*
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!"
