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Sunday, August 31, 2025

Captain America: Winter Soldier [Marvel Premier Collection]

Title: Captain America: Winter Soldier [Marvel Premier Collection]



ISBN: 9781302964863

Price: $14.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2025

Artist:  Steve Epting

Writer: Ed Brubaker


Rating: 3.5/5


When the second Captain America movie came out, you didn’t think we’d let you watch the film without getting an in-depth look at the graphic novel, too. The story of the Winter Soldier is a relatively new one, coming out just under a decade ago, but it’s one of Cap’s most iconic stories. The actual Winter Soldier story arc spans issues #8-14 (minus issue #10, which is a tie-in to House of M), but there is a lot of necessary back-story in the first volume that build up the suspense to Winter Soldier. Also, while the concept of the movie is the same, the meat of the book is far different from the film, so don’t come in with any preconceptions of what will happen – just enjoy the ride!


By now I’m sure you all know that Bucky, who was Cap’s kid sidekick until his apparent death (in Avengers #56, but like all Marvel characters, Bucky has been ret-2conned multiple times), is the Winter Soldier. This soldier was a tool for the Soviet Union, and was literally “put on ice” to complete special assignments. This might be old hat to us, but ten years ago, this was jaw-dropping. The shock factor of a cheerful kid sidekick becoming the deadliest weapon in the world was unprecedented. Winter Soldier does a solid job of alluding to the shock factor; there are numerous flashbacks and dead drops to buildup what is, in essence, a stand-off between Captain America and the Winter Soldier.


Like the movie portrays, this is not the same Captain America you recognize from the war days. He is no longer a gimmick, or war propaganda; he is a super-soldier with the feeling that he is being played with. It’s a demon that Cap struggles with throughout the book, and  What makes Brubaker’s writing so great is he is fully ready to let Cap fall into one of his darkest places (not too dark, but really dark for Steve Rogers). The theory that Bucky was chosen as a symbol to inspire young men to join the war effort was just a cover-up. Bucky was actually the most ruthless weapon the Allies had; he did the gruesome deeds that Cap couldn’t. It’s a brilliant rewriting of a character to fit not just the story, but the times that the story is released in. This fact also sheds new light on just who Captain America is – not just the guy who punched Hitler in the face, but the one who sanctioned the actions that a Bucky, a child, could take in the name of freedom.


The issues are so well-paced. We begin with what looks to be the typical villain arc when Red Skull creeps around and secures a Cosmic Cube (an item capable of turning wish into reality – similar to Loki’s scepter, hmm…  However, we’re quickly in the middle of a murder/mystery and forced to play catch-up like the dunces we are. I mean, if Nick Fury can figure out the riddle, I know I can’t. Speaking of Fury, his role in Winter Soldier is significant. While Cap is definitely the one taking the lead during the mission, none of it would have been possible without Fury’s keen eye (pun intended) and S.H.I.E.L.D. resources. That being said, Steve Rogers isn’t inept in any way; he puts the hurt on everybody in his way – often. The characteristic way the shied bounces off of and into foes very enjoyable to look at on paper.


Ed Brubaker’s Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of the best written books about Cap out there, and it’s almost ironic that a story that deviates from what was considered canon has the most identity with Steve Rogers. The ending fell a bit flat, but we do get some closure to the arc, and the aftermath of what happens here echoes through the series for years to come. The mirror image of Captain America and the Winter Soldier also creates dialogue among fans and casual readers alike (Note: Winter Soldier mentions and includes other figures like Falcon and the Invaders. If you want to dive deeper, those are good places to start). Any comic book fan should pick this up and read it – it’s simply the American thing to do.

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition

 Title: Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition




Price: $29.99 (PDF), $134.99 (Hardcover)

Publisher/Year: Onyx Path Publishing, 2018

Author(s): Charlie Bates, Bruce Baugh, Steve Burnett, Jackie Cassada, Lillian Cohen-Moore, Richard Dansky, Matthew Dawkins, Edwin Huang, Courtney King, Michael B. Lee, Steven S. Long, Clayton Oliver, Neall Raemonn Price, Nicky Rea, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Lucien Soulb

DriveThruRPG Link


Rating: 3.5/5


Once upon a time, many years ago in the closing months of the 20th Century, one of my best friends said to me “We’re going to do something new.  Something different.  We’re going to play Wraith.”  being in a group of players that was consistently made up of myself, the significant other of my best friend, and my best friend-as-Storyteller, I was immediately intimidated.  I had no idea how to play Wraith, and – truth be told – had no idea how the rules worked or how the setting would be laid out, etc.


Let’s be clear here; Vampire is easy.  You’re a vampire and you live in a city and you blah blah blah all night long until the sun comes up.  And let’s also be clear that with Werewolf, you’re a werewolf and you live in the near-city or wilderness – or, as I’ve proven in MY OWN games of Werewolf that I’ve run – in the city proper and you blah blah blah all day and night long until your phase of the moon hits and you’re rocking at full-tilt Gnosis and Rage…


But Wraith was different.


Wraith was PERSONAL.


“Here’s what I want you to do, Shannon” he said.  “I want you to think about death.  I want you to think about the worst possible death that you could die.  I want you to think about drowning or dying unexpectedly while you’re going out to get something to eat.  I want you to hold onto the feeling of that… of the emotion of that… and when you’ve got THAT locked down?  THAT’S when we’ll create your character, and I’ll help you to do it.”


Wraith was about as supernatural and frightening to me as the World of Darkness – at least, the World of Darkness that we knew at the time – ever got.


It was story-driven drama.  It was character-driven conflict.  It was cogs within gears within transmissions of the great machinations of Stygian politics.  It was endless, sunless day-to-day survival against the forces of Oblivion who were, to me, MUCH MORE ferocious and malnourished than any of the Wyrm’s minions because, in the end, they were – effectively – the “Great Nothing” that “The Neverending Story” painted as its primary antagonist.


The Wyrm… the Weaver… if it could be said that “they” want anything, it most certainly isn’t a LACK of ANYTHING.  “They” want “something.”  Something IS NOT nothing.


And Malfeans and their countless armies of spectres?  It’s not that they want to watch the Underworld burn.  They want Oblivion.


They want NOTHING to exist in the place of EVERYTHING.


So we created my ghost for this game… and when we were done, I felt drained to be honest.  And my best friend said “Okay.  That’s that.  Now, we make your Shadow.”  


“My what?”


“Your Shadow.  The part of you that WANTS to be dead.  The part of you that wants the madness of the Underworld to end.  The part of you that wants to move on into the Great Nothing… because all of this?  HURTS.  The Shadow doesn’t like it.”


“That’s… fucked up.”


“He’ll help you at times.  Not always, but sometimes.  I mean, he IS YOU.  Think of him as Rage Points in Werewolf, after a fashion.  He’s your enemy, but he can be useful, too.”


Suffice to say we didn’t play those characters much, and the game didn’t last long.  In all honesty, it was too stressful to me at the time, which is a funny thing for me to say now twenty some-odd years down the road after having a son, being widowed at 35, buying a house, and charging ahead through it all.  But at the time, thinking about the depth of Wraith – about the darkness of it – wasn’t how I wanted to spend my game time.


Fast forward twenty years into the future into the middle of 2018.


I’m much older, I’d like to think that I’m much wiser, definitely more mature, a little beat up from wear and tear, but my heart – or a part of it, anyway – still lives in the gothic-punk World of Darkness, and a little piece of that part of my heart is hidden across the Shroud on the Isle of Sorrows in Stygia.


Benevolent psychopathology is a term I use for things that I find myself both terrified by and, simultaneously, obsessed with.  Wraith: the Oblivion falls into the category of benevolent psychopathology for me.


When I heard that there would be a release of a 20th Anniversary Edition of the game, I was overjoyed with expectation.  Having not read ANY of the Geist books and having been completely out of the loop with White Wolf Games Studios – and Onyx Path Publishing, for that matter – I started watching from afar to make sure I didn’t miss the initial release of the book.


Suffice to say, I am in no way, shape or form disappointed in what I have received.


The Prologue: The Face of Death is, quite simply, a graphic novella that takes some absolutely stunning Wraith: the Oblivion artwork superimposed with text blocs that explain the fundamental concepts of the game.  Had this been something 1st or 2nd Edition contained, my best friend would not have had to spend the time that he did explaining to me what Wraith was and what it was all about.  It is beautiful, it is chilling, it is darkly poetic, and it is also very emotionally driven while remaining matter-of-fact and succinct.  This is your Ghost Story.  This is your beginning.


Chapter One: The Introduction is just that, and it serves as a syllabus for what you can expect throughout the course of your reading while working with the Table of Contents as a map.  You’re given a basic Lexicon – and my only complaint here is that there are a couple of “What is that?” terms you’ll run across later that aren’t immediately identified (for example, “Labyrinth, the” even though there are a couple of terms directly related to the Labyrinth or that coincide directly with it) – but aside from that, it’s a concise little thing.


Chapter Two: Setting is where things get down and dirty, but in all fairness, is also where things get a little sketchy.  Sketchy isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you… but there are times where contradictions are made that can leave the reader saying “…and whaaaaaaa?”

A good example is the issue of the Fishers and the Treaty of Paradise.  Be careful with this part and know that what you’re reading is not necessarily what happened.  Another would be the narrative explaining the Dark Kingdom of Obsidian.  Another would be “Okay… wait… are ALL of the Ferrymen on their own in the City of Dis now?  Did they ALL turn away from Charon?  Or was it just the Shining Ones?  Or was it the Ancients who existed pre-Rite of Severance?”


Confusion can set in, and while it isn’t fair to write the entirety of the chapter off as bullshit – because it isn’t by a longshot and there’s some amazing information offered up here from the dawn of Stygia to the formation of the Stygian Republic to the founding of the Ferrymen to the building of the Necropoli, to all of the Great Maelstroms, etc. – there are some parts here and there that simply do not jibe well with other parts here and there.


In the end, an intelligent Storyteller and his or her Circle will be able to use and clarify any confusions that they come across.


This chapter has the most “player meat” of the book.  This is the chapter, other than the mechanics-related chapters that the players will sit and devour for hours.


I’ll say this as a fan of the game as well as an objective reviewer: The MAP of Stygia is freakin’ AMAZING.  It’s something that I can’t ever remember having been provided with before.  It harkens back to a sort of Forgotten Realms look at Waterdeep or a setting like that with commercial and military districts, Hierarchical and municipal management districts, Guild speakeasies… it’s an awesome resource that works very well with the written imagery of what is presented in the book.  Pull it all together into a black bouquet with the history of the Guilds, the Legions, where they live, how they think, what they want, how they endeavor to achieve their ends, and you’re PROVIDED with a solid few nights-worth of game time without even mentioning the words “Skinlands” or “Spectres.”


Need to know how to buy and sell?  Done.


Need a weapon forged?  Done. 


Need to know where to head to find work?  Done.


Need to know this or that about the history of this faction or that faction?  Done.


Need to know how to get to a specific Necropolis tonight (hint: The Midnight Express)?  Done.


Unsure about the politics of a Legion or their views on being a wraith? Done.


It’s all here.  While there are a few hiccups, Chapter Two leaves no room for disappointment in just the sheer scope of information that it provides.  As a Storyteller, you can spend your first night of gaming with an open Q&A, or you can print out this chapter of the .pdf for your players to review a night or two before character creation and be in front of the eight ball for time-management’s sake.


Special note should be paid to the final entry in the chapter: The Mnemoi.  Basically, if there’s a “bad guy among good guys,” it’s the Mnemoi Guild.  See, if a ghost is anything, really… if anything gives a ghost “power” or “substance” outside of the Shadowloands, it’s memories.  Guess what the Mnemoi manipulate? 


I’m not saying they’re new, or even new and improved.  I’m just saying that they’re THERE… and they’re waiting for you.


For better or for worse.


Chapter Four: Character, and Chapter Five: Traits serves as a Player’s Guide for the 20th Anniversary Edition of Wraith: the Oblivion, but it is just as useful to Storytellers as to players in regards to NPC generation.  The Three A’s of Attributes, Abilities and Advantages are presented for players to work with, as are finishing touches and ideas on how to create a pre-death situation for the character as well as a death concept, which of course will leave a “Deathmark” on the subsequent Wraith PC when they pass into the Shadowlands.


All of your Guildbooks are here, as is the meat for the Magick of the Dead, aka, Arcanoi.  Now, I’m not saying that a ghost can just up and start some heavyweight spellthrowing with the likes of a Technocratic Magi or even a high-level Thaumaturgist… but let’s give a little respect where it’s due here.  If you go about messing around in the affairs of the Dead, or the Shadowlands, or with ghosts who have Haunts that they don’t want you messing around in, or corpse-bothering when you have no business or right to do so, you’d better get ready.


The Mnemoi, as an example, may not be able to throw a fireball at you or use direct “Pattern Magick” to rend you crippled… but they can make you disappear.


From everything.  Everywhere.  Forever.  As if you never existed.  And no one will know you’re gone except for the Mnemoi who initiated the “spell,” because NO ONE REMEMBERS YOU EVER EXISTED.


And they are able, conversely, to do the same thing to themselves if they are threatened or hunted.


That’s no small amount of HEAVY, in my opinion.


Chapter Six: The Shadow is the Shadow Player’s Guide for the 20th Anniversary Edition of Wraith: the Oblivion.  It covers everything you need to know about the “dark half” of every ghost.  Shadows can be bargained with, they can be sated temporarily, but they will never stop crying out for what they want, which is to bring the wraith closer to Oblivion.  Even the Ferrymen, who have been separated from their Shadow STILL have to deal with the Pasiphae that their Shadow has become at every turn.


This chapter takes a nice, long look at each and every aspect of Shadow character generation including Thorns that the Shadow can use (that are SORT of like sub-Arcanoi in a sense), Angst (the “fuel” that “powers” a Shadow) and Harrowings… which are always a little scary because you never really know if your character is going to make it out of one or if they’re going to be consumed by their Shadow and become a spectre.


If you’re not sure what a Harrowing IS, got watch the movie “Jacob’s Ladder.”  THAT is a Harrowing.


I really like the idea of Shadowguiding.  I think it is ingenious.  A special pat on the back should go to whomever invented it and implemented it into the rules system.  I think that it solves a lot of mechanical problems with Shadows, and I think it REALLY has the potential of bringing a group of players closer together as a functional “family” unit.


Chapters Seven through Nine are the Storyteller’s Handbook to the 20th Anniversary Edition of Wraith: the Oblivion.  While these chapters focus predominately on the Storyteller and in helping the Storyteller tell an amazing Chronicle’s-worth of stories, I think that they are also vitally important for players to skim over.


Special note should be paid by players to Chapter Nine that explains things like the Fog, Maelstroms, the Tempest, Fetters, Passions, Resolution, damage and combat in the Shadowlands, as I really think it helps someone new to Wraith understand how combat with a Corpus made of Plasm is a bit different from flesh and bone.  These things are all explained better – or more importantly, in MORE DETAIL – than in previous chapters.


Chapter Ten: Spectres is where we get into the “bad guys” of Wraith: the Oblivion.


You may be a Thrall to a nastier-than-average Freewraith… but he/she is not a spectre.


Consider yourself lucky.


If there is ANYTHING in the World of Darkness that could be classified as “evil,” it is the servants of Oblivion, or spectres.  They are not like your Shadow.  They are not like to Haunter in the opposing Guild.  They are not the Renegade who harasses you every time you try to catch the one Ferryman’s attention.


They want DESTRUCTION.  Of everything.  Everywhere.


“Listen… and understand.  That Terminator is out there.  It can’t be bargained with.  It can’t be reasoned with.  It doesn’t feel pity… or remorse… or fear… and it absolutely WILL NOT STOP until you’re dead.” -Kyle Reese, “The Terminator”


The 20th Anniversary Edition of Wraith: the Oblivion took the Black Dog Game Factory’s release of Spectres and kicked it up a notch, gave it a little bit of a bath, slopped some deodorant on it, and made it something better.  And having both owned and reviewed THAT BOOK back when it was released, I can say that was no easy feat.


Everything that you could possibly need to create spectre NPCs is here – cause, effect, motivation, how they do what they do, how they get where they’re going, how they survive in the Tempest, how they have generally made an artform out of destroying ghosts via Dark Arcanoi and Shadecraft… Hell, there’s even rules on how to let your freak-flag fly and run a game with nothing but specter PCs.


The author turned an oogie-boogie book of scary things into what is, for all intents and purposes, ANOTHER Player’s Guide within the book.  The result is no small amount of impressive and provides for antagonists that are unfathomably complex in their motivations and desires.


Quite possibly one of the more notable chapters of the book as a whole, I sincerely enjoyed reading Chapter Ten from beginning to end and was left, almost, with a sensation that I had taken TOO MUCH in from all of the additional information provided by it.


Chapter Eleven: The Risen.  The Risen is the Player’s Guide to The Crow, sure… that’s ONE WAY to look at it, I guess.  It’s a little short-sighted, but it definitely A WAY.


But if you’re going to say that, then isn’t Jason Voorhees a Shadow-Dominated Risen?


Wouldn’t a Liche be, in many ways, something that caught the ire and eye of what is probably the most AWESOME Player/Storyteller vehicle within this chapter, the Acherontia Styx?


Everything you need is here.  Are you new to Wraith and want to stick to the Skinlands for a time before Helldiving into the Shadowlands?  Try a Risen.  They have their own system, their own special Arcanoi that work in the Skinlands… and there are ghosts that hunt them across the Shroud in an attempt to destroy them or bring them back to where they belong to face the consequences wrought by the violation of Charon’s Law.


It wa a really cool sourcebook, and I’m glad that The Risen didn’t get forgotten in the 20th Anniversary Edition.


Chapter Twelve: The World of Darkness includes everything that you need to know to give you a running start regarding crossovers in the World of Darkness.  How other denizens would react to ghosts, how Arcanoi effects other denizens, how other denizens’ powers effects ghosts, Relics, Fetters, SPECTRAL Relics, Artifacts and Fetters (very cool, thank you!), and basically just serves as a sort of user manual for the incorporation of other supernaturals that exist side-by-side wraiths so that you’re not completely limited to one sunless day after another in your Chronicle.


There’s some REALLY great information in here.  The “magic items” alone make this chapter a hoot.  Lucky’s Mr. Bunny made me think of Child’s Play… because come on… Chucky is essentially a possessed Artifact…


Chapter Thirteen: The Other Dark Kingdoms takes a nice chunk of wordcount to serve as a bit of a travel guide for the Dead in regards to what else is out there beyond the Dark Kingdom of Iron, Stygia, the Tempest, etc.


In short, this chapter sort of expounds upon and condenses, at the same time, the Dark Kingdom of Jade (Asia) sourcebooks for the 2nd Edition of Wraith and adds to the mythos with the Dark Kingdom of Obsidian (parts of the Americas), the Dark Kingdom of Clay (Australia), the Bush of Ghosts (Africa), the Svarga (India and, possibly, Pakistan), and the Mirrorlands (the Caribean).


Whenever I read setting books like these for the World of Darkness, my first thought is “these guys are smoking WAY too much high-grade methamphetamine to do THIS MUCH WORK!”  It pays off.  While I personally don’t have a whole lot of use for too many different settings outside of the Dark Kingdom of Iron, these setting books – and I call them that because, collected, THEY COULD stand SOLIDLY ALONE as a “Book of the Shadowlands” supplement – are ON POINT.  Most of the Dark Kingdom of Jade stuff is stuff I comprehend and understand fairly readily.  I’ve read the original supplements, read the Kuei-Jin stuff for Vampire back in the day, etc., but the opening up of new trade routes and areas in the Shadowlands the way these settings do?


Just the SHEER ATTENTION TO DETAIL is, to me, like nothing that I’ve ever seen in any role-playing supplement before.  And trust me when I say I’ve seen PLENTY of them.


The Bush of Ghosts and the Dark Kingdom of Obsidian write-ups were my favorite, but that’s a completely subjective thing.  I just find it AWESOME that everything that Stygia thinks that they know about Africa is ABSOLUTELY WRONG in every conceivable way, and I was TRULY INTIMIDATED with the manner in which the Americas were handled. In both cases, it was as though I was being taught the DARK SIDE of African and Mesoamerican mythology… in the World of Darkness… none of which I was supposed to EVER know about.


Arcanoi specific to each geographical locale are provided, as are small Lexicons to add a bit of authenticity to your games when your players set sail to dark, distant shores. 


And that’s about that, by God.


All things being equal, I cannot readily remember the last time I had as much fun reading an RPG book.  For my lot, it made me feel young again to see so many ideas I was introduced to so long ago and how they have evolved – some drastically, some only slightly – and that the spirit of the game is still exactly what it needs to be: “Hope.”


Even with the Tempest spitting at you.


Even in the face of Oblivion.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

“Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2025 @ Edgefield - My Experiences


2126 SW Halsey St. 
Troutdale, OR, 97060
Thursday, August 14, 2025

I have been a "Weird Al" Fan for most of my life, and I even still have 2 of the original vinyl records from when I was a kid: "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D and Dare to be Stupid. I have been fortunate enough to have attended his concert at the Oregon State Fair back in 2008 and have been able to meet him twice when he's been a guest at Rose City Comic Con.


When he announced hi tour dates for 2025, I knew there was no way I was going to miss seeing him again. Unfortunate circumstances prevented me from seeing his past shows since 2008, but thankfully none of those obstacles were in my way this year.

We got there early enough to get a fair decent parking spot and was able to grab some dinner at the Power Station Pub before the concert. I'm a fan of the McMenamins locations and the various food options they provide and thankfully we got there before the major rush of people began. If you're visiting the Oregon or Washington, I highly recommend stopping by at least 1 of the locations. Most of them are historic and all of them provide an enjoyable atmosphere.

After dinner, we made our way to the line for the gate.. and it was already huge! We had to walk to the far end of the property over by the east field where they have additional parking setup for concerts. For a man who is in his 50's and "fluffy", this was not a very welcome part of the adventure. Fortunately, the line began to move quickly and fairly smoothly and we made it to our seats without issue.

My view of the stage. Section C - Row P

Puddles Pity Party was the opener for Al. I'll be honest, I have heard of Puddles before and seen photos, but I have never had the pleasure of listening to his work prior to this evenings event. What an incredible talent! I can now say that I am a fan and will be adding him to my list of performers I regularly listen to. Moist-O-Meter video
Then there was the main attraction; "Weird Al" himself. The concert was incredible as he and his band performed so many of his classic original songs along with so many of his wonderful parodies. For me, it was a performance of a lifetime and I will never forget it as long as I live.

Al came out into the audience during his performance of "One More Minute".

While the majority of the of the merch that was available was too small for a "fluffy" guy like myself, I did decide to pick up one thing that was suggested to me from a friend on Facebook. I got "Weird Al's" set of trading cards. Now, outside of CCG's like Magic the Gathering, I haven't collected regular trading cards for several years... but I had to have these for my collection.


While I had a great time listening and watching the whole concert, there were a couple of things that I didn't enjoy or appreciate about the experience. We paid $100.00 for our tickets to ensure a good place to watch the concert... which I feel like we had a good spot... and our ticket secured us a chair on the amphitheater lawn. As a "fluffy" guy who is now in my 50's, an actual chair to sit in was a necessity.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but what we got was not it. The chairs were hard and plastic and worst of all, they were zip-tied together. This means that there was no room between me and the persons to my left and right... and the concert was a sold out event. When I went to stretch my legs and visit the bathroom late in the event, there were so many people that were standing on the lawn to watch. Considering the length of the concert, I couldn't imagine standing for that long.

Going back to our seats, I feel that the price paid for each ticket would have afforded for a better quality of seats along with the idea of actually being able to be comfortable through the concert. I hope that someone with the staff from Edgefield finds these words and id able to take this complaint forward to those who may be able to make changes for future events.

While I don't go to concerts that often, the seating setup in the one thing that will keep me from going back for any further concerts... no mater how much I would like to go.


Sunday, August 17, 2025

The Tremere had not become a clan

 


The classic World of Darkness (Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Mage: The Ascension, etc.) has a well developed history that is their canon. There are many events throughout its history that help define the entire story, but what if something changed.

For this, I explain my version of what I think would happen had the Tremere not ascended to clanhood. For those who are well versed with the lore of the Tremere know that they used magick in order to become Kindred, but that Tremere himself committed the unthinkable act of diablerie against the antediluvian Saulot in order to cement his bloodline into a fully fledged clan in the eyes of other kindred.


What if something happened to stop Tremere from taking the life and soul of Saulot? This is actually something that my playgroup has put into the canon of our personal World of Darkness history. In our version, character that we were playing in the modern era used some time magick in order to go back to before Tremere was able to finalize his plans of clanhood. While they were successful in stopping him, the consequences of their actions change our version of the World of Darkness history.

Since Tremere never became a full clan, they were never able to gain the full support of other clans to create the Camarilla. As an odd turn of events, this inadvertently had a similar effect when the concept of the Sabbat was proposed. Since there was no Yin of the Camarilla, there wasn't the feeling of creating the Yang of the Sabbat.

With neither of the 2 sects of Kindred being developed, a new concept emerged. A group that was lead by 3 representatives of every clan that were voted upon by there clan. This concept was eventually named The Nephtali.

Praefectus:

An individual elected by his or her clan with a two-thirds vote in favor for sovereignty of seat.  Who is no less than Ancilla in status.  Whose duty is to observe complaints brought to the council, deliberate on resolve of the matter, and judgment.   The Praefectus is entitled to serve his or her clan with unfailing loyalty, uphold the Laws of Caine, and protect the children of Seth.  Each Praefectus holds a one-third share of each vote (Three Praefectus per clan).  Each member will run for a three century term with a limit of three consecutive terms of service.  Once every three hundred years a conclave will be held to nominate, elect and swear in the new Praefectus of each clan.  Praefectus may gather to change the needs of the edicts of Caine as times see fit.  Once these laws have passed with again a two-thirds vote in favor by all clans the Magistrates maybe employed to notify the local government of changes.  Each Praefectus may employ a limit of 5 Magistrates to investigate matters that relate to the council.


Magistrates:

Magistrates are employed by their Praefectus as he or she sees fit.  The primary task of each member is determined by said Praefectus and granted powers of estate as needed to complete council business. Magistrates maybe asked to present evidence to the council to conclude an investigation and hearing of the party in questions or inform local governments of changes made to Cainite Law.


Council:

The council will hear out concerns of magnitude, investigate claims and if needed said council with convene to find a verdict.  The Verdict must be found with at least a two-thirds vote with each clan.  Sentence must be reached by the same two-thirds vote.  The council will also amend Cainite Law if needed.

This started as a Kindred only organization, but eventually the idea included werewolves and then the rest of the Fera. The Fera Council was a separate entity that had similar rules, but did not have the same feel of the Nephtali because the Fera didn't live nearly as long. Also, lack of greater forms of communication for the time made it more difficult for the Fera.

While this concept ended up working for several centuries, just as in all forms of politics, corruption came to the forefront and eventually brought down this form of leadership for the Kindred. This developed into a large scale coup or more of an insurgence against the corruption that led to the downfall of the first iteration of the Nephtali.

After the initial fall of the Nephtali, they were reformed with a similar design except that both Kindred and Fera would work together as opposed to being separate entities. So far, this has continued to work well.


Sunday, August 10, 2025

Star Wars Dark Droids: D-Squad

Title: Star Wars Dark Droids: D-Squad




ISBN: 9781302952082

Price: $17.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2023

Artist:  Salva Espín

Writer: Marc Guggenheim


Rating: 3.5/5


For those who are only casual readers of the Star Wars comic line, the Dark Droids event is the current crossover connecting its various books, focused on a rebellion by sentient machines against their oppressive society. Droid domination hasn’t been a core focus of the Star Wars universe throughout its history, but recent writers (both in comics and novels, as well as film), have found ways to inject this obvious conflict into the larger galactic narrative. Star Wars: Dark Droids D-Squad looked to be a superfluous miniseries tacked on to the event yet turned out to be one of its gems. 

Written by Marc Guggenheim and illustrated by Salva Espín, this four-issue miniseries finds C-3PO and R2-D2 assembling a team of droids to confront the corruption machines are experiencing throughout the galaxy. Eventually, the ramshackle team finds their mission bringing them to Jabba’s palace. Numerous beloved droids make an appearance, including Chopper, IG-88, and QT-KT, with some “which droid would win in a fight” fanfare thrown in throughout the entire run. They even find a way to add a little romance into the droid escapades! 

Bing a droid fan, I was pleasantly surprised by this nominally noteworthy run, especially when R2-D2 was given a leading role. The Star Wars droids generally play a supporting role, and to see a whole book focus on their norms and teambuilding skills was entertaining. These short minis tacked on to larger crossovers have a real hit-or-miss quality, with some clearly being published just to entice completists into picking up another set of books. I can confidently say that even those unfamiliar with the larger event would likely enjoy this series, as it efficiently tells its succinct adventure. Salva Espín’s focused and careful line work perfectly complements Guggenheim’s plot direction; the book looks cartoony and fun without breaking out of Star Wars vibe or tone. My daughters, looking over my shoulder while reading this trade, quickly adopted it as their own and begin copying Espín’s great art. I might not be a blurb that makes its way onto the cover of future reprintings, but anytime comics excite the younger set should be seen as a high commendation. 


Saturday, August 9, 2025

I'll be attending Rose City Comic Con 2025

SEPT. 05 -07, 2025
OREGON CONVENTION CENTER
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Portland, OR 97232

For the 10th year, I will be attending Rose City Comic Con as a member of the press. I am very grateful for not only being able to attend as a member of the press, but also to continue the tradition of attending this wonderful event since the beginning.

This year I have had business cards with a QR code for people to access The Nat 20. I'm planning on handing them out to people who we take photos of. I know that last year we were asked about contact information, and simply telling people the website name and address isn't as helpful as being able to put something into their hands.

You can take a look at my past experiences here.

I look forward to attending and am thankful to LeftField Media for again giving me this opportunity.

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: Doctor Aphra and The Enormous Profit

Title: Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: Doctor Aphra and The Enormous Profit




ISBN: 9781302907631

Price: $17.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2021

Artist: Marc Laming, Will Sliney, Kev Walker

Writer: Kieron Gillen


Rating: 3.5/5


I’ve always found Doctor Aphra to be a fun read – even back when she was only making appearances in Darth Vader’s series. She’s a bit of a gray scale character, which admittedly is one of my favorite character types, so I may be a bit biased in liking her. She’s funny, witty, and exceptionally talented at getting herself in over her head.

This volume contains two plots, one (issues 9-13) focuses on Aphra and all the insanity that girl can cause, and the other (Annual #1) is the backstory for Black Krrsantan, which was surprisingly fun to read.

I’ve always wondered what debt Aphra owed Krrsantan (other than money, because I have no doubt that she owes him plenty of credits on top of this mysterious debt), and this single issue story gives us a better idea of what is going on in his life. While I won’t say that I fully understand his motivations now, I do feel that I have a better grasp on them. I still don’t see how Aphra got pulled into the mix of things, but I can see her making the promise she did (because when it comes to saving her skin, she’ll make any promise she has to).

The other plot was a bit more fun, though things got pretty intense surprisingly quickly (well, I really shouldn’t be surprised, like I said Aphra has a talent for getting herself into messy situations). I love that she went all out for this auction, even to the point of dressing up and wearing a mask (which I loved her outfit, and I adore the concept of masquerades). Everything considered, Aphra actually did a pretty good job setting up the auction. And technically it wasn’t her fault that things went downhill as they did (though in retrospect she should have seen it coming, and she did leave that loophole…so…there’s that).

If I hadn’t seen a new issue on the stands this week, I would have been worried that the series was ending. So many things occurred that typically signal the end of a series, such as characters parting ways – perhaps in this case they’re looking for a chance to revamp the series? Triple Zero and Beetee have finally freed themselves from Aphra’s control, and man was that scene intense. I actually love that the droids choose not to kill Aphra, and that it had everything to do with the way she treated them (with respect and a healthy dose of fear). Likewise Black Krrsantan appears to have jumped ship (not literally…though close). This leaves Aphra on her own, which may or may not be safer for her (though my money is on less, since she lost three combat heavy backups).

Now that the dust has settled, I’ll admit I’m curious to see what happens next with Aphra. A lot has changed for her. She’s on her own, Vader may or may not be aware of her being alive (though I’m of the opinion that he always knew she didn’t die), and still appears to be stirring up trouble. Will her three companions (that isn’t quite the right term, but I’m sticking with it) join her again? Or will she be forming a new team?

Captain America: Winter Soldier [Marvel Premier Collection]

Title: Captain America: Winter Soldier [Marvel Premier Collection] ISBN: 9781302964863 Price: $14.99 Publisher/Year: Marvel , 2025 Artist:  ...