Live from Fake Seattle

"I DID IT!!!" -- Hiro Nakamura

Okay! I finally managed to get the first 50 ISSUES of the original Forte online! And build a whole new Forte website around them--Forte Prime--which will be the site of, hopefully, ALL the original campaign material.

You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?

If you're in the dark, I'd suggest you check out www.forteuniverse.com. In short, Forte is a super-hero team based in Seattle, one that's been around for 20 years now. It began as a Champions campaign (that's a role-playing game, in case you didn't know) back in 1987, and after lasting 8 years, closed up shop, only to be reborn as web fiction. There's a number of places on that site where you can read all about the history of all this, its characters, the people involved, etc., etc., so I won't go into all that again here. I'll go forward from this point assuming you know what a "Forte" is and just start blogging accordingly.

The occasion for starting this blog (something I've had in mind for some time) is the creation of the Forte Prime page, and the occasion for THAT is that we're about to hit the 20th anniversary of Forte. 20 years! I started playing in this game (run by GM K.C. Ryan) on November 5th, 1987, on its very first night. Through it, I made some of (still) my best friends in the world, and managed to be a part of creating a hero saga that's lasted two decades, and is still going. As you'll see by the sites, I still love everything about Forte, and all the characters in it, and all the endless stories it still has to tell with all of them.

Last month seven of us former Forte folks (the ones who could make it) celebrated the anniversary (just a bit early) by taking a trip to Seattle, the city of Forte's birth and life. We weren't FROM Seattle. We were all living in Sacramento when this game started. But it was the city K.C. chose to set it in, and over the years, through all the Forte adventures we've been in, it's become like a second home to all of us. So it seemed only fitting that we all go there to celebrate the big milestone together (one of us, Aaron, now lives there (nothing to do with Forte, but life is not without its ironies)). We had a great time hanging out, catching up, touring the city, and even getting the play the 20th anniversary Forte game. Good stuff. And a good reminder of how lucky we all are to have had an experience like this.

I mainly started this blog as a place to update future happenings on the Forte Prime page (I just didn't feel like building yet ANOTHER "News" page like most of the other Forte sites have), and thought this might a 1) more fun and 2) easier way to do it.

So, as for Forte Prime (the name I chose to set it apart from the other Forte sites, showing that it's the genesis site, the one based on the original stuff), it is now live. It's going to be the place where (over much time) I'll finally start putting up all the material from the original Forte game. The post-campaign stuff has been up for several years (and keeps growing), but the original material never has. Mainly because it's all photocopies and such, all created in the era before Word docs and scanning and the like. It's going to take some time to convert it to 21st century technology and get it up to share with the gaming world, but at least we're getting started. As official Forte historian (self-elected), I feel it's kind of my job. And I feel I owe it to all the friends who've been involved in Forte with me over the years.

For now, you've got an intro I wrote there, and you've got the first 50 issues (or "Forte Updates", the records of each run of the Forte game) to check out. I'll start adding more as I go. And each update has a link at the bottom marked "index" that will eventually take you to a fully functional Forte Index (read the page to find out what a Forte Index is). Right now, it takes you to a page that explains what's coming and shows you a sampling of what the original Forte Index looked like.

I'll use this blog to update on Prime, but I'll also probably use it to give other Forte news and just talk about Forte stuff in general. We'll see where I go with it. But right now, I haven't the time! I'm working a deadline here to get lots of stuff ready for the latest Clobberin' Times Online issue (check the link to see what that is), and the hour is late! Back with more.

If this is your first time diving into Forte, welcome! I hope you check out all the pages and enjoy the stories and art there. If you're a Forte regular, keeping checking back for more Forte rantings and such here.

Happy 20th, Forte! (Almost...)

(Oh, and by the way, I'm Mike. Dr. Jackal was my main Forte character, so I just made this Google account under that name, to keep with the spirit. Just so you'll know...)