Royal Navy Marines or Trouble In Port Largo

Though I have not completed any miniatures the last two weeks, I have been working on quite a few.  I tend to batch paint which sometimes leads to long delays between completions.  However, there are several that are ready to come off the assembly line and join the ranks.

The first to exit the painting queue is a batch of Royal Navy Marines from Black Scorpion.  I had a terrible time painting these guys due to several reasons.  For one, I used a white primer thinking that I would save time with the whites and get a more vibrant red.  I quickly learned that I should have used black or gray instead.  Besides the red coats, white is the predominant color on the minis and I found myself either outlining in black to create separation between the garments or repainting all the white areas in gray then highlighting back up. I felt like I was taking two steps back to go one step forward.  The other difficulty is that I simply hate painting reds.  That color, more than any other, seems to be my bane and nemesis.  I think the coats came out OK but not nearly as well as I had hoped.

Technically the miniatures are not quite finished.  I still need to add a layer of gloss coat followed by Testor's dullcote to knock off the shine.  The humidity has been very high here in the Florida Keys over the last week so they have to sit and wait for a change in the weather.  When the protective coats are completed, I can finally finish off the models with a bit of flock on the bases.

I have eight more of these fellows to paint for a proper crew.  I think I will try a different approach this time though.  I recently read of a technique called gray-brushing?? that works well with models that have large areas of lighter color.  I plan to primer black as usual then drybrush a nice medium gray over the miniature followed by another drybrushed coat of white.  If I understood the technique correctly, this should give me a good base for working with the whites and reds while still giving me the separation and depth that a black undercoat would.  I'll post the results when they are finished.

As far as the miniature's role in my Legends of the High Seas project, let's just say the Governor of Port Largo will not be happy to see the HMS Fury sail into the harbor and these guys disembark for their new post.  Since the HMS Defiance departed the Windward Islands for home over two years ago, the waters around the port have been quite lawless.  Piracy increased significantly but the Governor and many of the merchants in town have done very well for themselves despite the occasional loss of goods and ships.  The pirates and ruffians frequently return from sea heavily laden with goods to sell and coin to spend and they find officials in Port Largo willing to turn a blind eye to the origin of said goods - for a price.  Though the port sees more than its fair share of trouble when the "lads" are in town drinking and wenching, all in all, the arrangement is beneficial to both parties.

However word as reached the Governor that the HMS Fury is due to arrive shortly and that the 20-gun frigate is to be stationed in Port Largo for the foreseeable future.  Furthermore, her captain, William Anson, is rumored to be carrying orders to hunt down several of the most notorious pirates in the area....many of which are some of the Governor's most profitable partners.

There is talk on the streets and whispers in the tavern... A storm is gathering in Port Largo.

Simply Messing About in Boats - Really Big Killer Boats

I really love that quote from The Wind and the Willows and it often applies to me.  In my line of work and play, I am often found "simply messing about in boats."  Not long ago, a fit of boredom hit me and I decided to break out some of the ships in my Axis and Allies War at Sea collection and mess about.  Not content with just "looking" at them, I decided I'd play a quick knock down, drag out battle between Japan and the United States.

The fleets eye the control of the straits.

I must confess that the battle had no real goals other than sinking as many ships as possible and watching the carnage.  As such, there were no objectives to hold or point totals to reach.  More than anything, I simply wanted to run a few builds through the paces.  Think of it as fleet exercises.  To help with the decisions I would need to make as a solo player, I did add the vague goal of controlling the straits and passages through the islands.  By focusing on this achievement, I would be forced to think a bit strategically for both sides rather than gleefully placing models in the sights of opponents.

Round one began with both navies moving assets towards the islands and pilots probing the defenses of each task force.  Despite heavy protection around the flat tops, air power proved to be a deadly force upon the high seas.  USN Avengers destroyed both IJN carriers during the initial attack while the Princeton was crippled by several flights of Bettys.  Unlucky die rolls by air defenses and lots of 6's by dive bombers would be the norm for much of the game.

The Japanese carriers are hit hard.

The first round would belong to the US Navy with two carriers destroyed along with a Yukikaze-class destroyer for a total of 59 points.  In return, the Japanese were only able to sink a Hoel-class destroyers with submarine action.

USN: 59
IJN: 18

The second round would see little damage from the Japanese navy due to their inability to rearm and refuel on the carriers.  The fliers of the USN would continue their rampage however.  With no fighter cover over the Japanese ships, many of the bombs and torpedoes found their mark and the mighty Kongo was crippled.

Despite the early losses, the IJN assault was just beginning.  Her heavy cruisers sent the Richmond and the San Francisco to the bottom with massive salvos.  And though the Kongo was crippled, she was not out of the fight.  More critical to the American operation was the flanking maneuver being conducted by the Yamato and her escorts.  The wily task force had managed to elude PBY patrols and was passing the southern tip of the islands to close in on the unsuspecting USN.  Still, round two was a solid American victory with 67 points destroyed compared to 41 by the opponent.

The situation after the second round.

Round three would change the course of the battle and place the IJN firmly in control.  Judging from the air phase however, one would not have suspected such change in the fortunes of war.  The entire Japanese air squadron was either destroyed or aborted before they could attack.  Cheers were heard from the deck of the crippled Princeton as the San Diego fended off one Kate after another.  Perhaps the damaged light carrier might survive after all.

Though many of the USN pilots were forced to abort their attack runs as well, others managed to elude air cover and anti-aircraft fire to score hits.  A squadron of Avengers aided by a Catalina managed to send a torpedo into the monstrous hull of the Musashi while Helldivers damaged the Nagato.  High command was elated to hear that a flight of Mitchells were able to spot the flaming wreckage of the Kongo as she withdrew from the fray and finally finish her off.

Furious ship to ship fighting then took place.  The Americans hit first with her destroyers charging the enemy ships.  A Kidd-class destroyer along with the Samuel B. Robers and the John C. Butler landed hits and sent two Shiratsuya-class vessels to the depths followed quickly by the Akitsuki.  The mighty battleship Iowa finally let loose her mains and the 16 inch guns erupted in a fury of steel and cordite.  The Musashi, still fighting the fires from the air attack, received the brunt of the Iowa's gunnery and was crippled in the process.

Further to the south, the Japanese flanking maneuver was finally discovered but only a small group of heavy cruisers could respond.  The Salt Lake City altered course to intercept the new threat and engaged one of Yamato's escorting ships to hopefully lessen the odds and stall the attack.  Through bravery and excellent gunnery she was able to cripple the Tone (but not before taking heavy damage from her target) and slow her down to allow the Montpelier to finish off the Japanese ship.  Bringing her secondaries to bear, the Montpelier also wounded the approaching Yahagi.  Seeing the smoke rising from the cruiser, the Cleveland fired another salvo at the Yahagi and watched as it slipped beneath the waves. 

The American success was soon to be overshadowed by tragedy.  In the fight to the south, the Aoba, another Yamato escort ship, took revenge on the Salt Lake City and destroyed the vessel with her mains.  Whatever cheers taking place on the Aoba was soon drowned out by the massive thunder of the Yamato's 18 inch guns.  The gigantic Japanese battleship had arrived and her fury was immediately felt by the stunned Americans.  Her salvos were able to hit and damage the unsuspecting North Carolina even at long range while her secondary guns blazed away and utterly destroyed the valiant Montpelier and a Phelps-class destroyer.

Despite the incredible damage caused by the southern task force, the most shocking defeat occurred in the northern battle.  Despite taking minor hits from enemy vessels, the USS Iowa was giving more than she took.  However, a badly damaged but defiant Musashi delivered a devastating salvo to the American flagship and all stood aghast as the pride of the fleet disappeared below the sea.  Having just watched the Iowa blown to bits, her last remaining escort, the USS Baltimore, steamed into a nearby squall to regroup.  Shells from the charging Myoko and Nagato fell all around the heavy cruiser but fate spared the vessel.

The USS Iowa is destroyed.

Round three belonged to the Japanese with 169 points of enemy vessels destroyed for a total of 228.  The American fleet only managed 106 points for a total of 232.

The situation after round three.

Stunned by the loss of their flagship, the Americans began a general withdrawal.  Her pilots continued to harry the enemy during the process but with little success.  The Japanese, elated with their recent victories, were content to allow the fleet to retire from the fray.  Though the mighty Yamato was more than a match for any remaining USN vessel, the IJN had lost air superiority and dared not risk further loss.  Her planes would have one final act of redemption however.  During the enemy withdrawal, Japanese pilots were able to relocate the crippled carrier Princeton and finally sink the stubborn ship and severely damage the fleeing Intrepid.


While the battle started out as a way to mess about with my boats, it turned into quite the engagement.  I was more than surprised by the outcome even though I had padded the Japanese fleet by almost 100 extra points.  US air power, the bane of many Axis players, was an important aspect of the Allied strategy but was unable to stem the tide of the Japanese capital ships.  The Americans still had several assets on the board but I decided to end the game and withdraw for two reasons.  One, even though this was not even close to a historical engagement (which I usually play), I think the Navy would have been reluctant to risk the North Carolina and the Intrepid since they had already severally reduced enemy air power in the region.  Also, I think the outcome would have been moot had I continued.  The Americans had only lost a few planes during the course of the battle and could have kept attacking and possibly eventually sink several more ships.  However, between air phases, the Japanese would have completely destroyed the remaining Allied surface fleet.

Surprised by the engagement and completely not satisfied with the outcome, I am looking forward to replaying this scenario soon.  I will post the results when the smoke from the battle clears.

March Hobby Matrix - Hobby ADD

It's that time of the month again when I get to plot my hobby flights of fancy.  Fortunately, this month was fairly easy due to the lack of change on most items.  March is historically a very busy month for me and this one has certainly lived up to expectations.  It seems like every spring-breaker in the world has come to the Keys to escape the winter blues and I feel like I have somehow taken every single one of them offshore to dive or snorkel.  With little free time available for hobbies, not much could possibly change... or could it?


Looking at the matrix, most everything dropped or remained the same.  I am not sure if the lack of upward movement was due to the changing winds of fortune or simply the fact that I was so busy and tired during the last thirty days.  Almost half of the original nineteen categories saw decreases with LotRO dropping the most.  I have not been online the entire month and do not foresee doing so for another week or two at least.  While I would like to blame my absence in Middle-earth completely on work, I would be dishonest with myself if I did so.  The truth of the matter is that I have been burned out for quite some time on the game.  While I've never logged more than a few hours a week behind the keyboard, even that has been a burden.  I hope my hiatus from the rapidly deteriorating RP on Landroval refuels my love of the game and my kinship.

Only two items saw gains this month and both were big winners.  With the long awaited start to HBO's adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series less than a month away, anything and everything related to Westeros is finding favor with me.  Not only have my Wildings and Jon Snow miniatures finally moved forward in the painting queue, I have also dusted off both versions of RPG's based in Martin's world - the out of print A Game of Thrones from Guardians of Order and A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying from Green Ronin.  If the series is anything like the trailers, I can only see this category continuing to rise in the rankings.  

Starts April 17th on HBO.

 The other gain is actually a new item and could quite possibly become a new obsession.  I have been reading about one gamer's creation of a viking raiding party for several days now and have been green with envy over the miniatures.  Those that know me well are aware of my love for all things viking and anglo-saxon. They also know my tendency to favor skirmish style wargaming over larger set piece affairs.  Well, when said gamer posted the rule set he was using with his viking warband, I was suddenly caught in a perfect storm of dark age bliss.  Age of Blood will no doubt become a favorite of mine in short order.  I have already ordered small warbands of Anglo-Saxons and Vikings and have started the planning process for a model longship. Damn that fateful post!  

Without further ado, here is this month's hobby matrix:
 

Current Obsession - Scenery and Terrain
Past Obsession - Legends of the High Seas
Looming Obsession - Age of Blood


Lord of the Rings SBG = 7*
Warhammer Fantasy = 4-
Warhammer 40K = 5-
Pathfinder RPG = 4*
A Song of Ice and Fire RPG = 8+
Flames of War = 3-
Wings of War = 6-
D&D 4ed = 2*
D&D 3.5 = 4-
D&D old school = 7*
Axis and Allies War at Sea = 5-
Legends of the High Seas =9*
Terrain and Scenery Design = 8*
Miniature Painting (general) = 8*
Lord of the Rings Online = 3-
Pirates of the Burning Sea = 3-
Pirates of the Spanish Main = 5*
Pirates of the Spanish Main RPG = 6*
Ambush Alley = 5*
Age of Blood = 5+

(The scale is 1-10 with one being the lowest on the current interest scale and ten being the highest.  "-" indicates a negative trend and "+" indicates a positive while "*" signifies no change from the previous month.)

+4 iPhone Case of Protection

Though this blog is mainly about my hobbies, after today's events, I simply could not resist this post.  While it is a bit of a tangent, the topic is not completely off base.  My hobbies are definitely on the geeky side and what geek does not have a love affair with their smartphones?

I saw my life flash before my eyes this morning.  I filled the dog's bowl full of water and knelt down to place it back on the floor.  As I was doing so, apparently my thigh pushed my iPhone holder off my belt.  It was like I was watching a slow motion action scene.  *queue the music*  The phone and holder tumbled from my belt and landed on the floor by the bowl.  Then somehow the entire unit bounced six inches back into the air, turned a somersault, then landed squarely in the center of the doggie bowl.  The sequence was so cinematic that I think I saw drops of water rain down upon the floor and explode into thousands of smaller droplets.

OK, so maybe I am being rather dramatic.  But the truth is there, interlaced as it is with my embellishments.  No matter which version you choose to believe, the fact of the matter was that my phone was now floating in the dog's water bowl.  Once I recovered from my shock and disbelief, I quickly fetched it from the pool of death.  Though the case has protected my phone from many accidental drops over the past year and a half, I thought this was finally the end.

I pried the case apart and dried off all the components.  After a moment of silence and a quick prayer to the patron saint of cell towers, I depressed the home button and to my amazement and relief, the home screen greeted me.  Through the sheer quality of my iPhone case and my not-so-quick thinking, I avoided disaster and managed to keep more money in my pocket for games and miniatures instead of buying another phone.

So the point of this post and story is to sing the praises of the Otterbox Defender case.  Since I work on the water and out in the elements, I purchased this case the day I bought my phone.  Though it is a bit clunky and certainly takes away from the sleek and sexy form of a naked iPhone, it has more than saved my investment on numerous occasions.  I am VERY tough on phones.  I drop them constantly and over the years have lost more than my fair share overboard and into the ocean.  But this case is different.  It protects the phone like a paladin in full plate.  And though I knew it would keep salt spray from damaging the unit, apparently it can survive short excursions into the water.  I cannot recommend this product enough.

 You may be asking why I am proclaiming the virtues of a case that fell off my belt just by bending down.  Good question.  Just the other day, I damaged the belt clip through a freak accident.  I will not bore readers with the story but I will say that it was not the most graceful move I've ever attempted.  Let's just say I definitely rolled a one.  This morning's mishap was not the fault of the clip itself.  It was clearly operator error.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scogle/1260802219

So...if you have a smartphone and are 1) active outside  2) work or play around the water  or 3) frequently fail fairly simple skill checks then the Otterbox Defender case is for you.  Just keep in mind that your Charisma may drop several points due to the clunky nature of the case.

Note:  I am writing this review without any compensation from Otterbox or any other entity associated with the company.  I have had a good experience with the product and simply want to share my thoughts with those that visit this blog.

Pirates of the Spanish Main CSG with a twist

The Florida Keys are not known as a gaming mecca.  For gaming action, I have to drive over sixty miles (round trip) up to Miami to either a friends house or my FSLGS (friendly semi-local gaming store).  But occasionally I can bribe friends and neighbors with beer and food to humor me and try one of my "strange little games".  Fortunately some of my piratey titles have been a bit of a hit, especially the easy to learn/hard to master Pirates of the Spanish Main CSG.

We've played countless games over the last two years.  With my full collection of the first three sets, we've been able to field as many as eight players at once.  With so many ships, each game was different from the last but I could tell the sessions were getting a bit stale for my non-gamer friends.  So on this particular occasion, I decided to mix things up a bit and try a new scenario. 

I have always been fascinated and obsessed with the story of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha and the Spanish treasure fleets.  I've read, and re-read numerous accounts of the doomed flotilla over the years and really wanted to create a  scenario with the same feel and theme.  So I created a board based loosely on the geography of the route used by the fleets as they left Cuba and skirted the islands and reefs of Florida.  I decided to force the fleet to pass through a few choke points in the same way the Spanish fleets of old were forced to ride the Florida Current between the dangerous reefs of the Bahamas and the Florida Keys (this would also provide interesting game play).  I toyed with the addition of currents and storms but thought better of it for the first attempt.  Of course the game would not be interesting without pirates and privateers hoping to catch a lucrative treasure galleon so they were added the scenario.

Myself and another experienced player took on the role of the Spanish flotilla.  We were each given three two-masted vessels to serve as guard ships but did not allow any of their special abilities.  To give us a fighting chance however, we designated each of the two cannons on board the vessels as strength 2 with long range (red measurement).  We would need that fire power to protect our 9 galleons from no less than four enemy squadrons placed around the edges of the table.  Our objective was simple.  To win the game we would need to escort the treasure ships through the islands and around the reefs and exit the table between the Spanish forts on the far side.  At least four of the galleons had to survive the voyage for victory.

Each of the four enemy players were given two large five-masted vessels and were able to use any special abilities available to those ships, though no crew was allowed.  Their orders were to pick off as many Spanish galleons as possible to enrich themselves and their respective countries.  Between the four factions, all they had to do was sink five treasure ships for the Spanish players to loose.  However an individual winner would be declared at the ending of the game depending on which faction sank the most ships and gained the most treasure.  This fact introduced an interesting twist.  Should they work together to slow the flotilla or go rogue and fend for themselves?

Though the enemy players had played the normal version of the game several times before, they cannot be said to be experienced wargamers.  Most are significant others or friends that simply enjoy the social aspect of this particular game.  I had stacked the odds heavily in their favor to account for what I thought would be a lack of strategy and planning.  To my dismay (and personal satisfaction), I was quickly to learn that I had severely underestimated my opponents.

The game started just as I had envisioned.  Chad and I moved our guard ships out ahead of the flotilla to screen the galleons on the left and right flanks.  Knowing that two choke points existed on either side of the shallow bank, we decided to sacrifice a few ships and send them through the "straits" to the west.  Not thinking our opponents would realize their obvious advantage, we thought they would greedily pounce on the sacrificial lambs and forget about the other galleons.  I would escort the doomed vessels as if protecting them then at the last moment leave them to their fate and cut across the dangerous shoals to join the main fleet to the east (only our two-masted guard ships could navigate the shallow waters in the center of the board).

Our plan seemed to be solid and was progressing quite well until we realized we were the ones being duped.  Eric and Christi made quick work of the defenseless galleons but chose not to sink them.  With all three decoy ships dead in the water, the straits to the west was effectively blocked.  Our opponents realized that they could now bring their entire force to bear on the fleeing flotilla to the east and that is exactly what they did.  I raced across the dangerous bank to join Chad's guard ships which were getting pounded by the large treasure-crazed French, British, and pirate ships.  Though I arrived in time, I could not bring my guard ships within range due to the traffic jam created when Amy and Suzani used their five-masters as blockade ships.  The ensuing battle was both chaotic and bloody.

Though we Spaniards manage to get a galleon or two through, we would have to face a very unhappy King in Spain.  With only one guard ship remaining each, we fled the slaughter and left the helpless galleons to the sea wolves.  Upon arriving at the safety of the forts we surveyed the damage.  Only two of the treasure galleons remained while the other seven fell prey to our opponents.  Looking over the horizon at the pillage and plunder taking place aboard the King's galleons, we realized that we had made a classic tactical blunder by underestimating our enemy's cunning and skill in battle.

With the game over, Chad and I endured a bit of taunting while the other factions tallied up their treasure.  Eric, in command of a pirate fleet, came out ahead followed closely by Amy and her mighty British contingent.  Fun was had by all however and that makes everyone a winner.

I enjoyed the break from the normal rules and plan to run a similar scenario again in the future.  There will be a few changes however, mainly to create balance between the fleets.  I also want to add wind rules which we sometimes use during our normal games.  Being stalled in a calm or driven towards a reef line by storms will certainly add a realistic element and cause captains to rethink their approaches to the straits.  With the added uncertainty of weather, perhaps the game will resemble the story and one of Spain's grandest galleons will find itself enduring the same fate as the Nuestra Senora de Atocha.

On The Horizon for March

February certainly began on a productive note.  The Pirate project was coming along nicely, miniatures were being painted at a fairly good pace (for me), and several items of scenery were moved from the design phase and actually built.  However I had company for the last two weeks of the month and I found myself doing everything except hobby stuff.   Now I am behind where I wanted to be at this time and I'm forced to move nearly every project back a month.

My work plan for March now resembles what I had intended to accomplish in February but with a few changes and additions.  Perhaps the most obvious change are the miniatures in my queue.  The pirate project is still going strong but I have noticed more fantasy miniatures creep into the lineup.  Is this one of my infamous interest shifts in the beginning stages?

The miniatures in the rack look similar to last month.  In fact, there are several that have progressed little, if at all.  Among these are the two Sarumans and three Reaper pirates.  Also nearly untouched is my Candian that was to be used as a color test model.  A nearly completed pirate, a burly innkeep, and a pasty-faced governor are the only new additions.

The rows of miniatures in front of the rack are all new in the queue however.  In the first row closest to the rack is a pirate from Artizen, two privateers from Black Scorpion and two fantasy figures from Reaper.  The second row consists of two able bodied seamen from Black Scorpion, a female fantasy miniature from Reaper, and two harlots - one from Black Cat Bases and the other from the Reaper's Townspeople sets.  The last row is mostly comprised of Royal Marines from Black Scorpion and a few fantasy Reaper miniatures.

In addition to the miniature painting, work continues on Port Antigua.  I am nearing the point where I can start texturing and painting the buildings. Of the structures created thus far, I have to say that the Governor's house is my favorite.  I've also been working on a few other items of scenery - mostly for LotR.  Building a Rohan watch tower has been on my list for several years and I finally got around to starting construction.  I've been using a combination of templates and tips from various sources, along with a bit of trial and error, to build my tower.  Now that I have the legs and main platform squared and even, the rest of the structure should be fairly simple to finish.  Just as Port Antigua will be the centerpiece for my Pirate campaigns, I plan on having a full Rohirric village or perhaps even Edoras itself as the focus of a future LotR campaign.

 With my lack of free time during late February, I never got around to painting up a Cadian test model.  Of all the goals I missed last month, this was the most disappointing.  A huge Cadian force has been sitting on my shelves for several years awaiting my attention.  It was a resolution this year to finally get them painted and the first step to attaining that goal is to test the color scheme I have in mind.  Even if I have to put my pirate project on hold, I will get that mini painted this month!  Of course that means that March will no longer be titled "March of the Cadians".  I'll have to push back that effort until next month.  "April of the Cadians"....  Hmmm, not nearly as clever and witty as the previous title but as long as they finally get painted, I'll be happy.

I also plan on posting part 2 of the History of the Waywatchers of Cardolan.  The first post proved to be quite popular amongst visitors.  Indeed, it is the single most visited page on the blog.   It's not very professional to leave your readers hanging on the edge of their seats for the conclusion for too long (although George R. R. Martin seems quite content to do so with his series...not that I am comparing myself to such a talented writer by any means.)  The next installment will cover the middle years from the RP Split until the Rise of the Grand Story Arcs.  The final chapter will then cover the last year and a half and appear sometime in April.

Finally, even though my time will be sparse with so many projects, I feel I need to add one more.  Looking at my blog stats, I can't help but notice that the search term that brings the most visitors is "How to Paint a Balrog."  I started this little experiment/tutorial back in May of 2010.  I intended to finish it but the curse of too many hobbies struck once again and the Balrog was placed on a back shelf.  Well, for those who have come here for tips on painting Tolkien's spirit of fire, you will be pleased to know that he has been dusted off and moved to the work area of my painting table.  I should have text and photos of the next steps posted soon.

It looks like March will be a very busy month for me.  What are your hobby goals and intentions for this month?

Recalling the Past - 1983 TSR Miniatures

I have hundreds of miniatures in my collection and see no sign of my acquisitions ending. Painting and collecting them (and occasionally actually using them in a game) constitutes a large portion of my hobby activity. Although I laughed when I first heard the terms plastic crack, metal crack, and lead crack, the smile quickly faded from my face when I realized how accurate those words were. I am very addicted to all the various forms, genre, and activities associated with those little miniature figurines.

Though I had been playing Dungeons and Dragons religiously since 1982, I did not purchase my first miniatures until several years later. I was in eighth grade when a TSR boxed set completely changed the gaming hobby for me. My first miniature, or miniatures rather, was a Magic Users and Illusionists set I picked up from a local bookstore. To this day, I have no idea why I chose this particular set. I rarely, if ever, choose to take on the role of a magic using character in any game whether it be roleplaying or not. Surely one of the other sets out at the time would have held more allure. I can only speculate that perhaps this was my first exposure to the miniature line and that this set may have been the only one available (since it was purchased in a bookstore instead of a hobby shop). Whatever the reason, the twelve little figures included in the box hold a special place in my memory of the hobby.


I'm certain that I tore into the packaging as soon as I got home with my precious treasure. Fortunately I had paints on hand from my years of building plastic models. Of course, the paints were thick enamels by Testor and were completely unsuited for the small metal miniatures, but I did not know that back then. Even if I had better paints on hand, I do not think it would have mattered. At that age and experience level, I had not even the slightest notion of the concept of shading or highlighting and to say that my initial attempts were frightening would be an understatement. But you could not have convinced me then that my work was anything other than a masterpiece. I would spend hours on a single miniature making sure that everything was just right...including the black dot of paint for an eye that I would apply with the end of a tooth pick.

Two miniatures in the box stand out in my memory. The little gnome illusionist (bottom right) my have been the first miniature I ever painted. Though I can recall little of the details, I do remember that his trousers where an incredibly bright blue. Why I would remember such a seemingly insignificant detail I do not know. But I can see those shiny blue pants in my mind and even to this day I must say...those pants were BRIGHT. The other miniature that stands out in my memory is the elf with the wand (second from the right on the second row). He is significant only because I remembered thinking he did not look like an elf to me. I painted him of course, but I told myself over and over while painting him that he was a young human and most definitely not an elf. Isn't it odd what images and memories remain with us as we age?


Looking back at the miniatures today it is easy to see how far the industry has come as far as sculpting and casting are concerned. The minis in the box seem "flat" compared to the robust and intricately detailed figures of today. Facial features are neutral or lacking completely and the poses seemed forced and unnatural. Yet, despite their simplicity, the figures in that box represent the heart of the Dungeons and Dragons game more so than any of the wonderfully designed miniatures of today. Perhaps I am simply falling prey to the "good 'ole days" syndrome, but to me those simple lead miniatures recall the awe, adventure, and allure of roleplaying games in the golden age of the 1980's.


I still have those original miniatures hidden somewhere amongst other childhood keepsakes. I found them and reminisced several years ago when I began to get back into the hobby after a long hiatus. Unfortunately I seem to have misplaced the old miniatures again.  Looking at the box of my newly acquired Ebay version and handling the cold stark unpainted magic users and illusionist certainly brings back memories. But nothing compared to the rush of nostalgia and longing for the past that I felt when I found those old painted miniatures that evening. I could almost see myself as a young boy, intense concentration written upon his face and a far away look in his eyes, applying that bright blue paint to the trousers of that little gnome.

What was the first miniature you ever painted?

Pirate Profile - William "Billy" Bullard

William "Billy" Bullard was born in Dover sometime around the early 1670's.  His exact birth date is unknown but according to Bullard himself, he signed on his first ship when he was a "lad of twelve years."  According to papers found in London, William signed aboard the sloop Deliverance as cabin boy on the 8th of March, 1683.  If his memory served him correctly, that would make his birth date 1671.

 Little is known of his childhood save what he has told this author during our last voyage together.  Many a night was spent listening to his tales of adventure as a lad on the docks of Dover but I have been unable to verify any of the information.  He told me his father was a sailor but was lost at sea when Billy was very young and he remembered little of the man.  His mother however, is another story.  To provide for the young Bullard she apparently turned to less than noble ways of earning money.  She became a favorite at The George and Dragon for many a sailor and it was no doubt here that William first felt a call of the sea.

As he grew older, William spent less time around The George and Dragon and the promiscuous ways of his mother.  His days were spent on the Dover merchant docks where he dreamed of a life at sea when not begging or stealing food.  It was on these docks that a chance meeting changed his life.  The young urchin was caught stealing hard tack by none other than the good Captain William Hastings, master of the Queen's Fancy.  For some odd reason that even Billy can not explain to this day, instead of beating the young rascal or worse, the captain pitied his lot in life and took him for his own.

In time Billy grew to love the old captain, yet in the beginning the relationship was strained.  Young Billy, as the captain began to call him to differentiate the junior from the senior, wanted to take to the sea on the Queen's Fancy with Captain Hastings, but instead the lad was made to stay at home with Abagail Hastings and was schooled as best as could be afforded.  Though Billy longed for the sea, he proved himself a capable student and excelled in his studies...a trait that would serve him well in his later years.

Finally in 1683, William "Billy" Bullard was allowed to go to sea with Captain Hastings, now master of the Deliverance.  It was during this first voyage to the West Indies that the young Bullard showcased his uncanny ability for navigation.  He would routinely match or best the navigator's plotting and seemed to intimately understand the currents, tides, and winds of both the wide open sea and areas closer to land, even though this was his first ocean voyage.  This gift did not go unnoticed by Captain Hastings or the ship's crew.  In fact, on one particular stormy evening after the ship's cable parted, Billy was able to help guide the Deliverance through a gap in the reef line and out to the comparative safety of the open sea despite poor visibility and challenging sea conditions.  This heroic feat earned the boy gratitude and a respected position among both the officers and crew.

William Bullard continued on his first voyage as cabin boy in name only.  Even as a young lad, the superstitious crew began to trust Bullard's instincts and adopted him as their good luck charm.  Before navigation decisions were made, the officers and crew would insist that Captain Hastings have a word with "young Billy".  In this manner, William gained rank rapidly and became a fixture upon the Deliverance for the next eight years.  As a side note, the Deliverance was lost with all hands on the very first voyage undertaken after Billy left.  (Author's note:  Captain Hastings was not on board the voyage either).

Great love and respect grew between the elder William and the younger.  But in 1691 their ways parted.  At this point in his career, Captain Hastings was more than happy to continue the routine crossing of the Atlantic from Bristol to the West Indies but Billy Bullard felt the call of the great unknown.  He served as sailing master and navigator aboard both merchant vessels and Royal Navy ships of war with great distinction until 1699.  It was in this year that his navigational abilities brought him to the attention of William Dampier.  Having already circumnavigated the world one time, Dampier was about to attempt the feat once again.  He was given command of the 26-gun ship St. George and signed on William "Billy" Bullard as navigator.  For the next two years Bullard gained invaluable experience and returned as one of the foremost sailors of his time.

But Bullard was not one to rest upon his laurels.  When Dampier was hired by Woodes Rogers in 1708 as sailing master aboard the Duke, Dampier in turned insisted that William Bullard accompany him.  Once again Billy rounded the world in a very profitable voyage, capturing three Spanish vessels in the process. But the trip would prove costly on a personal level.  A bullet from a Spanish sharpshooter found its mark during the last ship to ship action of the voyage and Billy would have perished if not for the valiant efforts of Stancil Jones, the ship's surgeon.

It was on this fateful voyage that Alexander Selkirk was rescued from the Juan Fernandez islands off the coast of Chile.  Selkirk had been the sailing master on board the ship Cinque Ports which had accompanied the St. George on Bullard's first circumnavigation.  Selkirk was marooned when he complained of the ship's seaworthiness and left on the island with little more than a musket, gunpowder, a few tools, and rope.  Bullard and Selkirk were on friendly terms and Billy did not take well to the marooning and it may have been from the urging of William that the Duke rescued Selkirk more than four years later.

William "Billy" Bullard returned from his second circumnavigation both well off financially and quite experienced.  Rather than settle down to an easy life on land however, Bullard continued to serve as sailing master aboard both merchant and privateer vessels.  It was as navigator on the latter that he achieved his greatest fame.  With his unmatched knowledge of the West Indies and the east coast of the Americas, few foes could out sail or hide from him.  Many a captain has credited Bullard's navigational ability as the deciding factor in the success of a voyage.  And though he is getting on in age, it is in this capacity that he continues to make a name for himself today.


Profile:   S     F     St    D    A   W    C    Fa   Ft                   Recruitment Fee:  16 doubloons
             -----------------------------------------
              6+   2     3     3     1     1     3    2     1                     Retainer:  7 doubloons

* Once per game, William may reroll both dice when using the Master of the Wind ability and choose the highest single result from both attempts.

* William "Billy" Bullard acts as a hero in game terms but must be hired like other hired hands.  He is a bit more expensive due to his added point of Fate and ability enhancement.


(This is the first of a series where I will profile characters created for my Legend's of the High Seas game.  Though the background will include elements of historical people, places, and/or events, any resemblance to actual history is purely coincidental.  Readers may use the profiles for their own games as long as I am given proper credit.)

February Hobby Matrix - Hobby ADD

Last month about this time I wrote a post about my hobby A.D.D.  I thought it might be a fun project (or frightening) to track my flights of fancy as the various games, projects, and obsessions that preoccupy my free time wax and wane - seemingly without reason.  Though I still have not had time to decide on a proper format for tracking the changes (OK, I admit it.  I did not even think about it in the last month) I did not want to miss the opportunity to enter this month's data.


So...here it goes:


Current Obsession - Scenery and Terrain
Past Obsession - Legends of the High Seas
Looming Obsession - Ambush Alley*


Lord of the Rings SBG = 7+
Warhammer Fantasy = 5*
Warhammer 40K = 6+
Pathfinder RPG = 4+
A Song of Ice and Fire RPG = 6*
Flames of War = 4-
Wings of War = 7-
D&D 4ed = 2+
D&D 3.5 = 5+
D&D old school = 7+
Axis and Allies War at Sea = 6-
Legends of the High Seas =9-
Terrain and Scenery Design = 8+
Miniature Painting (general) = 8+
Lord of the Rings Online = 5-
Pirates of the Burning Sea = 4*
Pirates of the Spanish Main = 5-
Pirates of the Spanish Main RPG = 6+
Ambush Alley = 5+

(The scale is 1-10 with one being the lowest on the current interest scale and ten being the highest.  "-" indicates a negative trend and "+" indicates a positive while "*" signifies no change from the previous month.)


Looking at the data above I do not see any real surprises.  My Legends of the High Seas project is still moving along nicely and the only reason for the decline is probably due to over-saturation.  I've been quite busy with general miniature painting, as well as making scenery for LotHS and LotR SBG so those respective categories saw an increase.  Several different flavors of D&D also witnessed gains.  I attribute the rise in ranking to three factors.  One, I've added several new items to my classic D&D collection through wins on Ebay.  Next, I finally got around to adding blog feeds of my favorite D&D/RPG sites to my iPad and now I can read them every night before bed.  Finally, there have been several web series dealing with D&D-ish themes that I have been watching on YouTube.  Who knows, maybe I will actually want to run a game before long if this trend continues.

There are two new additions to the list this month.  Ambush Alley I mentioned last month as a looming obsession.  Fortunately for my bank account, I have been unable to get a copy of the rules.  It seems that the company will be publishing a new ruleset in cooperation with Osprey Publishing in April and the licensing agreement specified that the old copies be suspended.  Needless to say, I will be eagerly awaiting the April release date and I have no doubt the ranking assigned to Ambush Alley will skyrocket.

The second addition is the Pirates of the Spanish Main RPG.  I have had a copy of the rules since last year but have only recently spent time familiarizing myself with the mechanics.  Based on the Savage Worlds model, the game seems like it would be rather interesting to play or GM.  I plan in a rereading soon and possibly playtesting thereafter.  I could see this taking up a large portion of my time given my love of pirates and tropical settings.  As if I needed more persuasion, my huge fleet of PotSM ships could be put back into use with this game system as well.  I see trouble on the horizon.....

If any of you have had experience with either Ambush Alley or the PotSM RPG, I would love to hear your comments regarding the games.

Wargaming Table

Since my initial "effort" to produce a wargaming table, I've had much better luck.  Though the first edition was strictly for Wings of War, and more of an experiment than a true attempt, I still have to admit that I've come a long way in table design since then.  Now, several years after I painted that plywood nightmare and propped it on sawhorses, a table truly worthy of wargaming is near completion.

The initial WoW table about a year after it was painted.

When I moved to a new house in July 2009, I suddenly found myself with quite a bit of extra space out in the Florida room.  Somehow my pitiful table (pictured to the right) just didn't look right sitting all alone in the middle of the floor.  Now that I had the room, it was time to build the table I truly wanted.

My first stop was the local hardware store where I purchased a 8x4 foot sheet of 1/2" plywood for the top and a few runners to strengthen the playing surface.  I sanded the the plywood then added the braces by countersinking screws through the runner and into the top itself.  I now had a fairly stable gaming table, but it was unpainted and without legs.

The next step was to get a few coats of paint on the surface.  Fortunately, I had several gallons of paint left over from a Halloween project I started the year before that needed to be used before it dried up.  I did not realize at the time that the gray I chose looked great but was not very good at hiding scuff, spills, and dust.  Had I known, I would have chosen a darker color or a paint that was not so flat.  It's odd that I write that now because, as you will see, I made the same mistake again a year later.

Although they can barely be seen in the photo to the left, the plywood was set upon the very same sawhorses from the first table during the painting process.   While this made for a convenient work station, the use of the sawhorses would lead to a long delay in the completion of the table.  The photo on the left was taken in November of 2009.  Over a year would pass before the next step was completed.

The work hiatus was not because I was lazy or lacked the drive to finish the project.  The opposite was actually the case.  I was so excited and buzzed that I finally had a gaming table that I simply did not leave time to complete it.  I jumped right into gaming on it as soon as the paint was dry.  Although the sawhorses certainly created an eyesore when looking into the Florida room from the living room, the adhoc legs proved to be stable and capable of the job they were given.

I have to admit that I was more than happy with the arrangement.  Many games were played on that table while it was ingloriously propped on the sawhorses.  Pirates of the Spanish Main, Wings of War, War at Sea, and Lord of the Rings are just a few of the titles to see action on its storied surface.  The table even served other functions such as a very large work bench and on several occasions, a serving table during parties and holiday gatherings (properly covered of course).

 

A section of the table being used for PotSM.

Eventually, the fact that I never finished the table began to weigh heavily upon me and with the passing of 2010, I knew the time had come.  The resolution to finish the table was somewhat sparked by a post on another blog.  After reading the article and seeing the finished product, I had the inspiration I needed to continue.

The initial frame.

After purchasing the required materials and an afternoon of cutting my pieces to length, it was time to start building.  The frame basically took two afternoons to complete.  The main problem encountered was getting all the angles squared when the wood itself was not quite up to the task.  If funding was not an issue, I would have chosen boards of some exotic hardwood.  However, to save money and keep the entire project under $50, I went with yellow pine.  It's beautiful stuff and paints/stains well, but warping is an issue...especially in high humidity environments such as the Florida Keys.

After the initial frame was assembled, I had to go back and make a few adjustments to account for the variances of the wood.  The end product became quite stable but there were a few unsightly gaps at the corners.  I would simply have to live with the gaps however.  Since I want to be able to disassemble the table, wood filler was not an option.  Plus, the way my top effectively forms a cap over the frame, the defects would be mostly hidden.

The author with the slats installed.

To add additional stability and allow for modular game boards to be used, I decided to follow the example of the Drunken Dwarves and add slats through the center frame.  I have loads of 1/2 inch pink insulation foam that will be used for upcoming game boards so I decided to utilize the same measurement for the lip/drop.  Unlike the table that gave me the initial inspiration, an additional lip to keep dice on the table was not added.  I wanted the modular boards to sit flush with the frame itself.

As you can see from the photo above, the frame itself is rather tall.  The legs were cut to 38 1/4 inches to allow for a standing position for an average sized player (I am 5'11" and the lip comes to my waist).  While standing may not sound comfortable, I wanted a table that would allow players to move around and reach without bending over excessively.  For seating, I will be using bar stools with backs so viewing or watching will be at the appropriate level.

Now that the frame was completed, it was time to turn my attention to the table top.  As mentioned above, the paint I originally chose did not do well at hiding marks and wear.  After a year of use, the surface was more than ready for another coat.  Fortunately, or unfortunately...depending on how you look at it, I still had some of the original gray paint left over.  Rather than spend more money I decided to use it again for the base coat.  My reasoning was that since most of it would be painted over with the water effects I planned to apply, it wouldn't matter that the paint wasn't the best choice.  Well, I traded one problem for another.  Two years had not been kind to the consistency and after applying a coat, I realized it was rather clumpy.  In retrospect, I should have sanded the table and started over with a different paint but I was ready to finish the project.  I kept the coat as is and continued to the next step.

Since many of my games are based on or near the water, I decided to paint the main top in an ocean pattern.  This would allow for my Pirates of the Spanish Main, War at Sea, and Legends of the High Seas games to take place with little change to the board between sessions.  This would also allow me to use the board as is for my Port Antigua project.

To create the illusion of the high seas, I used a method I developed when I created a game board for Axis and Allies: War at Sea.  Starting with a light background (in this case a light gray similar to Games Workshop Fortress Gray) I applied blue spray paint in random horizontal strips.  This effect resembles the view one would get when flying over open water.  By varying the amount of gray showing between the blue, different sea states can be depicted.  For calm water, very little of the base color would be showing while rough seas could be created by allowing more of the gray to show.

 

By adding other shades of blue, an entirely different ocean can be created.  I went with royal blue to reflect deeper water but simply applying strips of aqua blue or possibly a nice shade of blue-green would yield an effect not unlike the shallows found around reefs in the Caribbean.  Whatever colors are used, it is vital to keep the passes of paint both randomly spaced and somewhat muted (I spray a bit further away than normal to allow for the paint to disperse over a wider area).

The table is now mostly finished and ready for gaming.  The last two steps I plan to do are 1) adding slats and a fitted sheet of plywood to the bottom frame to allow for storage and 2) staining the frame and legs a nice dark brown.  Hopefully I will not let another year pass before completion.  However, since I have been away from my paints and games for several days while working on the project, I do not expect to finish in the next few days.  This could mean trouble.....

I love looking at photos of other game tables and gaming rooms.  Where do you play and what do you play on?

History of the Waywatchers of Cardolan - part 1

Though it has been an important part of my life since late 2006 when I was invited to the closed beta, I have not given much love or attention to The Lord of the Rings Online.  An even more distressing fact is that except in passing, I have not even mentioned the kinship I founded...the Waywatchers of Cardolan.

Back in 2006 during the closed beta, I started thinking about what kind of kinship (the LotRO name for guilds) I wanted to join.  As a huge fan of the books and the Professor, I knew I wanted it to be tied as closely as possible to the lore.  Though I have many issues with player-created back stories that integrate too closely with the written word, I still wanted a kinship that fit with the theme and could have easily been part of the story.  It was also important that the group be comprised of mature players who did NOT spend hours upon hours glued to the keyboard and had no real lives to speak of.  That is a warning signal to me and I have had poor luck with those types of individuals in the past.  Finally, I wanted a kinship that I did not have to lead.  Having run a roleplaying guild in Everquest II, I was more than ready to be a "player" and not the "DM" for once.

I searched and searched for such a group of folks both in-game during beta play testing and on the official LotRO forums, which were quite active at the time with other fans eagerly awaiting a beta invite or the game to go live.  Unfortunately, my quest to find a appropriate fit to the guidelines I set out above proved fruitless.  A few possibilities came close but there was always something lacking.  I began to despair that I would play the game without like-minded individuals in which to share my love of the setting.

Fortunately, another frequent visitor to the forums noticed my many posts in which I touted my love of Middle-earth and my desire to live a "virtual life" there.  He sent me a message basically stating the same, and voiced many of the same concerns about finding a kinship.  After several more conversations, we decided to form a partnership and create our own kinship based on the guidelines I mentioned above.  With my extensive knowledge (and love) of the setting, the plan was that I would create the kinship, furnish it with appropriate background and lore, and guide the direction of the roleplayers in the group.  Since he worked from home, he would help run the day to day activities and be the online presence when I was unavailable.  Though I still had reservations about running another guild and the feasibility of two people trying to lead a group in tandem, I decided to give the project a chance.

I immediately went to work on the background.  Much of my inspiration came while hiking through the woods in the afternoons after work.  It was during these jaunts that I formed the building blocks of the kinship:  1) The kinship must operate under the philosophy that real life (RL) comes first.  2)  Our background should tie into the novels and the game without affecting the written story or Turbine's mechanics.  3)  The theme of the kinship should fit the books.  4)  We should strive to create an immersive atmosphere so that member RPers, and those that associated with us, would get a sense of a persistent world.  5)  And finally, we should provide a vehicle and resource to mentor players of the game who wanted to learn about the world of Middle-earth.

 It was also while walking through the woods that I developed the theme and actual history of the Waywatchers.  Perhaps it was due to the environment and the beautiful pine forests in which I did much of my thinking, but I knew I wanted a secretive military-type group that was more at home in the wilds than in civilized lands and loosely based along the lines of the iconic rangers in the books.  As I walked along the tree-lined trails, a vision of a shadowy company of a once noble lineage began to emerge.  In my mind, the Waywatchers were part of stories told in hushed voices to children or memories of long forgotten realms that a chance meeting in the wilds would prove to be real.  We would be known to the wise and those that often traveled the roads of Eriador but nothing more than a whisper or ghost story to the average man or hobbit.  In short, the Waywatchers were to be legends from the past come to life.

It was important to me to avoid emulating the rangers too closely however.  For one, I was sure the rangers would be an important aspect of the game and I did not want player activities to interfere with Turbine's story.  Also, there was bound to be numerous ranger-type kinships around and thousands of Aragorns, Araagorns, Elllezars or some other derivative of Tolkien's favorite hero.  Most importantly, the rangers were fairly well documented by Tolkien and much of their story during the years in which the game takes place is set in stone.  I needed something different and room to be creative without deviating from the Professor's themes.


It was then that I started thinking about the land of Cardolan.  Tolkien wrote very little about it except a few tales of sadness and loss.  It was once part of the lands of the Dunedain but it was written that the people dwindled and passed into legend.  This gave me an entire region that was mostly unknown in the lore and sparsely populated in which to build my background.  It also allowed me to tie into the history of the rangers without tainting the tale as written by Tolkien.  Now that I had a home and a theme, the rest of the story fell into place.

Cardolan after the division of Arnor.

When the background was unveiled, the story was an immediate hit.  I posted a recruitment announcement in early March 2007 and even though the game had not gone live, the response was incredible.  It turned out that there were indeed others who wanted many of the same components that I considered important in a kinship.  Though only a few of us had access to beta, our membership soared because of the forums and on launch day, the kinship entered Middle-earth with a virtual legion in the ranks.

Of the Founding of the Waywatchers of Cardolan.

Things went well for the first few months.  Membership was high and everyone enjoyed our kinship roleplay, story arcs, questing and social gatherings.  At one point, the Waywatchers neared the fifty member mark and it was decided to halt recruiting for a while to keep our numbers in check.  Some of the more prominent players of this period include:  Whaylen Blackwarden (that's me!), Periago Took, Dorin Oathkeeper, Kennit, Linnuial, Marawen, Annagil Stargift (still a member), Aralt, Branwald, Drachmar, Gamlet, Hagall, Jaiden, Kedlandir, Kimiel, Paskal, Peregrim, and Ciraran.

The Waywatchers gather at Weathertop.

The first kinship story arcs appeared during this period.  These were basically RP events where one, or several of the members created a story and acted as the "dungeon master" for the remained of the kinship, guiding them through the events that usually culminated in some large battle or confrontation.  The story arcs were an important attraction but it was soon apparent that two particular types of events were the most popular with the Waywatchers and would become the hallmark of our kinship:  patrols and campfires.

One of the first marches of the Waywatchers.  This one originated in Archet and concluded in Bree.

Our patrols consisted of an organized march along the roads and wilds the Waywatchers were oathbound to patrol.  At times we would encounter brigands and other ne'er-do-wells that we quickly dispatched or we ended our march at some quest location that members needed to complete.  But mostly our marches were a show of force and an opportunity for the entire kinship to "strut their stuff".  I can still recall seeing other players clear the road as we passed and feel the pride when many would emote a salute or other appropriate gesture.  Frequently, by the end of our march, we would have several tag-a-longs who just wanted to be part of the spectacle or find out more about us.  The campfire events were similar except that we would choose a tactical location to camp and observe the activity on the roads for signs of trouble.  While at these "waystations", we would exchange stories, music, and news with one another as well as plan sorties on unsuspecting bad guys.

The Waywatchers gather to exchange news from our travels and patrols.

All was not well, though, and I knew the halcyon days were coming to an end.  Over several months it became apparent that some of our members were less interested in roleplaying than leveling.  I became alarmed when those players rapidly outdistanced others and cliques and factions began to develop.  The Waywatchers were founded as an immersive RP group and it was made clear in the charter that leveling was secondary to RP.  Unfortunately, some players became unsatisfied with this arrangement and began to drift away.  To my regret, and perhaps relief due to the deteriorating relationship, my co-founder was one of them.  I sensed his slide from roleplayer to end-gamer early on but hoped for the best.

Then it happened.  One day in late July of 2007, the Great RP Split occurred.  About half of the membership defected and decided to found their own kinship.  Some left with honor and good grace while others chose the opportunity to burn bridges with great fanfare.  Of those who remained, morale was severely shaken and what was left of the High Council held several emergency meetings over the next week to discuss our options and chances of survival. The odds were against the now struggling Waywatchers and a fateful decision was finally made.

But that is another story....

(To be continued)