Athasen (redux)

(Author's Note: Got some serious updates to this character's history and motivations after his foray into Chult in Tomb of Annihilation. So I'm redoing his page here. Much of this is repeated from the earlier page, but there is new content and artwork here that I didn't have before.)

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Half-elf Wizard (Bladesinger)
Faction Agent (Zhentarim)

Avouz on Athas. (Early life)

History

Early Life (1340-1355)

Avouz (Ah-vooz) was born around the Faerun year of 1340 in the City-State of Tyr on Athas. His mother was an elven concubine to a powerful and corrupt defiler wizard. This wizard frequently forced Avouz’s mother into congress with his genie slaves in hopes that she would produce a genasi for his fighting pits. Avouz was the product of one such liaison, proving a disappointment when his elven heritage proved more dominant than his elemental.

Regardless, from a young age, Avouz was trained for combat in the gladiatorial arena. Early in life, he was sold to a new master who had him trained in a combination of arcane and martial skills similar to the elven bladesingers on Faerun.

Darkhold on Athas (1355-1356)

Meanwhile, on Faerun, the Zhentarim archmage Haplo had made some powerful enemies, both among his fellow Zhentarim (Fzoul and his Banite followers) and among the gods (Tiamat). His divinations had stumbled upon a far-away world where he might seek refuge from both, so he and many of his allies and followers gated across the stars to this new world: Athas. He was joined there by two of his most stalwart allies: his son, Nilsiar (NILZ-ee-ar), and his bodyguard, Simon.

Haplo’s followers immediately began the construction of a fortress and a city in a hidden valley north of the city-state of Tyr. They named their fortress city Darkhold after their home on Faerun. Immediately, Haplo began to send out scouting parties to get the lay of the land and when they found only primitive tribes and poorly defended trade caravans from the city-states of Tyr and Urik, he began launching raids to dominate the region.

Avouz, meanwhile, was en route to gladiatorial combats in Urik with several companions: a thri-kreen named Qqikuutquew (Kih-Kit-Q), a mul named Uog (OO-og), and two preserver wizards, one named Baub and another Alandar. Their trade caravan was set upon by Darkhold raiders and the slaves were liberated.

Haplo saw an opportunity in these freed slaves, using them as advisors and allies. Freed from slavery, they took up homes in Darkhold and began a life of adventuring, each growing stronger and wealthier as the months passed.

In the early years of Athas' Darkhold, the biggest opposition to the city came from illithid invaders, lead by one known as the "Overmind." In an effort to root out the Overmind's minions, Haplo sent   Uog, Baub, Qqikuutquew, and a few others into the ruins below Darkhold. After battling many Yuan-ti allies of the illithid, they chanced upon a religious chamber and inadvertently released a powerful demon, one named Khershidion, from his prison. In return for his freedom, the demon rewarded each with powerful, but corrupting, gifts.

Shortly thereafter, Avouz came upon a group of Githyanki traders. He attacked the githyanki in a false flag attacking, hoping to trick them into thinking the yuan-ti and the illithid were behind the attack. The ruse was successful. Avouz acquired two items of note on this raid: his trademark githyanki katana and his mace of disruption.

Eventually, the Overmind was defeated, but a new threat emerged, one from within Darkhold itself. Each of those corrupted by Khershidion fell into evil and began, in their own ways, to undermine the Darkhold community. It was not long before even Nilsiar and Simon, once unwaveringly loyal to Haplo, had joined the conspiracy.

Ravenloft (1363)
Some years later, Avouz vanished from Darkhold, being drawn into a strange realm of darkness and evil by an unusual fog that enveloped his home. He found himself in a land called Barovia with a number of companions from other worlds: Mardigillian, an eldritch warrior from the world of Krynn, Falafel, a wild sorcerer from Faerun, Suna, a Sunite paladin also from Faerun, and Mikail, a cleric of Heironeous from Oerth. They combined their efforts to find a way to escape this land and focused their efforts on the castle of the land’s ruler, Strahd von Zarovich.

For his part, Strahd paid the adventurers little heed. His energies were focused on another new arrival to the Land of Mists: the powerful Oerth demigod known as Vecna. When Avouz and his companions attacked Strahd at his divinations of Vecna, they inadvertently fulfilled the requirements of a powerful ritual that could open the borders of the previously closed realm. Strahd, Vecna, and the adventurers were hurled across the Astral plane, escaping from Ravenloft.

The adventurers found their footing on a Githyanki controlled island in the astral plane. It was here that Avouz lay claim to two pieces of his iconic equipment: his katana of quickness and his red dragonscale armor. Here also, Avouz and Suna began a passionate romance. With the group free of the Realm of Mist's obfuscations, Alandar was able to detect his missing ally with his divinations and made a gate for them to return to Athas.

Avouz’s return was none too soon. For years, Baub and Uog had been conspiring to overthrow Haplo in the name of their cornugon master and, with Avouz gone, they saw their chance to strike. A great battle erupted across Darkhold between those loyal to Haplo (Avouz, Alandar) and those who had turned on him (Uog, Qqikuutquew, Baub, Simon, and Nilsiar). With the addition of Avouz’s new allies from his time in Ravenloft, the traitors were defeated. Uog, Qqikuutquew, and Simon were killed, Baub fled into exile, and Nilsiar was taken prisoner.

But not all was well. On Mikail’s homeworld of Oerth, Strahd and Vecna had appeared anew and were threatening to dominate the entire world. Alandar discovered this soon after the end of the rebellion when he set to work returning the Avouz’s allies to their homes. The four agreed to make amends for what they’d unleashed upon Oerth by journeying there and confronting their enemies.

After gating to Oerth, Avouz and company pursued Vecna and Strahd into the Vast Swamp south of the kingdom of Sunndi. The dark swamp helped to shade Strahd from the sunlight, making him a formidable opponent. Vecna forced his weaker ally to strike at the adventurers while he escaped and a mighty battle ensued. Mikail and Suna were slain but the other three overcame Strahd. As the killing blow was struck, the mists rose anew and reclaimed Strahd once again for his prison in Barovia. Vecna vanished and was later defeated by other adventurers.

Heartbroken at the death of his lover, Avouz returned to Athas and resumed his duties in Darkhold.

Apotheosis of Haplo and Falafel (1365-1372)
Recognizing that the rebellion left him in a weakened position in terms of his rivals among the Athasian dragon-kings, Haplo began making preparations to return to Faerun. Over the next two years after the revolt, Haplo made ready and reopened the gates that connected Darkhold on Athas with its namesake on Faerun. He launched an attack through the gate, with Avouz and Alandar leading the charge.

Forged in the hellish reality that is Athas, Haplo's new army quickly overwhelmed the Zhentarim defenders. Avouz and Alandar together defeated and slew the Pereghost on the pinnacle of the tower, claiming the fortress once and for all for Haplo and his allies.

Haplo settled in as the ruler of Darkhold. He appointed Avouz as the new Pereghost, granting the former gladiator the pinnacle of his personal power. Alandar began a school of magic to teach young Faerun wizards the ways of Athasian magic.

The new Darkhold soon drew a great deal of attention from the surrounding countryside. A number of adventurers soon began using the fortress as a base of operations, including Falafel (Avouz's fickle ally in Ravenloft), Haaman Khalten (a spy sent by the Lord's Alliance to keep an eye on Haplo), Stofnar (a vengeful dwarf determined to inflict genocide on the orcs), and Moric (a powerful dark wizard who would soon become a rival to Alandar). But foremost among these was Allichia Limos, a tiefling wizard, with whom Avouz, now recovered from the loss of Suna, fell in love and married.

Meanwhile, another eye cast its view on Haplo and his fortress, that of the goddess Shar.

Haplo had been conducting further experiments on the newly created Shadow Weave, a form of magic counter to that of Mystra and under the control of Shar. Eager to entice the necromancer, Shar made an offer Haplo could not resist; if he could achieve godhood, she would make him the god of the Shadow Weave.

Fortunately for Haplo, this offer was made during the midst of the Bhaalspawn crisis. Recognizing that he could steal the essence of a god from a Bhaalspawn, Haplo set in motion a plan. It began with the destruction of Alandar's wizard school, slaying nearly all the students within. Believing the Bhaalspawn responsible, Avouz signed on to avenge his friend's loss. Moric and several others joined in the chase, a chase which led to the very Throne of Bhaal itself.

Just as the Bhaalspawn was about to shed his divine essence and rebirth Bhaal anew, Haplo and his allies intervened. Haaman intervened and attempted to stop Haplo by assassinating him, but failed as the divine power flowed into Haplo and he was made a demigod. The necromancer vanished from their sight, off to join Shar in her dark realm.

Stunned at what they had been a part of, Avouz, Alandar, and Haaman returned to Darkhold. Alandar soon discovered through his divinations that Moric had been the one to destroy his school. Alandar confronted his rival and imprisoned him for eternity with the spell of the same name. He then rebuilt his school on top of the land in which he'd trapped Moric forever.

Meanwhile, Falafel had grown envious of Haplo's new found divinity. He reasoned that if Haplo could become the god of shadow magic, then Falafel should be the god of wild magic. He recruited Stofnar and several other adventurers to find a long lost artifact left behind by the dead god Amaunator. Using the divine spark hidden within the item, he too ascended to divinity.

Modern Times (1373 to 1492)

Athasen, Captain of the Zhentarim

Almost immediately after the apotheosis of Haplo and Falafel, the Zhentarim moved to reclaim Darkhold, ejecting all who claimed any manner of loyalty to the new demigods. While most (Alandar, Hamaan, etc.) resettled in other areas and settled down into semi-retirement, Avouz took up adventuring once more as a freelance mercenary.

Freedom, at first, proved very beneficial to Avouz. He had grown comfortable and content on Faerun, a world far less harsh than his homeworld of Athas. Allichia gave birth to their son, Anaelar, and all seemed well. But it was not to last.

When the Spellplague ravaged across Faerun, Avouz fell into madness. He spent much of the decade of the Spellplague being nursed back to sanity by Alandar at his newest magic school (Alandar had discovered several means to avoid the worst effects of the plague and his school had become a refuge for arcane casters fleeing it.)

Once the worst effects of the Spellplague abated, Avouz returned to his family, content now to be retired from adventuring. But things were not to last. Falafel had grown bored as a deity and “missed his friends,” so he spontaneously abducted nearly all his friends and enemies (and a few others to boot), teleported them to a remote village near Darkhold, and threw them “a party.” During the festivities (which the participants were not allowed to leave), Falafel’s wild magic got away from him and he detonated a powerful epic-level time stop spell that froze time over the village for nearly a century.

When the spell finally wore off, the confused participants tried to restart their lives in a much changed Realms. Avouz decided to rejoin the Zhentarim in Darkhold. With the Zhentarim having undergone their own turmoil and transformation over the decades, he found the organization again to his liking. He also found his family had gained great influence in the fortress city over the decades. His son Anaelar is an elder of the city and leader of a powerful mercantile guild. His children and grandchildren are heavily involved throughout the Zhentarim, Darkhold society, and Alandar's wizard school.

With aid from his family, Avouz moved  swiftly through the ranks and has regained some measure of authority and power in the faction. But he maintains a degree of secrecy, using the name Athasen to avoid being associated with his former life. Some of his family members are in on the ruse, but all others are kept in the dark about his true identity.

Athasen knows that Falafel and Haplo are both still out there. He is uncertain what role his old mentor played in the cataclysmic events surrounding the death of magic (although he does know Haplo's boss, Shar, was intimately involved.) He is not eager for a confrontation, not knowing how much Haplo has changed over the last century. Athasen prefers to think of the demigod as the man who rescued him from slavery all those years before, knowing that there was, at least once, a spark of good within him.

Chult and the Tomb of Annihilation (1492 to present)
The Zhentarim assigned Athasen to investigate the Death Curse and travel to Chult. He did this with two companions, Saiah the Paladin and Lortessa the Sunite priestess. Lortessa and Athasen had begun a passionate relationship.

While in Port Nyanzaru, Athasen met and formed an adventuring company with Langley the bounty hunter, Zangdrax the kobold paladin, Hoggle the goblin barbarian, and a dwarven cleric nicknamed "Whoops." While Lortessa and Saiah were asked to stay in Port Nyanzaru to tend to the sick and injured, the others braved into the jungles of Chult  to investigate possible sites for field bases for the factions.

Upon returning from this mission, Athasen was summoned by Alandar to a ramshackle home in Port Nyanzaru. It was a ruse and the wizard who met him was not his friend Alandar, but Haplo the demigod. Haplo commissioned "Avouz" (using his old name and identity) to seek out the Tomb where the evil lich Acererak had hidden a powerful artifact, a Soulmonger, that Haplo wished to possess. Athasen reluctantly agreed.

This created a fundamental rift between Athasen and his Sunite companions. In addition to being disturbed by learning Athasen's true identity as "Avouz" (who they saw as a servant of Shar and the old corrupt Zhentarim), Lortessa and Saiah both found it distasteful that Athasen would agree to any arrangement with a being as foul as Haplo (who was blamed, not inaccurately, for the Spellplague). Together, the two women made plans to depart Chult. They kept these plans hidden from Athasen until after he had set out with his adventuring company to reach the monastery at Kir Sabal.

After traveling overland from the harbor, the adventurers reached Kir Sabal and were introduced to Mwaxanare, Princess of Omu and the last heir to the throne of that lost kingdom. Mwaxanare was immediately smitten with Athasen, despite the disparity in their ages (Athasen looks 50. Mwaxanare is 17). Athasen was flattered, but largely ignored her efforts at seduction, claiming fidelity to Lortessa. However, he did promise to find for her a lost relic of her kingdom, the fabled skull chalice of Omu.

The abbot of the monestary agreed to cast a travel ritual on the adventurers that would take them to Omu, where the Tomb Haplo had spoken of was said to reside. It would require an expedition to Nangalore, the fabled gardens of the royal house of Omu, to fetch a rare flower.

This was done and the Abbot cast the ritual, allowing the party to make their way to Omu. After fetching the the nine cubes from the trickster gods of Omu, they were captured by the yuan-ti of Omu under Ras Nsi. When Athasen defeated Ras' champion in single combat in the arena, the yuan-ti leader decided these adventurers were too much trouble and allowed them to depart unmolested.

The adventurers then plunged into the Tomb of the Nine Gods, braving all manner of fiendish traps and monsters to reach the Soulmonger. Along the way, Athasen found the chalice Mwaxanare had asked him to find. When they entered the chamber of the Soulmonger, they were all overcome with such loathing that they knew the only course of action was to destroy it, despite the desires of Haplo for them to take possession of the artifact .They attacked and destroyed the Soulmonger after slaying its guardians. This summoned forth an angry Acererak and, after an epic battle, the adventurers emerged victorious.

With the magical knowledge he had gained in the Tomb, Athasen teleported with his companions to Port Nyanzaru. There, he learned that Lortessa and Saiah had abandoned him. Bound by his sense of duty, he teleported to Kir Sabal to return the chalice to Mwaxanare. Heartbroken by Lortessa's abandonment, Athasen succumbed to Mwaxanare's charms and the princess found her way into his bed that night.

After this, Athasen returned to Darkhold to resume his adventures. Within a few months, word had reached him that Mwaxanare was with child. Recognizing an unique opportunity, Athasen has returned to Chult and pledged himself to restoring the Princess's kingdom. The Princess has now declared Athasen her royal consort and the two have returned together to Darkhold to begin plotting the restoration of Omu.

Prince Athasen, Royal Consort of Omu

Description
Avouz/Athasen cuts a striking figure. He stands six-and-a-half feet tall, far taller than most “half-elves.” His skin is the color of fertile soil and his eyes are the same sharp blue as sapphires. His hair is a ruby red color (with hints of grey as he is around 50 years old now) and his ears are pointed as befits his elven ancestry. Much of his odd coloration comes from his dao father and his unusual height is indicative of his Athasian elf mother's influence.

During his time as a Zhentarim soldier, he wore leather armor under a green and gold robe (the colors of the Zhentarim organization). Now, he often wears plainer ornamentation in Northern climates, although he decks out in Chultan royal finery when at work in that land.

Avouz’s personality and outlook has changed from the days of his youth. His fall from power, temporary insanity, and awakening from a mad-deity-triggered magical mishap to a vastly different world had colored his demeanor greatly. Gone were his idealism and his “good” alignment. He was often quite jaded.

Lortessa changed much of that, brightening his demeanor. Despite their later parting, Athasen has since found new purpose and love with Mwaxanare. His goal to restore Omu to its glory days has relit his passion and he is a force to be reckoned with.

Athasen's Character Sheet (pdf)

Reflections on PAX Unplugged

 The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.  

PAX Unplugged 2018 is my first major "nerd" con in over ten years. I last attended Origins in 2007, the year before I got married to Sarah. Much has changed in these 12 years.

1) Large Cons are less fun than they used to be.
(Disclaimer: I've still enjoyed myself immensely; but things don't feel as they once did in those halcyon days of Katsu, Neko, and Origins).

There's a couple reasons for this.

The first reason is how complicated living in the age of mass shootings has made things. In order to keep the attendees "safe," we're all channeled through a security checkpoint before entering the building. Given the thousands upon thousands of people who are here, this takes a massive amount of time. You can arrive on site at 10:00am and then stand outside in the freezing cold for upwards of 30-45 minutes as the three block long line worms its way inside. All because of the choke-point at the security scanners.

The second is semi-related. It's cool to be a geek now, so these events are HUGELY popular now. (This is connected to reason #1 because it makes these events prime targets for the deranged.) PAX is at least as big as Origins, which is crazy for what I thought would be a second tier con. Everywhere has a massive line. You wait for EVERYTHING. You stand in line to get a seat at game tables, a line which forms an hour before the game is supposed to begin. (The security queue cost me a game session because I was in that line instead of the game line this morning.)

Game sessions themselves are difficult because you're in a room with 300 people, all of whom are talking very excitedly. I'm getting older and my hearing is, as much as I hate to admit it, not what it once was. I had trouble a couple of times hearing the DMs or my fellow players during games.

To borrow a phrase from a friend of mine, large cons are "just too people-y."

2) Diversity
Gaming has an ugly side to it. Gamergate exposed a lot of the rampant sexism and misogyny in video games and tabletop games aren't really much better. I am pleased to say that, if PAX is any indication, things have come a long way.

I remember back when I was staffing anime cons in the 1990s. The amount of skin shown by many of the female cosplayers was extreme. To my immature bachelor self, that was something of a godsend, but I've since learned what many of those young ladies were going through as they tried to homage their favorite characters. Way too much groping. (Immature I may have been, but even then I had the good sense to keep my hands to myself.)

I've seen no explicit or provocative cosplay at PAX. There are even rules against it now, according to the PAX guidebook. Their rationale was to make this a more welcome place for female and family gamers. Given what I've seen myself at my little shop in York, women and families are coming into this hobby in droves. It's not the male dominated niche it once was and PAX has acknowledged that.

Now, I have no idea if the less revealing cosplay has discouraged the Gropy McPerverts or not. I should note the restriction is not limited to women cosplayers only. No "Conan the Barbarians" in loincloths allowed either. So this is not a "sexism-disguised-as-protection" sort of strategy like often happens with school dress codes.

Additionally, PAX is being exceedingly welcoming to LGBT gamers as well. Signs of acceptance of people of non-binary genders and homosexual self-understanding are all over the place. They've designated several of the restrooms as open for anyone, regardless of gender. A number of my DMs have been wearing "GAYMER" tags on their badges (including a few that have "ALLY" tags as well. Love to have one of those myself.)

All that is a very GOOD sign for the future.

3) Money
Oh, boy, it's still possible to do cons on the cheap, but it is not easy.

I managed to score my entry pass and my accommodations for about $200. That's only because I could get a room at my old seminary for cheap. Hotels downtown in Philly were $150 a night at the cheapest.

SEPTA has been my friend. $5 for a train ride from the seminary to the con. $3.50 for the trip back.

Parking was tricky the first day (before I could check in at the seminary and leave my car there.) My friend Travis was trying to use this app called Spot Hero to find the cheapest parking and he did. $21 for the day right across from the convention center. Great. We pull in, park, and enjoy the day. When I went back out to my car, I discovered we were in the wrong garage. The one the app was for was essentially next door and we got the two confused. So I ended up shelling out another $30 on top of the $20 I'd spent through Travis's app. Honest mistake, but that took a chunk out of my spending cash. (As con screw-ups go, it's nothing like me catching mono mid-con like I did at Katsu-con 2).

Food proved a problem also. I knew things would be expensive in downtown Philly, but I wasn't expecting it to be that much. The cafe in the Convention Center was not too unreasonable for its meals, but they were charging $6 for your typical 20 oz. bottle of Coke (At a convenience store, they go for about $1.75 as you probably know.) That was outrageous.

With the loss of over 1/3 my spending money to the parking error, I had to figure out how to eat cheap. Wawa came to the rescue. $5 for a quesadilla last night. $5 for a sub tonight. About $8 for breakfast plus a Coke and a bag of peanuts this morning. After the Coke was gone, I filled the bottle a couple times at water fountains to keep myself hydrated and the peanuts kept hunger at bay when I skipped lunch to game. Probably do similar tomorrow for the last day of the con.

I had hoped to blow some cash on a good meal at Reading Market while here, but that went out the window with the parking error. Oh, well, there's always next time.

4) Conclusion
Overall, the experience has been a good one. I've met a lot of people here. Played some VERY memorable and fun games. I hope my friends Travis and Talen, who have been DMing the whole con, are likewise enjoying themselves.

All that said, I'm not sure I'd repeat the experience next year, at least not in the same way. With my friends DMing, I was pretty much solo the whole time and that's also less fun. I might come back as a DM like they did (which can discount me the room/badge or even get all of it for free) next year if I do attend.

This was my birthday treat to myself after a horrendous summer of hospital stays and severe illness. It was a good treat and worth the effort. So we'll see about next year.

My Top 25 Anime Theme Songs

My blog is rapidly turning into a dumping ground for all the nerdy stuff I like, which is okay since it's my blog and I can do what I want with it.

I've been watching a series of Top 10/25/50 lists of Anime J-pop music on YouTube. Some lists I like and agree with. Some I like and disagree with. Most are filled with post-2000 anime I've never watched or even heard of (Nothing wrong with that, but it's just not my era. I'm a 45 year old grognard who's watched only a small sample of post-2000 anime.) But this has inspired me to put together my own list and rather than do it as a YouTube video, I'm going to make the list here.

First, one rule. Only one song per series. TV series, movies, and OAV will count separately, but no two songs from the same TV series or OAV set. If I didn't implement this, the list would be 75% Macross Frontier and Kimagure Orange Road with a smattering of other songs.

I'll also be mixing the Japanese titles and the English translations thereof when titling the songs. Bear with me.

Here we go. Staring with the Honorable Mentions that almost made the cut.

Shine in the Storm - Gundam 08th MS Team OP

This one pops up on more than a few other lists. It's good song to a fantastic series, but my list just didn't quite have enough room with all the other great songs (including several from Gundam).

Safari Eyes - Dirty Pair: Project E.D.E.N. movie

I'd be torn here between this song and "Over the Top" (which has the same tune, but different lyrics.) Over the Top seems strangely absent from YouTube. This opening animation for the Dirty Pair movie (which does not feature either main character) is pretty incredible and sells this song over the other. But not quite good enough to make the main list.

Eternal Wind - Gundam F-91

One of the mellowest tracks you'll see here today. I just love this theme. F-91 was the very first Gundam I ever saw. But like the other Honorable Mentions didn't quite prove good enough to make the list.

Cyborg Mermaid - Gunmn

Another mellow track and one of the more obscure songs on this list. Gunmn is my hands-down favorite manga series and I've been reading it (translated into English by the more famous title Battle Angel Alita) for 20+ years now. Back in the 90s, the first few volumes were made into a two-episode OAV and this was the theme.

Yes, I am looking forward to the American live-action version, strangely big eyes and all.

And now my TOP 25 ANIME SONGS OF ALL TIME...

25. Russian Roulette - Dirty Pair TV

We start off with a seriously kick-ass theme from the mid 1980s. I love the Dirty Pair stories, particularly the exceptional Flight 005 Conspiracy and the already mentioned Project E.D.E.N. movie. But this song for the TV series started it all.

24. Choose Me - Kimagure Orange Road OAVs

I'll get this out of the way now. If my favorite anime series were mountains, Kimagure Orange Road would be Olympus Mons on Mars, towering three times as tall as the Everest of my collection. I cannot say enough about how much I love this series and it'll show up a lot here. Choose Me is the OP for the KOR OAVs. I was torn here, since Toki Doki Blue (the ED) is also a very good song.

23. Omoide ga Ippai - Ranma 1/2 TV

Another favorite from my days at VTAS (Virginia Tech Anime Society), we were into the third season of Ranma 1/2 when I started attending regularly. Thus, this became the first Ranma theme I heard and it remains a favorite to this day.

22. Just Communication - Gundam Wing

Here's an example that'll pop up a couple of times on here: A song I love from a series I dislike. Gundam Wing was ok, but I much prefer the UC series or Seed. Still, for anime fans active in the 1990s, nothing quite prepared us for this kind of anime song. Rock songs, yeah. Soft ballads, sure. Pop songs, of course. Hard beat techno? Woah! Now it's hard to imagine an action anime without a powerhouse techno theme.

21. Invoke - Gundam Seed

Very much so the inheritor of the legacy Just Communication created for Gundam, the first OP for Gundam Seed takes the techno tradition of previous Gundam series and takes to 11. Incredible song. Too bad I can't seem to find the original singer on YouTube anywhere.

20. You Get Burning - Martian Successor Nadesico

A fantastic series that got seriously overshadowed by that other mecha series that everyone loves, but I hate (MSN launched around the same time as EVA). Nadesico has a kick ass opening theme to boot.

19. Giraffe Blues - Macross Delta

Ok, here's proof I do watch the occasion current show, particularly if they're part of a legacy franchise like Gundam or Macross or a remake of a legacy show (looking at you, Legend of Galactic Heroes). I went into Mac Delta with some trepidation, since it looked like it was going to downplay the mecha action to show off Walkure and their music. (Not that Macross in general isn't a little guilty of that in every series). But I really enjoyed Delta a lot and this song and its context really helped sell me.

18. Blue Water - Nadia TV

I'm pleased this one shows up on more than one of the other lists I referenced at the beginning of this post. I always felt Nadia was a bit obscure, but, I suppose the unending and nonsensical popularity of EVA has made people seek out other Gainax series.

17. Cinema - Maison Ikkoku

And speaking of the obscure, I'm really surprised Rumiko Takahashi is no longer a household name in anime circles anymore. Uretsei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Rumic World, and this series, Maison Ikkoku, were all the products of her fertile imagination. The J-Pop band Picasso did several songs for this show (and they show up again in the next slot with one of the songs they did for Ranma 1/2) and this is my favorite.

16. Piece of Love - Ranma Movie 2: Nihao My Concubine

Second song by Picasso on this list. The ED to the second Ranma 1/2 movie. And the second Ranma song on this list. Hmm....

15. Cruel Angel Thesis - Evangelion

I really did not want to put this song on this list. One, it's on EVERY list like this out there and sometimes we nerds just want to reject the popular for the sake of being iconoclastic. Two, I really hate EVA as a series. It's a confusing mismash of mecha series, whiny kids, and Christian legendry that it's obvious Hideki Anno knew nothing about. All that said, I can't help but admit that this song is seriously cool.

14. Tank! - Cowboy Bebop

The only instrumental piece on this list (although the OP to Tenchi Muyo almost made it.) Most everyone's seen Cowboy Bebop. This track, along with the series it opens, lives up the hype in a way EVA doesn't.

13. Yakusoku wa Iranai - Escaflowne

The #2 anime fantasy series in my estimation after Lodoss War, this series replaces magic with mecha and creates a compelling storyline. The opening theme is great too.

12. Ureshii Namida - Video Girl Ai

Another obscure one, although having Bennett the Sage review this a couple years ago may have introduced some folks to this series. This is an absolutely amazing anime and it hits you in the feels the way few anime do. The tone of the ED (which almost made the list) is sad and bittersweet, while this OP is more upbeat. It was hard to choose.

11. My Heart - Ah! My Goddess

You'll notice there's a lot of romantic comedy themes here. Yeah, I'm a sucker for them, but not the American BS ones with their forced plot hooks and placing the comedy over the romance. Anime romantic comedies have a bittersweet element to them that I really like and AMG is no exception. Funny, fun, but also a bit sad.

10. Say Yes - Bubblegum Crisis

The picks are getting harder with my self-imposed rule of only one song per series. There are a ton of songs I could have chosen for BGC, not the least of which is the one that usually graces these lists, Konya wa Hurricane. But I've always felt Say Yes was the better track and that's not changed over the years.

9. Love, Do You Remember? - Macross: Love, Do You Remember?

I wanted this song to be higher. It's so good and is truly an anime classic. I have debates over some of my friends over Minmei (who is portrayed terribly in Robotech) and this song is where I point to her value as a character. Yes, she's an anime crush in part because of the emotional power of this track. I count myself very lucky. A number of years ago Mari Ijima attended one of the anime cons I staffed and got to see her perform this live. Goosebumps just thinking about it.

8. Men of Destiny - Gundam 0083

As good as much of the later Gundam music is, you will never convince me that there is no Gundam song more kickass than this one. Definitely riding the wave of hard rock anime themes after the popularity of Bubblegum Crisis, this song just makes me want to blow crap up with a big stompy robot.

7. Where do We Go From Here - Ranma 1/2 OAV

From kickass to just fun, it's hard not to start swaying in your seat to this track. Sung by the voice actresses of the Ranma characters, this is a good song to dance and enjoy. It also marks the third appearance of Ranma 1/2 on this list.

6. Information High - Macross Plus

The techno revolution in anime music during the mid-90s really reached its peak with this track. Fitting that it's from a Macross series, which always did music better than Gundam. I DJed a church summer camp final dance one year in the late 90s. No one much liked the first few songs I played, but when this came on, the crowd went nuts. I don't think any of them had ever seen MacPlus, but that didn't seem to matter. They knew this was an awesome song and it is.

5. Embrace that Sky - Kimagure Orange Road "I Want to Return to that Day"

I don't speak Japanese but this song will get me weepy nonetheless. Like I said, anime romantic comedies have a bittersweet element to them and none do that better than the first Orange Road movie. Considering I watched this film around the time my first love walked away only makes the song all the more powerful for me.

4. Talent for Love - Tenchi Muyo

Imagine a movie theater, like the one we used at VTAS back in the early 90s. Full of crazy anime fans, all of them swaying side to side in time with the animation and music of this song. To this day, I still can't help but do the same. That's the power of good music.

3. Kiseki no Umi - Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight

This song is a masterpiece. Hands down. The emotion it conveys is almost unreal in its power. The abbreviated version you see in the opening credits of the show gives you a taste. The full track is something else entirely. Again, I don't speak Japanese but even I can't help but feel uplifted by this music.

2. Lion - Macross Frontier

And speaking of power songs, this one just barely edges out the previous in that regard, more because I like Macross Frontier as a series better than Lodoss TV. Here's where my self-imposed rule of one song per series truly hurts. There are so many incredible tracks connected to Macross Frontier: Diamond Crevasse, What About My Star?, Aimo, and Trianglar could all have fit here, but Lion's my favorite. The dueling duet between the two female leads sells it.

1. Mirror of an Actress - Kimagure Orange Road

Anyone who knows me would know this list would not end without an Orange Road song at the top. What may surprise folks is that it's not Orange Mystery, which is the song most KOR fans rate at the top. Again, because of my rule, I couldn't include Orange Mystery, but I can assure you it would have been top 5 on any list of mine without that rule. I've always liked Actress more.

Tomb of Annihilation Chapter Five - The Tower

Athasen shook himself awake as the morning sun came down into the depths of the mountain. For a brief moment, he was confused; he knew himself to be deep within the bowels of the Yuan-ti cliffs, so why was there such bright light? The mystery revealed itself. A series of mirrors had been erected during the night, positioned in such a way to project the distant sun deep into the heart of the yuan-ti refugee’s mountain home.

This was clearly in response to the work the adventurers had done the day before, slaughtering the party of raiders from below who had moved to threaten the exiled colony. For the first time in weeks, if not ever, the refugees had a festive air about them. They were free.

Athasen came to his feet as he watched the yuan-ti women make ready the day’s breakfast. Children played, but the half-elf warrior was ambivalent about the whole thing. Yes, these were not the same as the yuan-ti of his past, but they were of the same race and, given Urarzu’s comments, of the same mindset. They were better. They were superior. However much gratitude they might owe to the adventurers and their allies, Athasen couldn’t help but feel that it was all a formula for disaster.

Still, it would not be his concern. That would fall to his superiors in the Zhentarim and their peers in the other factions.

He walked leisurely up to the surface, hoping for a breath of fresher air to start the day. Upon reaching the exit, he found Allar and Jorya already there, speaking to one another.

“Good morning,” offered Jorya kindly. “Allar was sharing with me your next destination.”

“Was he now?” said Athasen with slight suspicion.

“Yes, the tower you seek lies about two leagues to the southwest from here.” He pointed across the jungle. “Over that way. We rarely venture that direction. Not now nor when we were still a part of the warren below.”

“And why is that?”

“An enemy lives in the tower, one that we fear.”

“Urarzu would have us believe your people fear nothing.” mocked Athasen coldly.

“There are those who are more perfectly serpentine than we and resent us for our imperfection. Some live below. Another lives in that tower.” said Jorya, ignoring the insult but speaking with a grim tone. “Be warned. It will not take kindly to your kind either.” With that, Jorya departed back into the darkness.

“It? What singular monstrosity could chill the blood of these so?” asked Allar.

“Something snake-like.” said Athasen, putting the pieces together. “Perhaps another yuan-ti or something else.”

“Like what?”

“There are many monsters and creatures unique throughout the world. Even with my experience, there are beasts abroad that I’ve never faced nor even heard of. It could be anything, a naga, a monstrous giant snake, a half-dragon half-snake monstrosity. Take your pick. Your guess is as good as mine. But if it frightens a cold blooded yuan-ti, we have reason to be cautious.”

“Are the others awake?” replied Allar, changing the subject.

“No, but they should be up soon. You, I’d imagine, have been up for sometime now.”

“Elves don’t sleep, as I’m sure you know. Yes, my trance ended some time ago. I’ve been up here, taking in the beauty of the dawn.”

“Well, our hosts didn’t murder us in our sleep, so I suppose we have that going for us.”

“You really don’t like them, do you?”

“No, I don’t. The sooner we’re on our journey, the better I’ll feel.”

“They kept to their agreement. We have come to no harm by their hand. I see no reason to distrust them.”

“We all wear the mask of necessity from time to time. That doesn’t change who or what we are beneath. They are yuan-ti. Desperation make have made them kind for the time being, but they are still and will always be yuan-ti. I’ll go wake the others. I want some distance between us and this place.”

----

Even across the jungle, two leagues was not a vast distance; a day’s journey at most. After the others awoke and the group broke their fast, they set out almost immediately. Athasen took the lead behind Hoggle, who once again took relish in hacking a path for them through the foliage. Not only was the half-elf eager to have the yuan-ti colony at his back, but he hoped to find the one thing he values above all else at the tower: magical knowledge.

The spring in his step was not missed by his companions. “It’s not just that we’re away from the snakemen, is it?” asked Zangdrax.

Athasen chuckled to himself. “No, with wizards comes power. Knowledge, spells. I come from a people that don’t quite value gold and jewels in the same way as all of you. No, what mattered to us were the means and the mechanisms to survive the harsh land in which we lived: Water, food, but also important were weapons of all sorts that could be used to give us an edge against our enemies.”

“Enemies that would steal your food and water, I presume.”

“And your lives. And your freedom. And whatever else they could take.”

“I think I am starting to understand you, Athasen.” admitted Zangdrax. “You lead because you crave order. You crave order because you resent the chaos of your upbringing and lands in which it took place. But there is a fine line between order and tyranny.”

Athasen chuckled again, only heartier this time. “I’m to be lectured on tyranny by a paladin of Tiamat? I’m not sure you understand your own religion nearly as well as you think you do.”

“Perhaps,” Zangdrax took Athasen’s barb in stride. “But if I am so wrong, why do my spells and powers continue? Why does the goddess not cut me off if I am so much a heretic?”

“You make a good point, my friend. Far be it from me to question the gods. Their schemes are often beyond us. It is clear you serve a purpose to the Queen of Dragons. What purpose precisely only she knows.” He paused. “As to your original point, I know all too well the dangers of tyranny. That was my homeland’s response to the chaos. You either served as a slave to a master of the city or you took your chances with the desert. I have done both in my life and I cannot say one is better or worse than the other. I was fortunate to find another tyrant, a different one, who took interest, even care, in me. But not all who served him saw him as I did. Not all found his service rewarding or even pleasant.” Athasen paused again and looked at Zangdrax. “I suppose one could say the same of me as I lead this group.”

“You have not led us astray yet.”

“I might have with the yuan-ti. Would you have followed had I chosen to strike them down rather than work with them? Even I don’t know whether what we did was the better path.”

“As you say, the gods are mysterious. Perhaps your god is testing you.”

“Istishia takes little interest in the affairs of mortals. Like all elemental gods, she provides what she provides for the world and leaves things at that. We who worship her and her kin are grateful for whatever gifts she gives, but we have few expectations that she will intercede directly in our lives. We have breath, life, water, sustenance, and the rest is up to us.”

Zangdrax shrugged. “Perhaps it is much the same with Tiamat. She gives strength to her children, dragons and we kobolds as their lesser brethren, but cares little how we use it.”

Langley interjected at this point. “Theology bores me and we have arrived. Can you two put your blathering at rest?”

“As you wish, mi’lady.” said Zangdrax with a mocking tone of his own.

The party stepped into a fairly sizable clearing in the jungle foliage. At the center was a stone tower, some 60 feet high. The grey stone was smooth, with each stone brick fitting perfectly with the others around it. That made the walls almost as smooth as glass and even the ivy that grew up around the tower seemed to have difficulty finding grip. The stone was otherwise featureless’ no windows, no doors. Were it not for its shape, it might be mistaken for an obelisk or stelae or some other form of solid statuary. 

Surrounding the tower were several other carved stones, each bearing a symbol. Athasen recognized the symbols: Earth, Air, Lightning, Thunder, and so forth. “Speaking of the elements,” said Allar.

“Yes, Istishia, Kossuth, Talos, which I presume means lightning. All are represented. Earth, air, lightning, water, life, death.” said Zangdrax. “All symbols of the elemental gods.”

“But it’s not a shrine. It’s a puzzle.” said Fejj. He put his hand into the symbol of Akadi, the goddess of air, and it glowed briefly before fading.

“The wrong combination could be dangerous.” warned Athasen, although he had to admit to himself that placing his hand on the symbol of Kossuth in front of him was going to be his next move as well.

“Then what’s the sequence?” asked Langley, looking at the tower. “There’s no climbing this thing and no way in above even if we could.”

“There should be a message somewhere that gives us a clue. Search about.” said Zangdrax.

“Only if this wizard wanted visitors.” laughed Athasen.

“The wizard is long dead and the yuan-ti warned us that this place is home now to something they fear.” reminded Allar. “It figured out how to enter. And the Harpers that were sent here, as there is no sign of them outside the tower. They figured it out also.”

“Or they were confounded by the puzzle and simply abandoned the effort.” said Athasen.

“That doesn’t change the first part of my argument.” retorted Allar. “The monster got in.”

“Here!” cried Hoggle. “Me find writing.”

Sure enough, hidden under the ivy was another stone similar to the elemental ones leaning against the tower. Upon it was written in Common the message “This comes after while covered by the other.”

“Well, good job, Hoggle.” complimented Langley. “You found the clue. Now what does it mean.”

“One element that follows another while underneath another.” muttered Zangdrax.

“Water lies beneath air. So does Earth. As one moves from land to sea...” wondered Athasen.

“If this tower were on the coast, I’d say that answer has merit.” retorted Zangdrax. “But we’re too far inland. Right in the middle of a jungle, a rainforest.”

“Rain. Water that comes from air. But covered by what?” said Allar.

“No,” Zandrax smiled. “But you’re close. Thunder and lightning come with rain. Lightning first, then thunder, all while it rains. Touch lightning, thunder, and then water.”

Hoggle, already enthusiastic about having found the clue, jumped up and hit the stones Zangdrax said in order. Each symbol glowed and then there was a bright flash. Immediately, Hoggle disappeared from their sight.

“What the...” said Fejj with alarm.

“No worries.” said Athasen. “That was a teleport spell. Zangdrax solved the puzzle. Hit the stones as he said and it’ll let us inside.”

Each of them did as Hoggle had done and each in turn found themselves in a dark circular room. Fejj lit a torch and they took stock of their new surroundings. The room was mostly empty, save for some wrecked and discarded furniture. Across from where they’d “arrived,” they could see a teleportation circle glowing faintly in the darkness.

“Our way out.” said Athasen with authority.

In the center of the room, a stone staircase spiraled upward into the ceiling. Zangdrax spoke quietly, “And that’s our path ahead. Hoggle and I will take point. As small as we are, we may escape notice.”

“Very well.” said Athasen, drawing his sword.

The goblin and the kobold moved with as much grace as they could muster. Despite his blood lust and fierceness, it was obvious Hoggle knew when it was fitting to be quiet. Zangdrax did likewise, but found it harder to pull off in the metal skin of full plate armor. He clanked on the stairs as he ascended, a sound that did not go unnoticed.

When he reached the top, Hoggle immediately spotted four large Chultan warriors. Each had a glazed look in their eyes, one very similar to the enchanted and controlled Zhentarim at the farmstead. Upon hearing the sound of Zangdrax’s armor, their eyes darted to the stairs and immediately spotted the goblin. They charged.

Knowing the game was up, Hoggle let out a bloodthirsty scream and rushed the warriors in turn. The first to reach Hoggle took a swing, but aimed too high with his sword. Hoggle ducked beneath and brought his axe up into the warrior’s crotch. The blow sank deep, nearly cleaving the warrior in two.

Zangdrax and the others, either hearing the din of battle or Hoggle’s scream of fury, dashed up the stairs. Zangdrax moved in to engage a second warrior as arrows flew out from the darkness. Two struck Zangdrax’s shield and Langley drew a bead on their origin. Across the chamber, one nearly identical to the floor below, there was a crude barricade constructed of wrecked and ruined furniture. Behind it, two archers. They too had the glazed look of mind-controlled slaves, but, unlike the warriors, these were dressed as northerners and outlanders.

“There’s our missing Harpers.” said Langley as she lined up a carefully aimed shot. She fired, the slingstone of her rifle striking the leftmost archer’s bow and splitting the wood.

“Impressive shot.” said Allar, drawing his own bow and loosing at the archers himself.

Zangdrax struck down a warrior and Hoggle took out a third. Whoever these foes were, they were no match for the seasoned adventurers they faced. Athasen formed the pattern of a spell in his mind and cast it towards the archers as Fejj’s bow took down the fourth and final warrior.

“Amarvo.” He muttered aloud as the dispelling magic stole away the mind-control enchantment. The two Harpers blinked in confusion for a moment and, immediately after realizing they were outmatched, surrendered.

“Where are the rest of you?”

“Imprisoned above.” admitted the Harper. “You’re Zhentarim?”

“Part of a group sent to find the lot of you who went missing.”

“You made short work of the hired help.” complained the Harper.

“They pissed off the goblin.” said Athasen mirthfully.

“Be glad you’re worth more alive than dead,” added Langley before the Harper could retort,” or we might have made short work of you as well.”

“What took control of you?” Athasen demanded, changing the subject.

“I don’t know. I just remember two golden snake-like eyes.”

“Naga.” said Fejj. “Magically controlling them through its gaze.”

“Yes, that was the last clue we needed.” said Athasen, agreeing.

“I would have preferred the giant snake you mentioned this morning.” said Allar.

“A mindless beast would not have figured out how to enter.” said Fejj. “It had to be something with intelligence.”

“It’s also not alone. The rest of our party is with it.” interjected one of the Harpers. “Enchanted as we were.”

“How many?” asked Zangdrax.

“Up to six, assuming the naga hasn’t eaten any of them.”

“It can enthrall us just as easily as they.” warned Zangdrax. “Only those of elven blood might be able to resist.”

“That gives Fejj, Allar, and myself some immunity then.” said Athasen. He walked over to the magical circle etched into the floor. “The one of these below leads out. Am I to presume this one leads up?”

The Harper shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Why haven’t they attacked?” wondered Allar aloud. “Surely they know we’re here.”

“Because they know the top of the stairs is a choke point they can use against us.” said Athasen. “Better to let your enemy come to you than vice versa. Lets you name the battlefield.” He paused. “It’s what I’d do.”

“They’ll cut us to pieces if we charge up there.” said Fejj.

“Not if we draw them off. Hoggle, Zangdrax, with me. We’ll take the circle and attack from behind them. The rest of you charge up when you hear the ruckus.”

Athasen turned towards the teleportation circle, the goblin and kobold behind him. The three of them encircled the symbol and stepped in together and vanished.

They emerged, as they expected, on the top floor. Also as they expected, the enchanted Harper archers and their native bodyguards were poised to attack the top of the stairs. And while they were not expecting a foe to come up through the teleportation circle, the naga was not so foolish.

The massive black snake with a humanoid head reared up around them. “Fools,” it hissed. “I will make slaves of you all.”

“Hoggle, go!” barked Athasen as he began to cast his haste spell.

The goblin let out another road of rage and fury and charged towards the group of ensorcelled foes. Zangdrax rushed forward and hacked a portion of the naga with a well placed blow from his mattock.

The archers fell all over themselves as Hoggle flung his diminutive form into one of the native guides, knocking him back into the packed group. That was cue for the others still below, who dashed out of the stairwell and into the fray.

“Spare their lives if you can.” barked Athasen, repeating the same command he’d given on the farm to save the enchanted Zhentarim. He felt the powerful transmutation magic of his spell take hold and the whole world seemed to slow to a crawl.

Athasen dashed towards the naga, pulling his blades from their scabbards. If the spellcaster died, the enchantments that controlled the enthralled prisoners would fail. The naga snapped at him as it curled its body around, knocking the diminutive Zangdrax back. But to the accelerated Athasen, the blow seemed clumsy and slow and he dodged the snapping jaws with ease. Four quick slashes from his swords danced across the naga’s hide, each scale as hard as iron. The blows did little damage, but were more than enough for the naga to realize this unconventional wizard was the greatest threat by far.

Zangdrax came back to his feet. Langley, Fejj, and Allar were exchanging shots with the enthralled Harpers and Hoggle was in heaven fighting the whole group of Chultan mercenaries at once. The naga was now focused on Athasen, who continued to rain blows down on the monster.

“Alright, Tiamat, lend me your strength.” prayed Zangdrax. A slight radiance enveloped his mattock and he swung at the distracted naga. The blow smashed hard into the naga’s iron scales and holy light arced across the beast’s body as Zangdrax’s smote his foe with the power of his goddess.

That hurt the naga far more than Athasen’s hail of blows, so the naga turned anew back to the kobold. Athasen saw his chance, vaulting himself into the air with a powerful jump and planting one of his blades in between the scales on the naga’s back. He hung there for what seemed to him only a second, but to the others barely a faction that, and then used the embedded weapon to vault himself up further. He took his remaining sword in both hands and drove it deep into the back of the naga’s skull. The monster convulsed wildly, flinging the half-elf across the room, and then collapsed. Another smite from Zangdrax’s war pick finished it.

“Surrender now!” demanded Langley of the now bewildered Harpers. They did so immediately.

Allar and Fejj turned their attention to the Chultan bodyguards as Hoggle checked his next blow as they too surrendered. They were in far worse shape, all wounded, but none in danger of dying.

“I did good. No kill.” said Hoggle proudly.

“Yes, very good.” answered Zangdrax. “Athasen?” he called out.

Athasen picked himself up, the world having returned to its normal pace. “I’m alright. Just a bit bruised. Had the wind knocked out of me.”

“That was impressive.” admitted Fejj.

“Better than Langley shooting bow downstairs.” added Hoggle.

“A legacy from my gladiator days,” said Athasen, rubbing the pain out of his back. “A mite flashy, but it got the job done. See to the wounded.”

“I’ve heard of you, Athasen of Darkhold.” said the Harper from downstairs. “Your reputation is well-earned.”

“Well, aren’t you the man of the hour?” grumbled Langley.

“This isn’t a competition.” said Athasen adamantly. “We do our jobs. We get paid and the glory of success is for all of us.” He paused. “That shot downstairs was damned impressive. We’re going to need skills like that, because whatever claims mastery over these lands and is behind that Death Curse is going to take everything we have to defeat.”

Upcoming Plans

Sometimes, things get a little overwhelming. It's my curse as an ADHD nerd. But I'm still here and still working on things, just a lot slower than I had originally planned.

Star Trek Adventures
As I've pointed out, I'm now running a long-term STA campaign on Fridays, so a lot of my energy and time will be going towards that.

Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League
I have a handshake agreement with my store coordinator that I only DM every other season (The current season, with Tomb of Annihilation, is one of my off-seasons.) Once I finish out this season with Athasen as my PC, I'll go back to the DMs chair.

It occurs to me at this point that I have created FAR more D&D PCs than I will ever reasonably be able to play, nearly all of which I've posted here. Rather than throw away all that work, here's my plan. If a PC has received 1) DM experience through Adventurer League rules, 2) a Heroforge mini that I've actually ordered and painted, and/or 3) seen actual Adventurer League play, even if only one adventure session, I'll keep them in my active PC cache.

The rest will be transformed into pre-gen characters for people to use when I DM and have a new player (which has been happening a lot lately.)

So, here's a brief list of who's going into the pregen pile.

Olog, Veldet, Nicholai, Kishward, Katesh, Jirya, Ebrahim, Allichia, Allwyn

In addition, I've got about another half dozen or so characters that I've drawn up that I have yet to post here that will likewise be going into the pile.

The Tomb of Annihilation story
I love to write fiction, but I can never seem to find enough time to really sit down and crank out stories the way I'd like to. My computers are filled with grand adventure tales that I never finished. I'd really rather this one not become one of them. I have the ToA hardcover now, so it ought to help my creativity.

Now to just find the time to write.

Axanar vs. Discovery

(Author's note: For clarification, I will underline the names of shows, where as the names of events, ships, and characters will appear without underline.)

About two years or so ago, I was introduced to a Star Trek fan film project called Axanar. This production, crowd-funded but with the input of several Hollywood folk and famous genre actors, was to tell the story of the first war between the Klingons and the Federation. A war that concluded with the famous Battle of Axanar, where Garth of Izar (who appeared in TOS) defeated the Klingons and won the war for the UFP.

The released a 30-min short to whet the appetite of their supporters and fans. "Prelude to Axanar" is done up like a History channel documentary, with interviews and "stock footage" and the like to tell the story of what led up to the famous battle. If you have not seen it, click on the video below and DO SO. It's worth your time.

Now, up until this Axanar, CBS had turned a mostly blind eye to fan productions of Star Trek in general. Several have been boasting production design comparable in quality to Axanar (Star Trek: Renegades and Star Trek Continues are both highly recommended by yours truly.) But something about Axanar stuck in their craw and they sued the pants off the Axanar production team.

What stuck in their craw was, as we now know, Star Trek Discovery. A new official canon series that would tell the story of the first war between the Klingons and the Federation.

Eventually,  the suit was settled out of court and the end result is that whatever original Axanar film was planned will now never see the light of day. We may get something, but not the original vision.

I really wanted to hate Discovery because of this lawsuit and how it screwed over so many wonderful creative people. People who clearly love Star Trek and want to tell stories in that universe. People who are not interested in hurting CBS's bottom line but are really trying to encourage people to check out this 50 year old story in all its iterations. Star Trek's biggest and most enthusiastic fans, now screwed over by the Star Trek franchise's owners. Grrr!!!!

Then Discovery came out back in October and it was unbelievably jaw-dropping good. Every episode (with one minor exception) just knocked it out of the park: Amazing story, great characters, beautiful ships (the Fed ones anyway.) I fell in love with Discovery, to the point where it may be my favorite Star Trek series yet and I've seen them all.

As the first season of Discovery progressed, I started to wonder "Is there a way that this and Axanar can co-exist in the same 'universe?'" I became increasingly convinced that yes, they could. They could be parallel stories being told about the same war. There would, of course, require some tweaks, but it could be done.

Canon has not firmly set the date of the Battle of Axanar. We only really know that studying Garth of Izar's tactics at that battle was required reading for up and coming Star Fleet officers at the Academy. (This is established in the TOS episode "Whom Gods Destroy" where we meet a now-insane Garth). It could be set during Discovery's time period (2256 or so), despite the Axanar fan crew setting the date of the battle much earlier (2241).

Of course, the sticky wicket there is how would Kirk have studied the battle at the academy when he was already serving in Star Fleet in 2256 (That was during his time aboard the U.S.S. Farragut as a junior officer). Perhaps he had to return to the Academy for further study after his first starship assignment.

Well, best made plans and all that, as Discovery progressed further yet, this sort of reconciliation became harder and harder. With the first season of Discovery now over and the Klingon War now concluded, ending with a whimper instead of a bang, it's pretty well impossible to place Axanar into Discovery as a parallel story.

So, back to the drawing board...

So, let's put Axanar and the battle thereat back when the people who made it set it: 2241. That's 15 years before Discovery and 25 before TOS. This removes the sticky wicket about Kirk having studied the battle during his Academy days. It again predates his entry into the Academy.

But the new sticky wicket is the Klingons, who have, according to Discovery, been in isolation from the Federation since ENT. Their emergence at the Battle of the Binary Stars comes as a shock to the Federation, who've heard very little from the Klingons for the past century.

The key word there is "very little." Very little is not "nothing" and Discovery itself tells us that Klingon-Federation contact has occurred at other times within the last 100 years, always violently. Not the least of which is the raid where Michael Burnam's biological parents are killed.

Given Michael's presumed age (Sonequa Martin-Green, who plays her, is 32), that raid very well could have taken place within the Axanar storyline's Four Years War.

Prelude to Axanar also establishes a few things that could help us here. It makes the point to show the Klingon battle strategies are really one of massacre and genocide (which also fits with their war strategy in Discovery), less one of occupation. It establishes Kharn, the battle commander of the Klingon offense, as being at odds to some degree with Klingon leadership. This too fits in with Discovery's reveal that the Klingon people are divided and the Great Houses do not get along.

So here's my proposal to reconcile these two amazing high quality Star Trek stories.

In 2241, one of the Klingon Houses, let by Kharn the Undying, launches an attack against the Federation, hoping to convince the other Great Houses that the Federation is weak. This attack goes immensely well, destroying colony after colony and starship after starship. (Among these colonies is the one where a young Michael Burnam lives and she is orphaned in the attack.) Kharn is right, the Federation is weak and vulnerable, but the Great Houses are too busy bickering among themselves to fully commit to Kharn's war effort.

As a result, the Federation gets a brief respite, which they take to appoint new leadership (Adm. Rameriez) and develop a new starship (The Ares class, or perhaps the Walker class, given how similar in appearance they are to one another.) These new ships are able to repel Kharn's raiders, but Kharn learns (by deliberate leak) that the new Constitution class starship is being constructed at Axanar and is vulnerable to attack. He takes the bait and launches an attack, an attack which Garth of Izar repels. Disgraced, Kharn retreats and the war ends.

But the Klingons have learned a few things about the Federation. It is vulnerable and a full scale attack by the entire armed forces of the Empire would be devastating. Enter T'Kuvma, a Klingon visionary who fears the Federation and what it intends to do to the Empire. He calls for the Klingons to unite against this threat. Much like Kharn before him, he is unsuccessful. At least, until he finds the lost legendary Ship of the Dead. He uses this discovery to claim Kahless's mantle and the great houses begin to listen to him. As they gather, Michael Burnam and the crew of the Federation starship Shenzhou discover them at a binary star system. Hostilities ensue and the Discovery story begins.

A couple additional points about this reconciliation. One of the critiques of Discovery (a valid one, I feel) is how bizarre and different looking the Klingon ships are. The show runners imply this is because each House has their own production facilities and builds their own starship designs. That fits with the above. Perhaps the traditional Klingon D-5, D-6. and D-7 ships are those of the House of Kharn and only become more universal after L'Rell unites the Houses (again) at the end of Discovery season one.

Of course, that doesn't explain the bizarro D-7 we see in Discovery episode 5 "Choose Your Pain." The only thing I can say is that perhaps this is a modified D-7 in use by the House of Kharn and now under L'Rell's command. (T'Kuvma and L'Rell's house is not named in Discovery, a curious and convenient omission.)

The second point is how can Discovery be the great first war between the Klingons and the Federation when 15 years earlier there was another equally devastating conflict between those two powers? Here, you'll have retcon a bit of Axanar (since it's not official canon, it's the easier target for this sort of tweaking.) The Axanar "Four Years War" simply cannot be as grand a scale of conflict as is presented. Instead, it's a series of raids and deep strikes into Federation territory, devastating perhaps to individual colonies such as Arcanis IV, but overall not so great a threat to the Federation as a whole. It threatens to ignite into such a conflict, which is why Rameriez and company take it so seriously, but until the other houses and the Great Council align behind Kharn, it remains a lesser conflict.

So, what do you think? Comments and serious critiques are welcome.

Making Star Trek Online into a Star Trek Adventures resource

As my players already know, I'm setting my STA campaign in the STO universe, in the year 2411. The goings-on in the online game are really only backdrop. My players will be exploring a previously unexplored section of the galaxy that is removed from the political situation of the three major powers.

That's not to say that STO doesn't have things to provide for my game. One of my players was kind enough to hand me a "Technobabble generator" last session and it got me thinking. STO has a whole slew of technobabble stuff lurking within the game that we can use to add further atmosphere.

So, I'm going to provide links to the appropriate wiki pages.

Rare minerals, particles, and the like

"Science officer, can you identify that green-glowing gas please?"

"Captain, there's a large deposit of ______ on this asteroid."

"We'll need to absorb some of the ___________ particles from that cloud to fuel the reaction, Captain."

Need a rare sci-fi material to fill in the blank on sentences like these. Look no further than this chart of odd materials used in the STO crafting system.

Engineering Components

"Sorry, sir, but the _________'s shot. It'll need replaced."

"I'm just completing repairs on the _________ now. We'll be up and running in no time."

Engineers, need a better name for the thingamajig you're fixing on the ship? Again, STO comes through with this list of equipment components from the crafting system.

Major Starship Components

"Sir, we can't fire the phasers without a functioning _________."

"I've jury rigged a new _______________. The impulse engines should be back online in moments."

Consider this the step up from Engineering Components. These are the pieces of the ship that make it function and are themselves made up of the above mentioned Engineering Components. These items are more large scale. In STO, they generally appear as consoles and provide various buffs for the starship during play. In STA, I would imagine these machines are pretty universal on starships and are simply part and parcel of how you construct a star-faring vessel.

Engineering consoles are the devices that regulate the power systems of the ship.

Tactical Consoles are devices that support and control the ship's weapon systems.

Science consoles are devices that allow the sensors, shields, medical facilities, laboratories, and the like to operate.

Energy Weapon Types (Space)

A starship laying out the serious pain of an anti-proton volley.

STA is limited to three energy weapons: phasers, disruptors, and polaron. STO has weapons that utilize three others: anti-proton, tetryon, and plasma.

• Anti-proton weapons just plain hit harder. Add +2 to damage after all other calculations are made.
• Tetyron weapons shred shields. For every effect rolled, increase the damage by 1 as long as the damaged vessel still has shields (like vicious 1, but it doesn't do additional hull damage to the ship, only the shields.)
• Plasma weapons inflict a damage-over-time effect. This weapon has the persistent quality.

Energy Weapon Types (Ground)

Vulcan officer with a plasma"mini-gun" assault weapon

As above, only shields aren't as big a deal on this scale of play. The only "shield" available is the Personal Body Shield which gives resistance instead of a Shield value. As a result, Tetyron ground weapons are given Piercing 1.

However, in addition to the new energy types, there is also a new category of weapon in STO. In addition to pistols and rifles, there is also the assault weapon. These are the machine guns and shotguns of the Star Trek universe and I suspect only exist because of the turmoil of the Iconian Wars.

Each assault weapon has the Area, Cumbersome, and Deadly qualities, but otherwise functions as a rifle of the appropriate type.

Torpedo Weapon Types (Space)

Again, STA limits itself (for the moment anyway) to three torpedo types: photon, quantum, and plasma while STO includes three others: transphasic, chroniton, and tricobalt.

I haven't put a lot of thought into how to implement these in STA, in part because there's a big difference between how STO portrays these weapons and how Star Trek canon does in the shows.

Transphasic torpedoes can kill Borg cubes in one shot. I'm not sure how I can implement something that powerful in game. In STO, they're not quite that deadly, but they have higher shield penetration than other torp types.

Chroniton torpedoes bypass shields because of their temporal flux. In STO, they also produce a slowing effect on ships struck by them. Not sure how I'd do that in STA.

Tricobalt torpedoes are basically space nukes and suffer from the same problem as Transphasics. Way too powerful to be easily implemented.

So, I'm not sure what I'm doing with these yet. Consider this a work in progress.