Meet the Jinxed Mutant of Moon Rises

Nerdarchy’s brand new live play series is called Moon Rises. Utilizing Monte Cook Games’ Cypher System, the story is set in the science fantasy post apocalypse of our own Earth. Our intrepid heroes must help the charismatic leader Unic Hopebringer in reclaiming Manhattan to rebuild it as New Manhattan. We interviewed the cast of Moon Rises to get some insights into their characters, the world and the TTRPG system breathing mechanical life into this alien yet familiar world. Today, let’s talk about Blue, the mutant monkey, and his player Nerdarchist Ted!

Cypher System live play

Please introduce yourself and your new character

“Hello. I am Blue. Though I look sad and my name is Blue I am not, in fact, sad. I like to look at strange things and see what is over there. Some say the way I act it’s like I am Doomed or something and they have a point. We are all are going to die and I will probably die first but I will not let that stop me. Do I have two legs or four? What a strange question. Why not both?”

The new campaign is a Cypher System campaign. What are your thoughts on the system?

“Cypher offers a number of great things that D&D does not. You can typically get to the heart of your character’s powers right away and become more specialized as you gain in power but you also get more diverse as you pick up new skills and abilities. I feel this differs from D&D in that you typically only get more specialized.”

What role does Blue fill in the party?

“What will Blue’s role be in the party? I think that will be easy. I will be first and foremost a scout to see what is out there. But my secondary feature will be a sacrificial victim should the need arise. I am certain there are other things that Blue can be used for but those are probably at the top of the list.”

Everyone needs a pastime. When you aren’t actively pursuing danger and mayhem, what do you do for fun?

“Isn’t pursuing danger and mayhem a fun pastime? I like looking for things and fiddling with them. A lot of friends have told me it is really dangerous but I am okay with that. I miss those friends. What happened to them again?”

If you were playing a game of Humans & Households, what type of character would you be? (Who would you be in our modern day and age? What would that look like?)

“If I were to play a game like that I think I would play the house cat. This way I could get all the love and attention, even when I knock their favorite vase off the table just to watch it break. I mean after all, it makes a cool smashing noise when it lands.”

Where did you live prior to adventuring?

“Blue travels around a lot. I am told I am trouble. I think for a bit that was my name before I met Red. But she said I looked blue, so that is my name now! I have lived all over and wherever I can squish into and feel safe is home to me. Safe and home are not words I use very often.”

Do you have any friends/family members/other key figures in your backstory?

“I am very young. I really cannot recall much of a family. There was something when I was very young, I think it was three years ago. Big people came and took others that looked like me away in a big wagon that had lots of colors on it. But I mean come on, that was three years ago. You can’t expect me to remember what happened 75% of my lifetime ago. As to friends, some have left me saying I bring danger, others have died. How was I supposed to know that thing was going to explode?”

What do you desire most? What are your ambitions?

“Sadly, Blue is never satisfied with well enough. Those friends who left very much got tired of the phrase: “What’s next?” I want to see what’s over there. Does not matter too much of what we are doing so long as it is not the same as what we have already done.”

Do you have any secrets or weaknesses/flaws that you would be willing to share?

“Do I have a weakness? If you have been paying attention I think you should have me well played, perhaps you are just not as a smart as a giant blue spider monkey.”

Blue is a Doomed Explorer who Moves Like a Cat in Nerdarchy’s Moon Rises Cypher System live play game. In addition to being a player in the game, YouTuber, Nerdarchy staff writer and published author Steven Partridge also shared his artistic talents creating character art and tokens and the trailer for the game. Click on the image to check out Steven’s website and discover more about this creative human. [Image by Steven Partridge]

Many people put a piece of themselves into their TTRPG characters. What parts of yourself did you put into Blue?

Having come fresh out of Those Bastards, what are your thoughts about this new campaign?

“With Those Bastards! done, it is good to go in another direction. Not sure what kind of emotional stuff is going to happen but I feel it is going to be a lot of fun to explore a new setting, tap into that ’80s cartoon love buried deep in my childhood and see a whole new gaming system. I have played Cypher before but it has been a long time. In all aspects, looking forward to this game.”

That’s what we’ve got for Blue!

Are you excited for Moon Rises as much as we are? What are your thoughts on the setting, characters and other elements we’ve revealed so far? Have you ever played Cypher System, Numenera or other Monte Cook Games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! You can tune in every Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern to watch the ongoing saga of Moon Rises at the Nerdarchy Live YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss the live play game or our other longform video content like daily and weekly live chats here.

Until next time, later, nerds!