Hearth of Dawn Command

I went to GenCon 2016, briefly, bouncing through on Friday on my way on further east and vacation. All in all, it was a productive and fun gaming day, not least because I explored a new RPG I had discovered called "Phoenix: Dawn Command", from Twogether Studios.

What is Dawn Command?

I could go on at length describing the game and setting, but Geek and Sundry did a nice job of that already. But, in case you don't hit the link, it is a table top role playing game that uses cards instead of dice. That is one thing that sets it apart, but it is also different in that it is when you die that you level up - your character reincarnates after going through mystic training. And you will die, great evil is over running the world and you are part of a group desperately trying to save it.

So, Friday morning, to learn about the game, I joined a session at the table for the game and went through character creation.

Baker Cru...

Cru grew up an orphan in the city of Sunset. He was ethnically from the Grimwald, but never knew anything about his parents or how he ended up in the orphanage. And if anyone there knew, they never told him. As he got older, he found himself working in the kitchens. It made him feel useful, and creative, to try and help feed so many mouths with inconsistent ingredient supplies.

In particular he became quite inventive baking, and when old enough to leave the orphanage Cru apprenticed to a baker near the wharves. He was kept busy all day providing breakfast rolls, meat pies, and loaves for the neighborhood. He loved every minute of it - providing for the city. When his master died unexpectedly, Cru took over the bakery and became a fixture - and Baker Cru was well known throughout the district for the best pastries and pies.

Given his own history, he was quite interested when learned that a maiden a few doors down from the bakery was caring for some orphans in addition to her younger brother. Meridi had 5 kids in her home, and was kept desperately busy caring for them. Cru allowed Meridi to work in the bakery when she could, and took the oldest - Meridi's brother Hakir - as his own apprentice.

It was night when the Bone Legions came to Sunset. Cru was sleeping above his shop, when he was awoken by shouts and noises outside. He rushed to the window and an orange glow to find that many buildings were on fire, including Meridi's place. He rushed to the street to find her with the youngest child, wailing and crying that the other children were still trapped inside. Cru charged into the burning house, and exited with one of the children. He charged back in, and came out again. He returned to the building and heat, again exiting with a child. He never hesitated, even though the entire building was nearly engulfed, and charged back in to find Hakir. Cru never came back out.

...became Hearth of Dawn Command

When you reincarnate as part of Dawn Command, you are placed in a School - essentially your character class - based upon how you died.

• Bitter die in failure. Did Cru fail? He saved 3 children. Despite not getting the 4th, that didn't feel enough like failure.
• Durant die because they weren't strong enough. Cru didn't feel being stronger or tougher could have let him bull through fire like that.
• Elemental die for duty. Cru wasn't compelled or duty bound to enter the home.
• Forceful isn't fast enough or met an obstacle that stopped him. Maybe, if fire was that obstacle.
• Shrouded die for secrets - their discovery or their pursuit. No secrets here.
• Devoted die for others - sacrifice. Cru surrendered himself charging into the flames. He wasn't going to stop as long as there was a chance... he died because that next kid could live. He had died for sacrifice. Devoted it was.

A new member of the Command takes a new name - Cru was no more, he had died. Now he was Hearth, a Devoted of Dawn Command. You also take a talisman weapon - a Talon in game terms. Hearth wears a large baker's knife at his waist.

At the table, with the other players I was with, we next went through creation by drafting cards of key Traits that would be unique within our team, or Wing. As a Devote, I drew from Grace and Intellect cards. There are also Strength cards. As a Devoted, I was to be the healer, but this is a dynamic role not only restoring health to my allies but also taking wounds onto myself and even passing them on to opponents. It promised to be quite active to play.

Drawing Traits, Hearth took on two Graces. In the Crucible, he had trained to be a Commander. Hearth was capable of using his knowledge and mastery of wounds to offer guidance to his Wing - orchestrating the fight to minimize risk and Inspiring the team. For his next Traits Hearth took two Intellect cards. Hearth gained knowledge as a Shaman, having learned of the Grimwald traditions, finally gaining some of his blood heritage within the Crucible. And he had become pensive and somewhat Mysterious with the weight of sacrifice - made and those to come.

From this brief taste of the setting and mechanics, I can definitely see myself playing. What I particularly like about my experience with the game so far:

• While I did not actually get to play with Hearth, the creation process connected with me and Heather feels alive - someone I want to guide through stories at the table
• The cards are critical in giving the game a unique feel. Either in your hand or when discarding for different abilities prompts the player to describe why and how they take effect. Story telling become integral as a result, in a way that feels more visceral than rolling a die and reading the number. And it is always nice to have a variety of game mechanics to experience
• Initiative is handled differently, with what seems a cool mechanism that brings the environment into play (again I didn't play so that is just my impression)
• Also, the Chant offers one of the coolest zombie analogs I've seen in a long time. 

If you get the opportunity. Check out Dawn Command. I know I am glad I did. I will point out that there are some nice player resources at the Twotogether website - some downloads, game play videos, etc. get more of a feel.

GenCon 2015

So, Saturday August 1 was GenCon 2015 in Indianapolis. And I again attended... my 4th of the last 5 years, or maybe 5 in a row. They all sort of blend together. But in a good way. Certainly, I did not take as many pictures as in years past, but that was in no way a judgement on whether there were cool things to see and do.

It was also the second year of taking my youngest daughter. And this year that paid of nicely. It was a con trip wherein I got to have fun largely through her experience, and that made it somehow more special. First though, let's hit the less daughter-y highlights.

Not only do I like games, and books, I also really like RPG books. Even if I never ever play the game. I get inspired, and have fun reading about the settings and matching rules to those settings. Eclipse Phase is a wonderful sci-fi RPG setting presented in books of outstanding quality. And their latest expansion book was out, and in my personal GenCon tradition, I snagged a copy of Firewall to drag home and peruse in detail. If you are not familiar with EP, it is incredibly dense with material and options letting entire campaigns or single sessions be horror, mystery, action,... all with the ability to jump bodies, telepathy, robots, nano-swarms... it is pretty crazy and cool.

Then I discovered a new board game I liked and pick up a copy of Lagoon. It has a few features I like - from a randomly building surface area, beautiful art, simple yet clear rules, strategic options, pretty quick play, and a solo mode. But more important it is desceptively dynamic. You may play with a goal in mind and strive towards it successfully enough to feel you have victory in the bag and then in the last round you may find yourself in last place because of the one element you missed. (As I dramatically learned playing with my daughters when I got home and was soundly trounced.)


I popped by the Patrick Rothfuss' Tinker's Pack space looking for fun stuff to get and support their charitable efforts. Sadly, the booth was much smaller than I recall from past visits, in particular lacking the books I've enjoyed perusing and had hoped to get. I settled for an attractive set of playing cards, just to get something.

Speaking of books, I browsed the writers' section, but little really jumped out at me. I did end up grabbing an anthology of short stories called "Heroes" after a pleasant conversation with Dylan Birtolo, one of the authors, who signed the book for me. A mix of heroic stories, from the mundane to the cape and cowl and everything in between. Fun, light stuff.

There was more I liked, but that probably sums up my key take aways.

So, then, back to my daughter.

We had arranged to meet a friend of mine at the Con, and we all ate lunch together. Just listening her have a full adult conversation in detail about her TaeKwonDo with him was a heart warming experience for this dad. I could have just eaten and never spoken while listening to them, and I doubt lunch could have been better.

I managed to get her interested in Star Trek, by way of starting with The Next Generation via Netflix. Given her age (12) she latched onto young Wesley Crusher, add my following of Tabletop on YouTube and Titansgrave, and she certainly knows who Wil Wheaton is. She realized he was there at GenCon and was quite interested in see if she could meet him. She asked repeatedly all day where he was, as if I had access to his daily calendar. It was amusing, in the way only parenthood can be (not least because I kept wondering if I could meet Laura Bailey to discuss Lemley (Titansgrave) or Critical Role, and was pleased to see River Tam (Summer Glau) even if from 25 feet away, so I guess I've still got the heart of a 12 year old fan, too).

Regardless, we never did meet Wil. BUT, Wesley is not her favorite character on ST:TNG. Sorry Wil, that honor belongs to Deanna Troi. And my daughter flipping through the con catalog discovered that Marina Sirtis would be signing autographs the afternoon we were there as part of a promotion for the game Five Year Mission (couldn't find an official link) - kind of a cool game, actually. It is a cooperative game, with both ToS and TNG crew options, each person plays a crew member trying to overcome the crisis presented, just like episodes in the shows. She was determined to get a signature and meet her, so her big softy of a father bought the game, but then she was the one who had to wait in line since she wanted the autograph. And she did, and had an extended conversation with those in line near her - some serious Trekkers and also someone there from the Philippines. She held her own just fine.

And then she met Marina.

Now, I had become stuck in a line of my own and failed to get back in time, but my daughter related a pleasant and not too short conversation covering things such as my daughter's age (she was notably younger than most of the rest of the line, "Who got you into Star Trek?"), her hair (she recently had it cut and added some blue color "Your mother let you do that to your hair?"), and my daughter did relate that her favorite character was Deanna ("Tell your father he is a good parent," yay me!) Marina signed her character card in the game, and we look forward to playing with it many times. It was a relatively brief interaction that I think was valued highly in my daughter's life, and makes me so pleased as a father for the her she is becoming.

What else? Oh, there was another location in the con with several demo game options going simultaneously. She spent a while there - trying to earn points for a raffle drawing - but one of the tables had a really pleasant group promoting it and we played with them, and my daughter liked the game, so we ended up getting her a copy of Boomtown Bandits. There is a lot to be said for having a product that is just a little different than the usual game (die rolling, but die rolling fast to try to win old west shootouts), but sharing it in a spirit of fun regardless of your age... there's real value there and the crew promoting it deserve kudos from this guy who has done the stand and talk up a product at a con routine. It is not always fun, but they successfully engaged us.

There's the short summary of my one day visit to GenCon 2015. What I did get from the day? Some new game material, and I got to share a day in my daughter's progression to young adulthood. It was a good day.

What is the Heritage of the Confederate Flags?

I would like to concede something I continue to see thrown about by those defending the Confederate Battle Flag. What I concede is that, yes, the flag (that everyone recognizes), and all the others of the Confederate States and their militaries, does in fact represent a heritage beyond that of simple racism. It is true. No doubt about it.

Can you articulate that heritage?
I can.

The heritage of the Confederate flags tell us that a group of people had the courage and bravery to step on to the field of battle and face death and deprivation for their beliefs and their freedom. They stood up for the freedom for men to own and treat other men like cattle and that such freedom was more important than the ideals and strength of the United States of America. The strength of their conviction was such that they turned their back on the U.S. and raised their flag in rebellion. That is the heritage of the flags' origins.

If you search online you will find that the bloodiest day in U.S. history is listed as September 17, 1862. That is the day during the Civil War when the Battle of Antietam took place. Why is that called the bloodiest day? Because historians insist that those killed on both sides were Americans and count them together. This is common practice for evaluating each battle within that conflict. Yet, just as the name of The Civil War is not even accepted by southern historians, there is no agreement on the name of the day. It is the Battle of Sharpsburg for southern history books. The flags in question, and those who revere their heritage, continue to set themselves apart. They honor rebels against America. Yet, in a odd contrast, I would wager that most who hoist a Confederate flag today probably pretends themselves an American Patriot.

So there is plenty of heritage to the flags. And every time I see them, and consider that heritage it infuriates me.

As such, I am infuriated before we even begin to touch on the modern fact that more than a minor portion of the so called patriots who celebrate the heritage of armed treason to defend slavery are still racists today.

I accept no rational defense of these flags beyond immediate historical context (i.e., museums, film, military gaming, etc.). Defending or flying such flags in any other context deservedly invites derision.

The Power of Discontent

Perfection does not exist. In fact it cannot exist, for I would challenge that nothing is 'free from all flaws or defects'.

But that fact cannot, should not, stop someone for seeking the achievement. Taken further, “If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.” (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina). That quote is powerful. Given various goals I have in front of me, I do not want to be content. We should never be content, rather we should be discontent and always look towards perfection.

Yet...

...Still, perfection does not exist, for the common understanding of the idea - 'free from all flaws or defects' - leaves us striving for the impossible. And 'strive' is an excellent word in this context for it carries a negative connotation of strain, effort, or laborious endeavor. Not that such a struggle is not worth it, but instead that there is a sense of  inevitable failure, and such an anticipation of failure can be self creating of defeat. It can de-energize.

So setting a seemingly unachievable goal, can create the condition of inability to reach such a goal. The solution? We should recognize that perfection is not about 'free from all flaws or defects'. No. Instead, we should choose to act within a  process of improving until the focus of our effort can be as free as possible from flaws or defects. As free as possible - this phrasing empowers. It removes the sense of the impossible.

Consider the words of Salvador Dalí “Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.”

What happens when we put this together with the thought of Tolstoy?

Do not fear discontent. If fact, choose discontent. Use it to embrace the process of making things as free as possible from flaws or defects. To be energized to move forward. We should run towards perfection.

Tolstoy's words are correct.
Perfection is not the word for what we want to be.

No. In looking for perfection, we should choose to be discontented.

Chili

So, like many people we cook chili from time to time. And like many people when we cook chili we have a go-to recipe. In our case it is from The Fresh Market 25 Year Anniversary Cookbook. Their Whiskey Chili recipe is really quite good, once we found it we have never tried another.

Of course, with any familiar recipe we do deviate and play with it a bit. Sometimes chorizo goes in the pot for the sausage component. We have found that ancho chili powder is an quite excellent substitute for regular chili powder. A dash of espresso balsamic is subtle, personal, secret ingredient.

This time, we added a chipotle in adobo sauce. Smoky, rich, & tasty - I was very much looking forward to it. And I was not disappointed. With only one pepper added to the full batch, it still added just enough of a hint of flavor change that I was quite pleased with the results.

Here endeth your random food post of the day.

Do The Right Thing

Many moons ago when I was in college, young and convinced of my wisdom and ready to take on the world - as college students are wont to be - I saw the Spike Lee flick "Do the Right Thing". This film led to an extended discussion with my room mate at the time, someone of minority heritage who had grown up in a largely minority neighborhood. It is more than fair to say, that my life experience, despite my confidence and wisdom, was far removed from his frame of reference. Suffice to say, we disagreed.

I refused to believe that someone could so... callously? calmly? obliviously? Take another man's life.

And today we all confront an example nearly scripted out from the movie's scene.
Over a few cigarettes a man died.

Any yet, there is no accountability.

I wish I could find my room mate from so many years ago, and apologize. And tell him he was right. Even now, a quarter of a century later.

My Favorite Movie Scenes (vol 2)

I struggle with what my favorite movies are. People ask me... and I just cannot find a way to rank and sort the many movies I love for many different reasons.

On the other hand, I can put together a list of favorite scenes. Moments that leap out from film into crystallized emotion or thought or acting. Here is round two of this list with 6 more.

*****There are spoilers here. Consider yourself warned.*****

 If you haven't seen a film here. Make it a goal to see it.

These scenes alone make the experience worthy of your time.

Glory (1989)

This movie has some issues, the framing of the ending scene not least, but... "I love the 54th."

Denzel Washington plays Private Silas Trip, an escaped slave who volunteers for an all colored unit raised by the North during the Civil War. Trip resists integration and rejects acceptance by his white officers and by his fellow soldiers. He is a loner, self reliant and independent. He joined for his own personal reasons, not for shared identity or goals. The story progresses, events unfold, and history is told while the characters come together.

Before the climatic engagement, the soldiers of the 54th gather to share in comraderie. There are testimonials,  song, and worship. And Trip has his vulnerability and ache for companionship pulled out of him before the entire unit. He lays himself bare and joins his brothers in arms in an emotional and effective portrayal given an exclamation point by Denzel's wonderful ability to deliver a line:

"I ain't much about no prayin,' now. I ain't never had no family, and... killed off my mama. Well, I just... Y'all's the onliest family I got. I love the 54th. Ain't even much a matter what happens tomorrow, 'cause we men, ain't we? We men."

A man and a people given the freedom to display strength, pride, and character.

The Fall (2006)

(This, IMO, is a much watch film if you have not seen it.)

This is set in the early 1900s at the dawn of the Hollywood movie boom. A young immigrant girl, Alexandria, is in a hospital when she meets another patient - a stuntman named Roy. The story's outline is that Roy begins telling the girl a story of flamboyant heroes in an epic tale. This is done to entertain her and manipulate her into helping him get opium. The young actress (Catinca Untaru) is tremendously adorable as little Alexandria and just eats up screen time. Pair that with a visually stunning film - locations, costumes, colors... and it is an excellent movie.

The scene that matters comes  near the end. Roy has become increasing despondent, with both his own situation and with what he has done to Alexandria. He wishes to end the story, but she insists on completing it. His sadness and angry bleeds into the narrative and hence into Alexandria. She sits by him, crying and pleading for the story (and Roy) to become bold and happy again with a power that is so moving that I fall for it every time.

I am Legend (2007)

Okay, the movie is not faithful to the literary source but despite that, I can forgive it for being good at what it is.

Will Smith plays Robert Neville, the last 'man' left alone in a New York after a plague. (Disclaimer, in the written source it is a spread of vampirism, the movie makes it zombie-like.)

This film is wonderful at displaying Robert Neville's determined isolation, loneliness, and longing. His companion dog, Samantha, is the focal point of this and wonderfully scripted and filmed as a character in her own right holding up his sanity in the face of his stress, grief, and horror. But dogs are not immune, and when Samantha sacrifices herself to protect Neville it leads to a heart wrenching scene as his last friend leaves and becomes a foe. No other response is possible than to cry watching such sacrifice and loss.

Gladiator (2000)

The opening sequence to Gladiator is visually stunning. The might of Rome intruded upon a wilderness, grinding the woods of Germania to mud and tree stumps in an inevitable tide. The tribes shout their defiance, and the legion stares unmoved.

"A people should know when they're conquered"

And then the real organization, determination, efficiency of Rome is displayed as the technology, planning, & logistics are artfully portrayed with slick direction and stunning force. There is no doubt why Rome strode the Earth as they did.

(And I think they did know they were conquered.  But what choice did they have?)

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."

Trapped and certainly doomed, as for once Scotty cannot work a miracle to save the ship, Spock seals himself in a certainly deadly situation and proceeds to save the ship. The joy of survival is destroyed as Kirk comes to face the dying Spock through a window, and he is powerless. Spock places his hand against the window in the classic Vulcan position and dies saying "Live long and prosper."

Years of shared experience as a viewer of the series encapsulate all the emotional investment into show, setting, and characters in that one moment. It benefits from nice pacing of the moment, and a brevity of dialogue delivered with some of the best acting those involved ever managed together. I admit I teared up the first time I saw it, and I still do today.

(They never should have brought Spock back. It was one of the truly great character deaths on screen.)

(Oh, and JJ Abrams can just suck it.)

Star Trek: The Next Generation "Family" S4:E2 (1990)

Okay, this is not a "movie scene", I know, but it is a scene worthy of being highlighted in this list without question.

The Season 3 Finale and Season 4 first episode is as fine a dramatic and action filled story in all of Star Trek. And Episode 2 is a critical component of that story arc, it is the heart and soul of what makes the previous episodes' succeed in my opinion.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard has recently been rescued from incorporation within the Borg (Season 3 finale and Season 4 first episode in as fine a dramatic and action filled story in all of Star Trek). The Enterprise returns to Earth for repairs, and Picard takes leave to the surface and returns to the family vineyards now run by his brother Robert. He connects with his nephew, his sister-in-law, and struggles with the idea of leaving Starfleet after his recent travails. Robert stalks around the scenes gruff and dour as any Klingon...

And then the scene: the brothers come to blows, wrestling in the mud of a French vineyard. When they stop to talk, there is a powerful heartfelt brother-to-brother conversation that rings far too true-to-life. Picard sobs and cries, pouring out his humanity and weakness in some wonderful acting:

"They took everything I was. They used me to kill and to destroy and I couldn't stop them. I should have been able to stop them. I tried. I tried so hard. But I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't good enough! I should have been able to stop them. I should... I should..."

and his brother says the things that need to be said, in the way they need saying.

"So... my brother is a human being after all.

This is going to be with you a long time, Jean-Luc.

A long time."

Depth of character, family dynamics, and tough love classically depicted.

And the definitive moment for me in what makes Jean-Luc Picard The Best.