RQCon2 Report - part 2

From: Nick Brooke <100270.337_at_compuserve.com>
Date: 30 Jan 95 02:50:58 EST



SUNDAY

Was it this morning the Broken Council characters were finally available? I think so, though memory is blurred. Players had had a day or so to read the densely-printed rules and background book; most of my associates had better things to do, and so we went into the game fresh.

Due to oversleeping and an American breakfast, I missed various cultural seminars that were on offer this morning: Malkionism, Imther, maybe more. Anyone able to summarise what happened?



Origins of RuneQuest: A very enjoyable session of revealing remnisciences from the Dawn Age of gaming. Where the Jack-o'Bears came from, why battle magic happened, and "no regrets" about the Strike Rank system...

The Broken Council: Hours of fun! The Dara Happans quickly realised that this was a Live Action Trading Card Game, and delegated all our cards to James Polk, the man most interested in playing this: we then got on with the seriously frivolous business of enforcing court protocol, making all our visitors grovel while MOB, my Imperial sandal planted firmly atop his unworthy head, made apologies for their unbecoming appearance.

        Halfway through the game, Trollish atrocities caused the death of myself (Khorzanelm the Magnificent), my wife, and my warlord. MOB reacted with exemplary speed, crowning himself as the Darjiin Usurper Mathiman I. (Known to history as "Mathiman the Impaler"). For the rest of the game I acted as my own five-year-old son, with neither cards nor objectives, and enjoyed myself even more than before. Sadly, wimpish backpeddling on the part of referees and Dara Happan nominees prevented the (female) Nysalor from receiving the Gold Member that was rightfully his, while at the last minute I was throttled (with a Golden Cord) by Wahnakar, the Foam-Rubber Bison Lord, foiled in my ambition to become the biggest prick in Peloria.

        Pleasant digressions in the latter half of the game: MOB and I managed to chat with Peter Michaels before his untimely departure, and swilled deeply of the bar's best bevvies while alone in the throne room, only interrupted by the visit of "Harold from the Council" (he said).

        Best ankles of the Con undoubtedly belonged to my wife, Penemara, seductively played by Jim Ausman. Best underpants-outside-trousers were worn by Palangio, my Iron Vrok Lord, ably played by Dennis Hoover. Best shaved-head-with-too-many-legs were attached to Cragspider the Firewitch, creepily played by Anne Merritt (Sandy Petersen was a runner-up in this category, having disappointingly few limbs). There were far too many *staggeringly* good costumes to mention individually: why do you think I want photos? (BTW, what is it about freeforms that makes otherwise sane people shave their heads to participate? Beats me...)



MONDAY


Australian Rules Trollball: Excellently compered/refereed by MOB; played at roughly 5 frames per second. The game was slightly distorted by the presence of *fast* foam-rubber missile weapons, Danny Bourne's darksense blindfold (half the time he was on the wrong team!), and Dan Barker's performance as a live trollkin! The sport will never be the same again...

Lunar Tunes: MOB, David Hall, myself and others on the peculiar ways of the Red Army, and secrets from MOB's forthcoming pack, "Soldiers of the Red Moon". Strangest question of the Con: if Yanafal Tarnils priests have to spend 90% of their time on 'cult duties', how can they be the officers of the Red Army? (answers on the back of a postcard, please). A rousing chorus of various Lunar songs concluded this event: the New Lunar Anthem ("Indissoluble Union..."), the Red Vexillum, the Imperiale, Men of Lolin, and even a snippet from the Oslir Boat Song.

Cultural Exchange: A sterling performance by David Cheng, doggedly trying to convince powergamers to bite off and eat their own testicles (albeit with mechanical assistance). Two kinds of timelessness: Brithini commute, while Vadeli surf. Mysteries of the Grotaron revealed (or perhaps not). Loosen up, folks: who cares what Greg thinks?! Yet another plug for the RuneQuest Con Compendium, to save my failing voice. Mike Dawson on the wholesomeness (or otherwise) of Loskalmi imperialism, with a great set of Glamourshades. Sundry other interventions, inventions and miscellanea. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did: there may be a transcript, one of these days...

Mad Prax - Beyond Sun Dome: MOB refereed a scenario he had co-authored, ably adding in a sixth (unwritten) player character at the last minute. All good Sun Domer fun and games, perhaps most noteable for the unusual rules we played under: loosely modelled on Prince Valiant, but with beer bottle tops in place of coins. The result was that we had as much fun as we'd have had under RQ rules, but did so in half as much time...

        I greatly enjoyed playing Promidius, the Count's "dirty little pillow-biter" (of Garhound fame); what with that performance, my "wife" Jim, and Khorzanelm's "Bugger Underling" card, it's no surprise those Yelmoes have such an odd reputation. Seeing the PCs' names from our run of Gaumata's Vision (aka "Massacre at Black Rock") recycled by those thrifty Californian/Australians was also a thrill.

Strangely, there were no closing ceremonies, presentations, etc. Shannon and Eric disappeared some time after noon (perchance to sleep?), leaving the rest of us to linger on and amuse ourselves as best we could.



Tarsh War: I'd love to read any player's recollections of this freeform. A Lunar diplomatic victory is hard to credit, after the two bloodthirsty runs I've participated in. Any offers?

Terrorism: After the last-night meal on Thai shrimps, prawns and similar allergenic foodstuffs, extreme measures became necessary. The Lunar Jihad seized hostages and began a protracted campaign against watchers of "Star Trek - Voyager" everywhere. Danny Bourne was almost ripped in half, I was crushed by Richard Ferrers' onslaught, and Cheng the Traitor defected to the enemy during one of the commercial breaks (the power-dressing chick in the presentation suite still doesn't know what she missed...).

        We eventually stopped after realising that American police carry guns and shoot foreigners without overmuch compunction. Another Con-goer nobly saved me from the ignominy of habitual last-night drunkenness by consuming the bulk of the Goldschlager before it reached me, in a heroic performance worthy of Seithenin ap Seithin Saidi with the Wine of Noah. Over other events of the last night (Mike & Danny...), I shall draw a discreet veil, lifting it only to report Mary Evelyn Medway's comment:

        "I was pretending to be horrified, so people wouldn't notice that I was horrified!"

So: *Big*Thanks* to the organisers, the players, the audiences, the other guests, and especially to the Canadian contingent (for bathtubs of beer and a great attitude). Wonderful meeting you all again (or for the first time); I can't wait for future RuneQuest Conventions, whether they're in Berlin, Melbourne, Chicago, Victoria, or *anywhere* else. But, a word to the wise: too many Cons dilute the broth...



Nick

End of Glorantha Digest V1 #111


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