Another Dip Back Into Changeling: The Lost (Since Folks Asked For It)

While a majority of the gaming supplements I've written over the years have been for general RPG genres, a not-inconsiderable amount of my work has gone into the Storyteller's Vault platform. The simple reason why is that I love the World & Chronicles of Darkness games, and I want to leave my own little mark on them. And while I had taken a break for financial reasons, I've been dipping a toe back into the platform to see how viable a return might be... and this time around I decided to write a companion piece to an older supplement of mine that was based on reader requests.

In case folks out there wondered, I do listen, and I do take feedback into account for my writing schedule.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

New Changeling (And Potential Future Additions)

For folks who missed the announcement, the supplement that dropped this past weekend was 100 Unusual Things To Find At A Goblin Market. This list includes bizarre items from Arcadia and the Hedge, unsettling things like a sealed jar of baby teeth, as well as physical embodiments of unusual emotions, or whimsical proverbs that have become actual merchandise (since any Changeling game is made better by the inclusion of a few puns). This was a topic that was oft-requested over on the Reddit forums, and it dovetails perfectly with one of my earlier supplements Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets.

Seriously, go pick yours up today if you haven't yet!

In addition to being my favorite game in the Chronicles of Darkness (though Hunter is earning a lot of points with me, which is why I recently put out The Blade Itself for the new Corrupt Equipment mechanic), Changeling also has the second-largest number of supplements I've written for a single game line coming in at 11. And while I do have a few more rounds in the magazine as far as my ideas go, neither the current supplement, nor the previous book Like A Good Neighbor - Portraying True Fae in Your Chronicle have been burning up the charts of-late. There's some sales here and there, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely more of a trickle than it is a flood.

And while I've explained this in earlier posts, as well as in the video linked above, I'll restate it for folks who don't know. When I write Storyteller's Vault supplements I take a 50% reduction in up-front payment from my publisher. Given the word count for some of these, that's not a small sacrifice. To make up some of that amount in sales, I'd need to move at least 100 copies every time something new drops... and most of my supplements have struggled to even cross the 50 sale line to make it to Copper metal status of-late.

So, if you are someone who enjoys my Storyteller's Vault supplements in general, and my Changeling: The Lost work in particular, please take a moment to consider supporting me by doing the following:

- Buy any supplements that appeal to you.

- Leave reviews on the supplements you have (even just 5 stars and a "Good Job!" goes a long way).

- Leave comments on the video I linked telling me what Changeling supplements you'd like to see in the future.

As always, if buying new stuff isn't in your budget, I completely understand. But watching through the Discussions of Darkness series I have over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel is also a handy way to show your support, and to make sure that both my publisher and myself are hearing what you want!

Requests For A Changeling Story (And The A.L.I.C.E. Files)

On a final note for this week's update, I've recently launched a new audio drama channel on YouTube in partnership with Alice Liddell, and it's called The A.L.I.C.E. Files. I talked about the show more in-depth in the recent post The A.L.I.C.E. Files Is Here (And Will Soon Be Featuring Various Audio Dramas), but the short version is that the channel has an overarching story about the mysterious Carroll Institute, but a bunch of mini-stories about the different dimensions its agents have visited. A lot of those mini stories will be set in worlds that are inspired by (or come directly from) various tabletop RPGs.

I bring this up because one of the channel's big supporters, Sam Furlano, has specifically requested a Changeling story to be found in the files. Given that this falls under the Dark Pack agreement, this is absolutely something I could do... the question I have is whether it's something my readers/listeners out there want me to do?

So, if you'd like to have one (or maybe several) stories from the Chronicles of Darkness turn up in The A.L.I.C.E. files, here's how you can make your voices heard:

- Subscribe to The A.L.I.C.E. Files on YouTube.

- In the comments section for the Trailer, tell us which Chronicles of Darkness setting you'd like to see stories from (preferably with 7 words or more, just to kick the algorithm into gear).

- Watch the rest of the videos, and upvote the ones you like!

It's still a new channel, so if there's any spike in activity we are going to notice it. And if there's enough folks to get us up to the 3,000 watch hours and 500 subscribers we need to hit our next goal? Well... then whatever it is you all ask for, I can promise you we're going to try to deliver on it!

(Lastly, if you've been waiting for updates on Windy City Shadows, I assure you have neither forgotten about it, nor abandoned the project. But there are only so many hours in a day, and I'm trying to free up as much time and energy as I can to complete as many projects as possible. Stay tuned for updates on that podcast as they develop!)

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

I'm Not Just The President, I'm Also a Client (Using My Own TTRPG Supplements in My Games)

My fellow kids who were born in the 80s will likely remember the Hair Club For Men commercials. These things were geared toward middle aged guys who were losing their hair, and they wanted to recapture their vigor and vitality by regrowing it. The man talking to the camera was a fellow named Sy Sperling, and he assured everyone that not only was he the president of this company, but that it was through the products he was offering that he had regrown his own thick, lush mane of hair.

I find myself thinking about those commercials whenever I end up as the Game Master. Because when I sit down to work on a supplement, the question that I usually ask myself is, "If I were running a game, what heavy lifting would I want already done for me?"

The files get a little bigger every month, after all.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Being A Game Master is Hard Enough As It Is

I've been in the game for a while (pun very much intended), and there's an attitude that I've run into a lot when it comes to TTRPG supplements. Namely, there is a portion of the population that believes if you don't make everything yourself from the ground up (the RPG equivalent of homemade cooking versus a boxed mix) then you aren't a real Game Master.

I've gone on the record with this, but I feel like Game Masters should be given all the help they can get. They're already expected to craft a plot, keep track of an entire party worth of backstories and motivations, and keep the world all around the PCs spinning without letting things topple off the cliff... if they want a handy chart of random rumors, odd encounters, or just NPCs to meet at the bar, they shouldn't feel any shame whatsoever about GMing smarter instead of harder.

I sure as hell don't.

As a lot of my regular readers/viewers may have seen, I was planning a Changeling: The Lost LARP right around when Covid hit. I shelved my plans for it at the time, but I kept tinkering with the ideas I'd had, and the elements I'd already worked out for it. It was a lot of labor for a game I wouldn't be able to run till after the end of a global pandemic, so I decided the best thing to do for now would be to publish some of the better ideas I'd had, and to put the supplements out there for folks to use.

And now that my game is running, I'm really glad for all the pregaming I did with these supplements, as having them on-hand has saved me so much time, energy, and effort. This is particularly true for Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets, which has the layouts and rules for all the local goblin markets in my game's immediate area, as well as 100 Strange Sights to See in The Hedge, which has helped me keep any journeys into the world next door feeling bizarre, unexpected, and dangerous, rather than letting it turn into just another fantasy forest. My players have also been loving the additions to the setting I put into 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments To Find in The Hedge, which is honestly the bestselling thing I've ever written for the World of Darkness at this point.

Of course, I've done this with other systems, too.

Additionally, while modules are some of the toughest products to sell, my Critical Hits series is always good to have on-hand for folks who haven't played before, and who just want a quick introduction to tabletop RPGs. Thus far I've run people through Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh (a creeping dread besieges a marsh town), False Valor (a murder mystery where you get to kick fantasy Proud Boys in the teeth), and The Curse of Sapphire Lake (the hate child of Beowulf and Friday the 13th), and every time I was able to dedicate so much more of my energy to NPCs, scene setting, and facilitating interactions because the bulk of the adventure was already laid out in front of me, requiring no extra effort on my behalf.

I haven't run The Price of Iron (story about dark fey and a warehouse of horror) yet, but it's queued up for the next time my group is champing at the bit for a solid game with a dire threat!

Seriously... Don't Reinvent The Wheel

If you've been raking yourself over the coals as a Game Master because you feel like you don't put in all the work your job requires, or you're letting your players down, just take a deep breath, let it out, and remind yourself that you don't have to do everything for your game. Hell, this is my job, and I still don't force myself to come up with brand new, freshly-made stuff every time I get behind the screen, or put on my ST hat. Whether you're running a fully pre-made campaign arc, using a world built by someone else, or just grabbing a list of sci fi mercenary companies, sights to see in a steampunk city, or just some random prophecies to hear from an oracle, saving yourself processing power can be a life saver when it's time to run a game.

Because while most of us are capable of just making something up on the spot, if you end up doing that over and over again as the night progresses, pretty soon you won't have the necessary grip strength to run the rest of the game. So if you haven't used GM aids and TTRPG supplements at your table, check out some of mine, and maybe give one or two of them a whirl!

I wouldn't recommend them if I didn't use them myself.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Geists, Mages, and More, Oh My! (My Latest Steps Into The 'Chronicles of Darkness' Setting)

Around Halloween of 2022 I asked my readers what sort of content they'd like to see from me for the World/Chronicles of Darkness setting (and if you missed it, the entry was What Corner of The World of Darkness Would You Like To See Me Touch on Next?). One particularly vocal direct request was to see some supplements for Geist: The Sin Eaters, and the comments sections on most social media pages were asking for some content for Mage, whichever edition I happened to prefer.

Well, it's been a few months since then, and both 50 Geists and 100 Shadow Names have hit the market!

However, as I'm catching my breath (and finishing off another supplement for Changeling: The Lost), I wanted to ask folks once again if they had any requests... not just for which game in this setting, but also what type of content they'd like to see!

There's more ideas where these two came from, after all.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Ask, And Ye Shall Receive

Regular readers already know this, but for folks who are new on this blog, I like to try to get a sense of what my regulars want. Part of that is just good business (you don't want to spend weeks of effort making a thing nobody is interested in, after all), but the other part of it is that I want people to feel like I'm listening to them. So rather than just seeing what floats to the surface of my imagination, I wanted to ask my readers what kind of products they'd like to see for World/Chronicles of Darkness games in the future.

For instance, would you like to see me continue my Geist and Mage offerings? Or would you like me to go back to Changeling, Vampire, or even Werewolf? Should I continue with the list-based format you see with supplements like 100 Resources and Rumors to Find on SchreckNet and Evil Inc.: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries, or would you like to see me try something different? Perhaps ST guides for pre-made freeholds or territories, or guides for running certain subgenres of horror, like Midwest Gothic or Neo Noir? Or perhaps you'd like to see more fiction, like the collection Tales From The Moot, or the ongoing flash fiction series I've been turning into audio dramas?

All of these are options. And if there's something I didn't think of, feel free to make your pitch and see if it grows wings!

What I Need You To Do

If you want to make your voices heard, there are a lot of things you can do to send a message to both me, and to my publishers. Because, contrary to popular belief, I'm not the one who actually publishes these supplements on Drive Thru RPG and Storyteller's Vault; I work with Azukail Games, High Level Games, and other folks to make these things a reality. So in a lot of cases it's not just about what I want to do, but also about what the other folks involved in the process think is a good idea based on the numbers we're clocking.

Firstly, Things You Can Do For Free:

- Comment: Whether it's on this blog entry, or on social media, the more folks who speak up about what they want, the more likely it is to get made.

- Share: The more folks who see this, the more likely we are to get a lot of people participating in the conversation.

- Subscribe to The Azukail Games Youtube Channel: Admittedly, this is best for helping ensure I make more videos, but if you enjoy either my audio dramas or the Discussions of Darkness series I've been doing on the channel, helping me reach the 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watched content monetization requires would be a big help! I'd like to start doing longer, more involved stories, but I need to prove the audience is present if I'm going to get something like a full-sized podcast greenlit.

Secondly, If You Want To Send a Message With Your Money:

- Get Copies of Supplements You Want To See More Of: All 35 of my WoD/CoD supplements can be found on my World/Chronicles of Darkness pinboard. Whether you want to see more Mage, Geist, Vampire, Changeling, or Werewolf, consider grabbing some copies for yourself. The more copies something moves, the more likely it is that I'll be able to get the publisher to greenlight fresh projects in that setting, and of that type.

- Leave Reviews: If you've already gotten copies of some of my supplements, consider leaving a share on DTRPG and Storyteller's Vault. Star ratings are good, but even short reviews about what you liked about a supplement can make a big difference!

Of Course, If You Want To Help Me Out, I'd Appreciate That, Too

And for folks who just want to do their part to help me make more content, please subscribe/follow me in these locations:

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Daily Motion Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Broken Mirror Part Four: The Moon Court Madman

This week we continue the story of the Talented Mr. Ripley, and the darkling's descent into corruption, and madness. When we last left him he was struggling with the discovery that murder came easy to him, and trying to reconcile his bloody deeds with the fact that the Moon Court had welcomed him with open arms. Of course, when you are praised for being a monster, you're likely to become even worse than you already were.

If you're not caught up yet, here's the full list of installments.

The Broken Mirror Part One: The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Broken Mirror Part Two: Through The Mirror Darkly
The Broken Mirror Part Three: The Dark Side of The Moon
The Broken Mirror Part Four: The Moon Court Madman
The Broken Mirror Part Five: Madness Comes Home to Roost

Ripley didn't remember who he was, or where he came from. His hands always seemed to know what to do, and the right words always came out of his mouth, but it was always a near thing. He had no personality, no desires... he was, quite simply, a dark reflection of whatever was near to him.All caught up? Lovely! Now then, where were we...

Broken Hearts, and Broken Faces

Some reflections are darker than others.

That began to change with his acceptance into the Moon Court. Doors started opening in his head, and fragments of the man he'd once been started oozing their way to the surface. He developed irrational hatreds of beautiful things, and took a special pleasure in the disgust of attractive women. He began carrying hidden blades, though he barely remembered secreting them on his person, and he took delight in stealing faces. Ruining the reputations of others became a treat for him, the way an awful child might pull the legs off a spider.

(As this was a LARP setting, I managed to convince one of the other players to get in on this joke with me. He went into the game in his own costume and makeup, playing Ripley masquerading as his character to ensure that no meta-knowledge from the other players ruined the scene. The confusion among those who were there to witness it was truly something to behold as the steadfast and stoic Eric Ymir flirted with other courtiers, drank half a bottle of whiskey, smashed the bottle across someone's face, then bolted from the room, laughing.)

That wasn't enough, though. Ripley had an itch he couldn't scratch. With all the faces he'd taken, he still didn't recognize his own. So he approached a Fall court Oracle, and begged her favor. She showed him who he'd been, and gave him the name he'd once carried. Tyler Glass, missing for a time as a sophomore, he was found wandering the road miles out of town, with no memory of where he'd been. That man, of course, wasn't Ripley. Ripley had been away. In a dark room with a queen who had caressed him when he pleased her, and smashed his face whenever he'd disappointed her. Until, in time, there was no one left behind those eyes. Just a malleable mirror, who could become anyone, and slip unnoticed into any place. A man who, one day, had simply winked out, like an evaporating puddle, and found himself back in a world he barely knew.

Gratitude, Madness, and Cannibalism

Ripley was grateful to the Oracle, and to the way she'd helped him. That was a thing that rarely happened. And, though he was stewing with unfocused rage that something else had been living his life, he also found himself changing. The role of the trickster, the deviant, the lunatic, had been one he'd played for so long that it had begun taking hold of him. Thick, black patches began erupting on his arms, spreading across his hands, turning him slowly but surely into something he didn't recognize. His tongue thickened, and lengthened, and the eyes that stared out at him from the mirror were going a hideous, awful red.

This is, really, the opposite of rose-colored glasses.

Something more important happened, though. Eric Ymir, the Summer courtier whom Ripley had played some of his best tricks on, vanished. Not just vanished, but had been murdered, and his body fed to a Fall courtier. Ripley was beside himself with fury. Not because he cared for Ymir, but because that was his toy. His life to ruin. And someone else took that from him. No one stole from him, and he was going to stick his blades into the killer until they saw the error of crossing paths with him.

Then he discovered the killer had been the very Oracle he held in such high regard.

That was when Ripley's already delicate psyche cracked, and schismed. She wouldn't do that... she helped him. She was good... but there was no doubt it had been her hand on the knife that had killed Ymir. Ripley couldn't reconcile these two things, but it was found that at the time of the murder, her clarity had been in tatters.

That was the answer, of course.

Jokes Falling Flat at The Funny Farm

In order to know why she had done what she'd done, Ripley snuck into a facility meant for the truly mad. Those afflicted with conditions that made them see what wasn't there, and hear words no one spoke. He delved into their dreams, plagued their realities, and sought the force of genuine Madness that threaded itself through them. Why? Well, he had a proposal for it.

He wanted Madness to come and dwell in him. To show him what the Oracle had seen, and to make him understand why she had hurt him so by breaking his favorite toy.

How did that go? Well, tune-in next time to find out, as we conclude the tale of the Talented Mr. Ripley!

Hopefully you're enjoying this latest multi-part tale on Table Talk. If you've got a story of your own to share, I'm always open to hearing them, and putting my readers in the spotlight. If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today! As little as $1 a month is a big help, and it gets you some sweet swag, too! Lastly, if you haven't done so yet, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter?

The Broken Mirror Part Three: Dark Side of The Moon

When last we left the face-shifting amnesiac known only as the Talented Mr. Ripley, he had half a dozen holes in him, had murdered a handful of Chicago cops, and managed to make his escape into the shadows. It was a pivotal moment in his development, though he didn't quite know it yet. After all, his familiarity with guns, blades, and blood would be enough to worry anyone who had misplaced their memories, and when you're down in the gutter, any outstretched hand will do.

Even one that comes out of the sewer.

Before continuing on, make sure you're caught up on the previous installments of the story below.

The Broken Mirror Part One: The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Broken Mirror Part Two: Through The Mirror Darkly
The Broken Mirror Part Three: The Dark Side of The Moon
The Broken Mirror Part Four: The Moon Court Madman
The Broken Mirror Part Five: Madness Comes Home to Roost

Finished? Lovely! Because this is around the time that things start getting good... or bad, depending on your perspective.

A Carrot on a Stick

When I initially created the Talented Mr. Ripley, I had no real direction I wanted to go with him. He was a jack of all trades, and the only thing he was truly a master of was blending in and going relatively unnoticed. It was one of the few times I, as a player, allowed my character to be shaped entirely by the events that happened to him.

Then my storyteller opened his big, fat cake socket.

Once you're here, there's no going back.

Game had finished for the night, and we were all at a local restaurant getting fuel in us for the drive home. My storyteller, appropos of nothing, mentions that he's had a plot kit for months now, but no one has shown any interest. My ears perked up, and I asked what it was for. In an off-hand tone, he told me it was a kit for characters to get recruited into the Moon Court.

I jumped on that like Mario on a toadstool.

Life-Saving Initiation

Ripley, as someone who is a killer and not a fighter, is losing blood fast. Though he managed to escape, he passed out in a gutter somewhere. He awoke to the sound of rubber gloves, and to a man standing over him. Ripley's first instinct was to reach for his own face, which sent lances of pain through him. The man, wearing a bloody apron, just smiled at him.

Don't worry... everything's going to be just fine.

The back alley miracle worker, a mysterious man named Puck, said he saw Ripley's entire performance, and it would be a shame for someone like him to die broken on the busted concrete. Ripley was still raw, of course, but he showed talent. If someone could put an edge on it, then he could really come into his own. That was when he explained the philosophy of better living through Disgust, and told Ripley that if he wanted to find a place with open arms, the Moon Court would take him... once he passed a simple test.

Nothing hard, really. He just needed to play a trick or two to show his devotion.

A Dark Seed Grows A Twisted Tree

It was my goal, as a player, to see which of the courts would reach out to recruit Ripley as a member. Winter seemed the likeliest court, especially given his recent services, but they didn't rescue him from his predicament. Puck did. More importantly, though, Puck gave Ripley the most dangerous message the mirrorskin could have received; there's nothing wrong with you. Your broken face and murderous hands? Be proud of them! The filth and squalor you've been forced to sleep in? Don't hide that, it's a badge of survival! If other people see you, and recoil, that proves they aren't capable of handling your truth. The dark side of the playground is where the monsters hold sway, my friend, and we're all monsters who came back from that place.

Even Jeff. Especially Jeff.

It seems harmless at first... but Ripley's mind proves fertile soil. His entire perception of the world is like looking through a spider-webbed crack at the best of times, and now he's being told that he's right. Right to feel resentment for his treatment. Right to feel wrath at the smallest of injustices. Right to take what he needs without thought or worry, because that is what monsters do.

All he has to do is play a trick or two. It takes a few months, and just the right set of circumstances, but he manages. Accosted by a man with knock-out darts, Ripley does some bloody business with the knife he keeps up his sleeve. Of course, the stripling mirrorskin keeps his peepers open, while one of the Summer Court's heavy hitters is left unconscious and snoring on the ground. The big warrior is completely vulnerable, and has no idea what happened around him, so Ripley leaves a tiny note explaining both his dereliction of duty and cowardice, and walks away whistling through his own yawns.

That little piece of paper caused fires of rage to spread through the Summer Court, but it was rage fueled by shame. Trying to control it was like putting out a grease fire with a water bottle; all it did was spread it around.

Puck, slow-clapping and smiling, used that as a chance to officially induct Ripley into the Moon Court. It was the first step off of a long, long drop.

This is, of course, not the end of the tale. If you want to keep up on all my latest stories, or submit some of your own, make sure you check out the rest of Table Talk. And, if you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, why not drop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page? All it takes is $1 a month to help keep the content coming your way, and all new members will receive some sweet swag just for choosing to support me! Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter yet, now would be a great time to change that.

The Broken Mirror Part Two: Through The Mirror Darkly

This week we delve deeper into the mysterious tale of The Talented Mr. Ripley, a darkling with no memory of who he is, or what he was. The Mirrorskin seems to be nothing more than a pale reflection of those around him, slipping into the background of any conversation or scene with total ease. Of course, there's more beneath his cracked surface than meets the eye, as we find out in the second installment. If you missed any of the previous installments, get yourself up-to-date with this list.

The Broken Mirror Part One: The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Broken Mirror Part Two: Through The Mirror Darkly
The Broken Mirror Part Three: The Dark Side of The Moon
The Broken Mirror Part Four: The Moon Court Madman
The Broken Mirror Part Five: Madness Comes Home to Roost

All caught up? Grand! Now then, to continue our tale...

A Cold Heart, and a Cold Job

Mr. Ripley has been lurking around the freehold, trying to find some way to establish himself. He's light-fingered, and though his presence barely registers, his honeyed words can often get people to change their minds, while still thinking it was their idea in the first place. He's surviving mostly as a grifter, changing his face and look whenever he needs in order to move unseen, and unnoticed.

He might have kept on like that, never really asking what was lurking beneath his surface. Of course, when money comes calling, empty pockets sit up and listen.

Dirty work always leaves the glass smudged, but the smoker's hands completely clean.

A Winter courtier in town, owner of several high-class establishments, had recently been hassled by a pack of bent cops. Business-as-usual in the Windy City. She tried to buy them off, but they wouldn't take her money. Humiliated, offended, and with her pride severely smudged, she wanted payback. She wanted to send a message, but she wanted that message sent by someone else.

Someone disposable.

As soon as he was alone with her, Ripley became little more than a magic mirror, reflecting calm chill as she told him what she wanted done. He nodded, and didn't turn so much as a hair when she offered him $10,000 per head to take out the lot of them. He asked for a small, up-front cost to cover his needs, and told her it would be done. They shook, and he walked into the night with murder on his mind.

Have You Done This Before?

Mr. Ripley was not a fighter. Thin and light, he was easy to mistake, or overlook. His hands knew their business, though, and as soon as he picked up a zip gun he examined the mechanism, checked the rounds, and slipped it up his sleeve. Next he acquired a vest, and a clipboard. Then he found out all there was to know about the targets he'd been assigned. Three of them were married, and lived in the suburbs. One was single, and had an apartment in the city. The four of them got together at least once a week for a night of garage poker.

The ducks were in a row, and all he had to do was burn them down.

Hello? Mr. Gas Man calling...

The apartment dweller was first. Ripley waited until he was home, and getting ready for his night out, before knocking on the door. The cop answered the door shirtless and in jeans, and when Ripley offered the clipboard he took it to examine the form. While he was reading, Ripley lifted the .22 street heater he'd bought off a gutter-dwelling gun runner, and double tapped him in the forehead. Two spurts of blood, two sharp cracks, and no witnesses.

Ripley stepped into the apartment, and tidied up. He dragged the body into the Hedge, leaving it there before he started dressing himself in the dead cop's clothes. Keys, wallet, badge, jacket, and especially his gun. Ripley stood in front of the mirror, and slipped into the other man's skin, checking every facet of himself until he fit just right. Then he drove across town to the poker game.

It was a typical guy's night. Scotch was being poured, beers were being drunk, and every round someone was putting in too many chips. Ripley kept his smile going, and kept the drinks flowing, too. He waited, and waited, but there was never a moment when the guys started getting really sloppy. So, when the host's wife was 20 minutes from home, Ripley got another beer. Then, distracting the table by setting it down with one hand, he started shooting with the other.

His card buddies were shocked, but they recovered fast. One went down with a round in the head, and another took two to the chest before he fell over. The third managed to put a slug through Ripley's shoulder before the Mirrorskin returned fire, emptying the rest of the clip into him. All the men dead, and Ripley just barely managing to hold onto his face, he stuffed a wadded shirt against the wound to maintain pressure, and drove with sirens blaring back into the city. Once he got there, he parked in an alley on the south side, and drenched the car in liquor. He opened the gas tank, stuffed the bloody rag way down into the fill hole, and fired it up.

Then he stumbled into the darkness, his face creaking and cracking. He didn't know it, but he was crying. If you'd asked him why, he probably wouldn't have been able to tell you.

This is, of course, not the end of the tale. Far from it, in fact. Next time, though, you'll find out that friends, and enemies alike come out of the woodwork when the blood starts flowing. So, stay tuned for The Broken Mirror: Dark Side of The Moon!

As always, if you liked this week's installment of Table Talk, then why not spread the word? Like it, share it, and tell all your friends about it. Also, if you're feeling generous, why not stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to toss a little bread in my jar? All it takes is $1 a month to keep the content flowing, and you get some sweet swag on top of it! Lastly, if you haven't done so yet, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, too?

That One Time I Brought Calvinball to a Changeling LARP

So, we finally finished The Saga of Majenko (all 10 parts of it), so I thought this week we could all use a Pathfinder palate cleanser. For those who don't know, in addition to slinging dice across a tabletop, I'm also a fan of World of Darkness live-action games. I've been an on-again-off-again player in Mind's Eye Society's Changeling: The Lost venue. While I currently play in the Chicago venue, the story I'd like to tell took place in DeKalb, back when it was a hopping place to be. And, I like to think, it shows the sheer willingness of some members of the ST staff to run with any concept that came their way.

No matter how oddball it was.

And boy did WE have a doozy.

Of Changelings and Calvinball

For those of you unfamiliar with Lost as a game, let me give you the crash course. You are a mortal who was stolen by a being of god-like power called a True Fae. While in their realm, you were twisted and altered to become something else. You managed to escape, in time, and find your way back to the real world. What you find is that the world has become strange to you, and you now have to make a new life for yourself, altered as you are by faerie magic.

So, it's basically a modern-day fairy tale with a heavy dose of cthonian horror. Solid? Solid.

As a player, one of the things that appealed to me most about Changeling in the new World of Darkness setting was that you could do nearly anything. You want to play a comic book character who finds himself in the real world, and uses his powers to fight injustice? You can do that. You want to play a slick-talking businessman whose words can cloud people's minds, and who can read the skeins of fate in order to turn every investment into solid gold? You can do that too. Psychotic homeless shapeshifter? Bounty-hunting wolfman? Dragon who is also a prosecuting attorney? These are all concepts you can make right out of the gate, with no special permissions from the storytellers, and no paperwork required.

The idea I had was a little stranger, and I got two friends to go in on it with me.

Don't hate the players, hate The Game.

One of the big things that Lost took from Irish mythology was that True Fae love games. Games are how a lot of mortals end up getting taken in the first place, and it's also how a lot of changelings end up escaping their keeper's clutches. What I wanted to do was to create a sport that would appeal to the nonsensical, solipsistic nature of the True Fae. A game where the rules could change from one breath to another, and where players would need to operate at a level of superhuman skill in order to follow all of the constant fluctuations of fouls and goals. A game where winning once would be a triumph of will, and where never losing was all-but-impossible.

In short, I wanted to play Calvinball, from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes.

To drive the ridiculousness of the idea home, the team of players we had were serious business. Two ogres and an elemental, all of them rippling with muscle, and with a fanatic devotion to their sport typically only seen in certain World Cup games. They called it The Game, and were confused no one else had ever heard of it. The Summer Court, who was in full attendance, wanted to play.

The three players agreed, handed the referee's whistle to the mute Harlequin from the Winter Court (because who else would we possibly give it to?), and we all turned to the storyteller.

This Was Where The Magic Happened

Some storytellers would look at this, and shake their head because it wasn't serious enough. Others would look at the backstories, realize that one of the unshakeable rules of The Game in Arcadia was that the losers were put to death, and decide this was too serious (even if the Aztec-style victory celebration was no longer a requirement now that they'd escaped). The storyteller running this particular game gave us a huge smile, and said, "All right, let's do this!"

Queensbury rules, motherfuckers!

The storyteller added up each team's physical stats, athletics dots, and bonuses gained from activated powers, as well as kith and seeming blessings. Then he pulled randomly to decide how the rules were going to affect each team. We were tied. Then we started spending Willpower. When that was said and done, we were still tied. Then, before there could be a deciding victory one way or another, an outside force (another player who wasn't in the competition at all) swooped down, and stole the ball.

For the first time in the history of The Game, there was a tie. Not only that, but in a venue where outsiders are looked upon with distrust (and occasionally with outright hostility), three new PCs with no ties and no history were immediately embraced as if we were all long-lost friends.

Which really goes to show that sometimes all it takes is a zany idea, crazy players, and a brilliant storytelling staff, to create some truly remarkable memories. Also, in case you were curious, that was not the last time The Game was played in that particular venue.

As always, thanks for stopping in to listen to my ramblings! If you're more of a Pathfinder or tabletop player, rest assured, I've still got one or two more stories up my sleeve. If you'd like to support Improved Initiative, then stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. All it takes is $1 a month for me to keep getting hot, fresh content right on your screen. Also, if you want to stay up-to-date on my latest, then follow me at Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.