More News from Restenford

Ongoing updates from my Lendore dissertation.

Lendorology: Clergy of the Big Gamble

At long last, there's a new post over at The Restenford Project for those inclined to read such things.

Lendorology: What IS the Secret of Bone Hill?

Anyone who can read a blog archive will realize that for the last several months I've been slacking off even by my own uninspired standards.  Largely this has had to do with real world distractions like job and family but, at least initially, this also had to do with a side project that was draining off most of my game-related energies in the beginning of the year.

Where can I buy spandex in Restenford?

I had just received a real-live, TSR-produced copy of  Lenard Lakofka's L1 The Secret of Bone Hill set on Lendore Isle. I won't pretend to be one of those old timers who believes that this module is a classic of the golden age--indeed, I have to confess that I've neither run nor played this bad boy either back in the 80's or in my recent gaming resurgence.

While it follows the general structure of a village setting with adventure locales nearby a la Keep on the Borderlands, Village of Hommlet, and probably some others, it is riddled with inconsistencies and odd notions that, sadly, would likely not have made it through the editorial process in latter day TSR.  And this may very well be what makes it so interesting as literature, as these odd notions and unanswered questions present fertile ground for the minds of readers to interpret. 

A close reading raises a whole host of questions such as why is there a casino inside a nigh-impenetrable compound hidden deep in the woods?  Why does the wizard have a lease on the Baron's tower?  And who keeps the lawn mowed on top of Bone Hill? The lords of Lendore don't offer an explanation to these mysteries; some things, one must suppose, just are.  These open ended oddities make it the single most fascinating read of any old school module.

So, using a pen and a spiral-bound notebook, I wrote a bunch of essays--warning: I was once a history major--about the mysteries of Lendore.  Some of them (actually only 2 so far) have been transcribed to non-caveman format and can be read over at The Restenford Project if you're interested.

L4 New Lendore Isles release

For those who know me well it will not come as a surprise when I confess that I am very nearly giddy with excitement about the news that Len Lakofka has released Module L4 Devilspawn and L4C—the Lendore Companion. I haven’t opened the files yet, but I read at Beyond the Black Gate that they offer a hefty amount of info on campaigning on the Lendore Isles and that they revisit the old Restenford/Garroten adventuring axis. Lakofka's L1 Secret of Bone Hill and L2 Assassin’s Knot—along with the World of Greyhawk Folio—have provided more fertile ground for my imagination than any other gaming accessories.

What I absolutely love about the Lendore series is the flavor of these adventures. I love that towns are such a prevalent part of Lakofka's adventures, I love the odd little NPCs who inhabit these towns, and I love the loose ends he left hanging in his two original adventures. More so, I’m glad that these loose ends have flapped freely in the breeze for nearly 30 years, as they have provided me with countless opportunity to attach my own tangle of webs.

And it’s for that reason that I am hesitating to open the freshly downloaded PDF that will potentially tie those loose ends off. Will he explain away the motivations of the mysterious party that has infiltrated the village of Garroten? Will we learn more about the participants in the siege of the castle on Bone Hill? Will the Duke of Kroten finally show his true colors, whatever they may be? I have too much invested in all the Lakofkaesque foibles of Lendore to lightly step across the threshold into L4. But I will.