A Florida-Man sent me this book as part of a care package after a bad break up. We played this table top rpg together online called TROIKA! I was laughing out lout not 7 minutes after reading the first sentence. It's a really short story but I took my time reading it for a week a little bit each night after my corporate whore of a job. After reading it I immediately wanted more. Have you ever worked stock room at a grocery store? In my own words. I pay the grocer. I fix the toaster. Sam's style is so fun to read. This is a great introduction to Sam's writing. When Sam said "you just imagined that and it made you dizzy" I felt that. My favorite character in the book is Sour Cream. He wears fake diamond earrings and has catch phrases like "Big-dick time."
Walt is playing Moonbeam, a Fern Hag from Dry Wind Gap. (he's heard about troika before and bought some of their books recently) We met while both attending Memorial University of Newfoundland circa 2009. More on that story another time. I asked Walt to send me something to post on the blog. Let's start with Moonbeam's side of the story...
As the sun was setting Moonbeam waddled along outside of her village to a nearby river. She rarely ventured outside of her village because she wasn't the oldest of dimetrodons but was keen for an adventure every now and again.
The leader of the town of Dry Wind Gap, left earlier in the day and had yet to return. When Bubble Eddie's away, Moonbeam will play!
In an attempt to hone her skills, Moonbeam wanted to fish. She hoped to catch a coelecanth but really any fish would do for a bedtime snack. She put her front quarters into the river and thrashed about. Nothing! As she stepped backwards out of the water and let out an exasperated sigh she noticed two travellers about 100 feet away. One was a dimetrodon with a beautiful sail and the other was floating about the ground, a squid-like blob.
'Hey! Hey you, squid girl!' Moonbeam called. The squid-like creature who was holding a number of stone tablets said 'my name is NOT Squid Girl. I am Harpnoodler...' and she chattered on with annoying facts about herself that Moonbeam did not care to pay attention to. Frogbroth the dimetrodon was next to introduce themselves. Moonbeam learned they had been travelling for 3 days and were weary and needed to rest. Frogbroth and Harpnoodler asked Moonbeam if she knew where they could find a friendship bracelet. As Moonbeam was allied with the Guild of artisans and crafters in Dry Wind Gap, she knew it wouldn't take Bliss long to whip one up.
'I think I might know someone in town who might make friendship bracelets,' said Moonbeam - careful not to reveal too much information to these strange travelers from a distant land.
Moonbeam was aligned with the elder crafters and artisans guild in her village. There were three kooky dimetrons that were a part of this artsy group.
Mud, a quiet and shy dimetrodon who is a cermacist in Dry Wind Gap. Mud made all types of pottery and earthenware dishes, but she would put her own unique spin on them -- incorporating bits of insects and bugs into each piece.
Splish, a rough and tough butch lesbian dimetrodon that doesn't take no shit and don't need no man. Splish makes watercrafts and vessels to traverse the rivers and bays outside of Dry Wind Gap. She's a real hammer and nails kinda gal.
And lastly, there's Bliss - Moonbeam's closest friend. Bliss is a hippie dimetrodon at heart, one who follows only good vibes and chill flows. Bliss makes beautiful garments using organic fabrics as well as accessories. Although the elders are generally fearful of flowers as they are new to the Permian period, Bliss embraces them and wears a flower crown on her head of yellow and white flowers. Hey, a garment maker has got to keep up with the latest fashions, right? Even if she is a bazillion years old!
Frogbroth decided to try to catch a fish and plunged themselves face first into the river. They came out with a fish flapping in their mouth and dropped it on the bank of of the river that was covered in algae. It flapped about.
Moonbeam offered Frogbroth and Harpnoodler to stay with her and the other guildmembers for the night and they obliged. Frogbroth tried to catch another fish to bring with them to the village as a token of their appreciation but was unsuccessful. The fish they caught and cut into fillets with a stone would have to do. The sun was almost fully set when Moonbean encouraged them to all head back to the village. So off they set, for Dry Wind Gap.
1. Nautiloid in my work notebook. Here's a tip. If your job sucks try using gel pens with glitter to bring the slightest happiness to your work day.
2. A little map I drew for my solo Paleozoic Pals game.
3. An alligator looking for cocaine.
4. An airboat. I love bayous.
5. Self-portrait as a frog.
5. Bull riding is a metaphor. Ultimately the rider will be thrown. Failing to subdue (insert forces). I drew this because I watched the film Brokeback Mountain for the first time. My heart was broken and I wanted a really sad movie to just break my heart even more. It's a really underrated film. Anyway that's the story behind this one.
6. This is from a one page dungeon I made that I should share here at some point. He's a druid with 100 dogs and he has this weapon called the 'neuterazor'.
6. One boo and 5 shrooms.
7. What's Stupid Horse thinking? Here's what some of the answers people submitted were...1. "I should feel up their tattoos when I ask them about it." 2. "The perfect mount doesn't exis... I have found the perfect mount!" 3. "Deez Nuts!" 4. "I bet my liver is bullet proof."
8. My final and favorite image. "Where I want to be."
October was really bad personally. I went through a terrible break up. I spent most of my time trying to stay numb. Drawing helped. I got a lot of compliments on my style and I believe my drawing has improved. The plan is to keep making art pieces in my distinct style and to become a true bloomer and no long a doomer.
(if you're on your phone scroll down and select view web version. when it reloads hit play on the video to listen to music while you read if you like)
The voice of a talkative Wet Grass Beast calls out to the party.
"Come. Sit. Talk."
(photo i edited from the book)
Steam rises from rain hitting the hot coals. But there's not a fire. There's a mound of mud, sticks and wet grass beyond the coals. It actually seems cozy. A few flowers are included.
Frogbroth's disconcerting white eyes lock with the figure that spoke. Their eyes are dead.
"I'm Sail-Gem." The tall permian throws brush on the coals. A fire starts to burn. "I love polkadots." Harpnoodler compliments Sail-Gem's bow tie. "Mmms. Yes. Thank you. You have a lovely shell. And you..." Sail-Gem nods to Frogbroth. "Is that a voidstar?" "Indeed Sail-Gem. I'd like to summon another tonight." "Have you heard of the pretty dig?" Sail-Gem asks, placing a pot on the fire. The flames don't seem to bother her as it clearly burns her flesh for a second. "The pretty dig?" Harpnoodler holds a thin stone tablet and her eyes narrow on Sail-Gem. "I knew a digger I did. From 'round up there. It's a hole... to the North. That's where I'm headed. I'd like to see them again." "Are you dead?" "I've never been so alive."
Sail-Gem serves a bowl of stew that smells ripe to Frog and Harp. Harp heals 5 stamina from the meal and Frog offers her serving to Harp. Harp heals another 1 stamina.
Frogbroth leaves the fire and makes her way into Sail-Gem's brush tent bedroom. She blows out their candles and calls to the voidstar constellation. The spell fails and she feels betrayed. She calls her lone voidstar to her face and settles in for the night. The voidstar vibrates against her smooth skin. She calls upon the constellation of dead wisdom. Nothing happens. She cries clutching her ancestors toothed necklace until she falls asleep.
In the morning the party awakes on opposite sides of the brush tent. Frog looks over and harp and all she can see is her and slightest sound of snoring. Sail-Gem is nowhere to be found. The coals are still hot. There are tracks leading into the marsh east.
"Well that's where we're going too." Harpnoodler and Frogbrother hold each other as they walk eastward.
The rest of the day is a short, streamy rainstorm, then more sunshine. Frogbroth wishes she grabbed the flowers from Sail-Gem's camp.
"We made it." Harpnoodler says, overlooking many streams that surround a village in the distance centered between two large orange hills. As the sun sets Harp winks at Frog.
Frogbroth lies down on some rocks near the stream and Harpnoodler levitates beside her. Harp lays a tentacle on Frog's hip but and Frog readjusts herself. Harpnoodler retreats her tentacle and they soak up the last bit of sun.
(if you're on your phone scroll down and select web version. when it reloads hit play on the video to listen to music while you read if you like)
In the morning Frogbroth uses herbology again and fails. She loses 3 hours while Harpnoodler goes her own-way. (You can go your own way! 🎼)
💚
The first hour Harp spends theorizing on how to find food. Instinctively thinking of marine prey. Her stone tablets, half-full of theories and musings reassure her she can get food. Even better if she doesn't have to spill blood. She spends a second hour and still finds no food.
💟
Harp stumbles across 2 Secodontosaurs taking a nap. They each have beautiful red sails on their backs with black splotches. Harp makes her way back to camp without finding food but remembers her name. Harp came from the sound her hood made. She withdraws her tentacles under her hood as she levitates to camp.
💞
Once at camp and reunited Frog and Harp are silent. They begin to walk east. Along the trail they find wild tasty chutes to eat. Mid afternoon comes and there's nothing but sunshine and humid breeze. Frogbroth tells Harpnoodler of her dream.
💜
"Gold Stone Island is North East."
"But the plan was to find the village and buy friendship bracelets."
"Right but that would take longer. I mean it's an island in the biggest part of the river and you're marine."
"We don't have fo-."
"Food I know but we can fish there."
"We don't even have any money."
💚
It's 3pm now.
💟
During all this commotion 6 nearby Sphenecadon show up all hostile with a witch in their midst.
💞
The first enemy hits Harpnoodler. A second one attacks her and poor Harp is at 1 stamina. On Frogbroth's turn she bites one to death. She swallows and recovers 5 stamina. (end of round card appears twice in a row)
💜
Frogbroth snatches one of Harp's tentacles.
💚
Frogbroth drags Harp's body into the marshes.
💟
4pm and raining...
💞
On the side of the trail Harp levitates over Frog.
Harpnoodler, the Natural Philosopher Nautiloid was the bestest of friends with Frogbroth, the Fern Hag Dimetrodon. Neither one of them had any memories of their parents. The only memories they each possessed were of playing along one another's side in the Dimetrodon Marshlands.
(alright lets get some music going... if you're on your phone scroll down and select view web version. when it reloads hit play on the video to listen to music while you read if you like)
"You know what?" Harpnoodler asked under a starlit sky night on a beach in the marsh. "What?" Said Frogbroth. "I want to find that nearby village and buy us real friendship bracelets." "But I like the one you made me." Frogbroth buried her back left ankle into the sand. Hiding the fact that the anklet Harpnoodler made her a few days before had been torn off her leg earlier this day.
They left at dawn. They only knew it would be 3 days east along the marsh.
Almost immediately along the narrow trail they come across two Thrinaxodon wanderers that seem dissatisfied. They seem to be diggers for hire walking right towards Harpnoodler and Frogbroth. The Thrinaxodons are eyeing Harp and Frog up and down, looking at their belongings.
The Thrinaxodons pass mumbling to one another. Harp and Frog don't look back. Both Thrinaxodons grab Harpnoodler. Pinning her. They in-fact rolled a mighty blow against her. Harpnoodler attempts to use telekinesis to bash one with a rock but misses. Frogbroth gets a chance to bite one and she kills them, feeding for a moment. Harpnoodler breaks free and uses her weighted shell to crush the other one to death after struggling way too long.
"I'm pretty hurt." "No me." Harpnoodler hands a fish jerky to Frogbroth. "Come nightfall I'll call the voidstar," Says Frogbreath swallowing the last of her fish jerky.
Their feet get sore...
Harpnoodler says she's tired of walking and casts levitate. Eventually the trail leads them to a clearing. There are 8 statues in a circle. Each one is 5' tall. The Circle of statues is 50' wide. The statues look dark grey with alien (human) faces carved on them. In the center is armor made from Rubidgea hide (armour 1).
"Take it. It's yours" Harpnoodler says to Frogbroth. "Alright. This freaky. Lemme try to find some medicinal herbs." ...6 hours later they didn't find a single herb.
"Sorry we'll have to do this sober." Sighs Frogbroth.
It's dark now and there's footprints on the trail if anyone notices. Harpnoodler does as she levitates above them.
"Let's call the voidstar here," Frogbroth whispers. A void melon appears in the paws of Frogbroth. "This did nothing! We need food!" Harp says as the void orb hovers 6' from the ground. "The foot tracks are headed north. We're going east."
Harpnoodler levitates into the treetops and takes nest for the night. Frogbroth sweeps the brush under the trees with her snout, legs and tail. She circles herself a nest under the trees calling to the constellation of dead wisdom. It's successful.
The voidstar vibrates and glides to Frogbroth's long spanning fan. It collides against it and rolls down to the tip of her tail. It levitates there and vibrates at the end of her tail.
The spirits of the marsh commune to Frogbroth as she sleeps... she dreams of her family history ashore Gold Stone Island and the waves beneath.
As part of going through a bad break up it's good to look inward and reflect. I decided to finally give solo gaming a shot. I will be recapping each session of my soloing adventures for Very Pretty Paleozoic Pals Permian Nations by Evey Lockhart. My ex purchased this book for me and I never had a chance to run it for any of my friends before. I've made 2 characters to start out with and I'm just using Troika!'s rules as written to the best of my understanding. Won't be using any kind of soloing house rules that I have seen online before.
One thing you do need for soloing ttrpgs though is an oracle. I'm using one called Recluse. It's just a questions answering tool.
A sun kissed twisted mind fuck descent into local violence for Liminal Horror.
Small Town Anywhere, USA
Generate your own spooky small town in the USA with a few dice.
Zombie Kiss Zero: Nightmare City Battalion
A pamphlet adventure for Liminal Horror.
Fuck Time Fuck Space
A psychic chicken named Juan Pablo, born from a lab-grown nugget, gains power as a monolith appears in Gothenburg, Texas. Mist spreads. Chaos reigns. Locals pretend it’s fine.
The Weeps
A new absurdist funny-sadventure. Help the crazy folks of Precious Pearl Town cure their maladies by venturing through the Cry Cry Woods and returning with miracle water. It’s got the devil and other surprises in it.
Red Solstice Issue 2
I wrote “Cat Traps in Troika City” for Red Solstice Issue 2, and Tony Jaguar did the art for the cats. Also features: Cam Silva, Christian Kessler, Ciara McOmber, Fred Dinsmore, Jarrett Crader, Kirby, Nico Santagoy, Seth Ian, Stella Condrey, Thrift O’Mancer and cover art by reinapepiada.
