31 Days / 31 Characters - JAKE TOPAZ

I've wanted to include this character in my 31 Days / 31 Characters posts since the very first year I participated but for one reason or another I never got around to him. A recent chat with the PC's player, my long time friend Nelson Marty, gave me what I needed to finally do this entry.

Nelson and I have been friends since I was in middle school, though he was in high school at the time. He is a few years older than I am. Later I would end up going to that same high school (The High School of Art and Design) and that began many, many years of us gaming together. Nelson's name has appeared on this site quite a number of times, mostly relating to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Superheroes, he began in the hobby just as I did, with Basic Dungeons and Dragons.

Art by Me using Midjourney and Photostudio.

Character: Jake Topaz

AKA: Jake Blue Star

Player: Nelson Marty

System: Dungeons & Dragons, Basic 1st Edition, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition

 

Nature: Medium Length Campaign

Gamemaster: Various, including Nelson himself. 

Circa: 1977-78 to 1980

Origins: Jake Topaz was Nelson Marty's first Player Character but actually began life as an NPC in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign he ran sometime in 1977 or 1978. This would have been Basic Dungeons and Dragons and Jake appeared to be Human but was in fact an Elf stats-wise. Later, Nelson played him as a PC when a friend he regularly GMed for wanted to try his hand at GMing.

When Advanced Dungeons and Dragons came along and his friends switched over to those rules (as a great many of us did), Nelson updated Jake and expanded on his background to flesh out his family. This lead to Nelson retiring Jake Topaz and has, over the decades, played his brothers, grandsons, and distant descendants.

It all started with a Grey Elf in a Mask...

Art by Me using Midjourney and Photostudio.

Backstory: Born Jake Blue Star, he is one of three sons of a Male Gray Elf and Female Human. Jake has largely Human features except for his clearly pointed ears and deep purple hair. His younger brother appears completely Human and goes by the name Silver Star. He became a Paladin when he grew to adulthood. The youngest of the three siblings was Azure Star and was Half-Elven in both appearance and physicality. He eventually became a Fighter/Magic-User and had a great many adventures in the Northern Lands (this is the brother from a campaign I ran).

The Star Family Emblem

Originally worn by Silver Star the Paladin, Nelson retroactively said that Jake wore it too

but sometimes hid it beneath his chestplate. Later, when he gained renown as a hero

he added it to the front of his armor. 

When the trio were still quite young their mother died protecting her husband and children from an attack on their mixed Species village. The nearby elves felt honor bound to take in the children and help raise them. Jake stayed as long as he was able but an insatible desire to see the lands and peoples beyond his home gnawed at him. He eventually left and went out on his own, making his way as a sellsword and an adventurer for hire. Unfortunately he learned that many Human locals did not like Elves overmuch and so he hid his ears beneath a leather mask and took on a new name, Jake Topaz. 

Overview: I was never in a game with Jake Topaz and Nelson himself confesses that he didn't play the character as much [or as long] as he did Jake's brothers and many of the subsequent members of the Star Family lineage. Jake is nonetheless worth mentioning for more than just being first. It was Topaz that began many of the 'Character Traditions' that Nelson's Fantasy PCs would embrace for decades to come. 

Among these are the idea that many of the characters that followed Topaz and his siblings are of the same family, however extended. Sometimes the connection to the bloodline is thin at best but it is certainly there. Oddly, this is implied to be true in some fashion even if the characters exist on different worlds and in completely different games. Though (purposely) never defined or clarified, Nelson absolutely intended to convey that there is some link between his collection of PCs. This creates a dynamic we've likened to Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion. 

On a practical level this approach helps Nelson as the player, thinking of these individuals as related gives an instant and easy to pocess buy-in. See, there is an automatic investment in your 'new' character if they're a relative of one or more of your 'old' characters (I've seen this myself in my Winghorn Guard/Aerth campaigns). An emotional connection is made more directly between the player and their PC under these conditions.

There is a tendency for Nel's Elvish Fantasy characters (and even some of the Humans) to wear Masks. It's his thing. I don't know why. Now when I say that I don't mean his characters wear them for no reason. There is always a narrative point to why the PC is wearing a Mask but it is funny to think there is a long history of Masked Adventurers like the Dread Pirate Roberts of The Princess Bride. 

Art by Nelson Marty. Most likely from 1984 or 89.

The Highlights: Not sure there highlights to speak of here beyond what has been mentioned above. Nelson didn't recall any particular adventure or event of note involving Topaz. While that's unfortunate, it also isn't unexpected. We are talking about a good 40+ years ago here. 

Game Info: 

The character sheet for Jake Topaz is long gone. While there is a slim possibility that it or a copy of it is stashed in one of Nelson's many archived sketchbooks he has in storage, there was nothing available for this post (time of posting). 

The initial version was a Fighter; even though he was an Elf by species he was written up as a Human Fighter stat-wise. Can you see why Nelson and I became friends and played a $#^%-ton of games together? Right from the get-go he and his group were changing things up to make D&D more interesting and flexible that it was.  

He was converted into an Elven Fighter for the switch to 1st Edition AD&D and managed to get to 6th or 7th level I believe. . 

Notes: Nelson remembers Jake Topaz's primary magical weapon, a variant of the classic D&D magic sword 'Frostbrand'. A long sword in this incarnation, it had the traditional powers of the item as described in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide-1st Edition, with the addition of a 'Cone of Cold' it could project from the blade once per day. 

While he didn't bring it up, I recall Topaz having a companion animal, a black wolf or dog (or wolf-dog) as confirmed by the image above. 

Legacy: 

Art by Nelson Marty

In many ways the through line of this entry is 'Legacy'. Topaz is most memorable at this point for being the first in a long history of characters connected by family and certain traditions. 

Versions of Topaz and his brothers exist as NPCs in my Fantasy setting of Aerth/The Winghorn Guard. 

It's been a very long time since I've gamed with Nelson and according to the man himself he hasn't played at all since the late 90s. That's a shame. Nelson always put the Action and Adventure into action-adventure gaming. He could always be counted on to have his PC swing on a chandelier or leap onto a moving horse. He kept these moving, always striving to push the narrative forward. 

Another custom started by an Elf in Mask named Jake (Blue Star) Topaz.

The oldest image of Jake Topaz that Nelson could find.

It dates back to the early-to-mid 80s

Art by Nelson Marty

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31 Questions for Barking Alien - Question 10

My first late post for the month! That's pretty good actually. 

Question #10 comes to us from Timothy S. Brannan, a fellow who has been reading and responding to my posts here and elsewhere for quite a while. Really happy to have him supplying a question. And it's a doozy...

What was your introduction to RPGs like? What game(s) did you play and how did your growth change from that?

This is a story I've told before but I'm going to try and give it to you from a different perspective. Here goes...

On August 28th of 1977, an 8 year old Adam was introduced to Dungeons and Dragons through the Holmes Basic Box Set by 7 year old Thomas Zizzo. Being the go-to guy for any geek question ranging from a Phaser's settings to a Superhero's origin, there was no way I was going to pass on the opportunity to participate in a game Tom described as, "It's like playing out a comic book. You create a character, go on adventures, defeat villains, and save people!".

Now here's there rub...

It's interesting to me that in these very first moments you can see the seeds of what will follow. The game is framed like writing or creating a comic book, not like telling a story in a book. Character, Adventure, Villains, and the act of Saving Civilians are a focus, while Killing Monsters and Gaining Treasure isn't mentioned at all. 

Right from the very beginning our frame of reference for running and playing D&D (and therefore roleplaying games in general as far as we knew) was not the literature that Gygax, Arneson, and the other early creators of the game had in mind. For us it was comic books, film, and television, including animation, that formed the basis of how we saw an RPG adventure or campaign unfolding. 

I only played that original campaign for about a dozen sessions and it wouldn't be until June of the following year that I got to play D&D again. This time I was made designated DM and the experience had me itching to stay on that side of the screen. Between 1978 and 1982 I would play a lot of Dungeons & Dragons and eventually a lot of Advanced D&D. I would also play and run a number of other games during this period, most notably a stint of Gamma World/Metamorphosis Alpha, a once-in-a-lifetime-lightning-in-a-bottle campaign of Boot Hill, and a session of Traveller that left me with a rather negative opinion of the game. 

One constant in this era of my time in the hobby was that the more I played D&D under other DMs, the more I disliked doing so. The game itself was starting to bug me but not nearly as much as the attitude of those who ran it. The AD&D players and DMs I met were so rigid, so antagonistic towards each other that I rapidly fell out of love with the game that got me into RPGs in the first place. 

My growth following 1982 was heavily influenced by the games I discovered, played, and ran but also, moreso, a desire not to do what those D&D gamers were doing. My goal was to do things differently and so far, its worked out pretty well. 

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RPGaDay 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 4

What makes a character in an RPG a hero? Have you ever seen a PC or NPC worthy of the title?

I've seen lots and I'm sure most of you have too. Hard to pick just one. In fact, most of the PCs run by my good friends David Concepcion, Keith Conroy, and certainly Selina Wong would more than qualify.

Today though, I'd like to tell the tale of a hero I've not mentioned before. To make things even more difficult for myself I want to avoid games where being a champion of true and justice is par for the course such as Superhero games, Star Trek, or Star Wars.

Hmm. OK, I got it! Let me set the scene...

Summer Camp, 1980. Six Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) adventurers levels 5 to 7 have been exploring The Ruins of Castle Fengest* in search of the fabled Ghost Sword of Apotrop**. Each intends on finding the sword and turning it over to the rightful heir in hopes of gaining a great reward. 

I am the Dungeonmaster. The party consists of:

Dwarf Fighter - Rightful heir promised to ally with Dwarves against Goblin Invaders.

Elf Fighter/Magic-User - Fulfill an oath to the original sword wielder to avenge their death. 

Halfling Thief - Earn enough riches to pay off family debt.

Human Druid - Secure a region of the heir's woods as a Druid Sanctuary.

Human Fighter - Earn his place as a Knight in service of the rightful heir.

Human Ranger - Rid the roads around the ruins of bandit attacks to ensure safe travel.***

The group is most of the way through the haunted ruins of the castle and things are tense. The Dwarf is dead, the Human Fighter (toughest PC they have) is really low on HP, and everyone has taken some damage. The Human Druid has revealed himself to be a coward and mostly self-interested. 

The party is at odds on what to do. Three want to turn back or at least find a 'safe' place to heal up and two want to keep going as they're sure the sword is close. The Dwarf's voice can sometimes be heard echoing the halls, spuring them on. Is it encouragement from their departed ally or a trick of the Ghost Lord of Fengest****? 

A rousing speech by the Human Ranger [and the rest of the group threatening the Druid with bodily harm] gets the team to continue forward. Their next encounter is a boon, defeating several very tough skeletons and gaining a couple of healing potions.  They don't help much but its better than nothing. 

Finally, after besting a riddle trap with the help of the Dwarf's spirit, the party comes face-to-phantom with the Ghost Lord of Fengest, wielding the Sword of Apotrop! Now, the team was up against some major obstacles:

The Ghost Lord could hit the PCs with his Ghost Touch (see below under Ghost Lord of Fengest****) or very solid sword but he was intangible and the PCs couldn't do the same. Only certain spells and magic weapons could hit him and most did little damage (see below as noted).

Anyone killed in the Ruins of Castle Fengest would become a disembodied spirit, trapped within its halls forever, such as the Dwarf, the magic sword's original owner (friend of our Elf), and all the adventurers who'd come before.

The Druid went full @$$&*%#, refusing to heal anyone but himself, barely helping, and mostly hiding. 

The entire team was still low on HP, Spells, and pretty desperate. 

The Human Fighter made a decision and asked the Elf to cover him. The Fighter then downed a Strength Potion and on his next action ran straight towards the Ghost Lord and tried to physically rend the Sword of Apotrop from its ghastly grip. Doing so allowed the Ghost Lord to touch him, draining away his lifeforce as he struggled to remove the sword from the spectre's hand. Finally he managed to pull it free and tossed it back to the Ranger as the Fighter collapsed to the ground. 

The Ranger lept forth and struck the Ghost Lord with the enchanted blade, doing massive damage! The Ghost Lord relatiated but the Sword of Apotrop gave the Ranger protection against the phantom warrior's attack (in the form of a saving throw bonus to take no effects). Everyone in the party (expect the Druid) forfeited their next moves so the Ranger could strike again. And strike he did, mightly and true, destroying the Ghost Lord once and for all! 

With the Ghost Lord gone, all the trapped souls were free. The party could see many of them passing upwards through the floors, walls, and ceilings toward the great beyond. The Ranger and other gathered around the Human Fighter but it was too late. The brave hero managed to say, "Someone was going to die today. It was either me or all of you. Fair trade I'd say", and until his spirit departed skyward as well. 

The team returned to the rightful heir with the sword and their was a great celebration. The Human Fighter was posthumously awarded Knighthood. A plaque with his name adorned the barracks of the City Guard. The heir become Duke and fulfilled all his promises...save one. The Druid was given no land in his woods and was banished from the province, never to set foot on the Duke's soil or stone lest he suffer the blade. 

David P's Human Fighter. A true hero in the truest sense. 

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BONUS FEATURE: Day 3 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

From medieval heroes to modern criminals...

I get bored with the art in most RPGs these days. There's a sameyness to a lot of it. Some games do have their own more individual look and I do like those particular RPGs as a result. ALIEN, Star Trek Adventures, and Tales of the Loop (a game specifically based on the artwork of Swedish painter Simon Stålenhag) are good examples though I do wish ALIEN and STA would change up their styles a little once in a while. 

One of my favorite RPGs with great art is the Japanese TRPG 'SATASUPE', Saturday Night Special, the Asian Punk Roleplaying Game which I've discussed on the blog in the past. Not only is the art cool but its unusual. It has that Japanese Anime/Manga look and yet it doesn't. It's got a street art, funky vibe that is perfect for the game.

While a handful of artists worked on the product, the lead illustrator most commonly associated with SATASUPE is Hayami Rasenjin. Rasenjin (a pen name) is a really interesting fellow (look into him some time) but what I want to focus on is that he's drawn for dozens and dozens of Japanese TRPGs. He wrote what would have been the first Dice Fiction game (but that's a story for another time) and was a playtester on many as well. He has been a major figure in the JTRPG scene.

Anyway, I love his art in SATASUPE. Here are some examples:

SATASUPE Cover Art

Current Edition

More talk about SATASUPE in the near future.

RPGaDay 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 3

From my earliest days in the hobby I had a clear idea of what it meant to be a 'hero' and to create heroic tales. What I didn't understand was how everyone else claimed they too were playing heroes.

I started gaming in 1977 with Basic Dungeons and Dragons. It was introduced to me with the following phrase:

"It's like playing out a comic book. You create a character, go on adventures, defeat villains, and save people!"

At the 8 I was certain I knew what that meant and was excited to give the game a try. I loved comic books. I get to play a game where I create my own hero who fights evil-doers and protects the innocent? Where do I sign?

I also loved Star Trek, Star Wars, and other heroes of movies and television. My father was a policeman. The concept of a heroic character was ingrained into my mind, built upon the examples of Captain Kirk, Superman, Luke Skywalker, the Lone Ranger, and my dad.

We Can Be Heroes...Forever and Ever

We Can Be Heroes...Just for One Day

And so it was that I, and those I initially gamed with, had our characters fighting against evil, rescuing weak and helpless, and making our make believe world a better place. Our enemies were cruel, world-conquerring Clerics and their armies of the Undead, Foul Weather that resulted in floods and lost sailing ships, and the occaisional Legendary Monster bent on eating people in the peaceful village nearby. 

Then one day I had a strange experience...I played with other people. 

That's when I first learned the 'right way' to play D&D. Travel from town to town murdering any citizen who looked at you funny, steal their belongings, and go on to enter the underground homes of intelligent beings and yeah, kill them all too. Don't forget to loot their bodies! Finally, after all that, have the nerve to refer to yourself and your fellow sociopaths as 'heroes'. 

Fast forward to the present and I get it now. D&D, especially back then, was more of a game than a role-playing experience. The mechanics as written rewarded slaying monsters and finding gold as vital components of its mechanics. Additionally, the ideas presented were inspired by and extrapolated from the Fantasy literature popular in that era; the works of R.E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Michael Moorcock, and of course J. R. R. Tolkien (though I'd argue the main protagonists of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are of quite a different make and model than those of the Conan, Lankhmar, or Eternal Champions books). 

Since we - my early gaming buddies and I - were not coming from that same literary background, we didn't take for granted a lot of the essential elements of D&D and other similar games of the time. We didn't kill anyone who didn't try to kill us and who could be subdued or, better yet, reasoned with. We didn't loot the bodies unless we knew they had something we needed (the key to freeing the kidnapped villagers, our weapons and communicators they'd taken earlier, etc.). Our D&D character were awarded gold and magic items by those whom we'd helped as a thank you for saving them. 

I'm sure it isn't surprising that as time moved on and the hobby expanded my friends and I largely moved away from games where unheroic actions were part and parcel of the setting or theme. The more we played Star Trek, Villains and Vigilantes, Star Wars, Champions, Mekton, Teenagers from Outer Space and others, the less we played and even thought about D&D. The closet we came to games the rewarded immoral behaviour was our occasional jaunts into Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, and a handful of others. Even there though, we often started as scoundrels and eventually turned ourselves around to do the right things for a greater good. 

Heroics are still integral to my games and I get a real rush when I see them.

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 3 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

There have been periods of my time in the RPG hobby when I would've said Star Wars D6 or some Superhero game was the one I'd played most often but that isn't true today. It is definitely Star Trek. From FASA's version to playtesting and writing for Last Unicorn Games' edition to my (presently) 8 year long Star Trek Adventures campaign, the final frontier reigns supreme. 

Superhero and Medieval Fantasy Character by combining AI with my own art and coloring. Female Starfleet Officer by Japanese artist Shunya Yamashita. 

RPGaDay 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 2

I think I might have told this story before, long ago but what the heck...it's an excuse to post about one of my favorite old RPGs.

I didn't have enough money to purchase the first game I bought with my own money.

It was 1982, I was 13, and this was the first time I'd gone to New York City from Brooklyn without an adult. I was with a bunch of friends and we endeavoured to reach The Forbidden Planet, a Popculture/Sci-Fi/Fantasy super-store selling books, comics, toys, models, and of course RPGs. 

Reach it we did and there on the shelves, beside the Ampersand Game and its vast array of modules and supplements, was a box featuring a superhero and supervillain at odds. The bold colors and dynamic art was truly eyecatching.

As I do with all boxed set games, I turned the package over and over in my hands, reading the front, back, and every side. It was the back that go me really charged up. So charged up in fact, that I immediately ran over to my buddy Martin and showed him the box. I suggested we go 'halfsies', splitting the cost and sharing the contents. He was interested in it being a Superhero RPG but wasn't so sure...

I flipped the box over and in my best imitation of Ted Knight as narrator of the Superfriends cartoon voice, I did a dramatic reading of the image below.

After Martin stopped laughing, he said yes to picking up the game. We started playing it a week later and before long it became one of our most commonly played games. 

What made me buy it was pretty simple: It was the first Superhero game I ever came across at a time when I was really into DC and Marvel Comics. It was also the Golden Age of RPGs and any new game we discovered immediately inspired us. 

Up, up, and away!

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 2 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

The game I played most recently was our homebrew Hogwarts/Wizarding World game, now in its 6th or 7th year. This asks nothing else about it but I'll say it was fun but I rolled terribly. 

Next!

You Have My Sword, My Bow, My Mecha

The combination of Medieval Fantasy and Giant Robots is nothing new in Anime and Manga, though nor is it especially commonplace. Given the monumental number of Mech series that have come out in Japan, it might be surprising to realize how few of them take place in a Medieval and/or Fantasy setting. 

I'm not entirely sure when and where the idea first appeared but I know my first exposure to it was in the early-to-mid 80s. It was during this period, as I've mentioned in prior  posts, that I first became aware of Japanese Anime that hadn't yet left Japan. Amid the initial dozen or so series that I was made aware of were two that fit the rare category in question.

While other kids across the United States were falling in love with He-Man and The Masters of the Universe and Thundercats, I was watching Aura Battler Dunbine and Panzer World Galient. 

My next 31 Day Character Challenge entry comes from a Mekton II campaign I ran very much influenced by these aforementioned Mecha Anime. As such, I thought it might be a good idea to discuss these two shows as they aren't among the Mecha series familiar to the average Western Anime fan.

I'm adding in a third series to this post as well, The Vision of Escaflowne. Even though it came out long after my Medieval Mekton game was over, it remains a favorite and one I think about from time to time. The reason for this is that Escaflowne definitely influenced my later Giant Robot Fantasy projects, most notably when I run Wares Blade. 

Aura Battler Dunbine

One of my early favorites as I was really getting into Anime, Aura Battler Dunbine was written by none other than Yoshiyuki Tomino, the prolific novelist, anime screenwriter, director, songwriter, and creator of Mobile Suit Gundam. 

The plot revolves around motorcross cyclist Sho Zoma, who following an accident on his bike, ends up in the Medieval Europe-esque Fantasy Realm of Byston Well. It is a world of knights, castles, and the faery-like Ferario. The main draw of the series were the Aura Battlers, insect-like Giant Robots used by the kingdoms of Byston Well as weapons of war.

These six meter plus Mecha are powered a semi-spiritual energy called Aura. Certain people have especially strong Auras and are therefore able to function as power-supplies to these Mecha, making them Aura Warriors. As it turns out, beings from our world seem to have more powerful Auras on average than Byston Well natives, making visitors a much coveted resources for the armies of various nations.

There was a lot more to this series then this simple summary of course but suffice to say it was quite an involved tale. This show had quite an impact on me. The key to this series was its characters and said character drove the plot more so than anything else. Relationships, romances, enemies becoming lovers, lovers becoming enemies, dealing with war's effect on individuals, and what some people will do to have power over others were all explored throughout the shows 40 episodes.

Additionally the Mecha designs were quite distinct and different, though I'll admit they didn't impress me that much at first. It wasn't until I discovered that the original plan was for the Aura Battlers to appear both more insectoid and more like knights. These first concepts were deemed impractical if they wanted to be able to make reasonably priced toys, models, and other merchandise with the robots so they were altered to more practical configurations. Later animations were able to realize designer Kazutaka Miyatake's original ideas, which were further developed by other creatives.

Old Aura Battler design vs. later redesign based on original intention.

Panzer World Galient

A favorite series of the late, great Allen Halden and a major inspiration for his own epic campaign, Panzer Dreams (I mean, it's in the title). Broadcast from October of 1984 to March of 1985, Panzer World Galient ran 25 episodes and initially followed a fairly simple story. The protagonist was Prince Jordy Volder, operator of the Mecha known as Galient, who fought against the villainous conqueror Marder.

Intriguingly, the Medieval world they were on, Arst I believe, turns out to be just one planet in a large interstellar union. The setting played a role both subtle and surprising in the series and serves as a great example of how to subvert expectations while adding something to the context of the narrative. 

The Mecha designs are both very typical and traditional for the time but distinct enough that the look of Galient has always been memorable to me. It isn't as flashy as some or as intimidating as others but its definitely a classic. 

The Vision of Escaflowne

Created by Shōji Kawamori with Sunrise Studios and directed by Kazuki Akane, The Vision of Escaflowne is the story of a high school girl named Hitomi Kanzaki, who finds herself transported to a fantastical world called Gaea after witnessing a boy appear in her world fighting a dragon. After reaching Gaia, Hitomi becomes involved in a war when the Zaibach Empire attempts to conquer Gaia. The young Dragonslayer from earlier is revealed to be Van, the King of Fanelia. Finding an additional ally in Allen, an Asturian Knight, Van teams with him and Hitomi to try and defeat the Zaibach Empire and free his world. 

Van's advantage in this battle is his mystical, transforming Mecha, The Escaflowne. Additionally, Hitomi's appears to possess psychic powers and fortune telling abilities while on Gaia, possibly related to or even stemming from her long time interest in tarot cards. Soon, it becomes apparent she is the key to awakening the full power of Escaflowne and thwarting Zaibach's plans

The Vision of Escaflowne aired rom April to September of 1996 on TV Tokyo in Japan. It was eventually broadcast on Animax, a channel set up by Sony, that allowed it to be shown in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and elsewhere in Asia. 'Region 1' countries were able to see it thanks to its release in those areas by Bandai Entertainment. The series is currently available for viewing on Crunchyroll.

Escaflowne was a favorite of myself and many of friends in my old New Jersey Gaming Group, as well as my ex-wife. While the world and its nature are very specific and different from those of Wares Blade, there are elements of the two that remind me of each other. It's hard to put my finger on. Something in world building perhaps. The sense of mysticism in a world with Giant Robots really comes through in Vision of Escaflowne, giving the story a unique atmosphere.

I've spoken about Wares Blade, Japan's classic Magic and Machinery TRPG several times now and I am considering running it again. As such, I started to think about the various inspirations for the game and for other games like it. What else is like it? At this point there are actually quite a few. Relatively recent examples include Armour Astir: Advent and  Knights of the Round Table: Academy. 

I feel this idea requires further deliberation. 

Ever onward...

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STAR WARS: GRAY TERRITORIES - Episode I: Another Person's Trash - Part 1

STAR WARS: GRAY TERRITORIES 

Episode I: Another Person’s Trash

The Galactic Civil War is over but all is not well. Between the Western Reaches and the Unknown Regions, chaos reigns.

As the New Republic focuses on the inner systems, Imperial Remnants and Independent Warlords battle for control on distant worlds. In addition, the mysterious cult known as The Dwellers in The Dark search the stars for the tomb of an entity most sinister.

Meanwhile, on the remote planet of Boggonda, the paths of three beings who may decide the fate of the region are about to cross...

We open with a view of the planet Boggonda in space, a large starship moving in front of that camera; you know, as you do in a Star Wars production. As the audience takes in the scene they realize that ship is clearly Imperial but it's not a Star Destroyer. Rather it is a considerably smaller corvette, badly damaged, and apparently adrift. 

Then we go down to the surface of the swampy, humid , foliage covered world, its single biome best described as 'the Florida Everglades'. The focus terms to the character of Xim Darrol (PC), an 'Ex-Imperial Field Commander'. More on the potential inaccuracy of that description later. 

Art by Aristides Iliopoulos

Through an inner monologue we learn that Commander Darrol has been stranded on Bogganda for about 5 years. Sent to take out Pirates and Criminal Warlords thought to be working with the Rebellion, Xim's team was out numbered and outgunned. His unit, along with support in orbit, managed to defeat the enemy at a huge cost; the orbiting ship was disabled and the majority of the Imperial soldiers were dead.

Darrol called in back-up that never came and neither did an extraction team. Communications broke down and eventually the Commander and his remaining team members found themselves stuck. Rumors spread that the Galactic Civil War was over; the Emperor was dead and the Empire no more.

One by one his squad fell to local bandits, dangerous local flora and fauna, and the rough conditions of Boggonda's environment. Darrol survived, cobbling together gear dropped by those who didn't make it and learning to live in the wetland jungles. Now, for the first time in as long as he could remember, there might be a chance to get off this mudball.

While in the town of High Ridge, Xim overhead a local mechanic and salvage scavenger saying he might have found a ship at the bottom of Crevice Crater North East of them. The mechanics fellow salvagers didn't believe him, especially when he insisted it was a Corellian Transport, maybe a Light Freighter, and in really good condition. Darrol was ready to believe this guy however because, as he said himself, "I gotta get outta here! I've had it with this slime pit."

Xim heads off to speak with the mechanic, a Dug by the name of Dunbolgo Siwani (PC) who works for Beego's Salvage Shop.

Dunbolgo's player didn't know he found a ship until I mentioned it in the opening to Xim's player. Without any more elaboration, I turned to 'Dunbolgo'...

Art by Keith Conroy

"So where is Dunbolgo this morning?"

The Dug Mechanic was already at the shop, trying to perform some repairs on a Dwarf Probe Droid he'd found in the jungle a few weeks back. Xim walks in, nods to the Rodian Shopkeep Beego and then marches towards Dunbolgo. Darrol had been to the shop before for parts and repairs and while he'd seen the Dug many times, they'd never really spoken before. Funny enough, the Dug had probably done work on Xim's gear. 

Xim and Dunbolgo's players immediately launch into an in-character conversation that basically I had nothing to do with as GM. 

Xim: "Hey there...say, is that a Viper 10J? A Dwarf Probe Droid? My team used to work alongside those."

Dunbolgo: "Why yes...yes it is. I found it pretty badly banged up in the jungle. Something is clearly wrong with the waste compressor."

Xim: "You seem like you know your stuff but have you tried adjusting the power flow? The tech boys I knew said that if you give it more juice it compensates for all the gunk that gets in it from the terrain out there."

Dunbolgo: "I thought of that but was afraid it might overheat. Still...you just gave me an idea. I can divert some of the battery power to the filtration system to prevent the compressor from needing to work so hard. Yeah! That'll do it. Thanks...ah..."

Xim: "Xim. Xim Darrol. Listen...(gets closer and lowers his voice)...I hear you found a ship?"

Meanwhile in the wetlands below, we see a rarely sparse and simple camp site and a figure stirring from within a makeshift tent. This is Bodhe (PC), a former Guardian of The Whills who once protected the Kyber Temple on the Jedha. Offworld when the planet was destroyed by the first Death Star, Bodhe has wandered the galaxy for many years questioning and reaffirming his faith in The Force. Lately he believes he has achieved a deep understanding and connection to it, possibly even gaining the abilities of the long lost Jedi. 

Art by Jason Narvaez

Or...he might be delusional.

Bodhe is missing many specifics in his memories of the past and periodic visions confuse his sense of the present. Reality and dream intertwine as he searches for answers as to his identity and purpose in the universe. Here and now on Boggonda he is looking for something, both a light and a voice, calling to him from the wilderness. Having had a dream of the location of this thing that calls him, he seeks to climb a nearby mountain in an attempt to get a better vantage point. Perhaps he can find a landmark from his vision to guide him further. 

As Bodhe approaches a waterfall coming out of crack in the mountainside, he sense a cave opening behind it. The expanse of swamp beyond the mountain is too hazardous to travel by foot and he decides to see where the cave leads. Soon he find himself ascending rough hewn stairs as the cave leads to some sort of ancient dwelling and what looks to be a shrine. Ancient symbols carved into the walls seems strangely familiar...

To Be Continued,

AD

Barking Alien