Cambridge University Roleplaying Society ======================================== Newsletter the Second 1996/97 ============================= Bonecruncher! ------------- Let me introduce myself, I am Bonecruncher, scout extraordinaire, and manic drooler to boot, and this is the story of one of my adventures... I am on a mission, to recover the fabled lost Bones of Moo. Firstly, I have to find them, which shouln't be too difficult as I hid them in the first place, when things weren't quite so tough as they are now. Slowly I rise to my feet and jump down off of the bed, landing heavily -I pause, hoping that nobody heard the noise, as it wasn't my bed I was sleeping on - there's no sound, I must be safe. I pad quietly to the door in the darkness and slowly pry it open. It squeaks, I jump, it does nothing, I listen. Still nothing, this must be my lucky day, maybe there is nobody in this fluffy castle - come to think of it, why is the castle fluffy, it's the floor, why is the floor fluffy? I bend down to examine, and even drool a little to see if it affects the fluff, it doesn't, apart from making it a bit wet of course. I look around, what next? - my eyes gently rest on the stairs - of course, I need to leave the castle to find the bones, but that takes me past where the giants sleep - not surprising really as this is a giants castle. I carefully pace forward, putting my feet down gently so as to make no noise. I make it, I'm at the stairs. I step onto the first, then go for the second before I realise that I never really mastered stairs - agh, run for it. I run (well, okay, fall) down the stairs and get to the bottom in a confused and very noisy mess. Stealth is no longer an option - I can hear a giant waking - so I run into the kitchen of the castle, stopping briefly for a drink from the water that somebody nicely left for me before bursting out of he back door (actually I just nudged it open, but bursting sounds more heroic). I'm in the wilderness where the bones are hidden, but what were the instructions? Go towards the fountain, then aim towards the little tree, miss, go over the wall, then twenty paces towards the big tree, then dig for the treasure. I head to the fountan, and from there I start running to the tree, no, no, miss the tree, I miss the tree. AGH! Wall!, jump, I jump... I hit... I hurt. As I turn round to try again, I see a sight that makes my hackles stand - a giant - he looks towards me. "Fido, come here!" "No! I am not Fido, I am Bonecruncher" I tell him, imagining atmospheric boomy drum noises as I tell him. "Stop barking and come here!" "No!" "Alright then, fetch." He whips out my favourie teddy bear and throws it in the kitchen. "&#@$%*}" I say as my legs betray me and I leap towards the teddy. No more am I Bonecruncher, drooler extraordinaire, scourge of cows, but Fido, soft and somewhat cuddly. But I will return. The Squash ---------- This year's squash was a great success and we press-ganged lots of lovely new members, all of whom seem to want to play Call of Cthulhu... Most people waiting for new games should by now have been contacted by a GM by now, if not let us know. Alternatively, the following GMs have advertised spaces in their games; contact them direct: Adam Brunning St. John's Amber, Thursday evenings Steve McIntyre Churchill <93sam@eng.cam.ac.uk> AD&D 2nd ed, Tuesday evenings Weekly Meetings --------------- These are continuing every Tuesday at the usual venue, Clare Buttery, from 8pm until 11pm. This year we appear to have 2 regular games running there every week, so there is still lots of room for more if any GMs are interested. The bar is also just seconds away if you need liquid refreshment as an encouragement for your players. The CURS pub evenings will be started up again if enough people turn up. They will be on the first Sunday of each month of term (i.e. first one on 01/12/96), location to be announced later. The Library ----------- The Society still maintains a library of role-playing material that can be borrowed for a refundable deposit. We have a wide selection of games, adventures and magazines, currently residing with the Vice President (see below). The LRPO also holds the Society's stock of latex weapons and accessories for Live Role-Playing. Discounts --------- These are still available on all role-playing products at Games & Puzzles and Otherworld Games. You must present a valid CURS membership card and photographic ID. The discounts do not apply on Saturdays and on purchases of under £10 at Games & Puzzles. However, due to the recent problems with the discount arrangements at Games & Puzzles, we are forced into the position of saying: Christmas Party --------------- This year's Christmas Party will take place on Saturday the 7th of December, from 7pm'till late, venue to be announced. Food and drink provided - try some mead or David Damerell's scrummy Christmas cake as well as mince pies, beer, mulled wine and snacks. And last but not least, a massive multi-GM role-playing extravaganza. Tickets cost 4 pounds (or 5 poundsfor non-members). Pester your local committee member for one now! Remember that tickets cannot be bought on the door... Advance warning of more forthcoming CURS events... -------------------------------------------------- The 24-hour Rag Dungeon will be held over the course of a weekend some time in the middle of next term. Plans are already afoot to bring you a game exciting enough to keep everybody interested (or at least awake?!) for the full 24 hour period. The Punt Party, Varsity Match and Annual Dinner will all take place in the Easter term. Conventions ----------- We have details of two conventions happening soon. STABCON '97 - 3rd,4th 5th January 1997, Woolton Hall, Manchester: "A games convention for all types of games and gamers. Woolton is one of the University of Manchester Halls of Residence. It has its own licenced bar providing drinks and snacks. Stabcon costs £7.50 in advance, or £10 on the door. One day memberships will also be available. Rooms are £21 with breakfast and £16 without. Registration opens at 13:00 on the Friday and the convention ends at 20:00 on the Sunday. Booking forms are now available by post. If you would like one (or more) or want further information, then contact us at hammy@riverbank.win-uk.net" "Convocation will be held from 18-20 July 1997 in New Hall, Cambridge, England. The guest of honour is Steven Brust, author of the Vlad Taltos books and other works of SF and fantasy; the UK guests are James Wallis and Andrew Rilstone, role-playing game w riters and journalists. Attending membership costs 15 pounds until 30 November 1996, 20 pounds thereafter. Membership will close at 180 members. Contact email address is convocation@moose.demon.co.uk, postal address is Convocation, 19 Uphall Road, Cambrid ge, CB1 3HX, United Kingdom. Convocation will be both Unicon 16, reviving the successful series of university conventions which has been in abeyance since 1994, and the 1996 British Role-Playing Games Convention. The theme of the convention will be storyt elling in all its forms, with particular emphasis on SF and fantasy literature and role-playing games." At the end of next term will be the second incarnation of the annual Cambridge RPG convention, PolyCon. This year we have been asked to help in publicity and organisation, and also to provide GMs for the games run on the day. On this latter point, if any society members are members of the RPGA, or are thinking of joining, please let us know. Dispatches from Featherstone ---------------------------- "The newsletter would like to note the death of King Edward I at Featherstone Castle this year. The King, increasingly insane due to demonic possession, was eventually assassinated by his Justicar - although subsequent demon banishing and the killing of the demon's true host body was accomplished by an informal body of nobles and rogue Templars later dubbed 'the hit-squad from Hell'. Few shed tears at the King's passing: certainly not his son, Edward II who, with the aid of the Earl of Mortimer and Lord Baron de Beauchamps, ascended to the throne despite the discovery of the King's illegitimate elder son at the conference. The head of the Knights Templar escaped the death sentence wrongly imposed by the former monarch, who had miraculously convicted the single innocent Templar of attempting to kill him, whilst Master Aaron the Jew made an equally miraculous survival, despite being a member of a persecuted minority and having everyone at the parley owe him money. I'd like to mention the heretics, the intern ecine fighting of all the Reauvilles, Mortimers and Beauchamps, the death of the King's Equerry (he was in the wrong chamber, at the wrong time), the theft, forgery and false oaths - but there just isn't space. "Basically, thanks to everyone for playing and especially to Rohan and Louisa for all their hard work behind the scenes. I hope everyone enjoyed it. "Paul" This week's committee is: ------------------------- Steve Strafford President GOD * sds22@cam.ac.uk Christ's Steve McIntyre Secretary METATRON, The Voice of God * 93sam@eng.cam.ac.uk Churchill Tim Cooke Vice President AZIRAPHALE, An angel and part-time tmac2@cam.ac.uk Trinity rare book dealer * Rohan Platts Jr Treasurer SISTER MARY LOQUATIOUS, A Satanic Nun rp207@cam.ac.uk Homerton of the Chattering Order of St Beryl * Mat Charles Asst Secretary DOG, Satanic Hellhound and Cat-Worrier mjc42@cam.ac.uk Trinity * Alden Spiess LRP Officer SATAN, A Fallen Angel; the Adversary * aos20@cam.ac.uk Corpus Christi Dave Stewart CC Entity HASTUR, A Fallen Angel and Duke of dbs20@cam.ac.uk Churchill Hell * Rob Wilcox Ext Officer CROWLEY, An Angel who did not so much robw@chiark.greenend.org.uk Real World Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards * World Wide Web: http://hammer.chu.cam.ac.uk/~sam1007/curs/ Steve McIntyre 22/11/96 * Apologies to Pratchett & Gaiman - if you think you can do better let us know... Thanks to the bone-crushing(?!?) Rob...