Not meeting my weekly posting target. But then, what else is new?

College has been taking a lot of my time and attention. Especially algebra. Algebra was my worst subject back in high school. I had to take it twice before I moved forward to Geometry, which I absolutely bombed. And it should be mentioned that all of this was 30 years ago. But if I'm going to get any kind of degree, I need to have some math credits. So I have made a point of dedicating myself to it and have actually made some progress.

And part of how I know it was 30 years ago is that I attended my 30 year high school reunion last weekend. It was a tight squeeze since I didn't want to miss any of my classes. It was good to catch up with people that I haven't seen in ages. And people that I didn't know back then, too. One guy called out my friendly hello at the event as the first word I had ever spoken to him even though we had attended the same elementary school through high school and let 30 years pass after that. I can't say that he was wrong. We did smooth things over as the evening progressed.

Still not gaming outside the monthly meetups and that's still Fiasco. The good news is that I got a positively wicked group last time and it was a proper Fiasco. Everyone had a blast being despicable to everyone else and reveled in the horrible outcomes they had earned through play.

With this next meetup being near Halloween, I do want to do something spooky, or at least spoopy. My go to has been InSpectres for the last few years. It's convenient because it fits in that very minimal prep space like Fiasco. But I keep feeling like I should run something that requires effort and plotting and prep. While schoolwork is taking priority, of course, I'm hoping it's building capacity, flexing those mental muscles so that I can turn that to gaming eventually.

As always, we'll see. 

Since I've Been Gone

 I've been away for a while. I didn't complete RPGaDay (again!)

That's because my college classes started and that's been taking a lot of my focus. This is my first time back in a classroom in a long time and it's an adjustment. And considering that this is coming after losing my job and not really having anything come up for almost a year, I feel like a lot is riding on me doing well. If I'm going to get any kind of job that might let me move away from the in-laws, it's very likely to require a degree of some kind.

My current target is teaching. It's something that people have told me I should be doing, and I've done it in small ways in other jobs. I spent a long time at that pizza place trying to train dough rollers to replace me, though they never stuck around long enough for me to escape. But there are still decisions to make on that, like exactly what grade level and what subject I will be teaching. 

For now, I'm trying to fulfill my General Education requirements. This will give me time to make those more specific decisions later, learn to be a good student, and see what subjects I vibe with. I might find my specific pathway to teaching or I might wind up going somewhere else entirely.

RPGaDay 2026 Day 22: Grit

 

Thinking about a female character with Grit for Squatch-Ville.

For some reason, I'm thinking some sort of Noir detective working the Squatch-Ville beat. As we've established, the job title is Advocate and involves doing legal representation along with investigation.

Name: Cameron Dietrichson

Appearance: A tall, tanned woman in her 40's, her blonde hair just starting to pick up some grey. She wears a short woven cloak over her shoulders and a cigarette between the fingers of her left hand. The marijuana in the cigarette is mixed with other herbs, giving it a distinct odor when she smokes.

Quote: "Just one more thing..."

Roleplaying: She's seen it all and done it all. It's not exciting anymore. If something comes up that she hasn't already seen, it's intriguing, but not exciting.

Background: Cameron has been an Advocate for years. She's spent most of it addressing minor disputes, but she's also had her share of mysteries.

Key Info:

If the party needs legal representation, they can call Cameron.
If the party is pursued for a crime, they can be pursued by Cameron.

Stat Block:

RPGaDay 2026 Day 21: Charity

 

Now for a male NPC for Ureka and let's hope he's feeling Charitable. Or not. Because this is Ureka. Carsonism is a sort of Victorian reconstructionism, which means that certain, less-charitable views about charity are more likely to come up. So yes, this NPC is being conceived as a villain.

I think this specific bit of "charity" is towards the Ratfolk. Just like many other varieties of outsiders before them, the folk of Ureka think they're doing the Ratfolk a favor by allowing a certain number to live and work among them, giving them jobs that no one else wanted to do.

When I wrote up Scarlett from Day 4, I mentioned the possibility of her infiltrating various places by posing as a housemaid. So let's say that there is a "school" established to try to civilize the Ratfolk. Of course, like other schools of this type established throughout history, it is horrible and abusive.

The headmaster, Silas Trevalyan, has accepted that, in spite of the best efforts of the Ratcatchers, the Ratfolk will persist. So the best alternative is to bring them to heel in service of humans.

Name: Silas Trevalyan

Appearance: A gaunt white man in his 50's in a dark suit. He has a crown of white hair surrounding a growing bald patch on top of his head.

Quote: "I'll see that you pay for that!"

Roleplaying: Silas glares at everyone as if they have wronged him and he is seeking an opportunity for revenge.

Background: In the early campaigns to secure the city, Silas guarded Ratfolk prisoners. He passed the time teaching them tricks, then tasks, then jobs. While he avoids calling them intelligent, he admits that they are "clever," "trainable" and "useful."

Key Info:

He runs an abusive school to teach Ratfolk jobs that allow them to operate in Ureka society.

Stat Block:

RPGaDay 2026 Day 20: Promise

 Now to make a male NPC for the Eureka Ruins, and he's got a Promise to keep. I know I didn't post yesterday, so I have broken my promise to you, dear reader. It is getting more difficult to come up with more angles on the setting. But that's all the more reason for me to push on and do what I can.

One of the aspects that I still need to delve into in the Disguised Purpose of the Ruins. I suggested with my last NPC that it as something left behind by the last human occupants of Eureka during the Collapse. But since that character was human, presumably any discovery would be presented to the citizens of Ureka.

So now we look at the Ratfolk who is leading the hunt. He is working under a Philosopher King dedicated to piecing together what clues it can find, currently based out of Alice Birney Elementary School. Most of the area of the Eureka Ruins is very residential, so infrastructure hubs with power and data capacity are more likely to be schools than office buildings.

For simplicity, let's say that his name is Digger. He directs a team of agents to explore various areas of the city for clues regarding what is hiding underneath Eureka. He's also close to Fort Humboldt and can report to the Rat King who rules from that location.

Name: Digger

Appearance: A brown-furred Ratfolk with prominent teeth and a nervous expression. He is constantly in motion. If he is forced to stand still, he will fidget continuously.

Quote: "Right away, sir. Immediately. I'm on my way."

Background: Digger started as a messenger throughout the Eureka Ruins until he was tapped to relay messages for the Philosopher King at Alice Birney, He now oversees the messengers and agents supporting the research, but still finds opportunities to get out into the field.

Key Info:

He is connected to a Philosopher King and has access to the Rat King as needed.
He has access to any information that the Ratfolk have on the Installation.

Stat Block:

RPGaDay 2026 Day 18: Directness

 Now it's time for a male NPC from Squatch-Ville with some Directness. And because I have not been creating sasquatch NPCs the last couple of rounds, this is definitely a sasquatch.

I've been looking for the opportunity to build out different aspects of Squatch-Ville society and one thing that has come to mind is crime and punishment. The virtue of Directness feels like something that a judge would appreciate.

Policing as a concept is very basic in this setting. Most enclaves have some sort of basic police patrols, probably integrated with external defense. Ureka's police force is the Ratcatchers, so named because of their primary foe, the Ratfolk, though they do generally keep the peace as well. The police forces of Squatch-Ville aren't so colorful, but are similarly focused on external threats.

In either case, there's one thing that they don't do: Investigation. The police detective is a role that they have not re-invented yet. If a crime cannot be immediately "solved" such as a dead body being found without some poor sod with a knife close at hand, it is up to the victim to seek restitution, fairly similar to a modern civil case, by hiring an Advocate. In the case of a murder, the Advocate would typically be hired by the victim's family or spouse, and it would fall to them to solve the murder and determine who to demand restitution from.

While Advocates and Watch are typically human, judges of these cases are exclusively sasquatch. Including the character we'll be meeting today.

Name: Judge Joseph

Appearance: Black-furred sasquatch, 7 feet, 6 inches tall. He wears the beads and bangles of office.

Quote: "Let's not get distracted from the matter at hand."

Background: Joseph has been a judge for a little under a year, since he last returned from invisibility. He had previously held an administrative position that better suited his temperament, but it had been filled during his absence.

Key Info:

If the party has to resolve a legal matter in Squatch-Ville, they are likely to appear before Judge Joseph.

Stat Block:

RPGaDay 2026 Day 17: Intensity

 

Developing another female NPC for Ureka and she's got some Intensity. I feel like I'm trying to find smaller and smaller niches as I go along (and I'm also doing these much closer to the wire, so maybe they're getting a touch less thought), but my feeling here is that this is a plucky girl reporter at the Times-Standard.

Name: Hildy Russel

Appearance: A red-haired mousey woman in her 20s in a practical business outfit.

Quote: "Is that on the record?"

Roleplaying: Hildy talks very fast, making it difficult to get a word in edgewise.

Background: Hildy has always been sharp and inquisitive. When the offices of the Times-Standard newspaper were reclaimed and re-opened, she became one of the first reporters to reply. She is also a regular in the local podcast scene.

Key Info:

Hildy has information on a lot of goings-on around Ureka
Hildy may need independent sources to gather information, or competent escort to dangerous locales where information may be obtained.

Stat Block: