(GMB) OOC

[AndrewTBP]

The letter laid in is real. It was included with my copies of Stealing Cthulhu by Graham Walmsley.

[Bookman]

That is incredibly cool. Now all you need to do is find the annotated copy and ultimate power could be yours too.

[AndrewTBP]

What was on page 67?

I haven't specified the book or the contents of page 67. I wanted to leave that to you and the other players, improv theatre style.

[Taavi]

Hope everyone had a merry Yithmas and Happy New Year. When might we see some further movement, Grafster?

[Taavi]

Hi all,

I assume you've all seen Grafster's message (reproduced below, just in case).

First off, to keep a sense of proportion, congrats to Grafster on his promotion; it doesn't sound like the sort of thing you could have seen coming, so don't beat yourself up.

On to the topic. Bookman and I had already been discussing a potential campaign for Bookhounds. So, I'm prepared to stick my hand up, if people are willing to try our campaign idea in alpha-test mode; that is, accepting that it will be a work in progress. I'll do my best to run with Grafster's ideas too.

Here is a list of elements which may crop up, just to wet your whistles: Lost works of Washington Irving; 4th Century Spanish heretics; Pretenders to the throne of Sweden; Maltese falcons; Long-lost codices in dead languages; ruined abbeys in Scotland; John Dee's European adventures; Arian theology; and things from beyond space and time/the grave (delete all which do not apply).

If you'd all like to go with this, I will need a couple of weeks to prepare so that things can at least start smoothly. Alternatively, if someone else has something more developed, that's fine too; or we could do a bit of a round robin and take turns Keeping?

Taavi

Grafster: "As player's you've all really exceeded my expectations in terms of creativity and ability. From my total lack of posting you've probably figured out that I don’t have enough time to run the game. I have my excesses at the bottom but, for anyone who still has a lingering interest in continuing I think this is the key point.

I think someone (an existing player) can plausibly take over the game. You've all really done a fantastic job with your characters and I think that this game concept has a lot of legs.
So if one of you would like to carry on as keeper I heartily encourage it. I'll provide you with the story arcs I had in mind but so little has surfaced that I don't think the new keeper will be bound by them.

Excuses section
When I started this game in October I had certain expectations about my schedule based on certain things like my job, etc.
December looked like fluke when it was unfolding. But it was apparently more like a test. A promotion happened suddenly effective January 1st and the net-net is that I've got a lot more responsibilities and I don't have the brainspace to run a game.
In hindsight it was stupid to start a game. And for that I really apologize."

[AndrewTBP]

Bookman and I had already been discussing a potential campaign for Bookhounds. So, I'm prepared to stick my hand up, if people are willing to try our campaign idea in alpha-test mode; that is, accepting that it will be a work in progress. I'll do my best to run with Grafster's ideas too.

I'm certainly happy to try your campaign idea.

[andyw666]

Hi Guys, I'd be more than happy to continue along with Taavi as GM, if you're willing to take the conn! Consider me on board, and I'm happy to be patient for it to get going.

Unfortunately, the nature of my work (I'm a cop) and shifts etc make it very hard to find the time to run games. I've tried before and really haven't felt I've done anyone a favour. No hard feelings on that Graftser. So, I may have to stay as the perenial PC.

Cheers,

Andy

[Taavi]

Looks like I'm in the hot seat then.

In the meantime, you may wish to brush up on your M.R. James and Algernon Blackwood...

[andyw666]

Guys, while we're in downtime, can I ask where did you all come up with all those references to books on playing cards etc? Research on the Internet? Just stuff you happen to know??

[Bookman]

First of all let me just add congratulations to Grafster, hope the work goes well.

I am very good with Taavi taking over, I like the characters and shop we have so it would be a shame to let it die. The hints and background I have had from Taavi sounds very interesting and offers a lot of chance for running with crazy theories, which is always nice.

In terms of playing cards, Hoyle's is the go-to rule book on cards, it features in Deadlands as the source of Huckster's powers - they play poker against spirits to cast spells. Interestingly the first 1742 Hoyle's was a treatise on whist, and the 1761 book, which is the mainstay of Deadlands system, did not actually contain poker (the game not existing at that point). Hoyle was not a member of the East India Company (Hexes and Hustlers not withstanding), that was a different Hoyle...but I digress...For more on Hoyle try http://booksongaming.com/hoyle/

As with most things in the City there is a Guild. It is actually one of the oldest in terms of original charter but their livery status was granted relatively late so they are only 75th in precedence. In general if you want to know about a trade in the City start from their Worshipful Company. The United States Playing Card Company did produce a bibliography in 1930, I didn't know they did but they seemed like a good bet that if anyone had they would.

Etteilla was the pseudonym of Jean-Baptiste Alliette a French occultist. He wrote on card games and then after Court de Geblin made his claim that the tarot was encoded Egyptian wisdom Etteilla produced a book about divination with tarot. I will admit I had to look that one up. I knew about Waite's Pictorial History which was one of the standard works of the time but followed from him backwards to Etteilla.

For the Lombardy Zeroth deck I (as indeed Ken Hite would) direct you to Last Call and the following books of the trilogy. It is a tarot deck of such artistic power that it awakens the atavistic archetypes of the human mind. Looking at it can drive a man mad.

The Abbe Bullet was an internet search for rare books on cards inspired at least in part by this sale at Christie's http://www.millon-associes.com/flash/in ... &lng=fr%20 I work in an antiquarian bookshop so finding the odd thing is slightly easier. I just looked for the thing with the most bizarre theory I could find. Searching under his name generally brings you people rebutting his ideas. Apparently he had a tendency to explain everything in terms of Celtic myth.

Playing cards interest me, I really like odd designs especially the South Sea Bubble and Cries of Old London decks which you can get from http://www.harrymargary.com/product_list.asp?type=card

[Taavi]

Hi everyone,
I will be a little longer starting than I thought (groan) - NOT because my job has changed or anything, just because I need new glasses and until I get them (hopefully, by the end of next week) I'm trying to limit my screen time as much as possible. Eyestrain headaches. ow, ow, ow.

[Taavi]

Hi all,

After a bit of thought I've decided that I would be happy to have idiosyncratic magic use in the game, as described in the rulebook - that is, peculiar little rituals with a price, that can give you an edge in certain situations, not fireball-throwing. I imagine this might be something Harwood or Llewellyn would be interested in adding to their characters.

PS I now have my new glasses and they are working very well !

[Taavi]

It's now been more than a week since anyone other than me posted, and things weren't exactly zipping along before that. Do people want to continue with this game? Does everyone just want a one-post-a-week slower pace? Am I not giving you enough to go on with? I would appreciate some clear indication of people's level of interest.

[andyw666]

Hi Taavi, much sorry about that. Don't give up!!

I have been holding back from having Jory sort of randomly interject as I had assumed the interaction there was not meant for him. I suspect a few of the others may have made the same assumption?

In any event, this may simply be a style of play thing. If you'd like us to be a bit more 'jump in', not a problem, Jory will do! I'm still really keen to see how the system works out.

Cheers,

Andy

[Taavi]

Thanks Andy, that clarifies things.

Unfortunately Grafster has not shared with me any of his material on what the other characters were already up to, so I've had to start from scratch rather than continue on with whatever it was Jory was having the conversation at the table about, etc. If people want to send me copies of any exchanges they had with Grafster, that would be great, and I will try to pick it up.

In the meantime, as the Auction for the desk is in a couple of days time, with viewings of lots today and tomorrow, I was expecting that Grant would want all hands on deck to suss out the scene, determine who the competition might be, check that the Contessa is actually good for the money she claims to have, that sort of thing.

[Taavi]

The GM's day RPG sales are currently on! In the unlikely event that any of you are crazy rich and feel like throwing cthulhu modules at me, my wish list is here. Otherwise, get yourself something nice!

[Taavi]

As Luke is no longer "in play" and things clearly aren't moving faster than anyone can handle , I am considering allowing a couple of new players, as people I know from other games have expressed interest to me in joining this one. I can vouch for them as thoroughly degenerate and unreliable.

[andyw666]

Sounds good to me, more = merrier!

[AndrewTBP]

I for one welcome our new etc.,

I presume that Christies require us to check our coats, hats, and umbrellas in a cloak room before entering the auction rooms.

[Taavi]

Correct on the cloakroom.

Since Bookman seems to modest to mention it, he has written a rather good piece on what makes the Bookhounds world go round for Page XX. Go read!