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ccorinnef · 4 years

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Tattoo Art: Living Galleries Through History

Tattoos have existed for millennia. Currently, the oldest known tattoos are from the Alps mountains on Ötzi which date from 3250BC and the oldest known decorative tattoos are from Egypt dating to 3351 - 3017BCE. They existed as a form of magic or medicine or branding for slaves and criminals, before becoming a form of identity, expression and artwork. Since around the 1800's, though, tattoos have been increasing in sophistication, design, artform and popularity. Tattoos are now incredibly popular and probably every city in the world has at least one, if not many more, tattoo shops and artists. Tattooing was by no means 'discovered' by white people but since the practice had been through phases of popularity in Europe, they were quick to forget and quick to become fascinated by tattoos. Following the age of colonialism and ideas of European superiority, tattoos were often labelled as barbaric or primitive and were used as a way to further discriminate against people in 'discovered' lands. A really surprising fact that I discovered while researching this topic was that in Latin the word used to refer to tattoos was 'stigmata' which is also the root word for stigmatise, tattoos often literally were symbols of stigmas.

Tattoos Through Ancient History

One of the most common misconceptions in the history of tattooing is that tattoos were brought back to the UK and the West on the Cook voyages of the 1790s. As can be seen from tattooed mummies across the globe and dating from across almost the entire history of humanity, tattooing as a practice has been recurrent. Whatever the context or purpose of the tattoo, whether for identity, medicine, status, religion, or whatever tattoos have been used across many cultures and times. The cook voyages simply brought back the word tattoo - from the Polynesian tatau or tatu. Before Cook's journeys introduced this word tattooing was known as 'painting' 'scarring' 'staining' stitching' and a host of other words were used to describe the practice. Tattoos have been used as a means of identifying people and animals, along with branding, for centuries: facial tattoos to denote punishment for crimes or to indicate status as a slave were used in the Chinese Zhou and Roman Empire time periods - until Emperor Constantine banned the practice of facial tattoos in AD330 and the Second Council of Nicaea banned all tattooing as 'pagan' in AD787. Runaway slaves were commonly tattooed on their face with 'FUG' for fugitive. In ancient Egypt there is evidence of medical tattooing first 'discovered' by Daniel Fouquet in 1898. He found mummies with tattoos and scarification which didn't appear to be decorative and speculated that they were "an established treatment for a condition of the pelvis, very probably chronic pelvic peritonitis."

The negative European influence on the Maori population of New Zealand first started with trading for moko tattoos, which were acquired by Maori people hunting and decapitating each other, and later by imposed Christian values by missionaries who discouraged and disliked the tattooing practice, something that has been repeated the world over. Tattooing was practiced widely in the Austronesian region, thought to have been developed before 1500BCE. 'Needles' were commonly made from Citrus thorns, fish bone, bone and oyster shells. Other ethnolinguistic groups who observed a practice of tattooing include the Ainu of Japan, some Austroasians of Indochina, Berber women of Tamazgha, Yoruba, Fulani and Hausa of Nigeria, Pre-Columbian Native Americans, and Iron Age British Picts.

Throughout history from around the 1500s to 1900s many many people were kidnapped or tricked into travelling back to Europe by early explorers and were often presented at the royal court or put on display as 'curiosities' to be gawked at, especially if they had tattoos across their bodies. Many of these are terribly sad stories of exploitation by white Europeans and often end in death by being exposed to illnesses their immune systems could not handle. "In 1565, French sailors abducted from Canada an Inuit woman with facial tattoos and her daughter. They put them on public display in Antwerp, the Netherlands, drawing crowds for money. Sir Martin Frobisher, an English privateer, also abducted an Inuit man from Baffin Island, putting him on display in London before he died from European diseases. Frobisher returned to Baffin Island and abducted a man, a woman, and a child, also taking them back to London for public display. They also died from illness shortly afterwards." William Dampier, a member and financier of Captain Cook's famous voyages bought a slave called Jeoly from Miangas Island in 1690. Jeoly, nicknamed the 'painted prince' was put on display across Europe and Dampier described his tattoos as covering most of his body with a 'great variety of lines, flourishes, chequered-work, &c.'

Tattoos Through Cultural Context

The methods of tattooing are varied and extensive, but they all involve puncturing the skin to insert a pigment into the epidermis where it remains trapped as the body heals the wound. Some cultures created tattoos by fashioning 'needles' out of shell or bone and creating lines by joining punctured dots of pigment together. Some cultures cut the design into the skin first and then rubbed the pigment into the wound. Today, the tattoo machine is most commonly used to insert pigment into the skin which utilises modern hygiene methods to reduce the risk of infection.

Among men of Austronesian societies, such as the Ifugao and Dayak, tattooing was an integral part of head-hunting culture where they served as a record of the number of kills a warrior had done in battle. Tattoos were also used in initiation rites into adulthood across Austronesia. A warrior's status was inscribed into his skin; the design, placement and number of tattoos indicated prowess and success in battle. Among Austronesian women, facial tattoos denoted status, skill and beauty and were often used as a symbol that a girl had reached marriageable age. Among Visayans of the Phillipines, tattoos were worn by nobility and warriors as records success in mangayaw raids.

Tattoos were also commonly used across the globe as magical wards against dangerous spirits or illnesses. Among the Ainu of Japan, who have mythology of tattooing practice coming from the sister of the creator god, Turesh Machi, and who faced much persecution by the Japanese authorities for continuing this culturally significant practice, tattoos were believed to stop evil spirits from entering the body and causing illness or misfortune. They also had specific tattoos placed around the body to serve as charms against illness and disease. Tattoos were used by Ancient Egyptians to depict dedication to a God and protection from evils. As Vanishing Tattoo states, "Largely administered by holy monks, sagacious tribal elders, and layman tattooists, the esoteric art was not only believed to provide its wearers with indelible protection from a variety of misfortunes, but also the mystical power to influence other peoples’ behaviour, carry the deceased safely into the afterlife, or simply increase a person’s 'luck.'" It could also be argued that the Catholic Croats in Bosnia tattooed women and children to protect them against a perceived 'evil', that of conversion to Islam during the Ottoman rule.

Native Americans, such as Seminole, Cherokee, Cree, Yurok, Tolowa, Hupa, Chimariko and Creek, used tattooing as a form of identity and belonging to their tribe. Obviously there is a huge range of cultural differences between each Native American community: the Cree had men covered entirely with tattoos while restricting women to only three or four lines on the face; for the Yurok tattooing was more popular among the women than the men, where a woman's age would be indicated by a line tattooed on the chin roughly every five years. Some communities even had tattooed size guides for seashells which were used as a form of currency. The Yuma used tattoos to denote status and community as well as to decorate warriors to appear more fierce - "they believed access to the afterlife would be denied to those who wore no tattoos."

Because tattoos were used to mark criminals and slaves, tattoos themselves, and by extension the people who have them, often face stigma and discrimination - the ink in their skin being culturally associated with criminality and deviance for centuries. In many cases, tattoos are considered an integral part of gang and mafia culture - often specific images and words are used to indicate membership and allegiance. Since the 60s and 70s tattoos have also been associated with social outcast groups such as bikers and prisoners, which has further played into the stereotypes of people with tattoos. Many prison inmates still tattoo themselves today, using whatever materials they can get their hands on. In China, tattoos are still considered taboo. The association between criminals and tattoos was a huge influence on this. Criminals were often tattooed to mark them and ostracise them from society. In Japan, tattoos were outlawed in the 19th Century by the Meiji Government - this wasn't repealed until 1948. In the city of Osaka employees are forbidden from getting new tattoos and all pre-existing tattoos are required to be covered completely, or removed. There is a strong and prevailing cultural link in Japan between tattoos and organised crime, yakuza. A project by Fukushi Masaichi's tattoo association was undertaken to collect and preserve the tattooed skins of dead Japanese people. A similar project to promote the art of tattoos was an exhibition by the Museum of Croydon called Beyond Skin.

Tattoos are often used symbolically to represent everything from a loved one, to a favourite sport, to prison sentences. For example, the teardrop tattoo has been said to represent murders committed or the death of a friend. US military personnel have an equally symbolic use of tattoos to mark identity, membership of particular regiments, battles participated in, murders and loved ones. Many companies now are trying to promote diversity and inclusion in employees, and many people are seeing less discrimination based on tattoos and their negative stereotypes.

Many different religions have expressed as many different viewpoints and levels of acceptance or tolerance towards tattoos - some completely prohibit their followers from getting tattoos, such as some Jewish traditions and Sunni Islam, while others, such as Hinduism and Neopaganism, show acceptance. Others still, such as Christianity remain undecided and some religions like Buddhism incorporate tattoos into their spiritual practice, known as sak yant.

Tattoos Through the 19th and 20th Centuries

Tattoos have been used administratively as a very literal form of identity. In 18th Century Thailand, tattoos were used to denote administrative identity - army officers, couriers, grass cutters, slaves and criminals all had distinctly unique tattoo designs and placements to denote their profession and to distinguish themselves from other departments. There were even different tattoos for corvée exemption due to illness or old age. As is commonly known, tattoos were used by the Nazi's in Auschwitz to identify registered prisoners with a complex numerical system. Many people alive today still bear this mark of their horror and trauma from life under the Nazi's. The SS were also tattooed with their blood group in WW2 to aid in any necessary medical treatment. Many SS members later shot themselves in the arm so as to remove the very identifying symbol of their Nazi involvement.

In Britain the first person to define their profession as 'tattoo artist' was Sutherland MacDonald in London in 1894. Prior to the 1870s tattoos were still very much associated with the 'lower classes' i.e. criminals and sailors, however the practice was soon coveted by the wealthy upper classes of Britain. Many of the royal family sported tattoos as a symbol of their wealth and style - since tattooing in the late 1800s was still a very time consuming and expensive practice. The invention in 1891 by Samuel O'Reilly of the tattoo machine, an adaptation of Thomas Edison's electric pen machine, meant that tattoos became cheaper and easier to produce so the practice dropped out of fashion among wealthier citizens. Tattoo art didn't really become considered as a legitimate career choice until the 1980s. More than 5000 people declared 'tattoo artist' as their professional title when in 1975 there had only been 40. In Australia, Fred Harris was considered the only tattoo artist in Sydney between 1916 and 1943. Throughout Harris' career, he tattooed mostly sailors but he also saw a trend of women getting their legs tattooed so the designs could be seen through their stockings. Throughout the 20th Century there is evidence of women getting tattoos, often ones that could be hidden well under clothing. There are even records of a female tattoo artist from the 1920s called Jessie Knight. An interesting exhibition which really put her work and career on display was held in Cornwall in the Maritime Museum.

The use of tattoos as a distinguishing identification feature was established in the 1800s as part of the 'protection papers' as a way for American sailors to avoid being impressed to the British royal navy. Prior to the use of tattoos as identification in the papers, the descriptions of the named individuals were too generic and often not accepted by British Captains. "In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, tattoos were as much about self-expression as they were about having a unique way to identify a sailor's body should he be lost at sea or impressed by the British navy." Until the onset of World War One there was a huge demand by sailors, usually British and American, for tattoo artists in ports across the world. This demand was addressed by the the first recorded professional tattoo artist German born Martin Hildebrandt who opened a shop in New York City in 1846. His career mostly consisted of travelling between camps of soldiers in the American Civil War. Following the 1960s and 70s there was a marked increase in bikers' groups and tattooing became a strong marker of identity for these groups - similar to other groups like gangs and prisoners.

Tattoos Today

In 2006 the results of a survey by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 36% of Americans aged 18-29, 24% of 30-40 year olds and 15% of Americans who were 41-51 had a tattoo. A similar survey by the Pew Research Centre found that 40% of Americans aged 26-40 had a tattoo. "They concluded that Generation X and Millennials express themselves through their appearance, and tattoos are a popular form of self-expression." Tattoos have even been used as the basis for, and advertisement of, logo designs. For example, Macy's logo is based off of a tattoo that the founder had on his hand. The practice of "skinvertising" has been used by brands such as HBO, Red Bull, ASOS and Sailor Jerry's.

Growing popularity can be seen for permanent makeup tattoos and for artistic tattoos to be used to cover up scars, such as from mastectomy, and perceived imperfections, like stretch marks. There is also high popularity for tattooing nipples after breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Permanent makeup includes tattooing pigment on eyebrows, lips and eyes - usually done with very natural colour shades to enhance a persons appearance. More recently, there has been a marked increase in the trend of 'stick and poke' or 'DIY' tattoos - with a few companies even offering complete kits to ensure hygienic practice. There is a motive for girls and women with low self-esteem and negative body feelings to get tattoos as a way to reclaim control of their bodies and search for their own identities. The increase of women getting tattoos, especially visible tattoos, is helping to change the stereotypes and stigmas associated with tattoos. Beverly Yuen Thompson interviewed many women across America in 'Covered in Ink' to look at the interaction between reactions to tattooed women in the general public and within families. She found that younger generations tend to be more accepting and generally unbothered by other's tattoos as compared to their older counterparts. Within family units, the reactions that women faced after getting a tattoo ranged from acceptance to disowning. Thompson noticed a correlation between the existing familial relationship and the post-tattoo reaction - those that were emotionally accepting of their female relatives were able to maintain close relationships despite a personal dislike to inked art.

In 2006 the results of a survey by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 36% of Americans aged 18-29, 24% of 30-40 year olds and 15% of Americans who were 41-51 had a tattoo. A similar survey by the Pew Research Centre found that 40% of Americans aged 26-40 had a tattoo. "They concluded that Generation X and Millennials express themselves through their appearance, and tattoos are a popular form of self-expression." (wiki/tattoo) Tattoos have even been used as the basis for, and advertisement of, logo designs. For example, Macy's logo is based off of a tattoo that the founder had on his hand. The practice of "skinvertising" has been used by brands such as HBO, Red Bull, ASOS and Sailor Jerry's.

Further Reading and References

Tattoos

Tattooing Among the Ainu

Tattoos in Indochina

Berber Womens Tattoos

Last Batok Artist in the Philipines

Lady of Cao

Ta Moko of New Zealand

Tattoos in the Arctic Circle

Tattooing History

Permanent Makeup

Medical Tattoos

Religious Perspectives

Tattoos in Papua New Guinea

Cook Tattoo Myth

Nazi Prisoner Tattoos

Mastectomy Tattoos

Nipple Reconstruction Tattoos

Tattooed Mummy

Otzi’s Tattoos

Egyptian Mummy Tattoos

Indian King’s Tattoos

Religious Opinions

Tattoo Gallery

Psychology of Tattoos

Why Do People Get Tattoos

Jessie Knight - Britain’s First Female Tattoo Artist

Native American Tattoos

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trilotechcorp · 7 years

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New Post has been published on PBA-Live

New Post has been published on http://pba-live.com/gabby-espinas-beermen-eager-to-move-past-tough-loss-to-kings/

Gabby Espinas, Beermen eager to move past tough loss to Kings

GABBY Espinas said San Miguel Beer is making the necessary adjustments to get back to its winning ways.

The former NCAA Rookie-MVP was just a second away from becoming the unlikely hero for San Miguel in Game Two of the Philippine Cup finals when he drained a three pointer to push his squad ahead by one, 109-108, with 23 seconds left in regulation.

Sadly for him, it just wasn’t meant to be as Ginebra was able to take the game into overtime before eking out a 124-118 win to level the best of seven PBA Philippine Cup Finals at one apiece.

“Sayang eh. (Pero) alangan namang magmukmok kami at wag na kumilos,” Espinas said.

“Adjust lang siguro sa kung ano lang makikita naming negative sa viewing. Dalawang key player namin ang nawala. Sayang eh, kasi nandoon naman kami,” he added.

Game Three is on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Espinas has averaged 14.5 points in the past two games, shooting well over 50 percent to lead San Miguel’s second unit.

“Paglabas nila, dapat talaga magandang energy ang ipakita ko. Lalo na wala si June Mar. Kailangan lang mag-step up. Yun lang ang mindset ko,” Espinas continued.

“Ganun talaga ang kailangan kasi finals ito. Di ka pwede mangayaw. Laban lang ng laban kahit anong mangyari,” he added.

Source: http://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/news/philippine-cup-finals-smb-ginebra-gabby-espinas-almost-hero-energy-for-game-3#qZ6uYtmxl3RjY7IE.99

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gooberpg · 10 months

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I wanna talk a bit about the main threat to adventurers' lives in The Rumbling Forest: the Boars

The Boar Horde 🐗🐗🐗

I make it no secret that a big inspiration for this adventure is Princess Mononoke. I wanted players to deal with themes similar to the film, and also I wanted them to face a relentless fucking horde of boars.

The Boar Horde is a calamity on hundreds of hooves. I think Into the Odd's detachment mechanics work well in giving them this feel. They are not something you fight head on. You can't even inflict damage on them without a powerful enough weapon.

In my playtests, an encounter with the boar horde means the PCs will scramble up trees to avoid them. I've yet to see a boar horde encounter where all trees in the area have been cut. Maybe I'll need to run a playtest of the latest revision to see that dynamic in action.

🐗The Ancient Boar🐗

The inspiration for this boar is unfortunately lost to me. I stupidly didn't take note of that particular source of the Philippine myth I read. The only trace I found in my hopelessly messy notes was "Baybulan earthquake pig".

I wanted to the players to understand that this Ancient Boar is a god, able to change landscapes and shake regions. Even its weakening, dying breaths make ground tremble. I hope I was able to do that.

I had more difficulty in figuring out its purpose in the adventure. I only thought about it being on the verge of death when I was revising for the Cairn Jam.

Before then, the Ancient Boar was just sleeping in that underground river. It's still an ordeal to get to it, but it felt like getting to the Ancient Boar solves most problems.

Having the Ancient Boar on the verge of death means there is a sense of urgency, no easy solutions to the adventure, and condemns colonialism all at the same time.

#osr #rpg #rpgsea #ttrpg #cairn #into the odd #nsr #mangayaw

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gooberpg · 10 months

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Play Report: Lorn Song of the Bachelor x Mangayaw (Session 5)

This is a retelling of a game session of Lorn Song of the Bachelor run with Mangayaw.

The Binmanwa Party

Malakas, a shamanistic healer

Bantok, a bow hunter

Eumining-gud, an aswang (?)

Dumalapdap, a ratfolk musketeer

Tusok, a witch’s apprentice

Lost Treasure Hunters

The party decided to push past the Cloth-Packed Belly to see what is beyond it.

They reached the teak log bridge when they hear an incomprehensible muttering. On the other side of the bridge were silhouettes of two men. By throwing a nostalgia wisp towards them and Eumining-gud extending her neck to get a closer look, they observed that these men were milky-eyed, pale and hairless. They sported Gleaming Fins clothing and tattoos.

Deciding they’re not going to converse properly with distance between them, Bantok and Dumalapdap decided to cross the bridge. The men lunged at Dumalapdap immediately, but only bit the wood of his shield. The rest of the party came to his rescue. A flurry of blades, sticks, and projectiles and the two strange men fell.

Bavu Si Bavu recognized one of the men; someone he knew from younger days. A few years ago, he talked about going into the Old Ruin to look for treasure. He was never found again, until now.

The party decided to tie the strange men up, in the hopes they’ll find a cure to their sickness. That is, if this was caused by a sickness.

The Bachelor-Filled Belly

The archway to the Belly looked different from before. It’s still ink-black under the light of their nostalgia wisps but instead of cavorting monkeys, the motifs were of yawning crocodiles.

A strange, moist breeze flows from inside the archway. The sound of waves lapping on a shore and a shrill clicking. There’s a wide lake here, with an island right in the middle. On the island, an ornate-looking stupa.

The party’s investigation of the space was interrupted by an albino crocodile, hugging the wall like a gecko. It emits clicking sounds to navigate the dark ruins. It crawls from the wall to the floor, towards the party.

Bantok grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it behind the crocodile to try to distract it. “Oh please, I’m not that stupid.” the crocodile scoffed, almost offended.

The party was taken aback by the talking crocodile, but quickly got over their surprise to try to talk it down. Unfortunately, the white reptile is intent on getting a “taste test.”

Dumalapdap and Malakas quickly jumped into action. Dumalapdap lodged a rattan stick in between the crocodile’s jaw, while Malakas tried to stab it from behind. With the crocodile’s jaws unable to bite, it used it claws against Dumalapdap. But before any serious damage was done, Bantok’s panabas cut down the lizard.

The crocodile continued the conversation while completely helpless, not really minding that it is under the mercy of the party. It answered the party’s questions about the ruin to the best of its abilities. That is to say, it didn’t have much information for them. Then, the party took out its teeth, as part of the deal with Sikkukurut.

Moving on from the crocodile, the party swam across the lake to the island. The stupa has a brass door, sporting a bas relief of a warrior, regal with feathers, spear and shield. It wouldn’t budge, even with their combined strength.

At the other side of the lake was another archway. It glows white in darkness, so the party spotted it easily. They took that path forward.

The Cloaca and the Catfish Village

The tunnel past the archway led to a flooded space. Faded traffic runes on the floor, sound of thunder periodically ring out. Small stormy clouds float at shoulder level, some fitted with saddles.

Re Wa Re recalls a children’s story, of monkeys using clouds as a means of transportation. The party wanted in on this. Malakas, Eunimining-gud, and Bantok each rode atop some of the clouds with saddles. The clouds buckled and kicked violently, causing Bantok to slam into the wall. They stopped trying after that.

The floodwater drains into a lower level in a rushing stream. Seeing no other way forward, the party rode it downstream.

The stream led to a water basin. Huts, made of trash, human leather, and flesh, line the bank. The villagefolk curiously surround the party. They have partly putrefied skin and catfish attached on their crotches; wet-corpse hosts just like the party encountered before. They give way to a corpse-host in regal pirate wear: Grimkin, the leader of the catfish.

GM COMMENTS

This session has more combat than the first 3 combined hahaha

Minutes after the session were taken to discuss crocodile dicks and how a catfish might attach itself on one. Time well spent, I’d say.

#osr #rpg #rpgsea #ttrpg #actual play #play report #cairn #mangayaw #nsr

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gooberpg · 11 months

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Play Report: Lorn Song of the Bachelor x Mangayaw (Session 2)

The Binmanwa Party

Malakas, a shamanistic healer

Bantok, a bow hunter

Euminung-gud, an aswang (?)

Dumalapdap, a ratfolk musketeer

Alon, a textile weaver

Vartu Si Vartu

The party waited outside the Chief’s longhouse for his return, not wanting to insult him a second time. Vartu Si Vartu returns a few hours later.

Conversation with Vartu Si Vartu is sensitive business. He is a proud warrior, thinks every gesture is a challenge to his authority.

He tells the party of how he lost his left arm. The Bachelor claimed it after a great battle, one that Vartu Si Vartu lost.

If he was such a great warrior, how could he have lost to a crocodile? He wants the party to look for proof of the Bachelor’s divinity. If the Bachelor was a god, then there is no shame in his loss.

Bavu Si Bavu

The party heads back to the princess’ lover, to inform him of their mistake and that he is still loved. He bounced back from his heartbreak quickly.

They also informed him of their plan to raise his prestige by questing with them. He is delighted by the opportunity to prove Niti Si Niti wrong.

Hummu Si Hummu

Before the day ended, the party passed by Oppu Wa Oppu’s again. They are hoping see if one of her more annoying suitors was there, so they could earn their keep.

Sure enough, the village’s prestige singer, Hummu Si Hummu, was there.

Hummu Si Hummu shows off his tattoos: open maws and curling tusks. Identifies him as a singer of the village’s songs and histories. He has a tic, blinking uncontrollably. His loincloth has a weird movement to it, like something is flopping about inside it.

Alon chanted the Mentala sewed into his katana’s tassels. The words granted him a sight able to see beneath the loincloth. A ferocity weighed on his heart, but he also saw a catfish stuck to Hummu Si Hummu’s groin. Absurd.

Under the guise of concern, the party tries to uncover Hummu Si Hummu’s secret. He tried to run, but he was unable to. When his secret was uncovered, he was in panic. The catfish seemed to share his emotions.

The party sent him to Auntie Sati, hoping she would know how to remove it. They still have no idea what to make of this. Is it a parasite? A performance enhancer? A controller of the mind? A kink?

Re Wa Re’s Pepper Farm

The next morning, the party went aboard a boat, piloted by Bavu Si Bavu. They set out for the Old Ruin via the river.

They spotted a Skelephant fording the river. They let it pass.

They passed by some pepper farms along the river, spotted a group of men in Company uniform harassing an old farmer. She’s on her knees, begging.

The party decided to help diffuse the tension. As they land the boat, the situation changed. The farmer was shouting and swearing now.

A Company goon forbade the party from getting closer and the farmer bit his hand. The goons pulled out their pistols, but the party stood between the two parties.

The Company goons explained that they’re here to take Re Wa Re’s farm as payment for her gambling debt. She protested with expletives.

The party decided to be on Re Wa Re’s side on this matter. Alon loudly boasted about his swordsmanship, touting his colorfully tasseled katana as proof, both to discourage the goons and to relieve the ferocity in his heart. The goons are outnumbered and are not inclined to call Alon’s bluff.

In the middle of all this, Dumalapdap nicked a pistol from one of the goons, who was none the wiser.

The Company goons decide to leave, but not without threats of their return.

The party hired Re Wa Re to come with them to the Old Ruin. She brought a knife and some peppery jerky.

The Old Ruin

It was almost dusk when the party reached the Old Ruin. The opening to the cave was clearly not natural. It’s adorned with simian statues, posd as if diving in water.

They felt the murmur of waves, from inside. They felt a breeze, like breath.

The party felt a mixture of curiosity and a bit of fear. And with that, they entered the Old Ruin.

#rpg #ttrpg #osr #rpgsea #actual play #play report

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gooberpg · 11 months

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Play Report: Lorn Song of the Bachelor x Mangayaw (Session 1)

The Binmanwa Party:

Kilala, a ratfolk cook

Malakas, a shamanistic healer

Bantok, a bow hunter

Euminung-gud, an aswang (?)

Dumalapdap, a ratfolk musketeer

Alon, a textile weaver

They are in debt to Oppu Wa Oppu, a veiled princess, because they were responsible for a feast that has gone wrong. The group was dubbed the Party Crashers.

They are in the village of the Gleaming Fins to pay back their debt.

Oppu Wa Oppu

The party asked what they can do for her to pay back their Debt.

Her eyes are unseeing ivory. She glows like faint moonlight. She is the niece of the village chief and a shaman and keeper of village rites, with tattoos of stars and crescent moons.

Aside from driving away her more annoying suitors, she doesn’t care how they get their hands on wealth. She also referred them to Auntie Sati Wa Sati, who is in need of capable Binmanwa for a Labor.

Auntie Sati

Sati Wa Sati is a witchy grandma. Fireflies encircle her.

She tells the party she wants to end the Bachelor’s curse. She tells them of Vung Si Vung’s song.

The Song of Vung Si Vung Once there lived a man called Vung Si Vung, said to be invulnerable—not spear nor shot pierced his bronzed skin. Such was his fame, the chief of that time grew envious, seeing in him a rival. One day, returning home, he found his wife taken. The chief and his soldiers, having subjected her to tortures, wrested from her her husband’s secrets: That he had won his strength from the spirits of the land. But he had failed to appease the spirits of the river. So Vung Si Vung found his wife murdered upon a spike, on a muddy bank, and the chief’s soldiers waiting. Filled with grief, he fought them there. Though he was mighty, they were too many—and, being near running water, near the river, he had no special protection. So he died. The chief, filled with spite, defiled the bodies of husband and wife, leaving them as carrion in red mud, conducting no funerary rites. This, over everything, was a breach of propriety, and greatly offended the spirits. Claiming Vung Si Vung with the tide, taking pity on him, they said: “O warrior, in death you have our blessing, go you now in a terrible form, as an amphibious predator, to visit fear and justice onto your enemies! Let it be so, from this very day!”

Aunti Sati could not give them anything of significant monetary value, but she offers her medical services.

Mahivir Sanna Krau

The party visited the The-Isles-Like-Precious-Ivory Company Office, to hear what they have to offer. The lead merchant Mahivir Sanna Krau offered to pay for most of their Debt in exchange for dealing with the Bachelor.

Mahivir wants him gone. He’s bad for business.

The party took the deal. It is in line with Auntie Sati’s quest. They requested a boat and some rations for this quest, to which Mahivir agreed to give. Dumalapdap tried to borrow a pistol, but Mahivir didn’t allow for it.

Niti Si Niti and Bavu Si Bavu

The party came upon a curious scene while walking through the village. A burly, peg-legged man was chasing a younger man with a machete. “Touch my daughter again, I’ll kill you!“

The peg-legged man is Niti Si Niti. He is a dreaming agaru sniffer, with tattoos of twelve-winged eagles. He is the father of Oppu Wa Oppu.

The party chased after the younger man. He is Bavu Si Bavu, hunter of forest beasts, tattoos of rhinoceroses. He reeked like roadkill. He claims he is in a relationship with Oppu Wa Oppu. The party was inclined to not believe him.

They lightly threatened him not to meet with the princess again, and he went home dejected.

Back to Oppu Wa Oppu

The party returned to the veiled princess’ hut to report on what information they gathered and to tell her about Bavu si Bavu.

The Oppu Wa Oppu let out a disappointed sigh. Bavu Si Bavu was saying truth. The two of them are in love. Her father does not approve of it because of Bavu Si Bavu’s status.

Rather than Bavu Si Bavu, it was Hummu Si Hummu, the village’s most prominent singer who the princess wanted to shoo away.

Realizing their mistake, the party hatched up a plan. What if Bavu Si Bavu accompanied them on their Labor to end the curse of the the Bachelor. If they were successful, surely such a feat would be enough to change Niti Si Niti’s mind?

Vartu Si Vartu

As the party was leaving the princess’ hut, someone else was heading inside.

Vartu Si Vartu, chief of the Gleaming Fins. His body is covered in silver paint. A servant follows him to touch up his makeup.

He is offended, insulted even, that the party met up with so many people in the village, and yet has not paid him a visit. He sternly expects them to be waiting in his longhouse once he has finished his visit with his niece.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

I’m thrilled to finally run this gem of an adventure. The session was really more about meeting the characters and gathering information, but it was still fun.

The whole thing with Oppu Wa Oppu’s romance is not part of the “main quest”. I wanted to tie Mangayaw’s starting Debt to the adventure, so I used the random Gleaming Fins tables to create characters for that. It’s a testament to Zedeck’s writing that I was able to flesh out a small web of relationships with the tables.

#ttrpg #rpg #rpgsea #osr #actual play #play report

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gooberpg · 10 months

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Play Report: Lorn Song of the Bachelor x Mangayaw (Session 4)

This is a retelling of a game session of Lorn Song of the Bachelor run with Mangayaw.

The Binmanwa Party

Malakas, a shamanistic healer

Bantok, a bow hunter

Eumining-gud, an aswang (?)

Dumalapdap, a ratfolk musketeer

Tusok, a witch’s apprentice

The Paw

The party decided to leave the golden harp by the boats in The Mouth while they search for a new exit.

They took a path they haven’t before. The tunnel was submerged in still water and riddled with side-rooms, with tables, rusted cutlery, bottles with sludge.

A heat blur, a nostalgia wisp, floated around them. It uses happy memories as fuel to burn. Dumalapdap recalled for a moment inheriting an heirloom jar from his mother before leaving home. The wisp lit up like a torch, and the memory was gone for good.

With this floating source of light, the party crossed the water and found themselves in some kind of gym for monkeys. Locked lockers line the walls, leading to a sparring room with mirrored walls.

Above the sparring room hung a couple of cages. There was a silhoutte of a man inside one of them. Eumining-gud wrapped the turtle sarong around herself and extended her neck to get a closer look. What she saw was the shape of a man made of hands. Palms for pecs, fists for abs. It splays its arms out in a hugging motion.

The party tried to talk to it, and it communicated back with sign language. None in the party knew sign language, so it mostly resorted to thumbs up and down. They learned that it was held there for a long time and that it didn’t know how to open its locked cage.

The party is not decided on whether they want to free the handy thing or not. Either way, they think they would need a key to open anything here.

Wet Corpses

The party encountred another nostalgia wisp. Bantok’s memory of a feast in his honor for an outstanding hunt fell victim to the wisp.

Dumalapdap wanted to know what would happen if he gave the monkey statue in the Mouth some tokens found in the Clothes-Packed Belly. He did so, and nothing happened.

From the edge of wisplight, something stirs in the water. Three bodies, with melted flesh and clothed in rags, emerge. Squelching and rasping, they march in a single line towards the interior of the ruin.

Obscured by rags, something flops around in the strange animated wet corpses’ groins. The party has seen this phenomenon before.

Dumalapdap wanted to make sure. He flips the rag-clothes of one wet corpse, revealing a catfish attached to its crotch. But in response, the wet corpse swiped its fist at him.

The party drew out their weapons and retaliated. A wet corpse was knocked out, as was Malakas. Eumining-gud chanted her Maga Kulam Mentala, causing a wet corpse’ hand to swell so grotesquely that it will have a hard time lifting it up. In a moment, the rest of the party cut down the two wet corpses still standing. The catfishes detach from their fallen hosts and flop towards the water.

After that, the party thinks they did good in exposing Hummu Si Hummu’s crotch-catfish.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

As I wrote this play report, I realized I made a minor mistake. I rolled wet-corpse hosts on the encounter table, but I referred to the wet corpse bestiary entry when they got into combat with them. No big deal, but its a funny mistake.

My players are loving how weird everything in this ruin is. I’m delighted to see it all unfold before their eyes.

#actual play #osr #rpg #rpgsea #ttrpg #play report #cairn #nsr

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gooberpg · 10 months

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Play Report: Lorn Song of the Bachelor x Mangayaw (Session 3)

The Binmanwa Party

Malakas, a shamanistic healer

Bantok, a bow hunter

Eumining-gud, an aswang (?)

Dumalapdap, a ratfolk musketeer

Alon, a textile weaver

Kilala, a ratfolk cook

Tusok, a witch's apprentice

Enter Tusok, New Party Member

Another boat entered the ruin behind the party. It had just one passenger. He waved at the party with his tattooed arms.

He called himself Tusok, the apprentice of a witch connected to the Company. He had a debt to her, so he's pretty much in the same situation as the rest of the party. He claims his companions have gone ahead of him in the ruin.

The party gave their wary introductions. Some don't know whether to trust him yet. "Prove your worth," they said.

Eumining-gud recognized the tattoos, shaped like elephant tusks. They are Mentala that will change his entire form. But to what, she doesn't know yet.

The Lungs

Exploring the ruin, they came upon a fork in the road with three paths. They took the first one which led them to a dome chamber.

It looks like a ballroom, at least it must have been before. But now its carpet is that of roaches and guano, its ceiling fixtures are that of kingfishers hanging like bats, and its dancing music is that of deafening chirps and chatter.

One kingfisher stood out. It looks like a hologram projected into incense smoke. "Stupid human! Come here! Trapped here? Name's Sikkukurut!"

The party is wary of the smog bird, but they conversed with it.

"Sikkukurut knows stuff! Help Sikkukurut?"

The bird wants treats; vampire snails are her favorite. The bird wants help with pranks. She tells them to completely detooth a cave crocodile. "Funny shit!"

The party had no idea what a vampire snail or a cave crocodile is like, but said they'll come back when they have done either. They wonder if the real prank was on them.

The Cloth-Packed Belly

The party doubled back and took the second tunnel. The path is interrupted by an abyss. There is a path across made of teak logs, staked onto the face of the wall. The party hopped onto each teak log to pass through.

They come upon an ink-black archway sporting cavorting monkeys. Beyond it is a shopping-arcade-like space. Each open lot is overflowing with a different kind of human accountrement. A hulking mass of pebbles and stones is sorting through a pile.

The party is intrigued by the pebble golem. They tossed a random stone in its direction, to get its attention. The stone snaps like a magnet and joined the pebble golem's body. It noticed the party, but doesn't seem to be very interested.

Some turned their eyes on the overwhelming piles of stuff. Dumalapdap found a handful of tokens inscribed with monkeys. Eumining-gud found a sarong with softneck turtle patterns; wearing it makes her neck longer. Alon found a pedal harp made of solid gold, buried under a pile of sandals. Tusok found the clothes of his former group.

The mystery of what happened to the group that came before them weighed on their minds. They remembered something Sikkukurut said. Trapped here, was it?

Treasure Logistics

The party decided to check if the boat they came in with is still where it was, in the mouth of the ruin. Half of the party wanted to bring the gold harp with them. It could make a dent in their collective Debt, after all.

The harp was heavy, made of solid gold. It required two pairs of hands to carry. It was a manageable problem until they got to the teak log path above the abyss. Can't really hop while carrying a large golden instrument, can they?

An illustration of the situation, by Tusok

After much deliberation, they had a solution: stick their swords underneath the harp to act as skiis, then pull the harp across with some rope.

The plan seemed to work. The harp was halfway through the teak log bridge when they heard a roar of twittering and fluttering. A swarm of kingfishers were heading their way. Almost everyone are on the other side already, but Dumalapdap was right behind the harp, pushing it. He hugged the log he was on and waited for the swarm to pass him by. And pass him by they did.

After the swarm, getting the harp to the other side was an easy task.

The Closed Mouth

The party reached the mouth of the ruin. Something was different. Gone was the sunlight reflecting on shimmering water, now it's just completely dark.

Their boat was still there. Alon and Tusok used it to go where the opening used to be, only to be met with solid rock. Sikkukurut was right. They are trapped.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

Ever had moments in a session when you forget details of rooms or encounters? Or when you change a feature of an adventure because you think it would be cool, but in the back of your mind you hope this change doesn't betray the other elements of the adventure?

This session had a lot of those. Here's hoping nothing breaks lol.

At least my group said they had fun. :D

#actual play #osr #play report #rpg #rpgsea #ttrpg

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