PolyCon 2005: Memories
Blast from the Past
PolyCon's always been a good place to find people to play FMG stuff, and this year I was happy to see that tradition continue.
Here's John Waldron, a beekeeper in real life, caught in the middle of a marathon Insecta session run by official FMG rep John Fanshier.
I find John F's home-grown Insecta 2X set quite remarkable, including everything needed to run a convention event at double the usual scale...
...even a big (and singularly appropriate) prize bug for the winner.
Mr. Waldron's technique was odd but legal -- he enticed players to join the game-in-progress, but he ate their wounded bugs without a bit of remorse. Very bug-like behavior, and it enabled him to take his bombardier beetle along the classic "dungeon crawl" route out of the Hive to victory.
Saturday night: I get to run Shapeshifters, using the Temple of Athena scenario from the 10th anniversary edition. Once again I forget to write down everyone's names -- sorry about that, guys.
A Sad Farewell
At midnight a funeral was held for Poly, the convention's mascot for over two decades. The official word is that he died of a brain aneurism; I think it was brought on by news of the planned migration of the con away from the university next year.
Poly lay in state for much of the night, his casket accompanied by funerary offerings in the traditional style.
Here you can see the offerings more closely. Jolt cola, Twinkies, Ring Dings, and Wyvern decks, all presumably of use to the poor old dragon in his journey through the underworld.
After a long march around the campus, the casket's final resting place was this magnificant pyre.
Goodbye, Poly – we'll miss you.
The next morning, I notice some signage that helped explain the con's imminent departure from its traditional home. I shudder to think of what activities could possibly have necessitated "special cleaning."
This one, on the other hand, makes me proud to be a gamer. "Yeah, we eat a lotta pizza — what's it to ya?"
