So glad you're back, Spearmint, and as always I'm eagerly patient to start an adventure
In the meantime, assuming it's okay to plug another PbP, I'd like to invite my fellow Barrowmaze players to check out a new Stars Without Number game. I hope it will be of interest to fans of Tekumél, and those who might be curious about Empire of the Petal Throne, early TSR history, and/or classic space fantasy.
I am heading into the woods for a camping/hunting trip. May be back one night to re-supply, not sure yet but planning to be gone until the night of the 27th. Please NPC my character(s).
I am heading into the woods for the next week+, should be back posting regularly late December 8th or on the 9th. I might check in on a re-supply day but no guarantee. Please NPC my character(s) in the mean time.
I tried to send PMs, but they're not going through. I started a new job in October and have been busy onboarding. I don't see much going on now, but would like to start playing again when we resume. My apologies to Spearmint and everyone for my absence.
I wrote this message to a few players who reached out with encouragements to me. I share this with you all.
Thanks for the message. I am in good health physically, more than two years into my remission from a stage IV lymphoma after four years of intensive treatment.
But I had a bad year, last 2024. It started with the wife's mother passing suddenly but not unexpectedly, then I had some business issues, I had to retire a horse from one syndicate after it got injured in training. Then I found that one of my supposed friends for twenty years, a financial investment manager who was part of another horse syndicate had got himself into serious debt which after more investigation uncovered he had embezzled a portion of my pension pot that his company was managing.
It meant I lost a lot of investments saved up for retirement and to make amends, I had to increase my HGV driving.
But at the same time, the stress was almost causing me to hit the bottle, hit him and kick out in anger and frustration at everyone else. You know something is wrong when even the dog moves chairs when you sit down.
I thought I was okay back in October but I have taken these last six months as a sabbatical from most social media to input in my wellbeing, keep romancing the wife and rehab my brain.
I think of Barrowmaze. It was a great passion but I struggled last year with continuity and that broke things up for a lot of people. I very much enjoyed running the game but you need a clear head and motivation and mine was far from both.
I am sure by Easter, after pretty much a year's wind down I might be more enthusiastic and back to gaming more regularly.
Sorry for letting folk down. I do feel bad and tried to communicate before I became more absent.
I hope your games progress and all the fun and challenge is met with player immersion and creative actions.
I shall look forward to being around more in the coming months.
No let down here Kris. You've got a lot you have been dealing with, I can't speak for everyone but I for one know life happens and in all sorts of ways it can take you away from something you enjoy that gives you that break we all need from real life issues. Take the time you need to deal with it and get into a good mental space and we will all be here when you are able to return.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
One of the great things about PbP is it can kinda sit for a bit, and everyone can pick back up later on.
Hoping life lets up a bit soon! All the best!
This is a game about killing things and taking their stuff so you can become more powerful in order to kill bigger things and take even better stuff.
Alethan: I'm good with NOT pressing our luck this time. mjulius: That's how I know I'm home. Pulpatoon: The whole point of PbP is to take the scheduling pressure off the game. We're just chatty because we're so eager! Scott308: ...everyone should be reminded of just how wonderful the people they play games with here can be in real life. Leitz: Quality and quantity wise, I think US is the best I've seen. Paladin: I can promise terror, glory, and riches...or a quick and brutal death. Inferno: Come on! That's was Vicar's Head, a completely different doomed village! Rex: I can move to the wait list to let someone else into the game.
I'm just glad there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the foreseeable future. My family has endured similar trials over the years, but these were much more spread out. You have an indomitable spirit.
You haven't let me down...I am glad to get the update and find that you are still with us and looking to come back and play with us again. Whenever you are ready, I will be waiting.
Take your time, thanks for giving us the update of your condition. I hope you are getting better in life. Don't feel pressured to run things, if you're mentally unwell.
