Book Review: Discworld 3: 'Equal Rites' by Terry Pratchett

“...she was opposed to books on strict moral grounds, since she had heard that many of them were written by dead people and therefore it stood to reason reading them would be as bad as necromancy.”
― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

Eskarina Smith was gifted at birth with the magic of a wizard. The problem is that there's never been a female wizard before, and a lot of people won't hold with it.

Discworld Reviews

“...it is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done.”
― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

I actually finished reading Equal Rites some time ago, but I fell into something of another bout of depression and was finding it hard to focus on actually writing up my review.

If you're just joining me, and haven't seen my other Discworld reviews, allow me to restate my goal: I am intending to read through the complete Discworld series (41 books) and review each of them here. 

My other reviews so far include:

1. The Color of Magic
2. The Light Fantastic

A book that's actually about something

“They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.”
― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

While The Color of Magic had a lot of fun moments and The Light Fantastic was a fun adventure, neither of them really seemed to

RPGs, Time, and an Unsolvable Problem

 This morning on Facebook, I saw it was the birthday of a friend who I haven't seen since I was in high school. I thought about the fact that I'd recently seen that he'd gotten married (and by recently, I mean at least a year and a half ago, because I remember it being at least a few months before the plague.) My brain reacted to me thinking of him being married with that's not right. 

And it got me thinking about how we see time when it comes to people we don't interact with very often.

For people we don't interact with, we expect time to remain stationary/we don't expect their lives to progress.

We know that this isn't the case, but it's a phenomenon that I've had multiple people mention to me. They (we) are surprised when a cousin who they have only seen at family gatherings is grown up, or when they find that major life events have

Last Legend 10: Inside the Box

The team finds out what's in the box and rushes to beat the Company of Midnight

Session Date (Real Life): 03/13/2021

Begin (Game Date): 10/21/520 3:00

End (Game Date): 10/29/520 14:00

Player Level: 2   

Total XP: 5

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 9: Bellum Speaks

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

Or, go to the Last Legend Glossary, here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/p/last-legend-glossary.html

Tyosa Doska and Kesua both emerged in the group's room in the Broken Stein Tavern, where Arthur Grant, Aanso, and Balthazar had been staying. As they emerged, Balthazar vanished, and the Dochysh Jeq (the mysterious jewel-embedded metal spike which was now tied to their fates) glowed with a purple light.

The group caught up Tyosa and Kesua on what had been going on with the robots, Bellum, and Molly, as well as their plans to accompany Molly to Vanguard City. Tyosa revealed that, in the crystal space, he had had visions of a great shadow covering the land. He saw

Last Legend 9: Bellum Speaks

 

The team meets with members of the League of Arcanists and is asked for a favor

Session Date (Real Life): 02/27/2021

Begin (Game Date): 10/19/520 12:00

End (Game Date): 10/20/520 20:00

Player Level: 2   

Total XP: 3

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 8: The League of Arcanists

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

Or, go to the Last Legend Glossary, here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/p/last-legend-glossary.html

The team (Aanso, Arthur Grant, Balthazar, and Kesua), along with Molly, an arcanist; and Kismo, a girl from Mūsūyya, had entered a high-tech ruin of the ancients as they searched for Lyatbi, a girl from Kismo's hometown. As they searched, they had encountered a Watcher, one of the robots which served as a scout for others. Aanso had just used his time magic to incapacitate a Watcher.

Kesua vanished in

Last Legend 8: The League of Arcanists

 

The team meets with members of the League of Arcanists and is asked for a favor

Session Date (Real Life): 02/13/2021

Begin (Game Date): 10/17/520 22:00

End (Game Date): 10/19/520 12:00

Player Level: 2

Total XP: 3

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 7: The Inventor

Next Adventure: Last Legend 9: Bellum Speaks

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

As Aanso, Balthazar, and Tyosa are returning back from Imew's party (Last Legend 7: The Inventor), Kesua returns from her own exploits. Arthur returned in a flash of light as the crystal at the end of the Dochysh Jeq glowed with mysterious light.

Kesua said that she had been talking to her employers about the Mysterious Box that they had recovered in Last Legend 4: Abominations and Books, but that she could provide more information on that later.

Arthur explained that he had been taken to a crystal realm, similar to the one they had been in when they first met Feste in Last Legend 2: Crystal Caverns. He explained that

Last Legend 7: The Inventor

 

The team is goes to a party in hopes of acquiring something for Tyosa

Session Date (Real Life): 01/02/2021

Begin (Game Date): 10/13/520 05:00

End (Game Date): 10/17/520 22:00

Player Level: 2

Total XP: 3

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 6: Tsava Day Adventure

Next Adventure: Last Legend 8: The League of Arcanists

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

The team returns to Datdūm, where they delivered the books they retrieved in Last Legend 5: The Pinnacle Library to Dyab', the bookseller. Using the largest volume the team had obtained, Dyab' was able to verify that the family of Tyosa Doska was, in fact, one of the ten original noble families.

Last Legend 6: Tsava Day Adventure (Special Holiday Themed Session)

The team is invited to a special celebration of a Lupwuian holiday

Session Date (Real Life): 12/19/2020

Begin (Game Date): 10/12/520 17:00

End (Game Date): 10/13/520 05:00

Player Level: 2

Total XP: 3

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 5: The Pinnacle Library

Next Adventure: Last Legend 7: The Inventor

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

The team set off back towards Datdūm, but as night fell they decided to make camp for the evening. Their sleep was disrupted by the arrival of a large arcane powered train. The conductor called them aboard, saying that they had been invited to a Tsava Day celebration. Balthazar was able to recognize that Tsava day was a Lupwuian holiday in which parents hide gifts from their children who have to find them in order to

Book Review: Discworld 2: 'The Light Fantastic' by Terry Pratchett

“The sun rose slowly, as if it wasn't sure it was worth all the effort.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic

In two months the world is going to end, or else something bad is going to happen, unless the eight great spells are read at that time. The only problem is that one of those spells is in the head of Rincewind, the Disc's worst wizard, and he's far away, tumbling over the edge of the world.

These pieces of information are given rather early in the second novel of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, and help to set the pace and plot for the rest of the book. If you look back at my review of the first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, you'll see that my number one complaint of the previous book was that there wasn't really any overarching plot unifying the story. Right from the onset, The Light Fantastic does

Last Legend 5: The Pinnacle Library

The team explores the library and encounters monsters of page and book

Session Date (Real Life): 12/05/2020

Begin (Game Date): 10/11/520 19:00

End (Game Date): 10/12/520 17:00

Player Level: 1

Total XP: 2

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 4: Abominations and Books

Next Adventure: Last Legend 6: Tsava Day Adventure

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

The team defeated the remaining Watcher from Last Legend 4: Abominations and Books and then delved deeper into the Pinnacle Library. 

Last Legend 4: Abominations and Books

The crew fights an abomination and continues on their way

Session Date (Real Life): 11/21/2020

Begin (Game Date): 10/11/520 19:00

End (Game Date): 10/12/520 15:00

Player Level: 1

Total XP: 1

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 3: Robots and Tunnels

Next Adventure: Last Legend 5: The Pinnacle Library

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

Kesua and Tyosa Doska, who had let the rest of the group enter the tunnels without them, mysteriously and magically appeared alongside the rest of the group. The crystal on the Dochysh Jeq

Last Legend 3: Robots and Tunnels

The group heads to Datdūm and gets right to work

Session Date (Real Life): 11/07/2020

Begin (Game Date): 10/11/520 08:01

End (Game Date): 10/11/520 19:00

Player Level: 1

Total XP: 1

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 2: Crystal Caverns

Next Adventure: Last Legend 4: Abominations and Books

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

Using Tyosa Doska's help, the group was able to get passage to Datdūm with a traveling caravan of merchants. Partway through their journey, the caravan stopped because its scout had spotted Robots ahead. The group went forward to fight the robots, and quickly dispatched three Grazer s and one Watcher.

The team continued to Datdūm, where they stopped at the Thief and Wain tavern. At the tavern, Tyosa noticed B’ui, attempting to sneak into a doorway that was declared forbidden to guests of the tavern. B'ui was evasive in Tyosa's confrontation, and the two parted company. Tyosa and the rest of the party noticed B'ui continue to try to sneak through the door until he

Last Legend 2: Crystal Caverns

The group wakes up in an unexpected place and must find their way through

Session Date (Real Life): 10/24/2020

Begin (Game Date): 10/10/520 18:21

End (Game Date): 10/11/520 08:00

Player Level: 1

Total XP: 0

Previous Adventure: Last Legend 1: Arcanification Celebration

Next Adventure: Last Legend 3: Robots and Tunnels

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

Balthazar, Aanso, Arthur Grant, and Kesua all appeared suddenly in what appeared to be a cavern made of crystals. Kismo and Ubna were no longer with them, but they were joined by Tyosa Doska.

Last Legend 1: Arcanification Celebration

The Celebration gets off to a good start but a surprising end

Session Date (Real Life): 10/10/2020

Begin (Game Date): 10/10/520 12:00

End (Game Date): 10/10/520 18:20'

Player Level: 1

Total XP: 0

Next Adventure: Last Legend 2: Crystal Caverns

At the bottom of this post is a list of characters and groups that you can reference in this post for keeping track of who people are.

Last Legend is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign using the Open Legend RPG system. For more information on the setting of Last Legend, check the background post here: https://goalworlds.blogspot.com/2021/01/Last Legend Overview.html

The Mūsūyyan Arcanification Celebration was in full swing. Arcanification is the process by which a town is given arcane energy via a complex system of arcane crystals and connections set up by the League of Arcanists. Through this process, citizens of a town are able to draw energy from the arcanified town in order to power arcanium devices which include everything from streetlamps to household appliances to really almost anything that the mind can imagine.

Last Legend Setting/Pre-Campaign Overview

I had been running an up to date wiki, including session logs, for my current tabletop RPG campaign via Scabard, but my Scabard subscription expired and I haven't decided if I want to resubscribe yet. 

Still, I want to keep up with writing and posting session logs, so this seems like a potential place to put them. But I want to give some context for the campaign for people who might see the posts here that aren't involved in the campaign itself. I'll be posting them at an accelerated rate until I get caught up with what where we are in the campaign now.

Last Legend

The name of my campaign is Last Legend. It is set in an original fantasy setting called Tsud'uula. The feel/genre/content that I am going for, genre-wise, is Final Fantasy meets Horizon Zero Dawn, meets

Book Review: Discworld 1: 'The Color of Magic' by Terry Pratchett

“Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different. Certainly it refuses to succumb to the quaint notion that universes are ruled by pure logic and the harmony of numbers.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic

For a very long time, I've wanted to read through the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. I read The Color of Magic (or Colour if you have the British spelling) back in high school, and I've read The Light Fantastic and Guards, Guards somewhere in the intervening time since then. But this is hardly scratching the surface of the 41 book saga that is the Discworld series. So, I've started back from the beginning by reading through The Color of Magic once more (since it's been such a long time since I read it originally).

2020, the weirdest year so far...

 

I want to start this post with a disclaimer. In this post, I'm going to be talking about my experiences in 2020: my struggles, and my successes. But I don't want to disparage those who have faired worse than I have. This year has been hard on everyone, and some people much more than others. Even if all you did this year was survive, I congratulate you and I want you to consider that a win.

As for me, the year offered many great challenges, but it also offered up many opportunities. I am not generally a very social person, so to begin with the idea of not being able to go into work and/or interact with people didn't bother me too much at the beginning. But that peace faded very quickly. I had a friend from a previous office at work who I'd get lunch with usually once a week, and I really missed being able to do that. I missed being able to see the families of myself and my wife. We moved our RPG sessions online which still worked, but lost any out-of-game personal connection.

But I did find myself with some extra time, and with a lot of extra drive to push in my creative efforts in order to try to fill in the areas in which I was lacking.