TardisCaptain's Blog of Holding – Random musings from a Geek Dad

Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: August 17-23

Written by TardisCaptain August 22, 2026August 9, 2026

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account and the @STrekQuotes Bluesky account for the week of August 17th through August 23rd. Note: Because Twitter/X will use posts to train AI, we will no longer be posting on that platform. This is out of respect for the owners of Star Trek.

August 17:
“Instruments register only those things they’re designed to register. Space still contains infinite unknowns.” Spock- The Naked Time, Stardate: 1704.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #Quote

August 18:
(re: Baseball) “That’s what I love about this game. You never know what’s going to happen next. Every situation is different.” Sisko- Take Me Out to the Holosuite, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #Quote

August 19:
Happy Birthday to Diana Muldaur. http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Diana_Muldaur #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #Quote

“I can offer choices, not guarantees.” Dr. Pulaski- Loud as a Whisper, Stardate: 42477.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #Quote

Happy Birthday to Jonathan Frakes. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jonathan_Frakes #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekENT #StarTrekPIC #StarTrekLDS #IDIC #Quote

“Without trust, there’s no friendship, no closeness. None of the emotional bonds that make us who we are.” Riker- Legacy, Stardate: 44215.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #Quote

August 20:
Happy Birthday to John Noble. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/John_Noble #StarTrek #StarTrekPRO #IDIC #Quote

“My father put the fate of our world on my shoulders without ever asking me.” Gwyn “Sounds like despite your pop’s intentions, you gotta find your own way.” Hologram Diviner- Ghost in the Machine, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPRO #IDIC #Quote

August 21:
Happy Birthday to Kim Cattrall. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Kim_Cattrall #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #Quote

“Four hundred years ago on the planet Earth, workers who felt their livelihood threatened by automation, flung their wooden shoes, called ‘sabots’ into the machines to stop them. …Hence the word ‘sabotage’.” Valeris- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Stardate: 9521.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #Quote

August 22:
“My advice in making sense of temporal paradoxes is simple. Don’t even try.” Janeway- Timeless, Stardate: 52143.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #Quote

August 23:
“A mother is expected to push her young out of the nest. At some point, they’re supposed to return.” T’Less- Home, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

RPGaDAY2026 Day 21: A song of charity

Written by TardisCaptain August 21, 2026August 21, 2026

Day 21 Prompt: Charity

Week 4 Prompt: Instinct

Weekday Prompt: Loving and Giving

A special day today. Charity is the prompt for Day 21 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge. Here is an idea that spans from Fantasy to Science Fiction. I hope that you enjoy it.

A popular spacer’s song heard in freeports, frontier taverns, and aboard merchant vessels throughout the sector. Every singer seems to know a slightly different version. Some musical historians point back to ballads spanning the ages. Was the Black Almoner a long lived individual? Was it a family tradition? Or did a new person wishing to help others take on the mantle of the Black Almoner when the previous one retired? Scholars, lawmen, corporations and governments disagree.

The Ballad of the Black Almoner (variant song 24,376 on record)

Verse I

When Promise was a docking ring,

And Far2Go a charted thing,

The governors took their share and more,

Till hunger walked from door to door.

A dark ship slipped through customs’ light,

No transponder shining bright,

The cargo gone before the dawn,

The poor awoke to find it drawn.

Chorus

Oh, raise a glass and pass it on,

To the Black Almoner gone and gone,

Steals from lords and leaves no name,

Yet every child recalls the same.

Take what is hoarded, give what’s due,

Leave before they thank you, too.

The stars are wide, the road is long,

And still the Black Almoner sails on.

Verse II

The merchants swore they’d caught him twice,

The admirals named a proper price,

A thousand warrants crossed the skies,

Yet none could claim the bounty prize.

One year old, the next year young,

With a deeper voice or different tongue,

No two reports were quite the same,

Yet all agreed upon the name.

Chorus

Oh, raise a glass and pass it on…

Verse III

A mining moon ran out of air,

No government was bothered there,

Yet life support arrived one night,

Packed neat and clean, secured just right.

The captain asked, “Who paid the fee?”

The answer read quite simply:

“A debt was owed. The debt is done.

Remember this when your turn comes.”

Chorus

Oh, raise a glass and pass it on…

Bridge

Was it one? Was it ten? Was it twenty more besides?

Was it blood or oath that kept the legend alive?

Some say ghost and some say king,

Some say neither of those things.

For every time the question’s asked,

Another takes the mantle, mask.

Final Verse

Now children point to passing stars,

And dream of mending others’ scars,

The old folk smile, the traders grin,

And wonder who now wears the skin.

For somewhere past the shipping lanes,

Beyond patrols and profit chains,

A dark ship rides the solar foam,

Making strangers feel at home.

Final Chorus

So raise a glass and pass it on,

To the Black Almoner gone and gone,

Steals from greed and answers need,

A pirate born of generous deed.

Take what is hoarded, give what’s due,

Leave before they thank you, too.

The stars are wide, the road is long,

And the Black Almoner sails on.

This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Role Playing Games, Science Fiction

RPGaDAY2026 Day 20: Welcome to Promise Station

Written by TardisCaptain August 20, 2026August 20, 2026

Day 20 Prompt: Promise

Week 4 Prompt: Instinct

Weekday Prompt: Far to Go

Well, I’m taking the prompt of Promise for Day 20 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge and I’m applying it to an idea that I’ve had for a science fiction TTRPG setting. This could easily be adapted for Star Frontiers, Traveller, FrontierSpace, Stars Without Number or a host of other SF based systems.

The short-range radio crackles a bit before the last words of docking control cuts through. “Affirmative Golden Instinct, you are cleared for open port 47 with the Independent Captains’ League berth. Welcome to Promise Station.”

“Thank you docking control, proceeding to 47.” Captain Leonath reaches over and disconnects the line. He looks at Dale Harth, the newest member of his crew. “So kid, did you have any questions about that interaction?”

“Uh… no. It seemed pretty straight forward. You were a lot nicer to her than you were with the dockmaster at Regulath Section Command.” Harth gulped.

“Yea, those government controllers think that they are a gift from the gods when it comes to docking regulations. Betty here at Promise Station is like you and me, just someone getting a job done for an honest day’s work. I give her respect, and she respects us back. You’ll find it’s the same for a lot of the inhabitants of Promise Station.” Leonath adjusts the control as he calmly guilds his trading vessel into the approach orbit. “That reminds me, this is your first time to Promise Station isn’t it?”

“I guess there’s a good reason the planet it orbits is called Far2Go. This is the furthest I’ve been into the Outer Reaches.” Harth states. “What’s it like out here?

“I’m glad you asked kid.” Another course adjustment. “I’ve been wanting to give you the lowdown about this place. As a member of the Golden Instinct crew you carry the reputation of the ship here. There are a lot of temptations here being a free trading station. Like any place, there is a shady side, but we don’t run that way. Ready for the infodump kid?”

“Oh yea, I’ll ask questions as things go along.” Harth pulls out his datapad. “Ready”

“Well first, don’t be flashing too much tech. Yea there are thieves, but there are also datajackers who will try to probe your systems. Make sure you’re security apps are up to date before you leave.”

“Check.” Replied Harth.

Leonath looks at the motley assembly of different starship hulls, science stations, cargo containers, repair docks, luxury yachts and more, all connected together. “This is a station independently run by different organizations and guilds. Each of these sections are mechanically joined together by the Brakka Structural Consortium. They love to say, “The Consortium doesn’t own Promise, just the bolts that holds her together.” the computer beeps as a few more buttons are pushed. “The Brakka are hardworking, but will drink you under the table if you get involved with one of the beverage battles. Don’t let their size fool you, they come from a high gravity world and could probably bend you in half just as fast as they bend a hull plate.”

“I heard that if there is too much trouble with the location due to pirates or the like, the whole station can break down to the vessels and transported by their independent owners to a new location.“ Harth smiled. “Aurora Station in the Nox sector uses the same concept.”

“Right” Leonath smiled. “But Promise is slightly better than other modular stations. And that is probably because of the new row of official government consular vessels that have set up office here.”

“Consular stations? I thought that this type of place wanted to get away from the eyes of different governments.”

“Yea, they wouldn’t have been caught dead here. But they paid the price to connect. I think the sudden interest is because the first consular office was from the Aurel. This is their first ever ambassador undertaking. And that suddenly made the Terran Confederation, the Kethari Guild Assembly, the Brakka Republic and even the Tri-Dak Empire wanted to set up shop. They were all interested in why a mysterious reclusive power like the Aurel was suddenly interested in opening a consular office.”

Harth looked surprised. “Wow, a confederation and empire ambassador within shooting distance of each other? That must be fun?” He looked around. “So why are the Aurel here?”

“Well one rumor is the archeological find down on Far2Go had something to do with it, but the Aurel aren’t saying. Which is par for the course with them. I’ve never even seen one in person. But they are wrapped up in their protective clothing and silvery veilmasks. No one knows what they look like without their garments or if the electronic voices are actually their own.“ Leonath looks down at the desert planet below them. “The scientists, archeologists and treasure hunters are having a field day down there. Most are legit, some not so much. Don’t be fooled by anyone selling ‘genuine’ souvenirs from the surface.”

Harth chuckled. “I don’t know if I’d have room for them in my cabin.” He smiled.

As the Golden Instinct glides around one of the refurbished cargo pods, a brightly lit luxury space yacht comes into view. “Oh yea, that reminds me. That’s called The House of Fortune. But if you go in there, you’ll probably lose yours. It’s a gambling location that usually caters to high end clientele. There are definitely some humans, moxmar and kethari who would try to entice you into one of the different attractions there. Perhaps when we are done with our cargo runs, we can check it out on a supervised basis. But they tend to prey on the unknowing.”

“So, all we do here is cargo runs?” Harth asked.

“Mostly, but this is a place that has resources we can’t get anywhere else or are too expensive anywhere else. The merchant houses, the guilds and even the whisper market has been good for both buying and selling. For the many different races who come here, it’s pretty much kept under control. Mostly.” Leonath looks up. “Almost there. Go help Wig-Sok with the docking hatch and I’ll join you guys there.”

“Sure thing boss.” Harth jumps up and leaves the control cabin.

After the door closes, Leonath pulls out his personal communicator and dials into an encrypted frequency. He states in a monotone voice “Code 12, 14, 48 and 59.” After receiving two beeps in response, he closes the device. A few moments later, a metallic clunk shakes the Golden Instinct as it connects to docking port 47 on Promise Station.

Leonath checks his beam weapon in the holster before standing up. “Let’s get this over with.”

Carl sits back at the keyboard. Did he plant any seeds today? Tell me about where you’d take this game environment. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Dungeons and Dragons, Music, Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2026 Day 19: That which you desire

Written by TardisCaptain August 19, 2026August 19, 2026

Day 19 Prompt: Desire

Week 4 Prompt: Instinct

Weekday Prompt: Full of Woe

A desire is a type of wish. And for Day 19 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge, the prompt provided by the organizers is Desire. I was tempted to just post a YouTube video of the U2 song Desire, but I didn’t know how well that would go down.

So, the following is a system agnostic plot post that could be used with Dungeons and Dragons, Basic Fantasy, Castles and Crusades, Fantasy Age, BareBones Fantasy or your favorite flavor for fantasy.

The Well of Desires

Located in a very remote location of the gamemaster’s choice, lies a secret well called the Well of Desires. Scholars have speculated that it magically moves after so many uses such as drinking or wishing. This may be to keep it from remaining in control of a single individual or group for too long or to spread the confusion around.

The origin of the well is unknown. One legend states it was wished into existence from a greedy individual desiring more wishes. Another theory offered by the research wizard, Tovark, is that agents of chaos placed the well on this plane of existence in order to cause strife and confusion that could be harnessed for wild magic. Aalaanbar the Wise believed it was a punishment from the gods to mortals for messing with magics that should have been left untouched.

Seekers will know that they have found the Well of Desires by the metal plaque attached to an ordinary looking stone curb. The plaque reads “After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.” The plaque will be readable by any creature with the ability to read in their own language. The well itself cannot be damaged by magical or non-magical means. The roof cover never burns; the crank and handle will always lower the rope and bucket down to a clear reservoir of water. If retrieved, this water will always be clean and clear regardless of the environment in which the well is located, whether desert, arctic, jungle, ruins, or otherwise. Some have sworn that the waters have healing properties, but this has not been confirmed. If anything other than the bucket or a coin enters the well, the item is immediately returned to the area around the structure.

Researchers and scholars have discovered that different coins thrown into the well can result in different wishes. Tovark was asked to research the well and provided this correspondence to his former traveling companion before he retired from adventuring life.

Exalted Tanas

I am writing in response to your request for information on the Well of Desire. I thank you for challenges such as this. I was able to pour over several scrolls, tomes, and books that I had collected within my grand library searching for nuggets of information on this unique artifact. I was not aware of the impact this device has had on the various kingdoms that we had previously adventured through.

There are two factors regarding this well. One, it never stays in one place. A report placed it at the desert oasis of Al-Kalan, a second report dated much earlier reported two goblin tribes fighting over the waters of the well in the south swamplands. A Halfling merchant named Winkel Canterbottom claimed he saw the well disappear after two individuals had thrown their coins into the well before him. He was quite irate as the effort to reach the location had not been an easy one.

The Mayor of Lower West Shireton claimed that he acquired his post from the Well of Desires. He had thrown in a copper piece and requested that he become king. Well, as fate had it, he was the king of a small hamlet with seventeen residents and 47 goats. The residents don’t want any other leader but him.

Batherly Silverwind, an elvish baker living in the Grand City of Roses, tossed in a copper coin wishing for wealth. The good news is that her business boomed with many taverns and inns ordering her goods. The bad news is she must run her ovens for eighteen hours a day to keep up with demand.

You may have heard of Korth the Sly by his many wanted posters hung over many different kingdoms. Apparently, he had tossed in a silver coin requesting to become famous. Now he regrets that wish as he has no anonymity.

Another famous individual that you may have heard of was Walter the Great, a fencer from the coastal kingdom of Tir. One gold coin combined with a wish to be the unmatched in battle has resulted in a battle with loneliness. No one will duel him because they know that they will loose.

If you recall your history lessons, Jehanne Darc was the military genius who led her troops into battle, eventually overthrowing the dark tyrant Donnicus Marx. I came across a scroll about her father claiming that he had tossed a platinum coin into a strange well and requested to save the world. Apparently that wish was granted from the daughter he raised by himself.

It’s not just the standard coins that have different levels of effects. According to my research, a wish on a bent coin will result in companions that assist the individual with their quest. A counterfeit coin will randomly steal another wish from another individual and grant it to the user. This is how one warrior discovered that he was immune to bee stings. In a desperate need, a traveler tossed in a wooden token from a carnival and wished for a horse. He received his steed but discovered that it would sing while traveling. A greedy merchant had been shaving his gold coins to use the dust for other purchases. He tossed one into the well and asked for wealth. Later he discovered that throughout his life, each night a random number of coins would just disappear out of his treasury despite all his efforts to secure them.

One of the most interesting tidbits that I came across was the wish of a half-coin. A coin broken in half grants the same wish to both holders of the coin. This caused some confusion when the two holders had different goals.

I know your quest for knowledge is not for ill purposes. But the timing makes me raise an eyebrow. Venoma had a similar line of questions and it sounded like his kids may be involved. I wonder if they may have discovered the latest location of The Well of Desire. If so, we need to stop them before they unleash any wild magic on the lands.

Your faithful companion,

Tovark

Oh, and if you have the earworm from reading the intro to this post. Here you go.

So, did I spark any imagination from you? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2026 Day 18: May I Be Direct

Written by TardisCaptain August 18, 2026August 18, 2026

Day 18 Prompt: Directness

Week 4 Prompt: Instinct

Weekday Prompt: Full of Grace

So, Directness is the Day 18 prompt for the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge. One of the organizers asked on their Facebook post to be direct if we were enjoying the challenge. Enjoying the challenge is a yes. But the prompts… leave a lot to be desired. I should be leaving this for the after-action report, but when I see a prompt, my mind immediately thinks of the most common response to it. And sure enough, when I browse some of the other entries for inspiration I see “yea, guessed that one, and that, and that one as well.”

Don’t get me wrong. Having organized an event like this with the Character Creation Challenge every January, I can appreciate what the organizers go through. Setting the schedules, creating graphics, acquiring language translations, getting the word out by social media, blog posts, and message boards. It’s not a small task. I tip my hat to the organizers for pulling this off for so long. I’ve only been doing this challenge for five years and it’s been running since 2014. I admit the possibility that the organizers have seen a lot of RPG prompts and are trying to shake things up. So, I’ll give them props to try something new.

I just felt like I’m coming up with my own prompts this year. And that has added to my uncertainty about completing the challenge. It’s hard to plan for research, obtain art, confirm references, etc. I’m quite literally doing this on the fly. And while leaving this to the muse sitting on my shoulder is interesting, and had some unique entries, I don’t want to abuse my muse. (hey that rhymes) Especially when the specter of real-life duties pops it’s head up.

Wow, that was such a long “intro” that I’m not certain I want to make this a really long blog entry like I did with Day 17 IN-10-CITY, Day 12 Finding What Is Lost or Day 7 The Mercy of the Macers. I think I’ll leave you with this.

I like to order my RPG products directly from the publisher/manufacturer whenever possible. I’ve also gone into my favorite local gaming stores to ask if they can order my books directly from the publisher. Some have found it difficult to connect directly with the game companies. I’d like to encourage the publishers to make it easy for local game stores to take care of their customers. I’d like to get future books through them as well when possible. Repeating buyers mean more sales for the manufacturers.

Do you have any more feedback on this or any of my other RPGaDAY entries? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Role Playing Games, Science Fiction

RPGaDAY2026 Day 17: Welcome to IN-10-CITY

Written by TardisCaptain August 17, 2026August 17, 2026

Day 17 Prompt: Intensity

Week 4 Prompt: Instinct

Weekday Prompt: Fair of Face

We’ve reached Day 17 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge and I had to bounce a few ideas off the wall before I could come up with something for the prompt of “Intensity”. And since it’s a Monday, we also get a new weekly prompt of “Instinct”. The poem brings us back to “Fair of Face” which still doesn’t help.

Ya know what, I think we need to expand more on our cyberpunk setting that we started with the Day 5 entry of Burden. Let me know if this sparks any ideas for your Paranoia, Cyberpunk Red, Modern Necessities-Cutting Edge, Shadowrun or Cyber Generation.

–DOWNLOAD COMPLETED–

SECURITY REPORT: Social media tracers blocked: 100%, non-authorized advertising blocked: 97%, authenticity hash confirmed. Please see the disclaimer at the end.

Electronic Pamphlet loaded:

Welcome to the Integrated Networked Tenth City, or as it’s known by our many happy residents IN-10-CITY. “Where Tomorrow Arrived Yesterday.”

Why choose IN-10-CITY to live, work or play?

99.7% Crime-free (certain districts excluded from calculation)

Predictive Transit System. Our intuitive transportation network knows where you’re going before you do! (Passengers choosing alternative destinations may incur a routing adjustment fee)

Small Apartments. Every residence comes equipped with: Climate control, nutritional monitoring, mood optimization, corporate-approved entertainment, and passive loyalty assessment.

Dynamic Personal Advertising. No more irrelevant commercials! Our patented algorithms tailor every advertisement specifically to your hopes, dreams, fears, and insecurities.

Featured Attractions Include:

The Neon Mile. Over 17 kilometers of restaurants, clubs, shopping, immersive experiences and legally distinguishable gambling all open 24/7/365.

Executive Gardens. A beautiful green space available to all citizens with Platinum status or higher.

Historical Plaza. Commemorating the first nine prototype cities. Please do not inquire what happened to cities four, six or eight.

The Augmentation District. Upgrade your life with: New eyes, new lungs, new memories, new personality packages and more.

-New Resident Benefits. Upon arrival, every citizen receives: A digital identity, a municipal tracking implant, a complementary transit pass, one free personality assessment, and coupons for participating cybernetic vendors.

Sports Franchises:

IN-10-CITY is represented by all the major corporate leagues with new arenas constructed every five years. Representing our metropolis is:

IN-10-CITY Voltage (Cyberball League)

Overclockers of IN-10-City (Professional eSports League)

IN-10-CITY Revenants (Combat Drone Racing)

Pulse HC (Urban Hoverball Association)

IN-10-CITY Titans (Powered Exoskeleton League)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Is the city safe? A: Absolutely! IN-10CITY’s predictive policing algorithm identifies potential threats before they occur. Most of the time.

Q: Will I be monitored? A: Only for: security, convenience, customer satisfaction, city planning, public safety, optimization and quality assurance.

Q: Can I opt out? A: No.

Q: What if I get lost? A: You won’t. Our navigation network tracks your location continuously.

Q: Can I turn off location tracking? A: You seem confused.

Listen to some of these residential testimonials-

“I arrived with nothing but ambition and dreams. I now have six subscriptions and three corporate sponsors.” –Happy Resident #447291

“The city always knows where I am.” –Happy Resident #225103

“I never felt more connected.” –Citizen currently under investigation

Public Safety Notice:

Should you encounter any of the following, please contact the authorities immediately- Unauthorized AIs, Unlicensed prophets, Rogue delivery drones, Independent journalists or citizens discussing cities One through Nine.

And remember our IN-10-CITY motto: “The First Nine Were Learning Experiences”

Legal disclaimer: By downloading and reading this pamphlet is acceptance to the residential user-license agreement and terms-of-service. Your tailored tracer program has been integrated, and any dizziness from the implant chip should be reported to the nearest med-bot facility. Please follow the guided path to your orientation seminar and job assignment.

–ACQUISITION COMPLETED–

I do appreciate the feedback that I’ve been getting on some of these posts. Some was good-natured ribbing (yea, you got me) and I got a constructive suggestion on my Endurance post. And I really like the “Wow, I’m impressed” type posts. It makes me think that I’ve been successful in planting a few story seeds out there for other gamers to use. I’ll probably talk about all the feedback in my after-action report on/around September 1st. Keep them coming, I really appreciate it.

Role Playing Games, Science Fiction

RPGaDAY2026 Day 16: This Is The Way

Written by TardisCaptain August 16, 2026August 16, 2026

Day 16 Prompt: Composure

Week 3 Prompt: Associates

Weekday Prompt: Blessed

For Day 16 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge and I’m going to be twisting the prompt of Composure from something vague to something directional. And this could fall in most RPG genres that I’ve already used several times this month. Gee, it’s almost like I’m interested in playing in these particular genres. So, for your sci-fi, pulp or fantasy game please consider the use of The Five Bearings of the Compass Guild.

North Bearing

Virtue: Endurance Color: Deep Blue Motto: “Hold Fast.“

North members are explorers, scouts, and guides who refuse to quit.

When others turn back, the North continues.

Associated with: Survival, Perseverance, Long expeditions and Frontier exploration

East Bearing

Virtue: Knowledge Color: Gold Motto: “Seek Understanding.“

These are the cartographers, scholars, translators, and researchers.

The first to study a map. The last to stop asking questions.

Associated with: Intellect, Discovery, Learning and Investigation

South Bearing

Virtue: Service Color: Green Motto: “Leave Others Better.“

The most community-minded Bearing.

Members often become: Healers, Diplomats, Relief workers & Pilgrim guides

Associated with: Giving, Compassion, Charity and Stewardship

West Bearing

Virtue: Adventure Color: Crimson Motto: “Beyond the Horizon.“

The daring members.

Explorers. Pathfinders. Treasure hunters.

Often blamed for incidents.

Associated with: Courage, Curiosity, Risk-taking and New frontiers

Center Bearing

Virtue: Composure Color: White or Silver Motto: “Remain True.“

The rarest Bearing.

Center members train as: Mediators, Leaders, Masters and Judges

Like the pivot point of a compass, they remain steady while others move around them.

Associated with: Balance, Wisdom, Leadership and Calmness

Founder’s saying that is recited upon initiation or at the start of meetings:

“North endures. East learns. South serves. West ventures. The Center remains true.“

Which Bearing house would your character be in? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek

RPGaDAY2026 Day 15: Enduring Connections

Written by TardisCaptain August 15, 2026August 15, 2026

Day 15 Prompt: Endurance

Week 3 Prompt: Associates

Weekday Prompt: Works Hard

Probably one of the better RPG recommended prompts for the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge and we are provided with “Endurance”. I wonder if this was chosen for Day 15 since it’s the midpoint of the month. I’ve known some participants who have already dropped out already (dang real life). I’ve also been tempted a few times myself, but I think forcing my way through some of these prompts has been a mental challenge.

So where am I going to take this prompt? I’m going to stick with the (now evolved) theme of providing seed ideas with different locations and vessels. I hope you enjoy it.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION

TO: Personal Terminal-Ms. Matilda Harper, Perth, Australia, Terran Confederation

FROM: Personal Terminal-Spacer First Class Ward Harper, Starship Endurance, Fleet Command

CLASSIFICATION: Personal Correspondence- OPSEC cleared

Mum,

I hope that you are doing well. I was pleased to hear that Doc Callaghan had cleared you from your last round of treatments. Please continue to follow his instructions. He knows his stuff unlike those AI-Assisted Digital Companions that still can’t seem to get a diagnostic right. I think that I’m starting to understand dad’s analog way of doing things, especially now that I’m settled down in my new assignment.

In my last letter I told you that my professor at Fleet Academy seemed to have a smirk on his face as we all gathered for our new assignments after graduation. I told you that he seemed to have it out for me. I couldn’t write to you before now because of how busy we’ve been. Packing up our gear. Many different transport stops. Clearing customs and keeping out of scraps along the way. But I’m finally berthed at my assignment.

I’m on that ship, the one everyone keeps talking about. The Endurance. The oldest operational vessel in Fleet Command. I remember when we disembarked from the transport shuttle and one of the other green members asked the Senior Bosun if we were here to help decommission the ship. This old guy just smirked and said “Son, you’ll either be dead, retired or the Grand Admiral of the Fleet before the Endurance is actually decommissioned.”

After getting my bunk, the first thing they had us all do was a temporary assignment with the Cargo Master. I tell you, this woman has the mind of a steel trap. She knew exactly where everything needed to go, what label needed to be on what container and how to rotate the containers so that the oldest items could be accessed first. The entire time I was around her, I don’t think she looked at her digital display device more than twice. I recall her telling the Senior Bosun that she’d rather have another round of arguments with the Syndicate Pirates than the Customs Officials of Oreth Prime.

After we got the resupply stocked and secured, I was finally released to my permanent assignment. I reported to Maintenance Chief, Lt. [redacted]. I walked more steps here than all my years at the academy. The Endurance must be twice as large as a similar cruiser class vessel. This makes for more corridors and access shafts. Lt. [redacted] stopped at one junction and just tilted his head. Then he had me note down that Circuit [redacted] needed to be replaced on the next maintenance cycle. When I asked him how he knew that he just shrugged and said, “The Endurance just talks with you, if you know how to listen.” I think he was serious.

After my first round with the Chief, we were told to report to the Arboretum, where we had our first meeting with Captain Henline and Exec Rosales. We got our official welcome aboard and an introduction to the senior staff. I could tell that Captain Henline has confidence in his team by the way he talked about them. The one that didn’t talk much was Executive Officer Rosales. When it came time for him to talk about his role, he only said that he represents the crew to the CO but is the first to follow the COs orders. I overheard one of the Ensigns whispering that Rosales scared him more than the visiting Admirals they had the week before.

One of the members of the senior staff came up to me just after our meet-and-greet with the staff. It was Lt. Commander Victoria Shellby, the ship’s archivist. Apparently, the Endurance is so old that there is a permanent historian on board. She immediately asked me if I knew the late Jack Harper. When I told her that was my dad, she put on a big smile and asked me to follow her. As we kept getting deeper and deeper into the lower sections of the ship, I was starting to wonder what was going on. Was this part of some prank on the newbies joining the Endurance. But eventually, after passing through three generations of replacement sections, a weird sign that says, “DO NOT REMOVE, IT IS LOAD BEARING.” (she couldn’t tell me what “it” was) and past a coffee maker that was older than I was, she pointed at some graffiti on a hull plate. There, etched in with a plasma welder, was the name “Senior Technician Third Class Jack Harper”.

I didn’t know dad served on the Endurance? He never talked about his time in the fleet. No wonder he loved the analog way of doing things. First, I was upset about getting this assignment. Sure, I wasn’t at the top of my class. But I felt that I had put in the effort to earn a berth on a Madagascar Class Cruiser or a Jefferson Class Destroyer, not the oldest ship in the fleet. Now… now I’m happy to be here. Lt. Commander Shellby didn’t say anything as I bawled. I know dad has been gone for a couple of years now, but this connection confirmed my decision to follow his footsteps into the academy. I hope what I do here will make both you and him proud.

END OF TRANSMISSION

Again, Carl looks at the screen after typing this up. Did I do good? Do you think the environment of the oldest ship in the fleet would work for a campaign setting for Star Trek Adventures, Traveller, FrontierSpace or a host of other science-fiction RPGs out there?

This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: August 10-16

Written by TardisCaptain August 15, 2026August 9, 2026

Wait, people can actually care for each other?

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account and the @STrekQuotes Bluesky account for the week of August 10th through August 16th. Note: Because Twitter/X will use posts to train AI, we will no longer be posting on that platform. This is out of respect for the owners of Star Trek.

August 10:
Happy Birthday to Evan Evagora. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Evan_Evagora #StarTrek #StarTrekPIC #IDIC #Quote

“Elnor, I told you to stay on the ship.” Picard “Yes. I didn’t listen.” Elnor- The Impossible Box, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPIC #IDIC #Quote

August 11:
“You’re human. So am I. Humans help each other.” Archer- Terra Nova, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #Quote

August 12:
Remembering Jane Wyatt who was born on this date in 1910. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jane_Wyatt #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #Quote

“Logic! Logic! I’m sick to death of logic! Do you want to know how I feel about your logic?” Amanda- Journey to Babel, Stardate: 3842.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #Quote

August 13:
Happy Birthday to Dawnn Lewis. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Dawnn_Lewis #StarTrek #StarTrekLDS #IDIC #Quote

“But then we’re right back to buffer time.” Freeman “Yes, when people could do whatever they had to, to get the job done. You’re a great captain. Let them be a great crew.” Boimler “You’re… you’re right! I am a great captain!” Freeman- Temporal Edict, Stardate: 57501.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekLDS #IDIC #Quote

August 14:
“Do you think you’re the only one in pain? Do you think you have the monopoly on loss?” Troi- Gambit, Part I, Stardate: 47135.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #Quote

August 15:
“That’s what doctors are there for—to help so there’s really no reason to be afraid of them.” Dr. Bashir- Equilibrium, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #Quote

August 16:
“My programmers didn’t clutter me up with pithy Earth trivia.” The Doctor- Persistence of Vision, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #Quote

Character Creation Challenge, Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Spy-Fi, Star Trek

RPGaDAY2026 Day 14: Me giving my regards

Written by TardisCaptain August 14, 2026August 14, 2026

Day 14 Prompt: Regard

Week 3 Prompt: Associates

Weekday Prompt: Loving & Giving

Regard is the Day 14 prompt for the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge…. and I’ve got nothing. I wracked my brain for this topic, and I really don’t know what the organizers are going for. Let’s look at some of the other entries that have been posted for inspiration. (Checks BlueSky social media)

Wait, Fellow RPG blogger Craig Oxbrow asked a question “What is a game held in high regard you have yet to play?” Perfect, I’m going to go with that one. Thank you Craig. (and after I started working on this, it looks like other participants used this same idea)

“Have yet to play?” Hmm… I’m going to break this into two categories since they would both count. “Never played” and “Never played outside of a one-shot.” As I’ve mentioned in my SaltCON reports, when I sign up for RPG sessions at conventions, I try to play at least one game I’ve never played before. I had also had the pleasure of being invited to a few one-shots outside of conventions (thanks guys). And no, I don’t count making characters for the Character Creation Challenge as playing the game.

Amazing Adventures– This is the “D20 Modern” variant of Castles and Crusades by Troll Lord Games. It’s a D20 based system that uses the siege system for resolving skill issues (driving a motorcycle, climbing wall, finding a hidden item, haggling with a merchant for a lower price, etc.) What I like the most about this system is it allows the player to say, “I want my character to do this” instead of “My character sheet says I can only do this.” Kind of like how you can with the 2D20 system Star Trek Adventures by Modiphius.

Planet of the Apes– The D6MV (the “magnetic variant” of the D6 system used for the Star Wars D6 game from West End Games). This game had a very successful KickStarter from Magnetic Press Play. Yes, I ran this at a SaltCON, but it was the intro adventure from the Quickstart. I would really love to play this in a campaign as a player.

Traveller– The latest version from Mongoose Publishing. 1- I’m a fan of science fiction. 2- This is one of the original RPGs that shaped a generation like Dungeons and Dragons did. I’ve seen the 2d6 system spawn off many retro-clones and imaginations. So I’d like to try it in a campaign at least once.

FrontierSpace by DWD Studios. This company is a small one-man operation that has put out a lot of different games . This entry covers science fiction and is his love letter to Star Frontiers (while using an original system). He has also created the espionage game, White Lies, which should also be on this list. While White Lies is based off of the Whitebox Fantasy Adventure retro-clone, the system used for FrontierSpace is very unique. It also has the “do what I want, not what my character sheet says” vibe.

And you know what? I’m going to call it there before this turns into a post 20 miles long. There are quite a few more that I could hold up and state that I hold it in high regard. I own them either in PDF or deadtree version. I’ll probably bring them up in future blog posts.

What are the four games you’d hold up in high regard that you haven’t played yet? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.