Shootey Day the 2nd: MunchkinLand

As promised, the Fourthpowers were taken out for some lead slinging today. 

Started w/ the 10/22:

Soda Can there:

 Soda Can not there:

Watch the cans then the center of the barrel.

What a shaken up can looks like after that:

Makarov:

 Look at that smile. 

And the youngest, who shot his first real gun yesterday, got some experience on a handgun:

I did some shooting as well w/ the Marlin 60 and the AK:

Obligatory 4th of July Post

Yesterday I took the family to the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall.  Spent much of the day explaining the Cold War, US vs USSR, NATO, Warsaw Pact, and proxy wars to the spawnlings. 

Today is the 4th of July:

So I celebrated it in traditional fashion. The BIL and his family, In-Laws, and a friend all came over.  Shooting guns, gorging on food, and blowing up a small part of the nation. 

The arsenal and the hippie-mobile. 

The BIL and his virgin AR.  He hadn't set it up w/ rear sights yet so he left quite a furrow in the ground until he got used to it:

My painter buddy and his Yugo M48 Mauser:

 I had to show them all how it's really done w/ the Dragunov.

Pistol Competition.  Ruger SR45, Beretta 92S, S&W M&P 9mm, Makarov.

Even the MIL and FIL got in on the action:

Finally the really important part of the day.  When the youngest, 5thpower, first seen here, turned seven, it was time for him to learn the art of boomsticks.  Since Feb. however, my weekends have been either crazy or crappy weather.  I've only been out maybe once. So today was the day of lead throwing for him.  After a reminder on the 'Rules', which he repeated w/o any problem, we went over the basics on a Ruger 10/22 followed by a few magazines emptied.

Unfortunately, like his dad, he's a right handed shooter but left-eye dominant.  He'll get used to that as time goes by.  We were running a lot later than planned so I'll be taking the 4thpowers out tomorrow.  We secured the sticks, left the range set up, then went and charred much dead animal flesh.

Then came the other fun part.  Blowing up a small part of the nation.  I really love smoke. The smoke bombs I picked up this year were really good.  Thick and a deep color. 

 Tank battles.

 FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!! (my favorite shot of the day)

BIL making his own 'Anti-tank rockets'.

The 'Finale'.  Would have been more showy if it was darker but the BIL family had to go to another 4oJ thing.

Feeling 'Blue':

Palladium FRPG 1st Ed. Ancient Dread: The Journey to Totuga

Continuing the adventure from here. Follow the story from the beginning.   This session was done via a combination of Roll20 and IM so I am attempting dialogue.

Several days have passed as the intrepid adventurers sail towards the pirate haven of Totugo in the Floenry Isles, far to the South of the Kingdom of Timiro.

The journey has been relatively quiet and Captain Macintyre has proven to be excellent host while they are aboard his 'Virtuous Maiden', a Bizantian Corsair.  At one point during the journey, he explains the name and how he acquired her. Previously, it was the property of a Bizantium Capt. who had a soft spot for gambling.  While he did his best to keep his wagers to coin, Macintyre  was having a strong run in cards, and the previous Captain. ended up wagering more than he could afford, and lost the ship as a result.  Allegedly the ship was named after the previous Capt's daughter, and Capt. Macintyre is fond of saying how many men have gladly ridden "The Virtuous Maiden".  Needless to say, Northern sea captains aren't fond of Macintyre which is why he stays mostly in southern waters.

One area of the ship that has not been quiet, however, is the cabin of the 1st Mate, Roan, a large (even for his kind) Wolfen who has been with Macintyre for many years.  A Mind Mage of some talent and a heart as big as he is, Roan has taken it upon himself to help ease the traumatized child rescued from the warehouse.  During the days, he conducts telepathic sessions on the boy with the calming presence of the Priest Eddie.  These sessions end with Roan highly agitated, bolting his door in the evening.  The roars and sounds of breaking furniture leave the crew on edge.

The party passes the time in various ways, typical of a diverse group.  Klyn, the thief, is barely seen, spending most of his time in his cabin with his bedpartner Adelaide.  Echo, the Warlock, spends her time sunbathing on the deck with her Goblin slave/bodyguard in attendance.  Much of the crew finds this one of the most entertaining things they've seen in some time resulting in the usual sailor humor, from snide to outright lewd.  Eddie, the Paladin, helps out among the crew and maintains his plate armor.  Strongbow, the Longbowman, discusses future endeavors and the possibility of a long term commission with the Captain and his Second Mate, a female elf sailor by the name of Alta who also comes from the Land of the South Winds.  She tells Strongbow that she is the firstborn child of a prominent fishing family and remarks that he looks familiar, a strong resemblance to a noble family.  Alta dismisses that thought though as an Elven family would never let a prominent son risk himself as a lowly adventurer. Freddie, the Priest of Apis, alternates his time between caring for the boy and trying to raise the spirits of the crew.  His eccentric antics leaves them befuddled but the appreciate his attempts to help along with his healing abilities. Mug is presented with an arrow mold and several ingots of lead and is overjoyed by the kindness shown to him, something he has never experienced before from any of his previous masters.

"Many thanks to you master. Mug shall begin the making of many arrows" he proclaims.
"Excellent. I have full faith in you."

"Master shall rejoice at having many arrows with which to hunt game, and annihilate his enemies, may they weep in terror."

 "I rejoice at having such a loyal and skilled Elfservant.".  With that, he hurries off.  Whenever the crew sees him, he is busy making arrowheads, a smile on his face and humming Orcish lullabies.

Two days out from Totuga, Roan calls the party into his cabin.  Much of the furniture is damaged and there are deep claw marks upon the walls. He begins to explain about the boy, whose name he's discovered is Malthes.  The firstborn of a peasant family in a Western Empire colony of the Ophids Grasslands, it was discovered early on that Malthes was a natural wizard, capable of manipulating energies even from the crib.  He was offered the opportunity to apprentice at a small wizard school due to his abilities.  Nearing the end of his apprenticeship he and some of his fellow apprentices made a pilgramige, but his troupe was waylaid by slavers. He was tortured, broken, and sold as a slave. Special order actually. The Witch Kratlos is the one who bought him. The boy was used as a source of flesh that was carved from his skin, and for other...atrocities committed by a witch named Kratlos. In addition to being a witch, Kraltos is a merchant for the Hitira Slavers, who specialize in debaucherous merchandise from the young to the forbidden.  Malthes is also very skilled in languages, knowing at least five including Northern, Southern, Eastern, Ogre, and Faerie along with being able to write both the Northern and Eastern human languages. . Has an incurable psychic scar from the result of a forced use of some sort of ritual that involves fresh human blood, a graveyard, and lots of chanting. The result is that it caused him to gain immense magical knowledge, beyond even what he was born with.   He also had a brand, marking him as the witch's property:
 

Just one more reason for that monster to die.