The Periheliad

As our heroes, in a longboat on the River of the Dead, float toward the White Barge, the discordant bagpipes of the damned buzzing all around, they may wonder whether they are headed for their doom, or for victory in their long quest.

Similarly, you may wonder whether this is an invitation to come over on Sunday, April 13 to play D&D, or rather to celebrate Laurie’s birthday with some imaginary mayhem and a song or two, with no royalties paid.

The answer to these two questions: why can’t it be both?

Are we on for this Sunday, the 26th?

Laurie

Another little scheduling poll is up on the Scheduling Page of the Periheliad Web site. If you would, please visit it and indicate when might be good for you…

A poll: how do everyone’s calendars look?… (more…)

“That little guy kept hittin’ me in the face. Meany.”
—Garuk Gar Garrak, half-orc Pit Fighter of the Imperial Ascarian gladiatorium, with 217 kills in the arena

Born Heron Bael Shefflin, in the Vale of Peredwynn, Chisel was until recently the Master of Fighting Arts of the Monastery of the Northern Gate, a post he had held for almost thirty years. Like most monks of the Northern Gate he seems unwilling to speak about the sect and their function, except to say that they “keep Stonewinter at bay,” whatever that means.

Chisel recently traveled south in search of a former pupil who has been, shall we say, abusing the teachings of the monastery. About this he will say even less than he will about the order.

Former students who have left the order have reported on the topics about which Chisel is apparently willing to speak at some length. These include the short staff, the long staff, the sickle, the twin blades, Elven wrestling, Shebadkari kickfighting, “detached awareness,” hip rotation, hand hardening, joint locking, and dogs. Apparently fond of dogs, Chisel has never been seen to own one.

“Running…was yesterday”
—Cerigwen St. Bron

Much smack was spoken about the gods.
The gods continued to smack each other around.

While Cerigwen, Fortune, and Hanno met with their allies in The Two Pigs Prakash accompanied Penthara to the Limefront district to check on her parents. Her parents and all of their neighbors, it turned out, were being held by thugs led by a stranded pirate named Pelaster. These lowlifes were extorting money and labor from their captives, and confiscating most of their rations of food and water.

Penthara was not amused. She cut the investigation short by cutting (more…)

The conflicts between Atrea and Ascarius, between the gods, and between the living and the dead became intertwined while the Heroes of the Periheliad were away in Kretath’s kingdom, on the island at the edge of the world, and in the pocket world of Briaroak. Although the actual alliances and oppositions were more complex and multi-threaded than this, at a basic level the battle lines were drawn along the (more…)

Supposedly returned to their original bodies and lives at the Briaroak Cerebric Hostel outside Briston, capital city of Martain, our skeptical heroes had decided to leave their suite for a bit of reconnaissance. Even with her new sausage fingers Fortune made short work of the lock, whereupon she and Cerigwen were assaulted by a lunatic named Narvin who wanted them to leave the bodies they were possessing, and give up the preposterous false names they were using.

Further discussion was interrupted by The Bomb.

(more…)

What is the current thinking on actual RPG play?…
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Most of the folks who might read this probably saw my brief posting on my blog, entitled “Closure.” The reason I posted that funerary image was that I wanted to let folks know that they were “off the hook,” so to speak, in terms of the Periheliad. Although school (more…)