i had also been busily sculpting in the week leading up to the game, a foolhardy and doomed endeavor that nevertheless produced two FINISHED models and one ALMOST FINISHED model:

but i didn't have time to paint, so in the end i selected a MULDOTTIR by TANNER SIMPSO, a converted BARNDOOR STICKER by KEV ADAMS, and one of jonathan's own SQONKS that i converted to make it more steppy, and they became the GROVE of the SHUDDERING TOADSTOOL:

SETUP

our troupes met in the court of the FAIRY KING, seeking riches and renown in a game of FREE-FOR-ALL RUMPUS. there are many other scenarios that we are working on, but a lot of testing has been focused on FREE-FOR-ALL to make sure it's still fun. rumpus is played on a 12x12 grid, so i used a 1 foot square of plywood and 1 inch foam tiles to make a simple stone checkerboard. i really like the classic, abstract feeling of a checkerboard; it reminds me of THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, and i also like the idea that the fairy king would build a literal life-size checkerboard somewhere in their kingdom. i've continued to work on the board in the days following the game, adding more stone variations, grass, and moss, and i am quite happy with how it's turning out.

jonathan won the dice roll and would get to go first, so i placed the first obstacle. i chose one of the lovely towers he brought with him (i think they are going to be for 1490 DOOM, which looks great) and we took turns placing obstacles until we ran out of room. then we worked together to clear a 2x2 path from one side of the board to the other, since jonathan had rolled THREE giant fairies and we wanted them to be able to move around. the default number of obstacles in rumpus is 9, mostly 1x2 and 1x1 pieces, but we wanted something a little more scenic, so we had to make some adjustments. we decided to make one of jonathan's fairies a Regular-Sized Fairy, even though we both really knew they were a giant. it was fine!

each of us prepared our fairies by drawing two items and one magic each. in rumpus, items can be freely traded between fairies or left in your fairy house, but magic is unique to each fairy and can't be traded.

the fairy king insists that each fairy must solemnly walk onto the board and announce their name before the rumpus may begin. here then, are the fairies of the FOREST of the CLEAR-EYED POWER*:

CLACKY TIM


SMALL JOSIE


WEE SHIFTY TAM

as well as the fairies of the GROVE of the SHUDDERING TOADSTOOL:

JENNY BURCHES


MAB LIGHTFOOT


TOMMY BLOODYBONES

with all formalities concluded, it would soon be

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄
🍄 RUMPUS TIME 🍄
🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

ROUND 1

SMALL JOSIE strides across the board and places one of her items into a trap, hoping to catch MAB LIGHTFOOT unawares. TOMMY BLOODYBONES steps up to JOSIE, looking to fight, but rolls a 2 and has a MISHAP, losing 1 life.