Wow, that was something!
I didn't realize what an undertaking this would be, but I'm glad I did it. According to me, and many of the attendees I talked to (including Lord Matteus), VENGER CON was a big success. Hey, that's what it's all about, making people happy, giving them a great experience, and ensuring they didn't waste their money.
I reached a new personal record - on Friday I GMed for 10 hours (not continually, I also ate and went to the restroom). Previously, my record was about 6 (hmm... maybe 7). On Saturday I ran for about 6 hours, and 4 hours on Sunday. The rest of the time, I was hanging out with gamers, taking pictures, preparing for my own sessions, running errands, and fine dining at Popeye's and Chili's.
It was such a small convention, about 27 [no one from my family, Kiwi Farms] that we really got to know each other better. With bigger cons, you meet people, enjoy their company, and then don't see them again.
Gamers hailed from San Francisco California, Rochester New York, Toledo Ohio, and somewhere in Canada. Only a handful from WI... a prophet is seldom heeded in his own land.
Session report(s)...
I decided to run Cha'alt exclusively all weekend. My familiarity and enjoyment of the eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic campaign setting allowed me to run and keep running throughout VENGER CON. Additionally, it was easy to accept drop-in players who were looking for action after their last game ended.
It's not easy starting with 2 or 3 players and then accommodating as many as 10 a couple hours in, but with Cha'alt, I knew I could do it. It helped having hardcovers of the new Chartreuse Shadows book. Two pallets of books arrived a couple days prior to the con. Flip-through video here!
Both finer details and big-picture lore were created during those sessions. From Dewba'ak-Raptors to gargantuan A'atuin sand-turtles to female dwarves who prefer beards made of glass beads, rather than hair.
The biggest question of all... was PSYCHOCOSM achieved? That point where you can't tell where the game's reality begins and the real world ends? Definitely. Like REM sleep, you can't just snap your fingers and get right into it. Such deep immersion must be earned.
For now, I'll just record some of my favorite words and phrases from my sessions. Enjoy!
- "Don't fuck (with) anything that can kill you with one swing."
- "Wage-slaves for the Elder Gods."
- "Tentacle tuna taco."
- "You're ankle deep in gold!"
- "The director realized there needed to be more fuchsia in the shot... sudden hot-pink headband."
- "Like Sharon Stone crossing her legs in a golden thong."
- "Put that into your mind-bong and smoke it!"
- "The priest opens a small portal and chartreuse tentacles come out to lay on hands."
- "Zoth-lite... Elder God ichor you can safely drink."
- "The tentacled gloves are coming off, hoss!"
- "Next convention should be called VENGER CON II: Electric Boogaloo."
I'd like to thank
VENGER CON's principle sponsor, Tom K. Wankum. Check out his Crawlspace RPG and other titles over at
Peryton Publishing.
Before going, I also want to thank everyone for their fantastic attitude, support, and kindness throughout the convention. I really, really appreciated it!
Follow me on Twitter @VengerSatanis to see even more pics.
Sending out Kickstarter hardcovers starts tomorrow morning. Your patience shall be rewarded!
VS
p.s. Will there be another VENGER CON next year? Yes, I think so. Give me a week or two before I make an official announcement.
