Environmental actions, Unitarians, Gaming

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GetUp! are currently running a very sensible campaign concerning some serious problems with the government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. On a related note, I have joined the Labor Environmental Activist Network, which is one of the more positive things I have seen in that party for sometime; I intend to develop some material for them around eco-taxes and the like based around the simple (but oft-ignored) principle that it is far better to drive government funds from the resources people use, rather than the production they engage in.

Unitarian service on Sunday wasn't very good. It came under the title "The Truth Will Set You Free", and I gave the speaker the benefit of the doubt that perhaps they would actually discuss the nature of truth. Instead, as I suspected, they gave yet another espousal of a truncuated and old version of historical materialism; criticism of the presentation by younger members of the congregation was noted. Afterwards I gave a presentation at the Philosophy Forum on "Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast", which investigated the problems that philosophy has whilst it is tied to metaphysics (and particularly theology) and expanded verification theory to incorporate the rational dimensions of universal pragmatics. Last month's notes on Dark Matter/Dark Energy is now available.

My review of Summerland is up, including some pretty bad editing errors on my part; I really should be more careful in this regard. On Sunday our RuneQuest group went truly retro with the integration of the 1978 scenario Balastor's Barracks into our storyline; it went really well but I had to make some modifications so it made sense. Have found myself working on another project for ICE; NDA forbids me from discussing the details (bleh).

Comments

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Some of the layout of the underground (although in comparison to say the D&D module B1: In Search of the Unknown) needed a bit of tweaking. The positioning of some of the opponents didn't make much sense either (e.g., trolls and broos being in the same compound, Windwhistler being in the compound) - in some of those cases I made similar modifications as per the version published in Big Rubble. Also I got rid of the Vampires and had more protective Pavic ghosts. It seemed unlikely, although not impossible, that Undead would be so close to a Humakti shrine.

One of the PCs became possessed by the axe. The best part of it was that two sessions ago he was possessed by another spirit (the librarian from Old Sun Dome). So the PCs original character is two layers down! Three spirits in one body...

[darknova666.livejournal.com]

crowded!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

How many angels can fit on the head of a pin? How many personalities can fit in the same body? What is going to happen when situations arise when the old personalities have a chance to attempt to regain control... Oh, that's going to be lots of fun indeed...

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

And how does Balastor get on with the librarian? Both anti-troll....

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Indeed, that's a unifying point between them. A lot depends on how the party's recently promoted Yelmalio Rune Priest reacts to Balastor's demands to re-establish old Pavis... and soon something else will be coming down the river..

[darknova666.livejournal.com]

trolling in the river!

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

Ah, I think I was working from the Big Rubble version in the first place (well, the more recent reprint). I hadn't realised there were differences.

I've just been looking back at what happened when they found the axe: here, you might find it amusing. They're investigating the abandoned Jalmar temple (don't know if you've read that scenario, but he's an Arkati/Humakti subcult.

Here's the foreshadowing:
""As to what is rumoured to be here, well your guess is as good as mine. Anything from knowledge of how to become a god, to treasure enough to buy a kingdom, down to nothing because the trolls would have raided the place whilst they had the chance. Take your pick."

He does not mention the rumours that it held details of incredibly powerful hero-quests, now all lost, of course. Plus a dragon's hoard of gold, Balastor's Axe, the original Unbreakable Sword, and a written copy of the God Learners Secret. All obvious silliness and exaggeration :)"

http://www.herewardslegion.info/wikka/wikka.php?wakka=ChronP14

"Armoury catalogue, and an Axe" is the bit of particular interest.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I liked the reference to St. Petersberg. Perhaps I'll introduce more elements like that to the story, as Balastor tries to revive the old city of Pavis.

What I have to work out is what he thinks of the Lunars... I can't imagine he'd be completely happy with the idea. But as long as they leave him the Rubble.

I can imagine that Balastor is going to unite with the Yelmalio in the party, or at least attempt to get them to support getting rid of the trolls in the area..

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

Petersburg, not St Petersburg. Virginia, not Russia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Petersburg
Not that it matters enormously, any old historical inspiration will do, but that was the result of me studying ACW stories in far too much details, reading diaries written at the time, and so on.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Oh, my very bad. I wondered what the acronym ACW was. Now I get it!

Of course poor ol' Leningrad had it very hard in the winter of '41-'42. There wasn't a bird, cat or rat that hadn't been eaten and there were rumours of cannibalism..