Andre Norton's Quag Keep

Stolen shamelessly from Blog of Holding,
because I am lazy.

Found a copy at a thrift store over the weekend. I only recognized it because there's a blog named after it that I read sometimes. The book cost all of a buck, so I figured what the hell and bought it. It wasn't until I did some Googling that I found out that Quag Keep is the first D&D novel and is set in the world of Greyhawk. Double neat-o.

The Realm of Darthon

I thought you guys might enjoy this. The other day, I was watching a marathon of Regular Show on Cartoon Network last Saturday and this episode came on called "But I Have a Receipt". In the episode, Mordecai and Rigby DM a tabletop RPG for game night, called The Realm of Darthon.

This reminds me of the box art to HeroQuest.
Regular Show wiki.

The episode is a homage to D&D and other tabletop RPGs and pokes fun at all of the stereotypes. For example, at one point during the game, the DM's guide says for one of the characters to roll a d50, but the game only came with a d48 and apparently, two marbles. During the same scene, Rigby is shown using one of those mechanical calculators, the ones with the spool of paper, in order to figure out whether or not one of the characters scored a hit. Eventually, Mordecai and Rigby realize that the game sucks and try to return it for a refund, but the store owner refuses because the game has already been opened. He also claims that they weren't using their imaginations when playing the game.

This is probably a bit more accurate than it should be, isn't it?
Regular Show wiki.

Well, what happens next is pretty typical of the show. Mordecai and Rigby decide to sabotage Darthon's sales by pointing out to potential customers how much the game sucks. One of my favorite parts is when they point out that all of the character classes and miniatures have the same head and face, but with different bodies. The store owner responds by raising the discount on the game until he's giving copies away for free with a purchase of gum. He then loses his shit and teleports (somehow. Just go with it) Mordecai and Rigby into the game, dressed as their characters, in order to prove that the game does not suck. Then, I guess he decides to murder them.

The two manage to turn the tables on him and defeat with a sword to the chest, which after they return to the real world, is revealed to be a ruler to the chest. Honestly, the attempted murder isn't even that shocking, given that they've been both directly and indirectly responsible for multiple deaths on the show. Anyway, the game store owner finally gives them their refund - seven dollars - and then drives himself home, with the ruler still sticking out of his chest.

I bet this would count as a critical hit. And attempted murder.
Regular Show wiki.

Pretty funny episode.

Here, have a funny D&D comic

Credit: Owl Turd Comix.

I'm sure this is a fate that has befallen many a potential D&Der.

h/t Wil Wheaton.

Finished The Eye of the World last night

Nothing to add that I haven't already said. It was a good book, long as the dickens, though.

Thoughts on The Eye of the World so far (minor spoilers)

Via Wikipedia.

Yes, I'm still reading it. In my defense, an 800+ page book isn't something that can be blown through easily, nor in the case of this one, should it. I'm nearing the 600 page mark and it's blown me away much like A Game of Thrones did. Having said that, the book didn't really pick up for me until Shadar Logoth and when group is scattered. That's not to say that the book before that was bad, but having eight protagonists traveling together gets a bit stale after a while. After Shadar Logoth, however, EotW picks up and becomes a real page turner. Can't wait to finish it.

Having said that, who the heck goes into a tomb with a dude named Mordeth? That's like going anywhere with Hannibal Lector.

So according to Google Reader, this blog has 42 subscribers and according to Feedburner, it has 51. Either way, holy cow!

I guess I should probably post more often then!

And this is your idiot of the month and maybe the entire year

On her discovery of GAME OF THRONES creator George R.R. Martin's books...

Here's the thing about the Our Valued Customers webcomic: it's all true. The strips are based off of actual, honest-to-god things that Tim Chamberlain, the creator of the comic, has overheard or seen at the comic book store that he works at. Someone actually said this!

Pro-tip for adventurers

If you're camping in a lifeless husk of a once great city and you run into a stranger who asks you to help him haul treasure to his horses, don't.

It's a nice day for a Red Wedding

A modified version of Billy Idol's "White Wedding" song popped in my head tonight and after mentioning it on Tumblr, one of my followers pointed me to this video featuring that very thing. Check it out:



Personally, I think the people behind Game of Thrones should have paid Idol to record a Red Wedding version of his song and played it during that part of the episode and the credits. Just rub the salt into the wound there.

Finished: The Protector's War by S. M. Stirling

I decided to undertake a massive summer reading project, since I tend to read quite a lot during the summer months and I have loads of books that I've been wanting to read or finish. Top of the pile was The Protector's War, which I bought about a week ago from a used book store.

Emberverse Wiki.

The book is the second in Stirling's Emberverse series, which follows several groups of survivors after an unknown event (called the Change) robs the world of electricity, gunpowder, and explosives. Suddenly thrust back into the middle ages, the Bearkillers, Clan Mackenzie, and several other factions are forced to fight for survival in western Oregon and against the machinations of the Portland Protection Association, who desire to control the Willamette Valley as they can. Hit the jump for more, but beware of spoilers.