Hey, so every year my friends over in the Roll + Bond community put on a charity marathon ttrpg stream to celebrate their anniversary, playing a different game every 4 hours for 72 hours.

Roll + Bond is a ttrpg one-shot community offshoot of the Friends at the Table discord. I've made great friends in that community, and they are raising money for Trans Lifeline this year. You can check out the stream or donate here:
https://tiltify.com/@rollplusbond/4th-anniversary-stream
Here's the schedule:
Come check it out if you have time. They're a great community of folks and I've made good friends playing games among them.

A year and a half ago I ran a series of games of Tensile Breakdown. They were playtests, but also a neat interconnected story, built upon by multiple groups of players. I'm gonna repost them here, because it's fun.

At first they sent the soilmakers to prepare the planets, then they sent the seedships to spread humanity to the stars. And then, for centuries – nothing. Maybe a garbled broadcast here and there. Some distant planets glowing up in deep space telescopes. But no contact, not really. This was the understanding among the various people of ε Orionis.
Until the Railweave buildercraft burned to a halt in the system's Oort cloud. The Sigma-Orion peoples were about to be joined into the broader human community. By force, if needed. This was a year ago. Since then, some jumped on board enthusiastically and some dug in and fought.

Thank you for choosing The Arrow, ε-Or's best independent news source.

It has been exactly a year since the Railweave arrived and with the anniversary looming, so is their ultimatum. The debates have raged in the assemblies, hard lines have been drawn and withdrawn from. But all of that will be put to test in a mere 60 hours, when the timer runs out. There are already reports from all across the system of troops mobilizing. And so are we. You can trust The Arrow, dear listener, to bring you reliable reports on the upcoming conflicts, wherever they break out.

May you fly true!

Earlier this week Kojima Broadcast Station was destroyed in a sudden attack by the Wardens on the Shores (Sentinels). Reports indicate the Kingdom of Enard Bay, the former owners of the station, had issued demands to the Sentinels earlier. The Kingdom has previously expressed strong sentiments in favour of incorporation into the Railweave, which the Sentinels staunchly oppose. It is believed this attack to be an attempt to limit communications between the Kingdom and Railweave representatives.

Today the two sides engaged in a large battle along transit route #81, while it seems that Kingdom forces executed an ambush and gained an early upper hand, the outcome is still uncertain.

More on this story as it develops.
This has been a dispatch from The Arrow, May you fly true!

The Sentinel-Kingdom clash has been growing for the past week. Sentinel pilot Southbound 75 rallied volunteer allies from across the system in an assault on the nearly finished Railweave launcher complex, but Kingdom forces led by the capital ship K.S. Manhattan mounted a defense of the installation. After hours of costly fighting, the largest ships of bost sides were destroyed or captured. The launcher complex sustained collateral damage in the fighting, setting back the opening schedule by an unknown amount. After failing to demonstrate their usefulness as an ally, the Kingdom of Enard Bay has agreed to immediate protective incorporation into the Railweave. Until the new arrangement can be fully hashed out, the state is preliminarily renamed to Enard Principality. Meanwhile the Wardens on the Shores are gaining popular support across the system and most notably from groups on Tideteller. Their success at the battle of the Railgate has inspired faith that resistance is possible. To capitalize on this opportunity, Southbound 75 is expected to go on a media tour in the coming weeks, using the captured and formerly AI-driven King's Ship Manhattan as the platform.

Reported by The Arrow, May you fly true!

Earlier this week hostilities broke out between the forces of Tideteller Guaranteed Shipping Guild and The Ebb Citizens Collective as their years-long dispute over satellite rights and shipping lanes boiled over into open violence.
Guilder forces, attempted a landing on Ebb at Point Leeward, but the defense batteries managed to scatter the landing force, breaking the initial assault. Reports indicate the Ebbian mech piloted by Castor Aurelia was significantly damaged in the following skirmishes.
The conflict had an unexpected turn when the Guilder freighter Helm of Aetressocch was assaulted by an Ebbian force. The Guilder pilot Atrocity Drinkwater, who was assigned to the ship's defence, was killed by their Ebbian counterpart, letting the Collective seize the freighter and all its cargo. This appears to have been a significant victory, as the sides have agreed to a cease-fire and the creation of a DMZ between them.

During this time Railweave patrols have been seen farther afield than usual. Whether there is a causal link between this expansion and the Tideteller skirmishes remains to be seen.

Thank you for subscribing to The Arrow, May you fly true!

Explore topic: Piracy on the rise!

A pattern of opportunistic looting has cropped up across the system. Emblematic of this has been an incident at the village of Trounce in the Drop Trench region on Trestle. The villagers were threatened by a privateer and, when they couldn't gather together enough goods to pay the raider off, had their fields burned down. One brave villager, Bowyer Fisher, pursued the criminal in a makeshift mech, but couldn't manage more than superficial damage.
...
The Drop Trench regional transport hub was devestated in a swift attack by three unidentified mechs. With the harvests just coming in, this will cause severe harm to the local economy. The strike appeared to be well planned, as the attackers managed to take out the hub's static defenses and destroy vital infrastructure before a military response could be mounted.
...
Explosions were reported in the hills of Drop Trench region on Trestle. Forensic reports indicate that it was some kind of clandestine military operation.
...
The village of Trounce, which we reported on earlier this week, has come under attack once more. A lance of mechs, led by a pirate pilot now identified as Cap'n Dume, descended on the village and started firing at the buildings. Eyewitnesses report Bowyer Fisher attempting a vain defence, but falling to the attackers.
...
The escalation of criminal, insurgent and counterinsurgent violence in the Drop Trench region on Trestle over the last month has led to it being declared a de facto war zone. Despite the government forces' best efforts, the violence is spilling out into neighboring regions as supply shortages and refugees put a strain on everyone. Some sources suggest that the involved privateers have been sponsored by **Railweave **agents. When asked for comment, Railweave representative Orwen Dun had this to say: "We would never even consider such horrible means. Our goal is the eventual unity of all humanity and this kind of infighting is the exact opposite of that. I can assure you, when the connection to the Web is established, we will gladly provide extensive policing support to stop the cycle of violence and help rebuild the communities on Trestle."
...
Older Articles...

Thank you for choosing The Arrow, May you fly true!

Lyr Sentinels, who have been advocating for a swift and peaceful integration with the rest of humanity, decided to put their materiel where their words are and landed a representative force on Kerberos as a means of ensuring a safe waystation between the outer and inner system. They met with organized opposition from the Cyra Lornate Independent Collegiate for Development. This think tank has been a vocal opponent to the terms offered by Railweave representatives and have been pushing for greater Sigmorion autonomy in any future arrangement. After a few initial volleys, the heavier vehicles were withdrawn from the fighting to minimize collateral damage. Infantry scale skirmishes are ongoing as of this report.
...
Lyr-Collegiate fighting has spread to Sapphire-Lagrange-1 transfer hub. A small Collegiate force led by pilot Kwadzo Ardennes disabled several Lyr supply freighters, thus putting pressure on their outer system activities. The Lyr retaliatory strike managed to drive off the raiding party, but with too many stray shots hitting third parties, the Trade and Logistics Authority running the L1 station has barred Lyr ships from using the station.
...
A frightening spectale could be seen in the sky above The Arrow's offices in Keendown City, Trestle last night. In a move that many have described as "foolish and excessive", Lyr forces led by pilot Harry Gooden attacked and devastated the weaponized satellite network operated by the Collegiate, who have their headquarters here. The explosions and debris-meteor shower could be seen from planetside.
The fiery downward streaks were soon met by the upward trails of Collegiate forces deploying to the battle. Reports indicate heavy losses on both sides.
*Scroll down to see a video of two mechs falling into the atmoshpere together and breaking off just in time to avoid crashing into the city. *
Lyr forces eventually retreated, but as night came over the city, distant pursuit clashes could be seen for hours after.
...
A military attaché from the Railweave arrived on Kerberos this morning with a small squad to advise the Lyr forces there. Collegiate pilot Ardennes attempted to use this opportunity to humiliate the Lyr Sentinels in an audacious attack, but was shot down during a bombing run. The loss of this key asset is likely to impact Collegiate activities throughout Sigmorion.
...
With the alliance agreement between Railweave and Lyr being signed, Railweave defence forces have landed on Vistra. While the official ceremony was jubilant, the sentiments in the broader populace are far from unified. Some clashes and cases of sabotage have already been reported and it's clear that things are going to get worse before they get better.

And that is where it ends, inconclusively, as history likes to do.

A year and a half ago I ran a series of games of Tensile Breakdown. They were playtests, but also a neat interconnected story, built upon by multiple groups of players. I'm gonna repost them here, because it's fun.

At first they sent the soilmakers to prepare the planets, then they sent the seedships to spread humanity to the stars. And then, for centuries – nothing. Maybe a garbled broadcast here and there. Some distant planets glowing up in deep space telescopes. But no contact, not really. This was the understanding among the various people of ε Orionis.
Until the Railweave buildercraft burned to a halt in the system's Oort cloud. The Sigma-Orion peoples were about to be joined into the broader human community. By force, if needed. This was a year ago. Since then, some jumped on board enthusiastically and some dug in and fought.

Thank you for choosing The Arrow, ε-Or's best independent news source.

It has been exactly a year since the Railweave arrived and with the anniversary looming, so is their ultimatum. The debates have raged in the assemblies, hard lines have been drawn and withdrawn from. But all of that will be put to test in a mere 60 hours, when the timer runs out. There are already reports from all across the system of troops mobilizing. And so are we. You can trust The Arrow, dear listener, to bring you reliable reports on the upcoming conflicts, wherever they break out.

May you fly true!

Earlier this week Kojima Broadcast Station was destroyed in a sudden attack by the Wardens on the Shores (Sentinels). Reports indicate the Kingdom of Enard Bay, the former owners of the station, had issued demands to the Sentinels earlier. The Kingdom has previously expressed strong sentiments in favour of incorporation into the Railweave, which the Sentinels staunchly oppose. It is believed this attack to be an attempt to limit communications between the Kingdom and Railweave representatives.

Today the two sides engaged in a large battle along transit route #81, while it seems that Kingdom forces executed an ambush and gained an early upper hand, the outcome is still uncertain.

More on this story as it develops.
This has been a dispatch from The Arrow, May you fly true!

The Sentinel-Kingdom clash has been growing for the past week. Sentinel pilot Southbound 75 rallied volunteer allies from across the system in an assault on the nearly finished Railweave launcher complex, but Kingdom forces led by the capital ship K.S. Manhattan mounted a defense of the installation. After hours of costly fighting, the largest ships of bost sides were destroyed or captured. The launcher complex sustained collateral damage in the fighting, setting back the opening schedule by an unknown amount. After failing to demonstrate their usefulness as an ally, the Kingdom of Enard Bay has agreed to immediate protective incorporation into the Railweave. Until the new arrangement can be fully hashed out, the state is preliminarily renamed to Enard Principality. Meanwhile the Wardens on the Shores are gaining popular support across the system and most notably from groups on Tideteller. Their success at the battle of the Railgate has inspired faith that resistance is possible. To capitalize on this opportunity, Southbound 75 is expected to go on a media tour in the coming weeks, using the captured and formerly AI-driven King's Ship Manhattan as the platform.

Reported by The Arrow, May you fly true!

Earlier this week hostilities broke out between the forces of Tideteller Guaranteed Shipping Guild and The Ebb Citizens Collective as their years-long dispute over satellite rights and shipping lanes boiled over into open violence.
Guilder forces, attempted a landing on Ebb at Point Leeward, but the defense batteries managed to scatter the landing force, breaking the initial assault. Reports indicate the Ebbian mech piloted by Castor Aurelia was significantly damaged in the following skirmishes.
The conflict had an unexpected turn when the Guilder freighter Helm of Aetressocch was assaulted by an Ebbian force. The Guilder pilot Atrocity Drinkwater, who was assigned to the ship's defence, was killed by their Ebbian counterpart, letting the Collective seize the freighter and all its cargo. This appears to have been a significant victory, as the sides have agreed to a cease-fire and the creation of a DMZ between them.

During this time Railweave patrols have been seen farther afield than usual. Whether there is a causal link between this expansion and the Tideteller skirmishes remains to be seen.

Thank you for subscribing to The Arrow, May you fly true!

Explore topic: Piracy on the rise!

A pattern of opportunistic looting has cropped up across the system. Emblematic of this has been an incident at the village of Trounce in the Drop Trench region on Trestle. The villagers were threatened by a privateer and, when they couldn't gather together enough goods to pay the raider off, had their fields burned down. One brave villager, Bowyer Fisher, pursued the criminal in a makeshift mech, but couldn't manage more than superficial damage.
...
The Drop Trench regional transport hub was devestated in a swift attack by three unidentified mechs. With the harvests just coming in, this will cause severe harm to the local economy. The strike appeared to be well planned, as the attackers managed to take out the hub's static defenses and destroy vital infrastructure before a military response could be mounted.
...
Explosions were reported in the hills of Drop Trench region on Trestle. Forensic reports indicate that it was some kind of clandestine military operation.
...
The village of Trounce, which we reported on earlier this week, has come under attack once more. A lance of mechs, led by a pirate pilot now identified as Cap'n Dume, descended on the village and started firing at the buildings. Eyewitnesses report Bowyer Fisher attempting a vain defence, but falling to the attackers.
...
The escalation of criminal, insurgent and counterinsurgent violence in the Drop Trench region on Trestle over the last month has led to it being declared a de facto war zone. Despite the government forces' best efforts, the violence is spilling out into neighboring regions as supply shortages and refugees put a strain on everyone. Some sources suggest that the involved privateers have been sponsored by **Railweave **agents. When asked for comment, Railweave representative Orwen Dun had this to say: "We would never even consider such horrible means. Our goal is the eventual unity of all humanity and this kind of infighting is the exact opposite of that. I can assure you, when the connection to the Web is established, we will gladly provide extensive policing support to stop the cycle of violence and help rebuild the communities on Trestle."
...
Older Articles...

Thank you for choosing The Arrow, May you fly true!

A year and a half ago I ran a series of games of Tensile Breakdown. They were playtests, but also a neat interconnected story, built upon by multiple groups of players. I'm gonna repost them here, because it's fun.

At first they sent the soilmakers to prepare the planets, then they sent the seedships to spread humanity to the stars. And then, for centuries – nothing. Maybe a garbled broadcast here and there. Some distant planets glowing up in deep space telescopes. But no contact, not really. This was the understanding among the various people of ε Orionis.
Until the Railweave buildercraft burned to a halt in the system's Oort cloud. The Sigma-Orion peoples were about to be joined into the broader human community. By force, if needed. This was a year ago. Since then, some jumped on board enthusiastically and some dug in and fought.

Thank you for choosing The Arrow, ε-Or's best independent news source.

It has been exactly a year since the Railweave arrived and with the anniversary looming, so is their ultimatum. The debates have raged in the assemblies, hard lines have been drawn and withdrawn from. But all of that will be put to test in a mere 60 hours, when the timer runs out. There are already reports from all across the system of troops mobilizing. And so are we. You can trust The Arrow, dear listener, to bring you reliable reports on the upcoming conflicts, wherever they break out.

May you fly true!

Earlier this week Kojima Broadcast Station was destroyed in a sudden attack by the Wardens on the Shores (Sentinels). Reports indicate the Kingdom of Enard Bay, the former owners of the station, had issued demands to the Sentinels earlier. The Kingdom has previously expressed strong sentiments in favour of incorporation into the Railweave, which the Sentinels staunchly oppose. It is believed this attack to be an attempt to limit communications between the Kingdom and Railweave representatives.

Today the two sides engaged in a large battle along transit route #81, while it seems that Kingdom forces executed an ambush and gained an early upper hand, the outcome is still uncertain.

More on this story as it develops.
This has been a dispatch from The Arrow, May you fly true!

The Sentinel-Kingdom clash has been growing for the past week. Sentinel pilot Southbound 75 rallied volunteer allies from across the system in an assault on the nearly finished Railweave launcher complex, but Kingdom forces led by the capital ship K.S. Manhattan mounted a defense of the installation. After hours of costly fighting, the largest ships of bost sides were destroyed or captured. The launcher complex sustained collateral damage in the fighting, setting back the opening schedule by an unknown amount. After failing to demonstrate their usefulness as an ally, the Kingdom of Enard Bay has agreed to immediate protective incorporation into the Railweave. Until the new arrangement can be fully hashed out, the state is preliminarily renamed to Enard Principality. Meanwhile the Wardens on the Shores are gaining popular support across the system and most notably from groups on Tideteller. Their success at the battle of the Railgate has inspired faith that resistance is possible. To capitalize on this opportunity, Southbound 75 is expected to go on a media tour in the coming weeks, using the captured and formerly AI-driven King's Ship Manhattan as the platform.

Reported by The Arrow, May you fly true!