GaryCon VI Odyssey, Part 2

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, March 25^th through April 1^st… Part 2!

Rising on Thursday morning was a beautiful event, with some quick printouts and character prep done for the GaryCon Tournament Open event, The Tower of Akbaba, with Luke. More attendees were filing in, to a surprising degree. It seemed as if Thursday’s numbers were going to be quite large, which is nice to see. I ran by the giant white board and “marshaling area” in the lobby, quickly making sure that “Steal Dale’s Coffee” was still properly notated on the board, as it somehow kept getting removed. I had enough time to grab some breakfast grub from the Resort restaurant, as well as much needed water and coffee before stumbling to the 10am First Round Tournament event that I was running. It was a good time, with great players, but the competition and scoring was fierce this year and they sadly didn’t make it to Round 2.

I have to say that, since becoming involved with the Tournament Open last year, the players I get are wonderfully inventive, work great together and always – always – make it a great experience for me as DM. So, thanks all, for gaming with me.

I believe I took a desperately needed nap after the game, as I was still bleeding peat out of my pores from the previous evening’s fun. Once that was finished off, I returned to the late afternoon festivities and listen to Dale kvetch about his missing coffee mug. I had a meal, chatted it up for a while, and then turned in early as I wanted to be all fresh and neat for my Friday 8am game.

“It’s Not My Fault” was the title of the adventure I ran on Friday morning, an idea I had that I’m hoping to flesh out fully in the near future. I ran it using AD&D 1e rules, with a small city setting, and all thieves as characters. The idea is to allow it to have a tournament-style adventure for low-level thieves, and then have more detail for a longer campaign, if wanted. The four guinea pigs, er… players, that showed, definitely put me to the test, as well as put their all into the plot. While it was mostly a character-driven adventure with little combat, I think it was a successful first test. I plan on finishing the entirety of the adventure over the next few weeks, with publication a goal. It won’t go under the title here, but keep an eye out.

I grabbed a Spotted Cow and a pizza before heading to my next game, all while dodging Luke, who was trying to get me to run another first round of the tournament later in the day. I was secretly hoping not to, as I had an old friend from the Chicago suburbs coming up to visit, and I hadn’t seen him in a few years. Before that though, I had to hit the noon ‘Don’t Give up the Ship’ gathering, which I got into at the last second and was looking forward to as I’d never played it and had always wanted to. I was amazed at how many players were already at the area, as well as amused at the concentration of yellow VIP badges waiting to play. I was speedily handed a rules sheet to read through and a stat sheet for the ship I’d be captain of. The GM was Mike (last name redacted to protect the guilty), who welcomed this newbie to the game with aplomb, introduced the setting to all the players and assisted everyone with as much speed as he could, considering the size of the group. We split down the middle, with my side playing the British and the opposing side as the French, representing an historic battle of 1808. Each of us was allowed to captain a single vessel, with the exception of one player who piloted two French ships. I and a VIP named Michael were the British frigates shadowing “the most foul French” while the Fleet Commanders prepared their capital ships that were sailing in formation. Four hours later, the French had the upper hand on the British, though if there had been another hour or so, the wind may have changed to favor the Brits. I had a fantastic time playing, fully enjoying the setting, my fellow captains and the complete lack of ego at the game. Two ships of the same side collide? Whoops! Better luck next round. The complete and utter chaos of it, coupled with the fun everyone was having just topped my Friday. While there were many minutes of standing about waiting for your orders to be followed through, it was never boring. Mike didn’t allow for much communication between ships due to distance and noise, which could have been detrimental for hardcore gamers. It was extremely pleasant to see everyone willingly accept this and just enjoy the game. My most specific observation from the event would be the median age of the players. I’m guessing here that the average age would have been near 55, a first for me. It certainly leant to some colorful and amusing anecdotes, quotes and language. The game itself is simple in style, yet complex in feel, and I urge all that have interest in an Age of Sail setting or even miniatures battles, to give it a try sometime. Great experience.

After, I discovered the need for me to run another tourney slot dissipated, so I was able to meet up with my friend Bob and his wife Lynn, who came up to the resort for dinner and see what I came out to every year for. Bob is a gamer too, so we shall see if I’ve enticed him enough to attend next year! Once we parted company, it was time to take a walk to one of the villas for further socialization. That evening will remain as [REDACTED]!

Saturday morning had me up and grabbing a quick bite from the table down by the registration desk, after once again making sure Steal Dale’s Coffee was up and on the marshaling area white board. I wonder who kept erasing that? Cheeky. The lack of real sleep was catching up on me though, so I reenergized with java and water as much as one could, before the next event I needed to run: Round 2 of the Tournament Open. The boys and one girl were not in my round one event and most were returning champs from GaryCon V, which was a cool factoid. These players were an oiled machine and came up with some fun ways to get around the second portion of the tournament, losing only one party member in the final outcome. This group went on to be the champions of the tournament, by a close margin. It may come that either Luke or I will run an adventure for this group next year, provided time allows. Congrats again, folks. It may be time for you to name your group!

I attempted a nap that refused to come to me, then headed out with friends Bryan and Jason to Popeye’s again for a bite before my next event, my annual Cyberpunk 2020 game. Since GaryCon II I’ve been running a somewhat connected ‘Punk game, with interested parties allowed to keep their characters and return the following year. I’ve had a handful of people that come back every session and always allow for new players, including first timers to Cyberpunk. This year I not only got new and first time players, but a young lad who came with his brother. Usually I add an age disclaimer to this particular game, due to some of the rather vile things that occur during play. Cyberpunk is not for the squeamish and can bring out a person’s inner psychotic. As I didn’t want to turn him away, (having not made the disclaimer in the game description), I made sure the boy’s brother was okay with the blood and guts of play, and the rest of us toned down the language and… other situations that occur during game. Considering that a number of the characters provided have cybernetic implants to enhance their sex, physique and appearance, all while being detrimental to their psychosis, it’s not always easy to do! Regardless, the game went off, with all too little combat. Those pesky gamers always go in directions you never intend – good thing us gamemasters can roll with their oddities. One other thing I’ve noticed about Cyberpunk, and this happens every year for me as well, I always – always – get women to play. This year we had a total newbie to the game, a woman from Canada, who joined us, picked one of the most violent characters to play, and had the entire table in stitches when it came to her decisions in game. If I’d had a table vote for best player, she’d have won, hands down. We stretched the game to more than the time I’d thought the game would last, just to slide in some last-minute brutality and weapon recovery (as I’d limited the arms that each character had – much to the returning players’ surprise). One of my players, we’ll call him Dr. Lovemore, graciously handed out miniatures to all those at the table, ending my Saturday for me. I headed on to bed shortly after, done in for the night.

I didn’t attend the auction this year, spending the time getting my new players prepped for Cyberpunk. In all previous years, the game usually ended by the time the auction started, or has been interrupted by it. I chose this year to run the game after the auction and I think I’ll do so from here on in. It went smoother and allows everyone to get their auction goodies with plenty of time. I’m not even sure how much was raised for Ernie and Jim this year. Anything helps, though. I hope the improved GaryCon website can host a donation window for continued aid.

Sunday had me up early, what with my first full night of sleep in days. I was a little rough around the edges still (scotchy-scotch-scotch recovery is lingering ever longer these days) but happy and ready to be playing in my only day of not running any games. I was looking forward to the Top Secret scenario with game creator Merle at 10am, so I wandered around, socialized, purchased items at the registration desk I’d been neglecting to and waited for the vendor room to open. I made sure that the SDC ending time was on the white board (what a shock – it was erased again), knowing full well that Dale wanted coffee badly. (Insert evil laughter here)

I purchased a few items from the vendor room, quite pleased to see it so busy on a Sunday morning. It seemed like everyone I spoke to had a lucrative con, which is great to hear. There was plenty I wanted, but being on a budget and having promised (as well as begging to make sure there was one for me) to purchase a box set of WHISPER AND VENOM (www.lessergnome.com), it limited me somewhat. I’m good with that; baggage space was at a premium. After, I went to check on table assignment for Top Secret, only to discover that the game was at 8am, not 10! Needless to say, I was rather annoyed at myself. I’d have felt better if I’d overslept! It was the one game I had intended not to miss, and here, I did. Hopefully Merle will return to GaryCon so I can try again.

The rest of the day was spent saying goodbye to those leaving early, passing contact information around, packing up the stuff lying about the room and enjoying a few Spotted Cows, as I wouldn’t be returning to the Constitution State with any this year. That, and anticipating the final game of GaryCon, the original Civilization, run by Mark of Creative Mountain Games (www.creativemountaingames.com). I’m a huge fan of the old Civ game and have been wanting to play with people whose gaming style I don’t know. I was very happy to see that the game didn’t get bumped due to lack of players and that we were able to get it moving to a good clip, finally calling it at around 2am Monday. Mark packed up the game, I packed in the remainder of the cider that Tom gave to me and I wandered around a bit, realizing I was the last attendee in the lobby at 2:30am. Weird feeling.

Monday had Cliff, Nick and I eating a late breakfast at Daddy Maxwell’s, a fine eatery just a hop and skip away from the resort, in Williams Bay. A few years back, when the resort wasn’t offering a breakfast of any kind to attendees, an infamous gamer known as The Keeper and his wife were cheerily handing out menus, and we of the Fond of Justice (League) have made it a “must do” ever since. For those of you that have yet to try it, do so when you’re in the area. Its cash only, but they know how to feed you. And entertain you, if you’re in the mood for it. We high tailed it back to the resort to see off Bryan and Jason, as well as a few others that we got to know this year, and a few known since GaryCon I. The rest of the day was spent shipping things out for easy travel, eating at Carver’s and being begged to run another Cyberpunk session… which barely happened at all. Afterwards, Luke and [REDACTED]!

A late rise on Tuesday had us checking out, saying goodbye to those still around like us (Nick) and trying to get everything not shipped fit into baggage. I had brought a rather large gift from my collection for Jolly of Knights of the Dinner Table fame (www.kenzerco.com), leaving me with what I thought would be plenty of room on the return. It was a tight fit and I ended up popping the seams on two pockets of my duffel. Time for a new one! Our return flight was redirected, having us stuck at a layover in O’Hare for a couple of hours. Considering our plane at Mitchell was delayed 30 minutes, it was probably a good thing. Heavy winds over the lakes caused a bit of turbulence but overall, it wasn’t a terrible trip. The individual TVs on everyone’s seat annoyed the hell out of me, though.

We arrived back at Bradley International Airport about 15 minutes earlier than expected, finding the temperature here to be quite comfortable. After a nightcap at a favorite pub, I was back in HovelHouse around 11pm. Another GaryCon was completed, rife with great times, some forgotten, some [REDACTED], and grand ideas for next year.

Once again, I thank everyone who assisted in my return to Wisconsin. It’s an event I will not miss and have come to appreciate far beyond my means to express. Gary gave us gamers much and GaryCon is just the smallest of ways to remember that, which I will. Besides that, I want a GaryCon exclusive d20 in 14 years to complete my set.

GaryCon VI Odyssey, Part 1

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, March 25^th through April 1^st.

Every year for the past 5, I have attended GaryCon, (www.GaryCon.com) a small, endearing game convention held at the Geneva Ridge Resort in the mecca of role-playing games, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Lake Geneva is a lovely resort community of about 7,500 year-round residents, not all that far from Milwaukee or Chicago, Illinois. Surprisingly, the weather when I go to the convention stays fairly temperate, considering it is March, it is Wisconsin and it is wedged in between a couple of lakes. With this year’s “Polar Vortex” having gripped the States (and Canada), it was interesting to see that there wasn’t much snow on the ground – just like my own… blessed… home of Connecticut.

GaryCon has become a “must-do” event for me, with nothing to keep me from attending. It was put together to honor the memory of the man that made the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game the worldwide phenomenon that it became, E. Gary Gygax, who passed from the mortal coil in 2008. It gathers many of Gary’s contemporaries, friends, fellow gamers and relatives and memorializes him in the best way: by playing games.

This year, GaryCon VI, I needed a little help to get to Wisconsin. In all previous years I drove/rode shotgun with other attendees, usually making it out there in around 16 hours, average. This year, it was decided no one was going to drive, so I had to take a flight, my first in 20 years. Having been officially unemployed for the year and bringing in very little money, I staged a GoFundMe (www.gofundme.com) that made its first goal set in under a week. GaryCon or Bust, indeed. It was a humbling experience, not to be forgotten, ever. I have some karma to pay forward, I tell you!

Tickets were arranged with my good friend Clifford (last names redacted) and we flew out of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT early in the AM of March 25^th, to arrive in Cleveland for our connecting flight to General Mitchell Field in Milwaukee. Not having flown in 20 years I’d done a lot of pre-flight research to try and avoid delays. What not to carry, how many things I could carry, what not to say, etc. I was impressed at the sheer amount of TSA people at early hours of the morning. It seemed like there were two for every one boarder and they were pretty well organized. The TOTAL RECALL-like scanner was certainly a far cry from 20 years past. No complaints from this lapsed flier, though. The flight was quick, without delay and fun, considering the tiny jet we were on. Sadly, the coffee machine wasn’t working and they weren’t selling beer at 3AM, so it was aqua for me. Cliff and I tried to watch DREDD during the flight, but both of us sacked out. Who knew Slo-Mo and Ma-Ma would put a viewer to sleep? With nothing worth mentioning between Cleveland and Mitchell, I’ll move on.

Milwaukee and Lake Michigan were to give us a bumpy arrival and landing, which I expected. Even so, after 20 years of not being in the air, I was ready to get off that little plane. Where was the beer? Not far, it seemed, as there was a Miller “Brewpub” inside the airport. I imbibed in a nice 9am frosty beverage from Leinenkugel after Cliff retrieved the rental car and we waited for a fellow con-goer, Thomas from Ottowa. Tom needed a lift in to Lake Geneva and as fellow gamers, who were we to say no? It was his first time to GaryCon, so it was only right to show him how we all felt when we went for our first time. While waiting, we discovered that Mitchell has an amazing used book store that was worth many hours of perusal. In fact, I’d even tell people to visit the airport for the store itself!

Having picked up Tom, we headed into Lake Geneva. It took roughly 45 minutes and we all checked in without issue. We contacted the friends we had there already and went on to reacquaint ourselves with the resort. Many of the staff we’d gotten to know over the past few years were no longer there, moved on to other jobs and locations around the area, so I quickly made friends with the people I knew I’d be seeing more than the gamers, the bartenders and wait staff. Yes, know your servers, even at an event that is “only” 650-odd people. We gamers are a thirsty and hungry lot, as the new staff of the resort came to learn quickly.

Tuesday night was fun night with good friends and associates not seen in a year. Well, except for that anthropologist dude Nick, who visited gorgeous Connecticut in November, seeing HovelHouse and the Fond of Justice (League) in first-person glory. More on that guy later.

Wednesday was early badge day, but not before about fifteen of us went to Popeye’s in downtown Lake Geneva. There were the four members of the FoJ (me, Cliff, Bryan and a guy recently moved out of oppressive CT, Jason), the Geekpreacher (http://geekpreacher.org/) and his brother-in-law, a couple of English blokes, a guy named James and a few others that the Bloody Mary’s that we had can’t make me remember (sorry guys). This Popeye’s is not the chain chicken place, but a town standby that those of us from out of town like to visit at least once during the convention. The spit-rotisserie chicken and lamb are something worth checking out. After lunch, the four of us went to pick up room provisions at the local box chain operation, then on to Bruno’s liquor store, where GaryCon folk get a discount. I sampled out a few New Glarus Brewing fruit beers that I’d been wanting to, as well as picking up some cigars from the humidor. Bruno’s is also worth the visit, if you’re in the area.

Returning to the resort, we all hit up the table to collect our badges, black DM badge for myself and a few others, green for the players. The badge this year was a fine vinyl thing with a window for your name, zipper pockets and pencil holder. Talk about nerd accessorizing! I blame Dale. Wednesday afternoon also had an off-site gathering going on that I chose not to participate in, remaining behind to socialize with those arriving in early. Seeing the game masters of the Dead Games Society (http://dgsociety.com/), friends I’d been anxious to see again and meet many of the first-timers was an event all to itself. The yearly meet-n-greet with free New Glarus Spotted Cow (www.newglarusbrewing.com), freebie pizza and finger foods shouldn’t be missed, anyway. Free beer? This Johnson is in. Of course, our bartenders decided to inform us that there was a happy hour drink special as well, where everything was half-price. Ardbeg scotch (http://www.ardbeg.com) for half-price? Ouch. Thanks to Scott for the heavy pour, and to Dave for going above and beyond to make me finish the bottle…

As you can imagine, peaty drinks finished off the Wednesday evening, with me headed back to my room. Although, I do recall a bet being made with a certain DGS member in regards to “game”. Michael?

Read Part 2 of the GaryCon VI experience tomorrow!

Charlton Lives!

Comic book characters have become big business outside of their original print form over the past few years. Marvel Comics (or, if you will, Marvel Studios) has proven that fact with their massively successful films of characters such as Iron Man, Thor and Spider-Man. While a lot of the interest may lie in that few of these characters have been portrayed in live action, it certainly brought a new focus on comic books as a moneymaking bonanza from both television and movies. Blockbusters like AVENGERS and the Batman series only solidified that point. Regular comic book fans are not unaware of the potential of these great creations; they’ve been following some of them for their entire lives. They have watched larger and larger companies swallow up their favorite heroes as the income wrought by what may be thought of as kid entertainment grows enormous. The two largest and oldest comic book companies, DC and Marvel, are owned by two of the largest entertainment houses in the country, Time/Warner and Disney, respectively. It makes a comic fan, and Connecticut resident, what would have been if the state had stayed as big a part of the comic book business as it once had been.

Once, it could be argued, that Connecticut was a reigning force in the production of the four-color magazines. (Four-color being a printing process using three primary colors of cyan, magenta and yellow, with black added as needed.) Soon after comics started hitting the newsstands in the late 1930’s, an impressive number of companies in the state jumped aboard this new cash cow, as the successes of Superman and Batman sparked off a phenomenon. Many made few, disappearing quickly. A much smaller number survived to make a heavier mark on fandom, collectors and history, with one being Derby’s own Charlton Comics.

The Charlton Comics line came about in 1946, a segment of the Charlton Publications company organized by John Santangelo, Sr. and Ed Levy around 1940 (previously known as T.W.O. Charles Co.), starting with the popular “mystery men” styled stories. From their beginning and until the early 1980’s, Charlton produced, printed and distributed comics from one massive building on Division Street, a near aberration in the comic book world, as most printing and distributing was and remains outsourced. Continuing with their belief that ‘in house’ was best, they employed their own drivers and owned their own fleet of trucks, which is unique in the annals of comic book history.

Charlton produced comic books in nearly every genre: science fiction, romance, Westerns, humor, TV and movie tie-in, horror and war. Super hero titles, such as the fondly remembered “Action Heroes” line of the mid-1960’s, were never a major center of revenue for the company and tended to be short-lived. The newsstands were extremely crowded at times, and Charlton sometimes had difficulties getting onto the racks, thereby maintaining sales. Series would end abruptly and other titles would pick up the sequential numbering from the previous title as they were excised from the line. So, a series such as CAPTAIN ATOM never had an issue numbered one, it picked up sequentially from a previous title and continued from there, then being renamed. Charlton was essentially, then and now, known for two primary concerns: speed and efficiency. They wanted their comics produced quickly and cheaply, so they spent little and kept the presses running 24/7, as an idle press made them nothing. Strangely enough, though they would never be known for their high rate of pay, they seemed to always find quality artists who would not only willingly work for them, but happily and loyally do so. It’s been said that editorial freedom allowed some of these artists to experiment, trying new techniques or styles. It may not have been noticed by readers at the time, but it is in retrospect.

Fans of Charlton Comics are an interesting breed. The company produced some very oddball comics, few of which are seen as “historically significant” i.e. the first appearance of Superman, Batman or Spider-Man. Charlton fans love the search for that rare issue that didn’t see wide distribution or sales, with a short story by their favorite artist, such as Steve Ditko or Sal Trapiani. They enjoy the difficulty in discovering high quality copies, as the comics were known for their lesser grade paper and tend not to weather the years well. There are fans that collect only the monster titles or the humor books or certain television titles they enjoy. No matter what era, what genre, what artist or writer, interest in Charlton seems to grow every year, even though the comic books were phased out of production at the plant by 1985, and with hardly any tears.

There are numerous web-based groups that are wholly Charlton-centric. Some collect every bit of Charlton oriented ephemera created, photos or news clippings. Some are active discussions with many of the surviving creators that once worked for Charlton and indeed, still live in Connecticut. One Facebook group, THE CHARLTON ARROW, has gone one step further and will be producing comic books by fans and professionals, including some of the aforementioned former Charlton artists and writers.

THE CHARLTON ARROW began as a tribute fanzine by the mysterious Fester Faceplant, whose secret identity must be kept or democracy as we know it may end. The project started “snowballing last summer and a lot of pros and fans got onboard... 'cause everyone loves Charlton, right?” says editor/publisher Mort Todd. Initially intended as a black and white magazine, Mort felt it needed more. “Fest was gonna do a black & white publication but I felt it deserved the color treatment, so I ended up taking the publishing reigns, with Fester and Roger McKenzie as co-editors with me.”

THE ARROW will be a 44 page extravaganza of talent, including well known names as John Byrne, Paul Kupperberg, Joe Staton and Batton Lash, alongside a host of artists and writers that are aficionados of Charlton Comics. All of the stories within the issue will include characters that have lapsed into Public Domain, in all new, exciting adventures. Future issues of THE ARROW plan to include characters wholly owned by their creators, as well as unpublished stores from collected Charlton archives.

“Charlton had a pretty unique vibe, more than many publishers, even the "better" ones,” says Mort. He has a point; the history of the company alone is a curiosity, not just in the annals of Connecticut business, but in pop culture. Some of the characters still exist in print, in some form, at DC Comics. The majority of the “Action Heroes” of the 1960’s were purchased from Charlton in the early 1980’s and integrated into their worlds. They’ve gone on to appear in comics and animated television shows since. It’s also well known nerd trivia that these same “Action Heroes” were the basis for the bestselling story THE WATCHMEN (serialized in comic form at DC between 1986 and ’87, collected in 1987), which was adapted for the screen and released in 2009. Charlton continued publishing certain genre comics longer than many of the other company. They held the rights to print comics on many different television shows, from Space:1999 to Emergency! to The Partridge Family, and yes, even Hee Haw. They absorbed titles and characters from defunct companies, a tradition that continues with comic book houses today. Charlton Comics seem, even now, to have that feel of the company that just about had major success in their grasp. You can’t help but want to urge them on, even 30 years after their demise.

THE CHARLTON ARROW, aiming for a bi-monthly publishing schedule, is a solid way of recalling what was while enjoying good, solid fun from the unsung characters once of a third-rate, defunct outfit from Derby. It can be obtained from Mort’s website, http://morttodd.com/charlton.html. Also coming soon from Mort Todd’s ACE Comics is a collection of Charlton's Classic Hot Rods and Racing Car Comics by Jack Kellar, shot from the original stats! See http://morttodd.com/hotrods.html for more information.

THE CHARLTON ARROW, Mort Todd and others will be part of an NPR radio and print report in the next few days. Watch for it!

Pirates of Dark Water Rewatch: The Little Leviathan

Episode 12: The Little Leviathan

Original Airdate: November 30, 1991

Written By: Glenn Leopold and David Ehrman

Directed By: Don Lusk, Paul Sommer (Supervising Direction by Ray Patterson)

Prepare yourself for the tale that Pirates of Dark Water fans arguably find as the worst of the series. Enjoy as the rewatch delves into episode 12…

The Maelstrom chases the Wraith through choppy seas and windy conditions at close quarters. The Wraith has a damaged sail, causing its poor speed. Konk has prepped a three-eyed sucker critter to launch at the Wraith, while the heroes feel they need to lighten weight on their ship. Konk fires the creature from a catapult but it’s intercepted by a leaping leviathan, which pulls the Maelstrom off course from its chase. Bloth orders the dagrons released to continue the chase, though they aren’t able to locate the Wraith, now hiding in a cove at a nearby island.

Ren and the others watch from the deck of their ship as the dagrons fly away, but their calm is interrupted by the sharp cries of a creature deeper in the cove. Cue the opening credits to THE LITTLE LEVIATHAN.

The cries continue until Tula brings a light closer to the area, revealing – surprise! – a baby leviathan. Niddler asks Tula to “ecomance it away”, which she claims to have difficulty with, as it’s an infant and upset. Ren discovers the little leviathan to be surrounded by Dark Water and it’s likely in trouble. As leviathan hide is the only known resistant to Dark Water, it’s in no immediate danger, but won’t survive forever. Ioz has no qualms about allowing it to perish, then using the remaining hide to repair the sail or sell for good coin. Ren, on the other hand, isn’t so cold, laughing Ioz off. He ropes the leviathan and winches it free from the Dark Water, where the baby critter then comes to the side of the Wraith and bark happily at Ren. When Ren calls it ‘cute’ and strokes it like a puppy, Ioz and Niddler are incredulously stunned. Niddler is duly unimpressed when Ren feeds the baby some of his melons, and is additionally annoyed when he’s dunked in the water on a melon rescue attempt.

The Wraith needs to repair a sail, so a forage to the island is needed to gather vines. Ren jumps on “Baby’s” back and charges for shore, to the chagrin of the others. “Baby” ends up being a great help as he’s able to lift Ren to the treetops and gather vines. Even so, Ioz and Niddler are upset about having the leviathan around and even Tula is reticent. Spotting the approaching Maelstrom as he’s up high, Ren orders everyone to hide to avoid being noticed.

Konk scans the island with a telescope, but only gets a slap from Bloth as he claims that the trees are watching him when he sees “Baby.” Mantus sends out the dagrons to net fish, as the ships stores are low.

Ioz tries to get “Baby” to hide, so Ren decides they should all return to the Wraith. Everyone discusses what should be done with the leviathan. Tula believes it should be let go, Ioz wants to kill it for the hide and Ren wants to keep it as a pet, if not help it find its parents. To foreshadow the next scene, Ren speaks the old adage “how much trouble can it be?”

The sail is repaired, but “Baby” has eaten the remaining vine and Niddler’s melons, putting Ioz and the monkeybird more on edge. Tula steers the Wraith from her hiding place as “Baby” watches a school of fish from the aft of the ship. Ioz pushes “Baby” overboard and tells Ren that he must have jumped in after the fish. “Baby” returns, slightly perturbed, as the compass starts to glow. Ren holds it out to get a heading, enamoring “Baby” enough that the little leviathan grabs the magical bauble, diving into the sea with it. Ioz throws a fit, more so when “Baby” reappears with the compass chain lodged in his tooth. Ioz tries to grab it while Ren attempts to calm “Baby” and they’re both carried off by the freaked out critter. ‘How much trouble’ indeed.

“Baby”, still upset, swims right into one of the Maelstrom’s fishing nets. His cries attract the dagron riders, who pick the net up and return to the pirate ship. The catch is dumped into one of the ship’s holds, where Ren is able to retrieve the compass. Ioz starts to climb out of the hold but a concerned Ren can’t leave his new pet behind. Their argument is cut short when Bloth and some of the crew appear at the top of the hold – captured, once again.

Hauled out of the hold, Bloth takes possession of the compass and “Baby”, tossing Ren and Ioz into the constrictus pit. Both are able to climb away from Bloth’s pet, hacking a hole in a rotted bulkhead. “Baby” throws off his captors, headed for the pit, bumping Konk in on the way.  Konk catches the edge before tumbling in as “Baby’s” cries attract the attention of the constrictus. It launches itself up, but it isn’t clear if it’s more interested in the leviathan or Konk! A frightened “Baby” breaks off, trying to escape the Maelstrom’s crew, who recapture him and lock him back in the hold. Ioz and Ren escape the constrictus pit through the hole they’ve made as Bloth uses the compass to get a heading to the next Treasure of Rule.

The Wraith, chasing after the Maelstrom, has been falling behind, concerning Niddler and Tula. (Apparently the Wraith is only a speed demon when being chased, not when chasing.) Tula ‘senses danger’ again, which turns out to be a herd of leviathans headed directly for them. She turns the ship to run in conjunction with their direction, which works until they pass. A rather large leviathan comes about to the ship and begins acting strangely, worrying Niddler. Tula can’t sense the creature’s intent, so they wait it out.

Bloth pinpoints the location of the next Treasure of Rule, though it’s blocked by Dark Water. He makes a point of prepping the baby leviathan for use in retrieving the treasure.

Ren and Ioz have gotten to the sewerways of the Maelstrom. Ioz teases Ren about the trouble “Baby” has gotten them into. A rush of water has the pair scrambling for a grate in the ceiling, leading them to a new area. “Baby’s” cries are heard, causing Ren to run towards them, Ioz complaining along the way.

Bloth has the little leviathan tethered to one of the inner docks of the Maelstrom. Mantus climbs aboard “Baby” wearing a wetsuit made of leviathan hide. He uses a helm similar to the amphicites seen in THE BEAST AND THE BELL, only larger. The great maw of the Maelstrom opens and Mantus forces “Baby” out, using the compass as a guide to the treasure. Ren grabs a spare amphicite and swims after them before the maw closes.

Tula and Niddler still contend with the leviathan until Tula is able to communicate with it. Discovering it to be “Baby’s” mother, the adult picks up the Wraith and heads off in search of her offspring.

Under the surface of the sea, Mantus looks for the treasure, avoiding the Dark Water that flows from great eruptions and cracks in the sea bed. To his consternation, the compass leads directly to the highest concentration of Dark Water emissions. He’s able to retrieve the treasure and begin his return to the Maelstrom, but not before a sneaky Ren catches “Baby’s” tail and attack. During the melee, Ren loses his mask, allowing Mantus to escape. “Baby” comes to Ren’s rescue, getting him to air in time. Bloth whines at the sight of our hero, who has regained the compass and gained the next treasure. Mantus climbs aboard the pirate vessel just as Ioz pops out of nowhere to put the drop on Bloth and escape over the side. “Baby” swims to Ioz and sets off with both he and Ren. The dagrons are again set loose, who chase after the little leviathan. “Baby” dives under the surface to avoid their assault just as the leviathan herd arrives. They attack the dagrons by leaping high into the air and also slam their tails into the side of the Maelstrom. Bloth retreats from the area, as even his gruesome ship can’t take that kind of punishment.

The leviathan herd celebrates their reunion with the wayward little one as Ren and the others say their good-byes. The end of this deadly dull tale frightens the viewer with the possibility of seeing “Baby” again.

I’m not going to go into any of the fun bits of the rewatch, such as Noy Jitat or Ahoy, Scarpango Pirate. There is so little new in this episode that it makes my scalp itch in annoyance. The flaws in this episode are so great, it makes some of the other weak plots seem like classic literature. Starting at the top, you cringe at the title, knowing exactly where the story is going to go, and you’re not surprised at all by it. This is a formulaic “cute” episode that honestly, would have been ten times better if Tula was the one to be engrossed by the lost leviathan. So much potential was lost in not discovering anything about the leviathans that wasn’t known before. We know their hide is used by sailors and others as being resistant to Dark Water, as has been mentioned in varying episodes. We know they’re supposedly fearsome beasts, as has likewise been mentioned. Why the need to cutesify them, unless it’s a given that the baby is going to return further down the road?

The “Tula senses something” ploy became stale about three episodes back, largely as its only use is to push the story along. There are better ways, particularly with a world as rich as Mer seems to be. Maybe time constraints limited them, but really, folks. Am I the only one to notice that Tula became the equivalent of “hailing frequencies open, sir”?

Regardless of my personal irritation with a story I recall with much less than I have now, there are a few noteworthy instances. Mantus has the dagron riders head out to catch fish for the depleted stores on the Maelstrom, which later becomes the cause of the little leviathan’s inadvertent capture. Mantus also is allowed use of the compass to gain the next treasure, which is very interesting, considering Bloth doesn’t even threaten or cajole Mantus in any way. Nor does the first mate even consider taking off on his own, showing his immense loyalty to the Pirate Lord. I also highly enjoyed the callousness of Ioz, Bloth and the other pirates regarding the hide of the leviathan, which continued to add to their personalities. Even so, the flow of Dark Water from the sea bed is the only really interesting thing in this episode to keep your interest and will be the only distinguishing feature of the story in the future. THE LITTLE LEVIATHAN gains only one half a minga melon; that much largely in the return of Bloth, regardless of his ineffective participation here.

Seven treasures down, how long until the eighth?