Kingbeast’s Lair

-== What is it? ==-

Utawarerumono is the story of a man, Hakuoro, who loses his memory and wants to figure out his past but real life threats keep getting in the way. The main plot threads involve a love interest with the woman who nurses him back to health, his rise to power, and his attempt to figure out his mysterious past.

I purchased the Hybrid bundle of all 26 episodes plus the art box. It is from Funimation.

-== What I Like ==-

Utawarerumono is full of likeable characters who are fun to see kick some serious butt. Some of the minor side characters are actually really intriguing. Karura is a minor cat girl character who wears a large metal collar around her neck and carries a MASSIVE sword. The sword is so large that nobody except for her can even lift it. Often Karura will slam the ground sending enemies flying! Benawi is the general of Hakuoro’s forces and a deft warrior. It is fun to watch him outsmart foes that might seems much more powerful. He uses a polearm type weapon. Touka is from race known to be amazing warriors but they are sworn to oaths and honor. She really throws down in several scenes. One funny thing is that I don’t feel the main characters are as interesting. If anything it should be the other way around.

The main character Hakuoro has a very cool mystery about him. He wakes up with no memory and tries to piece back his life. Later in the series his past literally explodes on the scene and makes him question who and what he is…very nicely done.

The bad guys that Hakuoro meets as he rises through the ranks are particularly funny and the anime art style for these characters reflects. Often the bad guys are comic relief.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

By far my biggest complaint with the series is that it is VERY slow in developing. You need get through first two or three DVDs before the story gets really interesting. This is a huge issue.

Some of the characters are a bit “kiddy”. In one scene three of the really young character get together and play. It almost seems out of place with the rest of the story and themes.

The art style is a bit loose and sometimes it has a juvenile feel. You don’t get the strong animation style like you get in Basilisk. (See my earlier review.) At times it can get the point of being distracting.

-== Summary ==-

Utawarerumono is really a mediocre story with an interesting cast of minor side players. If you want a fantasy romp that is a bit slow to develop the look it up. It runs for only $20 for the Collector’s Edition on RightStuf. Here is a link.

I give it 5 out of 10 paws.

The Spirit Storm campaign document has been updated with the following two changes. You can download a copy of the latest PDF from the File Downloads page. Please see the PDF file and text in question for details on the changes.

Version 1.6 (1/1/10)

• Added section on buying new spells and creating magic items. These are significant adds to the magic section.

Version 1.7 (1/26/10)

• Tuned the section on buying new spells slightly. All the tuning involved only grammatical corrections and clarifications of the text.
• Several changes were made to Karma. First it is now again called Luck to avoid confusion with Karma Points. More importantly the cost has been increased. I realized that when I play tested this rule change the sessions were 6 hours in length. As the Karma Points gained from Luck are refreshed at the start of each play session the length of the session directly impacts the effectiveness of the power.

Date At Start Of Game: 06/27/206

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 9th session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play.]

The Glacial Lair (cont)

After a quick discussion the party decides to have Oren tunnel into the adjoining room so that they can bypass a walk on the small ledge in the larger room with the crevasse. After breaking into the room at the end of the tunnel the group is attacked by several Whitefish Kin, the Whitefish Chief Yng, and the Blackfly Shaman Jarklo. The first focus of the characters is Yng. Po curses him while Cillian uses entangle sling stones. Oren bashes one Whitefish Kin setting him up for Bilby who takes him out with an assassin stroke. Jarklo uses ice entangle sling stones and a heat sapping spell to do some damage while evading attack using a type of blur related defensive spell. During the attack Cillian is entangled then melts out of it using a hereby unknown fire elemental power. Before falling Jarklo utters that the Dark Lord is regaining power in Ape Man.

After the attack the PC investigate the area in detail. In a massive spring there is a black mortar hanging from a simple rope. When it is pulled from the water Po confirms that the poisoning effect is removed. The players then decide to put the fertility idol into the spring. When this is done it begins to heal the poison in the water. The players decide to let it run for some time in several rooms.

In the same room appears to be a hovel that is the home of Jarklo. They find strange tally marks on one wall that seem to be some type of crude system for counting days and months. They also find that Jarklo’s necklace is magical. It is made of pearls and has a strange coral pendant of a scorpion with a raised tail. Po puts it on and discovers that it is a kind of magical message system that exchanges messages with Jarklo’s master. Po finds the following two messages behind two doors…

Blue Door – The camera fades to black then a stark white. The multifaceted scene is that of the urn with water running through it. A voice speaks in a buzzing tone, “As you surmised convincing the Leopardess that I could cure her people using the fertility idol was simple. Desperate people will believe anyone offering a “healing hand”. She immediately brought the idol to me. I have kept in as a gift for you.”

Red Door – The camera fades to black then a dark red. It pans back to show a small lantern lit chamber with throw pillows and a dark red carpet. Tapestries line the walls all in a deep brick red pallor. A masked and distorted voice speaks in Ape Man, “You have done well my friend. I have learned of the warring tribes and I feel the low moans of ecstasy from the depths…ahhh…but I must inform you that our Maggot Kin friend has not reported. I suspect his package will not arrive and that his mission has been compromised. If you see Narduhl please tell him to find me and report immediately. My feeling is that the new group of avatars from the Gray Pine might be involved in his disappearance. I have also learned our “Dark Leader” is now working on a larger grandiose plan that should bring our Dark Lord back to the stature that he so justly deserves. With “Crimson Tears” nearing completion we should be well on our way…[evil laugh]…”

The PC then leave the glacial lair with Jarklo tied up and strapped to Oren’s back. They return to the Wolf Kin camp where they return the fertility idol and heal those that are sick using treated water. The PC decide to let the Wolf Kin pack decide how to deal with Jarklo. Silverback the shaman says that she wants to visit the Owl Kin tribe with Jarklo and the idol. She asks the PC to accompany her so that the tale will be believed. The PC readily agree.

The Last Member Of The White Owl Kin

The Wolf Kin scouts guide the PC to the area that is considered the home of the Owl Kin. After searching for several days the scouts are only able to find old camps, and trails from the dead. Eventually they track several Owl Kin back to Longwinter village near the fort. As the PC approach the village they see some movement near one of the houses. As they approach they are attacked by the Owl Kin shaman, Tiaga, who is now a ghoul and servant of the Dark Lord. (Tiaga is actually a Snow Leopard Kin.) Tiaga attacks the PC with her spear, a pet wolverine, and four animated Owl totems! Oren takes on Tiaga while the rest of the PC work on the minions. Cillian burns up some of the Owl totems with his newly discovered flaming hands. The wolverine attacks Silverback and nearly kills her before the PC and Wolf Kins warriors can kill the beast. Some magical healing and deft skill use from Po is the only reason she lives. After the battle the PC part ways with the Wolf Kin and return to Ambrosia Trades.

Returning To Ambrosia Trades

At Ambrosia Trades the PC report what they found to the leader. Oren spins a tale using his Oratory skill that attracts quite a crowd. After the debriefing the PC decide to stay a while so that Oren’s breast plate can get some work and so that Po can start researching some new spells. Gray Pine’s branch points strongly to the southeast…

Date At End Of Game: 07/28/206

Holy freholy! This is a steal. My gosh. Here is a link to Fred’s blog with the details. Wow.

-== What is it? ==-

Albion’s Ransom: Little Girl Lost is an adventure module for The Esoterrorists by Pelgrane Press. It is written by Ian Sturrock and all artwork and layout is by Jerome Huguenin. This adventure takes the PC to England where they find that a missing persons case has taken a turn toward the outer dark.

I reviewed a printed copy from November 2007. I have not run the adventure I have only read it. The product is 105 pages long with a completely black and white interior with a color cover. There is not an index but there is a detailed table of contents.

-== What I Like ==-

The flow of the first few major chapters is not too bad. It moves in a logical fashion from one section to the next following the flow of the uncovered clues.

The adventure is of respectable length. It will take several sessions to complete the adventure. The supplement explains that Little Girl Lost is actually the first part of a longer campaign adventure called Albion’s Ransom. One issue is that the rest of Albion’s Ransom may never be produced. It will likely depend on how well Little Girl Lost sells.

There is a section on drugs use in The Esoterrorists. The section covers the effects of various drugs and what happens when they are combined. It is nicely done and very detailed.

There are appendices that cover the UK at a high level and discuss various Esoterror related threats. These sections also cover some of the culture that is relevant to the genre. It is a bit sparse but very nicely written.

I really like the cover art. It has a creepy sort of feel that fits the genre well. Jerome really does The Esoterrorists right with this one. The interior art is a bit dark in some places but overall it is not too bad. The layout switches between a darker and lighter borders every few pages. The effect is not distracting and is actually kind of attractive. I think the usability of the product could be increased if the light and dark transitions were done for each chapter.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The module has several elements that are not typically encountered in Esoterrorist runs. One of them I will spoil now so don’t read this if you don’t want any spoilers. In the adventure an OV resource turns on the PC. In general this is not standard of the setting. My feeling is that when you only have two published adventures you should not go too far outside of the box. You should make adventures that really fit the genre perfectly. After you have some material under your line then venture to other territory.

I think one of my biggest complaints about the module is that there is a lot of text dedicated to NPC who are really not important to the plot. Some NPC have very long descriptions with tons of interview information that provide very little, if any, critical investigation data. At the end where I felt there could have been more data provided it felt kind of rushed. This might be an editing issue but when I read the module that is how it came off.

The adventure is set in the UK but I felt like it could have also been easily written in the US. I actually think it should have been written in the US for a couple of reasons. One reason is that more material could have been put in to the adventure as less would be needed for the appendices. As I mentioned above I also feel that if you only have two adventures write them both in your primary stomping grounds, the US. Finally, if the adventure was set in a US city any background information could be then used for a campaign city for the PC. It would be less of a visit and more useful as campaign background material.

-== Summary ==-

Even though I was elated about Profane Miracles I was not so happy about Albion’s Ransom: Little Girl Lost. There is not a lot of material for the setting right now but I still have a hard time recommending this product. It sells for $22.95 which feels a bit high but not that out of whack.

I give it 4 out of 10 paws

This is freakin’ cool…role play on the street. AWESOME!

-== What is it? ==-

Two ninja clans pitted against each other in a duel to the death while their respective leaders are trying to end the conflict so that they can get married. Lots of blood. Lots of drama. Think warring ninja clans meet Romeo and Juliet and you got it. I have the collector box edition with all 6 DVDs. (Note that this is not the one shown in the accompanying image.) There are a total of 24 episodes. Each episode is roughly 30 minutes in length.

-== What I Like ==-

Basilisk has a fantastic visual style. The visual style has a stronger sense of realism than some of the lighter anime. I personally really enjoy this more realistic style. One exception might be Oboro’s purple eyes which sometimes show as extremely large but this is done at the proper times and with a purpose. Her eyes are a focus for her ninja power.

Each ninja has a really interesting super secret special ninja power. Some are really off the wall but they are all very fun to watch. It always amazed me how the writers expose each character’s secret power through the ongoing story. It is very well crafted.

The story is not revolutionary or that surprising but it is very well executed. The tension builds and builds as each clan plays out their hand. This all leads to a fantastic climax that is very dramatic. I’ll admit that I actually teared up at the ending.

There was a nice mix of blood and drama. There was not so much of either that you got appalled or bored. In fact the good balance seemed to heighten the overall impact quite well.

I purchased the collectors edition that includes a wooden storage box, a paper scroll, and some ninja cards. The real star here is the wooden storage box which has great artwork and a classic anime feel that aligns well with the series. The cards are nicely printed but not special. The paper scroll is a real let down. It is flimsy and not well executed. I would actually suggest avoiding the collectors edition unless you want the neat wooden storage box.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

It had been a while since I watched a series with such tough Japanese names. Initially it can be daunting keeping the names and clans straight. After a few episodes it really becomes clearer and there is not an issue. Do be warned that you may have to watch the first couple of episodes then replay them again after you have the names nailed down.

RightStuf give Basilisk and Age Rating of 17+ and I think that rating is accurate. There are a couple of rape scenes in Basilisk that are a bit harsh. The most gratuitous scene is being used to show how really bad Tenzen (i.e. “the big baddie”) can be but I think they go a bit too far.

There is some extravagant gore to the bloodletting and some nudity that seems extraneous but overall it is not that bad. To put it simply…you don’t want to be a mook around these folks if you plan on keeping your body parts.

There are really not a lot of DVD extras worth mentioning at all. There are some round table talks with some of the Japanese voice talent that are translated but they are not too exciting and a bit strange at times.

-== Summary ==-

I found Basilisk from Funimation to be an excellent anime series. It is in my top 5 anime list and possibly in my top 3. You can get a copy of the entire series for $28 from RightStuf.com. Here is the link.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.

Date At Start Of Game: 06/27/206

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 8th session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play.]

The Glacial Lair (cont)

After some discussion the PC decide to have Oren dig a side escape tunnel then to use the underwater entrance. Cillian leads the way after making sure the room is empty. Once Cillian checks the side passages Oren swims through then the rest of the PC are pulled in with ropes. At this point the PC realize that they are all infected by the water. Following the tainted water the PC enter a larger room with a pool at the bottom. Po takes a look but is spotted by two Blackfly Kin. Quickly Kanga pins the two to a nearby wall and the PC knock them out. In the next area the PC find a room with the fertility idol from the White Owl Kin. The idol is a petrified wood figure of a very pregnant humanoid. As Cillian grabs abd bags the fertility idol Oren crushes two Whitefish Kin who are in the room fishing. This combat attracts several Whitefish and Blackfly from another room. As Kanga is watching this room he opens fire pinning everything to nearby walls or ceiling. The rest of the PC join him and eventually rout the remaining denizens of the area with deft combat work from all of the PC.

Searching the adjoining rooms lead the PC to the large cavernous room that Bilby and Po found earlier and an underwater pipe that seems to lead to the source of the tainted water. When Cillian tries to investigate the underwater pipe the current is too strong and the water is too cold for him to proceed. At this point the PC try and decide on the best course of action..

Date At End Of Game: 06/27/206

I wanted to provide a brief recap of my 2009 gaming life but mostly I just wanted to give a holiday greeting.

Started My Spirit Storm Campaign

In 2009 I started my Spirit Storm campaign. It is now 7 sessions in and going great. I really like the way the PC are emerging and starting to make a place in the campaign world. Special holiday wishes to my fantastic players! Thanks Don, Jim, Jeff, Brian, Geoff, and Steve!

Derek’s Darkwalker Campaign

Had a blast playing in Derek’s Darkwalker campaign and actually running one episode. What a kick tail set of players. All the warmest to Derek, Gary, Jason, Maggie, Tim, and Dan!

Blog Cross Posted

I am really working on trying to improve my writing skills so I was tickled to see several of my blog entries cross posted on other sites. Even some of the manufacturer sites posted links to my product reviews. Very cool.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Happy holidays and warm wishes for a blazing hot 2010 RPG year! May all your rolls be criticals…unless as Derek points out…you are a GM…in that case…may all your roll be as you want them to fall.

Date At Start Of Game: 06/26/206

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 7th session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play.]

The Village Of Longwinter

As the savage White Owl Kin press their attack on the besieged fort the few defenders prepare to fire their bows. Po heals the defenders while the rest of the PC decide to wait and watch. As the ghoulish attackers start scaling the walls Po starts cursing them and Kanga opens fire from long range. The attackers fall quickly after landing only a couple of hits on the fort defenders.

After the combat the fort commander, Will Fraiser, describes the situation. For the last 2 weeks the fort and Wolf Kin clan has been attacked by the White Owl Kin. It started around a month ago when the White Owl Kin claimed that the Wolf Kin stole their fertility idol which is causing several of their clan to fall ill. The Wolf Kin tried to explain that they had not taken the idol and went to the fort for protection and to try and enlist some aid. Soon White Owl Kin, Wolf Kin, and some of the fort defenders all started to become sick. The sickness starts with a terrible thirst. After about 7 to 10 days severe fatigue set it. Finally blood appears around the eyes then blindness follows. After death the victim rise as an animated corpse! The young male Wolf Kin in the fort, Silvermaw, beg Po to help his clan. Po first uses the stick. It points well past Longwinter towards the mountains and not towards either clan. Weighing their options the PC and remaining fort soldiers decide to head to the Wolf Kin clan.

What Remains Of The Wolf Kin Clan

After a trek through the woods the PC enter the Wolf Clan village and meet with their shaman, Silverback. Luckily she is able to speak Ape Man and addresses the party. While healing some of the clan Po senses a spirit in the eyes of one of the blind Wolf Kin warriors. He decides to try putting the black rocks the party found earlier on the eyes of the warrior. This tends to stabilize the man so he leaves them with the clan.

The Glacial Lair

The next morning the PC follow the stick to an area that Silverback described as “holy”. At the site they find three streams, an idol made of stacked stones, and the start of a large iceberg. When Cillian looks at the stacked stone idol he senses very stong earth spirits. In his vision the inside of the idol seems to almost glow with an inner light. When the PC investigate the iceberg they find a pool at the start of the one of the streams. Under the water in the pool is a tunnel that leads into the iceberg. Cillian goes to investigate as he is the only PC present who can actually swim. When he gets to the end of the roughly 20 foot long tunnel he finds a pool with two small beings. Using wind Cillian knocks down a stone from the wall and peaks up. He sees two small figures who appear to be flies (i.e. Blackfly Kin). They have wings and multifaceted eyes.

As the pool entrance looks tricky for the PC they decide to look for other entrances. After lots of ariel recon Po and Bilby find an opening in the rocks that leads into a massive cavity in the iceberg. The portal into the cavity is on the roof of the chamber. While watching Bilby spies several Blackfly Kin and two fish creatures (aka Whitefish Kin) with crude looking spears. This entrance is even worse than the underwater tunnel.

Now what?!?

Date At End Of Game: 06/27/206