you're not waiting and waiting for chapter 11, wondering if it will ever come.]