#Ziphos' Worlds

[swordnbored]

Currently Running: Historia by Mana Project Studio

Historia is a D&D 5E hack about telling stories in a dark fantasy renaissance setting with Anthropomorphic animal characters.

Typically, I don't run D&D and I definitely don't run D&D overhauls that I didn't design myself. However, Historia caught my attention for a couple reasons. First, I love fantasy RPGs that borrow heavily from history for their settings. Second, Historia changes how hit points and dying works to make the game more lethal. Lethal and dangerous combat is a must when I run a campaign. And third and finally, the art is absolutely gorgeous.

See what I mean?

When I saw Historia at Gen Con I was interested, but to be honest I dismissed it because it was just another D&D hack. However the more I thought about it the more it seemed to fit with my group, or rather lack thereof.

You see, a couple weeks prior to Gen Con my TTRPG group fell apart for social reasons and I was on the hunt for new people to run games for. The primary issue for me was that for a lot of people D&D is the default RPG and convincing them to try something new, and then teaching them something new, can be pretty difficult. Especially teaching a new game over discord. Historia shares all of its combat mechanics with D&D, so it hasn't been nearly as intimidating for new players to adopt. I knew the renaissance setting was something I could sink my teeth into and write an excellent campaign for. Also my fiancé is a furry, so I knew he would be excited to build a character.

At this point I've successfully gathered a group to play, and we've had our session zero. My players are all very enthusiastic and have all built their characters. We haven't played our first session yet but here are some of my thoughts so far.

First off, I'm not using the official Historia setting. That's not my style. I am however picking and choosing elements from it. I think the factions are compelling and useful, and can be easily slotted in to a homebrew world.

In traditional Dungeons and Dragons, hit points are a measure of how much physical harm you can take before you are downed. Historia treats hit points quite a bit differently. In Historia Hit Points should be considered a measure of how ‘rattled’ a character is. Because of this, the GM might dish out damage as a result of particularly stressful situations, experiencing horror, or generally doing difficult things as well as in combat. When a characters hit points reach zero they suffer a level of exhaustion. Every time you are hit afterwards you also receive a level exhaustion. In Historia reaching tier six exhaustion is what kills you, rather than running out of hit points. I've also incorporated exploding dice to enhance the randomness of the violence. Historia also has a chart of permanent injuries PCs can accrue. I personally really like this approach, it enhances the value of hit points as a resource and I think it will heighten the tension of the game. Permanent injuries also make sure that players will always second guess any potential combat encounter, heightening the value of role play focused solutions.

As we went through and made characters I noticed some issues. Historia was developed by the Italian company Mana Project Studio, and its clear that on translating to English there was some issues. Several abilities and mechanics were very confusing to parse out. There were also some pretty significant typos. It is especially disappointing because the game book as a whole has a very high production value! Its well organized and down right gorgeous! But the poor proof reading can make character creation a bit of a slog.

All told though we figured it out. Made calls on some confusing rules and moved on. Session 1 is coming up this week and I don't think I've been more excited for a campaign in years! I certainly haven't put this much effort into a campaign in years. I am excited for session one, and it sounds like my players are very excited as well!

[ziphos123]

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[fakazavibes]

XtetiQsoul – X World EP

XtetiQsoul – X World EP

XtetiQsoul X World EP Mp3 Download

Fakaza Vibes bring the latest Mp3 2020 song from Best South African singer XtetiQsoul tilted X World EP.

 X World EP by XtetiQsoul is the latest free 2020 song from the artists and Fakaza have made it available for our fans.

TrackList

XtetiQsoul – Ngiyahamba (feat. Andyboi),

XtetiQsoul – Mercy Me (feat. Lady Lesoul),

XtetiQsoul & Candy Man – We Have Lift Off,

X…

[womenofhouse]

Zipho

Hailing from Durban, Zipho is one of the most promising voices of the present cohort of fresh talent emerging from South Africa. Her “unmistakable enchanting vocal stylings” on Enoo Napa’s wildly popular “High in Your Love” set the tone for a massive collaboration with De Cave Man and TonicVolts titled “Just Call Me”. Along with topping the Traxsource Afro House Top 10 this stunning single also broke the top 5 list for downloads in all genres. Durban is, without a doubt the hotspot for some of the most prescient Afro house in the world right now. I am looking forward to it reaching greater heights and Zipho’s firm place in the ascendance of it. 

In a nutshell:

22-year-old soulful singer /songwriter from Durban, enjoys the simple things and mostly enjoys making music and bringing emotional ideas to life.

Best known for: "High in Your Love" and "Just Call me" 

Started from:

I began jamming at 16, I started taking it seriously at 21.

Influences I enjoy spiritual sounds, exploring music that stretches beyond the continent's borders and represents trend and culture of societies, most importantly evokes emotion. I particularly enjoy Bon Iver, Kwabs, Sampha, Laura Mvula and plenty other international artists. My local inspirations include Nonku Phiri, Thandiswa Mazwai, Jackie Queens. I'm greatly influenced by people and art. Humans and struggle have been a great catalyst for my musical intentions. I am passionate about social issues and love, I feel music is a great platform to express my views on those subjects. 

Why house? I enjoy the versatility and freedom it accommodates for songwriting and creativity, though I don't box myself in that specific genre, I love the challenge.

Find Zipho - Traxsource  | Instagram | Facebook

[artsvark]

Subversive storytelling in Kgafela oa Magogodi’s allegory Chilahaebolae

Shane Veeran, Abongile Matyutyu, Paul Noko, Sibusiso Mkhize in Chilahaebolae

Chilahaebolae is the allegorical tale of Phokobje, the Jackal who sets out in search of his long-lost friend Mpja, the dog. He soon discovers that things are not as they once were. Now Mpja swims in the fat of Chilahaebolae’s suburban bliss. Phokobje’s sudden appearance is an unwelcome interruption and an unpleasant reminder of Mpja’s betrayal. Cracks on the edifice of their brotherhood grow wider and deeper.

The Wits School of Art, Division of Theatre and Performance and Wits Theatre in partnership with the Market Theatre Foundation are proud to present Kgafela oa Magogodi’s satirical play Chilahaebolae set to run in the Barney Simon Theatre at the Market Theatre from 19 to 27th May.

What follows is a theatrical tale that taps into the Basarwa tradition of subversive storytelling. The antics of these animal proxies take the audience on a journey packed with laughter and adventure, while opening a window into a neo-colonial world.

In Chilahaebolae he works across a number of South African languages including English and Setswana and Scamto or tsotsi taal. Kgafela oa Magogodi’s experimental work in stand-up poetry, spoken-word theatre, live music and essay writing has found audiences across the country and the globe. His work has been translated into various languages including German, Dutch, French and Catalan. He has worked extensively in the theatre, both as a director and leader of spoken-word workshops that mix character development, storytelling, interpretive dance and political text. Magogodi’s approach to spoken word theatre took shape over a decade of experimental workshops where he was casting and directing Wits University Drama School students, New York University students as well as an independent poetry group based at the University of the North West.

Sibusiso Mkhize and Paul Noko in Chilahaebolae

Paul Noko plays the role of Phokobje. Noko has acted in number of productions including Grimm Tales at the Market Theatre, Story of the African Choir at the Grahamstown International Festival, Echoes which won the first community award created by the Naledi Awards and Tau which won an award at the Zwakala Festival in 2016. He is deeply committed to community theatre development and has been involved in number of theatrical projects and workshops. He is currently involved in community theatre development in Soweto and was recently nominated for a Fleur du Cap young directors award.

Opposite Noko is Sibusiso Mkhize in the role of Mpja, the dog. An accomplished performer from a young age, Mkhize has recently graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a BA (Hons) in Dramatic Arts. He has appeared in television productions such as Cooking Magic, Soul Buddies and was a cast member of the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi. He has a number of theatre productions under his belt including Meagan Wilson’s Ruined and Prince Lamla’s Thari.

The other BA Dramatic Arts students in the production include Zimkhitha Mohlabeng who plays Katse. Mohlabeng was runner up in both the nationwide Montenegro Dance Acrobatic Competition and National Acrobatics IAASA. Motho is played by Abongile Matyutyu, who has a number of performances behind him in various South African Theatres including: Exile, Road to Damascus, Apprehension, Same Difference, The Kraal, Lenong La Gauta, Selfie le Jesu, Them Too and Tormented Essence. His greatest achievements performing as a student include Thari directed by Prince Lamla, Ruined directed by Meagan Wilson and Smallanyana Skeleton directed by Kgafela oa Magogodi.

Nolitha Radebe who started her acting career in Prince Lamla’s Thari at the Market Theatre plays the character of Mokotoi; she is joined by Nakesa Ndou who plays Phiri. In her first year at Wits Ndou worked with Wits Alumni – Feeya Asmal and Kirsten Stewart on the POP Art production Creatures, where she learnt mask work and improvisation.

Wits Theatre and Wits School of Arts Division of Theatre & Performance

PRODUCTION: Chilahaebolae VENUE: Barney Simon Theatre

SEASON: 19 May – 28 May 2017

19 @ 20:15, 24 @15:15, 25 @ 20:15, 26 @20:15, 27@ 20:15, 28 @ 20:15

BOOKING: www.webtickets.co.za or at the door

TICKETS: Tickets are available online or at the door. Full price = R85.00; online = R75.00 Wits staff, students, pensioners and SAG members Full price = R65.00; online discount price = R60.00 Block bookings of 10 or more less 20% Wits Tix R10:00 online and R15:00 at the door only on 19 May

Young pianist Zipho Mokoena who plays the The Zookeeper and Bova brings a passion for music and the dramatic arts to his performance. Following a few months of formal piano lessons, he started teaching himself. Over and above studying for his Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts he works as a music producer. Fourth year dramatic arts student Shane Veeran playing The Circus Master is currently majoring in Directing and Writing, while triple major Joel Leonard is the Butcher. His majors are Performance, Physical Theatre and Writing. Community inspired Siphosam Kamwendo is in the role of the Fashion Designer. Drama allows her to positively impact the lives of those around her especially the youth.

“Three years ago we decided to find new and exciting ways to partner with Wits University, collaborating on productions presented by our Laboratory and their Drama Department. In the last three years we have curated a work from Wits for the mid year slot. We have also created a space for their students to come in as interns in the different departments at the Market,” says James Ngcobo Artistic Director of the Market Theatre Foundation.

“As part of the conversation that we program here, that features some of the best in our industry, Wits is always the first institution that we invite to participate in a moment where we engage each other and dissect concepts together. We aim to make sure that in the coming years we nurture this relationship,” he added.

Subversive storytelling in Kgafela oa Magogodi’s allegory Chilahaebolae was originally published on Artsvark