Rise of the Runelords, II and about prioritizing

Oh yeah, the next session came and went. Well, in fact. The adventure is very good and they're pretty much on script, so I'd made a list of things to remember and I think I gave everybody a time to shine.

They levelled up - or rather, they did in the days following the game. I just have to make sure everyone's done their homework and adjusted their character sheets. And the next session's a Friday session! So we're going to the CEO's place. He's even said he's got guest rooms. We'll see. They continue to be a very rewarding bunch to GM, so that's good.

In less good news, I put the teenage campaign on hold. The Asperger player will be introduced into my increasingly inappropriately named family campaign instead of my wife. She (the aspie) has some great ideas for a character, so it'll be fun.

And naturally I feel like a huge failure, but when I'm facing a weekend with nothing to do except do laundry, go to a restaurant with the daughter, and run, then it feels pretty a-ok.

Beginning Rise of the Runelords

So we have Kreolino the Ranger (player: CEO), Hérion the Magus (player: Sales Director), Pephannes the Rogue (counterfeit mage archetype) (player: Genius Colleague), and Aknot the Oracle (player: Friend Colleague).

All equipped with their shiny new backstories and their 1st-level equipment, they attend the Swallowtail Festival in Sandpoint and... Things go pretty much by the book. Two groups of goblins attacked as one. No biggie. I messed around in the town a bit. God, it would be great to just have all the information immediately available. It would require a fast tablet, a hyperlink-heavy map with pop-up features and a good search function.

Good things: The games before the goblin attack were fun. Combat went smoothly, and they know now that goblins are bat-shit crazy. They are appreciative of the story and the players gel well  together.

Bad things: I NEED to get the city straight. I need to be better with the minis in order to minimize the wait. Part of this is logistics:

3 pm: Bone up on last details/finish work
4 pm: Drive for takeout
4:45: get back, set up in CEO's office, if possible, set plates for dinner
5 pm: Eat
5:30'is: Game

But they're hooked. CEO roared in frustration when I called it a night at 10:15. The Sales Director played his Cha 8 better than anyone I've seen. He does not give a flying fuck who he pisses off. Nice!

Next session's in three weeks.

Roleplaying at work

So the CEO asked me to run a game.

At the Summer Party, he asked about an RPG club a colleague of mine had suggested on our intranet, and when I told him it never got off the ground, he seemed so disappointed, that I promised I'd get something up and running. I remembered a colleague (the Genius) who'd said he really wanted to try it out. Another who was a Gamer but wasn't playing at the moment. And my Sales Director who had been gaming for a long time.

I got them together and ran them through a Ptolus adventure I made for a con a few years back. It went well. So well, in fact, that they wanted to continue with a real campaign.

So this next Wednesday, I'm bringing my Special Edition Rise of the Runelords, a combat plan, minis and a few other things to kick off the Swallowtail Festival in Sandpoint. Here's the roster:

• The CEO - Human (Ulfen) ranger. Surprisingly charismatic and wise giant of a man. Very effective with a bow.
• The Sales Director - Elf (Forlorn) Magus. Describes the character as a geek. From Riddleport. Could be fun.
• The Genius - Half-drow Rogue (counterfeit mage). Has some great ideas about bluffing his way through the world. 
• The Gamer - Human (Shoanti) oracle of the Skoan-Quah clan. He'll most likely bring Weird to the table in a good way. 

The last PCs were created yesterday. We'll see what happens Wednesday!

Weight loss seems to have stopped. After losing 17 kg, my body seems to have gotten used to not getting much nourishment twice a week. Either that, or I’m putting on muscle weight as I’ve started running on a more regular basis.

I run 3km twice per week (on the mornings of my fasting days, even) and a progressively longer run every Sunday (shooting for 13 km next Sunday and +2 km every Sunday after that until I hit 35 km). The short runs are done as fast as I can – ~5 min./km – while the longer runs are kept at a more moderate pace. I’ve discovered that running’s quite fun, although the near-freezing run in the dark at 6 am is tough.

I set myself the goal of adhering to the 5:2 diet for three months. It’s closing in on five months now, and it’s only the past two weeks that’ve been hard. It is absolutely amazing what a motivator a weight loss can be! So the next three months will be hard. However, if I continue to see a change in how I look, it may help. What I’ve learned for now is that the scales is not your friend! So no more weighing for me for the next three weeks - it's a level of disappointment I don't need.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

How long's it been? Two months? Wow.

I think I weighed 125 kgs when I got on the 5:2-thingy. This Wednesday, the scale in the gym clicked in at 113. That's a consistent weight loss of 1 kg per week. My figure has trimmed considerably.

This is back in June 2011

And this is mid-October this year (2013)

Gut's diminished completely. My face is thinner. Legs thinner. There's significantly more muscle tone on the torso - no, no pics. Not yet. Probably not ever.

I'm still wondering when it's going to stop. Either way, I'm not quitting, as it's been getting easier every week.

But it's still not a diet

Three weeks in, and the 5:2-thing seems to be working. For the first time in... 10+ years, I'm now under 120 kgs - even if just under - and it gets easier and easier to not eat throughout the two days - until dinner. By taking in all 600 kcal (100g ground beef and two fried eggs along with salad) in one sitting, I am full when I go to bed and I therefore don't overeat the next day.

Even better, I've slimmed down somewhat as seen here:

I've still got lovehandles, and I don't quite know where to put my hands, but it could be worse.

Quick thoughts about fasting

Alternative titles were Fasting - the Quickening. Or Quick, Fast, Speed - Swiftly

Anyways, I'm on this 5:2 diet thing. Yes. A diet. I've consciously avoided thinking of it as a diet, but I see it as such. Right now, at least. I want to continue on it, however, even if/when I make it to my goal.

It's been a week, now, and I'm on my third day of not eating until dinner. I weighed myself at the gym this weekend, and according to the scale, I weighed three kg less. I look forward to seeing what it says next weekend, because I don't really believe it. It's either liquid (which is weird: I drink a lot of water) or something else.

Hunger's not an issue. No stomach pain. No growling. But I feel stupider and dizzy. I hope it passes.