SLUGS Player's Blog

No Events at Hotel Collinsville for Archon 33

2009-02-18T21:59:00.001-06:00

The former Holiday Inn Collinsville will not be directly involved with this year's Archon convention. From the Archon 33 home page:

"There are going to be changes for Archon 33. There will be no programming or events at the Hotel Collinsville (the hotel formerly known as the Holiday Inn). All programming, including the dance, filking, and hospitality will take place at the Gateway Center. The facility will be open until 3AM on Friday and Saturday nights.

These changes were necessary due to some dramatic changes the aforementioned hotel has put into place due to new management. The Archon board feels that these changes were far too stringent to allow our attendees to have an enjoyable weekend. One such change was that they would not allow any room parties. By the way, anyone interested in hosting a room party at this year's Archon should watch for future announcements regarding the locations accepting them. "

I've read on the Atomic Squash forums that alcohol will be limited to a hospitality room in the convention center. So no more roaming the halls with booze you brought with you. You may be able to buy beer from the convention center, depending on how late they keep their concessions open. Not that it matters...

Since the facility will be open until 3AM, that is plenty late for LARPing. You'll just have to walk a little farther to find a good afterparty. I look forward to coming back this year and playing with the SLUGS crew.

I will not be attending Archon 2008

2008-08-11T15:56:00.001-05:00

I will not be in attendance this year. My first child is due to be born during Archon and my wife does not want to give birth at the convention. If you have any updates, feel free to forward them to: djfengshui@gmail.com and I'll do my best to post them here. Have fun with the end of the world!

Update:

Colson Mark Smith was born the Monday after Archon 32. He and mother are in good health.

Blog Situation

2007-09-25T11:42:00.001-05:00

Well, I have not updated this blog for quite a while. I will not be posting the 1969 Irish characters as they may be used in a future LARP event. The event was inteded to be run at Archon 31, but we did not get enough players. Also, there will be no direct audio posting to this blog as the service is no longer available.

2006-10-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

Gazpacho's Pics

2006-10-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

Tom snapped some photos. Link

Pirate Dice in Use

2006-10-06T00:53:00.000-05:00

Take note, DJ's.

Lady Tron for my Laney

2006-10-06T00:14:00.000-05:00

Atomic Squash Party

2006-10-05T22:48:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to their website.

SLUGS Thursday Night Party Report

2006-10-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

If it was not clear from the audio, I was dressed as a pirate Thursday night. It was glorious.

Slacking FTL :(

2006-10-04T14:38:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I have not kept up with the pre-storyline on the forum. Check my links section and read it in the News of the World section of the forum. It has useful storyline information with perhaps a couple of potential characters mixed in. If I have time, I'll put the rest up. It sounds like the world has not ended yet, but will soon. And we get to play a role in it!

I do plan to post from the con, mostly by phone. Stay tuned!

Audioblog FTW!

2006-10-04T14:37:00.000-05:00

I got the audioblog working again. Here are the instructions:

I have set up audio blogging on this blog. Anyone is welcome to use it to post about their progess in the game, spread rumors or follow up on the action. To access this feature call:

(415) 856-0205

The 'primary telephone number' is:

(618) 867-5309

The pin is:

7584

Be sure to press the '#' key to end your post. Do not hang up! Then press 1 to post to the blog, as prompted. Keep in mind that I have the right to delete and comment on any post made to this blog. Have fun! This is the last year for this as the service will soon be discontinued.

Laurence Doyle (1421)

2006-09-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

Laurence Doyle
Ghoul of Sarra Brennan

Almost two decades ago, the gang wars of Dublin broke out. You, like most people, hid out in your flat during the evening. One rainy night, a young woman pounded on your door. She was covered in blood and scared, so you let her in.

You gave her some privacy while she cleaned up, and gave her a dress that some lass had left at your place to replace the one she was wearing. You saw an opportunity for some action, and decided to take advantage of the situation. You offered to share your last bottle of table wine with her, and she accepted. As you drank your glass, it tasted like the wine had gone bad. Since Sarra seemed to be enjoying hers, you weren’t about to complain. You passed out after the first glass.

It turns out that she was the slayer of the vampiric ruler of Dublin, and that the gang wars were actually clan wars between Ventrue and Tremere. You were made the ghoul of the Tremere leader. After two years of hell on the streets of Dublin, your side prevailed. 18 years have passed since then, and now Sarra and her “husband” Henry are one of the power couples of Dublin.

Recently, the uneasy peace in Dublin has been rocked. A plague is affecting Dublin, and Sarra seems to know who is behind it. She has been working the network of vampires to arrange a meeting in Dun Boyne this weekend between the English and Irish elite. Ostensibly, the English will be trading barley from Wales for water from Ireland. The reality is that Sarra is using this weekend to single out the responsible parties for the recent changes in Dublin. You and her entourage are going this weekend to the “social event”.

After 18 years as a ghoul to Sarra, things are getting tiring. You have worked relentlessly under her command, patiently waiting to be embraced. It appears that she is never going to do it, and the time has come to find a new master. You suspect Sarra’s other ghoul, Peter Knowlan, feels the same. Henry has shown undying faith in Sarra, so he isn’t a good candidate. You know some of the Ventrue will be at this event, so maybe it is time to switch sides…The two problems with that are: the Ventrue hate you and Sarra can never find out your intentions.

Sarra will be looking to you for protection, as usual. If you can arrange a deal with another Clan before the shit hits the fan, then you can wait until just the right moment to seek vengeance for all those years of being taken for granted. It would be grand if everything could go against her AND you could gain your immortality in the process.

What is this?

SLUGS LARP at Archon 30 Game Description

2006-09-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

From the Archon gaming website:

"This is the event that brings us closer to the end of the 15 year storyling that SLUGS has brought to Archon. The event will again be for 80 players. It is not required for you to have played in any previous event as all our games are self contained. There is no preregistration for security purposes but we will again divide the registration for up to 40 players on thursday and then open again on Friday for the remaining spots. This will allow and equal chance to signup for those who cannot attend on Thursday. Individual character packets will be distributed at the 7pm manditory meeting for all interested players. This meeting will be held in the Gateway Center Mississippian Room. This event continues on Saturday night."

Faux News Network Report-News Flash 10-18-04

2006-09-15T16:49:00.000-05:00

From the SLUGS forum:

10-18-04

Beruit, Lebanon (reporting city)

Without formal declaration Israel has launched a pre-emptive strike against its neighboring nation of Syria, expending the first nuclear weapon against a civilian target in almost sixty years. Hama, a city of over four hundred thousand, was yotally destroyed when an Israeli MIRV (fig. 2) was delivered to the city center. Casualties among the target population are estimated as total, with any rescue attempts prevented by a massive firestorm after the initial blast, which consumed all structures and released huge amounts of radioactive fallout from the debris and smoke particles. Although public outcry and international condemnation runs high, there have, as yet, been no retaliatory strikes on Israeli soil.

NATO forces detected the blast in Hama immediately, say sources. World tensions have become extreme - unnamed sources report that for several minutes United States Strategic forces were placed at Defense Condition (Defcon) One, in which nuclear forces are fully prepared and await Presidential order - before dropping to a comparatively low but still unprecedneted Defcon 2, where it stands at the time of this report. Emergency political and military delegations have been sent to Israel, Syria, and neighboring states in an effort to contain and prevent the spread of future attacks.

You are in the low-spin zone. Faux News Network 24 hours a day.

More from action central news 10-16-04

2006-09-15T16:47:00.000-05:00

From the SLUGS forum:

10-16-04

TEHRAN- An official release by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's cabinet, responding to Russia's statements on October 14 at The Hague, has categorically denied placing weaponry on the so-called "Thor's Hammer" satellite. "Iran", the statement went on to declare, "is a peaceful nation in accordance with the teachings of Islam and, although not oppossed in principle to the modification of peacetime satellites, had no involvement with the attack on Montreal, Canada. "

In the closing remarks of the Iranian release, Khomeni's government reproved Russia's accusations, calling them 'cowardly' and 'another attempt to take advantage of false prejudices against the peace-loving Iranian people, propagated by the corrupt Western media for its own political ends.'

Asked for further comment on the Montreal attack, Khatami would only state that Montreal was "a modern Sodom" and, "like that decadent city, deserved a Sodom's end."

Euroview Daily-Translated from the Italian Edition 10-14-04

2006-09-15T16:46:00.000-05:00

From the SLUGS forum:

10-14-04

Netherlands - Appearing at The Hague, President Putin continues to
head the ongoing investigation of the "Thor's Hammer" satellite project. Documents submitted by the Russian president strongly implicate that the satellite, launched from the pads of Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, may have been extensively and secretly modified by the Iranian government prior to liftoff. In accord with the Hague procedure, Iran's government has been granted a chance to appear and defend itself.

Euroview Daily-Translated from the Belgian Edition 10-12-04

2006-09-15T16:44:00.000-05:00

From the SLUGS forum:

MOSCOW - Russian President Putin's government has issued a quick response to NATO's report on the since-designated 'Thor's Hammer' bomb that devastated Montreal, Canada. While admitting that the weapon did in fact originate from a 2001 Russian orbital satellite, Moscow completely denies that the satellite was military in nature or that the attack on Canada was any reflection on Russia's policy. The satellite, reports Putin, was designed and built for tracking and classifying Arctic weather patterns and had no military significance whatsoever. When asked what purpose any weapon of mass destruction could have aboard a weather satellite, Putin declared that the entire project was not only Russian but also an Iranian effort, and that inquiries are currently being made with the Iranian government.

New York Daily Times-Journal 10-5-04

2006-09-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

From the SLUGS forum:

10-5-04

United Nations -- Calling upon all nations to remain calm and resourceful, a special UN commission today has officially determined the nature of the device used in the October 2 explosion in Montreal, Canada. Speaking for the press the UN Director stated that "It was definitely a sophisticated weapon of mass destruction, but we have conclusively learned that it was not nuclear, nor was it the result of an air or missile attack. The weapon exploded on the ground, making the most likely that the device was smuggled into the city or was secretly constructed there." When asked whether the weapon could be proven to be North Korean he replied that, "results are currently inconclusive as to the weapon's source." He would not comment on the ossibility that more of these weapons may exist in other cities.

As speculations proliferate and the stability of global markets continues to deteriorate due to panic selling, the UN commission has promised to make every effort to resolve the matter as soon as it possibly can.

Faux News Network Report 10-4-04

2006-09-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

From the SLUGS forum:

10-4-04

PYONGYANG: An emergency diplomatic dialogue between Chinese and North Korean ambassadors has just concluded after a heated exchange. The specifics of the meeting have not been publicly disclosed but within minutes the Chinese delegation was escorted to its motorcade and the Pyongyang airport. Many of the delegates left the meeting in a highly charged emotional state, with one of the press officers actually shouting to reporters in Mandarin that they "officially think he [Chairman Kim Jong-il] is insane.”

Moments afterward an official press release was issued by the diplomatic office of the People's Republic of China. Effective immediately, China has severed diplomatic and trade relations with North Korea and its government. All Chinese military forces and administrative personnel have been recalled back to the Chinese border. Citizens abroad in North Korea have also been instructed by their government to return home immediately, via specially chartered civilian airliners protected with priority status and Chinese security forces. The Chinese embassy has been totally closed.

No comments have yet been forthcoming from the North Korean government.

Bringing you News from the Low-Spin Zone, you are watching Faux News...

Action Central Network Newsfeed for 10-3-04

2006-09-08T14:43:00.000-05:00

"News" from the past! More information on how it all ends and this year's game begins. These events take place after the Archon 2004 Montreal LARP,

"10-3-04

In a shocking statement North Korea's chairman, Kim Jong-il, has publicly claimed full responsibility for the catastrophic detonation which occurred yesterday in Montreal, Canada. Making a brief public appearance in full military regalia he was quoted as saying,"Let no nation of the global community continue to doubt the might of North Korea or its military forces, unmatched by the forces of other nations. North Korea has demonstrated itself a superpower and will no longer tolerate the interference of the corrupt NATO governments nor of their imperialist puppet states. All nations are cautioned to remember this." Although asked whether the Montreal weapon was nuclear or conventional, the Chairman has thus far declined to specify the nature of the weapon or the means of its delivery.

With calls still flooding Montreal's overwhelmed emergency services and with hospitals filled far past capacity, the sheer extent of the atttack upon the city center is only beginning to become apparent. Authorized estimates of damages are shocking: between 40-60 percent of metropolitan Montreal wholly leveled, with a rising casualty count in the tens of thousands and property losses of at least 75 billion dollars (Canadian). There are still few comments from the city or the national government, but a local hospital director has offered a grim estimate of the human toll of this event. "We don't have a reliable figure for the total count dead yet, and in spite of our efforts many are still missing or in hospitals too backed up to treat them in time," the director, who wished to remain unidentified, commented further on the casualty count of the affected downtown areas so far. "Decimated at least, in the literal sense."

Henry Brennan (1421)

2006-09-08T14:41:00.000-05:00

Henry Brennan
9th Generation Tremere
Childe and “husband” to Sarra Brennan

Twenty years ago you were a ghoul to the Ventrue ruler of Dublin. That all changed when you met Sarra Brennan. In a private meeting with your master where you were present, she staked him. Immediately, she made you the offer of a lifetime – allow her to slay and diablerize your master and she would embrace you as her own. That was a quick and easy decision, and a clan war followed.

Over the next two years you fought it out with Ventrue through the streets of Dublin. The local populace thought that it was a series of gang wars, and that was pretty close to the truth. In 1401, Sarra negotiated a truce that put her in charge of the city and you second in command. You had now ascended.

Over the last 15 years, you and Sarra have attended various social functions of Dublin without making too big a spectacle of you. The only human of any interest is a woman named Isabella Moyglare. She is the wife of a local minister that is a ghoul of the one Cappadocian in town. You slept with and tasted her blood but couldn’t bring yourself to take her to the dark side.

Recently, a plague has taken grip on Dublin, and things have become grim. Blood is scarce, Malkavians are burning food stores, and the Ventrue are restless. Sarra says that the “red daggers” are responsible, but you thought they had been extinguished long ago. Nevertheless, she has come up with a plan in conjunction with the Cappadocian.

Under the guise of a dance/joust, Isabella’s husband and a contingent of English social elites will be meeting with a similar group of Irish in the town of Dun Boyne. This will bring all of the affected parties into the open, where the guilty can be ferreted out and dealt with. Your problem is that the Ventrue not only want Sarra’s ass on a stick, but yours as well. More than that, you have no idea where the Malkavians may be lurking. You need to remain close to those that can protect you while staying faithful to the cause that brought you to the position you’re in.

Finally, the worst thing is that you suspect the Cappadocian of being a figurehead for this whole thing and using Sarra for something rather untoward. You haven’t figured it all out yet, but you need to before the shit hits the fan. You have your trusted ghoul, Matthew Burns, for help.

So, protect your “family’s” ass, find out what the hell is going on, and fix it. The dance is a good place to get started.

What is this?

Info on this year's LARP

2006-09-07T15:33:00.000-05:00

I found this posted on the SLUGS forum,

"10-2-04

C-CAN News Radio:
Today NATO has issued announcement of a devastating explosion within the city of Montreal, Canada. Eyewitness reports of the attack describe a single, powerful blast emanating from the city's major commercial district. Within minutes of the initial explosion the city's government issued a press release stating that a "major industrial accident" had occurred near the city center and that all citizens should remain in their homes. No officials have yet consented to comment further, but a state both of emergency and of media blackout were immediately declared over the entire metropolitan area.

Reports of the extent of the damage to Montreal are at present uncertain, as a full military cordon has been established around the perimeter of the affected city center. Additionally, our network's attempts to bring our listeners coverage from our C-CAN Sky-Eye were prevented by one of several military helicopters, equipped with air-to-air missiles, now patrolling the entire city radius and interdicting all civilian traffic. No comments were available from the Canadian military but an unnamed officer present at the cordon was quoted as saying, "it just had to be a nuke."

As always our network will continue to investigate this tragedy and bring our listeners updates as soon as they develop."

This, together with a previous blurb seems to point to some sort of post-apocalyptic theme for this year. Less than a month to go, stay tuned!

Sarra Brennan (1421)

2006-09-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

Sarra Brennan
8th Generation Tremere
Prince of Dublin, Sire and “husband” of Henry Brennan

You have lived your entire life under siege. You started in France nearly a century ago fleeing inquisitors. In England, you weren’t welcome because they feared the magical aspect of the Tremere. By the time you slipped into Dublin, you were just part of a burgeoning English city under siege from the Irish.

20 years ago, when enough Tremere arrived in the city, you reintroduced yourself as Sarra Brennan. No one knows much about your history, up to and including your coup of the city. In 1400, you determined that there were enough Tremere in Dublin to put up a strong fight against the native Ventrue. So in presenting yourself to the leader of the city, he allowed you to speak with him privately. As the conversation finished and he moved to open the door, you staked him. With him lying on the floor, you called his ghoul into the room. It was obvious the ghoul was not too faithful, so he accepted your embrace on the condition that he kept the diablerie a secret. That man is now your “husband” Henry Brennan.

That act set off a two-year clan war that resulted in you having uneasy control of Dublin and the Tremere in charge. That peace is now being threatened.

A plague has beset Dublin, and your agents know exactly who’s responsible – an obscure sect of Christian priests located in Dublin seeking retribution for the persecutions over the last century. This is making blood scarce and the Ventrue are ready to make a move. Malkavians were also raiding the city. Coming up with a plan to defeat this was no small feat, but when Richard Clarke (one of the Tremere) approached you to act, you knew who to turn to – Guy leBlanc. This Cappadocian owns a minister in the Dublin government. Guy suggested, and in fact arranged, a dance/joust with some Irish leaders in a town of your suggesting - Dun Boyne.

The location was ideal because it would lure the “red daggers” into the open, because it is the perfect meeting opportunity. The Ventrue who were a threat would show up and be isolated. The Malkavians from Ireland responsible for stepping into Dublin would likely be there, also.

All you have to do is find each group’s weaknesses and exploit them to save yourself and your clan. You have brought your two ghouls (Laurence Doyle and Matthew Burns), Henry, and his ghoul (Peter Knowlan) along as help.

What is this?

David Walsh (1421)

2006-08-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

David Walsh
Ghoul and Manservant of Reginald Burke

Your life of service began 5 years ago after your father died. Your father was Master Burke’s manservant for 20 years. After he died, Reginald made sure that you would succeed your father, by giving you his blood.

Reginald has it from a good source (Adam Smith) that the plague and the famine are of a mystical creation. He suspects Guy le Blanc is behind it. Fortunately, this joust provides the perfect cover to search out the local Irish vampires to find some allies to get rid of first the Cappadocian death freaks, and then eliminate the Tremere that slew your sire.

Reginald is a great master, but you wish he would see your true value and make you a full-fledge member of the Venture Brotherhood. The other brothers you have to deal with Bernard Smith and Nicholas Burke, are poor examples of the brethren compared to Master Reginald.

A huge plague has hit Dublin where you live with Master Reginald. The outlying Irish have been hit by a famine. So to negotiate aid between the two parties the English and the Irish are meeting at a joust to discuss mutual aid and such. Your job as given to you by Master Reginald is to help him find the secrets he needs, so he can take over the city and rule like he was always meant too.

From your dealings with Bernard, you suspect that that Londoner is getting a bit long in the tooth. He is looking for a change of scenery, one way or another. You get the feeling that if Sarra isn’t out by the end of the weekend, Reginald will be.

As it stands, if you do enough for Reginald, he may follow through with his remarks about elevating your station.

What is this?

SLUGS at Archon 06 and Archon 07 a 2-part game?

2006-08-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

I was browsing the SLUGS forums and ran across this quote from Britt (El Jefe):

"The LARP that we run at Archon is based on the old WoD but we are in our final phase (this game is a 2 part, 2 year game). After that we don't know what we will do. We are still waiting to see if there would be enough support for the New WoD for us to continue that line..."

That's exciting news! Will players be able to play the same character both years if they don't die?

UPDATE:

Here is Britt's responce, "we'll never tell.
even if you 'make' me drink too much on thursday night at the con:)
we plans for you all...heheheh telling you would ruin the fun:)
remember each year is self contained even if the game at NASFiC is considered 'part 2'.
the standard rules apply to each year"