Beer & Pretzels & BEAN!
The Town Hall, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire May 14/15 2011
Saturday - T & T: The Barrow of the Shadow King
The main gaming floor Saturday morning.
After last year when Boozer and Jason Mills joined me in Burton for the 21st anniversary of the Beer & Pretzels gaming extravaganza and had a cracking time we decided to try to make an even bigger go this year by going to both days of the event. We had hoped that more of the UK Trollhallans would be able to come and join us but in the end just one of them appeared. It was, however, the fantasy artist Simon Lee Tranter (Trollhalla's Ramsen Triten) so a very special sort of guest. Hopefully the likes of Dekh, Werrdna, Naharat and Fellgore will be able to attend in 2012.
Ramsen, Boozer and Jason M find a cosy corner to set up the T & T table.
The fun started on Saturday morning when I, along with Boozer and Jason M, met Ramsen Triten at Burton railway station. We then popped to the Spirit Games Shop and spent a happy half hour or so exploring the shelves stacked with board games, role-playing games, miniatures and everything else you could possibly desire to fulfill your gaming needs. It is worth stating that Spirit Games have been organising this gaming weekend for more than 20 years and more power to them for doing so.
The table set out with T & T solos and materials advertising Jeff freels' BEAN!.
The three of us running characters soon started to get involved in Boozer's dark and dismal adventure. Passing through the grey hamlet with its zombified inhabitants and their strange fascination with Jason's Fairy character on we marched to the barrow of the title. There we had hours of fun wandering the seemingly endless corridors with their undead guardians looking for the Shadow King. This was a good old fashioned romp in search of treasure and glory and was thoroughly enjoyed by all involved.
Boozer contemplates what vile monster or devilish trap to spring on the delvers next.
As this was a "prize dungeon" Boozer kept a close eye on what we all got up to throughout the day awarding points for all our activities. In particular good role-playing and staying in character were rewarded. Much to my chagrin Jason Mills just pipped me to the post by a mere handful of points and received a set of Steve Jackson Zombie Dice. We then had enough time to play one game with the dice; Ramsen victorious on this occasion, before we packed everything away.
Always the artist Ramsen maps the tunnels of The Barrow of the Shadow King.
One of the great joys of the day was undoubtedly watching Ramsen take great care to draw a map of where we explored. Using all his artist's instincts he produced a truly splendid picture. Surely no dungeon complex was ever mapped so beautifully by a group of jobbing delvers.
Jason M receives his prize for being the most successful player of the day.
Having managed to bring our adventure to a successful conclusion; well Ramsen's Dwarf warrior who got dashed to pieces by the stone lid of a sarcophagus might not feel that way, we returned home to the Tarrrho cave.
Boozer and the Tarrrho trollkin get into the Eourovision party spirit.
Once more in the bosom of my family we ate a gargantuan repast and then settled down to enjoy the Eurovision Song Contest. Who'd have thought it Azerbaijan the winners!
Darrgh Tarrrho (Sid Orpin)
May 2011