I knew a Game Master once who liked running games for low-level characters. Was it because he loved to see the characters' progression and their story arcs develop from new adventurer to murder hobo to seasoned heroes? Well, that certainly was part of it, but it wasn't his entire reason. In his mind, it was easier than running high-level campaigns. While he still had to match the adversaries to the party's skills, provide them a challenge and an opportunity for growth, he had many more stock creatures, items, and adventures to work with for low to mid-level games. He didn't have to create new challenges constantly when he could do some quick modifications and changes appropriate for the campaign. He gave the players conflict that tested their skills, good stories, and a great time without much effort. He was a fine Game Master and ran great one-shots, but, unfortunately, my friends and I loved playing our characters and working to level them up to practically god levels. We enjoyed epic story arcs and intersecting storylines. When we started new characters and campaigns, it was in our homegrown world which was shaped by the adventures (or misadventures) of our prior characters in earlier campaigns. Our old characters often became NPCs and might occasionally make an appearance. That put a big challenge on our group's two Game Masters. Their challenge wasn't creativity. They were both highly creative and knew how to shift and change based on our party's newest stupidity. Their challenge was to keep the game balanced. They needed to match foes and challenges to our insane power levels. They needed to create stories that were more complex, involved, and could take months to complete and lead into the next campaign. They needed to ensure that no character was "left behind" in story spotlights and character advancement. As a player, I loved what they did but never really understood the level of work and energy they put into it. The world of NECROMANTIC NIGHTS is of my design. I am not using a preexisting game system or other "world," and so I have to build everything from scratch. As I write NECROMANTIC NIGHTS, I have a similar challenge as my Game Master friends. This isn't a tale of some nascent magic users and would-be adventurers. This story features archmages and avatars of the gods, a swashbuckling lass, and, for lack of a better word, fop. I think my solution is simple but elegant for the mages and is familiar to many. There is a myriad of different magical disciplines. Mages learn some, master a few, and have no skills or knowledge in others. Magic may work differently on other worlds, and perhaps mages from those worlds use magic differently with different results. The puzzle for me is to determine which mage can do what, at what level, what do they know about other arcane disciplines, and how does that impact their ability to interact or defend against that magic? For example, Kairee has no interest in or desire to learn anything about necromancy; however, the villain in Necromantic Nights has skills in necromancy. If he attacks her with a necromantic spell, what can she use to defend herself? What is necromancy? How does it work? What is possible with necromantic magic, and what is not possible? And so on. The avatars, for me, are proving even a little more challenging. They are blood descendants of the Gods of the First Divine Court. They have power nearly reaching god-like levels, but is that overkill for the rest of the characters? Would it though the conflict out of balance? I don't want them to be Deus Ex Machina. They will have problems to deal with and other issues to overcome, but what is the extent of their powers? How do I dampen their abilities enough to be still formidable but not way beyond the capabilities of our villain? How do I keep them from overshadowing the other characters? Why would they partner with mages if they are much more powerful? I think the easiest solution is that while they have their own power, their power is turbo-charged by their connection to their patron gods. Since the gods have "gone dark" in NECROMANTIC NIGHTS, their power is still tremendous and legendary but not as formidable as when their divine connection is strong. Now I just have to figure out their unique abilities since each patron god is different. As for our swashbuckling lass, Mercy . . . Well, she's a hero and will have to figure out what that means in the company of archmages and avatars. What about the fop., you ask? We'll just have to wait and find out.

Grief is one of those things for which you can never really prepare. Like so many, I have needed to grieve throughout my life; grief for lost friendships and broken trusts, grief over personal failures, and grief from the loss of loved ones. Each time, grief has affected me differently. I don’t ever recall going through the seven stages of grief. I don’t remember ever being in denial over the loss and hurt. I have been angry, but not every time. When my father died, I withdrew. I kept my grief private. The pain was for no one but me. I was angry when my mother died. I had lost my father a little less than two years previously. It wasn’t fair, and I wasn’t ready to be an orphan. But my anger was short-lived. Her death was for the best. Her illnesses were of the type where there was no hope of recovery. She would cry and tell me how much she wanted to be with my father again. Finally, her wish was realized, and I pray they are reunited. After they passed, I still had my brother. Losing my brother last year hit me so very hard. He was sick with cancer for most of the year. Early hopes vanished as the disease quickly metastasized. I was helpless to help him. The best I could do was to be with him and my sister-in-law. As much as I could, I supported his preparation for the end. We laughed at our memories, we told stories, he teased me the way brothers always do, and we said our goodbyes. We spoke about the afterlife and the promise of being reunited with those we loved who went before us. I think it gave him comfort. His rage at death lurking at his door, promising to steal his future and leaving his beloved wife alone, eventually eased to a resigned acceptance. He no longer vented his anger nor gave voice to his regrets and fears, but my brother was not the type to go “quietly into that good night” and continued to push against the tide. For me, life was grey. I had trouble staying focused during his long illness. Nothing mattered. I was overwhelmed by my helplessness; there was nothing I could do. In some ways, I am surprised I was able to go to work and still be competent at my job. I am thankful for the support I received from my employer. I clung to my professionalism, but the one thing I could not do was write. When my brother died, all I could do was cry. I still worked, but I mourned. He was dead, and I wanted everyone to know his name and who he was when alive. The stress over his all too quickly impending death evaporated only to be replaced by the proverbial gaping hole in my heart with which I filled with tears. Wounds I thought long healed from the loss of my parents reopened, and my grief over their loss joined my grief for my brother. There was so much pain, so much loss. I felt it all again. I never felt so alone. Months have passed, and while I still cry, it is not as often or as long as I did. I feel like I turned a corner with the new year. I am starting to write again..

UPDATE July 2021 Due to a very close family members serious illness, I will not be attending Evil Expo this year. I hope you got tickets and plan to attend in person or virtually. It really is a fun time. I am sorry to miss it but I will be back next year. =-=-=-= It returns . I RETURN! MUHAHAHAHAHA! I am very pleased to announce that I will be appearing at EvilExpo 2021 . We had a great show last year. We explored Talent Management in an Evil Organization and Creating Well-rounded Villains. I was introduced to The Big Bad Overlord himself (@BigBadOverlord). We had a great time playing the Big Bad Overlord game. (check it out at Big Bad Ideas). I also bonded over villainy with Dr. Discord (formerly known as Dr Evil) (@villainpodcast) and Minion #1. He is a terrific evil mastermind and host of A Necessary Evil podcast . What will I be doing this year? Well, scheduling is underway but Dr. Discord and I will be running a session on Evil Foods . (details to come. ) I have a few other ideas floating around and if they aren’t careful, they will be caught by The Dark Lord (@darklordjournal ) and forced to perform! I’ll update this post as more details are firmed up. In the meanwhile, it’s never too late to buy tickets and start your planning to attend EvilExpo 2021 ! UPDATES! 8/13/20 My author page is up for Exil Expo. Check it out and give me a thumbs up! https://evilexpo.com/m-g-martin/

I have to admit that I was more than a little dubious about taste testing the Atomic Cocktail. For years, no, let me correct that . . . decades . . . I had no idea what went into the Atomic Cocktail. This ignorance allowed me to imagine all sorts of things that I liked. Secondly, since I was using it as a “fantasy drink”, it could include all sorts of “magical” components. I never tried to explain what it was, only that it was Kairee’s favorite drink next to champagne and extremely potent. My reasoning is simple; Mages and other magically powerful beings need a powerful drink capable of overwhelming their natural resistance to more mundane alcohol. Why drink if you don’t get a kick from it? (As an aside, Kairee has protections to prevent getting drunk. A drunk Mage is dangerous to themselves and others.) Back to the real world, when I learned that the Atomic Cocktail contains Vodka, Brandy, Sherry, and Champagne, I have to admit that I paused. On the face of it, that combination seemed . . . odd. On the other hand, we are no longer in a “cocktail” culture anymore. Long gone are the days of cocktail parties, and I think, not being a product of a cocktail culture upbringing, mixed drinks sometimes seem odd to me. Combinations that may be par for the course in mixed drinks’ milieu strike me as unappetizing. I put that all behind me to satisfy my curiosity, try something new, and report back to you. First, this is a STRONG drink. One drink has five (5) ounces of alcohol. Secondly, it’s pretty tasty. It’s a sipping drink. It’s easy to sip it quickly and, trust me, you will feel those five ounces! So, what do I think of The Atomic Cocktail? I like it. Is it my go-to cocktail, no, but I think it is enjoyable and worth having from time to time. I may even challenge a bartender or two to make it. Of course, I’ll have to provide the recipe as I doubt they’ll find it in their drink database. Each version of this drink has a different flavor profile. This is due to both the varying amount of sherry and the mixing style used. Both, however, produces a lovely golden drink alive with little bubbles. You can find the recipes here . Let’s start with The Atomic Cocktail (Stirred, Not Shaken) from Esquire magazine . This version is light on sherry using only one (1) teaspoon. Since I had Amomtillaldo sherry in the house, I use that with a relatively inexpensive Spanish brandy. If you use a sweeter sherry, you should use a “drier” brandy or cognac. This recipe, as I cleverly titled it, is stirred, not shaken. I found this version of the Atomic Cocktail to have “smokey” flavor. I can only assume that the brandy brings out the “oakiness” of the sherry while remaining the dominant flavor of two spirits. Next, we have The Atomic Cocktail (Shaken, Not Stirred) from FoodDiva.com . This recipe calls for a half (1/2) ounce of sherry and recommends an orange slice as a garnish. I have to admit that I was surprised by that fruity addition. I really liked this version. It was smoother and balanced the flavors of the liquor better. Thought I didn’t use the orange slice garnish, once I tasted this drink, I immediately understood why orange. Using more sherry seemed to bring out a certain fruitiness in the cocktail reminiscent of orange. I also think that shaking this cocktail better combines the liquors smoothing the flavors. I would drink the Atomic Cocktail, but would Kairee? Yes, I think she would, and I believe she’d favor the “FoodDiva” version as I do. Try it yourselves and see which version you like better.

I’ve had the opportunity and the pleasure of working from home for quite a few years. Over that time, I’ve had to figure out what works best for me, my colleagues, and my clients. There are clear benefits to working from home, such as not having to commute and the ability to sleep in an extra hour. Conversely, there is a downside. You get lazy and just roll out of bed and into your desk chair without showering, dressing for the day, or eating a bit of breakfast. By the end of the day, you are still in your pajamas and unwashed. Sure, you roll right back into bed, but after a few days of that, you will look and feel awful. You will get lethargic. You won’t be on top of y our game professionally or personally. Even if you do get up and prepare for the day, you may blur the lines between the workday and your personal time. You may start working into the nights. Your colleagues and your boss may begin expecting meetings “after hours.” You become a slave to work. You may think, “Why not? There’s nothing else to do.” Trust me, there is. You need downtime, family time, fun time, and working all day and night is not those things. Here are my top ten tips for successfully working virtually. 1. Establish Working Hours If you work from home temporarily or full time, it is essential that you identify and communicate your working hours. This sets clear expectations for your colleagues and clients as to when you will be available for calls, meetings, emails, etc. Be firm in these hours; keep the schedule. Don’t set the expectation that you are available and responsive at any hour. If working from home is temporary, you don’t want to train yourself or your colleagues into a new work pattern. If you usually work 9 am to 5 pm, or 10 am to 6 pm, keep that schedule. Eventually, you will be returning to the office, and it will be easier to adjust to that return if you minimize any changes to the way you work now. 2. Build lunch and breaks into your day and block your calendar Just because you are in self-quarantine doesn’t mean you are chained to your desk. Get up, for a walk (with or without the dog and/or kids/partner), use that treadmill. Do something to break up the day’s routine. You will be more energized and focused if you take breaks 3. Block Focus Time into your calendar Focus time is the time you need to get actual work done. As a courtesy to your colleagues, let them know if you can or cannot be interrupted. This is done by putting a note into the time block name, “Can be moved,” “Ask before scheduling,” “Do Not Schedule Over,” etc. Discuss with your team to determine the best way to approach and indicate dedicated work time. 4. Set up your home office in a place where interruptions will be minimized I know this is easier said than done, but you need to try. Your family isn’t going to be used to having you home during work hours. They won’t know how not to interrupt you. If your partner is also working from home, you may inadvertently get in each other’s way or be too loud when on conference calls. You may want to think about setting up your temporary work area in a bedroom where you can close the door. Or let your partner have the bedroom, and you set up in the living room. I have no idea how to contain the kids. The key to working at home is to find a place to work without distraction. 5. Do not turn on the television If you need the TV on for the kids, find a place to work elsewhere in your home. TV is one of the penultimate distractions. You will not be productive with the TV on unless your job is to watch TV. 6. Shower and dress every day It’s so tempting to wake up and roll out of bed and “go to work,” but it won’t feel good. The routine of showering and taking care of yourself before you sit down for work will help you start strong and stay strong. It will help keep the division of the days clear, one day won’t run into the next, and you won’t have to retrain yourself once you return to the office. 7. Clean up your work area at the end of every day This sounds a bit like overkill, but cleaning your work area will do a few different things for you. The ritual will be a firm signal to you that the workday is over. It will facilitate setting up for the next workday and help you keep your house clean and organized. If you also use your work area for gaming or other personal time on your computers, this puts work away so you can enjoy yourself. 8. Prioritize ruthlessly Working from home is going to be new, not only for you but for your colleagues as well. There is going to a natural tendency by some to want MORE meetings. This is driven from the need to connect with other people, have a sense of control, and create a sense of security that everything is working as it should. This is going to be a challenge because if you aren’t careful, your entire day will be lost to meetings. So, if you are invited to a meeting, consider if it is essential to attend. Ask the meeting organizer. If the agenda and objectives aren’t included in the invite, ask what they are. Help your co-workers by always adding a meeting agenda and objectives. 9. Maintain your office working relationships “Out of sight, out of mind.” It’s too easy in the virtual world to forget about people or neglect to involve them where you usually would. If you are left out of meetings, you may start to ascribe dubious or negative intent to their actions. If you don’t need “everyone” in the meeting, be sensitive to the fact that the person you leave out may feel neglected, overlooked, and even undermined. So, it may be a good policy to reach out to that person or persons and tell them about the meeting and what you need to achieve and ask them if they need to be there or would rather have that time back. If you need to be at a meeting and haven’t been invited, don’t assume it was a slight. It could be an error, or the meeting owner didn’t realize you should be invited or is trying to be sensitive to your time. Your best course of action is to ask the meeting organizer to include you. Also, make sure to reach out to your co-workers on a personal level and don’t be “all business.” The personal connection is very important to retain when working remotely. 10. Watch What You Eat Let’s face it; we aren’t going to be as active as we usually are since we are, in essence, confined to home. Going for walks and doing exercises can help, but we should consider our nutrition. People tend to eat more during times of stress. They seek comfort in their comfort foods. Try to reduce caloric intake. Try to avoid excess snacking. Try to replace your sugary or high carbohydrate snacks with healthier ones. It’s easier said than done, but I think you will feel healthier for it. I am not saying deprive yourself. Just practice moderation. Add to your schedule time to enjoy your favorite things, perhaps as a reward for getting through the week. Just watch the amount of your special treat! Finally, in this time of Covid-19, Shelter in Place order, uncertainty as to when this will all be over and concern for loved ones, remember that everyone is stressed to one degree or another. You don’t know the details of your colleagues’ personal situations, so be patient. Extend Grace, understanding, and compassion.

I recently had the pleasure of being a performer at Evil Expo 2020 in New Jersey, wherein I appeared on two panels: Talent Management in an Evil Organization and Creating Well-rounded Villains. To help prepare for these sessions, I started writing a script as if I were the guest speaker at a management conference for evil leaders, villains, and Darkly-dark Overlords of All They Survey.

The recipe for an Atomic Cocktail, a little bit of its history and its connection to NECROMANTIC NIGHTS