Chit-Chat

[Laraqua]

So, how knowledgable are you guys about the British Home Front or the generalities of World War 2? Or London, in general? I'll do my best to get things right but I'm always happy to learn more and might well make a few mistakes along the way (especially about where things are, precisely, in London). The current plan is to run this short adventure and then try a few other ones out in an episodic format so people can join and leave as they will between games. Each one should take about 4 - 6 hours in a single session of tabletop, which likely means they'll take around 3 months in play-by-post, depending on post frequency. How frequently do you guys plan to post so I can keep to around that level?

[Mr. Handy]

I'm pretty knowledgable about all of the above. You probably know more than I do about the Home Front, but I know a decent amount. I also know a good deal about World War Two; it's something of a minor obsession with me. I'm also familiar with London. I've been there four times since 2000, each time for around a week or two, and I'll be going back again in November. I've seen a number of places in London that are relevant to the war, including Churchill's War Rooms (and the attached Churchill Museum), the Imperial War Museum, HMS Belfast, and the Britain at War Experience. I know my way around the city pretty well, as I've played (and written) a number of games set there. I was already familiar with it before I ever went there thanks to that, and navigating around London came naturally for me. That's fitting, as my character is good at that too.

I can post at most once per day. I'll try to post every day, but if I'm extremely busy I might not be able to on occasion.

[dormire]

I'm an ugly American that reads quite a bit. I like to get into the period mindset of anything that I play and have been a graduate student, so research is a forte. I've watched the Foyle's War series, have read quite a bit of pulp and had a minor in Western history during my B.A. Anything I don't know, but want to, I can find out.

I can post up to twice daily, although I am in the middle of a degree in forensics at the moment, so that may go down to once daily.

[Mr. Handy]

I'm American too, but I've always been an Anglophile. I've been watching Foyle's War as well, which I'm enjoying. I watch a lot of British TV and am familiar with the culture in general.

[royya]

Well, back here in the Mid-east we had the British mandate during WWII.
As for me - I've been to London two times and I'm going to be again on September. I am familiar with the generalities of WWII from high school and personal interest. I can post once a day, even more if I have the time.

I think I will take Mr. Handy's suggest and visit Churchill's War Rooms in my upcoming visit.

[Laraqua]

William would probably also carry his discharge papers around with him so folks don't think he's a deserter.

Also, wow, Doug is a big lad for a 14-year-old at size 18! That's fine, just be aware that folks are going to confuse you for someone older. Judging by the strength, I'm guessing that's mostly mustle. You've got another 70 percentiles to spend on Education-based skills unless I'm missing something. Hobby skills are fine.

[dormire]

Aye-aye, Bosslady. Adding some discharge papers now.

[royya]

Also, wow, Doug is a big lad for a 14-year-old at size 18! That's fine, just be aware that folks are going to confuse you for someone older. Judging by the strength, I'm guessing that's mostly mustle. You've got another 70 percentiles to spend on Education-based skills unless I'm missing something. Hobby skills are fine.

He is 17, not 14. He was 14 when he was arrested for the first time.
Think of someone like "Kubiac" from the TV series Parker Lewis.
I recalculated the education based skill - I'm even, no need for 70% more.

[yockenthwaite]

I'm British but I didn't study World War 2 at school at all - we did World War 1. So anything I do know I've learned from watching TV. Like Dad's Army (ha!), and also some episodes of Time Team where they excavated World War 2 remains. And like the others I've seen Foyle's War and related dramas.

[yockenthwaite]

Forgot to say I can post every 2 days reliably. Usually daily, but every 2 days is sustainable. I've still got a couple of chemotherapy treatments to get through in August (infusions in hospital) which are really nasty and knock me out badly. But I still expect to be able to post every 2 days if need be.

And as a Scot I don't know London at all. Happily clueless

[aine]

I lived in London for 16 years and travelled all of it for my job at the time so I know it very well, although it must have changed a lot since the 1940's. I'm the same as Yockenthwaite about WW2; good old Dad's Army, Dennis Wheatley, films and unfortunately WW1 at school for me too. I can post nearly every day, sometimes twice a day.

[Laraqua]

Feel free to add visual and auditory descriptions if you like. I'm happy for a shared roleplay experience.

[Laraqua]

Nice touch with the picture, Dormire!

[dormire]

Thanks, I'm an internet photo hound. I'm loving this character, so far. I hope he stops being such a miserable drunk.

[Laraqua]

Anyone who survives this adventure is more than welcome to play in the next one and so on and so forth. They're meant to be quite short but that doesn't mean they can't chain together.

And I like your character, too! All of them, in fact, are really cool and interesting people that I'd like to see further expanded.

[Laraqua]

Yeah, I know the bus isn't as likely to head on out as the other vehicles (if at all) but I just want to ensure that everyone gets into the game good and proper and the ambulance drivers might be needed to motivate everyone else.

[carnage_lee]

Excuse the interruption...

I live about 12 miles from Norbury and coincidently travelled through there by train* on my way to and from from Brighton the other day. If you need and local specifics I might be able to supply the info.

My grandparents house still had an Anderson Shelter, although re-sited to make a garage at the side of the house and I fondly remember playing with the odd assortment of items that my granddad had hoarded - gas masks and old safe door (purportedly from a British Destroyer) an artillery timepiece (a kind of stopwatch for measuring shell-fire) and other fascinating items.

Loving the action as well!


[*Had to travel up into London Victora then catch a train out to Brighton and vice versa coming back. Still you get to see different views of Battersea Dogs Home on each leg.]

[Laraqua]

That's awesome! Feel free to feed in as much information as you know. Most of what we'll be doing will be below ground but having those background details would be great.

[royya]

I’m out for a vacation. I will resume full posting in a week from now.

Roy

[carnage_lee]

That's awesome! Feel free to feed in as much information as you know. Most of what we'll be doing will be below ground but having those background details would be great.

Well, Crystal Palace is nearby (the remains - it burned down in 1936) and during WW2 the grounds were used as a base to make aircraft radar screens - though this wasn't known till after the war. After the building burned down all that remained were 2 towers (water towers) one was demolished shortly after the fire but the other wasn't removed until 1941, by explosive demolition. No reason was given, some reports speculated that it was to remove a landmark for German bombers - however the Thames was used to navigate to central London. It was in the South Tower that John Logie Baird used to test his television equipment, most of which was destroyed in the fire. Another weird piece of info about the Crystal Palace Park is the Crystal Palace pneumatic railway and the 'legend' that somewhere in the sealed tunnel is a train carriage full of skeletons.

Norbury itself sits on the 'London to Brighton Way' a Roman road.