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longish Ambercon UK commentary
Jul. 20th, 2003 11:56 pmIt feels like longer than it was. I know it was only three days, but it feels longer. Perhaps it's the spent adrenalin, or simply the being away from home.
Went to Reading via London on Friday -- not that going to Reading requires going via London, but I had the day off, and didn't have to be there till late afternoon, and it seemed a sin and a shame not to take in some of the London bookshops on the way. (Also picked up some bean paste mochi, which made good nibbles during the games, and which didn't all vanish into the gullets of fellow gamers -- a problem one has when bringing food to games.) Acquired a few books. You know how these things happen. (I must recommend Garth Nix' latest, btw: Mister Monday, the first of seven, young adult, excellent read.)
Friday evening: I was GM: Creatures of Light and Darkness. A lot of fun. Players caught the spirit of the thing nicely, though didn't do quite as much investigation as I'd hoped. Ended up barricading themselves in the Great Hall to wait for midnight, which as any player should know, resulted in the villains of the piece coming to get them just before midnight. Nothing like a good climax.
Saturday day: player: Don't give away the homeworld, in which a load of aides, PAs, and assistants found themselves having to supervise negotiations with Chaos dignitaries in the sudden and unexpected (okay, unexpected in character, the players could all see this coming a mile off) absence of the Princes of Amber. Alas, most of my hard work and treaty-drafting in the negotiations were somewhat wasted when the main representative on the other side turned out to be rather problematic. Still, fun to do, fun to play.
Saturday evening: I was GM: The Fix, with addictions ranging from drugs to painkillers to blackouts to compulsive gambling to cannibalism. Good tense play, very nice play by some players who really behaved according to their claimed addiction and characters, excellent climax.
Sunday day: player: Per dementia, ad infinitum. Our characters got treated the way that Amberites usually treat Shadows. I got to put on a bad Italian accent, and if only I could have avoided it wandering to the Transylvanian, I am sure it would have been quite impressive. Bedded and then murdered our enemy, the king of the alternate-world who was trying to absorb us and who had already disposed of our Elders and drained our sources of power. (I think the GM was rather surprised. How curious. Apparently he'd thought my character would go and be his Empress or something, and certainly not that she'd smash a glass and slit his throat. Really. I know what happened to Oberon's queens, and I use the plural advisedly. Besides, a female character can be as strong-minded as any male one, or as callous, or -- well, I probably preach to the converted.)
Back home now, clearing email, enjoying new writing, relaxing. Have tomorrow off work, thank heavens.
---
What in the skies our souls may so desire
Our blood will burn and follow, down below;
The ancient pattern that our bodies know
Makes answer -- earth and water, air and fire.
Went to Reading via London on Friday -- not that going to Reading requires going via London, but I had the day off, and didn't have to be there till late afternoon, and it seemed a sin and a shame not to take in some of the London bookshops on the way. (Also picked up some bean paste mochi, which made good nibbles during the games, and which didn't all vanish into the gullets of fellow gamers -- a problem one has when bringing food to games.) Acquired a few books. You know how these things happen. (I must recommend Garth Nix' latest, btw: Mister Monday, the first of seven, young adult, excellent read.)
Friday evening: I was GM: Creatures of Light and Darkness. A lot of fun. Players caught the spirit of the thing nicely, though didn't do quite as much investigation as I'd hoped. Ended up barricading themselves in the Great Hall to wait for midnight, which as any player should know, resulted in the villains of the piece coming to get them just before midnight. Nothing like a good climax.
Saturday day: player: Don't give away the homeworld, in which a load of aides, PAs, and assistants found themselves having to supervise negotiations with Chaos dignitaries in the sudden and unexpected (okay, unexpected in character, the players could all see this coming a mile off) absence of the Princes of Amber. Alas, most of my hard work and treaty-drafting in the negotiations were somewhat wasted when the main representative on the other side turned out to be rather problematic. Still, fun to do, fun to play.
Saturday evening: I was GM: The Fix, with addictions ranging from drugs to painkillers to blackouts to compulsive gambling to cannibalism. Good tense play, very nice play by some players who really behaved according to their claimed addiction and characters, excellent climax.
Sunday day: player: Per dementia, ad infinitum. Our characters got treated the way that Amberites usually treat Shadows. I got to put on a bad Italian accent, and if only I could have avoided it wandering to the Transylvanian, I am sure it would have been quite impressive. Bedded and then murdered our enemy, the king of the alternate-world who was trying to absorb us and who had already disposed of our Elders and drained our sources of power. (I think the GM was rather surprised. How curious. Apparently he'd thought my character would go and be his Empress or something, and certainly not that she'd smash a glass and slit his throat. Really. I know what happened to Oberon's queens, and I use the plural advisedly. Besides, a female character can be as strong-minded as any male one, or as callous, or -- well, I probably preach to the converted.)
Back home now, clearing email, enjoying new writing, relaxing. Have tomorrow off work, thank heavens.
---
What in the skies our souls may so desire
Our blood will burn and follow, down below;
The ancient pattern that our bodies know
Makes answer -- earth and water, air and fire.
