Mako’s legendary preamble to Conan the Barbarian echoed in my head while I watched the Northman. It is possibly Eggers’ most direct narrative, which is not to say it doesn’t have lots of thematic oddities. Bjork appears as one of the Norns. That’s something I never realized I wanted. It’s beautiful, brutal, and historically accurate, so far as I can tell. I enjoyed it.

I mean, I liked it better the first time, when it was called CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Sure, the narrative is a familiar one. Revenge. Swords. Lineage. That kind of thing.

But … it’s SO. CONAN. The only thing missing was James Earl Jones turning into a giant snake.

I’m continuing my immersion in all things TTRPG. Right now I’m running two weekly games. Soon, there will likely be three. That’s a lot. Some would say too much. I’m apt to agree.

But there’s lots of testing to be done, players to be cast, and systems to be developed.

One of the big projects in that realm requires a new system. We’re hoping to keep it 5E, but that might not be viable. Fifth edition is good for some things, but much of it seems centered on combat.

Combat’s fine in D&D, of course. Necessary, even. But that’s only half of the equation. I need story. I need deep, rich, and often disturbing storylines that reinforce the combat. The players need to care why they’re in a fight. While 5E is a robust and wonderful system, maybe I need to go the other direction? I don’t like things too ‘crunchy’, as other hobbyists say. If I wanted to spend hours pouring over charts and graphs, I’d spend more time with WarHammer 40k.

Instead, I’m leaning toward FATE. At my too infrequent journey to Rogues Gallery Comics and Games, I grabbed the hardcover for the Fate Core System. I was not expecting a 300 page tome.

Rules. Bah!

Hey friends. Sometimes I write novels. They’re weird and horrific and fun. Please check them out, if you’re so inclined, and if you have already read and enjoyed any of them, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Every one of them helps. Thanks!

I’ve been spending too much time playing Call of Duty. It’s not something I ever anticipated, really, becoming a Call of Duty bro. Many gamers disparage the habit. In their estimation, Call of Duty is its own thing, only adjacent to ‘the lifestyle’.

I don’t ascribe to the lifestyle anymore. I used to identify as a gamer, but … life gets in the way, I guess. It’s so easy just to pick up CoD, play a few rounds, and then put it down.

But now Godzilla and Kong are there. To promote a movie that came out a year ago, I guess, they’ve added the two titans to their existing battle royale game mode. Let me tell you - I’m not good at Call of Duty. In spite of my hours spent, my skills haven’t really increased. It’s an exercise in humility.

And now I get stomped by a giant ape.

Humility.

This CoD fixation will only last as long as my PS4 does, I suspect. That thing sounds like it’s about to explode into a thousand pieces as I put it through its paces. It’s one of the first gen ones, right when the system was released. I’m amazed it’s still functioning.

I’ll be sad when it eventually melts or takes flight or whatever. It still has the teaser for PT, a game I can’t bring myself to play again…

Anyway, here’s Mako.

THE STRANGEROUS

Come! Let me tell you of the days of HIGH…