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Oh yes... the accidental NPC that turns out to be much more than he appeared to be at first glance.

I had something very similar when I ran a 2nd Ed D&D campaign, way back in the Famous Mists of Time©. The players had just opened a chest, and out popped...

"I AM FRIP THE CONQUEROR!" Proclaimed the 6-inch-tall imp in his squeaky voice. "AND YOU WILL HAVE THE HONOUR OF TRAVELING WITH ME!"

The party's mage looked at him and said: "Gee, you're cute. Can we be friends? Can I call you Bob?"

Whereupon the imp screwed up his pointy nose in hatred, pointed his small horns at the mage, and shouted: "WE ARE NOT FRIENDS! I AM HERE FROM THE DIMENSIONS OF HELL TO TORMENT YOU!! SOON, YOU SHALL FEEL PAIN UNIMAGINABLE!!! QUIT LAUGHING, YOU PUNY MORTALS!!!!!"

A memorable NPC indeed. I think the only completely evil thing he was able to do is swap the fighter's Belt of Strength for a Girdle of Summoning-and-Wearing-of-an-Unremovable-Pink-Tutu. The poor imp never understood why this wasn't enough for him to be crowned King of Hell.

Rath Darkblade wrote: Oh yes... the accidental NPC that turns out to be much more than he appeared to be at first glance.

Yes, good ol' Alan the Astounding! And I have to correct myself - I had said that he wouldn't appear much - and ironically, he's in Episode 15 (which I am working on right now).

Rath Darkblade wrote: I had something very similar when I ran a 2nd Ed D&D campaign, way back in the Famous Mists of Time©. The players had just opened a chest, and out popped...
"I AM FRIP THE CONQUEROR!" Proclaimed the 6-inch-tall imp in his squeaky voice. "AND YOU WILL HAVE THE HONOUR OF TRAVELING WITH ME!"
The party's mage looked at him and said: "Gee, you're cute. Can we be friends? Can I call you Bob?"
Whereupon the imp screwed up his pointy nose in hatred, pointed his small horns at the mage, and shouted: "WE ARE NOT FRIENDS! I AM HERE FROM THE DIMENSIONS OF HELL TO TORMENT YOU!! SOON, YOU SHALL FEEL PAIN UNIMAGINABLE!!! QUIT LAUGHING, YOU PUNY MORTALS!!!!!"
A memorable NPC indeed. I think the only completely evil thing he was able to do is swap the fighter's Belt of Strength for a Girdle of Summoning-and-Wearing-of-an-Unremovable-Pink-Tutu. The poor imp never understood why this wasn't enough for him to be crowned King of Hell.

Why am I not surprised by such an odd twist in your D&D campaign, good sir?

Well, why not make the party travel with an imp who has grandiose ambitions (but no way to achieve them)? I think the party was always more amused than annoyed by him, anyway - except the poor poor munchkinish fighter, who was always hoarding too many magic items for his own good...

Episode 15 in HD is available!

How can the situation for Peter and Grayson get any worse? Just watch, because it certainly does! BUT - Peter has come up with a new plan as they travel the deserts of Arreis! Will it work out? (Are you really wondering if it will? Because if you are, you've not been watching this show!) This episode also brings back a familiar face! (And foreshadows the coming of another character...)

Episode 16 in HD is now out!

Peter & Grayson's luck can't remain "bad" all the time right?

Well, their luck finally takes a turn and Peter & Grayson seem to get a break! Also, the episode ventures around back to Pawl the Dorf whose luck also changes!

This episode introduces four new characters to the series!

Peter and Grayson head to the "Hero's Bar & Keep" for a drink... and a show? Things take a very strange twist for our dynamic heroes... very strange indeed... and the lady, seen at the pier previously (where Alan the Astounding most recently passed out), makes her presence known... and how does that tie in to our would be heroes? Watch Episode 17 of Neverending Nights and see!

Episode 15...

Yes, how unexpected (but fun!) that Peter's plan didn't work. Alan the Astounding is back! Is he going to fall down drunk every time he says his name?

Also, what's with the minotaur on the pier at the end?

Oh, and yes - where did that pig farmer come from?

Episode 16...

I like the guards on the gate, discussing the stereotypical adventures they could (theoretically) go on.

How specific - meat on a stick! What is it - pork, beef, chicken, veal, lamb, fish... or rat?

I like the ending. A goblin dance floor? And yes, I can place it... one goblin with a bow, one with a sword, and one with an axe - would these be the goblin Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli, by any chance?

Episode 17...

Broth in a brothel. Oh dear.

Oh dear... again. Those two really have no clue what the *ahem* "entertainment" is talking about. (Sorry, I couldn't hear the barkeep saying her name).

"Several moments later... *drink*"

So... where is Grayson's armour, and why isn't he putting it on? I thought maybe the "entertainment" kept it?

Hmm... and was that really necessary of Andrea (at the end) to kill the weapon seller?

Rath Darkblade wrote: Episode 15...
Yes, how unexpected (but fun!) that Peter's plan didn't work. Alan the Astounding is back! Is he going to fall down drunk every time he says his name?
Also, what's with the minotaur on the pier at the end?
Oh, and yes - where did that pig farmer come from?

Alan the Astounding did make another appearance! And his falling, is all a reference to a real life event, when he had tried to out drink me, and passed out in mid stride.

As for the Minotaur at the end of the pier; he's there, because, well, I love Minotaurs. (If you're familiar with Dragonlance books, Minotaurs are natural sailors, so it seemed like a good place to put one... and who knows you might see one later on in Season 2!)

And the farmer is technically from Ator (he's a hint that Peter and Grayson were near the "Dessert" City, as Peter calls it) which is the city that Peter and Grayson are in as of this episode...

Rath Darkblade wrote: Episode 16...
I like the guards on the gate, discussing the stereotypical adventures they could (theoretically) go on.
How specific - meat on a stick! What is it - pork, beef, chicken, veal, lamb, fish... or rat?
I like the ending. A goblin dance floor? And yes, I can place it... one goblin with a bow, one with a sword, and one with an axe - would these be the goblin Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli, by any chance?

So the Guards at the gate, are essentially dialoguing about (indirectly) poking fun at me, and my writing of the script. How they say, slaying a dragon, rescuing a damsel in distress, etc, are all "bad" ideas. Well, Season 1 is about slaying a dragon - can you guess the quest our heroes will get for Season 2? When I began writing Neverending Nights, I used the DUNGEON MAGAZINE outline about submissions they would not take because they were too "typical and overused" as the basis of the series - to essentially use the story to poke fun at itself.

As for the goblins; you missed the reference! It's Albert = Sword = Grayson, Bob = Axe = Pawl the Dorf, Charlie = Bow = Peter the Ranger.

Rath Darkblade wrote: Episode 17...
Broth in a brothel. Oh dear.
Oh dear... again. Those two really have no clue what the *ahem* "entertainment" is talking about. (Sorry, I couldn't hear the barkeep saying her name).
"Several moments later... *drink*"
So... where is Grayson's armour, and why isn't he putting it on? I thought maybe the "entertainment" kept it?
Hmm... and was that really necessary of Andrea (at the end) to kill the weapon seller?

This was a fun episode to write, especially when we reference the Brothel (and I love that, even as they walk in, and there's scantly dressed women), they're still clueless (chalking it up for not wearing much because of the heat).

The "Entertainer's" name is Madame Rainbow.

As for Grayson's armor, when he first runs out of the room, he tells Peter, "Don't mess with me, I will put my armor on outside" (or something like that). So he has it, unfortunately there was no way to show him "carrying" the armor; a limitation with the animation.

And as for the fate of the weapon vendor... There's a story behind it.

So originally, the Weapon Vendor was known as "Eric the Elongated" (which is a reference to all his sexual remarks, when he references the weapons) and voiced by a friend at the time, Chris. Unfortunately, unrelated to Neverending Nights, we all had a huge falling out with him. So when we knew we would never be using that character again; and since we had Andrea the Assassin; originally she just questions him and moves on. But once the fall out happened, and we knew, we wouldn't be using "Eric the Elongated" anymore, I changed the script so that Andrea kills him. (This removes him, as a character, from appearing again; and also shows how lethal Andrea is, so it all kind of worked out). However, a year later, because of that fall out, we wanted to remove the episode with Chris voicing, because he was still having issues. So we opted to re-record the line with another person, and changed it to Ronald the Wreckless. (Ironically, the guy who voiced him, would part ways from the group as well, but peacefully).

So that's the story as to why the Weapon vendor bites it.

Hey Tawm... just reminding you that we haven't seen Neverending Tales in a while. Is there an episode 18? *pokes Tawm*

Rath Darkblade wrote:Hey Tawm... just reminding you that we haven't seen Neverending Tales in a while. Is there an episode 18? *pokes Tawm*

Hah! Yes! Ideally this week - been a last busy few weeks of "mini vacations" to Palm Springs and then a Cruise!

Or you could take a cue from Al Lowe and skip an episode.

Collector wrote:Or you could take a cue from Al Lowe and skip an episode.

I should do that for "Season 4" (because of them are technically done; I am just redoing them).'

But I did say when I finished Season 3 that it was the end of the series.

But I keep tossing the idea of doing a new series using NWN... But then I have like a thousand other things I am writing... So who knows!

Rath Darkblade wrote:Hey Tawm... just reminding you that we haven't seen Neverending Tales in a while. Is there an episode 18? *pokes Tawm*

Actually - it dawned on me - I finished Episode 18 weeks ago and posted it everywhere - but forgot to post it here.
It's actually Episode 19 that's been taking me forever because of all the busy vacations.

All kinds of different flavours of salt. How about just plain old salt-flavoured salt?

Bring on the dragon! Let's see how these "heroes" fare when they meet an actual dragon. Or is it just a dragonling?

No problem about the delay. Hope you enjoyed your vacation and cruise.

Rath Darkblade wrote: All kinds of different flavours of salt. How about just plain old salt-flavoured salt?
Bring on the dragon! Let's see how these "heroes" fare when they meet an actual dragon. Or is it just a dragonling?
No problem about the delay. Hope you enjoyed your vacation and cruise.

The dragon episode is fast approaching!

And that Pepper Flavored Salt... will come up again...