The Ravens Nest

A Savage Journey Into The Heart of Cha’altian Triumph.

I’m leading out with this picture again because I’m gonna remind you that the Cha’alt hardcover books are $130 shipped for the entire trilogy and you will get the PDFs to accompany them and that’s an all-inclusive price. Why is that important to the story I’m about to tell you? That’s beside the point. Get your copies, today. If it’s not your jam, toss that link to someone who loves the weird, strange, rules-lite and unique. Books are also available separately, if you need to order them one at a time.

We talked last time about the Cha’alt X-Cards as well. The PDF that will change up the way you play by enhancing both the challenge and fun factor of the game itself. I know it’s only been a day but there’s a good reason I bring this up.

Those Cha’alt hardcovers have an interesting story on their own. I’d ordered a set and was waiting for them to show up and one day, in fact the very day this photo was taken, I’d stepped out my front door to head into work. This was October of last year. They’d finally arrived and I was amped to see them.

…but something else was going on. It wasn’t that they’d arrived, that was the part that excited me. I was like a kid at Christmas or Yule, whichever you prefer. It was early morning. I was running a minute or two behind so there was no time to waste. I saw the package sitting off to the side, the morning light streamed in to a beam bearing down on a white package. I picked it up, not expecting it to be from Venger and bigger than Cthulhu and twice as maddening, it was. I’m not kidding when I say it sat there, bathed in morning light. I only wish I’d had the presence of mind to snap a photo of that because it would have been worth showing up late. I picked that package up and lugged all three books contained within to work with me where I opened it up, laid the books out and took a photo of it. Naturally, I started thumbing through the books during my lunchbreak with my fellow co-workers scratching their heads wondering what Ninth Level of Pure Madness into which Wulfgar had descended.

I also lugged those books back home with me, carefully placed into my Basic Fantasy RPG Messenger bag and you have to see it to believe it.

That’s my “adventure bag” and notice how it doesn’t have a shoulder pad? Yep, those three tomes really put the screws to my shoulder and trapezius that night. It was a burden I happily bore and when I got home, those books came out only to have my grubby lil paws all up in them, going through them again.

Fast-forward to just over a year later. I get my hands on Cha’alt X-Cards and, once again, smiling from ear-to-ear at it’s simplicity and how it adds to the game rather than subtracts from it. Then I see it…

Right there at the bottom of the blog post. Link to the Hardcovers (because, hell yeah!!!) along with a link to Venger Con III: Revenge of The OSR (Reserve your badge now!) and …custom…cards.

Now listen, eight custom cards hand-crafted in a style that only Venger, himself can produce, you’re damn right I wanted a set. I hit him up on Twitter and when he asked which colors I’d like, it occurred to me that it didn’t need a single moment of thought from me. Fuchsia and Chartreuse; Cha’alt Colors.

He even put them on camera on his channel and I have to thank Venger for the shout-out to my channel which was huge.

So I’d seen photos and then video and was already in cheese-eating grin mode and then he sent them off on Monday. He mentioned they’d be here by Friday but, if I know our mail system, there are times when they’re pretty early by at least a day. He was right, Friday, on the dot. I’d just sent copy over from the article I’d written about Cha’alt and it’s many supplements and the many good folks who made supplements and adventures for the game that we all love so much.

He looked it over, provided some notes, I popped out a few edits and launched the article. It was time for me to head out to work and I was hoping it wasn’t as nightmarish as the day before. This is how my day kicked off.

I stepped out the door and in the same exact damn spot, I saw this…

A fuchsia package with Venger’s return address on it and bearing my name and address. Once again, I didn’t have time to lose so I popped out a photo on my phone with people passing me as I stood head to toe in black holding this thing and getting the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot looks from a few parents and their kids who looked more confused than cows trying to do calculus.

I knew exactly what it was, I couldn’t wait to unveil them and see them up close and personal. When I got to work and headed in, I made a beeline for our breakroom and there, on the same table, I laid them out…

The photos and videos did not do them justice, these are solid, veiny and have a distinct texture to them and I was grinning from ear to ear as a collegue asked me “Hey are those new tarot cards?” Many of them know that I specialize in Tarot, Oracles, Runes, etc but I shook my head and told them that these are eight cards in my hand that can warp an entire universe. I carefully rewrapped them in the plastic bags (Thanks for those, V, I can totally reuse those!) and carefully placed them in my locker.

I went about my day and had them on my mind. I was explaining to some of them how the game functioned, how easy it was to get into and pointing out that those cards…were made by the man who made those worlds and how those cards can now be used to work your magic and manipulate that world in ways never before possible. Some got it, some looked at me as though I’d grown a tail and a couple of extra heads and others, I could tell didn’t understand but thought the concept was cool.

My manager on duty hadn’t seen them. He and I had spent time tag-teaming different duties both in the photo lab and on the floor when and where we could, working harder than ugly strippers trying to make that buck. The night went pretty quickly and smoothly, having leadership like that in the store. Upon sight of the padded envelope, he became curious. I had my phone in one hand, package in the other and I placed my phone down to unveil the cards for the second time. These things were hand-crafted, dammit, a simple picture would not do! The man must see them, be exposed to the Kort’thalis Sigil. I would begin to pull this poor boy into that world. Not by force, mind you, but to plant a simple calling into his head. Who knows who he could be on Cha’alt? Perhaps a Muad’Dib type character, riding those sandworms and helping the unfortunate souls who have found themselves stranded in it’s harsh deserts? I turned them over one by one and showed them to him. Explained what they were and how they would be used. He thought they were pretty badass (goooood…goooood…) and I packed them away carefully again and went home, choosing to listen to the sounds of the night. No audibooks, no Spotify, no media from my phone.

So getting home and getting myself settled in came next. Once finished, I grabbed Mr. Bub for his medication which he doesn’t like and wants to fight me. Toe Beans? Not tonight, pal. Murder Mittens! Then I settled in, carefully unpacked the cards and stacked them on my coffee table. That’s when I started wondering…where’s my phone?

I looked everywhere, nothing. All the spots I could have possibly put it…nothing. Not in the pockets of the coat, the kangaroo pouch of my hoodie, the bed, the desk, the coffee table, nowhere. I used my computer to try to locate it, not a sound. I looked at the clock. 11:15pm…work was closed…immediately, it hit me…that’s where it was and that’s why I couldn’t edit these photos in to show you.

Today, I just said fuck it and made a new post.

Yeah, they became stuck a couple of times. I showed them off on the channel with a ton of innocent phrases that went wildly out of context.

I think the Sleaze card has been stimulated by magic. In any case, I did take them and cut some paper strips to put between them. Next order of business is to find a box or even make one that can contain them.

Was a beam of radiant afternoon light shining down on them? No. It’s been crappy weather the past couple of days, hence the reason I was dressed in both a hoodie and my trusty trenchcoat, but it’s a bright damn day on Cha’alt.