Kingbeast's Lair

Date At Start Of Game: 2/18/207

[Author's Note: This is the log for the 32nd session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play.]

The Hidden Valley

After braving the secret chamber below the gears the PC venture out to the other side. After emerging from the gears they find themselves looking down into a secluded mountain valley. In the valley are several interesting landmarks including a large dragon skeleton, a graveyard, a large white pool, and three cave entrances. As the PC start to descend into the valley a large snake looms up and confronts them. Oren yells at the snake in an attempt scare it back into his lair. With an amazing act of defiance the snake cringes back into its hole! With that the group heads to the skeleton first.

As the group approaches the skeleton they begin to realize the massive size of the creature. Also to their surprise the bones seem somewhat fresh! There are actually bits of flesh hanging down from the ribs and the skull is missing. In front of the carcass is a freshly erected plaque that reads:

Sunscratch, the Betrayer. May his bones serve as warning. To take the life of another dragon is a grievous crime. To rise up against his brothers and strike at his liege-lords is unforgivable. Look upon this false dragon and know the justice of the Dragon Kings is swift and sure.

As the group nears the remains they are greeted by a strange lizard kin that is adorned with various fetishes. In harsh broken Draconic language the creature tells the PC to bow down to Sunscratch! Not wanting to provoke the being the PC decide to simply back off and leave it alone.

Next the PC approach the graveyard. The graveyard is surrounded by a large black gate. Inside are humanoid sized graves and a large stone dragon statue. Po detects magic and does not see anything. Cillian looks around with his stone sight and discovers two things. First he discovers that there is a coffin that is glowing with magic. He also discovers that the large dragon statue is hollow. Inside are two candles lighting up what appears to be a reliquary (i.e. a place where the dead are revered). Oren starts to the dig up the grave while the PC watch. As Oren pulls open the lid a strange shadowy grave warden ghost approaches with a shovel. Po lets loose a MASSIVE spell using his necklace that sets the ghost dancing. By continually feeding the spell Po is able to keep the creature at bay. This gives Oren a change to retrieve another one of the Dragon trumpets. After retrieving the trumpet the PC decide to leave the graveyard.

The PC next investigate the pool. At the bottom of 15′ of water the PC see the fourth Dragon trumpet! Cillian tries to raise it out of the water using his wind power but after rising a few feet it stops as if some unseen wall is blocking it. When that happens the PC near the edge of the water to investigate. Oren drops some cloth which sinks to a certain depth then stops. Next Oren grabs a massive boulder and throws it into the pool. When the rock reaches a certain depth it stops then slowly slides off. At that point a massive water creature with glowing yellow eyes emerges from the pool! Pseudopods whip out flailing at Po and attempting to drown Kanga! Cillian quickly grants the PC water breathing to protect them from drowning. Oren and Bilby cut loose on the creature delivering massive blows. Soon it sinks back into the pool and the PC retrieve the trumpet.

The Vault Of The Dragon Kings

After the encounter at the pool the PC move towards a large tunnel at the far end of the valley. The tunnel opens out into a massive marble hall that is lighted with glowing gems from carvings on the roof of the chamber. At the end of the great hall is a massive set of double doors that appear to be hastily barricaded with broken pillars. As the group enters the hall Bilby makes out some voices in a side alcove at the end of the room. When Cillian looks into the area using his stone sight he sees three large Gila Monster Kin and a strange six legged lizard. In a flash Cillian is turned to stone! Acting swiftly Bilby uses his Spirit Splitter sword to dispel the effect returning Cillian to flesh. Now the group decides to approach blindfolded with Bilby leading the way using his sonar. When the creatures come out of the alcove they approach the PC. One of the lizards is a burly barbarian, one is a shaman with a shield and a lantern, and the last is an archer. With them is a basilisk! Cillian rushes forward and uses his flame spell to attack the Gila Monster Kin. After his attack the wizard heals them with a single deft spell! Bilby rushes the basilisk using his amazing speed to lure the creature away from the party. The barbarian rushes forward with a massive flail! He charges Oren who is taunting him. The archer start pelting the PC with arrows. At first the large lizard kin land some blows causing some damage to the party. As soon as the basilisk turns to confront Bilby the PC open their eyes and start cutting loose. Po lets go a powerful curse on the archer, Oren cuts loose on the barbarian in a berserk rage, Kanga and Cillian blast away at the shaman. Strangely the shaman’s lantern seems to be increasing the power of Cillian’s flame attacks! The shaman cuts loose with a blast on Cillian but the young thief raise his hand deflecting the blast around him in a blaze of light! The tides swiftly shift in the favor of the PC. Soon the barbarian is knocked out, the shaman is nearly dead, the archer has surrendered, and the basilisk has been killed.

Date At End Of Game: 2/18/207

-== What is it? ==-

Gankutsuou is an anime series that retells the classic Alexandre Dumas story The Count Of Monte Cristo. The series aired in Japan from October 2004 to March 2005. It is directed by Mahiro Maeda of Blue Submarine No. 6 fame and animated by studio Gonzo (Basilisk, Samurai 7, Desert Punk, etc). It is currently being published by FUNimation.

There is some brief nudity in the series but it is not gratuitous. Gankutsuou also has some bloodletting but it is not excessive. The thing the movie has a lot of is adult themes and subject matter. Gankutsuou is rated “17+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating could be a bit high. I might go as low as “15+”.

The boxed set I purchased is known as the “Complete Set”. (The one I purchased is shown in the image attached to this blog post.) Gankutsuou is comprised of 24 episodes that total roughly 600 minutes of content.

-== What I Like ==-

The story of Gankutsuou is very close to the classic story of the Count Of Monte Cristo. There are a few very important differences. First the series is told from the perspective of Albert (i.e. the son of Fernand) NOT the Count’s. This is an interesting choice as Albert is not a serious character in the novel. In this story he is the focal point and his friends, most of which are created for the anime series, add a lot of depth. The second major change is that the series is catapulted into the future (i.e. to 5053). In this version of the future there are colonies on the various planets and the wars are interstellar in nature but politics are still hot and heavy in Paris. In essence moving the timeline forward does not affect the main plot points to any large degree. The final change in Gankutsuou is that it does not start with the story of the Count. It starts when Albert meets the Count with his friend Franz. The background of the count is told in flashbacks and clues that are uncovered during the course of the series. I think this change really gave the writers of the series a chance to shine. I thought this change made the story incredibly fun to watch especially if the viewer is not familiar with the Count Of Monte Cristo story. As you might guess from my description I was fascinated with the story in Gankutsuou. It captures the best bits from the Count Of Monte Cristo then adds it own flair. First rate storytelling.

The various characters in Gankutsuou are just wonderful. They are intricate, have their own motivations, and add so much to the story. Some of my favorites include the Count, Albert, Mercedes (Albert’s mother), Haydee (the Count’s harp player), Eugine (Albert’s eventual love interest), Valentine (Prosecutor Villefort’s daughter), Franz (Albert’s closest friend), and Peppo (mysterious employee of Fernand’s and new friend of Albert’s).

The English voice acting in the series is very nicely performed. I particularly liked the actor who portrayed the Count, Jamieson Price. His booming voice really hit home in several scenes. Johnny Yong Bosch of Mighty Morphin Power Ranger fame also did a great job as the main character Albert.

The main thing that most animation fans will notice when they first see shots of Gankutsuou is the art style. The art style in the series is VERY different. For the costume textures and some background elements the animators replaced the color with detailed patterns that have a static feel but add a lot of life to the characters. I’m betting that most folks either hate this artistic approach or love it. Personally I think it is utterly breathtaking. Every time one of the characters, especially the women characters, came out in a new outfit I literally gasped. Another interesting choice with the artwork is that even though the setting for Gankutsuou is in the future they left the 19th century fashions and artistic style. This produced fantastic period dresses with a modern appeal and cool vehicles like the Count’s mechanical carriage.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

As I mentioned earlier in the review the way Gankutsuou retells the story of the Count Of Monte Cristo is masterfully done. Saying that it is VERY intricate and can get quite tricky. You have to pay attention to remember how all of the characters relate and who has slept with whom.

Probably my main gripe with Gankutsuou is with these large robotic suits of armor that nobles use for dueling. These suits of armor were generated with CGI and did not mesh well with the fantastic art style of the rest of the series. More importantly they just obscured emotion from the viewer. You couldn’t see when characters were cringing unless they decided to do a cutaway shot. I did not like any of these scenes because it pulled me out of the narrative.

-== Summary ==-

If you want to watch a beautiful anime full of court intrigue and mysterious nobles then Gankutsuou is for you. Even if you don’t buy the series hunt up some video so you can check out the art style. Fantastic stuff.

You can pickup the S.A.V.E. pack at RightStuf.com for $22.49 at this URL. For the exact same price Amazon has it at this URL.

I give it 8 out of 10 paws.

During the early 90′s I published a newsletter that I emailed out to anyone who would listen. At the time my audience was comprised primarily of gaming buddies and folks on the Checkered Demon BBS. Each issue is like a collection of mini blog posts.

Topics vary from issue to issue but focus on Hero Games product reviews/rules, video game reviews, comic book reviews, and other miscellaneous news items that would be appropriate for my gaming group. Looking back I think doing the small reviews in these issues whet my appetite for the type of more in depth reviews that I am performing now on this very blog.

You can find copies of the currently posted issues at this URL: http://usandacat.com/thelair/file-downloads/other-files/

The first 10 issues include the following highlights:

• Quotes from gaming sessions.
• Incorporating rules from Mystic Masters.
• My own set of Danger International rules for playing Cyberpunk.
• Product reviews of the old Champions Shield, Mind Games, Mystic Masters, Challenges For Champions, Zodiac Conspiracy, and Invasion: Target Earth.
• The start of the infamous Seth’s Rules Of Dungeoneering.

More issues are coming soon! Watch this blog for details!

-== What is it? ==-

Batman Year One animates the brilliant story from Batman issues #404 through #407. These issues were written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli so the Batman Year One team at Warner Brothers Animation has a tough act to follow. The movie was directed by Sam Lui and Lauren Montgomery. It was produced by DC animation gurus Bruce Timm and Sam Register. Andrea Romano takes on the voice direction. Voice talents include Benjamin McKenzie (Batman), Bryan Cranston (James Gordon), Eliza Dushku (Catwoman), and Katee Sackhoff (Detective Essen). Batman Year One was released in October 2011 by Warner Brothers Animation.

Unlike a lot of other Batman stories Batman Year One is predominately a story about James Gordon. The story tell how Gordon rises in the corrupt Gotham police force to the position of Commissioner. Along the way Gordon has to deal with all kinds of trials and tribulations like police corruption, trouble in his personal life, crime bosses, and the emergence of the Batman.

There is some explicit violence in the movie and some adult subject matter but there are no sex scenes. Probably the most adult scene is in the Catwoman showcase (i.e. one of the extras). The movie is rated “PG-13″ and I think that rating is accurate.

I purchased the standard edition version of the DVD. The version I have has some extras but not too many (see below for details). The main movie is 64 minutes long.

-== What I Like ==-

The animated form of Batman Year One closely follows the story presented in the Batman comics. This is probably the strongest aspect of the movie. The story races along at a breakneck pace using location, date, and time references to separate the scenes and speed up the storytelling. The effect is similar to that used by Tom Clancy in his techno-thriller novels. Although the pace of the story is lightning fast is does not lose the viewer but instead chains them to their seat for fear of missing something cool that might be coming along next.

The voice talents in Batman Year One are for the most part very well done. Bryan Cranston does a wonderful job with Gordon as does Katee Sackoff as Detective Essen. Eliza Dusku does a great job portraying the tough as nails Selina Kyle that is present in the main movie. Probably my only disappointment was with Benjamin McKenzie as Batman. At critical times his voice was not scary enough. When Benjamin as Batman utters those critical one liners they sometimes came off as monotone or droll…not frightening.

The Catwoman short that is on the DVD is a fun romp. It tells a solo story featuring Selina Kyle. The story involves Catwoman getting sucked into an international smuggling ring run by a thug named Rough Cut. The story is short but sweet and the animation is wonderful. The action is crisp, smooth, and very well done. Probably my only complaint is with Eliza Dushku. In the main movie Catwoman comes across as being very tough with the seduction nature played down. Eliza’s raspy tone really sounds perfect for “tough as nails Selena Kyle”. In the Showcase piece Catwoman has a very seductive scene in a strip club. For this scene Eliza’s raspy tone distracted me instead of enticed me.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The animation in the main Batman Year One movie was the same as that found in the Catwoman short. It is clear and really shows off the action well. The problem is that it is not David Mazzucchelli’s Batman Year One. David brought a grittiness to the artwork. He also brought a sort of unsteadiness in the lines that really makes the entire book feel tense. It matches the story perfectly. The stunning artwork of Mazzucchelli’s Batman masterpiece is not here.

The extras on the single disc edition are poor. They include the Catwoman Showcase, and extended previews for Justice League: Doom, All-Star Superman, and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. The Catwoman piece is great but the rest of the extras are just extended commercials. I would have loved to have a piece on making Batman Year One and an audio track from the producers. There is a two disc edition available and after doing some research it looks like it might have been a better package as they extended the extras quite a bit.

-== Summary ==-

There are really a lot of things to like about Batman Year One. The story is wonderful and the voice acting is pretty great. If you have not read the source material then the movie will likely come off a lot stronger. I still think Batman Year One is a pretty great product even if you have read the Batman comics. In fact this might be one of the best Batman animated movies…it is certainly one of the best animated features I have seen this year.

You can picks a copy of the single disc edition at Amazon at this URL for $13.99. RightStuf.com also carries the product at this URL.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.