Inspiration and the death of sleep.

I've got a sickness in my head,
And it wants to be fed.

It's called INSPIRATION, INSPIRATION!

When it's fed,
I'll go to bed.

It's called INSPIRATION, INSPIRATION!

The tick of the clock,
Does nothing but mock.

INSPIRATION!

On with the night,
Bring the morning light.

INSPIRATION, INSPIRATION!


~Rob Ling Sept. 22, 2010

And so ends another journey...

And so it ends, PAX 2010 has come and gone, mostly. There is a part of this years PAX that shall remain with me, like a burning flame upon a torch, leading the way into the depths of the next adventure. I had one heck of a great trip this year, and made some great new contacts. I have a project in full swing, a deadline set and burning desire to obtain more knowledge than ever on all parts of the industry.

Listening to Warren Specter speak in the Keynote was surreal in some ways, and in others now that I think about it as I look back at my gaming history, inevitable. Then there was the first QA session that followed with Mike & Jerry. There was a great air about the show this year, and with it being 2010 and all, it seemed appropriate that it was home to many notable announcements, including a marriage proposal during the Q&A session, the Duke Nukem Forever playable demo booth, and the unveiling of Firefall. The Red 5 crew are doing a great job brining a new spin on sci-fi to the MMO scene, and I for one am excited to give this game a whirl. I've been following the development of this new studio since PAX of 2008, when I first met some of their staff at a panel, and have continued to be blown away at the quality of the work, and the closeness to the gaming community that they seem to be striving for. I have seen them at the show each year since then.

It felt more professional overall this year. Every booth I stopped at, had absolutely amazing staff that were all friendly and eager to talk about their games or just chit chat back and forth about the show itself or the industry overall.

Disney Interactive made a huge splash this year at PAX, taking up three major booths. The most notable show floor displays for myself however, was the number of MMO's being shown. EVE, TERA, RIFT, SWTOR, GW2, EON, FIREFALL, AION: Attack on Belaur, Fallen Earth, and more I am sure I am forgetting about at the moment.

Canvasing for questers became a regular thing, checking it while waiting in lines, and collecting almost a hundred new adventurers in my inn, and a great deal of treasure maps as well. That was a great way to spend time in a lineup.

The best of show for mixers definitely goes to CCP yet again, as they never let up on the party surprises. The only thing I think they could have done to top it all off, would have been to show something on either of their two new games in the works. Alas, soon enough they will let fly the gates, and the flood of information will spill out upon us.

The Monday after the show saw a delving into a dungeon beneath the streets of Seattle with the City Beneath the City tour. Great fun that was.

I am glad it's over in someways, but in many other ways, I wish there was a show like this every weekend. The energy is overwhelming, and the satisfaction of fans and exhibitors alike is unparalleled by any other show I have seen. This is our community.

Back to the routine tomorrow, but not on my laurels. Plans are set and things are in motion. I hope to slowly begin revealing more in the coming months, but until then, that bit shall remain buried against its will.

~Robert Ling

All PAXed and ready to go!

It's that time of year again, that time when all the gamers crawl out from under their snack mound forts and venture out beyond the shadowy barrier of their gaming rooms to infest Seattle. PAX10 is here! This should be the best year yet, with a lineup of awesome that's longer than the life of my mouse's scroll wheel on the main event site. The Penny Arcade Expo has been my trip to sanity for the past 3 years running, and has allowed me to grow immensely, both as a person and as a professional. With panel discussions from industry vets on all sorts of topics every year, I have been able to mix and mingle with some of the most creative minds on the planet, and to learn heaps upon heaps of stuff.

Game Design, Narrative Design, Dynamic Events, and many other topics have crossed my list of attending panels. I thrive on this convention, like a brain bug thrives on human brain tissue in Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers. My hope this year, is to not only fully recharge my creative batteries, but to go beyond the learning, and truly delve full on into the creative side of the industry in a large capacity. I am currently at work on a number of projects, of which I hope to share more in the months ahead here.

Alas, slumber beckons, and I shall answer in kind. This minstrel is on a journey with the breaking of the morrow's dawn. I shall return with a plethora of stories to share.

~Robert Ling

The Lost Age: An EverQuest Tale

Here's a fan fiction piece I did back in March of 2008. I missed my adventures with friends in Norath, and thus decided that I wanted to explore parts of the world that we never had the chance to see come to life. Enjoy!

Part One

Some say the age of adventure died with the last of the meddling gods upon the Planes of Power long ago. I however, tell you otherwise. Many adventurers still roam the wilds of Norath in search of treasure and a taste of the unusual, far from any bustling city or the fields of the Common Lands and the Planes of Karana.

The adventure I, Corlag the half-elvin Bard, wish to spin for you now, reaches back to the old days; before the giants of Velious marched upon the Temple of Veeshan and when the Frogloks dared not go near the troll haven of Grobb. From the Unkempt Woods, through the Hatchland and Everfrost Peaks to the shivering waters of Winters Deep; from Lake Neriuss to the Buried Sea, and Broken Skull Rock. These and many more places I have seen in my wanderings, and it all began with the discovery of an ancient relic imbued by the gods themselves when they began to shape Norath. It is here, within the Dead Hills that this journey begins.

When the moon casts its light across the barren, charred remains that are the Dead Hills, the voices of the dead begin to sing anew. It was on just such an evening as this that I found myself deep within the muck and mirth of this ancient battlefield. I had been hired to escort a group of treasure seekers into the depths of the crypts. I did not ask what it was they were searching for, and I hold true to the theory of ‘the less I know the better.’

You’re probably wondering how I managed to end up playing escort to grave robbers, as I have no doubt that is what they were, and my response to that question would have to be it’s as good a way to make a living as any these days. The graves that are strewn throughout this forsaken place are far from innocent, and to me they mean less than the dirt in which they lay. This is the former playground of the gods on which they settled their quarrels, pitting ones creation against the others.

Rallos Zek, the god of war, was the last to trudge these crumbling ruins when he unleashed his fury on the lizard men that were encroaching upon the home land of his beloved ogres. He had previously been forgiving of such trespasses, but with the recent disputes between which god controlled what part of Norath he felt it was due time to deliver a clear message that his war-bred race was here to stay.

The voices came as I stood watch, the camp fire crackling softly behind me a ways, and the stone pillar I was leaning against took on an unusual coldness. It felt like the very warmth of my soul had been stolen from me. If there had been even a hint of grogginess in my body it was gone instantly. My companions it seemed had also heard the screeches, howls, and moans of the dead as they bolted upright in their bed rolls. They clambered for their weapons as the last bit of sleep left their minds.

“What the blue blazes was that,” muttered the rather plump dwarven warrior, Drumpis?

“The dead are becoming restless under the touch of the moon,” replied the silver haired high-elvin paladin, Docvinny.

“Aye, we should get moving as soon as we can. I don’t feel like having to put a corpse back in its grave personally,” said the slender, well endowed half-elf ranger, Syynd.

“Speak for yourself;” answered the hyper, halfling rogue, Caithos, “I’m itching to try my new daggers on something.”

“You’ll get plenty of opportunity to do that I’m afraid, Caithos,” I replied, “The dead are afoot already. Grab your things we’re leaving.”

“But we haven’t retrieved the relic yet,” Caithos complained.

“We need to gauge the threat, and I’d rather do that from a distance than in the middle of a wandering graveyard full of pissed off undead ogres and lizardmen,” I replied, “now get your stuff.”

“A wise plan,” replied Docvinny, “I don’t think even my skills could take care of more than a dozen of them before I tired.”

“Fine,” Caithos grumbled, “but we better be coming back or your not getting the rest of your pay, you hear Corlag?”

As the band of adventurers gathered their belongings in their bedrolls, I climbed the small hill that shadowed our camp from any eastward looking eyes seeking flesh of the living to feed upon, all the while being careful not to put myself in sight of any of those prying eyes. As I surveyed the ruined landscape, I could make out at least a dozen lumbering undead ogres wandering somewhat aimlessly through the ruins of a crumbled temple. Off in the far distance, upon the weathered ruins of a lizardman pyramid, there were at least two scores of the scaled beasts grouping up near the base of the stairs of the pyramid.

An eternal war between two gods, now imprisoned, was about to begin anew; and we were smack dab in the middle of it.

I scanned the landscape for a clear path to escape before this blood bath could begin. It didn’t take long before I spotted a path to the south through a dense cluster of rocks and rumble that would provide a decent amount of cover. Even that was getting close to being compromised.

I hastily, and as quietly as possible, made my way down the hill to report my findings. The last of the equipment was being tied to Drumpis’s pack as I approached.

“It seems the gods are always ready for a game of war. The only way out from here is through some ruins just south of our camp. We need to move now if we don’t want that to disappear as well,” I reported.

“But that will take us to the shores of the buried sea, we’ll be trapped unless we care to brave the sharks,” said Caithos.

“It’s either south with a chance of avoiding this fight, or almost certain death trying to kill our way out,” I added, “then you won’t get anything but an unmarked patch of dirt for your bones to rot upon if the dead don’t eat you whole first.”

Caithos shuddered and moved behind Docvinny.

“Alright then, let’s move,” replied Syynd.

“If anything hinders your movement at any time, drop it and forget it,” added Docvinny.

“Not my axe, I’d rather risk a fight than loose this,” said Drumpis as he patted the pommel of the axe against his left hand.

“Damn dwarves,” chided Docvinny, “just see if I heal your wounds the next time you get yourself in a pickle.”

Drumpis chuckled and fired the paladin a grin before turning to head south out of the camp, the rest of our group right behind him. I grabbed my hand drum from my belt and began to weave a song of travel, not bothering with the illusion of shadow as it would do us no good against the dead. Even after all my years exploring the vast expanse and depths of Norath, I still can’t figure out why dead eyes can see through an illusion that tricks the living so easily.

Satisfied that the song would increase our rate of travel, I focused on the terrain around us, watching for more of the rising dead. A cloud that had yet to finish passing overhead still hid our southern path, but that would soon end. I could feel the hairs on my neck beginning to rise.

We made it just inside the ruins before the last of the cloud cover disappeared, and the moon began to illuminate the ruins with an eerie glow. The sounds of moaning, grunting and growling, were becoming louder with each passing moment.

“Be ready, I don’t think we’re going to get out of this without a fight,” I said.

“Let’s make for that ridge on the right then, better to have a bit of high ground than rubble to trip over,” replied Docvinny.

“I see a break in the rubble not far ahead that will lead us to it,” answered Syynd.

“Syynd, can you call on the spirit of the wolf to enhance our speed more,” I asked.

Syynd began casting without a word.

As we reached the break in the rubble and turned for the ridge, the first of the damned burst a hand through the soil, clambering for a hold on a nearby rock. Bones protruded from the tips of the rotted flesh, scraping on the stone. It didn’t take long for the rest of it to appear, revealing the battered hulk of an undead ogre still partially armored. It still clutched a now rusted battle hammer in its other hand. It spotted us almost instantly, or perhaps smelled us, if that is even possible for the dead. It let out a choked howl, its face cracking and disfiguring inhumanly as it began charging at us.

“Move, move, move,” I yelled, “Syynd can you cripple it with a shot?”

“On it,” she replied as she knocked an arrow and before even fully turning around.

I heard the snap of the bowstring and the whistle of the arrow loosed a moment later. It was answered immediately by a grunt from the ogre.

“That aught to slow it down a bit,” said Syynd, “but not for long. I hit it right in the knee.”

The ground seemed to be coming alive as we passed, and the sounds of battle seemed to be breaking out just as fast as lizardmen and ogres alike returned to live their final battle once again. Those that didn’t get into it with each other spotted us and gave chase, fighting as they came. We made it to the top of the ridge and I caught sight of the shoreline a few hundred paces to the southwest. Undead were clambering over the ruins and the other side of the ridge already. There were hundreds of them now. My heart sank in my chest.

“We’re going to have to make a break for it overtop of them with my song of decent,” I said, “It won’t give us long. Hopefully we can make the next ridge without interruption. If I get hit, we may fall so be ready.”

Docvinny, his tear dropped, gem studded silver shield in one hand and long sword in the other, swung at a lizardman that had managed to make it up the hill. It fell in two at his feet with a gasping hiss. He spat on the corpse and turned, ready to move.

I began the song, feeling its effect starting to lift us off the ground.

Another arrow whistled through the air and I turned in the direction of the sound just in time to see it penetrate the throat of a second lizardman, just below its helmet. The beast fell face first, sliding another few feet before stopping in a cloud of dust.

“Let’s go,” I said.

The ground fell out from below us as we began moving. An ogre that had just cleared the knoll of the ridge, dumbfounded at our floating, roared and tried to follow. It walked off the edge of the ridge falling on to a rock, shattering into pieces of rotten flesh and bone.

Caithos, looking over his shoulder, let out a laugh.

I kept my concentration on keeping us in the air as long as possible; I could feel the strain on my body starting to increase. We were just about half way to the next ridge when the first boulder flew past me just a few feet to my left. Another roar, most likely from the wielder of the rock, ripped through the night.

“Found him,” said Syynd as she let loose another arrow.

An awkward grunt was the result and a squeal from the lizardman that the ogre fell on.

“Much obliged,” I replied.

“On our right,” called Caithos as he let loose with a throwing dagger, catching another ogre in the armpit, causing it to drop the boulder it was about to hurl on its head. It squealed and shook its head in anger, and clutched at its armpit with its free hand.

“There’s two more out of my reach,” said Caithos.

“We’re almost across, move left,” I replied.

Syynd knocked two arrows as she ran, turning as she finished and let fly. One of the arrows struck the closest ogre just as it was throwing the boulder, causing it to fly off harmlessly. The second arrow glanced off the boulder of the second and it came flying right at me.

“Hold on,” I yelled as I stopped the song in mid-stride, and we began to fall.

“To what,” yelped Caithos?

I resumed the song after counting to two. The boulder flew past just above my head.

“That was too close,” I said.

“I think I soiled myself,” replied Caithos.

“What’s new,” laughed Drumpis.

“We’re going to touch dirt about half way up that ridge,” I pointed out, “Drumpis can you clear a path through those undead there?”

“No problem, its only three,” he replied.

Docvinny let out a thunderous bellow and the air crackled around us as we touched down on the ridge. A flash of light followed it and the closest of the undead screeched as it burst into flames.

“Two should be less of a bother for you,” he said.

Drumpis laughed as he yelled and charged the next one, his axe held at the ready in both hands.

The rest of us were a few feet behind as he lunged into the air, bringing his axe down with full force on the skull of an unsuspecting lizardman. It split almost fully in two without a sound, and Drumpis planted his foot on the still collapsing body, reefing his weapon free. The second beast faired no better as the dwarf twirled in the same motion bringing the axe around to collide with its neck, severing the head from its shoulders.

“Clear,” he yelled, without breaking stride.

We reached the top of the second ridge within a few moments, with minimal resistance. The lapping waters of the Buried Sea now audible. Without hesitation, we started down the other side. A handful of undead ogres lay between us and the shore.

I traded my hand drum for my swords, beginning a battle chant, and feeling the rush of strength enveloping my tiring muscles. Caithos broke off to the left and Drumpis to the right. Syynd was already getting ready to fire another arrow. Docvinny had slung his shield onto his back, sheathed his long sword, and readied his flamberge.

I reached the first of the ogres, striking at it with my off-hand, and gaining the desired lunge to the right; allowing me to thrust the sword in my right hand through his heart. The ogre stopped, fell to its knees and fell forward into the second swing of my off-hand sword, severing its head. Drumpis got into a parry match with the second ogre, and Caithos had caught the third off guard. He was climbing its back before the beast knew what was happening. The rogue buried his daggers into the base of the skull and flipped backwards off of the ogre, a satisfied grin on his face. The fourth, had almost all of its armor left even after all these years, and was giving Syynd a run for her money as she circled around its long reach, shooting arrow after arrow in search of a soft spot. She was rewarded when Docvinny landed a crippling blow on the back of its right leg, causing the beast to raise its head as it howled in pain. An arrow silenced it immediately there after. As the fifth and last ogre was shredded by our group, a slue of growls, roars, and hisses filled the air and the ground began to shake.

Catching my breath I looked around for the source and saw a mass of lizardmen charging in our direction from the left. I turned to warn of the danger and noticed then that a similar group of ogres were charging from the right. We were stuck in the middle of a full on attack.

“To the water now,” I yelled, sheathing my swords and pulling out my hand drum, running before the travel song even reached my lips.

“Where the-“ Caithos yelped as he was cut off by Docvinny grabbing his collar and half throwing him into a run.

Syynd let loose arrow after arrow, dropping anything that shifted its focus from the opposing enemy force.

We were in the water in moments, trapped. It wouldn’t be long until the battle made its way to us again.

~ Robert Ling

On The Eve of Tomorrow

Another day has come,

And another will soon be spent.

With heavy minds and burdened hearts,

We lay ourselves down to rest.

To see the dreams and live tomorrow,

We shall forget all this sorrow.

Spend a moment and breath it in,

This is the beginning of something new.

Alas ye stay,

Near and dear yet far away.

Soon then,

We shall meet again.

On the eve of tomorrow.

~Robert Ling