Crocodile 4 Barrel Pen!

I've had this Staedler multi pen (4 barrels- 2 pen colors, mechanical pencil and PDA stylus) for at least 10 years.

As you can see it has suffered considerable structural damage that I've slowed with application of some strong clear tape. But the killing blow came about a month ago when it slipped from my grasp and landed metal tip down at a weird angle, snapping the metal tip from the mostly plastic body. I was devastated and began searching for a replacement...


On eBay there was a $0.78 (+ $8 shipping from Hong Kong) multi pen available. I snatched it up and the slow boat arrived the other day. Now I have this awesome new metal bodied CROCODILE brand multi-pen to replace my beloved Staedler.

The Epic of Menthu Hathorhotep is Coming Soon...

... and so is the conversion!

Yes, a slightly converted Olympus Minotaur figure. Crappy pics but I don't want to give away the whole thing at once.

The 'Epic of Menthu' written by SHefdu Sootootma will start appearing in installments soon too. Because Menthu was the character from my latest campaign warband that seems to have captured the hearts and minds of a generation... Or maybe just a few people thought the idea was cool, either way I'm doing it!

Blank Ægyptus Map

It's clear ready for folks to do stuff with. Maybe there will be one with WarGods specific locations soon. Enjoy...

New Monster for WarGods- Mournful Seraph

Mournful Seraph

From an earlier more ancient time come the Mournful Seraphs. Angelic-looking beings that appear to be made of stone, they are often mistaken for statues until it’s too late. A Seraph cannot move when living eyes fall upon it, but when those eyes close for even the briefest blink the Seraph moves with incredible speed towards their victim. The touch of a Seraph can banish a living being from reality- as if they had never been. It is unknown if the Seraphs are working toward some hidden goal or merely savage

_MV__WND__#ATT__ATT__DEF__ARC__DISC_

__8_____8______3_____5____8_____7_____3__

Base 25mm Square

DM 3      AR 5

Blink- At the start of each turn the Seraph rolls a D10 to see if it can move this turn. A roll of 8, 9, or 10 allows the angel to move. If the Seraph is engaged in melee there is no need for the roll, it can attack and defend itself in combat.

Banishment- Instead of engaging in melee combat the Seraph may banish its victim from reality. This is an Arc vs Arc Test by the Seraph. If it succeeds the victim makes an Arc Save to remain in reality. The victim must be in base to base contact.

Resistance to Arrows- The stone skin of a Seraph protects it from most missile weapons. Arrows, spears and javelins give the Seraph a +2 to it’s AR.

Blast From the Past-- and-- What Next?

So I've got a ton of the old Wargods clamshell inserts that I've been trying to figure out what to do with for years and years and years. The first thing I did was back in2006 or so when I put the stats for Shefdu's Eater of the Dead warband on 3x5 index cards and glued them to a few (one card per unit). It's not a bad idea but it is pretty labor intensive.

For some time now I've been thinking about using the cards for the much planned but not-yet-executed "Corridors of Ankhara" dungeoncrawl-type skirmish thing. Each card would have the tomb corridors and chambers on the back witht he WarGods logo face up on the playing area. Then as your characters walked along searching for loot or whatever, the card would be flipped to reveal the next part of the labyrinth. I've discovered that they're kinda small for that sort of thing as I tried to come up with a few test sections recently.

So aside from simply recycling them what sort of suggestions do readers have? What have you done with your own leftover blister inserts?

Shefdu's Scrolls- Pandora's Box Finale

The Culmination of the Pandora's Box Crisis

OR

My Apparent Destruction in the Prison of Kronos

...thus Iodah, the Bes Hero of Kashik Oasis, and I raced through the cavern entrance downward towards the deep glow. As we travelled further below ground others of our Faction joined us from a branching cavern. When we neared our goal the cavern was filled with a bright flash of white light.

Our lost comrade Sakaris, ToTanem champion 'the Lion of Memphis,' along with a lost warrior from our newly arrived factionmates, appeared before us. Sakaris and the other warrior both sacrificed themselves to the ferryman so our warbands could cross the river to the Underworld. Both were now disembodied Ka, their will to continue to aid our cause took this quasi-physical form before us.

With our newly returned allies we entered a large cavern with several cave entrances and a large pool of roiling lava in the center. Two pillars of stone flanked a stone stairway leading up to a landing at the edge of the lava pool.

Standing on the landing with what was obviously Pandora's Box at his feet was the hulking form of the half-man half-Titan sorcerer, Xerxes. The Box lid was ajar with tentacles of some horrible monster writhing about from within. Around the cavern were numerous other entrances. Each entrance had disgorged members of either the Order Faction or the Chaos Faction (hereafter referred to as the “Minions of Xerxes”).

The fiend Xerxes addressed us all, gloating how we were too late to hinder his scheme. He had already begun the incantations which he claimed would assure him victory. His wicked laughter echoed through the chamber as members of the Order Faction, all great heroes from Hellas and Ægyptus intent on stopping whatever vile plan Xerxes had set in motion, sprung to the attack.

To my left, Sakaris blocked a Sphinx Abomination from attacking us. The ToTanem shade held his own for a moment but the undead monster swallowed him whole. Sakaris' sacrifice gave Iodah and I a moment to let loose arrows at the fiend Xerxes. Our shots had little effect because the fiend was protected by some sort of magical barrier.

Across the cavern I saw Abasi Benben, a Harbinger of Ptah, rush forward and unleash his Earthquake Ka power upon the closest pillar. Cracks appeared in the stone and dust and debris fell from the ceiling. A look of absolute terror flashed across the fiend Xerxes’ face. He screamed at Abasi Benben and aimed his staff. A burst of magical energy spewed forth and hit the ToTanem Harbinger with little effect.

Surprisingly a hand larger than a Sebeki splashed up from the pool of lava. It was then that I realized exactly where we were- this was undoubtedly the Prison of Kronos, the greatest of all the Titans. Kronos was imprisoned in ancient times by the combined might of the Olympian Gods in a secret place. Our struggle against the Minions of Xerxes immediately took on a more urgent tone. Abasi Benben‘s plan to topple the pillars was our only hope to keep Kronos safely imprisoned far from the outside world where the Titan would likely destroy all he surveyed.

Abasi Benben ran up to the pillar he had already damaged and let loose his Earthquake again. This time the pillar was destroyed and large chunks of rock fell from the ceiling as it cracked and buckled. The fiend Xerxes grew panicked and enraged, focusing a magical attack at Abasi Benben once more. I instructed Iodah to go to the aid of Abasi Benben while I would dealt with Xerxes. I called upon my Ka and flew to the landing where Xerxes stood directing his Minions against us. My struggle with the fiend was intense. I landed several wounding blows against him and managed to avoid his clumsy attacks.

Near the foot of the stairs I saw that the situation was growing dire for the Order Faction. Abasi Benben was now engaged in Provocation with a Dark Harbinger and the undead thing seemed to be getting the better of him. Nearby I saw another Tethru Harbinger engaged in Provocation with a Heru in the Aspect of the Defender whom had somehow lost his way to become a Minion of Xerxes. These sights distracted me from my struggle against the fiend. Unexpectedly Xerxes reached out with one of his massive hands and grabbed me.

By this time Kronos had emerged up to the waist in the pool of lava. Xerxes’ magics were too strong for me to overcome and I was tossed to the emerging ancient Titan.

I then found myself back in my library tent with the scroll I had immersed myself in still on the table in front of me….

GenCon 2011/ Pandora's Box Campaign Finale Part 3

And now the Finale of the Pandora's Box Finale:

Having lost my Harbinger in the most awesome way ever (better than the time DaveL's Harb was swallowed by that Abomination by far) all I had left in the fight was my Bes (Asar) Hero, Iodah. Unfortunately he'd spend the rest of the battle trying to make his Discipline Test to charge into the Titan on the steps.

Fitz reveals that Kronos is attempting to chomp on WHOEVER he can get his hands on. Debs is pleased that her evil Typhon Harbinger was able to avoid becoming a snack...

A Stone Colossus takes the fight to Xerxes. A valiant effort, but it doesn't manage to hurt him anywhere near as much as Shefdu did...

What's this? Pete's Tethru Harbinger has managed to best DaveL's Aspect of the Defender Heru Harbinger in Provocation? Meanwhile, Joe's heroic ToTanem Harb is locked in Provocation with a Dark Harbinger and he's not making any progress against the undead thing...

Fitz gleefully observes his malign machinations come to fruition as Debs takes a nice picture...

The Stone Colossus is defeated and falls into the lava pool...

A different ToTanem Harbinger manages to get to the remaining stone pillar and do a little damage. Pete's Tethru Harbinger gets into position to aid his brother Ægyptian with the power of Thoth...

Pete's Thethru Harbinger unleashes his Ka power Bolt of Energy at the pillar. Fitz dramatically figures the damage- and the pillar is destroyed! The cavern ceiling collapses in, killing everyone and re-imprisoning Kronos. But Xerxes, the architect of this whole situation, uses his dark magic to teleport to safety at the last second. That guy is really evil....

So the Tethru and ToTanem Harbingers played pivotal roles in saving the world from an Olympian-caused crisis.

One last shot of Shefdu's horrible/awesome fate. But the Scroll Traveller will return. He shan't be destroyed so easily....

Every time I go past the Children's Museum I have to try to take a picture of the dinosaurs busting through the wall. It's just so cool...

GenCon 2011/ Pandora's Box Campaign Finale Part 2

Continuing the Pandora's Box World Campaign Finale coverage:

Menthu goes to-to-toe with the evil Typhon Harbinger. He would eventually be joined by Young Wenenut (Asar Champion) who would take over his duties keeping the Typhon Harb tied up and away from most of the other fighting...

My ToTanem unit and Debs' Typon spears charge each other and get into a long slugfest. The heroic chariot driver of Shefdu's chariot also joined the fight and did some major damage to the hated Typhon...

Each Order Faction warband was given a Priestess of Athena, that's who my Isis Harb represents. She made it unmolested across the battlefield to the cave entrance.

Debs tries to use her "wife points" to get Fitz to rule in her favor on a rules question. :) It was actually an odd situation that no one knew what to do...

Pandora's Box!!!

The Pandora Finale creepy cavern looks a bit like the Golden Fleece Finale creepy cavern. I guess most villains have the same real estate agents...

Fitz sets the stage for the reveal of the big bad.

Part of team Order ready to kick some evil ass.

So the guy who's been directing the whole Chaos Faction turns out to be Xerxes, the half-Titan sorcerer. He's using Pandora's Box to bring something out of it's magical prison!

Each Order Faction warband had to sacrifice a character for the first battle to Charon so he would take them across the river Styx to the island with the cave entrances. Now our sacrificed guy returns to help us as a shade...

WTF!?! It's a huge hand coming out of the lava pool!

Joe's ToTanem Harbinger decided to go for the pillars of stone supporting the roof of the cave. It seemed like the best way to stop whatever was coming out of the lava pool.

I think this is when Shefdu decided to make his daring move to try to slow down Xerxes' plan...

Shefdu flew up to the top of the stairs to confront Xerxes in combat. Shefdu got 2 (2!) wounds on Xerxes in this first round of combat.

Down below, another Tethru Harbinger took it to DaveL's Heru Harbinger in the Provocation. Pete's Tethru Harb cast Fiery Aspect after the first round of combat.

WTF!?!?! Xexres' grandpa, Kronos, emerges from the lava pool! W are so screwed! But Shefdu fights on, doing another wound to Xerxes (the most wounds dealt to the villain by anyone).

Pete's Tethru harbinger continues to kick evil Heru butt...

Wait, what's that in his hand?

Shefdu! Nooooooooooo!

Before Kronos fully emerged from the lava pool, Xerxes managed to pick up Shefdu and toss him to gramps for a snack. Best heroic death of the whole finale. Take that Tethru haters. :p

Free of his prison, some of the Chaos Faction guys suddenly realize they are screwed because Kronos will likely eat them too! Tim's Dark Harbinger is the first to forge an uneasy alliance against our common enemy- death at the hands of a hungry Titan...

GenCon 2011/ Pandora's Box Campaign Finale Part 1

GenCon Indy 2011 was mostly set in the new part of the Convention Center. The olde Exhibitor Hall (the one where everyone's booths have been since GenCon moved to Indy) was abandoned in favor of the sparkly new halls. Some people have said that it seemed bigger this year but to me it seemed a lot smaller than in years past. the Exhibitor Hall especially seemed really small compared to the olde one.

Now to the first batch of pictures:

This is the 'cafe' area outside of the olde abandoned Exhibitor Hall-- at 11AM Saturday. Even the little concession stands off to the left were closed down.

The newly expanded Indiana Convention Center. The A-C area is where the olde GenCon Exhibitor Hall was, now it's in the new H-I area. Gaming halls were in D-G.

The Pandora Campaign Finale coverage starts here. I forgot the name of the guy to my left, but he's one of Tim's buddies. Running ToTanem with a 'sculpted' chariot for his Harbinger (painted like an animated statue).

Still before any battles had begun, Tim and Tony are on the Chaos/evil side of the table...

Vic and DaveL down at the end of the table, both also on the evil side...

Two Olympus warbands to my right. the further one is Dave Williams'.

The Chaos warband leaders listen to Fitz introduce the scenario.

Half of Debs' Typhon warband...

The other half of Debs' Typhon warband...

The battle has begun. The objective was to get 'control' (the most points of troops and characters) of a 6" radius around the cave entrance. This would determine how much stuff you could take into the cave for the second half of the finale... Anyway, Shefdu got his chariot shot out from under him after his first movement! I love a challenge.

The Sebeki chariot falls short on their charge of the Basti archers... Crap!

The Basti archers managed to leave the Sebeki charioteers walking. Debs brought out her Harbinger's chariot and did her first ever passing attack- taking out the Sebeki passenger.

The fight to my right...

Menthu, the Apis (not-Beloved of Sobek), charged the Typhon Harbinger's chariot and smashed it into kindling...

Amerotke's Tethru chariot charged into Debs' Nekharu archers, taking them out of shooting for most of the rest of the game...

Debs' Typhon spearmen (one of the units) and my Bes (Asar) Spearmen pass each other with bigger targets in mind...

 

The other battles to my left and right.

To be continued....