GM Notes: Lady Blackbird

Hello, Realmers!

Jesse here, back with some GM notes for the first time since the beginning of Recount! (I had a great time with that campaign, by the way, and I hope you enjoyed Gwen's misadventures as much as I did.)

Here are a couple of quick notes about our game of Lady Blackbird:

-I think this is maybe the least amount of prep I've done for any Many Realms episode! This game was recorded only a couple of weeks before I moved across the city, so I flipped through the book the morning of, we assigned the roles, and just jumped straight into it!

-That being said, I loved this very formal and structured style of game, with a complete roster of named characters to choose from. It allows for an incredibly quick and effective startup, and gives players strong direction to work with. In retrospect, I probably should have cut the characters of Naomi or Cyrus to trim down the party, but we always try to strike a balance between telling our story and showing off the game as written.

-Lastly, one plot point in Lady Blackbird concerns the secret code used by Uriah Flint to tell Lady Blackbird how to find him in the Remnants. I'm a fan of puzzles myself, and when writing and recording these letters, I thought I'd add in a clue. Uriah's letter reads:

Sweet Natasha,

Look about you before reading this letter, for it contains more secrets than appear at first blush. North Fire, my loyal ship, awaits your presence. From where I sit, it should only be a matter of days before I can hold you in my arms once more. The last trick is finding me, my love.

Asteroids plague the Remnants, so you must be cautious as you are swift. With any luck, you'll have evaded any Imperial detail, and only the natural dangers of the Wild Blue will stand before you. The only other hint I can provide is that the path to me has been made clear to you already.

Purple is your favourite colour, you once confessed to me. Flowers of lilac, lavender, puce and plum are ready in my stronghold once you have found your way to me, my Blackbird.

Yours—waiting in agony, my heart in chains, searching the skies with eyes of fire,

Uriah Flint

I wonder if you managed to catch the hidden message!

That's all for Lady Blackbird. I hope you're excited for the rest of these one-shots and for information about our upcoming fourth campaign! Since you're so precious to me, dear Realmers, I'll offer you a little hint: Season Four does not take place on Earth...

Until next time!

-Jesse