Black Feather Blog

Black Feather Forward #11

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 04:52:27 GMT

Happy August Y'all!

Put Another Candle on the Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy, Happy birthday to you! Hooray for the baby of the fam! He is finally out of those awkward teen years and has entered the depressive life of an adult with responsibilities. He turned 20 on August 2 and celebrated by co-hosting his own party with Emily. The theme was “Grouchy Old Man” which was perfect for him. We are always teasing him that he acts more like a retired vet who's become disgruntled with everyone and everything in life. (Mo offense to our great veterans. Thank you for your invaluable service!) He chose crock pot roast with veggies for dinner and rice pudding for dessert. He referred to it as “old people food.” I'm sure he was just kidding because that's his dad's favorite meal!

One of the highlights of the night was seeing him hobble around with a cane and coke bottle bottom glasses. The sign hanging at the fireplace says “Please leave by nine.”

So join us in wishing Zach, Parod, Tiny and the grouchy old man a happy birthday!

Beauty Sleep

If you've listened to one of our recent episodes you will catch the guys giving me a hard time about our new bed. Ken and I have had the same bedroom set for 32 years! Of course we've changed the mattress several times but finally decided to treat ourselves to a king sized bed. I'm happy to report that we are loving our upgrade from a queen. Our “hospital bed” we now have is nicely adjustable and we have never slept better. And, no! IV drips were not included!

A Shameless Plug

I want to wrap up this edition to the newsletter by encouraging you to continue to support our podcast. We appreciate all the kind words and downloads of the show. Parod recently discovered he has a young fan boy who was captured on camera by his dad yelling “Behold, The Bessie!” while wielding a plastic toy he thought looked like a weapon. You can see this cutie by hopping over to our Facebook page .

If you are feeling especially generous, consider support us on our Patreon page . You get early access to new episodes and are treated to extra content. The extras are definitely not mom approved! But we know every enjoys being a little naughty once in a while. Even I have to admit that the guys can be VERY funny! These are the moments fans can get a glimpse of what REALLY goes into making a podcast with your family!!! Thanks again for being the best fans!

Speaking Of The Best Fans...

We wanted to give a HUGE thank you to friend of the show: Rob! He has been hard at work making some INCREDIBLE fan art of our characters. We wanted to give him a spotlight on this newsletter. In addition, you will be able to see the fan art when you listen to our next few episodes, as the pictures will replace the regular logo picture.

Thank You Patrons!

Livingston Family

Nate Saldivar

Technical Difficulties Abound

borupspencer@gmail.com (Spencer Borup) — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 22:33:24 GMT

Hello you beautiful listeners, Spencer here.

First things first, unfortunately there will not be an episode this week. The reason for this is we have been having some awful technical difficulties. If anyone remembers us talking about the HORRORS of episode 74, the same troubles are plaguing us once again. We have ordered new cables and a USB Isolator, but that did not seem to fix the problem.

Do not fear though, as I have a couple more ideas up my sleeve. We are going to attempt different recording software, and if that does not work, recording on a different computer. When we recorded episode 74, we had to do so four different times because it was not working. And as a result, the episode suffered, because we were all burnt out and tired of recording the same thing over and over.

The story right now is just too important for it to suffer because we are frustrated, and just have a "Let's just get through this already" mentality. We have some really great role playing moments coming up, and I personally would just hate for them to be lackluster because of technical difficulties.

Hopefully we can get this resolved and get back to recording. I for one want to see the end of this book, we have some exciting stuff planned for the show.

Thank you for your continued support, we love you all!

Black Feather Forward #10

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 17:22:56 GMT

Black Feather Forward #10

A Song In Our Hearts!

Let's face it. Everyone has different music tastes. Tyler likes techno type and anything by Linkin Park . Philip likes Japanese and anime music. Zachary likes rock. Spencer enjoys Charlie Puth . My hubby is the number one fan of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square . (Formerly The Mormon Tabernacle Choir) But even though everyone has their own favorites, we all listen to a wide variety of music throughout our lives. When I want to sing at the top of my lungs, I like to bop to the oldies. When I want to feel mellow and relax I pull out the Anne Murray , Carpenters or Barry Manilow . Disney movie songs and show tunes are another musical genre favorite.

But I just listened to a little girl sing our national anthem at a baseball game and I was almost brought to tears. She sang with such passion and conviction that I hope her video goes viral. I felt such a great swelling of pride to live in a country where it is possible for a small girl to win a contest and get to perform in front of thousands. I know this country is not perfect. But I am grateful to be blessed to have been born and raised in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I am also reminded of all the times I have watched the Olympics during a medal ceremony. It doesn't seem to matter who wins, I get chills when I watch someone stand with reverence and sing their own country's anthem while the tears stream from their eyes. Be proud of where you live and where you are from and do your best to make your world a little bit brighter. Feel free to share the songs that uplift and revive you!

From The Bookcase

There are an awful lot of movies and shows to watch right in your home nowadays. But I think more and more people have remembered that there is another form of entertainment that is easily accessible and inexpensive. There is just nothing that can give you the same feeling as reading a new and wonderfully written book.

And what if you could combine a new book with an RPG game? You can! There are lots of RPG setting books out there but I just read one that was so funny and really kept the feeling of the game while I read it. P athways of the Receivers was an actual game that the GM, Brian Lane, edited and published. He ran his players through a homebrew tabletop game and the story they created was just so fun, thrilling and so epic that he decided to share it with anyone who wanted to read it. He had me hooked from the Prologue. The book is 520 pages but the print isn't too tiny and it just GOES! I laughed and gasped my way through and fell in love with all of the characters. It was better than listening to a podcast because you could keep going or stop at your own pace, No waiting for the next episode to release. We are always looking for new books to dive into. Please share your favorites with us.

Podcasts Are Still #1

Let's just continue with the review of favorite forms of entertainment. We know you like podcasts because, hey, you are listening to us, right? Besides our RPG podcast, one of my favorite RPG podcasts is World Walkers . For some reason, I couldn't get into Season 1-3. I started with Season 4 and am LOVING it! Pedro the GM has his hands full with the quirkiest cast! Harold is my favorite right now but the rest are sure growing on me.

Crime podcasts are another of my new found favorite finds. My absolute favorite is Crime Junkie . The hosts are two best friends retelling stories of crime and mystery. Ashley is usually the storyteller while Brit asks the questions we are all thinking when we are thinking of them. They are very enthusiastic about what they do and this podcast is very well done. Other crime podcasts you might enjoy are Case Files True Crime and True Crime Obsessed . (This one can get a little, um, out of control for my tastes) But both are well researched and interesting. Do you have a favorite podcast, besides ours, that you can tell us about? Our ears are open.

It's The Birthday Boy's Birthday

Spencer was a whopping 10 pounds when he was born in July! I think most of that weight was in his head! Spencer is not only our Lovable GM, he is one of our family's three sons. He is the third from the top and second from the bottom. Spencer has been very open about the trials in his life that he deals with on a daily basis. From his Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Disease, Bipolar and shortness. Yes, the struggle is real for guys under 5'6”! We also tease him about his elbows. I know, weird right? They look like perfectly normal elbows except they can not straighten all the way out. We have never known anyone else with this peculiarity and his doctor has no idea why they are the way they are.

He refers to himself as our “Damn Inconvenience”. His words. Not ours! He has cost us a little more financially than the other kids in the family but he has a uniqueness all his own. Spencer pushes himself the hardest of all of us. He is always on the lookout for a new project or hobby. He loves to try new things and widen his horizons.

When he was little and had to get his blood drawn all the time when he was first diagnosed, he would astound the other patients in the room. He never cried! It was kind of weird but made that part of mothering him a lot easier. He has a great sense of humor and shares it with all of his friends and family. So happy 25th birthday, you big boi! Feel free to wish him a happy birthday too! Or better yet, sing him a birthday dirge!!!!!

See You In August

Enjoy what is left of July and we will see you in August with another new newsletter! We will be celebrating the baby of the podcast's birthday! In the meantime, tell us about your favorite books, movies and podcasts. And happy birthday to everybody whose birthday occurs in July!

Black Feather Forward #9

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 17:03:00 GMT

Happiest Of June Everybody!!

Hooray! I don’t know about you, but I am feeling like we are all turning a corner. Places are starting to open back up again, and people are venturing out of their homes . The sun is shining down on all of us and smiling her sweet smile filled with warmth and exciting promises of summer. I want to go on a picnic, fly a kite , ride a bike or have a barbecue. What do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Let us know and we will share your joyful, relaxing or adventurous activities right here in next month’s newsletter.

Real Life Gathering of the Ages at Camp Boring

Campfire light, rushing stream water, smoky bacon sizzling in the cast iron pan…can you see or small that? I sure can. These are just a few items that stir and awaken my senses. I am instantly transformed to a lounging camp chair next to the morning campfire watching my hubby cook the richest and most satisfying breakfast. The sun peeks through the trees surrounding the site and kids rustle in the tents getting dressed for the day. The creek behind our camp bubbles and slashes over rocks worn smooth. When night descend the stars twinkle and sparkle and fill the velvety sky. (Well…that didn’t exactly happen. We slept dry and warm while a huge thunderstorm with plenty of rain hit our camp.)

Sit back, put your feet up, breathe in the woodsy scent of trees and grass and forest foliage while I open the tent flap and let you get a glimpse of our very own heaven on earth at Camp Boring.

GM Rules Board

Every Camp Boring is scheduled to the minute. Sadly, our schedule was rained on the first night. In past years. I have scheduled each day with the different activities. But this year inspiration struck, and I had one schedule for every day. Then we just filled in the times that weren’t specific by picking an activity from the Not Bored Board. (Get It?) It was much smoother and we were actually able to do most of the activities this way.

Bag Of Holding

We had to substitute 3 cars instead of a bag of holding to get all our camping gear up the canyon. Of course, tents and sleeping bags are the most basic supplies. But we like to camp in style. So, in goes the three burner cook stove, the canopy, 8 chairs (four of them are lounge chairs) air mattresses, pillows and blankets, tablecloths, utensils, three ice chests and on and on. Spencer asked if I think we overpacked. Absolutely!

Do you have profession cooking?

We failed this roll spectacularly the very first night when we forgot to pack the hamburger patties for dinner. Luckily for us, a grocery store is just a quick trip down the hill. Once the proper ingredients were acquired the “Boy Scout” dinners were a delicious hit! Our favorite dinner is always the “Texas Steak” sandwich. So bad and yet soooooo good. You just can’t go wrong with round steak and onions fried in bacon grease and placed between two sides of a soft roll. One piece of bacon covers the whole sandwich.

Philip and Emily were definitely the best campfire chefs. Placing the chocolate loaded graham crackers on the fire ring to melt while marshmallows were roasting, was an inspired thought! Oooey, gooey goodness! Emily came up with a Birthday Cake Oreo version that made my tongue do a happy dance!

Ken is our Chef Extraordinaire! He cooks the best breakfasts of bacon, eggs and hash browns. The dehydrated hash browns were a new discovery for us and we all voted that they are the best way to complete our mountain breakfasts.

Roll For Inititave, or, Get Ready For Combat!

The competition can get mighty heated when our campers are pitted against each other in games of wit or strategy. Tyler and Spencer made the trickiest mazes with Legos, but Tyler had the most wins getting his marble through all six mazes. We played “ Trial By Trolley ”, a new game from Spencer. This game is not for shrinking violets. It basically became a shouting match and underhanded tactics controversy. “ Relative Insanity ” was another new game for the family. This is a game created by Jeff Foxworthy, but it resembles Cards Against Humanity an awful lot. It is more family friendly than the latter, however. I won’t say it’s G rated but it fit the parents comfort zone nicely.

A family favorite is the giant Candy Ball Unwrap . For years I have wrapped the candy in packing tape. That can get very tough when it’s your turn to unwrap the ball. Heat has melted the tape in the past causing frustration and tears. (Just kidding) Plastic cling wrap helped speed this game right up. And no, Ken didn’t cheat. The rules never said he couldn’t just let the ball roll and pull the cling wrap to get the candy out faster!

Another annual must do, is the Duct Tape Bracelet Contest. The duct tape is wrapped around everyone’s wrist and you use anything from the ground on our little hike to create a wondrous item. Ken, the judge, chose Emily as our first-place winner and Philip as our second place winner. Thus, beating out Spencer’s winning streak of three years in a row.

Leveling Up

The highlight of Camp Boring is the Family Talent Shows. Normally we have a lip-sync night and a talent night. Due to the not having as much notice as normal, we decided to let Philip have a whole night to himself and do a stand-up routine. He’s got some great material!

Ken did his annual retelling of a joke that has been in the family for YEARS! Somehow it seems to grow every year. Zach gave Ken a taste of his own medicine and told us all Dad Jokes. His fuzzy moustache was just the right touch. Philip sang a lovely ballad entitled “Changeling Child” by Heather Dale. It was beautiful and added a certain level of authenticity to the talent part of the show.

Emily and Tyler sang “Have You Ever Put Butter on a Pop Tart” from Family Guy. Talk about an earwig! We were all singing it afterwards. We couldn’t stop! Ken and I sang an original song to the tune of “You are My Sunshine”. We have included the verses here for you. Most of it is relatable. But just to clarify, the last verse concerns Tyler planting flowers in a specific shape on Spencer’s island that he named Mediocre. And Philip and Spencer concluded the evening by coming up with their own verses for a Hoe Down! The likes of which have been seen on Who's Line is it Anyway?

Black Feather Forward #8

Tue, 12 May 2020 06:24:30 GMT

May Day! May Day!

"Let's keep a little optimism here!"

A great quote by an awesome character! Since we have just experienced May the Fourth , it seemed relevant to post a Stars Wars quote to start off this month's newsletter. Write into the email or leave a response if you can name Tracy's favorite character who said this uplifting quote. May the odds be ever ....oops, wrong movie.

If you listen to the podcast at all, you already know we all love Star Wars. Everyone under the age of 30 considers all the movies to be a part of the Star Wars phenomenon. Tracy only considers 4 , 5 and 6 to be the REAL Star Wars movies. Emily has seen a Star Wars movie for her birthday for the past 8 or 9 years. There are multiple copies of these movies owned by the cast, from VHS tapes , DVDs , BluRays and maybe even a 4K version or 2 .

After a few years of marriage, Emily surprised Tyler with a downstairs basement Man Cave decked out in a Star Wars theme. His parents even helped and added sweet futuristic light globes on the ceiling. It's pretty “ shiny !” Oops, wrong movie again!

Celebration Extravaganza

May just happens to be my (Tracy) favorite month, since we are speaking of favorites. I love mother's day! I am left alone to do whatever I want while being showered with gifts and meals from the family. It is a glorious day that starts with breakfast in bed and ends with a lazy mom back in bed! Who could ask for more?

My birthday also lands in May. There is no breakfast in bed, as it is usually a work day, but there is a delightful dinner and the showering of presents continues. I feel a little bad for the family because it is really a month-long Tracy celebration, I feel bad like “Oh darn, I lost a quarter” type of bad as opposed to “Someone hacked and emptied my bank account bad”. But they are pretty good sports about it.

Inside, Outside, Upside Down

As the restrictions from the Coronavirus are starting to lift, our family is gearing up for our annual “Camp Boring.” An outdoor event that is anything but boring! We named it that because it is a combination of the two family surnames – Borup and Manning. Our motto is “Man Up at Camp Borup”. Get it? Haha. We even have a loud cheer of “BORING” to spice things up when it gets a little dull. We find it quite hilarious for reasons that I will explain in next month's newsletter. We have already reserved our campsite in Logan Canyon, Ut . It's a serene site of grass and shade trees that hides a secluded little waterfall behind it. We will bring our tents and bedding and camping gear and enjoy the quiet, away from the phones and electronics. (No service or power) We have indulged in a movie a few times in the past before the laptop power runs out. But we keep busy with eating and cooking, playing games and napping, to name just a few of our scheduled activities. We will post some pictures of our GLORIOUS camping trip in next month's newsletter. Tell us what your plans are for the Memorial Day weekend. Are you getting outside like us or going somewhere else to be inside? We would love to hear from you!

With Utmost Appreciation

We would like to thank our patrons for the kindness and generosity they have shown by supporting our podcast. In a recent episode, one of the NPC's was created and named by one of those very Patreons. That's just one of the perks you will enjoy if you decide to give us a monthly boost. We absolutely LOVE being able to mention those who listen and support us. And because we are such a nice, intimate group, we can! Not like other big, enormous RPG podcasts that have way too many fans to properly thank, on or off the airwaves. We want and desire to include our fans as much as we can. You also get rewarded with early access to each episode and very special deleted scenes and warm up conversations. (Some content is not mom approved but sure makes me laugh!) So please consider supporting us and we will keep bringing you a family friendly and family run podcast.

Thank You To Our Patrons!

Livingston Family

Nathanial Saldivar

Black Feather Forward #7

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:02:11 GMT

Not An April Fools joke, Just A Newsletter

You'll Never Believe...

The newsletter is late because the family won the lottery, decided to take a luxury vacation, built a recording studio for the podcast, cured the Coronavirus and have retired from the world to only do the things we love in a giant mansion/cabin in the mountains!

Too late for April Fool’s Day ?

I wish all that had happened but it hasn’t. The real reason the newsletter is late is because I lost track of the day. Haven’t we all felt like the meme on Facebook that reads - 2020 is an interesting Leap Year. There are 29 days in February, 300 days in March and 5 years in April. The world is a little topsy turvy and we are adjusting to it just like our faithful listeners. The big question on everyone’s mind is …………do you have enough toilet paper? We do! And no we are not hoarding or buying by the lot. We just happened to be at Costco at the right time. I bless all our Gathering of the Ages family with all the essentials you need.

The Missing Link

We are really lucky that no one in the family has gotten sick and that we have been able to meet, record and send out the high quality content you all have come to expect from our show. Even Tyler has been able to keep coming to the house to share his vast amounts of knowledge and eccentricities. (Regardless of all the begging we do to make him stop!) If you are not sure what I mean by this, I would invite you to think about becoming a Patreon of Gathering of the Ages and find out for yourself. I am constantly amazed at the topics he chooses to discuss and the stories he has to tell during warm ups or spouted intermittently during the show. Spencer has kept these gems and other behind the scenes action from the rest of us as a special treat for our Patreon subscribers. There is even a non-mom approved section called After Dark. Suggested listening times are definitely after the little ones are tucked into bed.

Set It To "O"

Before you tuck them into their tiny beds, snuggle up and enjoy the Disney movie “ Onward ”, recently released on Disney+ or Redbox . Our gaming family absolutely loved this one! Even Dad, who doesn’t game with us, got a big kick out of a certain slimy NPC! If you do game, listen and watch for all the RPG references sprinkled throughout the story. There are also fun details to be on the lookout for visually. Whether you are a gamer or not, this is a fun, adventurous, family friendly movie that we all give a two thumbs up.

Crossing The Chicken In The Road

Animals in weird get ups, tiny houses that cost hundreds of thousand of bells, treasures that fall out of the sky? All this can only mean one thing! Animal Crossing’s newest edition is out and being played by multitudes of obsessed video gamers. The competition is ON in our house to see who can build the best houses, villages, gardens and campgrounds, get the best prizes and clothes and visit the most friends. I have seen some goofy outfits, like Tyler’s ninja mask paired with white “feety” pajamas. Emily’s lovely places to relax on the beach and crochet with supplies from a sewing basket. I enjoy the jealousy I see over golden watering cans and 5 star ratings .

But I really love the sharing that this game invites it’s players to participate in. Poor Spencer is waiting for all the hubbub to die down so he can purchase a Switch and play the game for himself. People are charging a ridiculous amount on Ebay at the moment. Here is one example . In the meantime, the other players collect eggs for Bunny Day , and build things for their village. Tyler , Emily and Zachary like to show me the things they have gifted each other just as much as the items they have received or crafted for themselves. I am not a video game player, but if I was, I think I would play this phenomenon called Animal Crossing .

Spencer's Creeper Photos

Spencer jumped on Zachary's account and took some creeper photos on Emily's island.

He is calling it the "Creeper Series".

Other Animal Crossing Adventures

Spring Into Hope

To wrap up this month’s newsletter, I would like to end on a hopeful note. My husband got our flower beds cleaned up from the winter yuckiness that had settled. Much to my delight, the first of the flowers began to bloom. There are now daffodils, hydrangeas and tulips brightening up our front yard. Soon the iris will grow from the multitude of bulbs my mother-in-law planted a few years ago. I love to come home to a new flower or burst of green that greets me on my way to the front door. Spring has arrived again. Just like it does every year. We may all face new challenges and bumps in the road but life continues and if we can look around and open our eyes. We might see the small or great wonders that await us. Thank you for continuing to listen to our podcast. We hope it can bring you at least a little of the joy it brings us.

We sincerly hope you are all staying safe and healthy in this crazy time! Until next month Black Feather Flock!

Black Feather Forward #6

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 06:09:55 GMT

Black Feather March

What happens if you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover? I’ll let you at the end of the newsletter.

February Doesn’t March but April May

Wow! February really flew by! Even with an extra day added. I hope everyone who has a birthday on February 29th had a birthday four times as good as anyone else’s birthday. You deserve it! Speaking of the end of February, we FINALLY got all the Christmas decorations put away! Yeah, I know. We are THOSE people. But when there are literally hundreds of nativities to sort and box and put in the shed, it takes a while. Plus, we left it up for January because we didn’t get everything up until halfway through December. My house feels so light and airy again. Spring has come early for me! Hooray!! What kinds of things do you push off until it becomes embarrassing? Let us know that we aren’t the only procrastinators out here.

One, two, three GO!

I hope all our devoted and even our casual listeners enjoyed our latest two-part episode. Episode 123 was full of tension and fighting and life and death!!! Spencer put 10 hours into the editing of that episode to give you all a special treat. We would love to hear how you all enjoyed it. We also want to hear from listeners with ways we can improve the show for you. I know you all want more Rae, but I’ve got to be fair to the guy...

Crafty takes away the Crabbies

Did you know it’s National Craft Month in March? So, don’t feel guilty for spending time on a crafty hobby. You are celebrating the month! Good for you. As has been mentioned on the podcast (a great crafting hobby, by the way) I enjoy many crafty hobbies. My head and hands are itching to create a few new amigurumis the second week of March for Crochet Month and put together a couple of wall hangings on March 21st for National Quilt day . My daughter Emily and I also plan on using our Brother Scan N Cut for iron on vinyl projects and other fun items all month. Get your materials out of the closet and let your imagination go wild. Feel free to share your creations with the GOTA group on Twitter , Facebook , or by emailing it to us!

If you share something on Twitter make sure to tag us using our handle @GatheringAges

I made Spencer his very own BABY YODA !! Check us out on Instagram to see photos of The Dynamic Duo at the game table.

Traditional Tastes

Not sure why so many of our family traditions involve food. I guess we are all foodies. March is a big month for us. Sadly, we missed Fat Tuesday in February, so we are going to fatten ourselves up in March. My hubby is going to make Gumbo or Jambalaya with collard greens . After the parent trip last year to New Orleans , he is excited to show off what he learned in our cooking class. We will all hope to find the baby in the scrumptious King Cake .

The house will have a slightly unpleasant smell on St Patrick’s day when the hubby whips up his famous Corned Beef and Cabbage . Both nights involve inviting others over and chowing down. Emily, especially, enjoys the corned beef. My mouth has already started to water!

Time for some Mardi Gras mask photos!

A Peek Behind

Behind the Curtain is back with a new fun and broad platform. Spencer and Tracy will be discussing games, movies, books and more. The podcast might come up occasionally too. We already recorded one with the baby of the family, Zachary in Behind The Curtain 32 . The need for Tyler to be a guest has been STRONGLY recommended by the entire cast. That guy definitely needs more of an outlet than Gathering of the Ages podcast can provide! Spencer also has a few surprises planned that I will not tell you about! Even if you twist my arm or give me a swirly. I am his mother and I have to keep my word and not steal his thunder. But I can assure you, we’ve already recorded one of these special episodes and you won’t want to miss it! Just watch your feed for the Behind the Curtain episodes to come out.

Thanks for reading the newsletter all the way through and not skipping to the end to get the answer to the riddle. Haha! I know most of you cheated. But I can’t hide it from those who behaved properly…….

You get a rash of good luck!!!!! We feel so lucky to have such great and loyal listeners. Happy March everyone!

What The Show Means To Me

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 03:57:26 GMT

Spencer's Thoughts On The Podcast

When I first started doing this Podcast, I had no way of knowing what was in store for me.

When I started doing this, I had the loftiest of goals when I first started doing this, goals like: “I want to make this my full time job!” “I want to get invited to conventions!” “I want to turn this into some kind of money raising charity shenanigan”. As a person, I do things like this waaaay to often. I have these high expectations for myself, and if things don't pan out the way I hope they will, I tend to beat myself up.

I was diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder back in 2015, after struggling with it for years, all through middle and high school. With this, comes symptoms of Hypo-mania, the highs, and Depressive Episodes, the lows. For me personally, my depressive episodes hit harder and last much longer than the Hypo-manic experiences I have had. Both are troubling, but I find I have a MUCH more difficult time managing my depression. I have tried taking so many different types of medication for it, but nothing really works. The side effects of the medications are too much for me, and I have chosen many times to just not take them, and try to manage things without them. I am constantly battling my inner thoughts of inadequacy and self loathing when my brain decides to take a stroll into a “bad neighborhood”.

As I said before, the depression I feel is always much more difficult for me to manage. I always feel extremely irritable, very inadequate, and have very low energy. I constantly tell myself, “You don't have it that bad, your life could be so much worse than it is. You're being ridiculous right now Spencer. You don't have a right to feel this way.” I feel bad for feeling that way, which in turn, makes me feel worse, and then I feel bad for feeling worse, and these thoughts turn into this downward spiral, that if I'm not careful, will just consume me. This is in NO WAY supposed to make you feel sorry for me. That's not my intention. I always feel very weird talking about this because I'm not always super comfortable with it myself. But to fully understand what this show means to me, you have to understand this part of my life.

This show has not always been easy. I loath editing. I get very frustrated with the Social Media aspect of things. We have had multiple cast changes. I've never been very good at keeping things consistent. And there have been MULTIPLE times I just think about quitting, throwing in the towel. When life gets me down, and I begin to think about what a failure I am because I don't have the numbers, or nobody is listening to the show, and I begin to think “Why am I even doing this?”, I have to remind myself of the core of the show. What makes the show special to me, why I do continue doing it.

I use the podcast as a coping mechanism. I use the time spent with my family, my support group, to help me through the times I become my own worst enemy. Doing the show allows me to step away from everything, if only for a little bit. I get to be different people. I get to spend regular time with a majority of my family. I get to create this story that I think is so incredible, with the help of the people playing in the game, and express my creativity in a bunch of different ways. As morbid as this might sound, I also think about the time in the future when my mother will be gone, and just knowing I have hours and hours of her recorded, is something that keeps me going. If I ever have kids, I think it will be so cool when they're finally old enough to listen to the show themselves, and see what a HUGE NERD their dad was. This is so much more to me than just a podcast, and so much more than just a game. It is an opportunity to make memories with the people I love the most in this world, that one day I will be able to look back on and say, “I did that. I'm really proud of what I did.”

Although this adventure has not always been easy, and it has had many ups and downs, just like life, these thoughts constantly play through my head, and I just keep going, keep pushing forward, so that I can continue to grow, and continue to have these special moments in my life.

If you made it through to the end, thanks for reading this, thanks for being here. I know it all is very sappy, but hopefully this will allow you to see the show for what it is to me. And the next time you hear me cry on the show, you'll be able to understand why the water works turned on. Thanks so much!

Black Feather Forward #5

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 05:23:16 GMT

It Is February!!

Jaannuuaarrryyy was so long

January was like gazing at a pale version of a terrific painting of a dark and powerful storm. Someone had ruined the magnificent painting with too much water! Our sky was a boring, dull color of rinse water for most of the month. I've got to admit, my mood matched. All over Facebook were quotes stating that it felt like January 74th. January is the Monday of all the months and so on. Bring on the hearts, glitter and bold red color of February! It's time for some brightness in the mist of the gloom!

Elephant in the Envelope

Valentine's day is what pops into most heads when we think of February. Not one of the most popular holidays around our homestead, When everyone was in grade school it was fun handing out riddle stickers, Disney Princess valentines or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle suckers . But our three bachelors either ignore the elephant in the room or try to cut it up into tiny pieces and make a stew. Spencer has hosted an I Hate Valentines Day party and only invited single friends to come and play games. Philip still comes home with the stickers, cards and candy as he is adored by his preschool class. I am just ready to clear out the last of the Christmas decorations (I know, I know, we got them up late this year), I can't wait to hang up the heart and roses wreath and display simple red and pink décor. We wish you all a delightful holiday, no matter how you decide to celebrate or uncelebrate!

It's Snorta Fun

Not sure how many we actually have, but our game collection has really grown through the years. One of our staples is a barnyard brouhaha called Snorta . We invested in this game many years ago so our version is much better made than the most recent one. Sorry folks. The gist of the game is to get rid of your cards by shouting out your opponents animal sound when your animal card matches theirs. Sounds kind of simple but it's actually a tricky little move. You see, you need to remember what animal they are because they have hidden it inside their barn. You can also get over excited and shout out the name of the animals that match on the cards. This game is usually loud, fun, fast and very silly! Philip wins a lot because he has an annoyingly great memory. The newer version is still fun but there are no longer cute little plastic animals to pick from a bag or barns to hide them in. Cards are the only items used now. This actually increases the difficulty of the game. So go a little hog wild and try Snorta at your next family gathering.

Pink Spotlight on Zach

Zachary Cole Borup is the youngest and usually the most feisty of 4 siblings. When he was 3 he asked mom for ice cream for breakfast. When she explained that they could have that for a snack after breakfast, he silently disappeared. When mom tried to enter her bedroom she found the door locked. “Zachary, can you please unlock the door” to which he replied “I busy”. Of course when he finally opened up the door the evidence of his tasty breakfast was all over his face. Nowadays, Zach closes himself in his room to play Nintendo Switch and PlayStation games on his giant screen Tv and watch Youtube videos. He is the biggest fan of the movie Avatar and is already following the progress for the sequel. All of his siblings are fans of anime but Zach especially loves My Hero Academia . Other things that might interest you about Zach are his fear of heights and dislike of cats. He is currently trying to plan to go to a college or trade school but will need to conquer his procrastination habits. His favorite GOTA episode was the courthouse riot . We sure hope you enjoyed getting to know the guy behind everyone's favorite half orc.

Until Next Time!

We wish you the happiest of February's! See you in next month's newsletter!

Black Feather Forward #4

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 04:54:56 GMT

Happy New Year!

New Year News

Wow! It’s 2020! Can you believe it? I saw a Facebook post that showed how many of our holidays are falling on Fridays or Saturdays. My birthday is even on a Friday! Can you repeat after me? Year of Tracy , Year of Tracy , Year of Tracy !!! But alas, I do have to share the spotlight with those whackadoos who create a stunning and brilliant podcast for you. (Or are you all brilliantly stunned by our podcast?)

So… hold onto your axes and limbs, because we have a few surprises in store for you!

Recall Before The Fall

In our third season the Black Feather Few have done so much in the "haunted" Shudderwood Forest . After investigating the happenings at the Ascanor Lodge , and learning that more nefarious plots have been happening within its very walls, they set off to explore the long lost and forgotten temple of Desna known as The Stairs of The Moon. It has been a nonstop battle between them and many ferocious werewolves.

In our last episode our party had a grueling encounter with a few of these beasties, and one of their own fell unconsious, exhausted from the battles they had before them.

In our most recent episode, Episode 116: The Werewolf Bit My Finger , we find out what happens to our adventurers after they try to recover, and as they further explore the mysterious temple.

Toot Your Resolute

We don’t make new year resolutions at our house. We just set goals all year long and sometimes we actually accomplish them. For several years now, our biggest and most obnoxious goal has been to clean out our garage. As many of you know, a garage is an area attached or detached from your living quarters where cars are parked for safekeeping and storage. I think we used a garage for that purpose once in our married life for about 3 months. We tend to dump items in there that are on their way to recycling, on their way to the dump or on their way to participate in a fantasy we call “The Garage Sale”. I’m sure someone wants that bear bedspread and matching lamp from our son’s bedroom. How about a Slice cutting machine? Those are discontinued now.

Spencer and I have decided to set a resolution to bring back……drum roll please……. Behind the Curtain . We are planning on recapping each episode but also have decided to add some spice to our Golorian stew. We might be rating new card and board games. We may do some movie or tv show reviews. How about some sharing of favorite cast hobbies outside of Pathfinder ? Maybe we’ll share some more about the personal lives of our cast members .

Let us know what you would like us to chat about and we will think about it and do what we want anyway. Just joshing ya! We love hearing from you and want to make all your dreams and wishes come true (In terms of podcast listening only). While you’re at it, let us know about the New Year resolutions you are making and breaking. We may just share them on air.

Continuing The Talk About Traditions

We in the Borup clan love our traditions . As a family, we enjoy spending New Years Eve watching movies and eating plenty of snacks, and when the clock strikes midnight you better believe we break out that bubbly… sparkling cider ! Emily likes to see how much of one bottle she can drink, by herself, before everyone else in the family expresses their anger that the cider is suddenly gone. We always start the new year by watching the glorious New Years Day Tournament of Roses Parade and eating cinnamon rolls and oranges. What fun things do you and yours do to celebrate the start of a new year?

Paying It Backward

The time has arrived and the moment you have all been waiting for is finally here at last! Our Patreon page will be up on February 1st. Please wipe those tears from your eyes and simmer down so you can read the rest of this amazing announcement.

The Reign of Winter adventure path will be snow packed with spine chilling, freezing terror in a blizzard of supernatural wickedness. Grab your winter gear and a hot cocoa and settle in for a storm of fun in our new show: Once Upon A Winter.

Trust me you do NOT want to miss this all new show. Our GM will be the Particularly Pleasant Philip . Pleasant for you, but perilous for us! Zach’s character may or may not be as powerful as Parod. How does Spencer adjust to just being a lowly player? Can Tracy’s character be any more beautiful than Artrilla? Will Tyler’s antics make you choke on your goobers or squirt kool-aid out of your nose?

We need your help to reach this point! Your generous donations will pave the way for us to host this brand new show. When we reach our first goal we will start uploading brand new episodes of a brand new show that will be available to everyone that listens to us!

If glory and fame is all you seek, $1 a month will get your name posted to the very first page on our incredible updated website. Is your mouth watering for more delicious treats and morsels of goodness? If you desire even more, the higher teirs will unlock deleted scenes (that are not Mom approved), as well as the opportunity to name an NPC or monster, and even get a video call with some of the cast! Every tier will receive early access to every single piece of content we ever produce in the future.

Grab your napkin and wipe the drool off your chin and stayed tuned to the newsletter, website , Twitter and Facebook for more juicy details.

Until Next Month

We here at the Gathering Of The Ages Podcast just want to with you a very happy and successful New Year. What are you most excited for in the future of our podcast? Is it the return of Behind The Curtain ? Is it the start of a new adventure in our new Patreon show?

What resolutions and goals have you set for your new year? What games are you going to be playing? Will you be starting a new campaign or continuing one you have been running?

We love to hear from you guys, so let us know. You can respond directly to this email, or send us an email at podcast@gatheringages.com .

Until next time, Black Feather Following, may your New Year be a critical success! Happy 2020!

The Current Party

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 23:06:28 GMT

The Current Party

The party has been through a lot, but the things they do are what make them who they are. In this fantastic piece of artwork, Alyas Arts combined all of the characters into one picture showing the current makeup of the party.

#Feyven #Parod #Rae #Min

One Happy Family

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 22:22:40 GMT

A Big Happy Family

Alyas Arts has done it again! In this fantastic picture she positioned everybody in such a way that it reminds all of us of a JCPenny photo shoot. The whole gang is here ready to roll!

#Min #Rae #Feyven #Parod #Spencer

Spencer

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 22:17:29 GMT

Spencer The Loveable GM

Spencer the Loveable GM got turned into a drawing, once again comissioned by the amazing Alyas Arts . Spencer looks suspiciously friendly in this picture.

#Spencer #GM #Loveable #BlackHearted

Min

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 22:03:34 GMT

Min The Halfling Time Witch

Another picture in the set comissioned by Alyas Arts is Min! The Halfling time witch looks like he stumbled straight out of a Tim Burton film!

#Min #Halfling #TimeWitch #GOTA

Parod

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 21:53:51 GMT

Parod The Half-Orc

Parod gets a brand new coat of paint in this fully colorized piece of artwork comissioned by the fantastic Alyas Arts ! The slayer has never looked so good.

#Parod #Half-Orc #Slayer #GOTA

Feyven

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 21:42:14 GMT

Feyven The Woodelf

Take a look at everyone's favorite Kineticist. Another fantastic piece comissioned by Alyas Arts . We love the twig like look of his hair, he looks real good.

#Feyven #Woodelf #Kineticist #GOTA

Rae

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 21:29:07 GMT

Rae the... gnome?

It's our first picture of Rae! We comissioned Alyas Arts to draw this incredible piece of art. Out is the iconic pink hair, in is the new black hair with purple highlights.

#Rae #Gnome #GOTA #Podcast

GOTA Christmas Card

borupspencer@gmail.com (Spencer Borup) — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 03:53:13 GMT

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you, your families, and your gaming group! Thanks for listening and supporting us throughout the years. Much love from the whole Gathering Of The Ages Podcast!!

Black Feather Forward #3

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 03:47:50 GMT

Merry Christmas from the GOTA Podcast!

Christmas Time

“ Frosted window panes , candles gleaming inside, painted candy canes on the tree…….” I LOVE Christmas time, the music, the colors, the hustle and bustle and the friends and family time! I have spent countless hours putting together playlists (yes, lists!) of my favorite holiday music. We have spent days decorating our home. (More about that later) We attend Christmas programs, parties and light shows . We watch all our favorite Christmas movies . We celebrate birthdays! We love December!

Wearing out the Werewolves

Our heroes are battling it out at the Temple of Desna known as The Stairs of the Moon. Werewolves run rampant and continuously threaten the lives of our dear Black Feather Few. What they lack in martial prowess, they make up for in the sheer number of individuals they have in their packs. Who will win and walk away and who will be worn and wasted? Listen to our latest episode to find out.

Making Memories

Traditions abound in our family and help create the memories that make this time of year so special and memorable.

Waking up very early on Christmas day is a tradition that has been modified to waking up at a reasonable hour as everyone grew older. When Tyler was little he used to open AND PLAY WITH all his Christmas presents and then very carefully rewrap them. His parents had no idea until he finally matured. Well, maybe not matured, but got married to a wife who ratted him out!

But his family added a wonderful tradition to our family’s by hosting a gingerbread house building party. Spencer always enacts the killing of Santa Claus either in our outside of his house. That’s what a GM does when he can’t kill off his players fast enough!

One of our favorite traditions is “following the string”. We borrowed this one from my grandparents. A tag attached to a string is hidden near the Christmas tree with a family members name on it. They follow wherever the string leads which always ends up at a hidden present. Once the present is “found” a new tag is read from the string and the next family member is off on their hunt. The patriarch of the family, Ken, has put his own spin on this tradition that includes reading out the name in his loudest voice and cheering at full volume when the recipient gets his present. These are usually the most unique or special; presents and conclude the unwrapping portion of the day.

Ken always uses his grandmother’s recipe to make homemade “piggy nose” rolls.

Ken and I have collected nativity decorations and ornaments since our first Christmas together. After 31 years we have quite the collection. Last year we counted over 300! That’s why it takes days to set up. It takes everyone to help get it all up!

Not Always Holly or Jolly

Despite what I’ve just shared, our family really understands that the holidays can be hard. Ken is a funeral director and our family has had to move or delay our celebrations so that he can care for families who have lost loved ones at Christmas. Ken’s father passed away 3 years ago right before Halloween. All of us miss him, but really feel the loss at Christmas. You see, he and Emily, Tyler’s wife and our daughter and sister was especially close to her “Papa”. She was born on Christmas day and his birthday was on December 20th. He was determined that her birthday would not get lost in all the Christmas merry making. They celebrated their birthdays together every year. They even called each other when we moved away to make sure each was having a great day.

Emily has a hard time at Christmas now as she has an empty space in her heart when she doesn’t get to hear him wish her a happy birthday anymore. Several of the members in our family deal with depression and anxiety daily. Holiday expectations can cause these mental issues to blow up and get out of hand. We have all learned to take a step back when we feel overwhelmed. Let some things go because no one will remember whether the present was wrapped or given in a store bag. Make a choice to skip a party or event or activity and people will understand. Take a break and do something you want to do that helps you unwind and relax.

If you or a loved one is having difficulty at this time, we hope these organizations and the resources they provide will help you in some way.

Presenting a Present

Our friend and podcast fan, Brian Lane, sent us a wonderful present for Christmas. Pathways of the Receivers is an adventure that took three years to complete! His RPG group has such an incredible story that he decided to turn it into a novel. We are all taking turns to read it and will give you our book review in a month or two. I can’t wait until I can get my hands on it! That might just be the thing I need to take a break from holiday hassles!

Brightest Wishes

All of us at Gathering Of The Ages Podcast want to thank you for being the most patient and wonderful supporters we could ever have wished for! We know that we can get taken over by the gelatinous cubes in life and miss a few deadlines here and there. We can’t believe we have loyal fans and friends who realize and understand that this podcast is a labor of love and not a job for us. We have always viewed this project as a way to stay close as a family, have fun playing a great game by a super company, and an outlet for creativity and a way to deal with the mental illness we face.

We would love to hear what makes your Christmas so special for you and your family or friends. We may even share a few ideas on the podcast. We would like to know what do you do to cope with holiday stress? We would love to add to our tips and maybe learn something new that will help us too.

Thank you for letting us into your lives and hearts. Have the very Merriest of Christmas’ and a brilliant New Year!

Listen Notes Interview

Sun, 08 Dec 2019 03:10:16 GMT

The GM Does An Interview

Recently Spencer did an interview on the site Listen Notes. It is a podcast distribution service and database similar to places like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. We thought you might enjoy reading the questions that were asked and his responses to them. This is not December's newsletter, that will still be coming out on the 15th of December, and Tracy has been hard at work getting that ready for all of you. We just thought you would enjoy the interview.

►Tell us about you and your podcast

Spencer Borup - Game Master

Tracy Borup - Cast Member

Philip Borup - Cast Member

Zachary Borup - Cast Member

Tyler Manning - Cast Mem ber

We are a family that loves to play Pathfinder in the Gathering Of The Ages Podcast . We have a lot of fun crafting an awesome story for our listeners to enjoy every week. We have been producing episodes for over two years now.

►Why & how did you start this podcast?

I (Spencer) had the crazy idea to start a podcast over two years ago. I was inspired by another show who also plays Pathfinder and records themselves doing so. I, as well as my family, love having the opportunity to get together once a week and record an episode or two. My initial goals were very lofty, I wanted to be big time, sponsors, ads, tons of fans, but when I started doing it I realized I didn't really know what I was doing and to this day still don't think I have what it takes to be big time . Now, I just enjoy the time I get to spend with my family, and hearing the responses from those that do listen to us.

►How'd you find the time

and funding to do this podcast?

We release every week. We miss occasionally when life gets too crazy, but we try our hardest to be consistent. We all have full time day jobs, but we all have the weekends off, so that is when we record. Editing is done during the week. I personally fund everything from buying equipment, to hosting, to marketing, to editing. I do this by finding the most affordable options and cutting costs where I can. We hope to launch a Patreon soon so we can get some help keeping us afloat. I pay about $50-$100 a month to keep us running.

►What do you gain from podcasting?

We would love to get sponsored but have yet to do so.

Like I said in a previous answer, it is just nice to spend time with the family each week. We all have grown closer because of the podcast. Being able to have something this big in our lives in common is such a great feeling.

►How does your podcasting process look like?

We use a Mackie PROFX12v2 Mixer , and some simpler Berhinger XLR microphones . For editing we use a program called Traktion which has always been easy to use, very user friendly, and all in all great to work with. We don't really have the format for regular guests, but if we did we would do a behind the scenes type episode where we would interview them, or have them play a special character for an episode or two, which we have done in the past. I prepare for each episode like any Game Master, reviewing the book, going over rules I know I will use, and drawing maps that we will use at the table. We try our best to visually describe our maps so our listeners know what our characters are doing.

►How do you market your show?

We use social media. I will occasionally boost a post on Facebook .

►What advice would you share with

aspiring (new) podcasters?

It was extremely difficult to get straight answers when we started. Looking into equipment was a nightmare because we didn't understand the jargon used. Learning how to set up a website and get an RSS feed was also another big struggle. I didn't even know what a RSS feed was. Now however there is so much information out there about how to start a podcast. It is so easy to find what you're looking for. It has really changed in the two years since we started. I would also suggest reaching out to podcasts you listen to, see if they'd be willing to give you some tips. Smaller podcasts are easier to get into contact with, so keep that in mind if going this route.

Well that does it for the interview folks! Let us know what you think by responding to this email! We want to close out this newsletter with a couple of questions though.

Have you ever thought of making your own podcast?
If you have, what kind of a podcast do you want to do? What topics would be discussed on your show?

If you already have your own show, let us know! We would love to follow you on Social Media and give you a listen!

Stay tuned for December 15th, but for now, see you all later Black Feather Following!

Black Feather Forward #2

Sat, 23 Nov 2019 03:20:40 GMT

Happy Turkey Month!

Full Of Thankfulness

Our listeners are the best and we are truly grateful for your patience with us. Not only were we late getting out the next episode but I AM LATE with this next issue! How rude! That's why we are so thankful for your continued patience with us. Life can get crazy and we still need to work day jobs so we can have fun playing Gathering of the Ages on the weekends. So until we win the lottery or Zachary saves an eccentric millionaire from impending doom and death, we will try our best to be consistent. Hang in there with us because we are all in this together !

Pouring Out Your Heart On Your Sleeve

Episode 111 turned into a soul searching, motivational moving and truth telling time for several of our cast. It was all very spontaneous and none of us were expecting such an outpouring of feelings from the others. Such unplanned moments in Pathfinder games really help to bring the characters to life for us and we hope for you.

But being the fast paced game there wasn't too much time to delve further as our courageous group set off for the Stairs of the Moon. Fighting werewolves seems to be fairly easy for our group, but how many more are being summoned by the howls of their injured kind? Keep listening to find out how are intrepid group will fare!

Turkey and Swiss Chard??

As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches, dreams of delicious food seem to crowd our thoughts and make our mouths water. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, both mashed and sweet, rolls and cranberries are yummy staples for most families. But our household remembers breaded and fried swiss chard as a regular guest of past Thanksgivings. The chard was dipped in milk and egg and then coated with an Italian breadcrumb mixture that included Parmesan cheese. It was then fried to a rich golden color and literally gobbled up! Sadly, we haven't had that particular delicacy since we moved to Utah and away from the family member who made it. It is impossible to even find swiss chard in our neck of the woods. We would love to have you share one of your unique and fabulous food traditions. Let us know and maybe we can try it and give you some feedback.

Darn Diabetes

November is Diabetes Awareness month . We HATE this disease and when Zach saves that millionaire you can bet we will be donating to a find a cure. Tracy has Type 2 and Spencer has had Type 1 since he was 19 months. He is on an insulin pump and using a continuous glucose monitor and for that we are very thankful. So if feasting leads you to feel like the turkey mama stuffed, have some down time and educate yourself on the symptoms of diabetes and how you can help those who are affected by it.

For more information consider visiting the following websites:

JDRF

American Diabetes Association

That's All For Now Folks!

Make sure you tune in next month as GOTA prepares to celebrate the Christmas Season! Stay glued to our social media pages and see what festive change Spencer will make to our cover photos. As we conclude this months newsletter we would like to ask you all what you are most thankful for in your lives. Let us know! Thanks for reading folks! And have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

Corvin Tergsvor

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 04:17:15 GMT

#Corvin Tergsvor #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Black Feather Forward #1

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:26:36 GMT

Welcome To The Black Feather Forward

Salutations and warmest greetings, as Artrilla would say. We are super excited to be releasing Issue #1 of The Black Feathered Forward. For those of you that read and followed Artrilla's Journals , we want you to know that The Forward will be replacing that awe inspiring diary. We have been wondering how to best continue to get recaps and an “insiders” view to our listeners ever since the Evil GM mentally impaired our courageous, talented and beautiful star of the podcast,. Ta Da! The Black Feather Forward is the solution. Tracy , the mom and cast member, will be the Head Editor and Writer. Don't be surprised if an occasional article comes from another member of our hard working cast. So dive right in on whatever device you are reading this from and enjoy Issue #1.

Falling For Goo

In one of the many teasers trying to elicit subscribers for this newsletter I mentioned characters falling in the episodes. We really haven't kept a count of who falls the most. BUT if you want to have a friend listen to us and they seem reluctant, Have them listen to: Episode 45: Slime and Punishment . What a slimy situation that turned out to be! That is decidedly one of my favorite episodes. I was laughing so hard I think I had a little bit of Jerry coming out of my nose! Not only was it funny in itself but I got to see another side of Tyler , my son in law. My daughter has always claimed that he is one of the funniest weirdos she has ever known. Since joining the podcast I have seen so much more of his quirky, odd and very silly side and I am LOVING it. In future newsletters we will find out episode favorites of all of our Black Feather Few crew and why these episodes stand out in their memories.

Spoiler Alert

In recent episodes of Gathering of the Ages we have found our adventurers in the Shudderwood Forest . They have managed to track down the servant who had the key to the cabin where the “ wild game ” had been kept. But is he truly guilty of causing the death of another? Will Zezo finally get on Madam Ivanja's good side? Will she be able to help the party on their quest to find the Whispering Way? Find out all this and more by listening to our next episode .

Sweet, Sweet Rolls

Everyone loves a great Kickstarter product. Recently the cast was treated to brand new dice towers from Spencer and Zachary . They had decided to back e-Raptor , a company producing intricate towers made from pressed wood. The towers finally arrived and were assembled. Some were a little trickier than others to put together. Slow and careful fingers were required to punch out the pieces. The tree tower was the most difficult to assemble and actually had a couple of tiny pieces break off. But overall everyone has christened theirs and are getting pretty good rolls. But even a new dice tower can't help poor Tyler . Here's a look at everyone's tower. Tracy has the Castle, complete with moving draw bridge, Zachary has the Steam Punk machine which also has moving parts. Spencer has the Space Tower. Tyler has the Tree Tower, and Philip has the Dragon Tower.

I Do Believe In Spooks, I Do, I Do!

Ask any local of Lozeri about the Shudderwood Forest and they will regale you with nightmarish stories of hauntings and creatures of the dark. However the upper crust of Ustalav still venture into the woods to enjoy time at the plush and well appointed Ascanor Lodge . Mighty hunters gather in parties to pursue and kill dangerous prey. While others delight in the lavish apartments, spas, gardens and theaters that the lodge has to offer. Only the bravest or most foolish dare to hunt the werewolves that reside in the heart of the forest. These beasts that resemble men can take the form of wolves at will. A full moon has nothing to do with transformation despite the tales we've all grown up hearing around the campfire. Werewolves are, however, still vulnerable to the use of silver and an herb known as wolfs-bane. But lycanthropes are not the only dangers in the forest. Find out in our next issue what other creatures roam the woods.

Upcoming Issues

We hope you enjoyed our first issue of The Black Feathered Forward. In upcoming issues we will spotlight cast members , learn more about Usatalav and give you some behind the scenes happenings. But this newsletter is for you, so we want to hear your thoughts. What do you want to know about The Gathering of the Ages Podcast? How can we improve the show, website, Facebook or Twitter accounts? Do you want to learn about other listeners? Let us know what is rattling in your heads. You can always contact us through our email: podcast@gatheringages.com or by messaging us on our social media accounts.

Welcome to the Black Feather Flock!

Have a Happy Halloween everybody!

Madam Ivanja

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:11:09 GMT

#Madam Ivanja #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Giant Spider

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 04:09:13 GMT

#Giant #Spider #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Markiza Welgory

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 04:07:00 GMT

#Markiza Welgory #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Cilas Graydon

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 04:01:28 GMT

#Cilas Graydon #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Estovian Lozarov

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 03:59:33 GMT

#Estovian Lozarov #Imposter Warden #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Vollensag Stalker

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 03:56:43 GMT

#Vollensag #Werewolf #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Duristan Ariesir

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 03:51:50 GMT

#Duristan #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Delgro Kroitzcer

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 03:49:31 GMT

#Delgros #Hunter #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Weaver Worm

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 03:46:13 GMT

#Weaver Worm #Shudderwood #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Count Alpon Caromarc

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 05:00:00 GMT

#Count Caromarc #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Guardian Of The Tower

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 05:00:00 GMT

#Tower Guardian #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Ningyo

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 06:00:00 GMT

#Ningyo #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Faceless Flesh Golem

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 06:00:00 GMT

#Faceless #Flesh #Golem #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Erinyes

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 06:00:00 GMT

#Erinyes #Big #Black #Wings #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Rust Monster

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 06:00:00 GMT

#Rust Monster #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Troll and Trollhound

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 06:00:00 GMT

#Troll #Trollhound #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Vorkstag

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Vorkstag #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Ar's Journal 41

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 05:00:00 GMT

6th-8th of Gozran

Episodes 53-68

That small guy is hilarious! He calls himself a warden and even carries a shiny badge. Min is perfect entertainment when things get rough. Siris has turned out to be kind of reckless. He just rushes into a situation without any kind of plan. But I am coming to see that Parod, the Half Orc, is steady and reliable.

I don't know how the prankster who wrote all those entries in this book kept up with it. I find it very hard to find the time to keep writing. Min insists it will help in time and so I do it for him.

We are heading to the last day of the trial. That filthy Grine character will be put on the stand. I hope the crowd will accept his part in the terrible things that have happened here and in the nearby towns.

I sure hope we win.

Last Entry in the Journal of Artrilla...

Grine

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Grine #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Mongrel Man

Sat, 04 Aug 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Mongrel Man #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Flesh Golem Hound

Sat, 07 Jul 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Golem Hound #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Ghast

Sat, 30 Jun 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Ghast #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Ar's Journal 40

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 05:00:00 GMT

6th of Gozran

Episode 51

Someone is playing a joke on me. Firsdt I woke up next to a funny looking group of males and one female. The female has been very quiet and has not tried to explain this joke at all. The little halfling keeps calling me Atrilla. The Half Orc scares me. The monk is very handsome and seems to be the leader. I am very confused as to why I am here and what we are doing. We spent most of the day in a courtroom. I think we are trying to convince the judge that some big monster is innocent. It seemed to go okay and some of the crowd looked liked they believed what the others had to say.

I am writing in this nice red book because the little fellow insists it will help get my memeory back. He suggested writing down the things I know are true and maybe that will work.

So here goes nothing.

1. I am a Gnome. I think my name is probably Ar because short names for girls are traditional in Gnome society. I have weird pink hair that gets in the way a lot.

2. These people seem to know me somehow.

3. I am sure that this book is the biggest and best joke ever played on a Gnome. I remember lots about my culture but don't remember any specific people. That sounds like a Gnomes life though. We don't get attached to others.

They tell me I am a singer. That's really funny. I have looked at the things that are supposed to be mine. I can't tell if they are or not. Until I know for sure who I am and who is playing this really good joke on me, I guess I'll stay with this group. Except for the half Orc, I feel pretty safe.

Gustav Kapel

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Lawyer #Gustav #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 39

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 05:00:00 GMT

5th of Gozran

Episode 50

Confidence surges through my veins as we headed to Morast. Little Min performed beautifully and we were rewarded with an amusing display of communication between him and one of the slow mannered people of this village.

He procured a boat for our party and we traversed to the little island where the beast had last been sighted. As is becoming a normal occurrence for the Black Feathered Few, we were attacked by a mantacour.

Of course my leadership and skills in fighting is also becoming a normal occurrence and I swiftly defeated the beast with some help from the others.

We discovered a multitude of evidence that supports the Judge's theory that someone else is pulling the strings in this macabre puppet show.

The strain of these events has taken a toll on all of us and we decide to sleep and regain our strength and press forward in the morning.

Trestlebead has worn down my defenses and I feel somehow compelled to share the weight of my curse.

Once the narrative of what lead to the acceptance of The Diamond Hearted man's gifts was complete I did not feel the lifting of my spirits as I had expected. Instead I am filled with a dreadful and smothering sense of foreboding. The thoughts plaguing my jumbled and fear filled conscienceless before I give in to the grasping hands of sleep are of my journals closing. I feel my very soul being entrapped within the pages of the White journal while the words I am trying to desperately cling onto begin to disappear as steam from a boiling pot rises and dissipates into nothingness.

Manticore

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Manticore #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 38

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMT

5th of Gozran

Episodes 48 & 49

Our day started out as a light hearted shopping trip in which Siris purchased lovely blue and silver robes. I myself would have loved to purchase several of the stunning garments that were displayed among the quaint shops, I have decided to wait until I have more gold in my pockets.

To that end we returned several books to the University professor. He proved to be mostly useless and lacked any kind of knowledge that might help avenge my dearest Mentor. He did inform us however that we were to collect the promised funds from the Judge, whom we were to deliver the last and most mysterious book.

When we returned the book to the Judge she did not treat me with the respect my fame usually brings. I attempted to charm her with my close connection to Professor Lorimore but her heart is as hard as a diamond and no amount of coaxing would get her to tell us why the Professor had borrowed the locked book and what knowledge was contained within it's pages. Constance has been conscripted into my service and promises to see if she can discover what secrets lie in the written words.

I fear my fame and the daring deeds of the rest of the Black Feathered Few has proceeded us. I am sure that my heroism and the assistance of Parod, Siris and Little Min is being rumored far and wide, gladdening the spirits of those who have no where else to turn to for help. To place an exclamation point on that proclamation, the Judge has asked us to assist in the defense of a beast that has been captured and is currently on trial. She feels there has been a rush to judgment and the true culprit has yet to be caught. If that is true, then the heinous deeds being perpetrated on the town and the surrounding villages will continue unchecked.

After meeting the poor devilish quilt of anatomy, we are swayed to believe the Judge. Little Min, in a misguided attempt at kindness, has named him Grug, I fear the ineptitude and prejudices we experienced in Ravengro will once again show themselves as assuredly as cockroaches return to a dung heap.

Jedge Embridth Daramid

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#Judge Daramid #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

The Beast Of Lepidstadt

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMT

#The Beast #Lepidstadt #Trial #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 37

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 06:00:00 GMT

31st of Pharast and

1st of Gozran

Episodes 46 & 47

An adventurer is at her happiest when she is beginning her next adventure. I am practically giddy with joy at the prospect of setting out to fulfill our promise to the Dear Professor and return the borrowed tombs. While contemplating what excitement lay ahead, we spied a caravan!

The deliciously delightful travelers are in need of my help. A member of their troupe has disappeared into the forest. It is up to me to rescue a fellow entertainer as all caravans are united in strong ties of unity. It is a known fact among our kind that we watch out for each other and assist whenever we can.

With Parod using his magnificent tracking abilities, we caustiously began our search. Before we knew it we were facing a gruesome spider wearing the face of a woman. During our fierce battle Pared and myself were poisoned by the villainous creature, We did manage to drive it back into the dank and overgrown vegetation.

Alas, the reason Parod had led us to the forlorn clearing presented itself to us in the form of the caravan mamber we had volunteered to rescue. Her sisters will be devastated when we return her corpse to them. Though I never quite understand this bond between other races, I do know that it will occur.

Sometimes I think Siris is a bit of a scavenger as he has rummaged around and found several treasures for us. Luckily for me one of the items was a jar of pickled garlic. How my mouth waters at the mere sight of such a delectable snack.

Kaleb performed a beautiful star themed ritual and revieled unto me the my cosmic caravan is the thrush. He has magically gifted my already abundant performance talent with an even higher ability to touch the hearts of the listeners. My eternal fame is one step closer to being assured. A mysterious mythral dagger was then bestowed to me by the gentle leader. I have named it Petros' Revenge and use it to end the evil monsters that murdered my Professor.

I am hurriedly scribbling this last bit of information into this journal because I have finally found a subject worthy of entering into the White Journal. Who would have ever thought that our Little Min would be one of the five solutions in overcoming the dreaded curse. It continues to loom over me like swollen clouds holding back a storm until it can unleash its mighty energy upon the quivering anticipation of the earth below.

Kaleb Heese

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 06:00:00 GMT

#Kaleb Heese #Caravan #Tamrivena #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Phase Spider

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 06:00:00 GMT

#Phase Spider #Tamrivena #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 36

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 06:00:00 GMT

30th of Pharast

Episodes 43-45

What a whirlwind of time has passed and I finally have a moment to catch my breath and recall the events of the last day or two.

Our first goal was to rescue the Bleachling we had seen in the prison. I am thoroughly vexed at the puzzle this Bleachling has presented. He should not have turned if the tale is true and he was involved in the illegal transport of drugs! Though I do not endorse his choice of excitement to stave off the Change, I believe he should not have turned. It doesn’t make any sense!

In liberating the sorry excuse of a Gnome, the past seems to have caught up with Siris and it has dragged us to the filthy and corrupt underbelly of this fortress. His childhood pal of sorts, Tristan by name, has shared the treachery of the soldiers and their terrible hold over the people who live here. Through a gracefully planned and brilliantly executed display we hope we have helped stir the limp ghost of survival into a daunting spirit of bravery and rebellion among these people! Of course my brilliant planning and talent with casting spells in a timely manner were the most persuasive parts of the plan. Little Min performed almost as well as I, I may convince him to join a caravan yet. He could have quite a promising career.

Luckily, our escape was made much easier by the intervening of Tristan. He knew exactly how to get us out of the fortress unseen. I have noticed, because I am so very perceptive, that our Shield seems more pensive than usual lately. He’s quieter than normal and somehow seems to know the way to escape this horrid place, He hasn’t mentioned being here before. And what did he mean when he told Tristan, “despite my past”?

But I had little time to ponder on these thoughts as we needed to flee into the sewer for our escape. The creature we had been warned about turned out to be more of a respite from real battle than any actual threat. We all soon realized that Siris has romantic feelings towards our companion TreadleBlox. In his attempt to prove his prowess and daring he ended up as useless as a key without a lock. I haven’t laughed that hard in an age!!! I will always recall the not so noble duel between Siris and the Sinister Slime!!!

Jerry The Cube

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 06:00:00 GMT

#Jerry #The Cube #Gelatinous #Tamrivena #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 35

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 06:00:00 GMT

30th of Pharast

Episode 42

I am once again flabbergasted at a town mentality! We have gone from simpletons to power wielding bullies!

My brilliant and quite entertaining plan to be escorted into the city and treated like the famous Singer I am, backfired stupendously. I had envisioned a welcoming banquet where I would grace all with my singing abilities. Followed by a luxurious bath with scented oils and a warm room with a glowing fire.

Instead we have met the most surly and unpleasant man who claims to be a captain of men. Min would be a wiser leader and far more humane than this creature! And now we have be regulated to a clean but barely hospitable inn.

I daresay things are not looking too fine for the Black Feathered Few.

Artrilla's Journal 34

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 06:00:00 GMT

22nd and 23rd of Pharast

Episodes 40 & 41

What kind of town would put one it’s own on trial for a crime they committed while being under the control of an evil influence? Why Ravengro, of course!

This backward, uneducated, superstitious and overactive imaginations this town never ceases to baffle my mind. Why would an innocent person, such as our dear friend Turkeybread, be made to stand trial for a crime she was under no control to stop herself from committing? It was up to the Black Feathered Few to prove her innocence as a pawn of The Splatterman. We had elected Siris to defend her at the trial. Though I am the Leader of our group, he has a steady personality and limited vocabulary the slow-witted jurors could easily understand.

With a little added help from Parod, Min and myself, Our grateful and now devout friend, Thermalbuck, has decided to become a companion to our party. So off we head to return the Professor’s books and attempt to break the cycle of blackmail in the town of Tamrivena.

Artrilla's Journal 30

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

20th of Pharast 4717

Episodes 34 & 35

Little Min needs a leash! He’s endangered us all by his wandering curiosity!

First he drifted away into the room of the Mosswater Marauder and stirred the haunt containing his energy into an attack!

Parod and Siris soon set him weeping and wailing back to oblivion!

We had barely finished searching the room for clues and the Wardens badge, when we heard the terrified screams of our over active friend again! How did he get trapped inside an iron maiden?

Smooth actions and quick thinking soon rescued our friend and revealed the desired object of our quest. The Warden’s badge may hold the power we need to end this battle once and for all.

Before we could dash upstairs we had to deal with some unpleasantness brought on by our knowledge seeking new member. His arrogance and air of complacency will bring about our destruction if he is not more careful.

And to think, I actually thought I would appreciate his help and admire his thirst for knowledge…

Vesorianna has dashed my hope. Dread fills my heart as I hear her words swirl around and around in my numbed and overwrought mind, “You need to defeat The Splatterman for the badge to regain it’s full power.” I am fearful we have yet to face our greatest challenge…

Gray Ooze

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

#Gray Ooze #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Mourning Maiden

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

#Mourning Maiden #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Severed Hand

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

#Severed Hand #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

The Mosswater Maurauder

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

#Mosswater #Maurader #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 29

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

20th of Pharast 4717

Episode 33

Marcus is dead. The Sheriff is of no help. At least Father Grimburrow has extended a twig of hope.

Some twig though! Siris is a half elf monk! I was expecting a wizard or cleric! He at least, seems somewhat competent and studious. He has agreed to help us finish our mission to avenge The Professors death.

Siris

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

#Siris #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 28

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 06:00:00 GMT

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 32

Innocent victims are being punished while the true culprits remain free! Blast this town and the ineptitude of those in charge!!

An acid taste also lingers in my mouth from the nasty trick played on me earlier!

Revenge is my favorite form of payment.

Artrilla's Journal 27

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 05:00:00 GMT

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 31

Like mates in a masterful symphony, we moved as a well executed military unit and cast our foe into a pit of eternal flame and despair.

Marcus surprisingly dealt the killing blow, allowing to Parod to finish The Lopper with a single, shattering slice, finally breaking the curse that had been tormenting him for so long. The reunion with his beloved Bessie was beautiful (and slightly comical).

Next time Marcus will listen when I shout stay back or face the staggering of the flute again!!

The Lopper

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#The Lopper #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 26

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 05:00:00 GMT

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 30

Of course, I was bullied by that slick talking, snake oil salesman Marcus. We went down the hallway he chose: the path of least resistance! Typical of Marcus to pick the gate that was open!!

But after obliterating a burning headless corpse, occupying a tiny room, Min confided that our morning wasn’t a total waste.

We had indeed sent Father Charlatan back to the darkness!

Our determination has increased ten fold as we regain strength in order to vanquish what ever might come next!

Gurtis Vortch

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Gurtis Vortch #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 25

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 05:00:00 GMT

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 29

While the others discuss which hall to venture into, i need to journal the evil we have faces thus far, lest I die in this hell on earth!

Our group, with much assistance from myself have defeated various horrid guardians of this prison. The skeletons were more of a nuisance than any real threat. Even Marcus made short work of quite a few of them!

I continue to be concerned for Parod’s mental stability.

Min however seems especially upbeat. Curious.

Father Charlatan

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Father Charlatan #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 24

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 05:00:00 GMT

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 28

I am recording the nights events as we head to bed, to gain at least a partial rest before returning to the prison.

Our investigation lead us to a new letter on the monument and a brutally killed cat.

We discovered the Sheriff had returned to the jail, unaware of his part as The Splatter Man’s latest servant. It appears our mind controlling nemesis leaves his victims with no idea of where they’ve been or what they’ve done.

I find no humor in these types of pranks!

Ectoplasmic Human

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Ectoplamic Human #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 23

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 05:00:00 GMT

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 27

Darkness is thick around our group as we contemplate our next move.

The daring drug bust was a dull endeavor! Marcus and one of the deputies arrested Jominda without incident. Little Min convince her to assist us in the capture of the shipment driver, which turned out to be as exciting as a nap, quite literally.

Now our thoughts are consumed with ever more puzzling questions. Ravengro has become synonymous with an enigma in my mind.

Every time we appear to answer a question or come close to a plausible theory, another stone is thrown in our cobbled path!

Marcus’ conjecture of one of the Harrowstone Five summoning townspeople to do the dirty physical deeds at the prison and statue is sound. I will not tell him I agree with him, but I will follow his investigation. My brain is befuddled with the sense the rogue exhibits at times.

Now we need to find and possibly follow the Sheriff. Gibbs has revealed that once awakened, the Sheriff will not remember anything!

At the corner recesses of my mind and here in my journal I continue to mull over several questions still unanswered.

Who is threatening Jominda? Why are bleachlings being used in a drug organization? Is the organization capturing bleachlings? Is there more than one purpose to their disappearances? The Bleachling mentioned he traveled from Lepidstat. We have agreed to return a few books to that city when our month here in Ravengro has passed. Is this sheer coincidence, or something more?

The others need my invaluable opinions on where to venture next. The headache increases even as I complete this entry. I pray to Desna for her luck this night.

The Bleachling

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Ravengro #Drug Bust #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 22

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 05:00:00 GMT

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 26

Well I’ll be a blasted barnacle beetle!

The oaf Marcus did discover a smuggling ring, the leader had a dastardly plan to flood the town with more drugs!

After careful planning and organizing, our group and the sheriff and his men will bring the criminals to justice.

The sheriff has paired me with a character named Riff. I have dubbed her Rid, Rife, and any other name that humors me at the moment. She hates it!

Once we were back at Kendra’s to eat, rest and retire for the night, Little Min began an investigation. He is so unique and interesting, I was compelled to witness his actions.

Holding each prison artifact, he attempted to “read” each piece’s magic aura. He discovered very little information, save for the flute!

But to our astonishment, and horror, we unearthed a terrorizing reality! Parod can only strike at our foes with the Lopper’s bloodstained hand ax. He has abandoned and even shuns his dear “Bessie”. The Black Feather Few must return to the prison with all haste!

But we have made an arrangement with the Sheriff to rid him of his trivial annoyance. So to assist the Sheriff we will go first.

As the moon settles for her lonely night vigil, we hurry to meet the Sheriff at the appointed location.

We have just been informed that Sheriff Caeller is missing!

Artrilla's Journal 21

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 05:00:00 GMT

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 25

Sheriff Caeller is a bumbling buffoon! There is a drug smuggling operation in this town and he thinks the Herbalist, Jominda is behind it! After some sleuthing by Little Min and myself and some flattering (GAG!!) attention from Marcus, it is clear Jominda is just what she seems to be. Innocent.

Marcus is waiting to report this to the Sheriff, which gives me a few moments to jot down what transpired at our crystal reading with Kendra and the reason we even came to help the sheriff today.

To begin, I have decided that I loathe the crystal ball. For not one fortune was revealed. Only troubling moments in each of our pasts was brought forward for all to wonder and speculate upon.

Little Min relived the dark day when he became an orphan.

Parod was shown running away from something or someone with an apprehensive sister in tow.

Marcus seemed to be utterly tortured by a vision of searching and not finding his Lunetta.

But worst of all, the group was an audience to the beginning of this curse that I so willingly and ignorantly agreed to with that sharp and cruel wizard. Furthering my torment, was my dear Professor giving one of his little lessons that never seem to apply to me or my difficulties.

Artrilla's Journal 20

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 05:00:00 GMT

17th of Pharast 4717

Episodes 23 & 24

Parod, My Shield, has graciously accepted the caricature/picture I drew of him protecting me at the Harrowstone Prison. Without his strength to uphold and inspire me, I may have fallen to whatever fate the dreaded Piper had planned for my demise. I thank Desna for placing him in my journey.

Kendra has convinced us to put aside our deliverance of Vesorianna, to set right a mistake she had made in ignorance and curiosity. We all desire to remove this burden of shame from our thoughtful and ever considerate hostess.

With much trepidation on Kendra’s part, we walked to the well where she had disposed of the evil book.

All around the clearing the stench of rot and decay filled our nostrils. The object of such destruction was soon retrieved but how and where to deal with its destruction could not be decided.

As is almost always the case, Marcus the Moron caused an upheaval in the “group” and upset Little Min and summoned a creature from the depths of the well.

Of course, the monster was quickly dealt with by those with power (Parod), wits (Little Min), talent (myself), and pure dumb luck (Marcus). I’m still not clear how the book was destroyed. Marcus claims he did it! Hilarious!

But in the end, a mother was brought peace and Kendra realized she wasn’t at fault for the death of a child of this town.

With this knowledge, the burden was lifted from Kendra’s soul. She actually reminded of the Professor after he’d solved a particularly rigorous academic problem and was filled with such lightness and soaring spirits.

She has offered to crystal gaze and read our fortunes in the morning. We are all eager, and nervous to see what is yet to come.

Allip

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Allip #Curse #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 19

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

16th of Pharast 4717

Episode 22

What a disgusting display of cowardice and fault finding!

I feel my blood boiling hotter than the fire Marcus just put out at that blasted town hall!

The Black Feather Few endeavored to enlighten and educate this dim witted and rustic village, only to have them thrust ignorant blame upon us!

Little Min had prepared a very informative presentation. Marcus did his little part and I attempted to lighten the atmosphere with a few harmless antics. I even had Parod chuckling at one point! The dull minded inhabitants were either scared or not amused. It was when Min was finishing up that I made the very sensible suggestion that this poorly prepared town actually hire and pay us to protect them and discover the miscreants behind their troubles.

A deep silence followed my most generous offer. I was shocked and angered at this unspoken refusal of our help.

As I decided to leave the whole affair to the Sheriff and his inept deputies, fire exploded inside the hall!

Reacting only by instinct, I sought out Little Min. He is truly becoming dear to my heart. But Little Dim Min wouldn’t leave until he helped these ungrateful people.

I decided to guide a few souls out the window. I think Parod was throwing people out the door! Marcus actually amazed me with his brilliant fire quenching skills. Brilliant and Marcus, two words I never thought I’d us in a sentence together.

When it was all over, the males seemed downhearted. Why waste those emotions, the kind I’ve only ever felt at my dearest friend’s death, for those humans? I do not understand the hearts of other races at all. Parod even wasted a potion on one. I don’t even think he knew his name! I am upset as I recall this act of stupidity!

My brain is tired from trying to make sense of the day. I will sing myself to sleep to try and restore myself to my natural good humor and charm.

Our efforts tomorrow will be directed towards Kendra. We will help her repair the damage she may have wrought upon this town. Not for the town’s sake, but because she was The Professor’s daughter and it is a way for me to finally pay him back for his many kindnesses.

Artrilla's Journal 18

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

16th of Pharast 4717

Episodes 20 & 21

When you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss will stare back…

The reader must forgive my unsteady hand as I journal our latest battle at the infamous Harrowstone Prison.

After conversing with our spirit friend and confidante, Vesoranna, the four of us climbed the stairway to the upper prison cells.

I was aghast at the number of prisoners bound in their cells and left to die a slow and wretched death. While surveying the grim sight before us, my heart clenched inside my chest and my breath stilled altogether. For my ears were suddenly assaulted with the haunting melody of my nightmares! As I reluctantly turned my eyes, I beheld the mad killer himself! My whole being was instantly transformed into stony immobility. I could neither scream out in terror or make a move in my own defense.

But I am Artrilla! Mighty warrior, bravest gnome in all of Golarian!! Thus reminding myself of this powerful truth, I persevered and gained control of my faculties once again! The wand I carried was brought swiftly from the hidden pockets of my vest and aimed at my target and the vile haunt began to dispel. Alas, the monster re-energized his assault on my senses and I faltered and stumbled yet again.

The hulking protector, Parod, seemed to sense my peril, for he stepped between the beast and myself. With his mere presence and unwavering courage, my fighting spirit was renewed. Standing behind Parod, (or as I will forevermore refer to him as, The Shield), I placed his giant hand over mine and together we brought the Piper to his near demise.

As quickly as our unity came about, it was broken by a cry from Little Min and a shout from Marcus as both fell to the floor with unnerving crunches and the clattering of wand and weapon.

Rushing to the aid of Marcus, Parod left me with one last encouraging look. I once again faced the enemy of my soul.

With an oily voice and beguiling tone, he tried to entice me to his cause. As if I, Artrilla, famous gnome and true adventurer, would join forces with the evil pack of mongrels that murdered my beloved Professor!! The gall and audacity of his slimy and repugnant pleas to lure me to his side, made my stomach lurch and my heart swell with a strength I had never before experienced. With a final surge of positive energy from my wand, The Piper of Illmarsh was blasted to the hell from which there is no return!

My blood coursed through my slight body with incredible speed and I felt as if I could fly!!

So triumphant were my feelings that I desired with all my being to explore the rest of the top floor!

I should have listened to the pleas of my Little Friend…

In short order our team destroyed an unholy animated scythe. Our bellies were full of satisfying victory and despite Min’s pleas, we explored even more of The Piper’s playground. We entered a cell that had an actual bed for, I presumed, was a “special” prisoner. When he used it soon became a mystery as we discovered the unfortunate man chained to the opposite wall.

That’s when Little Min, who I’ve always suspected of being fragile of mind, began to lose his grip on reality.

After smashing the skeleton to bony ash as the rest of us looked on in a stupor of amazed confusion, Little Min’s behavior became even more erratic. When I began to lead him out of this troubling cell, he swung his staff at an empty space behind him! Turning a ghastly shade of grey, Little Min began to tremble and nearly faint beneath my hand!

I turned to The Shield for advise and it was decided that venturing any further today might cause our Min irreparable damage to both his mind and spirit.

Upon leaving the god forsaken prison behind, I could see Min returning to the cheerful oddity I had begun to call my friend. I’ve never been happier to have the strange little one back.

As we continued towards the Lorrimor household, Marcus brought our attention to the sheriff beckoning us from the nearest rise, and we proceeded in that direction.

As we walked towards the sheriff, we could hear a sound above us, as a few majestic ebony birds called out to each other. As they swooped and circled, several of their lovely, dark feathers fell and drifted towards Min. Four feathers landed in a circle around him and I heard him whisper “Thank you Erastil. We will become The Black Feather Few”. Feeling my gaze upon him, our eyes became fixated upon the other until it became equally clear to us that our group had been called and named by the Gods to fight this battle between good and evil, until one, or the other, perishes…

The Hangman's Scythe

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Hangman #Scythe #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

The Piper of Illmarsh

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Piper #Illmarsh #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 17

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

16th of Pharast 4717

Episode 19

Allies can be found when you least expect it, but need them the most.

-Professor Petros Lorrimor

My dear friend, Petros, has left an emptiness in my heart that denies filling.

After obtaining the beautiful hair clips at Harrowstone, I presented on e to Kendra. I assumed the sharing of these items might bind us together. But alas, although I still feel appreciative and fond of Kendra, the chasm in my heart remains open and wounded.

I attempted to fill it yet again this morning by offering my world renowned and melodic voice to soothe that scallywag of a human: Marcus. His abrupt and heartless refusal has just reminded me of how much I miss the Professor. He knew how to graciously accept such a valuable gift from one as marvelously talented as I! That low life, backwards, unrefined, loathsome creature of a con man will never again receive such an offer from me. I don’t care a diddle about how worried, tired and drained he may look!

Just when I was about to rid myself of these unworthy companions, Min approached. There is an intelligence, and empathy inside that insane little mind that I had not expected. For the first time since I’ve arrived in Ravengro, I felt I could be myself and talk freely. Although he is not equal to me in anyway, I am seeing a bond of some kind beginning to form.

Between us, we have decided on a couple of ideas to assist us on our endeavor.

First and foremost – all names have an important and sacred place on this mission. We have decided to not speak Kendra’s name aloud inside the prison walls. We have also decided to name our small but determined group. I have suggested Artrilla’s Army! But as I am trying to bolster the men with me, I am inclined to ask for additional input. For now I shall refer to us as Artrilla’s Army (as I am sure the others are delighted in being included in my fame). But I also realize how truly pig-headed and stubborn the males of any race can be and will be diplomatic if another name is chosen.

That being said (or written) Artrilla’s Army is off to find and face The Splatterman and his group of Harrowstone Five!

Artrilla's Journal 16

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 05:00:00 GMT

15th of Pharast 4717

Episode 18

Blast this wretched flute!! The foul object is currently fixing its open mouth and many sightless eyes upon me as it lays on the coverlet of my bed. I can feel the evil smoldering from within its narrow belly.

I am determined to face this new demon and overcome its dreadful hold on my faith. I refuse to give anything to another magical item. At least I am not bound magically to this item.

We have learned a great deal this evening about the horrific Harrowstone Five. The Piper of Illmarsh is obviously forefront in my mind, just not far off is Hean Feramin. His heinous history and descent into madness have enlightened our little group to just how perilous our quest has become.

I daresay I am not the only one to fear a restless night ahead.

Artrilla's Journal 15

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 05:00:00 GMT

15th of Pharast 4717

Episode 17

I can go no further into the jail until I rid myself of this immobilizing fear that has so thoroughly gripped me.

Upon greeting Vesorianna again, she confessed her doubts that we would return. By assuring her of my solemn vow and honest character, she was much relieved and we were rewarded with knowledge of artifacts that she knew remained in the prison.

It was decided by all to seek out these treasures first, as they could aid us in the ladies quest.

My rapier came in quite handy as I made short work of a poltergeist using us as darting practice with filthy syringes.

Marcus made good use of one of the haunt siphons and now has a haunt explosive to use against future threats. Min was quite fascinated with the item and I hope we all don’t suffer injury from his curiosity!

We are now gathering in the holding room where former prisoners were relieved of their worldly goods. It was quite thrilling to discover a few valuable and interesting items still intact after so many years.

Our Little Min also uncovered a secret stash that was kept separate from the majority of the items.

It is among these seemingly common pieces that cause my brain to be confounded and my breath to become ragged.

Little Min handed out each of these items and a mental list partially started to form:

1. A blood stained hand ax

2. A gold torque filled with multiple holy symbols

3. A moldy spell book

4. A smith’s hammer, which I believe belonged to The Mosswater Marauder

5. A tarnished silver flute

The silver flute is identical to the one I heard in my dream. The nightmare that still niggles my conscience. I can still feel the stirges attach and am reminded of their viciousness every time I glance at the angry red marks still on my arms.

I must pull myself together before we move on. The others depend on my amazing abilities to get us through any heinous obstacle we have yet to face.

Poltergeist

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Poltergeist #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 14

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 05:00:00 GMT

14th & 15th of Pharast 4717

Episode 15 & 16

Vesorianna turned out to be a sweet and helpful spirit who had grabbed a hold of Marcus’ arm. Hers is a tragic story of a life ended just because she was bringing her husband dinner.

Her information filled in some of the missing pieces of the prison’s fire and the mysterious happenings occurring presently.

We are at Kendra’s house having supper. Marcus is reading a spell book, while Parod cleans his weapon. (I think he is much too attached to an inanimate object he calls Bessie.)

We are to adjourn to the prison at “Wake-Up-O’clock”. Min is so exasperating at times!

The morning has proven to be both odd and informative.

On the way to the prison, we noticed some village children playing games. They were chanting what at first seemed to be a childish rhyme. Upon listening further, my spine went rigid with the horror and ghastliness of the words being so innocently recited. Min memorized the dreadful poem and I am copying it here to continue to study its meaning:

Put her body on the bed, take a knife and lop her head.

Watch the blood come out the pipe, feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe

Drops of red so sparkly bright, splatters spell her name just right

With a hammer killed his wife,

Now he wants to claim your life

Tricksy father tells a lie, listen close or you will die

Now on to seek out Vesorianna and begin the quest she has set forth for our group!

Vesorianna Hawkran

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Vesorianna #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 13

Sat, 01 Jul 2017 05:00:00 GMT

14th of Pharast 4717

Episode 14

Only time for a few quick thoughts. We are exploring the ground level of the prison.

We quickly dispatched three flaming skulls and three disgusting crab spiders.

Everyone is performing brilliantly! I am continually pleased with the skill of our group.

I am relieved that I, alone, do not have to bear the burden of all our safety on my shoulders. The others are proving to be quite resourceful.

Artrilla's Journal 12

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 05:00:00 GMT

14th of Pharast 4717

Episode 13

Lyra has left us. We will miss her calming presence. Her family is most fortunate that they can turn to her for help and comfort in their time of need.

Little Min has, surprisingly, increased my courage ten-fold. After listening to the extremely creative way he dispensed justice for Barnes, I am prepared to face the challenge of entering the prison of Harrowstone. By combining his “interesting” problem solving skills and my superb abilities and abundant knowledge, we will be a force to be reckoned with.

Artrilla's Journal 11

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 05:00:00 GMT

13th of Pharast 4717

Episode 12

How dare some “supernatural” being curse me with a horrific dream and blemish my flawless skin with red blotches!! Red does not become my vivid hair!

In spite of my protests, we are headed to the prison this morning. I feel we need more information and better fortification, lest we fall under evil influences and unforeseen treachery.

I believe I might be able to convince my fellow mates to be persuaded to my line of thinking. We are making our way to the Hephenus Farm to do a cursory examination of the grounds.

My curiosity is alight this morning as I plan to ask Little Min to regal me with his clever antics that forced that corrupt Gibs to throw himself on the mercy of the law. I await his tale with gleeful anticipation!

Artrilla's Journal 10

Wed, 31 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

12th of Pharast 4717

Episode 11

After combing the snarls out of my hair, I am taking a quiet moment to write.

Our Group was attacked by vicious stirges in the center of town! I was amazing, as usual, as I was able to skillfully untangle myself from the disgusting creature.

Marcus and Parod quickly put an end to the blood thirsty monsters. Our heroic actions were only slightly appreciated by this undeserving town. I have never been to a place that so undervalues my stunning abilities!

On the upside, the sheriff made a very wise decision and deputized our group. He obviously needs my help and expertise in solving the Professors murder. He is definitely smarter than I gave him credit for.

Min quite surprised me this afternoon when he showed up after our confrontation. He had somehow used the bones of Gibs’ brother to coerce Gibs into turning himself in! I need to discover how he accomplished this feat!

Marcus however, was enraged that Min had misplaced the bones. He and Lyra went to the farm to collect and then bury them… I believe.

Poor Min…

Stirge

Wed, 31 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Stirge #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 9

Wed, 24 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

12th of Pharast 4717

Episode 10

Well we haven’t seen Little Min since this morning, should we be worried?

Marcus appeared a little crestfallen when he emerged from the cottage. Lyra was able to coax him into telling us if he was successful or not while using the spirit board. In her gentle way she was able to get him to confide his failure. On continued questioning Lyra sensed he may not understand the answer he WAS given.

After trying to explain to these simple companions of mine the superior life path I follow, I became bored and suggested we go to the local tavern.

What a jolly establishment! The bartender was a hospitable and fun loving fellow. We discussed playing a delightful prank o Father Grimburrow.

While trying t o glean information about the 5 serial killers, I was given a couple of highly un likely rumor

At night, the Wardens wife can be heard screaming in the prison.
There has been a sighting of a floating scythe on the balcony of the prison.

I quickly dismissed them as ravings of a drunk and as silly town rumors. But in hindsight and with all the unusual happenings in this town, I fear I must make not of these things. Who knows how they may help us in the mystery we are still attempting to unravel.

Oh Desna has shined her light of luck upon my person again!! The bards of the town have finally made them selves known!! I will follow the merry melody emanating from their talented vocal chords. As fellow bards they will be delighted to make my acquaintance and assist in my gathering of information.

Gibs Hephenus

Wed, 24 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Gibs Hephenus #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 8

Wed, 17 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

12th of Pharast 4717

Episode 9

The day began as the sun arose this brilliant morning. Old River and Kendra have seemed to bond over their mutual loss. For we found out this morning after I conversed with the lovable hound that the bones belonged to his owner. Barnes was his name and he was tragically and violently taken from this mortal world by his own brother. A vile and wicked man who goes by the name of Gibbs. We had the unfortunate “privilege” of meeting him during the Professor’s funeral.

I am taking these private moments outside to record in my journal, not just this unjust deed, but the curious actions of two of our party.

Marcus has taken the spirit board to his room. He did not confide in me his reasons, but I gathered me keen detective skills that he means to commune with the Professor. He did thank me, quite sincerely I might add, for the use of the board. With my lightning quick thought and expert reasoning, I was able to persuade Little Min to part with the desired item.

That brings me to the perplexing actions (AGAIN!) of Little Min! What use does he have for those bones? I’m sure Marcus would not approve. Does he have a nefarious plan? Or is it altogether quite innocent?

Zokar Elkarid

Wed, 17 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Barkeep #Zokar Elkarid #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 7

Wed, 10 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

11th of Pharast 4717

Episode 8

Warm fur and the steady rhythm of Old River’s breathing are lulling me to sleep as I pen my thoughts this evening.

He has finally stopped shaking and appears to be much more at ease now. The gruesome discovery in the forest certainly unsettled his normally calm demeanor. Not that it benefited my peace of mind at all.

But at least we have something tangible to work with now. As opposed to the spectral investigating we have tried so far. Might these bones speak to us and give us more clues about the ominous happenings in Ravengro? Or will they lead us astray of our true purpose here?

I am also quite keen to acquire knowledge of the 5 prisoners circled by the Professor in the Harrow Stone registry. My heart laments that we have yet to meet a fellow bard and hearken to the tune of a Tale of Times Gone by. I would be able to glean useful information and pass it along to my fellow detectives. They would see that I am the most talented, intelligent and resourceful gnome in all of Golarion. Then they would not question my value in our somewhat conscripted alliance.

It is frustrating to think that we still know so little about each other. Marcus was actually surprised that I could speak to animals! We still have much to learn about each other as we journey on this path of reparation.

Holy Symbol of Pharasma

Wed, 10 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Ustalav #Pharasma #Diety #Holy Symbol #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 6

Wed, 03 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

11th of Pharast 4717

Episode 7

Whew! It’s tough keeping Little Min quiet. The Professor told us during our spirit board session not to trust anyone! And Little Min completely disregarded his warning and wanted to confide all that we have learned to the Sheriff.

Though after some careful prodding by Lyra, he turned out to be fairly harmless. I think he may even be of assistance in our investigation.

It is Lyra that amazed and delighted me. She charmed that Sheriff and put his mind at ease so skillfully. Before it even occurred to the simple minded fellow, Lyra became the interrogator and he a suspect! She is as talented as the famed basilisk charmer, Clar Mortune, that I was fortunate enough to travel with while in the employment of Shermon Slapshon’s Supernatural Side Show.

We are no awaiting an introduction from Marcus to gain entry into the Temple of Pharasma. A slight change in Marcus’ demeanor has me wondering, yet again, about the nature of this seemingly dimensional human. An aura of respect and calm shrouded our silver tongued companion. The bardic tale of warning about never subsisting on the lyrics sung but finding deeper meaning in the melody of a song, have come to mind while observing this change in Marcus.

Oooh! Discovering that there is so much more to glean from any individual always excites my soul. My spirits are soaring above the stars, planets and furthest galaxies!

I will set aside my natural leadership instincts and yield to Lyra’s gentle but persuasive guidance. These companions are becoming as fascinating to me as the mystery we are endeavoring to unlock!

Sheriff Caeller

Wed, 03 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Sheriff #Caeller #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 5

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

11th of Pharast 4717

Episode 6

Hurrying to capture my thoughts with ink and parchment while they are still vivid in my mind. The horror of what was just witnessed by those present is ever so slowly starting to recede into the locked corners of our conscience minds where one banishes haunting nightmares and horrid visions.

In its place our brains are instead troubled with the increasing mysteries of this place. Were we truly contacted by the Spirit of our beloved Professor? Can we trust the messages divulged from beyond? I fear we have gained more quarries and less knowledge than we had hoped.

I am also still reeling from the memory of the grotesque THING that attacked our group at the close of our seance. How dare it usurp the body of one I hold so dear! My stomach still retches at the recalling of this offence! No wonder I was not as quick and decisive in my manner as I struggled to act and save our group! Thankfully I soon gathered my faculties and dealt the disgusting creature a gallant blow! After my gigantic effort of bringing the monster to his knees, the rest of the group could then take him down. Lyra is a master of the whip and lashed him mercilessly! Parod swung his Great Ax to shred it to pieces! And our lovely hostess Kendra finally silenced the beast and sent him scurrying to hell! Marcus is proving to be all bravado and very little skill of any kind in battle. At one point, he was even questioning his own survival! How he has lasted so long in this unforgiving area is beyond even my enlarged imagination!

But it is “Little Min” who continues to trouble me. He astounds me with his use of magic during our ferocious encounters. He uses his magic to coax the very air to give up her secrets and reveal all the powers that are shrouded within her arms. His senses always seem heightened and on alert at the smallest sound or faintest tingle in the atmosphere. I shall seek to find a quiet time to speak to “Little Min” about his strange and foreign ways. Who knows? He might actually gain admittance in The Book of Folklore of the Inner Sea.

I must adjourn for now, as the others are waiting upon me to continue in our search for answers.

Artrilla's Journal 4

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

10th of Pharast 4717

Episode 5

“Oh, the night that lasts forever, will forever last in the souls of all who dwell among the stars”

-lyric from gnome lullaby “Sleeping Among Stars”

The day has seemed to be magically prolonged. Our very lives have been threatened twice since we arrived at this dismal, backwater, superstitious town.

At least we were able to pull off an excellent prank while wandering around the dreary shops. Marcus has not proven to be the great fighter that he claims to be, but he is a marvelous master of magnificent maneuvers. The jewel that Parod recognized as being the one he stole on Professors orders was being held ransom by a grubby shop keep. With a small bit of assistance from myself, Marcus had the man so frightened of the amethyst, that he almost paid Marcus to take it! Parod even got in on the joke by pretending he was going to attack the man and instead merely brushed by him. I love group pranks! They are by far the most effective and the most fun!

Not sure why, but Parod is letting “Little Min” keep and study the precious item for awhile. “Little Min” does seem to have a knack for magic and may just discover some hidden truth about this valuable piece that may aid us in the discovery of why the Professor desired it in the first place. I wonder why the Professor didn’t trust Parod enough to confide in him? Will this new acquisition help us learn more about the threat hanging over this place?

We have all taken a quick respite in our separate quarters before we meet again to decide what to do about the other items we pilfered for our protection. We have divided the jars among ourselves for safe keeping. I can feel the clinging cold emanating from the jar as I sit upon the bed and gaze at it as it rests on the night table nearby.

I remind myself that I am Artrilla the Mighty. I am the bravest and most adventurous gnome to have ever traveled across Golarian. Proof of this can be found in my journal, where I have recorded my heroics for all to admire. But I have always dealt with flesh, bone, blood and living creatures. A realm of the unseen, the unheard and the undead is a place I have never dared to venture into before now. A new terror is beginning to gnaw at my fierce and courageous heart. I am glad I am not alone in this new journey. At least for a small while.

The Mute Hag

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Mute Hag #Harrow #Reading #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Artrilla's Journal 1

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

9th of Pharast 4717

Episode 1 & 2

The coals were still hot as I packed up my cooking utensils and my bedroll. Breakfast had been quick, but filling, and I was ready to reach the Professor’s Hometown of Ravengro. I needed to be there by early afternoon so that I could pay my respects and help carry his body to it’s final resting place.

Luckily I had been in Whistledown celebrating the Annual Convocation when Kendra’s letter had been delivered. I’m not surprised the professor had planned ahead and given Kendra a list of places I might be and the times of year I would be there. Being a gnome I thought I was unpredictable, but the professor had learned so much about me and had even shown me how I did indeed follow certain patterns when I traveled. Darn him! How I would miss the way he could always surprise and perplex me.

As I walked I continued to fiddle with the coffin lifter I had made. It was a simple contraption that I’d fashioned out of wood, similar to crutches. But instead of going under my arms, they would sit atop my shoulders and end in two flat squares. I could then bear a portion of the weight as I walked along under the casket. It was ingenious and allowed me to represent all gnomes as the proud race that we are.

What a very long and most interesting day it has been! Kendra has graciously offered her home for myself and the four other pallbearers. It’s a right great thing she has because we have all decided to stay and finish an investigation the professor had begun. An investigation which may have led to his demise. There is a darkness and a mystery here, and we need to discover exactly what is threatening this town.

The companions I have chosen to align myself with are a varying group of amusing and fascinating individuals.

Little Min is the most befuddling creature. He dresses so oddly and speaks as a child might. I didn’t agree that the blubberous councilman who read the will was a “Meanie Weanie”. It was also loads of fun when the others joined in my prank to keep the trunk books away from him. Brilliant! I cannot wait to see his marvelous hair in action again!

Parod, the half orc, is a quiet brute so far. He seems to be quite ordinary, but his eyes did gleam when he held that book above Little Min’s head! I do sense a strong intelligence behind the eyes of the hulking giant however. Will he be an aide or a hindrance to our party?

Lyra’s beauty is matched by her strength. She is as graceful as the gazelles that roam the prairie lands. Her manner seems a little bland however and I worry that if this path we have chosen to follow gets too dangerous, she will sneak away back to the safety of dusty libraries and safe universities.

Marcus fascinates me. At first glance and listening to the way he whines, he appears to be just a lazy greedy human. But as we continued to visit after the service, I was astounded at the tale he retold about how he met the professor I believe he may be an even greater exaggerator of the truth than I! I am sure the 1,000 gold pieces is where his heart lies in continuing on with us. But, I believe he might pleasantly surprise us all.

Artrilla's Journal 2

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

10th of Pharast 4717

Episode 3

Taking the time to arrange my glorious locks in the morning is a luxury I am loathe to relinquish. So this morning in the room so graciously furnished by our hostess, Ms. Kendra, I take the time to braid and coil my vibrant pink hair. The Professor once told me I was one of the vainest gnomes he had ever met. It makes me smile as I recall the reproachful and stern face he tried to make when he chastised this “flaw” in myself. But he could never remain cross with me and I quickly saw the crinkle near his mouth and the mirth behind his eyes. He was completely correct on this appraisal of my vanity. I am a devastatingly beautiful gnome and I will use that fact to my advantage at all times. He did enjoy praising my other qualities though. The ones I don’t always let others see.

I can smell the scent of bacon wafting up the stairs and hear “Little Min” begging like a small human that is often referred to as a toddler. I also notice the sounds of footfall on the staircase and down the hall. The others are headed to breakfast so I will join them all so they can delight and bask in my sparkling presence and personality.

After an interesting conversation. we have all decided to venture to Harrow Stone. At least the blackened and haunted remains of the prison. Parod says he will protect us. I find his statement both hilarious and an insult! A hilarious insult if you will. The green beast has the arrogance of an Ogre King and the brains of a dung beetle! Though if I am to be entirely true to myself, I will admit an aversion to spooks and other-worldly creatures. I have heard many tales told in the darkest corners of the forests when the high heat from a bright campfire turns to the smoldering warmth of glowing coals.Stories that have turned the blood in my veins to ice and replaced my heart with a frozen glacier. so I will accept whatever protection the lumbering fool has to offer. Even it is merely a shield and nothing else. The human Marcus may be helpful keeping our spirits up as he has an astounding gift for twisting a tale and calming nerves from the smooth talk that rolls from his silver tongue. I wonder what benefit the half- elf Lyra will be to us. She intrigues me as she clearly desires to help us clear the Professor’s good name but still manages to be aloof and evasive. I am not sure what “Little Min” will contribute to our mismatched group, but I sense more to him than he has shared with us thus far. The others are ready so I must join them. Our success is dependent on my superior skills and quick thinking.

Artrilla's Journal 3

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

10th of Pharast 4717

Episode 4

Thank Desna that our hostess, Ms Kendra has an abundant and ready supply of water for bathing! I haven’t been that filthy since I visited the Island of Gogpotta in the Arcadian Ocean! It is mind boggling to think that gnomes, one of the most noble races in Golarion, would choose to live among refuse like that! I am feeling more like my wondrous self now that I have washed the stench of the Harrow Stone garbage pit off of my person. Parod and Marcus had to threaten violence to get that “Little Rat Min” into the tub. To get even with him for prolonging the cleansing of his minuscule body, I took the liberty of nicking his skirt. I wanted to stash it in Kendra’s icebox but had to be quick so I shoved it among the cushions on her armchair. Not one of my best pranks but it provided a small giggle.

The brute Parod has proved more useful than i had imagined. He was brilliant in the way he stepped up to rescue “Little Min” from his harrowing experience as the rope in a gruesome and treacherous game of Tug of War. Marcus turned out to be all mouth and almost no skill when it came to striking at our new found enemies. Lyra was magnificent as she bestowed us all with her blessings. Of course, my skill with my short bow was unmatched as I dealt severe injuries to our foes.

As it is still late afternoon, we have decide to seek out the secret crypt the Professor mentioned in his journal. Our group feels that we need to be properly outfitted with the tools the Professor sought to protect himself with from these worrisome creatures. We may even stroll through the middle of town to see if there is anything of interest or worth awaiting us.

Councilman Hearthmount

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Ravengro #Hearthmount #Townsfolk #RPG #Pathfinder #TTRPG #Carrion Crown

Kendra Lorrimor

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Kendra #Lorrimor #Townspeople #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Father Grimburrow

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Father Grimburrow #Pharasma #Townspeople #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

Zombie

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

#Zombie #Trash Pit #Harrowstone #Ravengro #RPG #TTRPG #Pathfinder #Carrion Crown

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Artrilla's Journal 39

5th of Gozran Episode 50

Manticore

Artrilla's Journal 38

5th of Gozran Episodes 48 & 49

Jedge Embridth Daramid

6th-8th of Gozran

Episodes 53-68

6th of Gozran

Episode 51

5th of Gozran

Episode 50

5th of Gozran

Episodes 48 & 49

31st of Pharast and

1st of Gozran

Episodes 46 & 47

30th of Pharast

Episodes 43-45

30th of Pharast

Episode 42

22nd and 23rd of Pharast

Episodes 40 & 41

20th of Pharast 4717

Episodes 34 & 35

20th of Pharast 4717

Episode 33

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 32

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 31

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 30

19th of Pharast 4717

Episode 29

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 28

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 27

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 26

18th of Pharast 4717

Episode 25

17th of Pharast 4717

Episodes 23 & 24

16th of Pharast 4717

Episode 22

16th of Pharast 4717

Episodes 20 & 21

16th of Pharast 4717

Episode 19

15th of Pharast 4717

Episode 18

15th of Pharast 4717

Episode 17

14th & 15th of Pharast 4717

Episode 15 & 16

14th of Pharast 4717

Episode 14

14th of Pharast 4717

Episode 13

13th of Pharast 4717

Episode 12

12th of Pharast 4717

Episode 11