Sable’s Log; Session 1

Aqua – Barbie Girl / cover by Tanaë

Imagination, life is your creation…

I’m a blond bimbo girl in a fantasy world Dress me up, make it tight, I’m your dolly

Sable stares at two different blue dresses at Cloud Make Garments biting her lip in indecision. She is 5’8 and currently hiding her wings, tail and horns so she appears as a silver skinned woman with raven black hair and eyes like black pearls. 

One dress is deep blue velvet with a v neck  with a long skirt and bell sleeves with silver embroidery. The other is a gauzy gray-blue silk greek style dress that flows naturally and leaves little to the imagination with a silk roped belt embellished with brass.

A gnome comes up to her and asks if they can help. She turns to them and grins. 

“I’m trying to decide between the silk and the velvet. What do you think?”

“Well our silks are better quality than our competitors, but the velvet is lovely too.” 

Sable hums to herself and shrugs. Both I think. “Yes, both.”

She grins again. 

“Very good.” The gnome takes out a book with prices in them and quotes a price of 50 silver for the velvet and 70 for the silk.

Sable takes 12 gold out of her pouch and hands them to the gnome. 

“Very good, would you like me to wrap them for you?” 

“The velvet, yes, but I’ll wear the silk out.”

“Very good.”

Sable slinks into the dressing room and comes out in the silk, still grinning. 

“You look lovely.” He hands over a wrapped package with the velvet and she places her old dress in the package. 

“Thank you!” She smiles, gives a curtsey and floats out the door into the street, bored and hungry. 

She scans the area, her eyes dancing around the festival. She makes a mental note to check out the games after she eats. Then she notices a restaurant and booth “Mug and Tug” with a really long line where there appears to be free samples. She goes to the end of the line for a few minutes before humming to herself; she fidgets a little before getting bored Then turns to the next person ahead of her. 

“Hullo there!” She grins and curtsies to them and chats breathily, managing to change places in line with them with finesse. She then proceeds to do the same with the next, eventually charming her way up the line with a bucket full of charisma. She flirts, performs and otherwise persuades  herself to the third position in the queue, rewarded with a sample of succulent lamb, which is normally served as a plate.  She chews thoughtfully and looks around the area again and decides to ask for something she can eat on the go.

She sways away from the restaurant with a turkey leg and a souvenir cup of wine with her shopping bag looped on her arm and happily saunters away, sipping her wine and gnawing on the turkey towards the games.

D&D reboot; Sable Ravenborne

We lost our initial DM, but never fear, someone else has stepped up and we’re starting soon. New campaign, new character.

Sable was a child of Glaysa’s Court of Malbolge, the Sixth Layer of the nine hells. While she had some similarities as a scoin of the Princess of Hell in her level of unpredictability, tendencies towards whimsy and mischief, beauty in silvery almost metallic skin, raven black hair and eyes the color of black pearls. However, though just as articulate, ultimately Sable lacked the characteristic ability to use subtle mockery, verbal games, cruel teasing, and noble snobbishness to toy with those she was assigned to torture like the archdevil. 

Instead, to the horror of her courtier mother and the rest of the court, in increasing volume as the years went on, they found her to take after her father, a raven spirit of mischief and vengeance for lost souls. The Raven was not outrightly evil, but instead leaning chaotic neutral. He did as he pleased, at times had good in his heart as he helped lost souls regain themselves in part by granting them powers to get at those that had led them to their fates just as often as he played tricks on them.  

Increasingly when Sable was not attending court in efforts to sway favor in her mother’s affairs (which she was actually fairly effective at, but her methods were seen as peculiar, and her mind was a slippery thing so no one could quite pin down what was wrong with her, just that something was).  Sable would be found in places in Ossiea (Glaysa’s fortress) that were the least corrupted, much time spent in the Garden of Delights, paying kindnesses to the creatures that lived there.  

This went on until Sable turned 30, at which time she unwittingly assisted in the escape of a former lover of Glaysa that managed to escape his cell and hid in the gardens. It never occurred to her that the man was not supposed to be there, she just helped him like any of her little friends she found in the garden, and eventually the investigation found Sable guilty of aiding and abetting the escape. It was finally an excuse for the court to assign punishment for not being evil enough. Given her mother’s status she was not thrown in a dungeon but rather banished from the hells altogether. 

Since her release from the hells she has found further taste in all dresses that are blue, shiny baubles especially those rare and priceless and she continues to find herself helping whoever comes along, in whatever way she can. She recently found herself in Pelagius just in time for festival, a fresh time to meet new people she maybe could trick or maybe could help. Oh and maybe get a new blue dress.

Session 0

@~;~~ Session 0 ~~;~@

In This Moment – “In The Air Tonight” [Official Lyric Video]

@~;~~  *  ~~;~@

Elle stared into the wash basin, pondering her reflection. She shook her head, blonde hair swaying with the motion, splashed her face with the cool water then dried her face and hands with a towel.

She sighs and turns as a rap comes from the door.

“Come.”

The door opens and a wood elf slips in. 

“Ah, hey Kai.” A brief smile before her eyes shoot to the files in his arms. 

“Dossiers on your group as requested, m’dear.”

“Brilliant.” She takes the files from him and starts to leaf through, murmuring to herself.”  

“Tabaxi horizon walker, half-elf cleric, gnome… fixer is what I’d call him I guess…”

Kai nods, “Works for the merchant guild, Chaos has an understanding with them.”

“Right. So.. this one, Limayri… she’s a half elf that had an encounter with a fey curse?”

“As far as we can figure. Something of a folk hero, wandering warrior bushido type.” 

“Right, well. Anyone that can use a scythe like that isn’t to be trifled with.”

“Indeed.”

“Concens?”

“We don’t know much about the ranger, but she’s got planar training. Chaos is slightly worried about interruptions of business off plane if she becomes attracted to a portal.”

“Gotcha.Well.  During the Crucible Crusades that shouldn’t be an issue; too much to focus on during the games; so if I build trust with her and I know when something is going down I can hopefully distract from an operation versus a legitimate situation she should be concerned with.”

Kai nods. “Good. What else?”

“Delona Vyltrana.”

Kai raises an eyebrow. “We don’t think she’ll be an issue. She was raised by the church of Selune and is dedicated to protecting the common man, specifically from lycanthropes, but I don’t expect that to be any more of a problem than the lagomorph.” 

Elle nods and leafs through the paper thoughtfully. “This is all well and good but Chloe can’t tell me anything from just write ups, I should go mingle”

“Fair enough.” He looks into her eyes and nods as a glimmer passes over his as he speaks directly to her mind. “Let me know if anything comes up or  if there are surprises. I think you’ll be fine, you’ll do the guild proud.”

Elle smiles. “Thanks, I plan on it.”

Hero Forge!

Hero Forge is an online tool/ game that allows you to make custom miniatures for D&D. (heroforge.com)

While waiting for our D&D game to start I did some playing around with Hero Forge for some old favorites:

Then I did some playing around with some familiar faces…

D&D; Chaos Vana & Elle Moonthorne

Going to be playing D&D with a group from a discord server I joined, so I’m going to try to do rp write ups again for it. 🙂

This is the write-up from our DM (Rhys) about the world:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iwd2HlTOirRSvKWiZcCKOmFE-hxNxYkQNUIz8euxDBU/edit

Map:

First up in the creative material this is driving is Chaos Vana, Aysel and Protheus’s long lost daughter, because there was need for a thieves’ guild for my character to be a part of.

Chaos Vana is the child of a high elf planeswalking sorceress and a drow rogue who was stolen from her mother’s womb off-plane some three hundred years ago. The events surrounding this kidnapping have faded, as did the reasons for it and Chaos was raised unaware of her birth parents as the daughter of a high ranking member of the Sigil thieves’ guild. Around the time the Crucible was founded Chaos first came to Coian Reimse on guild business and found herself in a position where she found herself free from previously known prejudice normally issued to what are assumed to be bastard children fathered by rape of drow raiders on surface elf women, regardless of Chaos’s true situation. As time passed Chaos found herself drifting to the city and carved herself out THE seat at the table of the thieves’ guild in Coian Reimse. 

The Thieves’ guild of Coian Reimse is fronted by “Vana’s of Coian Reimse”, premiere jewelers of Eagsula. Vana’s caters to all as a source of affordable to rare gemstones in all settings; mundane and enchanted. If Vana’s doesn’t have it, they can procure just about anything in the planescape for the right price.

Smuggling, information trade and fencing all weave their way in some form through the underworkings of jewelers and in the past 130 years, Chaos has taken the guild and her precious stone empire and has grown them with the town. 

In appreciation of the welcome the city gave to her and in memory of her own upbringing, Chaos makes it a habit to scout out talent at orphanages throughout the city, setting up promising orphans with well matched mentors. 

Yearly, Vana’s will then sponsor one of its mentee’s in the Crucible Cup.  This year that honor goes to Elle Moonthorne. 

Memory is a funny thing. Elle doesn’t remember what happened to her parents. Early memories are like what she would imagine dreams would be like. Beautiful watercolour hazes filled with warm feelings and happy faces. Sunshine days and the green city square. Then there’s a gap, nothing bad persey, no loneliness as she would never be alone because she was kalashtar and that meant she was always in the presence of her best friend “Chloe.” Some sadness that passed quickly like a shadow passing the sun and then months of playing and hiding in the streets and sleeping under the stars.  There was no real fear, Coian Reimse’s streets are friendly to a fault. No hunger because it was summer and the gardens and trees were heavy with fruit. 

But then there was the storm and rain and hail fell heavy as the sky burned with lightning even in the darkest hours of night. The streets flooded, the trees broke, the fruit sank. The current was strong, she was three and couldn’t swim. 

Blackness. 

Pressure. 

Warmth. 

Light.

Routine kicked in after that, an orphanage is an orphanage. There were meals, school, play time, chores, time went on. There was a tide of orphans that sometimes were taken away by adults, singles and couples and groups of mixed genders and races and desires. There was always some initial interest in the little wispy blonde girl that floated somewhat ethereally through the midst of the other children, but it never seemed to really stick. Elle didn’t seem to mind she was never chosen, she sort of lived in her own little world, her and Chloe. That might be why she was never chosen, she had an odd way about her. 

Then there was the day that the Silvery skinned lady with golden hair and eyes like sapphires came. She had Chloe’s interest too. There was something shiny about her and it wasn’t the jewels she wore on her fingers, wrists, neck or forehead. They had an interesting talk about Chloe, usually adults made light of Chloe or were estranged by her, but Chaos was very much interested. 

It wasn’t long after that visit that Kai Moonthorne came to the orphanage and Elle’s life changed again at the age of six, becoming apprentice to the wood elf spy and assassin; a master soul knife. 

Twelve years of training later and Elle is this year’s pick to represent Vana’s of Coian Reimse in the Crucible Crusade.

My grand municipal court adventure.

So. 4/8/2021. Thursday Night. I had gotten off work and turned left to start on my way home from my job in MIssouri. I woke up once in the ambulance and then in the emergency room. 

So triggered this emotional rollercoaster of events the last  four months. 

I honestly thought I had dropped my insurance to liability only after I had a slip slide adventure when Chris had his gallbladder surgery. The car had gotten “totalled” at that time but we got it fixed minus the body work that sent the damn bill over when it was purely cosmetic. That lesson about the dealership has already been cursed over though, so I’ll get back to my story.

It turns out I had full coverage and man, I’m glad I did. The insurance company covered everything. So that’s lesson number one. Insurance is very important when you have a major accident. 

The other car had no injuries. I don’t know what happened with their car. 

I came out of it with a pulled tendon in my shoulder, after the ambulance ride, emergency room, imaging at the hospital, a visit with my primary care physician, a stint at OrthoKansas for three visits  to the doctor and about 8 sessions of physical therapy over a month period (and more imaging). There was some missed work but I was able to recoup, and the insurance company kicked in on that too. First conclusion of this adventure: car insurance coverage is very important, full coverage is worth it. I only had to pay my deductible and my rate went up, but still. 

Had to get a new car. Happy with the car, not the dealership. They treated me shitty in a link of events. So I canceled the extended warranty because of a few things: They fucked up the conditions of purchase. I needed it detailed, new floormats, touch up paint, it had a recall item that they were supposed to take it for. I was supposed to have the car so I returned the rental. Ended up with two days using a loaner from them. Finally get the car and all the stuff and then they can’ get me my paperwork. I finally went and sat in their lobby waiting for the financial guy to get the papers. They let me keep the free oil changes but I don’t recommend them, or the chrysler dealership. If I need something from Honda I’ll go in KC somewhere, the Honda dealership in Lawrence is owned by the same firm as the chrysler. Oif. 

Anyway. Because the accident was a charge of “failed to yield, causing an accident”,  I had to go to court for it.  In April I called to see about a lawyer, and he was going to be $500 bucks. Chris had found that the penalty for that was at max $200. So I decided against. We hit last Monday and I’m suddenly crazy anxious about it. Had several people ask me why I didn’t get a lawyer. Turns out that was fine. They had a powerpoint going at the courtroom and if you plead guilty you can’t have a lawyer. So that part turned out ok. 

We got up like we would if we were going to work today. Court didn’t start til 9.  So it was a good thing we went early. I was tense during the ride up and was snappy with Chris, and we had a minor snap when I told him he was going to miss the turn  I take to work that he didn’t necessarily need to take for the courthouse.

Note one: the entrance to the building for county municipal court  is facing the fountain courtyard, we walked around the whole damn thing. Then we found out that we couldn’t have phones in there so Chris took them back to the car and I watched some bumblebees. 

Then we found out that we needed the city building, not the county. So we got to the accessor’s office for tax stuff, and that’s the wrong building too. Third time’s the charm and we got in a half hour early still and sat down in the courtroom. Which probably also serves as the city council room. It was not a trial type of room you see in the movies and tv. 

We should have sat a the front but we like hanging back. When there were lawyers around they skipped to those people for a variety of offenses. So yeah, this was not just speeding tickets and citations, this was every little municipal thing. Not being first was ok, it was sort of entertaining at parts. Being later on helped my nervousness.

So there was lots of driving without plates or licenses, and small fees. Some people couldn’t pay again and got handed new court dates if they couldn’t pay.  There was a guy that abused/neglected animals that had to get a trial.There were people that didn’t show up and warrants for arrest went out for them. There was this boisterous lady with a walker that that was charged with assault on another person with her cane, and apparently she pressed charges on the other person. There were a few theft and assault charges.  A guy cut in line for one of those, wanted to get it done today, the plaintiff was there too and that was interesting how the judge handled that and scheduled the trial. So it finally got ton me and all they have is a report from the accident. And I keep confident, and polite and got them to laugh a little when I told them I don’t take that route home any more. (I’m going to another intersection that has a traffic light).

Took maybe 10 minutes.  I was sooooooooo afraid of what was going to happen. Big fine,lost license, the other driver showing up to court and getting me into to deeper trouble.  It was unfounded. 

I left there with a $104 fine. $75.50 for the citation, $28.50 for court costs (it breaks it down on the reciept. There’s things like “Police training” on there as part of the fines. So that was interesting. 

Other things were up this week. Tuesday I had my first appointment with my new med manager (my old one disappeared 20 minutes before my May appointment and I haven’t gotten to talk to a person from her office at all. I hope she’s ok. 

Tuesday our land lord came for an inspection. We just renewed our  lease, and I think it was just to address any problems before they became big when we leave for good. 

So it was high stress and distracted all week. I can’t express enough my relief after getting out of my adventure with the municipal court of Liberty Missouri. I’ll never be afraid of it again, and you shouldn’t either.

Douglas Plant Health

I am a very very fortunate person to have all of you as friends, family and sources of good juju from Loveland to USGS and my new position with Douglas Plant Health. I have acquired many great people even when situations were not ideal. 

As I have alluded to and bitched about in the past (and a little still now, though those injuries are fading from current memory), how screwed up things were at Loveland. I never took a real break from that when I left them in December of 2019. So when I started USGS which also was not a good work environment even before CoVid.  I just broke under the pressure and did not perform, even though I was improving by the time we were told to go home. 

As disappointing as all things were during summer 2020, I kept looking for the silver linings. My wedding went from 100 guests to ten people tops, but I’m not sure it would have been as beautiful that way. There were things that didn’t go to plan, but at the end of the day, the sun was starting to set and the light played with everything. When I was there facing Chris that was it, Rev Shelley’s voice and our mom’s for the readings; but other than that there was no one there but him and I. 

Unemployment was a pain in the ass, and I had to do it on phone because I had worked in Nebraska within the last 18 months and some of it was Federal. KIsmet I got on the phone magically with a person the second day I was trying to call. It took a bit for everything to fall in at that point but it did and we were covered for a bit on that.  I had just gotten notice I had run out two weeks ago, well three. So I spent days dialing to get in for an extension which again I had to do on the phone because Nebraska and USGS. Didn’t happen this time. 

What did happen was last Sunday 2/14 I found a job posting for what sounded exactly what I was doing in Fairbury and more than that, they needed someone to help build the quality program. Let’s be honest. I saw it done morbidly wrong; I am qualified to build one that isn’t. Monday I got an email. Tuesday I had a screening., Wednesday I had a phone interview, Thursday I was hired, Friday we had Sushi. 

Before I even started, I could tell that  Todd (my new boss), was going to be a good boss. Liberty is an hour drive from where we are in Lawrence. I’ll be doing 4×10’s to help with drive time and having Fridays open for appointments and what not. He let me know right away that if there’s a problem, weather or I’m sick or what not I can work from home as long as I have computer stuff to do. I’m getting paid lunches because it wouldn’t be cool to have to stay to 6:30. He has told me that this job will be what I make it. I have free reign on lab setup. 

So I get there a bit early on Monday (2/22), And he gets there a second after than me. He’s nice and makes sure I’m set up before he runs for a meeting. They already had a computer set up for me! I get quick access to the systems and programs I need, like SAP and a version of adobe that lets me edit the pdfs he needs. They stick me in an office that doesn’t get used usually. Tuesday that guy cleans out his desk and suddenly I have an office that has a working printer, so now Jackie and my hope plant are on my desk. Everyone had to take a look at her.  It was funny. 

So I asked Todd if he cared if I dyed my hair purple. Nope. 

So I spent my day getting the tips of my hair purple. I feel blessed. You guys helped make it happen, there were many times that the road was hard to keep on; but you were all always there when I needed you. Not maybe physically here, but this thing required a lot of good juju. That’s what happens when you get your dream job.

Vigilante explained

This whole thing kind of started happening a bit ago. Someone has been smoking downstairs from my place with the door cracked open with a broom. And the whole stairwell and into my hall the smell went. I’m not a big fan of smokers, for reasons similar to this. Like all people we all have things we are assholes about one thing or another and selfish to a point, I like horrible sci-fi and tons of stuff on Netflix and I force people to watch it with me since they can not escape.

The reason I have issue with smokers is this, the one newer business downtown is a tobacconist, and its been able to keep going where the diner/restaurant/cafe that used to be the dining establishment of once was the bowling alley. There are butts all around the outside of the place. To further this, they are allotted extra breaks because of addiction. I’d love to go sit outside on my break. But, well, I really don’t like the smell. I forgive my friends for the part is the addict; because when they are a person on the other end of it, a person that is trying to get away from the addition. I totally know its not entirely their fault they continue to keep it up because its hard to get away from them, and well, it took my parents decades. Just have to end with one last thought. Nicotine is the biggest ingredient in organic insecticides. Uhm yeah.. moving on before I step on more toes?

Management basically told me there was nothing to be done about it, even as they knew who was. So. Management finally put that note on the door, after the whole thing where we had a winter, a spring, lots of summer, and then we asked for a fall, and I am totally needing my money back because this whole thing with the summer and skipping to winter is like a soft serve yogurt dispenser unable to dispense twist.

Anyway. It smelled that way again last night so I figured it was enough. The broom that has been being used to prop the door open has magically teleported elsewhere, some other stairwell. Yay vigilantism.

On the flip side that little Tigger frame has been sitting there for at least a month, so something had to be done about it, its a cute frame with no picture? Inconceivable! Vigilante cuteness engaged. So now tigger has a friend.

So will the vigilante have another episode? If the opportunity arises? Yes. Yes it will.

Vigilante Morale Booster

When the law fails..

Vigilante Justice!!!