The All Guardsmen Party

[Coidzor]

If there is a new post up, I haven't been able to access it. The site hasn't been updated since May, as far as I can tell :smallfrown:

I suppose it may still air first on /tg/?

[Demon 997]

If there is a new post up, I haven't been able to access it. The site hasn't been updated since May, as far as I can tell :smallfrown:


I suppose it may still air first on /tg/?

http://boards.4chan.org/tg/thread/50033219

There you are guys. It's pretty partial, hopefully more to come soon.

[TeChameleon]

Yay, thanks! These are always a fun read.

[CrispyCriminal]

Just read the partial post on the official site. I really gotta say, the players involved must have the patience of saints considering what has been thrown at them. Almost as if it were a job in fact.

[Forumlurker]

So, after several days (and one or two very long nights) of reading this campaign journal with almost every scrap of free time I could pull together, all I have to say is that... I'm floored. This journal is extremely well written and I've enjoyed all of the time I've spent on it thus far. I just wanted to drop a message of encouragement for the author. Keep up the good work, dude. This is phenominal


(as a sidenote, I'm hyped beyond belief for the 18th)

[Shoggy]

Well, sorry about the long wait, and especially about all the fake-outs and delays, but here's the next part of the Conspiracy Arc:

The All Guardsmen Party: The "Stealth" Mission
http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/secret.html

[Cluedrew]

And here I am looking back and forth between that link and my todo list...

Well thank-you for continuing the journal. I actually was inspired by this to make a campaign log of one of my group's campaigns. ... Let's just say that my respect for your work, which was already pretty high, has reached new heights.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get some things done before my willpower runs out.

[Brookshw]

Hot Dang! Clearing my schedule!

[YossarianLives]

This is legitimately one of my favourite things right now. Thanks, Shoggy.

Also, am I correct in thinking that the next chapter will be the last one?

[DireSickFish]

Sarg's list is gold, absolute gold.

[Shoggy]

This is legitimately one of my favourite things right now. Thanks, Shoggy.

Also, am I correct in thinking that the next chapter will be the last one?

There are 1.5 chapters and an epilogue left. We'll see how it breaks up, but I'm anticipating 3-4 more postings before the end.

[Poblobo]

Condolences..

[A Tad Insane]

That's rough. I understand how you feel. Please, take how ever long you need.

[Cluedrew]

For those that are confused, as I was, check The All Guardsmen Party website (http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/index.html).

Take the time you need, I will be patently waiting for the day you are up to making a return.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

It's today, it's today! (http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/)

O boy o boy o boy o boy!

[coolAlias]

It's today, it's today! (http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/)

O boy o boy o boy o boy!
I know - I've refreshed that site at least once a week since he stopped posting. It is hands down my favorite campaign log and I don't even play Dark Heresy - but now I really want to! :D

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I know - I've refreshed that site at least once a week since he stopped posting. It is hands down my favorite campaign log and I don't even play Dark Heresy - but now I really want to! :D

I've been worrying about having power on the short vacation I'm about to leave on. Not because I still have to arrange moving to another country in a little over a month, but because I really want read more guardsmen tales. :smallredface:

[Cluedrew]

I am suddenly very glad that I have little to do this evening and tomorrow morning. Not that I expect it to take that long but still.

[Shoggy]

Next part is finally up on the archive, sorry about the long wait, hopefully the next (much shorter) one will be a bit quicker.

http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/secret2.html

[Aidan305]

Hah, wonderful. I managed to see the twist about the Demonhost coming from your writing, and I'm curious as to what point the party were able to work it out. Was it the moment that you've written? Or was it earlier?

[Shoggy]

Hah, wonderful. I managed to see the twist about the Demonhost coming from your writing, and I'm curious as to what point the party were able to work it out. Was it the moment that you've written? Or was it earlier?

We'd known that Bane would be coming back ever since we dodged our final battle with him back in our chapter (Failer was more than a little upset about that).

We didn't put the whole "Impromptu Poker Tournament" = "Bane shaping reality to suit him" thing together, at the time that seemed just like something that fit the Planet's general theme. We were also genuinely surprised to Interrogator Angelica turn up again, since he'd been handing us all these pictures of the Sorceress that looked nothing like her. The second she turned up though everything fell into place, which is 90% of why we went for an all out attempt to kill her. Fighting her and Bane *together* was not something we considered to be a smart move, which is why a good portion of our eventual plan revolved around separating them.

[A Tad Insane]

Now I'm waiting for the Rupert to show up

[Cluedrew]

... People reading this realize we have gotten into spoiler territory.

On Angelica: Is that her name? I don't think that has ever been used in the story itself. I know when I saw that picture I thought: Oh, its the turncoat interrogator's portrait, the sorceress obviously draws from the same archetype. Nope.

To A Tad Insane: Yes, that would be awesome. The only other call back I can think of that would be cool is if some of their students showed up. That one I definitely would be surprized if it actually happened, but I think you could get some good moments out of it.

[TeChameleon]

Heh. Been reading and enjoying the All Guardsmen Party for a while, and just tonight started browsing through the 'Storytimes' section, when I hit Mr. Lilly. I am now very curious, since the text gives absolutely no indication one way or the other, whether or not you (Shoggy) know that Mr. Lilly is a direct lift of Mr. Tulip, from the Terry Pratchett novel 'The Truth', 'drug' problem, art appreciation, impossible aptitude for violence, potato and all. The only thing changed was Mr. Tulip's habit of cursing by saying ____ing- not bleeped out curses or anything, just a brief pause while speaking followed by 'ing'.

Thinking about it for a moment, Discworld references have cropped up in other places, the biggest being Nubby, who is apparently an alternate-universe version of Nobby Nobbs, of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.

... how many of your group are Discworld fans, anyhow?

P.S.- love the All Guardsman Party stories, and look forwards to new ones coming out.

[Shoggy]

... People reading this realize we have gotten into spoiler territory.

On Angelica: Is that her name? I don't think that has ever been used in the story itself. I know when I saw that picture I thought: Oh, its the turncoat interrogator's portrait, the sorceress obviously draws from the same archetype. Nope.

To A Tad Insane: Yes, that would be awesome. The only other call back I can think of that would be cool is if some of their students showed up. That one I definitely would be surprized if it actually happened, but I think you could get some good moments out of it.

Yes, that's her name on the official sheet. None of us remembered it, since we just called her The Bitch that whole time, but it was re-supplied on the grounds that Nubby probably remembered it at least.

And yes, we will be seeing the eventual return of the Rupert in the final chapter.


I am now very curious, since the text gives absolutely no indication one way or the other, whether or not you (Shoggy) know that Mr. Lilly is a direct lift of Mr. Tulip, from the Terry Pratchett novel 'The Truth'.

... how many of your group are Discworld fans, anyhow?


Yes, it was a very intended rip-off, we all (well, most of us) got hooked on the Discworld series in middle/high school. That was when we started playing of course, so there was a lot of copying going on, especially in the early days when it felt hard to make a new interesting character, and The Truth had actually just came out either that year or the one before.

At some point it sort of became a cross between nostalgia and a running joke, which is why a bunch of Discworld characters were used during the big character creation death-zerg (though Nubby was the only survivor), and why there's a tendency for familiar NPCs.

[TeChameleon]

Gotcha- it's a fun easter-egg, and I have also been a fan of Pratchett since highschool, although... eesh, feeling old now. When I started reading would have been around the time Men at Arms came out (although I started with Mort).

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I just finished the whole thing again. And I think I had read most of it twice already. This probably means that the All Guardsmen Party is now my favorite book out of (what I read in) the last decade or so. I'm still undecided on whether it's you who's brilliant, your DM or the folks from the setting department at Games Workshop, but the final product definitely is.

One day, one day the story will have the ending it deserves. Hey, no pressure.

[Shoggy]

Sorry had a rough time after I went back down to the desert. Eventually got over it, but got caught up in an absolutely insane attempt at "speedruning" total warhammer on the upswing. Blew something like a month of perfectly good writing time on it, which seems silly in retrospect, but at least it got me up and moving again.

If you're interested, it's here:
https://i.imgur.com/OyG0hXT.gif

The Rat Race: A Total Warhammer 2 "Speedrun"
https://imgur.com/gallery/rRziD

Anyway, I'm back in the swing of things now, and will hopefully be able to keep things moving and get the last 30ish posts of the chapter finished before the holidays.

[Brookshw]

Awesome, can't wait to see the rest!

[Cluedrew]

Weird timing, I was thinking about this story yesterday for the first time in ages.
I just finished the whole thing again. And I think I had read most of it twice already. This probably means that the All Guardsmen Party is now my favorite book out of (what I read in) the last decade or so. I'm still undecided on whether it's you who's brilliant, your DM or the folks from the setting department at Games Workshop, but the final product definitely is.Yeah, I think I'm up to 4 readings of it myself. As for the brilliance goes, I think honestly think it is just that everyone involved had some level of brilliance. The base setting is good, the plot hooks interesting and all the characters were pretty interesting.

And as impressed as I am at the GM's ability to weave stories, make good NPCs and reach to some pretty out of the box solutions, and I am impressed. I think it is really the personalities of the PCs that really make the story work. Besides just being entertaining, they shape the story around them, instead just progressing along it. Too many games I know have that issue. And yes, the base setting as well.

[Guizonde]

i'm risking the necro, it's for the good of us all. the "stealth" mission part 3 is partially up on the site, and will be completed normally by next week, according to shoggy's "please stand by" post.

am i stoked? you bet i am.

did i read it? you betcha.

is it awesome? does a guardsman hold the line? it's as hilarious as it is over the top.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

i'm risking the necro, it's for the good of us all. the "stealth" mission part 3 is partially up on the site, and will be completed normally by next week, according to shoggy's "please stand by" post.

am i stoked? you bet i am.

did i read it? you betcha.

is it awesome? does a guardsman hold the line? it's as hilarious as it is over the top.

*Party hard, party hard party hard, party hard*

Can't wait to read it.

[Cluedrew]

Do I have time to read this right now? No I do not. Will I have found a way to read it before I have the time to read it? Almost certainly.

[Scripten]

Glad to see Shoggy updating again. This is by far one of the best campaign journals I've yet come across. It did more to get me into W40K than any of the official 40K media.

[Guizonde]

oh look, check out what's been updated. (http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/secret3.html)

i believe this calls for all of your best "oh, crap" faces. the cliffhanger is gonna be killer for the nerves.

[Shoggy]

Oh, nice, you seem to be ahead of me. But anyway:

The All Guardsmen Party: The "Stealth" Mission: Part 3
http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/secret3.html

Finally finished the chapter, even if I'm going to have to go back and pretty up the last post or two and do a whole separate interlude for the post-mission lore dump. Just one more campaign arc to go.

[Guizonde]

Oh, nice, you seem to be ahead of me. But anyway:

The All Guardsmen Party: The "Stealth" Mission: Part 3
http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/secret3.html

Finally finished the chapter, even if I'm going to have to go back and pretty up the last post or two and do a whole separate interlude for the post-mission lore dump. Just one more campaign arc to go.

i hope you're not too disappointed by that. the wait was killing me and as usual, your writing style left me both in stitches and on the edge of my seat. it's a wild ride, and i'm kind of bummed out that it'll be ending "soon". it's too good to end!

[Shoggy]

Glad you liked it, I was worried about readability with some of the bits, definitely in need of a serious editing pass.

And don't worry about endings, still a fair bit to go, and who knows what'll come next.

[Cluedrew]

it's too good to end!It is too good to let it continue until all the goodness has withered away and it receives an inglamerus burial in a footnote style chapter. Sorry, I have had too many stories go that way, finally ending but with me not even caring anymore. I hope I still care when The All Guardsmen Party ends.

[Guizonde]

It is too good to let it continue until all the goodness has withered away and it receives an inglamerus burial in a footnote style chapter. Sorry, I have had too many stories go that way, finally ending but with me not even caring anymore. I hope I still care when The All Guardsmen Party ends.

your argument has value, but it seems kind of harsh. the story is spreading in my circles, and people are getting more and more enthusiastic about it. since there's one more arc to it, i assume your fears won't be confirmed. hey shoggy, your arcs are typically 3 chapters long and an interlude, right?

it may've been asked earlier, but that entire campaign took how long to roleplay?

[Cluedrew]

Harsh? Perhaps from one perspective, but from another it is the kindest: let the story go where it will, even if in the moment we want it to go some other place.

I mean I'm not too big on the whole "purity of the author's vision" thing overall, not that I quite sure how that applies to a campaign log, but I know quite a few stories that went on quite passed their time and most suffered for it... or maybe I just noticed the ones that didn't do a good job of it.

[Guizonde]

Harsh? Perhaps from one perspective, but from another it is the kindest: let the story go where it will, even if in the moment we want it to go some other place.

I mean I'm not too big on the whole "purity of the author's vision" thing overall, not that I quite sure how that applies to a campaign log, but I know quite a few stories that went on quite passed their time and most suffered for it... or maybe I just noticed the ones that didn't do a good job of it.

ok, i see your point now. you were referring to "anime sequelitis syndrome", where authors and producers will milk a story so dry it'll cough up dust just to squeeze more cash out of it (looking at you dbz and naruto...). i seem to remember that the AGP campaign ended, so i'd be really surprised if the log went that way. i will defer to your bigger experience with campaign logs, since aside from my personal handwritten ones, i've never really read any other. i'll also defer to your knowledge of other stories. aside from series suffering from sequelitis, i've no experience of that either.

we are in agreement that sequelitis sucks like a chest wound. i just don't get that vibe coming from AGP.

[Shoggy]

hey shoggy, your arcs are typically 3 chapters long and an interlude, right?

it may've been asked earlier, but that entire campaign took how long to roleplay?

Well, not really typically per se, it's just how the splitting worked. I guess it sort of matches the sessions, though. Thinking about where the action breaks are in the final arc, I'm not quite sure whether I'll do as two or three parts, but either way it'll be an Interlude to cover the post-mission talky stuff I skipped this round, then the mission, and then probably some variety of epilogue. 4 or 5 total.

The entire campaign took... I dunno, a year and a half? Maybe 2? I really have to go check my calendar. It finished 2 years ago, (I gave up keeping pace at the "teaching" one).

[JenBurdoo]

I am hoping for something along the lines of Corporal Punishment, McAuslan's Court Martial, and Monty Python rolled into one.

I know I've encouraged you to read the McAuslan series before, Shoggy, but I'm positive you'll love it. It's the genesis of much of Blackadder and Discworld (particularly the Wee Free Men and almost certainly Nobby Nobbs). In the story above, Private McAuslan, unquestionably the Dirtiest Soldier in the British Army (tm), gets off on a charge of disobeying an order to bathe.

On the grounds that he is perfectly, ordinarily clean.

Unlike Nubby, he is not quickwitted and amoral, but luckily his lawyer is. And the court scene is a thing of utter beauty.

[paddyfool]

Just found this, and have been intermittently binge-reading up to the [Redacted] conspiracy. Compelling stuff that's taken up way too much time when I should have been productive.

[Cluedrew]

Oh yeah, I was going to say I came up with sub-titles for the three stealth mission chapters. Unlike the Tyranid chapters I don't actually think they need them. But I made them anyways:
The "Stealth" Mission: "Observation"
The "Stealth" Mission: "Infiltration"
The "Stealth" Mission: "Assassination"

As for recent events... Well I with just say: Life continues to be terrible for the All Guardsman Party, they continue to make the best of it, and there far too few people around them that are both alive and decent people. Will a bit of luck the number who are neither will continue to grow.

[Shoggy]

Updated the site with the new titles, thanks.

[Cluedrew]

Wait whaa- Your Welcome. I mean the Tyranid chapter could use it because the acquisition/delivery already formed a set that was cross cut by the part 1&2 thing. But hey, thematic names never hurt.

[Shoggy]

The All Guardsmen Party Interlude: Escape
http://www.theallguardsmenparty.com/escape.html

One last little inter-session bit and a bunch of lore before the campaign's final mission. I regret having to just talking-head so much of it, but I was going nuts trying to put so much dialogue into something readable.

[Cluedrew]

The just talking part was kind of dry... until we reached the announcements section. I think I know these characters well enough that I can tell what is going on for those announcements to be issued. It is a great interlude, quintessentially All Guardsmen Party if I may say so. Except for the part where they get some respect (from a superior no less). I mean it has happened before but still kind of odd.

[Mordar]

The just talking part was kind of dry... until we reached the announcements section. I think I know these characters well enough that I can tell what is going on for those announcements to be issued. It is a great interlude, quintessentially All Guardsmen Party if I may say so. Except for the part where they get some respect (from a superior no less). I mean it has happened before but still kind of odd.

No, it has to be a sucker play...they are going to get flattered into doing something stupid and it is going to cost them!

Oh wait. Of course they are getting suckered. They're Guardsmen!

Very sad that the end is so near.

- M

[Draken]

Quertus is too sensible to be a figure of authority in the 41st millennium.

[Mabn]

Quertus is too sensible to be a figure of authority in the 41st millennium.
seriously. I believed in a second that 5 random guardsmen could be competent inquisitors. I still fervently deny that any number of inquisitors could produce a sane and competent leader.

[Rockphed]

Hooo-eee. I just read up to when made an Eldar be nice. This is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

I have a puzzlement however: These are records of a group's play session, so the various characters have various players. I presume that Nubby's player played Crisp while Nubby was getting new legs. I am fairly certain that Heavy's player transitioned to Cutter and then Tink. What I cannot figure out is who Doc's player played while Doc was laid up recovering from a gut-shot.

[Shoggy]

What I cannot figure out is who Doc's player played while Doc was laid up recovering from a gut-shot.

Aimy, but we liked her enough to be worth keeping around as more or less 2nd PC. Our group's playstyle has always been far more "drunks yelling advice in a movie theatre" than traditional RP, so it's pretty easy for our DM to hand us an extra friendly NPC to control outside of critical plot moments, though if they're around for a while usually one player will take over as their semi-permanent handler (Fumbles is most controlled by me for instance).

[Rockphed]

Aimy, but we liked her enough to be worth keeping around as more or less 2nd PC. Our group's playstyle has always been far more "drunks yelling advice in a movie theatre" than traditional RP, so it's pretty easy for our DM to hand us an extra friendly NPC to control outside of critical plot moments, though if they're around for a while usually one player will take over as their semi-permanent handler (Fumbles is most controlled by me for instance).

Considering that Fumbles has become Nubby's cohort in all sorts of extortion, blackmail, and other criminal enterprises, I am not surprised.

[Cluedrew]

Our group often has associated NPCs controlled by the party. Actually in one campaign one player might have spent more time controlling another player's second in command as opposed to their own PC. Their PC was much more important, but for various reasons did not get a lot of screen time.

Especially when you have an NPC who is already traveling with the party and is mostly loyal to it, then there isn't any conflict of interest.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Considering that Fumbles has become Nubby's cohort in all sorts of extortion, blackmail, and other criminal enterprises, I am not surprised.

I hadn't figured out yet who he played yet, good to know.

[Rockphed]

I hadn't figured out yet who he played yet, good to know.

It's in a spoiler at the top of page 2.

[Calthropstu]

Damnit! I have to take an arrow to the knee to participate.

[Shoggy]

No, it has to be a sucker play...they are going to get flattered into doing something stupid and it is going to cost them!


Quertus is too sensible to be a figure of authority in the 41st millennium.


I still fervently deny that any number of inquisitors could produce a sane and competent leader.

Poor Oak, even when he comes clean nobody believes him. He explains the entire plot, including how he got suckered into the whole school gig and why it has such a high percentage of incompetents, and what does he get? Suspicion and derision. Can't anyone accept that, just this once, everything is totally honest and aboveboard?

[Rockphed]

Poor Oak, even when he comes clean nobody believes him. He explains the entire plot, including how he got suckered into the whole school gig and why it has such a high percentage of incompetents, and what does he get? Suspicion and derision. Can't anyone accept that, just this once, everything is totally honest and aboveboard?

I thought the high rate of incompetence was because this is Warhammer 40,000, where everything is either Grim Darkness or abject stupidity.

[Draken]

Poor Oak, even when he comes clean nobody believes him. He explains the entire plot, including how he got suckered into the whole school gig and why it has such a high percentage of incompetents, and what does he get? Suspicion and derision. Can't anyone accept that, just this once, everything is totally honest and aboveboard?

I accept that this is totally honest and aboveboard. I am just saying Quertus is too good for 40k. He deserves better.

[Lord Torath]

Okay, so my question: What could you have done about the portal between the bottom of the shaft where the cogtain died and the psyker holding cells? Could you have done something to prevent the zoanthrope from becoming a daemonhost?

[Fable Wright]

So a friend of mine posed an interesting question really.

On reread of the saga, every time you've met a daemonthrope, he had the same description. Claws, wings, three horns. The three horns and wings aren't particularly common on demons, really—so he was wondering.

Were the demon who was first summoned by the cultists, the one who possessed the Cogtain, the one who possessed the Daemonthrope, and the one who wound up possessing John Bane at the end all the same entity?

[Shoggy]

Okay, so my question: What could you have done about the portal between the bottom of the shaft where the cogtain died and the psyker holding cells? Could you have done something to prevent the zoanthrope from becoming a daemonhost?

Yes, the story makes it seem sort of inevitable, but that was really sort of a massive screw-up on our end. The whole "this place has a residual portal hooking it to a constantly screaming warp-tainted cogtain crater" was a MASSIVE red flag, and we were expected to either go through a series of attempts to fix it, or just move everything out of the room into a separate holding area of our own making (which doubtless would've had its own problems, like Tyranid splinters or other Inquisitorial ships chasing us or something). Instead we were like "nah, it's probably fine, just ignore it"...

Failer gave the impression that the whole "transport" arc was built up on the fly (by his standards), when we blatantly ignored a plot-hook, but rolled pretty well with the punch as things went. Kept poker faced right up until we found out it was possessed.



So a friend of mine posed an interesting question really.

On reread of the saga, every time you've met a daemonthrope, he had the same description. Claws, wings, three horns. The three horns and wings aren't particularly common on demons, really—so he was wondering.

Were the demon who was first summoned by the cultists, the one who possessed the Cogtain, the one who possessed the Daemonthrope, and the one who wound up possessing John Bane at the end all the same entity?

Nah, entirely separate.

I migth've screwed up the description somewhere, but the distinctive characteristics of the psyker-kid/cogtain/knarloc/Daemonthrope daemon (or "Frank" as someone dubbed him), is two curly horns, glowing eyes, and wings made of smoke. Claws are just something you get for free when you're a daemonhost with hands. No cultists were ever really involved with him either, he just sort of snuck into the abandoned kid when the Gellar Field failed, if you mean the Cogtain and his minions, it was never really specified what the hell was wrong with them, but they wound up amalgamating with the Daemon sort of accidentally.

Bane Johns' daemon on the other hand was just some unspecified Tzeentchian thingy: blue aura, feathery blue/black wings, horror-summoning powers, and then generic unspecified Tzeentchy characteristics that I embellished entirely based on the reference picture I found. I can definitely see the confusion, I should go back and remove the reference to horns and add some extra eyeballs or something (it was really late, sorry).

[Lord Torath]

So how, mechanically, did your GM account for the hyper-reliable lasguns you guys brought to bear on Bane Johns? Did he give you a bonus to your "jam/misfire" checks with those guns to reward Tink's ingenuity? Or was there some other mechanic involved?

Also, which plot hook was Blatantly Ignored? The one for rescuing the marines on the Tyranid hive ship? Or something else?

[Shoggy]

So how, mechanically, did your GM account for the hyper-reliable lasguns you guys brought to bear on Bane Johns? Did he give you a bonus to your "jam/misfire" checks with those guns to reward Tink's ingenuity? Or was there some other mechanic involved?

Also, which plot hook was Blatantly Ignored? The one for rescuing the marines on the Tyranid hive ship? Or something else?

Basically the threshold for a Jam was bumped up to 110, so Bane had to spend at least 10 point to get that to be a possibility, and then some more to override the "Best-quality reliable weapons just miss, not jam". They had absolutely nothing going for them aside from being harder for him to mess with, forcing him to run through his "mana" faster. Worked out quite well for us, but then again, we had a long time to work on that plan.

The plot hook I was talking about was "fix the cells before you shove a Zoanthrope in it", I gathered that doing that and the little Warp Fungus mini mission were supposed to take up our first night, but we actually got through all the mission prep and to start of the first combat encounter instead, so he was definitely slightly on the back foot, and had to cook something more appropriate up for the Zoanthrope transport sequence. He's good at that sort of stuff though, probably because we do that sort of thing a lot.

[Rockphed]

I (finally) finished reading this. It's hilarious. I do have to ask: how did the sequence of notices on the laundry room door come to be? Also, did Carrot Ironfounderson get transported into the Arbites and then get assigned to be a traffic cop, or did he found the Arbites? I get that there is an element of Judge Dredd in this to, but surely you guys were pulling from the worlds funniest far-too-literal policeman.

[CantigThimble]

I recently discovered these through a Youtube Channel called Cloak and Dagger where there are effectively audiobook versions of all of these. They're absolutely fantastic, thanks for writing them.

[Shoggy]

I (finally) finished reading this. It's hilarious. I do have to ask: how did the sequence of notices on the laundry room door come to be? Also, did Carrot Ironfounderson get transported into the Arbites and then get assigned to be a traffic cop, or did he found the Arbites? I get that there is an element of Judge Dredd in this to, but surely you guys were pulling from the worlds funniest far-too-literal policeman.

The notices were just some mostly-freeform RPing to fill the timeskip, so us all just sitting around speculating on what would be fitting (or amusing) activities for the party to get up to during transit. The tone was already pretty much set when the DM kicked off with a Futurama reference (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si4Pkj3_R7k) and explained that the Arbite was being an overly-literal **** to Sciscitat too. So then we hypothesized on just how much trouble we could cause, there was a "roll to see if you blow up the laundry room" moment, and then Twitch's player pointed out just how critical a laundry room is and how much important/valuable stuff goes through it, which led to the classic rpg "how can we MONETIZE this?" moment. So mostly just fun freeform screwing around, but things did get a bit weird (from our perspective) when the DM let us have a high-level ID card without fuss, and let us plan out an escape attempt without more than a handful of checks, so we were fully expecting SOMETHING plot-related to stop us from escaping, we just didn't expect to get so far, or to run into Oak at the exit.

Given that we skipped over the whole plot-hook involving the Arbite, I can't really comment too much on his Carrot-ness, but it does sort of fit (I can say that our own IG version was one of the many prologue deaths). Honestly, to us he came off as far more of a lawful-angry terminator than misguided idealist. We filed him away as the DM wanting to put in a super-powered low-level cop to screw with us, as opposed to an actual real character, which is why we used him as a sort of speedbump for Bane instead of really interacting with him. Apparently there was this whole sub-plot we could've gone down with us partnering up with him (in place of Ivana I guess?) and helping him arrest more or less the entire planetary government.


I recently discovered these through a Youtube Channel called Cloak and Dagger where there are effectively audiobook versions of all of these. They're absolutely fantastic, thanks for writing them.

Glad you enjoy the stories! I really like Cloak's readings too, hopefully he keeps going with them, but I'm also hoping I can get to the end before he does.

[Cluedrew]

Apparently there was this whole sub-plot we could've gone down with us partnering up with [the Arbite] (in place of Ivana I guess?) and helping him arrest more or less the entire planetary government.That honestly doesn't surprise me for two reasons. One, although I doubt he would ever agree with their methods I feel he would sympathise with the guardsmen on some level. There is this... "we do the actual work and no one thanks us for it" feel both he and the guardsmen have. Such as in their reactions to Sciscitat.

The other is that after reading this story, I don't feel like any character is safe from being pulled to the foreground and being given a subplot. Well I can think of some that you could tell wouldn't last long. But there are a similar number that I feel like could have been much more significant characters if they plot had gone a slightly different direction. (If they hadn't died, as an example.)