Douglas E. Berry

Dragon's Milk Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout

So smooth and rich, with a full-bodied flavor all through the sip. Coffee, chocolate, and you can just get the aging process. No after kick which might be dangerous! 11% ABV.

This is not an everyday beer; it is a special occasion, a big meal beer. I really want to pair it with a hearty stew and fresh French bread with real butter.

Try this if you love a good Stout, which is not my typical beer style, as I tend to prefer lighter brews.

I am experiencing some powerful conflicting emotions right now.

On the one hand, I know we can't go to the Burn this year. Halford's Liver, we'd end up in adjacent beds in Renown Regional's ICU by Thursday. Even without the breast cancer, my suck year would have put us so far behind in fitness and readiness. . . after last year, I need to be PREPARED. I am not ready for the Playa physically, mentally, or emotionally.

On the other hand, I need to be there. I need to walk to the inner edge of Esplanade to tell the Black Rock Desert to test me because I am stronger than it is. I need to tell stories as my gift and be with my family of choice. I sent them a Kooshball for Kirsten, but I left myself out as usual. I need to be 1SG Bullhorn, a role I love. I had been invited to work with Gate, Perimeter, & Exodus, which I was really looking forward to. As with my job as a Crossing Guard, it would be giving back to the community.

But the main thing is that since 2014, Burning Man has done more to help me return to being me than any therapy or rehab ever could. Like every infantryman, I was forged in fire and shaped by hammers. I had steel inserted in place of a spine (that explains the lower back pain, I suppose) and learned that pain is temporary, pride is forever, and what you thought were the walls of your limitations need to be broken down to open your possibilities.

In short, I am not a Sensitive New Age Guy. (However, I do want to see the Barbie movie.) Kid gloves don't work on me. Give me a mission and an op order. Tell me to make shit happen. Sua Sponte!

On my very first night at Burning Man, I broke down into a fucking crying, exhausted mess. A bunch of drunks I didn't know were trying to build our tent. I didn't know where I was, I was a year out from nearly dying and needed sleep. We were given cots in what I later learned was Rosie's Bar.

The next day morning, I was standing outside my tent in my underwear, screaming death threats at whatever camp was playing "Sunshine Day" at 0-fucking-700.

Later that day, while walking to a jot (portosan) bank, a camp on our street needed line volunteers to help lift their climbing tower. Without thinking, I took my place and Gung Ho!* I would never climb the thing, but people needed my help.

By Monday, I was in the street being a barker for our bar. "Sir! You obviously have a drinking problem! You're not drinking!" This earned me the precious gift of a roll of a 2-year-old's favorite Life Savers. I still have the candy on my desk.

By Wednesday? "Now, next year. . ."

Those drunks, now my family, gifted me the name "Uncle Bullhorn." Some wanted to christen me "Uncle Grandpa" for my storytelling abilities, some "Bullhorn" for my Army-trained command voice. A compromise was reached.

*Gung Ho, from the Chinese gōnghé, literally means "work/pull together."

It turns out that the "new" edition of Hârn is vaporware at this point, so everything I've written before holds true.

So, here we are. I've tried to show those of you reading this why HârnMaster is a great system and an absolutely fabulous setting with forty years of development behind it. Realistic wounds, a real feudal setting, and an island teetering on the edge of chaos in so many places.

I've glossed over psionic powers, the enigmatic Earthmasters who left sites made of Godstone across Hârn, and existence of the Keitherian family of worlds, accessible to powerful Grey Mages. Most sages assume Lothrim summoned the Gargun from one of these worlds. A strange place called "Terra" is part of the family. Your choice as what time period Terra is in should you travel there.

But that is really advanced stuff. Late campaign adventures. Let's start with some basics.

• Embrace the character generation process. Sure, you might generate an impoverished shephard, but that describes King David in the Bible. Use the character generation process to build an interesting character who might someday rock the world.
• Use Session Zero to establish why the party is together. Hârnic families are extensive and united in a clan structure. This is the perfect way to build a party with established bonds. Take the case of a Satia-Mavari Who returns to his home village after completing his apprenticeship with a Shek-Pvar chantry. He has been entrusted with a magically-sealed message tube to be delivered to a mage in Orbal, but the new journeyman mage is frightened of taking the journey alone. This is when cousins, siblings, and friends stand up. A chance to see more of Hârn and maybe make their fortunes doing something other than growing crops for the local lord? This establishes connections. Maybe one of the adventurers is the Satia-Mavari's older brother, who deserted from the Earl's guard and doesn't think his brother can poor piss out of a boot. Established relationships!
• Hârn is a fog-shrouded, rainy land. Play this up. Trekking through the Sorkin Mountains should involve fog-shrouded trails where all sounds are muffled and distorted. Was that a Harpy?
• As a GM, do not ignore the political situation. King Mignath of Kaldor amazes his subjects by just drawing breath, and there is no clear succession in place. Chysbia sits between two far more powerful kingdoms that both have a good claim on it. Rethem is facing a potential civil war and the king know three of his four predecessors didn't die in bed. Kanday faces ongoing religious skirmishes between Kandian Laranians and Rethemi Agrikians. Orbaal is no more stable than any other Ivanian kingdom, and the majority Jarin population is gearing up for revolution. Again.
• Build up slowly. One of the best early adventures is 100 Bushels of Rye, a fairly simple investigation module that leads to some interesting places. This is for 1st Edition, but can easily be converted.
• Do not neglect the importance of contacts and favors. People are people, and having a friend in Cherafir's bonding house, or a Thardic Senator who owes you one can be vital. Conversely, honor your obligations.
• Finally, and this applies to all TTRPGs, everyone should work together to both build the legend and have fun. The GM/player relationship should not be one of adversaries fighting in a wargame, but a cooperative effort to build something great.

Well, I've made my pitch. Oh, if if you really want to see how moribund Columbia Games really is, check out the system requirements for the character generator. I laughed my ass off.

Currently drinking: Sierra-Nevada Oktoberfest Festbeer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk_(anthology)

Four Stars. This was an interesting anthology.

A rather unbalanced collection, to be honest. Some of the stories are amazing, complete tales, while others feel like they are entry into larger stories. All of the tales are interesting and remain true to their era. But in the end, I was slightly disappointed by some of the stories.

"Hell Is Other People" - Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

On Hârn, most of your conflicts will be with other humans. Bandits along trade roads; aggressive tribes; Agrikian patrols; Orballese Ivinians spoiling for a fight; the guards in the castle or temple you are trying to rob; or if you follow the multiple campaign threads that lead to chaos in several kingdoms, in wars and skirmishes to decide the fate of nations.

However, Hârn does have some unique foes for brave adventurers to face. The misty mountains and deep swamps hold many mysteries and threats.

The Gargun

They have many names: Foulspawn, Goblins, Orcs, Hârn's Gargun are a race of small, vicious, intelligent humanoids. They are the most aggressive and brutal of the intelligent culture-forming Hârnic species. They are also the most alien, dramatically distinct from Humans, Khuzudul, and Sindarin in origin, biology, and society.

He is believed to be created or brought to Hârn by Lothrim the Foulspawner. Lothrim used the fast-breeding Gargun warriors as shock troops, allowing him to replace his military losses, preserve his better-trained elite human armies, and rapidly expand his empire. The Gargun are one of Lothrim's more vile legacies; the creatures outlived their "creator" and, by 250TR, had spread throughout the island. All Gargun have an abiding hatred for the Khuzdul and will if there is any chance of victory, attack any dwarves they happen upon. The two races have a long history of mutual animosity dating from the Gargun's first appearance on Hârn and the subsequent Carnage of Kiraz.

The Gargun are divided into five distinct sub-species: Gargu-araki (small or streaked orc), Gargu-hyeka (common or brown orc), Gargu-khanu (black orc), Gargu-kyani (white orc), and Gargu-viasal (red orc). Contrary to widely held belief, the Gargun cannot interbreed among their sub-species, at least not without the intervention of magic or alchemy. Each sub-species has unique social and racial traits.

The Gargun have a hive-based society, with one fertile queen and intense competition to be one of the fertile "princes" allowed to fertilize the queen's eggs. This is accomplished by being the strongest and bringing the most treasure back to the colony.

About half the Gargun of Hârn live in abandoned mines, cave systems, or lost Khuzdal citadels. The others are nomadic, competing with the human tribes.

When a colony becomes overcrowded, there are two possible outcomes. The first is a sudden genocidal slaughter until the population is reduced to a manageable level. The other is terrifying. Gargun will seize female "princesses," and thousand of Gargun will flood the countryside in search of a new home. They will eat everything in their path, steal what they can, burn what they can't, and are relentless in their advance.

Luckily for the rest of Lythia, the Gargun appear to be repelled by oceans.

The Ivashu

Ivashu are creatures of Ilvir, known as the Fatherless Multitude by the faithful or the Accursed Beasts of the Barren Circle by non-believers. Ilvir creates the Ivashu at Araka-Kalai, making use of a limited number of souls over and over again. Some Ivashu are relatively common because they have proved most adaptable to survival or are the easiest to create. However, Ilvir also enjoys experimental lifeforms and can produce any conceivable beast in some quantity. Many varieties are unique, designed to perform a specific task or to amuse the deity.

Ivashu are a great excuse to introduce unique creatures to the campaign.

Yélgri - the Hârnic Harpy

Yélgri are also called the Hârnic Harpy. They are small, highly aggressive, violent quasi-reptilian, warm-blooded winged predators and scavengers. They usually avoid attacking larger creatures capable of defending themselves, instead preferring to harass them. They are known to kill for amusement and will ferociously defend their nests.

They use simple tools and weapons such as clubs, barbed javelins, nets, rocks, and even bombs made of their dung. They communicate using a primitive language of barks, screams, and grunts. Some travelers have reported hearing Yélgri flocks singing harmoniously.

Yélgri are usually encountered in family flocks of up to a dozen, led by alpha males and females. Larger communities have been occasionally observed, with one colony in the Hefiosa Hills reported to number over fifty. Yélgri eggs are tiny, leathery, and cared for by the entire family flock. They reach maturity after around two years and may live for as much as twenty.

The only natural enemies of the Yélgri are the Orcs, who are fond of Yélgri flesh and eggs. Yélgri will hunt Orcs when they see an opportunity and are one of the few creatures willing to eat foulspawn flesh.

The Ilme

The Ilme are a strange race of mere-dragons, among the unique and most mysterious of the intelligent races on Hârn. The Ilme have an ancient culture with a complex language and deep mythology. They bear some likeness to their great dragon cousins, and many a reported tale of dragonkind was almost certainly an Ilme encounter, but there are significant differences. Although they are reptilian, the Ilme have no wings and probably could not fly even if they had; they commonly attain a height of 12 feet and a weight of two tons. The two sexes live apart except when mating. Despite their undisputed strength, male Ilme are somewhat cowardly and are frequently bullied and robbed by local Gargun bands. They prefer to hunt from ambush or eat carrion. They will rarely attack intruders but will fight with desperation when cornered. Even then, they usually try to negotiate first. Female Ilme are another matter; they will attack and fight intruders with limb-tearing ferocity, primarily to protect their young. The Ilme do not breathe fire, although their breath is far from sweet.

The Hârn Bestiary has multiple entries for critters, both mundane and monstrous. Many of the more extreme monsters can be credited to Ilvir. The cool thing is you get short articles on the setting's cats, dogs, cattle, and horses.

Five Stars

A novel where the primary character admits right from the start that he's a liar.

Eco is the master of the unreliable narrator, and this may be the height of the art. Starting in Constantinople in 1204 as the 4th Crusade loots and burns the Queen of Cities, Niketas Choniates is saved by the mysterious Baudolino, who confesses to having disguised himself as a crusading knight and offers safety to Niketas in exchange for writing his life story, which he had written a chronicle of, but had lost.

What follows is a fantastic tale of being adopted by Frederick Barbarossa, education in Paris, and a quest to discover the Kingdom of Prester John far to the East. The story slowly slides from reasonable to fantastic, adding each element slowly to keep you engaged. As always, there are no definitive answers, no clear explanations. We end with a sudden mystery worthy of Agatha Christie and a finale that resolves nothing but is satisfying nonetheless.

As always, Eco does not skimp on the setting. We see and smell the sack of Constantinople. The meals are richly described, and his descriptions of the Hagia Sophia and the area brought me back to our trip there. A very sensory-immersive novel that challenges the mind.

This was both an easy and deep read, and I loved every page both as a student of the history of Constantinople and as a fan of Eco's work. I highly recommend it.

This is why I'm not posting; I'm sick as hell, Kirsten is still dealing with chemotherapy issues, and I'm overwhelmed. I have a few drafts in progress.

OK, Oppenheimer is the single best movie I've seen in years. Cillian Murphy is almost ethereal as J. Robert Oppenheimer. I can see him getting a Best Actor nod. Robert Downey Jr. shines as Lewis Strauss and better win Best Supporting Actor. The score and direction are fantastic, and the ensemble cast (Matt Damon as LTG Leslie Groves!) all provide incredible performances.

The movie follows three main arcs. Oppenheimer's life from the late 1930s through the end of WWII; the 1954 security clearance review by the Atomic Energy Commission; and the confirmation hearings on Lewis Strauss' bid to be Secretary of Commerce in 1959. Christopher Nolan blends black & white sequences with color for an amazing palette, and he uses the two different hearings to set up the next scene from Oppenheimer's life story. Which is messy, to say the least!

The second most tense scene in the film is the Trinity test, where the sound is gradually drawn down to just Oppenheimer's breathing before the detonation. It was amazing. The tensest scene? That would be a spoiler, but it's where RDJ cements his Oscar-caliber performance.

See this movie on the big screen. It's worth it.

https://www.blacklibrary.com/series/gaunts-ghosts/ebook-the-victory-part-two-eng-2022.html

Five Stars

I think this series has reached its natural end or a transformation point.

Picking up from the events in the first Victory Omnibus, the Ghosts, their Imperial Navy crew, and the Regiment's followers find themselves suddenly back in realspace, with shattered memories, fogged minds, and being boarded. After a fierce fight, they learn the truth. The loss of one of their war engines has cast them out of the warp, and ten years have passed.

They reach the vital forge world of Urdesh, where an essential campaign will determine the fate of the war. To his shock, Gaunt is named a Lord Commander and ushered into the highest circles of the crusade's command, and a deadly new world of political infighting.

The two novels cover the final acts of the Urdesh campaign and are filled with Abnett's great characters, brilliant imagery, and vile enemies. The last book resolves many hanging plotlines, and as I said at the top, it is a perfect chance for the series to take a new direction. Gaunt is now the second in command of the crusade, the voice of the Warlord. The 1st Tanith is now his personal guard. I'd love to see the series lean into this, showing the big picture and infighting in the highest circles, as Gaunt did leapfrog over several people to be named to his new post. It would be fascinating to see the Ghosts evolve after over twenty years of combat and so many losses to find their new identity.

A tremendous new omnibus in the Black Library's longest-running series following a single unit.

This pretty lady guards the front door to Offhand Manor. I'm hoping to identify her, and so long as she remains outside, we're all good.

( Cut for the arachnophobic )