An engraving of an angsty person while a snake menaces a hairy biped in the grass

AAR: Zoa of the Vastlands

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett & Joshua are seeking ancient truth in the scrolls of the Lime Nomads, in a pink Routemaster autogolem. Joshua wants to cross the Final Barrier and be able to raise the dead. While they’re doing that, they’re also making some money being a tour-guide for Spiral 8-body. We left the party around a campfire, having tried to defuse an encounter with some pointy horses. But now it’s time for something Completely Different1… The UVG game we’re playing is written by Luka Rejec, and another of his projects is called Zoa of the Vastlands2. It is a zine for expeditions, safaris, and research trips looking at the flora and fauna of the UVG world. This emphasises one of Luka’s ideas in UVG, which is that the party can gain XP from seeing new animals and new places, as well as the traditional options. One of its ideas is to have the party sit around a campfire, discussing what they saw that day. So, that’s what happened. We spent some time first going through in more detail the setting up of the camp and the view of the sunset and the night sky over the steppes. Then described some things the party had seen. This doesn’t require a GM, it’s pure co-operative story-telling, so I took the role of Spiral, the NPC. ...

Two horses bearing a tent on poles, while someone looks out

AAR: Don't look back in hunger

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett & Joshua are seeking ancient truth in the scrolls of the Lime Nomads, in a pink Routemaster autogolem. Joshua wants to cross the Final Barrier and be able to raise the dead. Now they need to find the Pine Clan to talk with their Elder to understand what scrolls they found. This is a short one, turned out the whole group was tired for this session, and we stopped early. ...

A man in crown and ermine grasps towards another man looking away

AAR: Desperately seeking Zen

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett & Joshua successfully drove buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. Now they’re going back to the Lime Nomad Steppes to look for clues to a document on raising the dead that Joshua found. And earn some money playing a tour-guide maybe? ...

A drawing of a man with a crown, orb, and sceptre, on a thrown.

AAR: Flushed with success

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett & Joshua are cattle ranchers, seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’ve made it from the Circle Sea all the way to the Porcelain Citadel. And now it’s time to deliver the buggalo! ...

Line drawing of a small ship going along some water with a Greek temple in the background

AAR: I Am On A Boat

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett & Joshua are now cattle ranchers, seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’re driving buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. Now they’re looking for their promised auto-golem and have found a gangster’s dead daughter. ...

Line drawing of a man looking shocked on a castle battlement looking at a spirit

AAR: Down and out in the Last Serai

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett and Joshua are now cattle ranchers, seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’re driving buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. They’ve arrived at the Last Serai to collect their promised autogolem, but nothing’s showing up… ...

Sun breaks out from behind clouds, with hill in the background and somone on their knees in the foreground

AAR: The Road to the Last Serai

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett, Joshua are now cattle ranchers, seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’re driving buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. Specifically between Potsherd Crater to the Last Serai, a wretched hive of scum and villany. They probably won’t be cautious. ...

Fancy drinking pitchers, goblets, tankards, on a table with some masks and a bag of coins.

AAR: Zen and the Art of Fishing for Treasure

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett, Joshua are now cattle ranchers, seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’re driving buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. Currently they’re on top of a mysterious shiny dome in the desert, trying to get to the delicious1 treasure inside ...

A old colour drawing of an ugly cat baring its teeth (a caracal)

AAR: What's in the DOME?

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett, Joshua, and Zalephona are now cattle ranchers, all seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’re driving buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. Or at least, in general. Currently they’re amusing themselves in Potsherd Crater to see what is going on. Hazel has promised them an autogolem, so there’s no rush to leave. Time for some constructive pillaging! ...

A technical numbered diagram of an unexplained swirly thing. It is round with an axle.

AAR: These are not the droids you're looking for

This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance. Emmett, Joshua, and Zalephona are now cattle ranchers, all seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’re driving buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. Having picked up Phonie in a grimy rest-stop on the Low Road and the High, the caravan proceeds to Potsherd Crater to deliver their mysterious cargo. Now with a baby buggalo called Junior and a steppe hound called Rufus. Spoilers: Junior gets petted. 🤫 ...