[As usual, two weeks lag here, if you aren’t reading this on my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/blazeward). If you’d like your news fresher, and the monthly Anti-Stodgy/Redneck Chef newsletter, all I ask is a buck to help keep the lights on around here.]

Got the Mondays. But in a good way.

Last week, Jon mentioned the rpg I’d talked about creating, where I’d gone a reasonable distance in. He had a few questions, that turned into a lot of questions. That turned into ideas. Lots of ideas.

Been refining for about ten days. He called this morning about getting coffee, after I’d already gone out for breakfast and come home, but it’s Jon, so I went back down to Enumclaw. Several hours later, I’m finally home and writing.

Did get started on a new Chace story this morning. You might get it next month, or maybe I’ll tease you with a sample of something. Tempted to serialize Air Pirates 1, just because I don’t think more than one or two of you read it when it was available in the store. (Yell if you have opinions.)

So I’m moving suddenly forward on a new rpg. Like we might be playtesting character creation and basic combat in about a week, on the way to modularizing a magic system. Helps that I’ve played so many different engines over the last forty years, so I can pull in pieces I like and know work, while avoiding others.

Starting with fantasy, because that’s Jon’s thing, then on to some space opera or cyberpunk, which requires a slightly different take on the engine. Building some of the parts in now and explaining to him why, which means I have to have it straight in my head.

THEN (to top that off), there was a bit of a surprise on Saturday. I knew something was up, but not what. Three Lakes Martial Arts Academy (Enumclaw) does Saturday morning classes. Martial for an hour, then Chen Pan Ling Tai Chi 99, then open training.

This last Saturday, there were also promotions. Fabulous Publisher Babe™ knew, because she made it a point to go, after not being in class for six months with various ailments. And Jon and Lori (8th and 5th Dan in Isshinryu Karate were also surprise guests. (and old friends, obviously, if I’m making a game with him. Same Jon.)

I got promoted to 4th Ji (gray belt, four red stripes) which represents four years of busting my ass and outworking all the other students.

And Jon gifted me a Jian sword that he had been originally given in the very same hall in 1988. So I have that to do sword form with going forward.

Meanwhile, kinda behind on my writing today, because wonky schedule. But taking a pause on Air Pirates #4 at about the halfway mark (21k) and writing some Chace. Maybe a lot of Chace, just to get it off the list.

Also, pay attention to the newsletter, because I’m trying to figure out how to do a coupon for books in the shop, and then make it a regular thing going forward monthly. Mark does four days at the end of each month (last two+first two) but I think first four might work better, so that the code goes out with the newsletter. Thus, pay attention.

Kickstarter I think is officially done, having sent out download links to the big art files to folks last night.

BUSY, but almost time to break and recover.

How’s your monday? And how do we make it better?

Shade and sweet water,

b

West of the Mountains, WA

—————————-

Thank you so much for being my patron and for funding these essays!

If you’re reading the free version (which is published two weeks after the Patreon version), please consider joining the ones who do pay at https://www.patreon.com/blazeward. It’s only a buck and helps keeps the lights on around here.