I spent most of Friday playing. I started early, even on my day off, and had to be in Portland by 11AM to play an adventure using the Call of Cthulhu Role Playing Game (CoC) with H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society’s Sean, one of its founders. The HPLHS has made a movie (not surprisingly, The Call of Cthulhu), still sells props for role-playing games, and even gives classes on prop creation. I am a happy customer. Before that, I had a rushed breakfast, wrote the blog, and assembled my look for today: a suit and vest with a Homburg. Friday mid-morning, traffic was slow, even when crossing Beaverton to reach Highway 217. I crawled to NE Portland, taking nearly an hour to get there–I usually twenty-five minutes. I arrived just on time, 11AM.
The game was packed into a small room in a bed-and-breakfast with five of us. I have been playing CoC since it was published, and I know the current system (7th Edition) and role-played my preacher–a premade character supplied by Sean. Sean’s story was a theater-of-the-mind with excellent props, and soon, the other players caught on and started to role-play and work through the puzzle and hazards. The stuff Sean prepared was excellent; even our biographies of our premade characters included a news clipping describing our character to role-play.
It was five hours of play. An excellent adventure which we solved–details cannot be shared. You have to play it with Sean to learn this one–most excellent.
After the game, I headed out immediately, moved Air Volvo to a better location, paid for it, and discovered there was a meet-and-greet at the Billard’s place nearby (a pool hall near the Hollywood Theater). There, I met the designer of the event’s poster and a designer of role-playing who wrote one of the books I still use occasionally. I added to the crackers a tiny bit of lunch meat and a banana I had eaten so far. A Chicago Dog and two beers (plus 1/2 order of french fries) were lunch and dinner.
After paying for my repast and finding some writers selling their books (I bought two hard copies from the various writers), I headed to the Hollywood Theater. I soon had my left side, three rows back, with a perfect view for this showing. Placing my Homburg on my seat, I got my goodies for the Kickstarter. Found beer and popcorn and set that safe in my seat and the next seat. Ready. It is a polite group of cultists, and just putting your hat on the seat is good enough (it will be there when you get back, and nobody will take your seat).
I tried to reach Susie, but service was poor. I went outside (the show had not started yet) and tried to reach Susie’s place. I had to leave a message.
Brian and Gwen started the show with the usual cheering, and soon, I was watching the first set of short movies. They were a mix of funny and creepy. Nothing was disturbing. The cosmic stories that make you fear open skies, the unseen, and what is on the beach or sea scare me the most.
The feature was the recent horror and sexy movie Suitable Flesh, part of a set of films dealing with the reanimation of the dead and possession. While fun, it is not that scary or disturbing. I finished my beer and popcorn.
I found Air Volvo and returned with only a few minor missteps in Portland. I was in the wrong lane to get to Highway I-84 and had to get turned around. After that, there were no issues, and soon, Air Volvo had me back at the Volvo Cave. I disassembled more than undressed. My new vest is not quite fitting, and I pulled some buttons–I will see what can be done for the blue suit. Or lose that weight. To paraphrase Hercule Poirot, my tailor’s bill and recommendations are less painful than my doctors.
I, taking taking my pills, soon was in bed. I fell immediately to sleep.
Thanks for reading. No dreams–that I remember.
Last night, Gwen told me her requirements for an excellent 500-word micro-fiction horror story. It must tell a complete story and must make her shiver. Next year!
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