Sagiro's Story Hour: The FINAL Adventures of Abernathy's Company (FINISHED 7/3/14)

[thatdarncat]

Awesome Thank you so much!

 

[Sagiro]

radich, I really appreciate you taking the time to write all of that. I always feel a bit sheepish when someone says such nice things. You're certainly right about my players; I know I've said this before, but they were incredibly supportive and engaged... for fifteen years! I couldn't have run the game for so long (and probably wouldn't have bothered, even if I could) had I not had such a wonderful group of players. Not to mention that everything I learned about DM-ing, I learned from one my players -- Piratecat -- in whose own D&D games I have been so fortunate to play.

But don't leave your wife!

Long time lurker, first time poster...

Dear Sagiro

I came upon your story some years ago, while rummaging through ENworld. Quickly and surely I determined that here was a story worth reading and over the years I have never come to regret it. It has been about 25 years since I picked up my first fantasy novel - and in turn got hooked on the whole reading thing. Having a that time been a boy of 10, and hated everything related to reading. Fantasy has never abandoned me since, and I still take great pleasure in stories about dragons and wizards and what-not.

But I must take my hat off to you sir - for you have enlightened me and taken the concept of fantasy to a whole new level. The immersion that you provide to us as readers in breathtaking, the visualization that your descriptions spring to mind are amazing. Add to this the depth of character development, and the ability to include and encourage your players in astounding. As pure icing on the cake, I am taken back by the plot-turns and villains you create and the level of complexity that you end up achieving (despite your responses over the years, that you only develop them as needed).

I stand in awe of you and salute you for your work. You have inspired me as a GM to do more for my players. You have kept me on the edge of my seat, hoping for another update - and eventhough I am already underway with my third re-read of the material available so far, it hasn't gotten the least bit tiresome yet.

It's one thing to be a good GM and have a lot of fancy work laid out for the taking - it's another to be blessed with players such as yours. For all the hard work, that you have put into orchestrating this campaign - you players have been there to back you the entire time. And were it not for their deeply commited involvement and drive, everything might have turned out differently. So my hat as well, goes off to every single player with the greatest of respect. You make me strive to be better as a player, with the examples that you set!

With my final dying words, I just want to surmise everything that I have written above into a small easy to understand metaphor. I am not a religious man - I do not believe in a higher power in any way. But if given the oppotunity to sit at your table, and play with this group of people - I would be willing to leave my wife, my kids and travel the 3600 miles needed to be there.

That is my level of respect and admiration for what you have given onto us, your humble and thankfull readers.

Sincerly Mads Radich

 

[Everett]

Okay, my turn.

I first happened on the Story Hour in 2005, which is almost a decade ago. Since then I've moved from San Francisco to New York city; I've gone through dozens-on-hundreds of different work gigs, plays, relationships, creative projects. I played my last tabletop D&D game in 2008, and though I grew up immersed in fantasy literature I read very little of it these days. There is really nothing at all that I can point to as a constant through all of those transitions.

Except Abernathy's company.

I grew to know all of these characters intimately (as any reader does, when the imagined world becomes to them tangible and enduring and a thing beyond the author's control), and I can look back at the Company's exploits like milestones of my own. When Grey Wolf (nearly) died to prevent Naradawk's return, I was there; when they learned of Mokad's possession of Praska, I was there, and through the Ritual of Seven Stars to banish him from her body, and the Black Circle's discovery, and the 18-second battle to destroy them. I was there when Grey Wolf mysteriously chose a monkey as a familiar, and when Bostock began to speak, and when they met the boy wizard Wellington and his stupid spider familiar. I was watching when Farazil nonchalantly possessed Ernie's mom to make first friendly contact, and when Sagiro Emberleaf returned from the dead. I explored the Crosser's Maze. I was with them when they first met Cranchus; I pondered the tragic tale of Condor and grappled with Moirel. I watched Kibi sink into the ground for the very first time (he played tag with Scree). I was wary of Parthol Runecarver, and always enjoyed seeing the eyeless butler Eddings or the condescending genie, Al-Tarqohz. I witnessed the scene from somewhere behind the Heroes' Feast table when One Certain Step took his final step, and I still remember how magnificent it felt. I remember when Abernathy died.

Each of those is a moment, and there are many more, like pearls I happen across from time to time, and inspect, and find that they still shine.

It is strange to me that the story is done, that in the future I won't read new installments of it. And it's strange that we'll never know if Kay, Morningstar and Dranko chose to return to life, if they ever got out of the Underdark. They'll all always be finally lost, in some sense. Or so it seems to me. Writ in water...

...but like the Crosser's Maze, like the ocean, the story cannot be given. Only found.


--Everett

 

[Sagiro]

Everett, you have long been one of my most perceptive and detail-attentive readers, and your comments over the years have always shown an accurate insight into my own thought processes. I'm glad you stuck with it through to the end, and I thank you for all of your thoughtful and encouraging commentary.

It is strange to me, too, that it's all over.

Okay, my turn.

I first happened on the Story Hour in 2005, which is almost a decade ago. Since then I've moved from San Francisco to New York city; I've gone through dozens-on-hundreds of different work gigs, plays, relationships, creative projects. I played my last tabletop D&D game in 2008, and though I grew up immersed in fantasy literature I read very little of it these days. There is really nothing at all that I can point to as a constant through all of those transitions.

Except Abernathy's company.

I grew to know all of these characters intimately (as any reader does, when the imagined world becomes to them tangible and enduring and a thing beyond the author's control), and I can look back at the Company's exploits like milestones of my own. When Grey Wolf (nearly) died to prevent Naradawk's return, I was there; when they learned of Mokad's possession of Praska, I was there, and through the Ritual of Seven Stars to banish him from her body, and the Black Circle's discovery, and the 18-second battle to destroy them. I was there when Grey Wolf mysteriously chose a monkey as a familiar, and when Bostock began to speak, and when they met the boy wizard Wellington and his stupid spider familiar. I was watching when Farazil nonchalantly possessed Ernie's mom to make first friendly contact, and when Sagiro Emberleaf returned from the dead. I explored the Crosser's Maze. I was with them when they first met Cranchus; I pondered the tragic tale of Condor and grappled with Moirel. I watched Kibi sink into the ground for the very first time (he played tag with Scree). I was wary of Parthol Runecarver, and always enjoyed seeing the eyeless butler Eddings or the condescending genie, Al-Tarqohz. I witnessed the scene from somewhere behind the Heroes' Feast table when One Certain Step took his final step, and I still remember how magnificent it felt. I remember when Abernathy died.

Each of those is a moment, and there are many more, like pearls I happen across from time to time, and inspect, and find that they still shine.

It is strange to me that the story is done, that in the future I won't read new installments of it. And it's strange that we'll never know if Kay, Morningstar and Dranko chose to return to life, if they ever got out of the Underdark. They'll all always be finally lost, in some sense. Or so it seems to me. Writ in water...

...but like the Crosser's Maze, like the ocean, the story cannot be given. Only found.


--Everett

 

[Everett]

Everett, you have long been one of my most perceptive and detail-attentive readers, and your comments over the years have always shown an accurate insight into my own thought processes. I'm glad you stuck with it through to the end, and I thank you for all of your thoughtful and encouraging commentary.

Anytime.

 

[Chronikoce]

I cannot believe it is finally over. Thank you for continuing until the end and an even bigger thank you to your players for sticking with a game for so many years so that such an amazing story could unfold. I can't wait for some free time so that I can read through StevenAC's awesome compilation.

As for your books, I'll definitely keep lurking around the threads and hopefully one day see that you have one ready for us to buy!

My final thank you is for creating unique and terrifying creatures that I can use to torment my poor players with when I DM!

 

[StevenAC]

*standing ovation*

Congratulations, Sagiro, on providing this Story Hour with such an epic conclusion. I particularly like the fact that you didn't go for the "happily ever after" ending. The Company achieved everything they set out to do and saved the world, but the cost was high and even the survivors remain trapped (for the forseeable future, at least) beneath the Iron Barrier, meaning their journey through it really did turn out to be as irrevocable as advertised.

Thank you, as always, for the nice things you persist in saying about me... For your information and/or bogglement, the completed Story Hour will contain well over 900,000 words -- that's nearly twice the length of The Lord of the Rings! And given that Part One, which was initially written in a much more condensed fashion, contains more than half of the campaign's 266 sessions, my guess is a full-length telling of the tale would have ended up over 1.25 million... I'm eagerly looking forward to reading your novels based on the campaign, to flesh out the story of those early days.

I love rereading through the story -- there always seems to be more things to discover. It was literally just a week or so ago that it finally dawned on me just who Aravis's mysterious benefactor in the Crosser's Maze had to be, as I was flicking through the early chapters of Part Three. When I suddenly realised the significance of the line about how he "missed the ocean" (page 62), I'm surprised you didn't hear the forehead-slap all the way over there in Boston. Bringing back Abernathy for a final appearance to tie up the last loose ends was wonderfully well done.

The final(!!) part of the Collected Story Hour should be done soon, and I'll post in your new thread when it's ready. For the moment, let me just offer this little tribute in musical form (for anyone who wants to sing along, here's a karaoke version). I hope you enjoy it!

If you want to make a story...
(with apologies to Sir W.S. Gilbert)

If you want to make a story that will be a thing of glory
in the realm of RPGs,
You must start out with a world, to be gradually unfurled,
that's packed with mysteries.
You must find a bunch of players who will work with you and stay as
their PCs will learn and grow and change,
With all the complications and surprising revelations
that your cunning can arrange.

And ev'ryone will say, As you play your epic way,
"If this campaign builds multi-year plots with dreams and prophecy,
Why, what a very singularly deep campaign
this deep campaign must be!"

Have monsters great and small bringing menace unto all
that the Company hold dear,
And some villains to despise, each of whom's deserved demise
receives a hearty cheer.
Their triumphs will then send them onward to the end
that they're fated to decide;
From humble pawns, they'll become the fatal thorns
in the Adversary's side.

And ev'ryone will say, As you play your epic way,
"If this inventive group shows off all that's good in D&D,
Why, what a very wonderfully fun campaign
this fun campaign must be!"

Then with eloquent expression after every gaming session
you must write up what transpires,
Thus providing the redaction of the table interaction
that your readership admires.
We can relive every moment from their earliest opponent
to the final clash of power;
With the gripping storytelling and the characters compelling
it's a classic Story Hour.

And ev'ryone will say, As you play your well-told way,
"If this campaign has resulted in a tale that's as good as I've ever seen,
Why, what a most spectacularly great campaign
this great campaign has been!"

 

[Quartz]

I don't have the eloquence of the others, so I will again just say thank you.

 

[Everett]

For your information and/or bogglement, the completed Story Hour will contain well over 900,000 words -- that's nearly twice the length of The Lord of the Rings!

"One does not simply Wind Walk into Mordor!"

 

[Teflonknight]

Congratulations on an excellent adventure and know that you have a guaranteed book sale from me.