CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

SCENE THREE B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW PART D: SENTENCE & REWARD Once the capture (or apparent loss) of Brinna and Karymnos is resolved read, or paraphrase, the following, remembering that the PCs did, in their past lives capture the two: Well, they led you a merry dance, but you caught them in the end. The scene of their capture fades, and you find yourself standing once again before a wooden platform and Lady Amintar. Brinna and Karymnos kneel before her, their heads touching the boards. “… the penalty is death by drowning,” the Lady Amintar is saying. The stern look fades from her face, and she glances down at you with a smile. “And for my hunters I have a new title. You are awarded the position of Hounds of the Law and your services will be retained in perpetuity.” The scene fades and you find yourselves arrayed before Anika’s desk with one thought resting uneasily on your mind. The summons to the trial had come from a member of another brood and you had answered i...

SCENE THREE B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW PART C: RENDEZVOUS If PCs are using the dogs : Dusk is closing in, when the hounds begin to bay. So much for the stealthy approach! Ahead of you, just beyond an outcrop of rocks, you hear a shout of angry frustration, and a woman’s cry of dismay. PCs have finally caught up with the runaways. Karymnos is a desperate man and slips into hiding the moment the hounds begin to bay; his plan is to make his way into the river and let its current carry him downstream and to the other side. He has given Brinna instructions to do the same, and the pair split up, confusing the dogs with a choice of two scent trails. As PCs round the outcrop, read or paraphrase the following: Apart from a horse still tethered to a tree, a picnic blanket spread in the late afternoon sun, and the hastily discarded remains of someone’s supper, the area beyond the outcrop is empty. The dogs reach the blanket and begin circling to regain the scent; there is sudden ...

SCENE THREE B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW PART B: THE CHASE From here, the PCs match their skills at hunting and tracking against Karymnos’ skills. The hunter has used the main path for much of the way, both for speed and to hide his trail. After 6 hours of traveling in the dark and 3 hours of hard riding, he left the trail and headed down the mountain, using rocky outcrops and stony ground to hide his diversion. He is heading for Heiron’s River where he has arranged to meet a boat to take him and Brinna to Elios, which is in the opposite direction to which he is expected to go. If they are using the dogs , the PCs reach the rocky outcrop where Karymnos left the path around mid-afternoon. Read or paraphrase the following: The dogs are looking tired, but very pleased with themselves. Eight hours of tracking, and they think they’re still on the scent. The trail turns a corner, and the trees give way to a bulge of rock that extends across the path and up and down the hill on eithe...

This Year's Star Fish has just been released on Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, and DriveThruFiction, as well as for distribution via Draft2Digital. This fantasy short follows the theme of pursuing a dream. Every year the fish come down from the stars, and every year Faulknor hopes they come for him. Well, this year he’s tired of waiting; this year it’s his turn to do the seeking. This year, he’s going to catch himself the fish of his dreams. This year, he’s coming for them… just as soon as he’s finished with the assassin, and the elf with its human and orc sidekicks. Yeah, after that he’s going to find himself a fish.

Last week, work continued on Babes in London and Freeman’s Choice . I also got into some editing and formatting for Ellie Moonwater’s July release. All in all, it was a pretty busy week, and I didn’t get to spend a lot of time on any new writing. I’ve noticed my fitness and language study have gone by the wayside, so I have to get those back on track—which is one of the reasons I’m posting this report late, as I started this Sunday. I’m discovering that getting stuff done isn’t difficult, but getting a bunch of different bits of stuff done across the board is harder. Languages and exercise are a daily commitment, as it writing, and the other everyday chores. It’s not easy to fit them all in and have a reasonable balance of life. That’s the tricky part. I should be somewhere close by the time the last semester of university kicks in. Hopefully, this time, I’ll be able to maintain it despite the uni commitments. June Progress New words produced: 2,197 Outlines and Notes: 0 ...

SCENE THREE B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW PART A: INVESTIGATION Let the PCs work out what to do. At the moment, they are in the alternate form most useful for this age. They can use the abilities of that form, or take on their draconic forms if they so choose. They do have dogs available to them, and a guide can be found to take them to Breytos’ house, where one of the dead man’s daughters can be found. She can give them something of her mothers that the dogs can get a scent from and the hunt can begin. The PCs are also able to move around the village asking questions. The following skills apply: ·                Research (Mental): TH1: Karymnos, Breytos’ neighbour, was a fur trader and hunter. He has not been seen since yesterday evening when he was gathering supplies for another of his hunting trips. Breytos’ wife, Brinna, was last seen locking her doors an hour after dusk. (Neither of her daughters saw h...