I Believe This Is My Stop
about 2 years ago – Fri, Mar 18, 2022 at 06:01:26 AM

I Believe This Is My Stop

The grayness of the day was merely additional camouflage for any hint of color struggling to peek through this bleak part of the city. A bus stopped at a corner blotched with hollow storefronts and shabby pawn shops. Its front doors gasped open to accommodate the small huddle of people waiting there.

Also camouflaged — at least, he hoped — among those boarding was analyst and newly-minted field operative, Gary Angers. He didn’t overdo his blending in: jacket from Goodwill, work shirt, worn pants and, most importantly, a Boston Red Sox cap. He tried to stay cool despite the charge of adrenaline as he stepped up onto the idling bus.

The informant he was meeting had insisted on somewhere public. The bus had about twenty people on it so apparently that qualified. He also made it plain that his contact be one agent, and one agent only, so as to draw less attention. Also, less people to trust. This person had vital information on the identity of a highly elusive assassin responsible for the recent deaths of three agents. But this inaugural assignment wouldn’t simply be a feather in the cap of the novice, Angers; one of the victims had been a friend.

Agent Angers made his way down the aisle, scanning faces, but only those on the left. That’s where his man would be, wearing a Chicago Cubs ballcap. And there he was, seated about halfway down. Once Angers approached, his target, upon seeing the Red Sox cap, was to slide over to the window seat, allowing him to sit beside him in the aisle seat.

Except he didn’t.

Gary Angers remained calm, merely glancing at the staring informant. Had something happened? Was he panicked? Compromised? Angers instead sat in the seat directly behind the man, hoping he did so in a casual, natural, everyday manner.

As the bus proceeded on its way Angers studied the man in front of him. He was motionless. Which was about all he could tell. Angers realized his mistake. He could not discretely communicate with the informant while seated behind him. So, in a bold move, he rose and slipped past the man, settling into the window seat beside him.

Appearing to look out of the bus on both sides, as though a first-time commuter scanning for his stop, Gary Angers was able to at least observe his contact in a fleeting manner.

The man was dead.

He didn’t really know how he knew. Something about the stillness, the faint glaze over unblinking eyes. Nevertheless, he had little doubt that his subject had been eliminated. He also knew that, somehow, like the others, there would not be a mark on him. Autopsies had yet to produce results, but, as of now, the assassin’s modus operandi was yet unknown.

Gary Angers instantly experienced a sense of failure. His first field assignment and he felt he’d blown it, even though this technically wasn’t true. However, he abruptly realized he was on the verge of making a mistake: He was feeling sorry for himself. He should be thinking.

And thinking told him the assassin was still likely on the bus.

In fact, the more Angers thought about it, the more he had every reason to believe the perpetrator would still be here. Even now, the assassin likely had him under cold scrutiny. Perhaps the killer was a headhunter. No specific targets. Free rein. A price on the head of every agent you bring down. Improvising for additional points and an extra payday.

As alarming as this thought was, Angers realized it was important to remain casual, innocuous, melting into the bus’s background. If not, he was liable to become the next victim.

As he continued to appear to be looking out the windows for landmarks, Angers subtly scanned the passengers. Reasoning that it had to be one of the people behind them, he eliminated those towards the front. The analyst in him was able to catalogue remarkable details with the most fleeting of glimpses — part of why he was able to make the jump to field work.

In mere seconds he had a good tally: the young attractive professional woman dressed deliberately drab; the elderly plump knitting woman, an anachronism in white lace shawl, net hat, and granny glasses; the disheveled central casting drunk, with bottle in brown paper bag; the hardhat with icy, soulless eyes; the off-duty “working girl,” headed home from her last job in smeared makeup. Any one would make a clever cover. How to nail the right one without giving himself away? Without him becoming the next victim?

But of course that was wrong.

He had to be the next victim.

As the bus coughed out a few more passengers from the door at the front, Angers’ demeanor shifted. No longer ignoring the dead man, he was now all over the poor fellow: checking his pulse, his eyes, even glancing about nervously as though he’d just discovered the man was dead. He was now making no secret of that, or his mounting fear.

Hastily, he rose and slipped past the corpse into the aisle to stumble his way to the front. The bus was now the lone vehicle in a canyon of warehouses, all shut up for the weekend. The door gasped open and Angers lurched down the steps onto a dismal corner. He quickly crossed, right in front of the bus to make no mistake, glancing about nervously as he played the panicked agent.

Reaching the opposite corner, he resisted turning to see who it was, who else got off. Angers walked past the nearest warehouse building and slipped into an alley. He imagined he heard steady footsteps out on the street as he reached for a fire escape ladder and began to climb.

Soon, he made it to the fire escape exterior stairway, and his pace quickened as he clattered up. Just before reaching the roof, eight floors up, Angers heard steady steps approaching from below.

His plan was working. He was the bait.

The roof was a jumbled expanse of brick walls, chimneys, vents, and stair housings. Angers was tempted to look back over the side but instead lost himself in the concrete jungle.

Crouching behind a low brick wall, he fished out his small automatic and waited. Faint scuffling announced his target was now climbing onto the roof. Angers poked his head up carefully, but a shed obscured his view. He had no idea at this point what weaponry to expect, and this made him extra uneasy.

Angers strained to listen. Several soft footsteps sounded in the gravel behind the shed, followed by silence. The agent gripped his automatic, perspiring despite the chill in the air. And still, nothing.

Then, a faint crunch. But not from the other side of the wall. It was behind him. Yet Angers kept perfectly still. And it was only because of this that he heard the pin drop. That faint pin.

A slight metallic gleam betrayed the thing, lying on the roof, mere inches from him. Another pin-drop, this one softly plinking off the brick wall.

Two tiny needles.

Angers spun and fired twice. But there was no target, no one there.

He hopped the wall now and crouched on the other side. It was then he saw the assassin come into view.

The elderly woman was quite a bit taller standing up. Heavier too. Downright bulky in fact, as she appeared briefly in the alley between two sheds, gliding with a surprising grace.

She (or perhaps even he) popped out the other corner, and now Angers saw the deadly mechanism as she blew a tiny pin from her knitting needle blowgun. Another followed, and another, all feeding through a slender tube disguised as yarn, fed in turn by a magazine that looked for all the world like a ball of yarn. Tinged with fast poison no doubt, a poison as yet unknown to their labs.

Angers fired again, but she was gone. Feeling suddenly vulnerable he scuffled away to better cover, dashing behind a staircase housing. He waited, sweating, wondering how many rounds remained in his clip, listening for crunching gravel.

A faint clink on the glass of the small window beside him, followed by another, told him the assassin was again rapid-firing deadly needles. All it would take was the slightest touch, he had no doubt.

Angers dropped and immediately caught sight of her beyond the brick wall. He fired off several quick shots. She was struck twice and went down hard.

Angers was on the move, dropping the clip and reloading.

But when he got to the wall, she was gone. And not a drop of blood.

He heard the clanking of the fire escape, but by the time he reached the edge of the roof, the assassin was nowhere in sight.

Angers caught his breath, in awe at the thoroughness of a bulletproof vest that added considerable bulk.

He pocketed his gun, frustrated that, even after such a close encounter, he still had so many more questions than answers.

Some fiction for your Friday, a little taste of the thrilling tales of intrigue that will be included in the They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! rulebook to help set the stage. Yesterday's manuscript preview was a great start to our look at this book - the second option in our double feature - and we'll continue to focus on [CLASSIFIED] tomorrow when we watch some inspirational movie trailers.

In the meantime, please continue to be a not-so-secret agent for this campaign. Let's continue to recruit assets by sharing on our social media and in our social circles. And let's see if we can't make some progress on our Stretch Goal assignment while we're at it!

#EyeSpy

#TheyCameFrom

Backers Only - [CLASSIFIED] Manuscript Preview 001 - Characters
about 2 years ago – Thu, Mar 17, 2022 at 03:54:48 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

The Week That Was...
about 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 16, 2022 at 01:54:28 PM

Hello Eye Spies,

We're just closing up our first week of this 4 week campaign, and about to shift the focus from our first feature, They Came from the Cyclops's Cave!, to our second feature in this double-sized campaign, They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! In many ways - or, really, maybe just a few - it'll be like we're launching the campaign for a second time tomorrow, so I wanted to collect a list of resources so far and share a few additional bits for Cyclops's Cave before we go undercover as secret agents.

THEY CAME FROM THE CYCLOPS'S CAVE!

The most important link to have if you're a new backer is the link to the Kickstarter manuscript previews. You can find the first 6 chapters for They Came from the Cyclops's Cave! <here> contained in two sections (one covering Characters, the other covering The System.) Over the course of the next 3 weeks, we'll not only be sharing the remaining chapters for They Came from the Cyclops's Cave!, but also all of the chapters from our other book, [CLASSIFIED]! Before this campaign finishes and any pledges are processed, you'll be able to read the entirety of both books to decide if you want to back Onyx Path's cinematic take on classic fantasy adventure films or their groovy game of cinematic espionage... or both!

The other important bit with these manuscript previews - collecting your feedback! Onyx Path has a special Feedback Form for these books, enabling all backers to share their comments and notes with the development team to better guide the manuscript through the final editing and development stages before it begins layout and further production.

MAKE A CHARACTER

And now that the "up front" portion of They Came from the Cyclops's Cave! rules are out and available to backers, it's also possible to start making some characters and messing around with Archetypes for this game. With that in mind, Onyx Path has put together the Cyclops's Cave! Character Sheet for you to download and try out:

GET INSPIRED!

And if you are stuck thinking of some characters you'd like to create, we've also shared some inspiration from the game to help you out!

Some of the movies that inspired the game and the genre, as well as two of the fiction pieces that will be included with the rules to show alternate takes on these tropes.

STRETCH GOALS

With BOTH books funded, it's time to expand the rewards list for backers of this project. Regardless of which book you've come to pledge for, rewards are lining up for every backer that joins in.

At $32,000 in Funding – CYCLOPS’S CAVE REDBUBBLE T-SHIRT– As magical and mysterious as the golden fleece, Onyx Path will unveil a They Came from the Cyclops’s Cave!-themed Kickstarter Backer T-shirt hosted on their Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.

At $34,000 in Funding – [CLASSIFIED] REDBUBBLE T-SHIRT– Perfect for undercover work, Onyx Path will unveil a They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!-themed Kickstarter Backer T-shirt hosted on their Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.

At $35,000 in Funding – NEW ARCHETYPES SUPPLEMENT – Expand your options with new Archetypes! Onyx Path will create a new supplement with Archetypes, Origins, and Covers designed to work with both They Came from the Cyclops’s Cave! and They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! Inspiration will come from an iconic action superstar who managed to play in both genres with Conan the Barbarian and True Lies, plus so much more… This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers receiving the PDF rulebook of either game.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Check out Onyx Path's Twitch Channel tonight for an interview with They Came From mastermind Matthew Dawkins. He's got the goods on our two books and can share some behind-the-scenes info.

MORE DISCUSSION

You may also be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:

UNTIL TOMORROW...

Tomorrow we launch into the second phase of our campaign, with the first manuscript preview for They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! made available to backers. We'll fill week two with spy stories, movie trailers, and maybe an Actual Play of the game! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to spread the word on your social media and in your social circles, and let's recruit more agents and assets.

I'll be back tomorrow with our latest debriefing as we launch into [CLASSIFIED]! week and start campaign week 2!

#EyeSpy

JASON AND THE GOLDEN HAMMOCK
about 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 16, 2022 at 06:12:05 AM

JASON AND THE GOLDEN HAMMOCK

“Anyone who did not die on that first voyage is welcome to join me!” came the bold announcement from the celebrated hero.

Setting out on another quest so soon after the first one was not something Jason had envisioned. But his wife Medea had heard tell of a golden hammock that would go so well with that fleece that she just had to have it.

“That is why I try to keep her from soothsayers and that Oracle. Once she sets her mind on something—” complained he to Argus the boatwright, also one of the original Argonauts, as the latter pounded another plank into the deck of Argo II.

When Medea told Jason of the Golden Hammock of Ghonkis, naturally the first thing he did was ask the gods for help. He received it as he strode by a temple at night, and a statue came to life. It was Cynicallus, the god of portent and pessimism, and its movements seemed strange and dreamlike.

“Hear me, Jason, for you have sought my help.”

“Well, not you specifically, but yes.”

“The voyage you undertake is dangerous. The islands leading to Ghonkis are fraught with perils, and you may not avoid them.”

“I have faced perils before,” spake the hero.

“And won. But I dare say, those look like so much frolicking of children beside what you now face.”

And, with that dire warning in mind, Jason went about gathering a crew.

“Do you know how much gold went to families of the fallen from our first voyage?” he asked Argus.

“I was there, remember?”

“The gods assure me this will cost even more.”

“Then why not forget this Golden Hammock, Jason?” pleaded the builder.

“Are you married. Argus?”

—

The most stalwart of Argonaut survivors signed on, along with fresh faces eager for adventure, and soon the Argo II was underway.

On long voyages it was the need for food and water that necessitated the exploration of strange islands, and that need eventually brought them to such a place.

As always, Jason himself went ashore with the landing party, in this case to fetch water. Like most of these islands, it was lovely to behold — the beautiful petals that hid the sting.

Shortly, they found a lush valley with a small lake. No sooner had the men dipped their water casks in, than sharp cries turned eyes skyward.

Two human-looking heads, with wings where ears should be, swooped down and attacked the men getting the water. Each scowling head bit into the throat of an Argonaut.

“Arfus and Parfus!” cried Jason. “I have heard tales of these frightful flying furies that guard water for no apparent reason!”

He and others drew swords and began hacking the air, as the two terrible heads bobbed and weaved.

While they managed to save the two who were bitten, their swords landed not a single blow. Again, the Argonauts tried to dip their casks, and again the fiends swooped and tormented.

“This could go on forever!” exclaimed Jason, “But we must have water!”

A plan formed in his mind. “Argus, take some men and fetch strong slender branches that can bend. Curl them into hoops and then make fast to some hard, straight sticks. Fill each hoop with stretched pieces of the smaller netting from the ship. I bid you, make haste!”

Argus did so, and in good time. And when next the crew went for water, and Arfus and Parfus swooped, Jason and several others rushed forward and batted the brutes in the air, using the odd “net-sticks,” easily keeping them from the water gatherers.

“Arfus and Parfus turned out to be not so difficult after all, Jason, thanks to you,” remarked Argus. “And we can use these net things for sport on the long voyage.”

“Would that all our perils were vanquished with such ease,” uttered Jason, who had not a single casualty.

Several months later found the crew in need of food. Besides that, the Argonauts longed to feel solid ground, as Tipsicantus, the god of uneasy rocking motion, had favored them with many a visit, something that didn’t sit well with digestion.

At last, another island came into view, and Jason took some men ashore to hunt fresh game. They soon found evidence of wildlife and, arrow and javelin at the ready, they tracked them to a small glade.

As they entered the lush idyllic clearing, to their surprise, they encountered a group of lovely young women tending a heard of small pigs. After a moment, several Argonauts stepped forth to fetch some of the animals.

“Hold,” said Jason. “I have heard tell of them, for they are the Cacophones, and, lovely as they are, their noise can drive men quite mad.”

But hungry men do not always do smart things, and a couple broke rank to snatch up pigs.

Immediately, the ladies opened their mouths wide and let loose with an atonal barrage of horrid nasal caterwauling, no two emitting the same sound.

The men were startled and quickly covered their ears. Then, exchanging glances, they shrugged and proceeded to procure several animals.

“Heed their dreadful noise!” screamed Jason.

“Not so bad if you ignore it,” said an Argonaut. “And look, they have so manyof the blamed pigs, a few won’t be missed. Must be close to a hundred.”

Back on the Argo II, the crew feasted as Jason mused. “We were lucky that time, Argus, no question. Thank the gods those monstrous voices were likely not as loud on this day.”

“Have some more pork, Jason,” offered Argus, “it’s quite good.”

—

At the next island they came ashore for fresh fruit and discovered an abundance in a rich grove, guarded by a terrible statue named Byduss.

Jason warned his men not to pick fruit from that grove, but they did because they really really wanted some fruit. The statue came to life, moving with the sound of grinding stone. It began to lurch towards them, lifting one heavy foot after another.

Jason brandished his sword as the Argonauts brandished fruit, or rather, ate it.

“Hurry! By Hera, take the fruit and run, I bid you!” yelled Jason.

But his men stood there eating. “Not to worry, Jason,” said one through a mouthful of apple. “At the pace that monster walks it would take the better part of a week to reach us.”

It was true. For Byduss was so slow, they were in greater danger of collapsing from old age than from its stony hands.

—

At last, the Argus II came in sight of its destination: the Island of Ghonkis, home of the Golden Hammock.

“Make no mistake,” said Jason as they prepared to go ashore. “King Lackadaises will not let his precious prize go so easily. Be prepared to fight the battle of your lives. For who knows what dreadful surprises this formidable king will have in store?”

Whether fortified by Jason’s impassioned speech, or by the relatively easy time they’d had so far, the Argonauts set forth.

In good time, they approached the temple that housed the Golden Hammock.

“Strange,” uttered Jason. “Allowed this far and still no sign of resistance. I don’t like it. What terrible traps await in yon temple, I dare not ponder.”

His fears were realized when a large, two-headed creature pounced onto the top of the entrance steps.

“Canicattus!” cried Jason. “With the head of a dog and the head of a cat!”

His men drew swords as the great beast plodded down the steps, cat head hissing and dog head barking.

Then the cat head became aware of the dog head and hissed at it, and the dog head became aware of the cat head and barked at it. As the two heads snapped at each other, Canicattus forgot about the Argonauts, who then simply walked past it.

Inside, the glow from the Hammock nearly dazzled them, and again Jason warned of deadly surprises.

Sure enough, a serpentine hiss, magnified by hundreds, filled the temple, and a monstrous form emerged from behind the dais holding the Hammock.

“The thousand-headed hydra!” yelled Jason. “It has been too easy for this reason alone! Prepare to be tested, my friends!”

As the thousand heads writhed horribly, the valiant band steeled themselves behind gleaming sword-points.

And the great monster slid forward.

And promptly fell over. For a thousand, alas, is way too many.

Jason and his men stood staring at the helpless thing a moment before sheathing their swords with a collective, “Well then.”

It was only then they spied the figure lying in the shiny Hammock.

“King Lackadaises!” declared Jason.

“By the gods, I thought you’d never get here, Jason,” remarked the king. “The soothsayers foretold your coming.”

“They did? Well, I’ve come for the Golden—”

“I know, I know that. Now would you stop talking and kindly get me out of this accursed thing and take it? It’s too bloody comfortable, and I can’t get a lick of king work done.”

Ha, still inspired by all of the trailers we watched yesterday and thinking of my own takes on those types of tales, but They Came from the Cyclops's Cave! also includes a bunch of fun fiction to show how our own versions of these epics can be told! Maybe with a little humor added in, from time to time!

Beyond these stories, the other interesting story is how these games have come together. To hear about that, check out the interview tonight with They Came From... mastermind Matthew Dawkins!

I'll share another tale of the Cyclops's Cave before the weekend, but prepare yourselves for tomorrow is manuscript preview day!

#EyeSpy

#TheyCameFrom

#DoubleFeature

#Canicattus

Trailer Tuesday - Inspiration for Cyclops's Cave!
about 2 years ago – Tue, Mar 15, 2022 at 06:25:49 AM

Hello Cyclopes and Superspies,

These games obviously draw a lot of inspiration from pop culture, particularly TV shows and movies. Something fun we did back during the They Came from Beyond the Grave! kickstarter campaign was take a day each week to post up some of the movie trailers for the films that inspired parts of that project and I'd like to do something similar with our Double Feature books, especially with this starting batch which present the earliest films in this group.

The Thief of Baghdad (1940): Remake of one of the first adventure movies ever made, this version embodies the characteristics of fantastical movies like few ever before. Though it shows several flaws of movies from its age (like a nameless princess and suspiciously fair-skinned main characters given its setting), The Thief of Baghdad is a joyous adventure filled with wonders and perils. While the movie has the love story between Sultan Ahmad and the Princess as the plot’s main drive, the eponymous thief of Baghdad, Abu, is the uncontested protagonist, opposed by a splendid Conrad Veidt as the evil Vizier, with Rex Ingram as the Genie stealing the show in any scene he appears.

Ulysses (1954): Instrumental for the beginning of the Italian subgenre of sword-and-sandals movies called peplum, this adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey includes stars of the caliber of Kirk Douglas (playing Ulysses, of course) and Anthony Quinn. Silvia Mangano, one of the most important Italian actresses of her generation, plays both Penelope and Circe. The movie showcases how epic poems can translate into popular entertainment, featuring memorable examples of this game’s Archetypes, along with mythical threats such as the cyclops, Polyphemus, and the sirens.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958): Despite the valiant effort of its main cast — with highlights like Torin Tatcher as the evil wizard, Sokurah, and Kathryn Grant as the enterprising Princess Parisa — the special effects made by Ray Harryhausen are the real stars of this movie. Through the wonders of DYNAMATION! (something the movie’s trailer never tires to announce), monsters and spells of all sorts fill the movie with marvels never seen before on screen, with the scenes involving the cyclops and the serpentine dancer being rightfully legendary. Its two sequels aren’t quite on the same level but are still entertaining and worth a watch.

Ha, that seems more to be a trailer for DYNAMATION than the movie! It's great to see the excitement for the FX of the time, especially how it evolves over the next few years with...

Jason and the Argonauts (1963):As Talos and the skeleton warriors, whose scenes became milestones in the history of cinema, can attest, this movie is another vehicle showcasing Ray Harryhausen’s talent with special effects. Though the movie’s a great example of an adventure instigated by divine interference, this quest for the Golden Fleece makes for a precious inspiration for They Came from the Cyclops’s Cave! because it illustrates well how characters sharing the same Archetype may differ from each other. Jason, Hercules, and Acastus are three wildly different kind of Champions, while King Aeëtes and Medea show what happens when the desires of two distinct Sages clash (though the latter is still a far call from the original myth’s tragic and complex sorceress).

Ah, we get to see a glimpse of Honor Blackman as Hera! I have a feeling that we'll be seeing her in another trailer for our other game in an upcoming Tuesday post...

Of course, in the spirit of all of these films, and with the spirit of Ray Harryhausen guiding us, let's skip ahead a few more years, though still remaining in an ancient age before recorded time...

Clash of the Titans (1981):Ray Harryhausen’s swansong before retirement, Clash of the Titans is pure movie magic, the kind of spectacle that endures through the ages. Harry Hamlin and Judi Bowker embody a perfect Perseus and Andromeda for this kind of story, while an impressive cast (with gems like Laurence Olivier as Zeus and Maggie Smith as Thetis) and triumphant special effects achievements like Medusa and the Kraken make this movie an unforgettable experience. All They Came from the Cyclops’s Cave! games, regardless of their setting, can find something useful in this movie.

Watching some of these trailers and thinking about the tales told in these films, I can see the seeds of some of the Cinematics that we shared in yesterday's manuscript preview.

Among Giants

Cost:4-5 Rewrites

Action fantasy films often try outdoing each other, creating bigger and bigger adversaries for their heroes to clash against until the monsters are so big that it often makes little sense for the human actors to participate in the scene, such as the battle between the Cyclops and Dragon in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. But, through the miracle of OnyxMation, this limitation can be overcome!

When you use this Cinematic, your hero undergoes a transformation, powered through stop-motion, rear-projection, CGI, or any other VFX technique. This new form lasts until the end of the scene and grants you Scale equal to the most powerful foe in the scene.

If you spend 5 Rewrites, an additional hero is merged with you during the transformation, typically as a two-headed giant. You share Focus and one Injury track, but you both can take your usual number of actions (although uncoordinated movements may interfere with each other’s actions).

Divine Intervention

Cost:3 Rewrites

Most fantasy characters beseech the gods at some point, even if their prayers are brusque, like Conan’s invocation of Crom. Frequently, films keep gods and heroes separate, with only a handful of messenger gods showing up in person to offer their assistance. This Cinematic sidesteps that and forces a single god to pay attention.

When you use this Cinematic, name a god or similar entity. They join the scene as a Director-controlled character, entering via a rainbow bridge, mirror portal, or a simple camera cut. The god is an ally and cannot deliberately harm you but is under no obligation to take extraordinary action to assist you. They will take at least one action on your behalf, although it may not be what you asked for. Gods who have a positive Attitude towards you may provide additional help, even if they have to disguise their actions from their fellow gods.

It was all a Dream

Cost: 3 Rewrites

Sometimes, dramatic or violent conflict is too much for heroes to survive. They make the wrong move, trust the wrong person, or run out of luck at an inopportune moment. Regardless, everything seems doomed. Even if one or two adventurers live to tell the tale, their journey is over and their mission lost. Luckily, there’s a spell for that.

When you use this Cinematic, name any past moment in the current session. The current scene ends and immediately transitions to the scene and moment that you selected. You and your fellow heroes retain full knowledge of the events of the other timeline. The game continues from that moment, allowing you to make completely different choices along your adventure. At the Director’s discretion, you may skip scenes where your new knowledge wouldn’t significantly change the outcome, such as travel, exposition, and minor action scenes.

We'll revisit movie trailers over the weekend with some that inspired the other book in our campaign, They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!, and we'll have more classic fantasy films for March 26th . There's only one from today that I've seen on an actual screen - the next fantasy trailer post we have, I think, will highlight films that I've seen in the theatre. We're starting to get deep into my personal genre-loving DNA with these, for sure!

What trailers do you want to see next week? What inspirational movie or tv show would you add to the list? What pieces of the manuscript can you trace back to some of these films? So much great stuff to draw from!

And if you want to know more about these two new games, check out the interview tomorrow night with They Came From... mastermind Matthew Dawkins!

Please continue to share your excitement about this campaign - and maybe about the wonders of DYNAMATION - on your social media and in your social circles! Let's keep moving forward on our quest!

THEY CAME FROM THE CYCLOPS'S CAVE and [CLASSIFIED]

Created by Onyx Path - Double Feature...

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