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So long and thanks for all the fangs – The end of a chronicle in my life.

Nov2

So, way back in 2003, my life took an interesting path after a random encounter at a pizza shop.

I overheard some people chatting about a rather unusual subject, vampires, specifically a game called Vampire: The Masquerade.
This piqued my curiosity, as up until then my only exposure to it being VtM Redemption on PC.
After a comment on the unusual subject matter, they invited me to join them to chat.
I ended up going to my first ever role-playing game that very weekend.

I tried a few game sessions, and then I joined a LARP organisation then called The Camarilla (White Wolf Fan-Club of Australia).
Back then I had a lot of fun with them for the most part, it was a strange and new world for me.

The club was the reason I took my first voyage towards inner Melbourne by myself (to visit a neighbouring game, since back then we actually had two here running  together,) it was also the reason for my first interstate trip for a big event up in Canberra.
However it was around then I should have realised that maybe the club wasn’t the supportive element it appeared to be.

While I was up there at this particular big event, due to all the stress, the unknown, the unfamiliar, with no way to recover, I had a rather significant depressive episode.
What made it worse was the fact that I actually got reprimanded for my distressing behaviour..
I should have known then what I know now, that it was not the right place for me.

Over the next few years we shifted over to a new game system, then referred to as the New World of Darkness, I made many friends, but the good couldn’t last.
A lack of developed social skills, misunderstandings, and so on, ended up with me being suspended from the club for 6 months.
Straight away my social-life was ripped away from me, my apparent friends didn’t want to have anything to do with me, it was an agonising time and I was resentful for it.

When I returned, things were different, people were different, I was different.
Some time later things started splintering, and the majority of the core local club members decided to go off and form their own new organisation, where they didn’t have to bother with interstaters.

After that, the local Beyond the Sunset domain was never really the same, members left, and I was left behind.
I pretty much lost touch with the rest of the people who pulled me in to the World of Darkness, they left, they didn’t want to maintain connections.
Eventually I unfriended them on Facebook, there was nothing left there for me.

I tried to keep things going here in Melbourne for BtS, but the people who remained up and left.
The club domain closed and I continued with a troupe game using the newest rules and doing what I thought people wanted.
I kept that up for over a year, yet numbers dropped to the point it wasn’t worth continuing.

Most recently there was an attempt to get things running again, via use of an independent domain of the club, with the power of the internet to run games, and the potential for running connected local live sessions.
However the direction it ended up taking proved to not be beneficial for my headspace.
What was once intended to give people without a domain a chance to play ended up as something allowing people from all the domains to play, completely drowning out those like myself.
So I started pulling back.

The online communication medium chosen was constantly flooded by conversation between really enthusiastic people, I was drowning in it.
There was nothing really holding me with the first online game that was chosen to run (voted for by people not of the domain) with no buy-in, no connections despite having a chronicle length character from the past few years. So I left the server, nobody seems to have noticed.

I left the Facebook group, because it was no longer a place just for domain members, but for everyone, and I had no friends there, so I left it, nobody seems to have noticed.

I even wanted to try and get something running locally, but no real traction, and I could see that I’d have to fight the club to get what I envisioned.

And so, with this, after thirteen years, with very little to show for it, with people not even acknowledging what I’ve attempted to do with no training or support, with people not even giving a damn that I’m no longer there – I leave the club that could have been so much more, but ultimately ended up a disappointing failure in my times of need.

I’m walking away from Beyond The Sunset, the club formerly known as The Camarilla (White-Wolf Fan Club of Australia) back when I first joined over a decade ago.
This is my way of burning that final bridge and saying farewell.

I do hope that with those few true friends I’ve made over the years, who’ve stuck with me, who still talk to me, that we can stay in touch and have good times.
It just won’t be in a club that no longer resembles what I first joined.

For the last time,
AU2003100609

Post Beerkips, Post Lan, Post sleeplessness.

Jun11

Well it has been a long and sleepless past week.

First I turned 27 as I already posted. I managed to get a Boost for my birthday and all, so kinda special.

Then over the next few days I had issues with getting up late and stuff, eventually staying up from 9:30pm on wednesday night all the way till thursday night when I crashed out totally.

Friday it was when the Beerkips struck. Suffice to say the turnout was larger than expected.

The following attended, in no particular order, and well I probably forgot a few people, but if you let me know I’ll add you in to the listing just because I can edit this thing.

  • Bruno
  • Mr. Vos
  • Lawrence
  • Linda
  • R4N|307|
  • Mang
  • Ithuriel
  • Sando
  • Wolfmother
  • Sparks
  • Luke
  • Chris
  • z_brutalis

As I said, I’ve most likely left some people off the list, don’t get offended, just let me know and I’ll add you in later.

Let’s see, that night a had around 3 vodka and Vs, a sip of peppermint vodka (that stuff is hideously vile, transmission fluid would be better) and of course a Jager Bomb.
Not exactly a heavy night of drinking, but then I don’t usually touch alcohol.

A good night indeed.
Not to mention it was fun watching the normals start to walk in to the bar (270 Russell Street, So Bar, go there) and then walk out when they realised the roleplaying/lanning/channing crowd alongside the metal backing tracks.

There was also fire.

Of course I only got around 3 hours sleep that night as brutalis crashed at my house on the spare bed before wanting to try and get to his fiance’s place by 11… then of course I went to help run my Mage: The Awakening game at the same bar that evening, before heading to the Requiem game before piking out.

I crashed early that night due to a headache and got around 12 hours sleep prior to packing my gear on sunday morning and driving to south gippsland for a lan.

I’m not really sure what the lan was called, other than it was in Leongatha with a bunch of people I haven’t really seen in years, but it was awesome.

I will expand further on things when I need to, but that’s good coverage methinks.

Also R4N is good at spilling drinks over everybody, and Wolfmother is good at not holding his alcohol within himself.

Mage The Metalling pt. 2

May22

This is just a small reminder for people, and to let anyone else who might be interested know.
Basically we’re once again running weekly mini-games at our usual mage venue.
Sparks is now available for them, and well it gives people a chance to get together and hang out as well.

Now surprise surprise, unlike usual, some of the others and I agreed on a bit of a premise for tonight.
Usually the characters end up doing a simple bar crawl looking for trouble, but for a change we have something different.
A set bar, location and host of sorts.

Awhile back there was this wonderful metal club hosted over on Exhibition street on Thursday nights called Ragnarok.
Despite the fact that it’s essentially something else somewhere else in the real-world, I figured this could work quite nicely.
As for a reason why your character might be compelled to visit this location on such a night, think of it as a twist of Fate.

OOC premise is basically we get together, take care of whatever needs to be taken care of, downtime stuff etc.
Kicks off sometime after 6pm (depends really when people get to the venue) at 270 Russell in the CBD.

And unlike usual, the music should be significantly different to your standard bar scene.
I hope you can stand it.

Or just come along anyway, mage player or not, and hang out with good people.

Mage: The Metalling

May20

Well been awhile since last post but I’ll try to put things in perspective in a way you can understand.

The local Mage game now has sessions on Thursday nights where people can take care of stuff once more.
Metalocalypse is Awesome
I am creating a mage inspired by Dethklok to host this Thursday’s session for fun.
The session requires a backdrop of brutal music to provide ambiance and set the mood.
It must be Brutal.

So with those things in mind, I present the following playlist for your critical inspection.
It’s far from confirmed or finish, and if it was just a matter of using my iPod, that’d be easy and not brutal.

See what you think and possibly make some suggestions, though I can’t promise I’ll pay attention or even add them.

    1. Meshuggah – Personae Non Gratae (1:47)
    2. In Flames – Coerced Coexistence (4:14)
    3. Dark Tranquillity – Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive) (4:24)
    4. Opeth – Heir Apparent (8:50)
    5. Dark Tranquillity – Lost To Apathy (4:36)
    6. Children Of Bodom – Northern Comfort (3:50)
    7. Suffocation – souls to deny (5:43)
    8. Opeth – The Grand Conjuration (10:21)
    9. Therion – Morbid Reality (6:04)
    10. Opeth – The Lotus Eater (8:50)
    11. Heaven Shall Burn – The Weapon They Fear (4:38)
    12. Dethklok – Awaken (3:37)
    13. Therion – Time Shall Tell (5:07)
    14. Children Of Bodom – Blooddrunk (4:05)
    15. Meshuggah – Terminal Illusions (3:47)
    16. In Flames – I’m The Highway (3:41)
    17. Dew-scented – Slaughtervain (4:19)
    18. Opeth – Beneath the Mire (7:57)
    19. Therion – Cthulhu
    20. Opeth – The Amen Corner (8:43)
    21. Dethklok – Dethharmonic (4:30)
    22. Dark Tranquillity – The New Build (4:06)
    23. Opeth – Blackwater Park (12:08)
    24. Dethklok – Into the Water (4:20)
    25. Suffocation – Immortally Condemned (6:02)
    26. Dethklok – Thunderhorse (2:45)
    27. Mnemic – dreamstate emergency (5:18)
    28. Opeth – Wreath (11:10)
    29. Dethklok – Fansong (2:52)
    30. Soilwork – Stabbing The Drama (4:31)
    31. Kataklysm – As I Slither (2:56)
    32. In Flames – F(R)Iend (3:27)
    33. Devildriver – Hold Back The Day (4:14)
    34. In Flames – My Sweet Shadow (4:38)
    35. Therion – The Return (5:13)

Noctis Personæ: The Beginning

Apr24

Well in just under 140 minutes, Noctis ’08 AKA Wintercon, begins.

We’re starting off with a nice little welcome dinner at the Duke, but the real festivities begin tomorrow.

A whole pile of interstaters are heading in, have headed in and a lot of people are going to get drunk and party.

And just because I could, I decided to buy something special for this weekend.

My werewolf Rahu is a bit of a metal-head, so he likes his leather and spikes, and I figured it was about time I upgraded his wardrobe.

So I went and bought me a nice new metal studded vambrace which can be found here.

I was a bit concerned that the upper diametre was going to be a bit much for my arm, but it actually fits rather well. Still not sure on the appropriate method for lacing them up.

Still things should get interesting. All going well on Saturday I’ll be able to arrange a couple of cakes for the Apostate meeting.

Much fun to be had.

Upcoming events of gaming type nature.

Apr15

I figured that with the small presence I’ve managed to attain here without having to spam all the time, that people might pay attention to a few things.

First up, this Thursday at the So Bar, 270 Russell street Melbourne Australia, we have a chance to just chill.
These are the nights when a bunch of us gamers just get together, watch anime, play some wii and just hang out.
Things generally start around 6 or 7pm, and go on towards midnight.

Then on the Friday night, at the Belgian Beer Cafe, we have Beerkips: The Returning (Fuck Yeah!)
Well it’s not really an official sequel, just a different bunch of gamers hanging out and drinking and stuff, as covered in my previous post found here.
This supposedly starts around 6:30pm

Nothing really planned this weekend, though I think my parents will be in town, and I suppose being sociable with them would work nicely.

Next week we have similar events, So Bar on the Thursday, and probably Beerkips: Because Moar on the Friday.

But this is where things get mixed up a bit, I probably won’t be attending either of these drinking nights for one simple reason: Noctis Personæ 2008!

Starting on the Thursday night with a welcome dinner and stuff (if I get bored I might head to the So Bar anyway), then with games such as Mage: The Awakening and Changeling: The Lost all weekend, finishing on Monday with a farewell dinner.

If you’re a member of the Camarilla (sounds wanky doesn’t it when I put it this way) and you’re going to be in town, and have some time spare time, go and register here and help us get the numbers up.
There’s a timetable and everything.

If you’re going to be playing more than 2 sessions (as in more than 1 genre) I suggest shelling out for the All Sessions Pass, as beyond 3 sessions it’s the most economical.

If I get bored I’ll probably head home or something early I guess.

Anyway, that’s what’s coming.

AmK

Noctis Personae is coming!

Mar28

Just a heads up to people that the Australian Camarilla’s yearly event Wintercon is just around the corner.
Due to Melbourne hosting it again it’s reverted back to the name of Noctis and it’s on.

Details can be found over at this place the official website for it.

We’ve got some interesting times planned with two games each of Mage: The Awakening, Vampire: The Requiem, Changeling: The Lost, and Werewolf: The Forsaken lined up.

I’ve tried to be involved with organising things, but to be honest I think my input’s being ignored, so if anything goes wrong it’s not my fault ok.

After a year of being the only local Mage storyteller I’m now playing things again, helping if needed but mainly just playing.

Anyway more people should make things interesting, come specifically to Mage and Changeling, I want to prove that those are better than Vampire as a draw-card.
You might even get to meet Mr. Jack, he has Cake.

I can be so lazy sometimes I forget to waste time.

Jan23

Well it’s been quite an interesting past months indeed, so much that I was too lazy for this, even on those days I was being extra lazy.

Anyway, GuildWars: Eye of the North was released, and it is indeed grand. I even purchased the GotY upgrade thingy for the core game, granting me a heap of pointless weapons, just ’cause I could.

I have a pre-paid visa now, it lets me buy things without letting people leach all my money (well not all of it).

I moved from my place up in Coburg down to share a flat with my dad in Oakleigh. This place is cool in the summer due to awesome brick walls, you shall worship them now.

My car is fully functional and people have been taking a lot of advantage of that. But no more, you want me to drive you somewhere you hand over petrol money up front. That’s fair.

Hellgate: London was released here on the 30th of October. I have been playing a lot of it and enjoying it, so much so that I shelled out the clams required to become a Founder, which allows me to be an elitist prick and lord it over everyone.
Fear my lifetime subscription!

Just recently we hosted the January Premium Weekend for the Camarilla, it went well, no PCs died as a result of my actions and everyone seemed satisfied with it.

I suppose I should post more, but well I want to play some more Hellgate. I mean Stonehenge just got released for it 😀

Just two weekends past, Respawn v6 was held up at Bundoora. Now if I was ignorant of how much gamers like porn, I wasn’t afterwards. I must have uploaded something like 50 or so gigs of straight porn.
I wasn’t advertising or anything, people just like porn.

I also got to play some Naval Combat with my new clan/cult, FUMM, AKA Fucked Up Monkey Meat.
So far this only involves my previous housemate Vortex Vandle, but we managed to scrounge up a couple of randoms so we could stick it to the admins. Due to rules changing and not being clear and whatnot, things didn’t really go anywhere. But we so pwned them good.

Vortex also liked bread.

So until later, when I might even be wearing pants, adios!

Mysterium Magnum Winter Premium weekend.

Jun30

Well it’s fast approaching, as in it’ll be here in about a week, so I figured I’d mention a few things on my blog if any of you reading this are in the Camarilla, and are likely to be in Melbourne next weekend.

Melbourne Premium Weekend 6 – 8 July 2007

Big fancy type event thing where you can play three games on one weekend, here in Melbourne, our public transport is gold and win.
Friday night – Mage 7pm to 11pm

The Free Council, with the support of Shearer, Horner and Slaine (whether or not those mages like it), are hosting a charity gambling festival type thing. All Awakened are welcome. Come one, come all, bid some money and help some disadvantaged minority group somewhere in the world.

Also come because I’m running the damn event as storyteller, supported by my capable AVSTs.
And remember, attempting to break the game with copious amounts of cheese will force me to respond in kind… and you can’t afford the kind of cheese I can for my NPCs, so play nice.

Really the best time prior to the madness at conclave later this year for order mages to get together and plot shenanigans and kill the Wicked Witch of the West (beware Perthians, I just doomed you.)

So come along or I beat you with something sharp and pointy.

Saturday night – Vampire 7pm to 11pm

Some kinda black and white ball thing to commemorate a whole bunch of unaligned vamps getting gacked after they nuked the local Carthian ruler-ship.

Come and enjoy a game hosted by my compadre, Jason Chapel. There be vampires.

Sunday Afternoon – Werewolf 1pm to 5pm

Ok, I have no idea what the premise for this session is to be. It involves werewolves, it involves spirits (big war going on between fire and ice, with violence siding with ice… it’s not my fault.)

My somewhat deranged chain-wielding rahu who likes to swear at people will be there.

Come along or else our NMC will beat you with his NMC stick (might be made of meat, I just don’t want to find out.)
That and my other associate, Alicia, will be running it. Word has it she likes kissing girls and gets rather tanked rather easily, one possibly precluding the other. So if you like potential girl on girl action (no promises for aforementioned girl on girl action actually happening, I don’t have that kinda power.) or just playing big furry combat monsters (no, not furries, werewolves,) then come to this game.

I asked Alicia what the premise for the sessions was, her response being along these lines:

<Zoi> Sure. Guarding and taking back across the Gauntlet those humans who’ve taken Embalmer and dealing with the spirit who’s hunting them in the Hisil for those who want combat, and the treaty with the Pure for those who don’t want combat.
<Zoi> Though given what a couple of people have said about their PCs opinions of the treaty, that may very well turn into a combat plot as well.
<Zoi> We’ll see.
<Zoi> As the locations for both plots are close to each other, there’s also the option for PCs to move between plots if they wish.need to.

Should be all on it. Come and play and stuff and I promise I won’t kill your characters unless you do something really stupid (opening a portal into the heart of the sun would probably count as stupid.)

Money goes away as fast as it arrives.

Jun28

Well, an interesting day yesterday (well technically but I haven’t been to bed yet.)

First up in the morning I got a new electronic ignition module installed in my car. Now my car works again, at least for now it does. $300 down from that.

And of course the website for Australian Camarilla Conclave (ACC) went totally live and stuff and well suffice to say I’m registered and paid for, another $80 down from that.

Oh and today Transformers opens, so I’m supposedly going to go and meet up with a bunch of people from Respawn (7th and 8th of July at Bundoora, well worth the money.)  at Northlands to go and see it, supposedly around 9am (so not looking forward to another early morning.) If you go, look for the geeky looking people, that’s us.

And I been having much fun in guildwars lately.

Till later.