MUTLIPLE TOTAL SUCCESSES FOR TRULY DIFFICULT TASKS

As a GM I am a big believer in tools. And we like to give GMs tools in our books that they can use or ignore. The Network System is geared for rapid play and therefore favors success. But sometimes you need to set the bar a little higher. This is an optional rule I've put together for myself for unusual circumstances where a TN 10 just won't cut it. 


This will appear as a sidebar or optional tool in the Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate rulebook. 

USING TOTAL SUCCESSES AS AN IMPEDIMENT TO TRULY DIFFICULT TASKS

Some things in life are nearly impossible. The GM always has the ability to say a skill roll can’t apply to a truly impossible situation (for example, attempting to breath water). But sometimes the GM needs to set a higher difficulty than a mere TN 10 affords. In such cases, requiring multiple Total Successes is an option. The GM can decide how many are required for a given task (and can also decide if they need to be achieved in a single roll or in a series of rolls). This tool is meant to give the GM flexibility during play to deal with edge cases. 

BLOOD OF THE DEMON MOON CULT SESSION 17: A PLAGUE OF TREES

This is the campaign log for the Seventeenth session of a google+run Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaign. The previous session is described HERE. 

Note: I am running two campaigns in the same setting and treating them as occurring in different realities with some vague similarities. Characters in one may appear in the other, but there are no direct causal effects from one campaign to the next. Partly this is to playtest, but this is also partly due to the multi-dimensional aspect of the universe I run all my games in. It would theoretically be possible for the party from the Blood of the Demon Moon cult campaign to dimension travel to the Secret of Je Valley Campaign, in which case direct interactions could occur (and they could even meet their counterparts in the alternate dimension). 

Note: This session focus on the actions of San and Chen at the Ogre Gate Inn. 

CHARACTERS

Player Characters

Zhang Wan (Bone Breaker): An unpredictable and violent martial expert who is the brother of Zhang San. First chief of Qui Pan Bandits. Married to Huo Ju (Little Venom)

Zhang San: A wandering hero and sister of Zhang Wan, more calm than her brother

Chen: A poisoner and healer known for his lazy ways.

Key NPCs

Jade Priestess: Bone Breaker's Sifu and former member of the Demon Moon Cult

Jade Butterfly: San's Sifu
Senior Grand Councilor Cai Yuanyu: Highest ranked official in the Empire below the emperor; plotting to 'invert heaven' and has recruited Bone Breaker into his plans

Prince Yuan: Son of the King of Li Fan, controls the eastern territories. 

General Dee: An important military commander in Hu Qin who pays Bone Breaker for services 

Iron Spear Tip: A magic weapon with a mind of its own, the bride of Zhang Kang.
Little Venom (Huo Ju): Bone Breaker's Wife
The Venom of Zhaoze (Huo Si): Leader of Zhaoze sect, father of Huo Ju (Little Venom) and Sifu to Chen

Last session Chen had overseen defense of the Ogre Gate Inn against the attack of General Dee and Prince Yuan. With the help of their Kailin riders, he was able to defeat the general, kill him and take Prince Yuan prisoner. San soon arrived to aid him in his efforts. 

After killing General Dee they sent Bronze Master to replace him, using Shift of the Chameleon. He sent them word that the King of Li Fan was going to advance south against them with an army of over 70,000 men. That morning Chen noticed small shrubs growing all around the inn. Examining the shrub he saw their branches looked liked human muscle tissue. By evening the entire region was engulfed in a sea of trees, except their branches were like fleshless arms and their trunks, warped faces. The trees screamed and attacked the Kailin encampment, forcing them to retreat to the inn. 

Chen approached one of the trees and tried speaking to it. It told him they had appeared as punishment for their betrayal from Qinwen Master of the Seven Talismans. It told him that the trees would bring their doom, but Chen ordered his men to burn a path through the trees (which seemed to work). They found they could keep areas clear if they continuously burned the trees down. 

Chen then went to speak with Zhang Kang the creature living in the tunnels below the Inn. He asked Zhang Kang about Qinwen and the Talismans, if there was any way to defeat them. Zhang Kang told him that Qinwen possessed seven out of ten Dragon and Phoenix Talismans (pairs of two). The Talismans were physical manifestations of the fundamental elements of creations, a sort of primitive expression of the Enlightened Goddesses creative and destructive will. The Dragon Talismans could create provided a sacrifice was made, the Phoenix Talismans could destroy provided someone paid the cost by creating something new or performing an important deed. Having a pair gave one more control of that cost. Qinwen killed the original owners of the seven Talismans, member of an ancient sect called Pure Phoenix. Now only three members of Pure Phoenix Remained, each guarding one of three Phoenix Talismans. According to Zhang Kang the three sisters were crazed and violent, living unnaturally long lives and descending into wickedness over the centuries. However he suggested that Chen could steal the Talismans from them or work with the sisters. That might give him some chance against Qinwen. Retreat was also a viable option at this point in Zhang Kang's view. 

Chen asked Zhang Kang where the sisters were and he told him they resided in caves at the base of a Mesa in a land called Bone Kingdom, about two days to the west deep in the badlands of Yao. Chen took the Venom of Zhaoze with him to go scout the region. He also brought forty Kailin Soldiers. 

On their way to the mesa they found an endless field of bones in the surrounding flatlands. On their approach, a giant creature with the spine of a colossal snake and head of huge Markhor rise from the rubble attacking the Kailin. With its tail it smashed dozens of them against the ground, leaving a trail of broken bodies. It also gored the Venom of Zhaoze in the shoulder. The remaining Kailin moved away from the creature, while the Venom of Zhaoze leapt on its neck and began to pound its head with his fist. Chen used Blast of the Dragon to move the snake away form his men. It made several more attacks but the Venom of Zhaoze eventually shattered its skull and it collapsed. 

Chen tended to his men. In the end they twenty three of the original forty remained. They moved on, heading toward the mesa. Examining the entrance they saw two caves and a balcony. Chen went to the balcony and used his lightness kung fu to leap upon it. Venom of Zhaoze followed. The balcony lead into a cave but was guarded by scaled dogs that barked and growled at them. Chen stepped forward and said he would like to speak to the master, that he knew where the other talismans were and could help them retrieve them. Within seconds a beautiful woman with a butterfly hair pin appeared (the butterfly was notable because it was the Butterfly Moon). 

Upon seeing her, Chen fell in love, clearly enchanted by some kind of magic. She agreed to speak with them in her library telling them her name was Liling. 

Chen said he needed her help against Qinwen and that he would work with her to help her recover the remaining Talismans. She agreed to the suggestion on the condition that he stole the other two talismans from her sisters first (she explained that her sisters lived in different sections of the caves, were hideously withered and evil). If he succeeded, she would tap their power to help him and they could work out an arrangement. 

Chen agreed but said he needed a few days. He wanted to go back to the inn and get some help. 

This is where the session ended. 

THE SECRET OF ZHE VALLEY SESSION 20: JOURNEY TO BONE KINGDOM

This campaign is set ten years after a previous set of adventures (HERE). This is the nineteenth session of the current campaign (Session 19 can be found HERE). 


Characters*:
Xue Lingsu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Xi Kang(Affiliated with Mr. Red Claw)
Zhi Zhu (No Sect)
Long Shu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Min (Purple Cavern Sect)
Rong (Tree-Dwelling Nun Sect)
Nuan (Xi Kang's Disciple and a former Flying Phantom)
Niang the Demon Hunter (A martial hero who knows how to kill the Yao)

After they killed the emperor and fled to a temporary haven, the party restored Niang the Demon Hunter's husband (he had been turned into a Yao servant). Heading further south they eventually heard news that Empress Xiaolongu selected Chun, her five year old nephew, as the next emperor. 

They agreed to split into three groups: Niang the Demon Hunter and her husband would go to Hu Qin and await any instructions from the party (she had pledged lifelong loyalty for their aid), the Purple Cavern Trio (Min, Long Shu and Lingsu) would go south to Purple Cavern Sect Headquarters to discuss the possibility of arranging a future marriage between Emperor Chun and Water Lily, while the remaining party members (Rong, Kang and Zhi Zhu) would return to Fan and investigate the matter of Bone Breaking Sect. 

On their way to fan they were stopped by soldiers searching for the emperor's assassins. The soldiers had wanted posters with their likenesses on them so they (the party) used their kung fu take them out. They then went to Fan where Zhi Zhu spied on the Senior Grand Councilor's residence. There she saw him interrogating a prisoner and asking about a message from Abbot Firebrand. 

Near the residence, at the statue of the Bold King, there was also a funeral for the King of Li Fan (who had died the same night as the emperor) and his son, Prince Yuan, vowed to march his army north against the capital, with the help of General Dee. Zhi Zhu saw the Senior Grand Councilor leave his residence and head north on a sedan chair (he didn't appear to make any attempt to attend the funeral). 

The party followed the senior grand councilor (who was traveling with 16 soldiers and two martial experts) then ambushed him outside the city. They managed to take out most of his soldiers quickly, but he burst from the sedan chair, creating a blast that wounded both his own men and the party. He put up a good fight, but they had the advantage due to the ambush and managed to kill him. Then they interrogated one of the martial heroes about the message. He told them that the Senior Grand Councilor had it on his person. Inspecting him they found a letter (presumably from Abbot Firebrand) warning that Lady Xiang (Bone Breaker's wife) had gone to Heaven Palace Sect and that her people were well on the way to the Face of Vaagu*. 

Zhi Zhu went back to the Senior Grand Councilor's residence and stole papers from one of his chambers. She also found the prisoner, whose feet had been cut off, and offered to help him. The man was persuaded of Zhi Zhu's good intentions. She asked about the message and who it was for. He simply told her that if she met a man named Kang that he should track down the Senior Grand Councilor because he had a message for him. He asked for his wine gourd and when he drank from it, he died (it seemed he had willingly poisoned himself). Zhi Zhu then returned to the party just outside of town at their boat. 

Knowing they needed to get to the Kushen Basin quickly to stop Bone Breaking Sect, they had Zhi Zhu go into town and look for a Kushen or Kailin Tribesman. She found a Kushen gambling for hands over a game of Go. The tribesman won and his opponent's hand was cut off. As he enjoyed a victory drink and feast, Zhi Zhu offered to pay him if he took her party across the mountains to the Face of Vaagu. He agreed to meet the rest of the party and Kang negotiated a rate of 1 silver tael per day or 1 gold tael on any days they run into trouble and he lends a hand. The Kushen agreed and told them his name was Togu. 

They made their way west through Li Fan but came upon some headless ghosts in a forest. The fight was actually quite grueling as many of their Kung Fu techniques didn't seem to work well against them. Only the Wind Saber and Bone Breaking Stick (as well as Togu's Rope Dart) appeared to have any impact on the ghosts. When they dispatched the ghosts they continued west through the mountains and found there way to the Face of Vaagu (Togu remained on the periphery of the area, not wanting to enter Kailin territory). 

The Face of Vaagu is a great stone head that appeared on a tall narrow spire of rock in the middle of the Kushen Basin. When they got there, there was shattered stone all around the base and the face was gone. Going to the nearby cave city of Khazel (the seat of Prince Gol and Princess Samga). Because they know her and because he had sent Nuan  (his disciple) to aid the Kailin, Kang asked the locals how to reach the prince. He found the people were all afflicted with a terrible plague, and that the heaviest losses were among the tribes' warriors. 

At the palace of Prince Gol he learned that Princess Samga was also ill from the plague and he found Nuan heavily scarred and wounded from battle. She told him they had missed the Bone Breaking Sect by eight days, and that she was one of the few people able to fight. When Bone Breaking Sect arrived they ushered in a plague that immediately affected all their warriors. 

She mentioned that they had a great martial expert named Hu Gao, whose power was unlike anything she had seen. Kang thanked Nuan and managed to speak with Princess Samga in private. She was gracious and appreciated Nuan's help. She gave Kang the Belt of Hooshal, an important relic of their tribe to aid him in recovering the Face of Vaagu. 

Taking Nuan with them, the party returned to Togu and headed back through he mountains. Togu was able to find the trail of Bone Breaking Sect and agreed to help them retake the face. The trail led to a place called Bone Kingdom, a vast expanse of bone surrounding a stony mesa with caves and a fortress on top. This was apparently the headquarters of Bone Breaking Sect as well as the dwelling place of the Sisters of Pure Phoenix Sect (who lived in caves at the base of the mesa). 

Zhi Zhu scouted and found signs that the statue had been taken up to the fortress. She also saw strange birdlike creatures leaving one of the caves in flocks, at regular intervals. They would circle the area and return. 

The party decided to approach the fortress. 

This is the where the session ended. 

*Bone Breaking Sect was involved in a plot to "Invert Heaven" by restoring the Demon Emperor and dethrone the Enlightened Goddess. Part of this plan required the Face of Vaagu (a gate to Infinite Sky Realm) so its powers could be used to help the open the seal that imprisons the Demon Emperor in Yao Gong. They also needed the Heart of Yao Feng (which Kang possessed) and the Key of Yao Feng (which was located at Red Mountain Villa under the protection of the Five Immortals).

SOMETIMES THE WORLD'S A STORM

When I run a game, I focus on giving the player characters (and players) a sense of agency and creating the sense of an open world that isn't forcing them down one direction or another. This means I player initiative drives a lot of the developments in the campaign. There are other forces at work as well, but the players can always choose to go left when the world goes right. Like real people they can up and quit a given course and take another. There may be consequences for doing so, but they always have that option. But sometimes the world comes crashing down on them like a storm. Maybe it was something they unleashed, maybe it was something fated to happen from the dawn of time, but either way when these rare events occur I play the impending disaster to its fullest. In these moments there is often little they can do except brace for impact or find something even more powerful that is capable of matching the threat. 

BEST OF THE YEAR

With 2015 coming to an end, I thought I would put together a list of the most popular posts  on the Bedrock Blog from this year. Based on number of views, these were the most popular posts for 2015: 

1. IMMERSION: EMBEDDING GENRE IN SETTING

I guess you can't go wrong talking about immersion because this post received far more hits than we normally get around here. It is basically just me thinking out loud about some setting design principles I've used over the last few years to help maintain immersion while emulating genre. You can read the post HERE. 

2. WUXIA DUNGEONS

This was a post about how dungeons fit into wuxia campaigns. It came about because I realized it's easy it is to overlook the presence of dungeons in wuxia film and television shows. So GMs, myself included for a while, might be inclined to avoid them in a wuxia setting. I found that they are both a regular features of wuxia and a great fit in a wuxia campaign. You can read the post HERE and the follow-up HERE. 

3. INTIMATE CONFESSIONS OF A CHINESE COURTESAN REVIEW

I do regular wuxia reviews on the blog when I have to time to write them. This was my review of the classic movie Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan. You can read the review HERE. 

4. LEGEND OF THE BLACK SCORPION REVIEW

A somewhat unusual wuxia movie. You can read my review HERE. 

5. THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS REVIEW

My review of one of the most famous martial arts movies ever made. Appropriately it is the 5th most popular post this year. You can read it HERE. 

6. HISTORICAL ATLAS: THE ULTIMATE GM TOOL

If you follow the blog, you know that I like History and occasionally write about history books and resources. This is my argument for the utility of the Historical Atlas. Read the post HERE. 

7. BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR REVIEW

One of my favorite wuxia movies, I did a review of The Bride With White Hair earlier this year. You can read it HERE. 

8. BENOIST POIRE DISCUSSES THE MARMOREAL TOMB
I guess people are pretty excited about the Marmoreal Tomb because this interview was quite popular. You can read it HERE. 

9. CUTTHROAT CAMPAIGNS: THE JOYFUL MADNESS OF RAMPAGING PLAYER CHARACTERS

I like characters who have an impact on the world. And I especially like characters who smash things. You can read my thoughts on the subject HERE. 

10. WUXIA VILLAINS

I usually do one or two villain posts a year. For some reason this one got more hits than usual. You can read the post HERE. 

SWORDSMAN AND ENCHANTRESS (WUXIA INSPIRATION)

Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate draws on a number of sources for inspiration. I watch a lot of wuxia movies and TV shows, and these have had a big influence not only on Ogre Gate, but on Sertorius and many of my d20 campaigns. I am hoping to share some of my favorite movies and shows in the genre here as we work on WHOG.

Note: I am writing these as a fan of the genre. I am not a movie expert or an expert in asian cinema. These are my own observations based on what I have learned by watching wuxia and kung fu movies, and by reading about them through interviews and books. But my knowledge is quite limited and I am an English speaker. So understand that my commentary comes from this perspective. 

SWORDSMAN AND ENCHANTRESS Swordsman and Enchantress is a 1978 Shaw Brothers release directed by Yuen Chor. It stars Ti Lung (Xiao), Ching Li (Mrs. Lian), Candy Wen (Little Lord) and Lily Li (Lady Feng). 

Based on Gu Long's The Eleventh Son, Swordsman and Enchantress is about a martial world thrown into disarray over a sword called Deer Carver. As the sword is being escorted to the villa of Master Lian, it is stolen by a martial expert named Little Lord. The hero, Xiao, finds himself at the center of the villain's evil schemes when he is framed for the theft. After Little Lord kidnaps Mrs. Lian (the master's wife) and and tries to once again put the blame him, Xiao rescues her. He then fights to protect her against Little Lord, the chief villain's crazed lackey. In the process he falls in love with Lian's wife and eventually is imprisoned in the strange and seemingly magical, Solitary Villa, where he must face Little Lord's master and deal with surprising treacheries. 

Ti Lung as Xiao

The above is a very concise, perhaps slightly misleading, overview of the plot. Swordsman and Enchantress is the kind of movie that winds and weaves in a number of directions and it's crammed with big personalities. It is only loosely based on The Eleventh Son, by Gu Long, and those who have read the source material will follow the film more easily. Still I think it is the kind of movie where understanding every last detail isn't so important on the first viewing. By the second watch you'll definitely pick up on more of the subtleties but initially you can just enjoy the fighting (of which there is plenty), the lush scenery and costumes. 

The sets are beautiful. It can feel surreal in moments, particularly when the characters find themselves at Solitary Villa. This location is in the book as well and pretty crucial to the plot. Here it appears somewhat suddenly and immediately challenges the readers assumptions about what is real and what is false. I don't want to spoil it, but I will say I think it is one of the more inventive set pieces in wuxia and they do a good job bringing the idea from the pages of the Eleventh Son to the screen. 

The fight choreography is classic. Exactly the sort of thing you expect from a late 70s film, but it has a punchiness and vibrancy that is sometimes lacking in similar movies. This is more in the rigid and posturing approach to martial arts cinema, so it is quite stylized. One thing that really sets it apart is the extensive use of the spear by Xiao, which blends so well with the other weapons. Ti Lung handles the fights, and this weapon in particular, with great elegance. 

Lily Li as Lady Feng

The tone of the film is quite dark and it grows darker as the plot develops. In the spirit of movies like Killer Clans or The Last Hurrah for Chivalry it focuses on hypocrisy, corruption and the weaknesses of the characters. That isn't to say the hero is unheroic, or that everyone is ineffectual, just that this is a world populated by people with scars and shortcomings. But there is also something liberating about them. 

The characters are stark and compelling. Plenty of changes were made but they are in the spirit of the book and work well. One of the more unusual characters is Lady Feng. In the book she has a much more prominent role but I think largely out of consideration for time, in the film she makes only a handful of important appearances (though like the book the film opens with her). Her nickname is Man Junkie* and she flaunts social convention by taking many lovers. In an exchange with Xiao she admits this but points to the hypocrisy of scolding her for such behavior while allowing men to sleep with as many women as they want. In many ways Lady Feng and Xaio are two sides of the same coin. They are both incredible martial heroes who feel stifled by the rules imposed upon them by the social order. Lady Feng resists it in her way, while Xiao resists by being a lone drifter. 

Xiao and Lian Chengbi Duel

Other worthy players include Candy Wen as Little Lord (who plays the cruel and vicious character well) and Lau Wing (as Lian Chengbi). Little Lord is a woman who often disguises herself as a man and uses her lethal Kung Fu to hound Xiao and Mrs. Lian. Jian Chengbi is a noble hero jealous of his wife's growing affecting for Xiao. Eventually the two men find themselves united against a common enemy but much of the film's first half revolves around their conflict and the ensuing duels. 

There are also lots of interesting martial sects involved in the chase for the sword. Of these my favorite are the Zombie Casters. They wrap their limbs in bandages and have something of a grim appearance. 

The music is somewhat notable and a product of its time, in a style anyone my age would recognize from countless movies and shows of our childhood (something I like to call elevator baroque). The main theme is harpsichord and winds. It is actually a bit charming the first couple of times, but they overplay it as a kind of love theme and it quickly stands out because it is so rooted to a particular era. 

Little Lord threatens Mrs. Lian

While the climax of the film at Solitary Villa comes somewhat abruptly (definitely more abruptly than the book), and this does take a detour into the strange and surreal, I think it works and it builds upon the already dreamy atmosphere established earlier in the movie. I don't want to give away anything about the villa, but this is an aspect of the film and book I've been dying to incorporate into one of my campaigns. 

Swordsman and Enchantress is a movie worthy of Gu Long, filled with flawed, grimy characters and a villain who exploits peoples appetites for vices. The film is less confusing if one has read the book, but I don't think reading it is required. There are also plenty of changes from the source material (most of which make sense given the need to condense the tale into a film). It is up there with other long-inspired films by Yuen Chor. I recommend it to anyone who likes wuxia or martial arts movies. 

The Zombie Casters

For gamers the movie is worth it for the set-up and the set-pieces (particularly Solitary Villa). One thing it helps illustrate is how unconventional wuxia characters can be (even if they are clearly contained in a conventional world). Another reason to check this film out is the book its s based on, The Eleventh Son, is available in an official English translation by Rebecca Tai (the translation is quite good). So it may be a nice lead into the material (or vice versa). 

*In the book her nickname is The Enchantress. 

KHEMMIS: ABSOLUTION (REVIEW)

When I was in high school, I played guitar in a metal band. When we started, we wanted to be somewhere between Megadeth and Deicide. But we drastically changed our sound after the singer and I heard bands like Solitude Aeturnus, Cathedral and Candlemass. From that point on, wanted to play doom. Following the breadcrumbs in the album sleeves led me back to Saint Vitus and other early doom pioneers. So when I heard the album Absolution by Khemmis, I felt the urge to write a review because it brought my mind back to those days. Khemmis reminds me of the best elements of that period spanning the early 80s to early 90s but still feels fresh and vital. 

For me, good doom makes solid use of guitar melody and finds a slow powerful groove. That is easier said than done. Given the frequently gravelly nature of the vocals, the groove can take you into muppet-like territory if you are not careful, and the plodding pace can get boring or repetitive if the riffs don't evolve and keep the listener's interest. You have to be able to hear at least a trace of Sabbath but the best bands don't just repeat what Sabbath did. From the first to last track Khemmis' album Absolution doesn't seem to have a single misstep. They honor the past but are not repeating it. It is filled with powerful harmonies, heavy riffs and a great blend of natural vocals with the occasional growl. I haven't been struck by a band like this for a long time. It is the kind of album that takes you on a journey.

The six track album opens strong with heavy power chords and clean melodies in Torn Asunder. The opening vocals are natural sounding, reminding me a little of Robert Lowe's early work for Solitude Aeturnus. They are very different singers, but there is something similar in their styles. It's got an honesty to it. I like it, it is an unpretentious and pleasing sound, and it compliments the guitar well. There are growls from time to time as well, but that doesn't seem to be the predominant technique. They use it like a good tool to compliment the overall sound. The second track, Ash, Cinder, Smoke is a reminder of how melodic doom can be while still keeping power and heaviness. I love the tone of the lead guitar on this one in the opening melodic line. I think it is the most memorable track on the album. It is a very smooth, deep and ethereal sound but still has power. The remaining tracks are all well done. Serpentine has a nice crunchy opening and is a bit more on the Cathedral end of the spectrum (at least as far as guitar work is concerned). A lot of the riff work has that vibe to it. Burden of Sin picks up the pace a bit and leads nicely into the very melodic final track, The Bereaved.

I don't know what it is about this album but it is the sort of release that can make you fall in love again with a particular style of music. There are definitely sounds of newer doom here, but as someone who grew up on the earlier bands, this feels like it has that original spark. It isn't just repeating the past, even if it is rooted in it. There are traces of many bands in the sound but for me it feels like blend of Iron Maiden melodic sensibilities, the dour riffs of Cathedral's debut album and the epic aspirations of Trouble and Solitude Aeturnus. There is also a bit of sludge, but the melodies and the vocals help keep that from getting too down in the muck. 

Doom can get stale easy and this is the one of the most vital doom albums I've heard since I first started listening to the style. But it isn't just a retread or aping older stuff...it is more like they are picking up at an earlier point in time. For me this was a very strong listen, something that made me want to go dig through all my old albums and listen to see where their inspiration may have come from. It just has a really well blended sound that ties the album together but never gets dull. If you liked any of the early doom bands but want something new that looks like the start of something special, Khemmis is a definitely worth checking out. 

Absolution is available on iTunes or you can check it out at he band's website.