Author Archives: Bizarre Brunette

Vesper is Level #20 – Reaching Level #20 in a TTRPG

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Image is a photo of Vesper, my Dungeons & Dragons character. She is wearing blue academy robes. She has a menacing black hound with magenta eyes staring ahead. There's a castle off to the right.

I still play in my weekly Dungeons & Dragons campaign at Badwolf Adventure Studios. We are almost at our second anniversary, as I started this campaign in the Summer of 2023. A few sessions ago, a few of our characters reached level #20, including Vesper! I was excited to see Vesper at the highest level in Dungeons & Dragons. Before playing as Vesper, my previous character, Levenia, made it to level #13. I wanted to share some of Vesper’s journey to get here, along with leveling up to level #20, in more detail.

It was a no-brainer that I signed up for a second campaign at Badwolf. Once I finished Curse of Strahd, I knew I wanted to play in another campaign. If I could go back and tell myself what I know now, I’d say I’m in for a wild ride. Vesper has been through so much to get to level #20. She almost didn’t roll high enough to pull off a cursed mask, lost her eyesight temporarily, made a bond with a powerful entity, got married, and helped an NPC regain her will to live after that NPC survived a traumatic event. These events in Vesper’s story would take too long to detail for this post, but Vesper has earned all her levels.

It wouldn’t be a post about hitting level #20 if I didn’t talk about Vesper’s new abilities. Since Vesper is a multi-class character (she has 17 levels in Sorcerer with 3 levels of Paladin), she didn’t unlock a boon naturally. Through an in-game moment, she unlocked “Boon of Magical Resistance”. This gives her advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. One of my favorite spells that I unlocked at level #20 is Blade of Disaster. Blade of Disaster is a magical blade, allowing for two melee attacks. On a hit, it’s 4d12 force damage, and a critical hit is on a die roll of 18 or higher. I used it recently in a combat encounter, and it was sick. I can’t wait to use it again.

I’m not sure how much longer our campaign will run. We are on our last major story arc of this campaign. I will never forget Vesper and how much this character means to me. This campaign has taught me a lot when it comes to being a better player at the table. Once this campaign ends, I will absolutely sign up for another one.

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

Posted in Reading/Books by
Image is a book cover for A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. This cover shows a silver gate with a grey shadow of a young woman holding a butterfly net.

While on the train coming home from Chicago, I finished reading A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. This is the second book in the Veronica Speedwell series. I read the first book in this series while on my honeymoon to Europe a few years ago. I love the setting of this book and Veronica as a character. A Perilous Undertaking did not disappoint and solidified this series as a series I’d recommend to anyone and everyone.

Veronica Speedwell is summoned by Lady Sundridge, who is requesting her assistance. She asks Veronica to investigate the murder of Artemisia, an artist with many talents. Miles Ramsforth is set to hang for killing Artemisia, but Lady Sundridge isn’t convinced that he committed the crime. Miles refuses to provide an alibi, which adds an extra layer of mystery to the murder. Veronica and her associate and friend, Stoker, agree to help and find themselves at the beginning of unraveling a conspiracy.

It did not take me long to fly through this book. I was invested in the mystery, and part of that was due to how the mystery was set up. Miles refuses to talk about his alibi, Lady Sundridge’s true identity, and how she was connected to Miles. Each book in this series seems to center around a conspiracy, and I’m here for it. It adds an extra layer of drama to the book. While I wasn’t surprised by the killer’s reveal, it felt satisfying, especially to see how Veronica and Stoker eventually took down the killer.

This series focuses on Veronica and her expanding partnership and friendship with Stoker. These two have such a slow-burn relationship. They need to kiss already and be done with it. Their banter is flirty, snarky, and perfect between the two. At the core of their partnership is their friendship and mutual respect for each other. Veronica is labeled as a spinster, which is a term Veronica uses to describe herself. In the late 1800s, women were getting married and having children. Stoker is a man ahead of his time since he sees Veronica as an equal and her own person. It makes their friendship that much better because of the mutual respect they have for each other.

I like how each book in the series builds upon itself. In this book, we find out more about Stoker and his family. It’s hinted at in the first book that Stoker is the Black Sheep of his family, and we find out more as to why this is. I like how the book ends on a positive note, where Stoker may end up rekindling the relationship with his brothers. Part of that is due to Veronica’s influence, but I think Stoker, deep down, cares for his brothers even though he has a horrific relationship with his father.

This is a series I genuinely look forward to reading. If anyone needs a series recommendation, my first question to them will be, “Have you read the Veronica Speedwell series?” I rated A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn five stars on Goodreads.

Deep Dish Pizza and The Bean – Chicago Trip

Posted in Life Lately by

Our main purpose for going to Chicago was to see Critical Role live. With that said, we ended up having an extra day and a half to explore. I have been to Chicago several times, and there’s something comforting about visiting a city you have been to before. I know my way around public transportation and have an idea as to where things are in the city. What made this trip unique was that instead of driving to Chicago, we took the new Borealis train line to Union Station. This was so slick, and I’m open to taking the train again.

Image is a photo of a grey bean like sculpture set against the background of the city's towers.

We left on Wednesday from Union Depot in Saint Paul, which is not far from us. We left at noon and arrived in Chicago just after seven. The train ride took about seven to eight hours. While it may seem longer than driving, there’s always an extra hour added to a trip for bathroom breaks and stops for food while driving. The train was on time, and the boarding process was smooth. The seats had more legroom than I anticipated, and I didn’t feel cramped. The final stop was Chicago’s Union Station. From there, we took an Uber to our hotel.

Image is a photo of me and my husband smiling into The Bean and taking a photo of our reflection.

On Thursday, before the live show, we wandered around Millenium Park, which is where The Bean is. The Bean is what it sounds like, a sculpture that looks like a bean. It’s a must to go up to The Bean and take a selfie because the sculpture is reflective, so you see yourself as you take the picture. After walking around Millenium Park, we stopped at Giordano’s for Deep Dish Pizza. My husband had never been to Giordano’s before, so this was something we had to do. We went to the one right near Millenium Park, but there are several other locations throughout the area. We went with a classic Deep Dish with pepperoni, cheese, sausage, and green peppers. It was so good. Every time I go to Chicago, I have to eat Deep Dish Pizza; it’s the rule. From there, we went back to our hotel so I could get ready.

Image is a photo of a deep dish pizza.

On Friday, I was tuckered out from the Critical Role live show, so this day was more chill. We had breakfast at Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe. We made our way to Navy Pier, which is something my husband hadn’t done before. Navy Pier has shops, the Children’s Museum, and a variety of restaurants right along Lake Michigan. It’s pretty to walk and it was sunny all day on Friday. After getting a mid-afternoon coffee, we walked to our hotel before meeting with friends for dinner. One of my good friends from college lives out in the Suburbs, so I try to see her whenever I visit. She was kind enough to drive far to meet us closer to the city. We went to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Handlebar. I had a Buffalo Chicken Wrap made from Seitan. I don’t think I have ever eaten Seitan before, or if I had, I didn’t know it. It was delicious. On Saturday, my husband and I hopped back on the Borealis train to head home.

Considering I was in Chicago for two days, it was a busy weekend! It has been a bit since I was last in Chicago, so it was good to be back. The Borealis train made the trip that much better. I would take the train again because no one wants to drive in downtown Chicago if they don’t have to.

Critical Role Live Show

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Last weekend, my husband and I went to Chicago to see Critical Role live. Around October last year, Critical Role announced live shows for their tenth anniversary. There were live shows in Australia, a live show the same weekend as Gen Con, and live shows in New York and Chicago. Being from the Twin Cities, Chicago is easy to get to, so I waited in the online queue and bought tickets. I had never seen Critical Role live before this, so I didn’t know what to expect from the show. It was so fun, and I’m glad I went to the show.

Image is a photo of me, wearing an orange wig. If you look closely at my eyes, they are green because I have my colored contacts in.

For the live show, I decided to cosplay as Keyleth. This time, though, I wore my green contacts for the first time. I bought them late last year, so I didn’t have a convention to wear them to. I had been saving them for the live show. I found the contacts to be comfortable to wear for hours and didn’t have an issue with my eyes being dry or the contacts being blurry. As part of my Keyleth cosplay, I had the orange wig and the crown, which were the most uncomfortable parts of the look. I only ended up wearing my floral crown for twenty minutes before having to take it off because it dug into my forehead. While I had a wig line on my forehead from wearing the wig for close to eight hours, it was worth it. Being in cosplay, I felt it contributed to the energy of the live show.

Imge is a photo of a charm bracelet on the floor. There are green and silver beads with the following letter beads "Keyleth"

The live show started at seven, but I was scrolling through the official Critical Role Discord, and some fans mentioned that a long line was beginning at the merch line. I convinced my husband we needed to get there early, so we called Uber and arrived at Wintrust Arena at 4:30 PM-ish. The merch line wasn’t nearly as long as I feared, but we immediately went to the line to wait. While waiting in line, several people handed me trinkets. Some fans made stickers, pins, buttons, and bracelets and would hand them out to people regardless of whether they were cosplaying. While in line, I received several stickers and a Pâté charm. I received so many trinkets that I had to start handing them to my husband to hold because I had no pockets. When we entered the arena, a Pike cosplayer handed me a Keyleth friendship bracelet. I am obsessed! I will never be taking this off and will wear it every day.

Image is a photo of the stage. There are at least 13 different yellow strobe lights pointing at the stage. There is one half of the stage with a red curtain background and the other half of the stage with a blue certain background. In the middle is a gold, carnival entrance of sorts. At the top if the Critical Role logo.

I didn’t buy VIP tickets, so we entered the arena at 5:30 PM when the doors opened for general admission. The stage was exquisite! It was lit up with blue and red lights. It gave off a darker carnival type of mood. The live show started on time and went till 12:15 AM or so. I wasn’t sure how long the show would be, as I know Critical Role’s streams are longer. I’m not going to spoil the live show, as the recording of the show won’t be uploaded for some time. It was entertaining, to say the least, and the energy within the arena was exuberant.

I am so happy I was able to attend the live show! This is my first time seeing Critical Role, but it might not be the last. I’m not sure how far I would travel for a live show, but if they are ever in Chicago again, I will be there.

The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison

Posted in Reading/Books by
Image is a book cover for The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison. It shows a dancer with a bunch of red feathers behind her. The background is a dark blue.

CW: SA, Forced Pregnancy. I will mention this in my review.

I listened to The Show Girl on audio last month, and this book stuck with me long after I finished reading it. The Show Girl reminds me of another book I loved, The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. There are similarities between both books since they both focus on women who want to break societal norms for that period. The Show Girl was a book I genuinely looked forward to listening to every chance I could get.

Olive McCormick follows her dreams by moving from Minneapolis to New York to become one of the stars of the Ziegfeld Follies. While Olive is happy, she doesn’t get the support from her family and is seen as an embarrassment. Olive meets Archie Carmichael and falls for him, but is she ready to fully commit to him and give up her career? She also has a secret that she’s been hiding from everyone. Will this be revealed to Archie?

Reading The Show Girl now hits different, especially regarding access to reproductive healthcare. Olive ends up getting pregnant in the first few pages of the book. Since this book takes place in the 1920s, she gives birth and puts the baby up for adoption. Listening to Olive’s story, my heart breaks for her. Olive has big dreams of becoming a showgirl and moving to New York. She feels scared of the unknowns of pregnancy, but also of not being able to follow her dreams. I think about women like Olive, who may have had to give up their dreams to become mothers. I feel grateful that I had more of a choice to live the kind of life that I wanted.

The Show Girl follows Olive’s life and details how her dreams impact her relationships. Starting with her parents, there’s something about seeing a daughter sticking up to her old-fashioned dad; I’m here for it. While Olive misses having her parents’ support, I appreciate how she keeps pushing along. It’s sad because when Olive meets Archie, the man she wants to marry, her mother is happy. Although she isn’t as happy regarding Olive’s other accomplishments, once Olive has a man, her mom is happy for her. I think it’s interesting reading Olive’s relationships and how they impact her life.

I loved everything about this book. Olive was an interesting character to read about, and even if she wasn’t always doing the right thing, I think it made her more real. I rated The Show Girl five stars on Goodreads.

Surviving the Wild in Forbidden Jungle

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One of my family members gifted me the board game Forbidden Jungle for the holidays. It should be no surprise to anyone that I love receiving board games as gifts. It’s a chance for me to play a new board game, and I can take it to family board game nights or a board game night with friends. I played Forbidden Jungle with my brother for the first time, and we lost. I wanted to redeem myself, so I brought it to our latest family board game night. We did win one game but lost the rest.

Image is a photo of a board game sitting on a table. The board game is Forbidden Jungle. It shows a jungle and a blue tunnel at the center. The shadow within the blue tunnel shows an alien with a black body and several limbs holding it together.

Forbidden Jungle is a cooperative board game where players play as a team of explorers. Their goal is to work together to locate a portal. This portal will teleport players away from the jungle, therefore winning the game. Besides locating the portal, the portal needs four crystals to power it, and those crystals must be attached to the portal. To locate both the portals and the crystals, players must reveal game tiles. As they do, aliens will populate various spaces. Threat cards are drawn to raise the stakes, often working against the players. If any of the players lose their health from the aliens, or there aren’t any more alien tokens to populate the board with, the players lose.

Image shows a group of tiles. There are four tiles with glowing pink crystals on it. In the center, there's a tile with four game pieces on it. There's a card at the bottom that says "Recall Dynamo". The card reads - You may move any adventurers that are up to 2 tiles away from you to your tile.

I like how challenging Forbidden Jungle is. As mentioned previously, I have only won this game once. It’s easy for things to slide because there’s a lot to keep track of. This includes how many aliens are populating, where the players are to the aliens, and how many crystals we still need to find. The more times I play, the more I am starting to understand the strategy. In the game that we won, we did a good job of assigning duties to the players. For example, one person in our group was solely responsible for killing the aliens while another player was shifting the crystals closer to the portal. It was rewarding to have finally won at least one game that we played.

Image is a group of three cards. The three cards are as follows: the first card lists "Order of Play" "Actions" Sharing Equipment". The second card says "Healer - You may bring 1 adventurer that is on your tile with you when you move. As an action, you may completely heal 1 player on your tile (including yourself). The third card says "Machines" with four machines on it - Configurator, Compeller, Destruct Switch, and Portal.

Since Forbidden Jungle is a game involving flipping tiles, the game is different every time you play. There are at least three different tile positions, so it keeps things interesting. In our games, we randomized the role cards, which helped keep things fresh. The Chemist and Healer were probably my favorite roles in the game. The Chemist is immune to alien stings, so they can’t die. The Healer is the only role in the game that can heal other players, which is a must if players are cornered by the aliens. If I’m going to own a board game, I’d like a game where I can play it multiple times and not be bored.

Forbidden Jungle is made by Gamewright, and it looks like they have other Forbidden titles, including Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert. I’d be open to playing the others because I like how Forbidden Jungle is designed. Forbidden Jungle is a challenging, cooperative game that offers something different every time you play.

Second Book in a Series – April TBR

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I am on a mission. I am going to try to finish more book series. There are so many series I have started reading and never ended up reading the second book. Since this has become a pattern for me, I decided to make my TBR for April dedicated to reading the second book in a series. All the physical books I picked are the second book in a series. As far as audiobooks, I am listening to the second book in a romance series, and I have another book lined up that’s also the second in a series I never finished. I wanted to share what I will be reading this month.

In March, I read five books. They are as follows:

  • Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper 5/5 stars
  • The Briar Club by Kate Quinn 3/5 stars
  • Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk 4/5 stars
  • The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 4/5 stars, re-read changed rating to 5/5 stars
  • The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison 5/5 stars

Even Though I Knew The End is a book, I wish was a series instead of a standalone book. I liked the world-building and how Helen’s abilities shaped the story. The Kiss Quotient was a book I wanted to read in February, but instead, I ended up casually reading throughout March. I rated The Kiss Quotient four stars when I read it the first time. Shame on me. This book was everything I remembered and so much more. It’s nice to reread a book I loved a few years ago and still love today. The last book I read was The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison. This book ripped out my heart and stomped on it, and I would re-read it again. Olive, the main character, goes through so much and stands up for herself. The Show Girl is a homage to all the women in history who challenged social norms.

Here are the three books I want to read this month:

Image is a stack of two books. The first is "A Perilous Undertaking a Veronica Speedwell Mystery" by Deanna Raybourn. The second is "The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King" by Carissa Broadbent

A Perilous Undertaking: A Veronica Speedwell Mystery by Deanna Raybourn

I read the first book in the Veronica Speedwell series while I was in Europe in 2023. I loved it! Veronica was such a fun character, and she did whatever she wanted. The chemistry and banter she has with Stoker is something I can’t wait to read about in future books. In A Perilous Undertaking, Veronica is tasked to save an art patron from being executed for the murder of his mistress. I’m curious if this book will explore more of Veronica’s past like the first book did.

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King is the second book in the Crown of Nyaxia series. I described the first book as Hunger Games if Hunger Games had vampires and was a fantasy instead of a dystopia. The second book deals with the aftermath of the first book, which I won’t go into. Oraya and Raihn’s dynamic has been forever changed, and I want to know how Oraya will deal with that.

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver (Not Pictured)

Leather & Lark is the second book in The Ruinous Love Trilogy. I read Butcher & Blackbird last year, and while dark romance is not usually a sub-genre I read from, I enjoyed the first book. This series is a serial killer romance where one or more of the main characters are serial killers. In Leather & Lark, the male character is a contract killer who falls in love with a musician. This book series is wild, and I’m here for it. I have my copy on hold at the library, and I didn’t pick it up in time before writing this post.

This will be a fun reading month. It will be nice to go back to series I am familiar with.

You Took Everything From Me – Scarlet Witch Cosplay

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Before Planet Comic Con, I went back and forth on what I wanted to cosplay. I thought about bringing the Padme cosplay I wore last year. I love that cosplay, and Padme is one of my favorite characters in Star Wars. With that said, I was on Pinterest and looking online for inspiration, and that’s when I found it. I found a complete costume for Scarlet Witch, specifically her look from Avengers: Endgame. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. When ordering a costume, there’s always that fear of whether it will fit, so I didn’t know if this would work. I was so excited when I got the costume, and it fit! I plan on wearing this Scarlet Witch cosplay again.

Image is a photo of me smiling. I'm wearing a red jacket and a red tank top.

This is the Scarlet Witch costume I ordered. I read the size chart several times and took my own measurements. According to the size chart, I was between a small and a medium. I always go up a size in costumes and cosplay because, in my experience, everything is sized smaller than I think it will be. The costume has several pieces: the red jacket, the red tank top, black pants, and the red fingerless gloves. The jacket is the best part of this costume. It’s long and flowy and surprisingly warm. The day of the convention, it was WINDY, and I was never cold. With that said, the jacket is tighter than I anticipated it to be. I found it challenging to lift my arms over my head. I have thought about re-ordering this costume in a large solely for the larger jacket. The red top wasn’t super tight fitting, which I appreciated. It zips from the side, making it easy to get in and out of. The pants… the pants were okay. To be fair, I don’t expect a “one size fits all pants” to work with every body type. I swapped them out for a pair of black leggings I already owned, which was the correct choice. Finally, the gloves! The gloves feel a bit cheap, and I’m curious to see how long they will last. When we left the convention, strings were coming off the fingers. Ultimately, I think they will work for the few times I wear this cosplay.

Image is a photo of the completed Scarlet Witch cosplay. I'm wearing a red jacket, red tank top, black leggings, and black combat boots. I'm standing in front of a black background with the Planet Comic Con Logo behind it.

In the future, I’d love to order a copper wig to complete the cosplay. I had one in my cart, but it sold out. Wig or no wig, I think this cosplay worked. In the comics, Scarlet Witch has brown hair, so my natural hair, in my opinion, complemented the look. Another idea is to order red colored contacts. I order all my colored contacts through a vendor that my optometrist is partnered with, and they don’t have colored contacts in red. I feel a little dicey trying to order contacts online, so if anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

I plan on making my Scarlet Witch cosplay a staple in my cosplay rotation. My next cosplay opportunity will be at the Critical Role live show in Chicago, but after that, I think my next convention will be CONvergence in July. I have some time to improve upon this cosplay and think of what other types of cosplays I want to incorporate this summer.

Planet Comic Con 2025

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Last weekend, I drove to Kansas City, Missouri, for Planet Comic Con. I have family in the area, so I’m fortunate to stay with them, making it a pretty cheap trip. I look forward to Planet Comic Con every year. I always go on Fridays, which ends up being one of the less crowded days of the convention. On Saturday, I spend the day with family roaming around the city, and then I drive home on Sunday. Planet Comic Con was successful, as I bought new comics to read and debuted a new cosplay.

At Planet Comic Con this year, I wanted to buy comics to have something new to read. There are several comic book vendors, but they mostly sell single-issue comics. I used to read a ton of single-issue comics when I went to my local comic book store regularly, but now I have switched to reading trade paperbacks or graphic novels that contain five issues in one book. It’s much easier for me to keep up on a series than trying to purchase each issue separately. I found two vendors selling graphic novels at half off or significantly discounted. I purchased four new graphic novels: Dark Ride Volume 1 Hell Ticket, Crossover Volume #1, Moonknight Volume #2, and Snotgirl Volume #3. I haven’t started them yet, but I plan on reading them in the next few weeks.

Image is a photo of a woman smiling at the camera. She's wearing all red - red jacket, red top. Her brown hair is long and she has lip stick on.

Besides shopping for comics, I debuted a new cosplay! I have wanted to cosplay Scarlet Witch for a while, as I loved her in WandaVision and the various Avengers movies. I have also been reading Steve Orlando’s run on Scarlet Witch. There are a lot of different ways to cosplay Scarlet Witch. There’s her traditional look with the red leotard, all her looks from the movies, and her darker look from Doctor Strange. I found a costume online from her look in Avengers: Endgame with the red coat. I ordered it, and it worked out great! I will write about this in an upcoming post, so I won’t go into further detail right now.

Image is a photo of big block sculpture letters. In white it reads "City" and below it is "Market" in green. City is sitting on top of the letters k, e, and t in Market.

On Saturday, we went to City Market, an outdoor market I had never been to. It’s funny; I have been to Kansas City several times, and each time I go, I always end up going somewhere new. I purchased some candle melts from one of the vendors there, and after, we went to a few breweries. Kansas City is known for its breweries. We went to River City Bluff Brewery and Callsign, the latter being owned and operated by veterans. Both were breweries I had never been to before. We ended up having lunch at J Rieger & Co, a historic distillery, before finally ending up at Boulevard, a brewery that I have been to several times and ends up being a go-to.

Image is a photo of burnt ends, or BBQ. There's picks to the right on the plate and a big bowl of BBQ sauce.

It was a fun filled weekend! It’s nice to be able to leave Minnesota every now and then. I love how Kansas City is only six hours away because you can get away without being too far. Planet Comic Con was a blast as always and I can’t wait for next year.

New York By Night Season 1

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by

I am always looking for new Vampire: The Masquerade live plays or podcasts to listen to. One of the most watched or infamous live plays out there is LA By Night which streamed on Geek & Sundry. LA By Night’s popularity, led to the creation of NY By Night. Both LA By Night and NY By Night feature Jason Carl as the storyteller / DM. I could listen to all the things that Jason Carl does. The way he tells a Vampire story is enthralling. I finished listening to the first season of NY By Night and it was so good. I have already started watching season #2.

NY By Night’s first season features an Anarch coterie. For context, Anarchs are a group of vampires who don’t want to live by the rules. They want to be able to live, feed, and not be watched by the Camarilla, the governing group of vampires. The four players in this Anarch coterie are Issac Brooks (played by Alexander Ward), Serif (played by Mayanna Berin), Fuego Walker (played by Aabria Iyengar), and Rey (played by Joey Rassool). The coterie is forced to work together and in the first episode, they have to find someone who owes money to a very powerful enemy.

Alexander Ward appears in both Ny By Night and LA By Night as one of the main characters. His portrayal of Issac is unsettling in the sense that he’s polite, but the gestures he makes, it make it difficult to predict what he will do next. I loved Aabria’s portrayal of Fuego. She’s a classic Ventrue and there are times when Aabria is vibing to the music in a way that’s natural to her clan. Rey’s story is interesting as he has more of a bond with the Camarilla than the others do which comes out throughout the story. Serif is also an interesting character and I would have liked to learn more about her relationship with her mom and her sire. Each episode in this series would fly by and a lot of that has to do with the actors and of course, Jason Carl being the storyteller.

Another interesting thing about NY By Night specifically is how this campaign ties into the other Vampire: The Masquerade video games. There are appearances by characters in this campaign that specifically show up in Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York and Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York. I was not expecting that and it makes me want to replay these games after watching this series.

There are two seasons of NY By Night. The second season features a Camarilla coterie with an all-new cast. There was supposed to be a third season, but it never happened. Once I finish with NY By Night, I’m tempted to watch LA By Night. I probably should have started with LA By Night since that would have been in chronological order. If you’re looking for a live play series that focuses more on roleplay and less on combat, NY By Night is one I would recommend.