Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 4 - The First Chamber - Updated

 Hi Everyone,

                     Here is episode four of  Mal-Shui's wanderings about Kal-Arath, Copyright (C) 2023, the setting authored by Castle Grief. It does seem rather popular in YouTuber circles, and I can see why. 

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre = 1

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. Hp = 6 out of 7. Xp=0.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1), Staff, Dagger. 

He still has 11 days' rations in a sack. Tarnak Berries (Sc=3),  Waterskin.

 Rough blue tunic, an animal fur cloak.

 Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving.

 Eggshell cooking bowl. Tinder and flint. 

Silver Coins = 4. Xp=0.

Threads

 1)S or G Village Member, 2)Wizard - Jis-Kel, 3)Treasure seekers,

 4)Khainar Yak Folk, 5)Yamil-Torl.

Yamil-Torl - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall

Hp.  = 4 out of 6. Xp=0.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6/disadvantage). Rough clothes. Silver Coins =0.

Threads

Previous Tribe members.

Episode 4 - The First Chamber 

 They step around the opening gingerly and look into the dim, open space before them. When nothing charges at them, they move further into the opening space. They look around and see a rusty old machine of some sort and an old waterskin. They move further in so that they can see more of the chamber with their torch. Next, they see an abandoned helmet with dents in it and a burnt-out torch. Mal picks up the stump, and it crumbles in his hand, rotten. 

Mal tries the helmet on; it wobbles loosely, he puts it on Yamil's head, and it is solid. "It fits me, at least we have found something of use in here," chuckles Yamil.

"It's been a while since anybody worked in here, but it may have had other uses," Mal said.

Yamil nodded, "Let's keep going a bit further at least."

"Right, lead on".

They moved onwards into the gloom, stepping over planks and pointed stones. The chamber bent round to the right. They saw a makeshift table with four plates on it. Six-foot-long timber beams and boards were stacked against the wall, ready for use.

A hole appeared in the left wall, but the chamber carried on curving to the right. "We might as well finish searching this part of the cave before we go anywhere else". suggested Yamil.

There were four rough cots in the corner; a leg had given way on one of them, giving it a decided droop. "It would get stuffy in here after a bit", said Yamil.

"Maybe that rusty thing helped somehow. It's hard to know, the condition it is in now, what it originally did."

(Y Perception =5 + 5 =10).

As Yamil got closer to the beds, he saw a tiny gleam in the soil. He bent down and poked about with a twig, and out popped three silver coins. He rubbed off the dirt. 

"I cannot make out the Sultan on this, so it may be old. Did this fall out of his pouch, or did he bury it for safekeeping? Are there more?"

Mal replied, "Well, we will never know if we don't look".

"Well, be careful of snakes and stuff nesting in there".

(M Perception =1 and 1, Critical fail = Are there more, Triggered a falling rock trap).

He grabbed the makeshift cot branches and dragged them to one side. As he did so, a slab on the wall started to move. He leapt to the side, narrowly missing injury.

(M Agility 5+5+1 = OK)>

They propped the rock back up,  then he scraped the dirt with his sword, seeing if he could find any more depressions. 

He stopped when he heard a clink. Another silver coin. He kept searching, two more coins, then three coins, but no more under the bunk.

He held the torch while Yamil searched the next two areas. Nothing in the first, but twelve in the second. Mal had the final hunt around and came up with one gold coin.

"The fates are smiling on us today, Yamil."

 "Yes, we have not been forgotten, I will.."

(One hour gone).

Just then, it got noticeably dimmer. "The torch, all that waving about has loosened the bindings, it is done, grab the next one." 

He turned his back so Yamil could get at his straps, where he had looped them through. He felt the rough bark of the wood as it was taken out.

Yamil thrust it into the weakening flames until it caught alight."A close call, as I was saying, I will dance for the Gods tonight." 

The flames grew strong and steady.

"1 will join you in that dance, my friend", affirmed Mal, "But first, we have another tunnel to explore, with the fates on our side," pointing into the blackness. 

"Then, let us not keep them waiting a moment longer".

The passageway veered 40 degrees to the right and was lower than the previous one, about 4 and a half feet. Occasionally, the rock ceiling would ping off Yamil's helmet when he grazed the roof. It curved to the right, then left.

About 30 paces into the tunnel, they found a small nook carved into the rock wall with a tiny statue placed into it, with a small bowl to one side. They did not touch it. "Was this a lucky goddess to bless their venture here, with the bowl for offerings of food, sweet-smelling items or berries?, Mal wondered.

Yamil dropped a silver coin into the bowl."May she bless our adventures as well." Mal nodded.

After another 30 feet or so, they came to a circular crossroads, one veering slightly to the left and two going east and southeast. The southeast one is starting to curve back the way we came, or so we think.

Yamil pondered, "Which way should we go now?"

(One hour and thirty minutes).

             Entrance                    Mine Map 1.

End of part 4.

Please feel free to give me some feedback in the comments section below.

Notes: I rolled up the coins randomly for each bed. Searching for loose rocks in the ceilings and holes in the floor takes time, as does general treasure hunting.

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre = 1

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. Hp = 6 out of 7. Xp=0.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1), Staff, Dagger.

7 1/2 days' rations in a sack. Tarnak Berries (Sc=3),  Waterskin.

 Rough blue tunic, an animal fur cloak.

 Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving.

 Eggshell cooking bowl. Tinder and flint. 2 Torches unlit, 1 just lit.

In pouch - Gold Coins = 1. Silver Coins = 10.

Threads

 1)Scaleel or Goritan Village Member, 2)Wizard - Jis-Kel, 3)Treasure seekers,

 4)Khainar Yak Folk, 5)Yamil-Torl.

Yamil-Torl - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall

Hp.  = 4 out of 6. Xp=0.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6/disadvantage). Rough clothes. Bronze helmet.

 Silver Coins in pouch = 14.

Threads

Previous Tribe members.

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2023 Castle Grief. Permission to copy for personal use.

Exploring Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

Map 1a and Mine Map 1 Artwork (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

I am using "Wilderness Encounters" from drivethruRPG.com. No copyright visible.

100 Items Found In An Abandoned Mine From (C) Copyright: the GM Mastery list.

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 3 - The Red Mountain - Updated

Hi Everyone,

                     Here is episode three of  Mal-Shui's wanderings about Kal-Arath, the setting authored by Castle Grief. It does seem rather popular in YouTuber circles, and I can see why. Easy game mechanics and interesting story generation.

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre = 1

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. Hp = 6 out of 7. Xp=0.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1), Staff, Dagger.

11 days' rations in a sack. Waterskin. Rough blue tunic, an animal fur

cloak. Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving. Tinder and flint. 

Silver Coins = 4. Xp=0.

Threads

 1)S or G Village Member, 2)Wizard -, 3)Treasure seekers - 4)Ka Yak Folk.

,5)Yamil-Torl

Yamil-Torl - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall

Hp. Max = 6, Current = 4. Xp=0.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6/disadvantage). Rough clothes. Silver Coins =0.

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 3 - The Red Mountain

 At the sound of Yamil's voice, quiet as it was, the Eukarya's head swivels towards them, honey dribbling from its mouth, as its beak drops slightly to display an array of sharp teeth. It paused for a moment, displaying its dominance over us. Sensing our lack of threat and distance away from it, its head swivelled back to the bees. It had a few more slurps of honey, decided it had enough, gave us one more look and then gracefully moved away from us down the track.

 (? I had rolled friendly for its mood.) 

We breathed a sigh of relief, but did not move until it was out of sight.

Mel started, "So the stories the Yak folk told me around the campfire were true then. I thought they were just entertaining folk tales, but they were stern warnings being passed on down the years. I shall take more heed of those tales in the future. They called these the Red Mountains, and now we know why."

"Ya, they were sure real enough to kill skinny folk like us with little trouble and then chop us into bite-sized pieces. It must have eaten a substantial meal recently. We were blessed by the Gods today."

They started a small fire, and deflected the swarm of bees away from the hive nest with the smoke from a lit branch, then helped themselves to some of the remaining honey that the Eukarya had left behind. After warming themselves for a while and drying their furs, they put the fire out and set out again, being much more watchful of their surroundings this time.

The birds in the trees kept up a merry chorus, hooting and tweeting, flitting among the branches and twigs, but not too close as to be worth taking aim at. The honey had boosted their spirits a bit, but the newfound dangers were always lingering at the back of their minds. They always checked for creatures before breaking cover and going into the open. It was slower, but safer. At least the leaves were damp and muffled their movement sounds.

They were approaching the point where the trees died out due to the altitude, and decided this would be a good place to stop for the night, still having cover, and the woodland was a good source of food. Mal decided he would forage for a bit while Yamil prepared the fire and made a rough lean-to shelter to block the wind and keep the two of them off the wet ground; that way, they would be warmer than just with a fire going. Yamil started gathering dead wood so they would not need to use the bundles they had made earlier.

 (I rolled a 3, so I called it half a ration for the short time of searching.)

Mal comes back to Yamil carrying some scruffy roots and tubers, "We struck lucky tonight".

Looking up, Yamil replied, "I don't think so, those won't go very far between the two of us."

"No, I don't mean these stringy things. I found a cave! " 

(I rolled 4 on the Point of Interest table.)

"What did you say!"

"It's either a cave entrance, an old abandoned mine shaft or the sneaky back exit of something big the other side of the mountain. We could be rich, probably not, but we can hope. The entrance is all overgrown, about 8 feet high, with a gradual slope going down and then flat. I suppose there could be better, well-used entrances somewhere else. It was only because I saw some Tarnak berries that were growing through the other plants, and I bent down to pick them, that I found it.  It's not far from here, come and have a look. If nothing else, we should be dry tonight."

"Unless it's already got something living in it."

"They might like some company."

"As long as we are not their next meal."

They walk over to the concealed entrance. "Here it is. We can get in it easy enough, just hack a few plants out of the way."

"It would be best if we let them do their job of hiding the entrance and just squeeze past them without disturbance, if we can. We may want to come back here at another time, and the less visible the entrance is, the better."

"Ya, that's true. But, I want to get in there now".

"We might need rope later, but at least we can make a few crude torches from some branches. At least we would know more about it than we do now. There is a little stream around the rock, too."

"Let's get at it."

They fashioned four torches out of what was available in the area, not wanting to take too much time on the task. They lit the first one and poked it into the entrance, listening for any reaction from inside. Nothing. The entrance was four feet wide and four to five feet high, mainly limestone but with white veins going through it.

"It seems fine and quiet," said Mel.

 Yamil nodded, and Mel advanced into the opening. There was a small rodent nest at the entrance wall. Mel put the torch low to the ground, but he could not see any recent tracks or imprints of anything. They kept checking the ceiling with the staff for loose rocks or spiders, and movement on the ground for rats and the like.

The tunnel went straight forward into the mountain. They could only see about six feet in front of the torch. Yamil was using his staff as a probe on the floor, where there was room, but it was taking too long. "You go ahead with the staff and torch, if you see anything coming, you can either poke them or burn them, and I will have my sword ready".

"Ya, that makes sense".

They swapped positions when they reached a slightly wider spot and continued onward into the blackness. An occasional drip hit a puddle on the floor. They were coughing with the smoke, so if there was anything in there, it would know they were coming, the smoke would alert them too. "I should have brought my water bag with us. My throat is getting dry".

Mel looked back, and the entrance was no longer visible. He was not sure whether there was a faint breeze, as the cave's size kept changing.

Yamil pointed to the walls getting wider, "Maybe something up ahead". 

They advanced cautiously towards the opening cavern in the rock, alert for any sound that might be a harbinger of something hostile that might spring out at them....

End of part three.

The black dotted line shows the route Mal Shui has taken. The cave is halfway up the mountain.

I have not rolled to see what they are facing myself yet. We will find out in the next episode.

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre = 1

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. Hp = 6 out of 7. Xp=0.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1), Staff, Dagger.

He still has 11 days' rations in a sack, plus 1 ration of Tarnak Berries. (Value Sc = 3),

Waterskin. Rough blue tunic, an animal fur cloak. 

A Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving. Tinder and flint. 

Silver Coins = 4. Xp = 0.

Threads

 1)Skaleel or Goritan Village Member, 2) Wizard - Jis-Kel,

3)Treasure seekers - 4)Khainara Yak Folk, 5)Yamil-Torl.

Yamil-Torl - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall

Hp.  = 4 out of 6. Xp=0.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6 / disadvantage). Rough clothes. Silver Coins = 0.

Regard all,

Ivor Cogdell

Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2023 Castle Grief.

Permission to copy for personal use.

Map 1a Artwork and Exploring Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

I am using "Wilderness Encounters" from drivethruRPG.com. No copyright visible.

Thoughts On - Soaps and Beware fake news - Updated

 Hi Everyone,

                     This was just going to be a quick tip, but I kept adding more and more as things popped into my head that I thought were relevant. It all started when I clicked on a YouTube spot that reported that Donald Trump had been deposed from the White House by an act of Congress. Great, I thought, this is the news I have been waiting to hear for the last twelve months. But the more the clip went on, the more suspicious I got. I had not heard any news that day, but I decided to double-check other sources and found that nobody else was reporting this breaking news headline.

 It was not likely, due to the gap in when this news clip came out and the time when I was checking was about ten hours difference, so this should have been splashed all over the media if it was true. Was it a deepfake impersonation or an actual channel peddling rubbish to support its own agenda? I am wondering now what else I had believed to be true over the months that was not true. 

There are mind games at work here; do not get caught in their lies. I have not bought a newspaper in months, and now I find that YouTube has been compromised, too. Where does it end, just living life in your own little bubble, not interacting with the lives of others, constantly asking, "What are you talking about, that is news to me?"

An example - "Did I see what is happening in the soaps? X is blackmailing Y because they mugged Z". "No, I have not watched Coronation Street or East Enders or Emmerdale, etc., since the writers got Tracey pregnant, about 2000. I do not want my evenings polluted by babies crying, or is Y going to be nicked because W heard X and Y arguing about it and is going to rat on him to the cops." or in a recent episode, someone is going to be murdered, and they are wondering who is going to get the blame for it.

"But that is three-quarters of the population watching them!" he replies.

"That may be. Sure, I know it happens, but all of the depressing plot lines they come up with, I don't call it entertainment. If they have to put a mental health advisory comment at the end of a program, they can keep it to themselves. They can watch what they like; I don't mind, just don't force it on me. I like fictional crime dramas, not true crime. There is too much crime going on in real life, I don't want to be reminded of it."

        The same thing goes for hospital dramas. I have watched Angels and Casualty in the dim and distant past. Since I have had a stay in hospital myself, my treatment by the doctors and nurses was very professional. But now that I am out of there, I do not want to be reminded of it by watching hospital soaps. One less thing to chat about.

Back to my main topic, the nugget of wisdom I pass on to you today is - 

Think twice when you hear or see a story, and if it is an important topic to you, 

always check with other sources, 

Just in case they are telling garbage.

Many thanks for being interested in what I have to say.

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 2 - The Stranger - Updated

Hi everyone, 

                   Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 2 - The Stranger

Mal-Shui - Strength = 1, Toughness = 2, Agility = 1, Intelligence = -1, Presence = 1

Male Human. Age =24. Brown eyes, 6'1" tall. Longsword, (Attack +1, Damage +1)

Hp. Max =7, Current =6.

Equipment

Longsword, Staff (Homebrew Item = Easy to find and make.) Dagger.

11 days' rations in a sack. Waterskin. Eggdhell cooking bowl, Rough blue tunic, an animal fur

cloak, Terradon Tooth necklace. Tinder and flint. Silver Coins = 4.

Day two - The weather is going to be stormy, with the wind coming from the south. Mel makes his farewells early after breakfast and is soon on his way. He enters a thick wooded area and loses the track. He has to hack his way through the brush, which is thick in places. Living and dead fallen logs are twisted into odd shapes and obscure his view of the direction he needs to follow. Later, he is very pleased to come upon some more open ground that he can move through better and reaches a small rocky stream, which gradually turns to the east and then back north again. H quenches his thirst and refills his waterbag when he can.

Further along the trail, he sees a stout fellow emerge from the tree line, carrying a makeshift staff and a club. The figure comes towards him, limping slightly on his left leg. He stops a few paces to one side, "Can you spare some food ?"

Mal nods, "I am Mal-Shui," he motioned towards a fallen tree lying among others that would shelter them slightly from the wind, "Let's get comfortable."

The stranger replies," Ya, I am Yamil-Torl, Chi...", he stutters, "Well," he paused, "I was chief of the Remiki clan, over in the hills.", pointing vaguely south-east.

Yamil-Torl - Strength = 1, Toughness = 1, Agility = -1, Intelligence = 2, Presence = 1

Male Human. Age =34. Brown eyes, 5'11" tall. Staff, Club, (Attack, Damage d6)

Hp. Max = 6, Current = 4.

Equipment

Club, sling, Staff (Homebrew Item = Easy to find and make.) 

Rough clothes. Silver Coins =0.

He continued over lunch, "I was challenged for leadershipby Ernmas-Bask, one of the younger warriors of my tribe. He had some fancy new ideas about raiding other clans and gaining more power. I don't mind going raiding when there is a need for it, but not when the other clan has not done anything to deserve it. That's how your people and their people die for no reason. I am not a glory seeker who rushes hea dlong into battle just for the sake of it." 

Mal agreed, "You are a wise man, there are always hotheads who are only too willing to lead others into trouble. Let your mind be at peace, for that is not your worry now; you are free of them and their desires for riches and power. Others will see their folly in choosing a bad leader, and then they will depose him, or worse. For now, the Fates have decided to set you on another path, like myself", he drank from his waterskin and offered it to Yamil-Torl, "The saying is two are better than one when you are out on the grasslands, at least until we find another settlement? Agreed?"

"Ya, tis a good omen meeting you this day. Agreed. I will get wood for tonight."

They soon had two bundles of sticks tied with twigs and bushes. Mal topped up his waterskin again, and they set off towards the rolling mountains about three miles away. The storm blew itself out, and the afternoon turned sunny, if not exactly warm, and their steady pace thawed them out. They did not make good time because of Yamil's wounded leg slowing him down, but the staff helped.

Striding in the foothills of a nearby looming mountain, they came across a lone, large, mantis-like creature with yellow stripes on its abdomen and a smooth red skin on the rest of its body. The pair froze in their tracks.

 Yamil whispered, "Be very careful of those creatures, it's an Eucarya, but I've never seen one that big before or marked like that. It is deadly in a fight".

Photo by oktavianus mulyadi on Unsplash

It was eating some honey from a bee's nest formed in a large tree hollow, and the defending bee workers crawling over it and spraying acid at it did not seem to be bothering it in the least. Its slim, green tongue just kept whipping out and reaching deep into the honeycomb, searching out the syrupy liquid. It occasionally changes its attack and catches a few more bees for added texture.

      But at the sound of Yamil's voice, quiet as it had been, its large, pointed head swivels quickly towards their location, honey dribbling from its gaping beak. Its beak drops slightly lower, to display a long double row of sharp, menacing, green teeth. Proclaiming to all in the area that it is the master here in these woods.

Mal-Shui - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre =1.

Male Human. Age =24. Brown eyes, 6'1" tall. Longsword, (Attack +1, Damage +1)

Hp. Max =7, Current =6.

Equipment

Longsword, Staff (Homebrew Item = Easy to find and make.) Dagger.

He still has 11 days' rations in a sack. Waterskin. Rough blue tunic, an animal fur

cloak, Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving. Tinder and flint. 

Silver Coins = 4. Xp = 0.

Story Threads

 1) Village Member,  2) Wizard, 3) Treasure Seekers, 4)Ka Yak Folk. 5)Yamil-Torl.

End of part two.

(Apologies, the map is missing during edit, available in episode 3.)

 

The villagers' tents are shown in black. SE from Mal's village is a river, fading into a marsh and further out, a long curving lake. The mountains are to the north-east of Mal's campsite in the hills. He got lost at the boundary and went NW when he thought he was going NE. The stream is curving to the right, between a few trees and then back north towards the plain to the north. He covered about six miles in eight hours, due to the storm's effects on him, before he met Yamil. 

Regards,

Ivor Cogdell

Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2023 Castle Grief.

Permission to copy for personal use.

Mantis Photo by (C) oktavianus mulyadi on Unsplash.

Map 1a Artwork and Exploring Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

I am using "Wilderness Encounters" from drivethruRPG.com. No copyright visible.

 

Exploring Kal-Arath -SOLO RPG Actual Play - Character Creation and Episode 1 - First Blood. Updated.

 Hi Everyone,

                       I have just purchased the Kal-Arath compendium rules #1(Kal-Arath, The Valley of the Black Ziggurat, Lords of the Pit)  from Lulu.com, and this is my first solo mission, setting out into the world. I like it, I will be buying the supplements.

Episode 1 - First Blood.

Meet Mal-Shui, Our hero.

Mal-Shui - Strength = 1, Toughness = 2, Agility = 1, Intelligence = -1, Presence = 1

Male Human. Age =24. Brown eyes, 6'1" tall. Longsword, (Attack +1, Damage +1)

Hp. Max =7, Current =6.

Equipment

Longsword, Staff (Homebrew Item = Easy to find and make.) Dagger.

5 days' rations in a sack. Waterskin. Rough blue tunic, an animal fur

cloak, tinder and flint. Silver Coins = 4.

Game Mechanics

Resolution=2d6+STAT.

8+= Standard success.

If the task is very difficult = roll 2d6 and pick the lowest.

Two 6's= Critical Success. Two 1's= Critical failure.

Initiative = d6+ADI. 4+ They go first.

Range Attack = 2d6+agi>8.

Melee Attack=2d6+str +(Longsword+1)>8

Encumbrance = 9 items.

Episode 1 - First Blood. You are in your home village of Scaleel, a small, depressing village in the middle of the grasslands, which is currently in decline. It is situated on some high ground at the edge of a marsh, where flies are a constant pest. They sell dried Besa fish to traders and travellers who go to and from Gozami, the nearest town to the west. You have heard from these travellers that the mighty city of Thraz is somewhere far to the east.

 Your goal in life is to join the famed Black Legion by winning in the Fighting Pits in the city of Thraz. You have been strengthening your techniques by sparring with the guards who pass by on the caravans, and you feel you are ready to begin your quest.  You have made up your mind that you are not going to wait around any longer. You say gather up what you need for the journey, say farewell to your friends in the village and set out on your long journey to a new life.

Season - Autumn. Weather - Early snow flurries. 

You make good time plodding along the track at the side of the local marsh, where you have fished your whole life. An hour into your travel, you see the familiar sight of a wizard; it is Jis-Kel, probably coming from the next village over, Goritan to the east, but he missed the usual path. He is friendly, and I confirm the path back to Scaleel for him. He thanks me and starts on his way. I skirt the main body of water ahead and head NE.

             I next meet a party of treasure seekers, who nod to me as they pass by (roll neutral in motives). They do not seem to be in the mood to chat, so I do not enquire what lies ahead. Later, I pass into hillier foothills and stop for a break, where I would normally have a good view of the surrounding area, if the snow-filled clouds would lift a bit. I gather some branches off some dry bushes and break them up into a bundle, just in case there is nothing where I have to make camp.

            I meet some Khainar yak herders coming down from the higher plains, dressed in bright headscarves. I mentioned a few minutes ago that I had seen a terradun nesting on the cliff ledge, which would be too fearsome to attack alone, but together we can take it down. We discuss the problem and decide to shoot it at range from the clifftop, and I will dispatch it, if needed, with my sword.

Terradum =19 HP.  

We sneak up to the cliff edge and the archers loose off a volley of arrows. (A sneak attack.) The archers are very good; 4 shots hit it (attack rolls 9, 9, 4, 8, 10 = 14-4 tough hide damage =10, 9 hp left).

  It cannot fly, and it is mortally wounded. I climb down a rope to finish it off, along with the chicks. I slip partway down and get friction burns on my hands. (=1hp  damage). I land on the 15-foot-wide ledge, covered with scattered bones of its previous meals.

(Initiative 6+1=7 - Mal Gains initiative.) 

It lunges down at me with its beak, but I can tell that it is weak through its wounds. It tries to peck me again, I bat the beak away again with my sword, and I slash at its throat.

(13, hit = Damage Exploding 6+6 -1  hide =11 damage, = -2 hp, Roll 9 on death table = automatically stunned, helpless).

The resulting wound sprays an arc of blood, and it gives out a gurgling cry. I stand back and let the blood loss do its work. It is soon dead, and the chicks are covered in their mother's blood. I dispatch them with a quick twist of their necks.

 Then we haul up the carcass, the chicks and the egg in a sack. Then break out the firewood to have a feast. I have now bonded with the Kainar tribesfolk. They give me a Terradon tooth on a necklace with the tribal symbol carved on it. They tell tall tales of giant red and yellow stick beasts which hunt lone travellers who dare go into the Red Mountains. 

They sing the praises of the plains and the joys of the simple life. Mal replied that he wanted to see some of the world before he settled down with a family. They laughed and agreed that it was a good idea. I salute the brave warriors of Kainar. I gain 6 rations from the feast, along with part of an eggshell to use as a cooking bowl. I now have 11 rations in total. We dance long into the night, as it is not often that a Terradum is killed, so to get four in one go is a great achievement. We have no night encounters. 

 The end of day 1.

Map 1a- Day 1.     Scale: 1 hex = 6 miles.

Mal's home village is on the left edge. Mal foraged in the first marsh hex to the east and found nothing apart from the wizard and the treasure seekers. NE is the hills with the Yak folk. Mal has covered about 15 miles and eaten none of his rations on the move, gaining 6, a total of 11.

NOTE: Due to watching "The Joy of Wargaming" YouTube channel, I am recalculating my consumption of rations, as one ration is used per day, even if there is more than one person eating them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++.

I am using "Wilderness Encounters" from drivethruRPG.com to give me more setting information.

There is more to come in episodes 2 - 6 (with episode 7 in draft).

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2023 Castle Grief.

Permission to copy for personal use.

Terradon pictures (C) Copyright? Meta.AI.

"The Warrior" Artwork # 0276 (C) Copyright 19 May 2008 Ivor Cogdell.

Map 1a Artwork and Exploring Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

Call of Cthulhu - Episodes 1 and 2 "People on the shore" - Not the correct adventure title (Spoilers)

Hi Everyone,

                     Here is the first episode of a 1920's Call of Cthulhu RPG, I have just taken part in -         7th February 2026, with John and Richard as GM.

18 April 1924 -

Hank (myself) is an athletic scholar at a university. Frank is a Zoroastrian priest (John), and Caroline is a reporter (Richard).  Our Patron is a Mr Will Corbett, of Corbett Industries. His son, Master Mark Corbett and a Miss Emily Danvers have both run off from their parent's, and plan to meet up at a secluded location, and are coming from different locations.

Will has been tracking their movements by calling the gas stations in the area and seeing if they have passed by or got gas. Emily has passed Peabody and gone through Lynn. We think that they are heading for a stop in the Peabody area, according to the gas stations on the route, and then to a nearby Hotel, "The Swimming Hole". It is next to a lake, with a Stone Circle and half flooded church in the grounds.

    Frank has a sawn-off shotgun with 6 rounds, and I have a pistol with 6 rounds. Harry and Caroline have a knife each.

We follow the two lovers in Mr Corbett's roadster, with Henry, the chauffeur, at the wheel. When we arrive at "The Swimming Hole". The owners of the hotel are Zeke, who is in a wheelchair with a blanket covering his legs and Ned Garvey. Both are very powerfully built.  There is a shotgun on the back of the reception wall. The hotel is T-shaped, the reception and private owner's area are along the top, the first 4 rooms are on the front, and the other three are around the back, facing the lake. Further down is the wood and stone circle; the church is further around the lake.  

We check the register and find that Emily has booked in and is here in room 7, with another name crossed out for an unknown reason, presumably Martin's. There was no sign of his car out front; Emily's was still there.  A Mr Grant Jones is staying in number 4, with a local IronInn Fisheries van parked at the bottom of the T, probably his.

Glancing back through the register, while Ned is getting our towels, I notice that males seem to go missing on the night of the full moon, which unfortunately, is tonight. Emily Room is in room 7, Caroline and Henry take Room 2, Frank and I take Room 1. Looking around, we find tracks of something that has been dragged into the rear section of the hotel, we think either Emily or Mark. 

 We discover a spyhole in the wall, and Harry sees an octopus in the loo. John shoots it and blows the loo to bits. Frank then hears Zeke coming through a secret trapdoor in the floor, and Zeke now has Octopus legs. Frank shoots it, rolls 4d6 = 18, kills it/him. It falls back down the hole. Frank thinks he saw his backbone explode towards the lake. The rest of us think it's rubbish.

 Somewhere, a bell chimes midnight.

A slug slithers through the spyhole, crawls across the floor and bites me on the leg, for 1 point of damage. I kill it, and another one is trying to do the same thing. I manage to stomp on that one without too much trouble. 

Looking into the reception area, we see that Ned has armed himself with his shotgun and has vanished.

As we are passing room 4, the door opens, and a shadowy figure appears. 

 "Blub.alub.alub. Hallo, Blub.alub.alub. Hallo".

Already scared stiff by the night's events, I kill the creature with a pistol shot to the body. On searching the body, we notice that he has webbed hands underneath his gloves. We take his ID and keys to his van.

Episode 2, 

On seeing the recent events, Caroline had a psychotic episode, panicked, and ran off into the woods, and we chased after her. We hear chanting from the stone circle. As I approached the lake shore, I saw a sea monster and had an episode and froze in place, watching something or someone being chained to a rock by robed figures. Harry had an phyycotic episode, and his mind was taken over by the creature, and he started coming for me.

I broke free of my trance, turned to run away, yelling, "It's coming for me, Hank's coming to get me!"

Ferb took cover in the trees, and I ran past him. He jumped out, shot Harry with 1 barrel, and turned him into red mist.

"Let's get out of this mad place!"

 Ferb burned the fish truck, and we set off in the roadster up the driveway, where we got stuck in the mud. I jumped out and managed to bump us free. We went to Perdue to get more petrol. The gas station was locked up and deserted when we got there, so we had to break in and, with a bit of figuring,  manually started the pumps. We left some bills on the table to cover the gas and the lock. We filled up the tank, then looked around for some spare gas tanks and put them in the boot, where an "octopus child" leapt out at us. 

 I grabbed it by the throat and launched it up the road, like a football, where Ferb shot it with the last of his ammo, but it had launched a detachable hand at me and tried to strangle me with it. Ferb pulled it off me, and we squished it. We made sure that there was nothing else in there, slammed the boot lid and got out of there fast.                                                                                                             

Missing in Action - Martin, Emily and Caroline.

Casualties - Hank.

Enemies dealt with - Zeke, Gary. Ocopus Child, 2 Slugs.

Opposition Forces - Ned, the Chanters in the wood, your actual, real-life Sea Monster.

Ferb and I were the only witnesses to survive. We wondered how we were going to explain this to Will when we got back, certainly not with the truth, whatever that was. I am now a germophobe through the shock of it all.

The end of the beginning.....

There you go, that was about 5 hours' worth of fun and dice rolls, over two sessions, squashed down into a few lines. We were using luck points and losing sanity points all the way through that chaotic romp. Many thanks to John for saving my neck and Richard, acting as Harry and Caroline, along with being the all-powerful GM, for putting it on the line in the first place, splashing out for the rules and his time collecting additional pictures of props and stuff to flesh out the story for us. This was only one of many ways the story could have gone. 

We have played the third episode, which I will post soon.

Call of Cthulhu (C) 2026 Copyrights. All rights reserved. All persons in here are fictitious and are not meant to portray anyone living, dead or in any other plane of existence.

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

P.S. Hats off to the Silurians (C) Copyright Dr Who, just in case they are related.

Thoughts On - Star Trek Academy, Update 6 - 26 Feb 2026.

 Hi Everyone,

                    I have very bad news to convey,  I have just seen the trailer for Star Drek Academy, Crappy-write 2026, and I was absolutely appalled by the utter drivel it presented on the screen. I would just like to put a quick disclaimer here: I am 67 and a long time fan from the original broadcast days, and I do still have some standards in what I watch. 

 My first shock was of Holly Hunter as the captain. She was absolutely grotesque, looking like she was chewing a wasp half of the time, slouching about in the captain's seat like she was a bored golden retriever, not the most senior person on the ship, with not a vertebrae to her name, certainly not when the pirate showed up in episode 1. 

What life skills and preparation was she supposed to have been through to warrant her being given the honoured rank of captain?  The next shock, which was even worse to swallow, she had no shoes or socks on her feet??? The number of times that any fleet of the line ship can expect to be attacked and semi - blown up must be in triple figures at least; her feet will have a permanent speed dial repair spot in the med bay, with glass and crud scars all over them.

         She could have been cast as the ship's counsellor, tucked away in a corner somewhere, to be brought out when the big people were a bit busy; that situation could have worked, not brilliantly, but a reasonable fit. 

                The script for the first episode sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. Why were there no seasoned personnel on board their flagship vessel on its maiden voyage, apart from an engineer and a hologram medic? Were there no fighter escort shuttles? Did the Klingon just throw flowers at the pirate instead of a knife at his head? They wasted a perfectly good battle in the first episode, presumably to keep the oldies interested. Guess what, it did not work one bit. It did show us how incompetent the idea was, though.

 The rest of the aliens tagging along looked positively cartoonish and flat, with no personality. Someone else mentioned in a previous YouTube comment, "that a hippy Klingon" would not have reached his teens; he would have been tossed out the nearest airlock, because there would have been no honour in actually bothering to stab him and put him out of his misery. One blimpy character was cut and pasted right from the Thing in the Fantastic Four film. Another cheap laugh at the fans' expense. The brainless cadet who swallowed her com badge would have been sent home on the nearest cargo scow, but I thought she was supposed to be photonic? (A hologram to you and me.) Please just turn her off and save power.

The blue half-Jem Hadar-half Klingon woman reminded me of a pufferfish in panic mode. I'll bet they had a hoot in makeup and wardrobe. I will bet money that we can look forward to lots more inter-species romance coming up, (Update - I was right, actual bonking in episode 6), yaaay, or in my case, puking up. I thought they would have had enough of that in ST Discovery. Yes, I know it goes on, and I do have friends who are of fluid gender, but they don't rub your nose in the fact all the time. Considering that these beings are supposed to be the brightest and the best the 32nd century has to offer the galaxy, what are the worst like?.

 What was in the entrance exam, 1+1=  (calculators allowed, if they know how to operate one). 

I ask myself, where is the Borg when you need them most? At least the collective was smart. To paraphrase that wise man, John Cleese, "I would not trust any of these students to sit the right way on a lavatory".

I hear that they spent between $6 - 10 million per episode. On what, certainly not on the script. The uniforms were acceptable, but I was not impressed with the academy ship itself or the bridge design. Where were the quality control checks in all of this? Why did Richard Picardo not speak out? Maybe he did quietly and was ignored. Was he so pleased to be back in the show that he did not want it to be cancelled, he had to ignore what drivel was going on right before his eyes? I dare say that he would have written a better script than this.

I hear that the studio did not bother getting in touch with the cast in person to confirm that the second series had been photon torpedoed, unless that was fake news going around (it was, but after season two, all bets are off.). Supposedly. Holly Hunter grew a spine, marched into the boardroom, and gave them both barrels. If there had been better scenes like that in the show, they would not have had to cancel it. 

One quote was mentioned at the show premiere by a cast member was, "It's not your parents' Star Trek", they are so right. more's the pity. Another cast member asked us for patience; someone who could obviously read the signs, but they are not going to get it.Speaking of the cast, many posters say they look in their mid 20's to 30,  not their teens. 

That venerable fountain of knowledge, which is YouTube, has lit up once more, Hollywood Studios, please make a note in big red ink, if you ignore the fans once again in the march to milk the Star Trek franchise, you get everything coming to you in the way of rotten apples and other assorted-sized veggies.

 I don't know who will carry the can for this dross, if anyone, but the studio needs to go right back to the drawing board and have a long, hard think. They can call it a dream of one of the cadets or more like a nightmare. As it stands, to be honest, this one looks like a transporter malfunction.

 According to the titles of some of the other reviews on YouTube, episodes two to six actually made it worse, so I did a rewrite on here. Hint, hint.  At this rate, I can't see the crew doing many ST Autographica conventions around the world, not if they want to come away with all of their hair intact, anyway.

01.02.2026.

Is this the last nail in the coffin of Star Trek? I certainly hope not, as I have grown up with it and it has been a thread weaving its way through my life, and I hope that it would continue to do so as I go into my twilight years. It does not deserve to go out of existence in this way. Keeping the younger generation engaged is fine, but we were here first and deserve consideration for the readies we have pumped into their bank accounts, roughly $11US billion into the studio coffers over the decades. Do they care about the fans' wishes? It looks doubtful, but we hope to be surprised.

02.02.2026

Since I desperately needed a Star Trek fix of some sort and the Academy was definitely not coming up with the goods, I have ordered Picard season three, a bit late, I know, but it was always sold out at the shop when I tried to get it before. I hope it is a good choice. Fingers crossed.

03.02.2026

According to YouTube sources, they are roughly basing this series format on Harry Potter, which was a great blockbuster franchise. The problem is that the scriptwriters did not stick to it closely enough. There is no learning or character progression involved, apart from "I will it, so let it be". There are no personal challenges to be overcome, apart from a debate and a bit of other stuff at the end.

(Spoiler Alert - I know, it is already so spoiled.) Jay-dee's parents consist of two male Klingons who are married to one female - NAA, NO WAY, NO HOW!!  They would have preferred their race to go extinct rather than lose its honour like that! No continuity with the past whatsoever.  Every other Klingon actor who has ever been on the show would have been throwing their Bat'leth at the tv screen in utter disgust and revulsion at that moment (Cue Worf). This is the first time I am glad I do not have a monster sized tv in my home.

YouTuber "Mr H Reviews" (C) Copyright 2026 said that they were being beaten in the ratings by old shows of South Park and SpongeBob Square Pants!! Chew on that, Paramount!

More news in - Paramount have deleted their free first episode showing on YouTube. This seems like the show is having the same effect as a warp core breach; get rid of it now. They are running about like headless chickens, with no idea how to fix the situation. Holly Hunter has gone quiet on the matter instead of trying to support the show. We can only wonder what went on behind the scenes.

                      How much input did Holly have in her character? They usually have some ideas and leeway talking to the wr? Did she try to make it better, and the directors stomped on her, or was she up for it all along?  How much research had she done regarding the previous series shows? You can forgive the kids not having watched it much, but if you're going to be in a show that is as big as this one, don't you at least do SOME homework? Apparently, they flunked that part, too?

I hear that there is actually a second series already in the can. They must have shot them side by side. Not the first time that this has been done. The dilemma now is whether to air it or not. I have actually found a YouTuber who is enjoying the series. So the outlook may not be pitch black of space for the series. If the younger fanbase rally round the show, they may continue with it. The few youngsters who I have asked so far in the UK do not watch it at all.

At the end of the day, you cannot blame the actors for the show and its lack of quality and depth; it is the higher-ups in the organisation that are at fault. The only thing they achieved was in pushing the woke agenda, right off a cliff.

7 Feb 2026

I said in an earlier rendition of this post, "Kurtzman should be drummed out of the industry so that he cannot cause any more damage to the hearts and minds of his audience." I am still of that opinion. The question I have now is "What went wrong, considering his earlier work in Picard season 2 and at least disk one and two of season 3?" (It arrived today, Yaaay the cast). Kurtzman knew the Cannon and the deep feeling of the fans towards the brand. Was it not up to him at all, and he had to tow the new policy of Leftist Mega Woke or was it his decision to make? Whatever the cause, it or they must not be allowed free rein to do it again.

            I now hear tell of new owners coming in during the shooting, and that they may steer the show's course towards the centre. That may be what the comment about "Patience" was about by one of the cast. As I say, it will be too late to do any good; it is scarred for life.

13 Feb 2026 - One of the writers was heard to say that they did not care about "Cannon", yes, that is evident, it shows in the garbage that you produced, episode after episode. This will be a permanent stain on their writing career. In fairness, I will point out that one YouTube reviewer gave episode six a "7 out of 10" for the Pirate storyline, but went on to say that it was still unwatchable for other reasons.

26 Feb 2026 - More sex flashbacks. A cadet dies, and there is no mention of it in the next episode. So, 
crap continuity, no retribution of the teachers involved, no demotions. More Klingon gayness in a dress. just what we needed to lift our spirits. The writers should have their laptops smashed in front of them. Paramount should demand a refund of their wages; they certainly have not earned it. 

Yours, horrified beyond expression,

Ivor Cogdell

P.S.I think that this must be my longest review on any topic in the life of this blog, which shows how disgusted I and very many others in the fanbase are.