Saskatoon, SK. – A diner at a Danny’s says he got a little something extra with his broccoli – a severed snake head. Jack Perion says he was at the restaurant on Sunday when he spotted something gray mixed in with his vegetables. He realized it was a snake head the size of his thumb, with part of the spine still attached. Perion says he snapped a photo with his cell phone camera and called the waiter over. He says he has no plans to sue. A spokeswoman for the chain says it’s investigating. It wasn’t immediately known what kind of snake it was. Perion and his girlfriend weren’t charged for their meal
Diner gets served snake head
May 12th, 2009Fourth million-dollar winner in Saskatchewan
May 12th, 2009Saskatoon, SK. – They say lightning never strikes twice, but apparently lottery wins are a little more common. Saskatchewan is seeing its fourth million-dollar win of the year, this time in Saskatoon. It appears persistence was the key once again for Saskatoon brothers Frank and Roger Sebachuk. They received their million-dollar cheque Tuesday, the prize for playing a winning Western Millions scratch ticket. Tim buys numerous scratch tickets every week from a convenience store, including the winner purchased last Friday.
Raymond Fowler Remains at Large
May 10th, 2009Saskatoon, SK. – The manhunt for final remaining convict from the February escape, Raymond Fowler continues. Constable Justin Crowe of of the Saskatoon City Police has stated that they currently believe Fowler to still be in the city and is likely holed up with associates in the Saskatoon chapter of Hellfire Choppers. Saskatoon police warn that Fowler is extremely dangerous and should not be approached if encountered.
Sword-Wielding Man Sought
May 10th, 2009Saskatoon, SK. - Saskatoon City Police are searching for a man in his early thirties. The unidentified man (police sketch right) is being sought for questioning concerning a bizarre occurence this past month. Several witnesses saw the man wielding a sword and chasing after a younger man down Eighth Street. Several bystanders contacted 911 and the police quickly responded but by the time of their arrival both men had already disappeared. The police are requesting any and all assistance in tracking down either man. If you have any information please contact Constable Justin Crowe at 979-5555.
May 9th, 2009 Newsletter
May 6th, 2009Storyteller: John Allison – Home: 665-7332 (no calls after 9:30 please) Cell: 280-2868
Email: storyteller@saskatoonbynight.com
Venue: OOC. – Education Lounge unless kicked out then we will head over to MUMPS in the Health Sciences building. IC. TBD.
Website: www.saskatoonbynight.com/darkestnight/
Next Game Saturday, June 6th, down time submissions due Saturday, April 16th
Game one week early in June
The next game will take place on the evening of June 6th. This is one week early as SLARPA is running SLARPcon on the 12th-14th.
Venue Difficulties
The U of S Gamer’s club has not yet ratified. As they are our main way of booking rooms on campus we no longer have a way to book rooms. We have a few possible options. We could raise the game fee and make paying a requirement. This would allow us to book a pay venue each month. The second option is to just take over a location on campus. This is what we are doing for the May game. If someone else has the room booked we will have to head over to MUMPs in Health Sciences or find another venue. If anyone knows of any venues that we can find which are allow all ages please tell John. I am currently considering having the June game at my house but I am still waiting approval for this. If we can make it through to September we should be able to book rooms again as long as the Gamers’ Club starts back up.
Server Switch
A few of you might have noticed the website was down for a short while. I’ve switched the sites over to a new server that is is cheaper and provides the same amount of support as my previous provider. If you notice any glitches on either the SBN or SLARPA websites please send me an email and I shall fix them.
In Character Forum
An In Character forum has been set up by Alex Fornsworth (Ruby’s character) at http://www.slarpa.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=58
SLARPcon 2009 will be June 12-14.
SLARPcon is rapidly approaching and if you are interested you should be checking out the forums at slarpa.com/forum/. Three games have been decided on: A Methuselah Club game, which is a game about a meeting between the immortals of the world run by Wade Lahoda on Saturday night, The Blood Royal run by Mike Mccall on Friday Night, which is a Hyborean style Sword and Sorcery game and A Night at the Roadhouse run by Gordon Jensen on Saturday afternoon which is a hunter style game based upon the “Supernatural” TV series. More information is available on the forums at slarpa.com for more details, and sign up for the SLARPA facebook group if you haven’t.
Possibility of a sequel to The Market at SLARPcon on Sunday June 14th
SLARPA execs and John are checking to see if there is enough interest to have an extra game on the afternoon of Sunday the 14th. This would be in place of the proposed social event. Please let John know if you would play if he ran it.
There is a world separate from the real world. People awaken one day and find themselves starting to loose a grip on reality. They start to see things differently and more and more everyone starts not notice them. As time goes by they discover that they start to gain special abilities but also that the real world starts to ignore them. After a few years they are no longer able to interact at all with anything “real”. By this point these Forgotten have either discovered for themselves or have been found by others and shown how to get to the market where items are available that do not ignore them.
The Market is a gathering place for the Forgotten at which they can gather items that they either need to survive or simply want. The items while may seem mundane become altered somehow by The Market. They are able to affect the Forgotten while normal items cannot.
Some time ago (last year’s game) the Market collapsed upon itself and it appeared that the Forgotten were all doomed. The Forgotten discovered that the Innocent was responsible and they made the hard choice of killing her. This restored the Market but the Healer chose to resurrect the Innocent. His action caused the Forgotten to be removed from the Market completely. Each Forgotten who was at the Market were sent to a separate reality where they were alone. Some found their new existence to be pleasurable while other found themselves thrust into a form of purgatory. Time lost all meaning for the Forgotten.
Now, the Forgotten find themselves being suddenly thrust back into the Market to rejoin the rest of their kind. Some will be scarred by their experiences, others might wish to return to their pleasurable exile. In addition other unknown Forgotten have also appeared who are these new Forgotten, why has everyone returned now and will everyone be able to return to their previous lives.
Loss of Powers
One aspect of the game I wish to highlight in order to make sure everyone is comfortable is the fact that you will gain and loose powers throughout the game. This can be caused by either your character’s actions or the actions of other characters. Loss of powers will never be random but when you do loose a power you have effectively lost the experience you put into buying that power. If you want the power again you must spend the experience once again.
Character Sheets and Online Database
I am approximately 80% of the way through the creation of a online database for character sheets. Once I have finished this I will provide each player with the web address, username and password. You will then be able to print your character sheet whenever you require it. You will still be responsible for including your XP spending in your down times and I will add the stats.
Game Fee
I am currently asking for a donation of $5 per game with an encouragement of more. If everyone contributes more then the game will run at pay venues more. If you do not have any money you are still welcome to play.
New Players
We are still having a player drive. If you know of anyone who might be interested in LARPing or joining in on the game please have them contact me at storyteller@saskatoonbynight.com or by phone at 665-7332.
Saskatoon police investigating date-rape druggings
April 10th, 2009Saskatoon, SK. – Saskatoon police are investigating two potentially linked cases of sexual assault using date rape drugs — and they’re warning women to be careful this long weekend. In both cases, the women believe they were sexually assaulted after being drugged without their knowledge at lounges or nightclubs. Victims of date rape drugs are often confused and ashamed and might not come forward to police, she said. “Many times the woman says, ‘I don’t know what happened to me, I was drinking,’ or ‘I was thinking I was in a safe place, and suddenly, I don’t remember anything.’Two weeks ago, CBC reported that Regina doctors had also noticed a recent spike in the use of the drugs.
Saskatoon police are warning women to take precautions when at a nightclub or party. That includes: not accepting drinks from people they don’t know, not drinking from bottles they don’t open themselves and not leaving drinks unattended. Police also recommend that women throw out any drinks that have been left unattended.
Woman drowns in bathtub
April 10th, 2009Saskatoon, SK. – Investigators believe a woman’s drowning death in a bathtub in the Lakeview area Thursday night was an accident. 911 was called to investigate a drowning just before 7:30 Thursday night. Investigators found a 42-year-old woman dead in the bathtub. Investigators said she was on heavy medication following a surgery. At this time, investigators believe it’s an accident. Toxicology results are pending.
Homeless Suffering Under Attacks
April 10th, 2009Saskatoon, SK. – Ryan Turner may look like any other pan handler asking for your change until you notice the neck brace, and look of frustration on his face. Turner says he’s just one of a growing number of homeless who say they are becoming targets of unprovoked street violence. The attack against Turner happened late in the evening of March 29th while he was heading to one of the shelters near 20th street. All that he remembers feeling a blow from the behind and then waking up the next day in St. Paul’s Hospital. Turner had heard the rumours of someone attacking the homeless but still went about his regular business of collecting bottles and cans from the trash bins earlier that evening. While none of the attacks have been fatal they do seem to be occurring more often. While Turner still continues to collect the bottles, he now does so with a friend.
Constable Murdered during Raid
April 10th, 2009Saskatoon, SK. - Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister Jared Thorne told reporters this afternoon that four of the five escapees who tunneled out of the Regina Correctional Facility were apprehended on April 4th. Saskatoon Police, acting upon an anonymous tip raided a house on Avenue H late in the evening. During the raid Constable James Ryder suffered fatal stab wound. The remaining escapee, one Raymond Fowler is wanted for the attack. Funeral services for Constable Ryder were held on April 7th. Police have issued a warning that anyone who comes into contact should immediately leave the vicinity and contact the police. No attempt should be made to apprehend Fowler as he is presumed extremely dangerous.
April 11th 2009 – Newsletter
April 9th, 2009Storyteller: John Allison 665-7332 (no calls after 9:30 please)
Email: storyteller@saskatoonbynight.com
Venue: OOC. – Education Lounge IC. – Around the World in 80 Plates
The official website for Darkest Night can be found at www.saskatoonbynight.com/darkestnight/
Next Game Saturday, May 9th, down time submissions due Saturday, April 18th
Deadline for Down time
I had a bit of difficulty wrangling in all the down time actions this past month. As I do not want to have to deal with tracking people down and bugging them to hand in their down times I a am going to use a strict system. The morning after the deadline I will check my email and will send out 1 email to each person who has not submitted their actions. At this point each action will suffer a -3 penalty. The next morning I will once again check my emails and everyone who has not submitted their actions will now have a -6 penalty. The next morning I will check and everyone who has not submitted their actions will have a -9 penalty. The next morning everyone who has not submitted their actions will now be ineligible to do so for the month. Once it hits this point you can not spend any XP that month and you must wait till after the next game to do so.
Please let me know if the 1 week after the game is too early as a deadline. I am willing to move it but it may mean that I am unable to return results prior to the game.
In Character Forum
An In Character forum has been set up by Alex Fornsworth (Ruby’s character) at http://www.slarpa.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=58
Investigations
Several characters were performing investigations into other characters this month. As I do not have everyone’s hand-ins I was unable to provide proper responses. In order to still allow investigations I have come up with a method involving both the initiator and character being investigated. For each success the initiator may ask 1 basic question to the player of the character being investigated. That player must answer truthfully. Basic questions include everything from where do you live, what is your phone number, where do you work, or are you associated with x group or person at all. All basic questions must be something that is fairly easy to discover either by simple investigation or shadowing. The initiator may choose to ask fewer questions than he has successes. For each additional success put into a question you can increase the depth. The base scale is 1 through 10. If you apply 10 successes to a question you can find out if someone murdered another character or is actively planning on murdering someone. Note this only works for facts, it does not work for thoughts. ie. You can not ask someone what they are thinking.
When the initiator asks the question the person answering may feel that he or she is being asked to in depth of a question. Please try to come to an agreement on the question but if you can not then feel free to come talk to me and I will adjudicate.
In addition I may at times provide a bit of prodding about questions to ask or if you have no idea what to ask then you can come ask me and I’ll provide some suggestions.
Downtime System Explained
When you submit your downtime you should place the actions in order of importance for you character. This does not mean that you have to put things that use more actions first. If you really want something to be given priority then it comes first. The reason for doing this is that starting this next month you can only use each skill once in any downtime. For each action (or combined action) I take the highest appropriate skill, the highest associated attribute and add in any points for “powers”. For the next action I will not skill from the previous action will no longer be available to use. The attribute and “power” may still be used. Here is an example down time set:
Possible Skills – Investigation 5, Streetwise 3, Computers 2
Possible Attributes – Intelligence 4, Manipulation 3
Powers – Telepathy 2
- 3 Actions – Investigate Bob using my computer skills to see if I can find out his credit card number.
Pool = Investigation 5 + Intelligence 4 + Telepathy 2
Telepathy was able to be used as you are doing an in person investigation - 5 Actions – Investigate Chreryl to see if she murdered Frank.
Investigation is no longer available to use so
Pool = Streetwise 3 + Intelligence 4 + Telepathy 2
Telepathy was able to be used as you are meeting people on the street in person - 2 Actions – Try to find Rachel. I’m sure she is somewhere downtown.
Investigation and Streetwise are no longer available
Pool = Computers 2 + Intelligence 4
Telepathy was not available to be used as you are no relying on computer hacking to do the investigation
Character Building
A lot of people were doing investigations this month. Very few people put any dots into Investigation. If you are planning on doing something fairly often I would suggest putting at least one dot in to the appropriate skill in order to keep from having negatives.
Experience
I have decided to simplify the XP sustem for now. Currently everyone receives 6 XP per month. There is the possibility of 2 bonus xp but I plan on keeping these pretty rare and they really should be awarded after a good story build up.
Each of these points can only be gained once every three months.
- Plot Leadership – You get this point for being active in the game and giving other players things to do. This doesn’t mean your character has to be extroverted or a drama queen, just that their existence in the game gives other characters things to do. I highly encourage people to include nominations for this in their downtime turns – there is no reason everyone can’t get this point at every game, but unless other people mention it to me I won’t always know.
- Complications – If one of your Complications comes up during the game and significantly hinders or harms your character, you get a point.
Loss of Powers
One aspect of the game I wish to highlight in order to make sure everyone is comfortable is the fact that you will gain and loose powers throughout the game. This can be caused by either your character’s actions or the actions of other characters. Loss of powers will never be random but when you do loose a power you have effectively lost the experience you put into buying that power. If you want the power again you must spend the experience once again.
Character Sheets
I will be maintaining a PDF copy of your character sheet. Once every few months I will print them off for everyone. If you have lost your sheet please email 2 days prior to the game and I will reprint it for you. If you show up at the game without a character sheet I will give you a blank copy of the sheet and get you to fill it out without taking the original.
Game Fee
I am currently asking for a donation of $5 per game with an encouragement of more. If everyone contributes more then the game will run at pay venues more. If you do not have any money you are still welcome to play.
New Players
We are still having a player drive. If you know of anyone who might be interested in LARPing or joining in on the game please have them contact me at storyteller@saskatoonbynight.com or by phone at 665-7332.