Just a quicky…
We ended up having an extended discussion about the roles for different character classes in 4th Ed. Basically, we figured out that James’ cleric, Krusk, keeps dying because clerics aren’t a front line combat class (a tank) in 4th Ed. It really isn’t just a matter of style. If you try to tank with your cleric, you’ll end up like poor Krusk above.
I’ll add James’ journal for the session one I get it (hint hint James)
Well, session one of our new 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons campaign in is the record books. James took notes which I hope he will email to me. In the mean time, here’s how I (the DM) remember things:
Here is James’ recollection of events:
Party meet at crossroads north of Barkchip. We are headed to Barkchip where there is a tavern founded by Filinous Wik—Cally (Maggie) is going there (in trouble) to stay with “Uncle Wik”. Eliza (Betsy) and Krusk (James) have come down to Barkchip from Highguard. Enna (Emily) and Quark (Aaron) are joining us “from east and west”. Enna’s a contractor who finds cool artifacts for clients. Quark is a roguish guy interested in the arcane who has a long-standing working relationship with Wik.
Lord Morris wants me and the gang to stop at the Darkwater Mine to look into why shipments have stopped. So, off we go. We head down the path to the mine—no traffic, but little reptilian footprints. There’s definite cover available. Cally hears raspy, angry voices ahead on the path, and a little kobold comes popping out onto the path. He calls out to his buddies and the battle is joined.
Things don’t go terribly well. We kind of suck. Quark gets set on fire, and Krusk has a Near Death Experience, but eventually Enna’s fireball and some wicked cool bladework from everyone who wasn’t dead at the time means that the party triumphed gloriously over a small band of reptiles who would need instructions to use toilet paper. We assume it’s all uphill from here.
In searching, we find a wagon with a letter on board from “Cole” to Morris, saying the mine is over-run and reinforcements are needed. We also find some nice money and healing potions.
We move on to a little fort: it has a picket wall and gates that are shut. The mine is in the hillside above and behind the fort (not immediately visible as we approach the fort). We are greeted gratefully by the guards, and are ushered into a room of miner militiamen who are looking at a map and arguing.
Cole is upset to discover that we are not a major reinforcement. He is unimpressed with us. We attempt to influence him to trust us—he apparently has been tricked before by adventurers who were aiding the enemy. After healing a fellow and being generally insightful, perceptive, diplomatic (and a little unstable), he agrees to send us into the mine. One man in particular, named Cox, is a supervisor and is very concerned about the men. He has an idea of which parts of the mine contain men who are alive, and wants us to avoid storming the gates directly—he advises using an access tunnel to sneak down behind the kobolds and take them by surprise.
Lately, I’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons with some friends. Recently, we decided to give the new 4th edition of D&D a spin. Now, it turns out that 4th edition is designed to be played with miniatures but none of us has a large enough collection to be really useful. Instead of buying more however, I decided to try making my own. I’ve been drawing the characters and the monsters they will face one of my computers using an open-source graphics program called Inkscape and printing them out on ShrinkyDink paper. My minis are inspired by the D&D web comic Order Of The Stick. Here is an image of all player’s characters:
BTW - I got the idea of using Inkscape to make OOTS-like characters from this tutorial.
NB - The italicized text was omitted in some services.
When I was a graduate student at the UW and afterwards when I was teaching, I used to love to read the popular writings of famous physicists. One of my favorite authors in this genre is Werner Heisenberg. Heisenberg wrote extensive memoirs of the years between the two world wars – a golden age of science. One of my favorite stories from these memoirs is Heisenberg’s recounting of a ski trip he took with Neils Bohr and some other friends in the early Spring of 1933. During the trip, while on a hike, the group crested a ridge experienced a fascinating physical phenomenon. Heisenberg writes:
The gentle wind blowing from the north carried up a thin cloud of vapor brightly illuminated by the sun; in it we could see our shadows, and those cast by our heads were surrounded by a bright ring of light.
Bohr was delighted and pointed out that the spectacle was the result of a subtle interplay between the sunlight and the water droplets in the cloud – much akin to a rainbow. The technical name for the process that causes this halo to appear is “glory” and it is still not completely understood. I had a chance to witness it once - as is more common in our time – from a plane flying low above the clouds.
I often think of that story this time of year. A halo formed around your shadow isn’t something you stumble across every day. It is only visible under very particular circumstances. But halos of other sorts abound this time of year. (Continue reading…)
We are now registered at Macy’s and Bed Bath and Beyond. Both registries can be accessed by searching under my name (Emily McCoy). Happy shopping!!
NB - This isn’t exactly the text I preached from. I made some last minute changes to the wording in some sections. The content is the same though.
I really enjoy Zombie movies. I remember watching SCI-FI theater on Saturdays when I was a kid and mixed in with all of the Godzilla movies and Space Aliens was George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” I remember being shocked and horrified but also fascinated and enthralled at the same time. I suppose it might not be something to admit in polite company but we’re all friends here – that fascination has continued right up to today with movies like “Resident Evil” and the zombie movie spoof “Shaun of the Dead”. Today’s Gospel reading is one of my favorites. One reason for that is that seems to me that it is a first century Palestinian version of the tried and true zombie movie formula. You see, although each new one adds something to the mix, all zombie movies follow the same basic outline. Allow me to illustrate…
The wedding plans are going swimmingly!
We have secured our location (that was a no-brainer - sometimes it seems like we live there!), reception music, photographer, and florist (see below for links to their respective websites). Sugar Rush Baking Company is top on our list of caterers for the dessert reception, but we haven’t made any final decisions. Maggie, in all her wisdom, has decided that she would like to help pick out the flavors (aka “taste test”) and we figured since we’re not in any rush and she will be here from the end of June through the beginning of August, we could wait on decision making until she was with us. Specifics about music pieces and photo poses can wait until the end of the summer.
The pre-marriage counselling sessions are (hopefully) half way finished. We are working with a great counsellor who also happens to be an Episcopal priest, so we feel right at home. Apparently we are a very “high functioning” couple. I guess we were just made for each other! After we’re done with these sessions, we move onto sessions with our priest, Christie, who will also be the Celebrant at the wedding. During those sessions, we’ll talk about the actual service and make desisions on readings, prayers, blessings, etc. We’re both looking foward to that! Sometimes Jeff catches me reading the marriage service out of the Book of Common Prayer….what can I say? I’m excited to get married!
I have a great lead on a salon for the bridal party and will post a link if they can support our numbers!
The cruise planning is underway as well. We will be setting aside time to look at all the fun things to do while in the different ports and making some decisions on which tours/excursions to book. Of course, I’m already planning what to pack! It’s a whopping 60 degrees out right now, so a jaunt to the Carribean is high on my “To Do” list!
A week or so back I was struggling to make a start at what I would say today. Emily was kind enough to let me work while she went and did the grocery shopping on her own. We usually do the shopping together so it was an odd thing to watch her head out the door. Suddenly the condo was very quiet – nothing moved or made a noise. I actually felt a little lonely. I would have preferred to go with her. The cats just stared at me in mute protest to my presence in their condo. Apparently, they would have preferred that I go as well. After a few uncomfortable minutes I heard footsteps on the stairs outside, the door opened and there she was. She had forgotten the car keys and had to come back to get them. My discomfort momentarily relieved, she grabbed the keys from where they hung on the wall, kissed my smiling face and was gone again. Leaving me to my work …and the cats to their silent indignation. (Continue reading…)
Repent. Repent “…repent, [or] you shall all perish” That’s about as in-your-face as you can get. But, there it is, right there smack in the middle of today’s gospel - and not once but twice – straight from Jesus’ lips. An exhortation, an admonition at the heart of Lent – a call to repentance. “repent, repent” But then again this same word has been ringing out from Jesus’ ministry for the past three years throughout the Galilee and Judea, to Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles alike: repent
Date: November 3rd, 2007
Time: 6pm
Location: St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church (Bellevue, WA) - ceremony and reception
Wedding Party
Maid of Honor: Lauren Nipert
Bridesmaids: Cassy Oliver, Jenny White, Elizabeth Rosenzweig
Junior Bridesmaid: Margaret Thompson
Best Man: James Rosenzweig
Groom’s Attendants: S. Michael Thompson, Tracie Halvka, Jake Baker
Photographer: Teddi Yaeger
Music: ceremony - St. Margaret’s Choir
reception - Uncommon Wedding Music
Catering: dessert reception - Sugar Rush Baking Co.
Flowers: Florarama Modern Design