Why I Want To Go - Black and White '25

 By Kieran/Kyra Barry

Or rather, why do WE the community want to go to Black and White?

“Poison punch, dancing, wild hunt, aaaalll the food." - Megan "Cimone"

"Because I want to. Because it's fun." - Beth "Freesia"

Because I like the food and because I like the people." - Eric "Johan"

“Best part of working in the kitchen at Black and White? 'Aw this thing is broken and it can't go out. Nom.'" - Beth "Freesia" again.

"So my kids can run around and so I can ignore them. And it's fun dressing up" - Jess "Pirate J"

"Because I have to... because everyone else would be sad if there wasn't food" - Ian "Bright", and he’s right. 

Because of all this and because when I asked the community why they wanted to go, they readily answered. 

“Fun tournaments!  Delicious food!  Plot developments!  Auction stuff!  Dancing!” - Kathy "Mahkta"

“To tell people what to wear for the next year.”  - Sara "Zarine"

“I’m super excited to experience my second B&W. The first is was super whimsical but now that I understand the game and know how to navigate, I feel like there is so much to look forward to!” - Nixon "Jasper"

“It’s a great event for newbies with low-intensity daytime content, socialization, food, court, garb, and roleplay! An excellent into to our community putting its best foot forward” - John "Gordon"

To me Black and White is the quintessential autumnal event. The crisp fall air pairs nicely with a cup of ever popular poison punch. Event Holders and Plot Runners love it for the opportunity to share low stakes plot hooks at an event that scores of players attend. The pre-reg list is over a hundred strong, and that doesn’t account for the people who show up day of, either as returning players or folks who’ve never sneezed in the direction of a LARP before.

Kelly who plays Fern heads the baking competition, and as last year’s winner I look forward to judging this year’s category of brownies! Bring all but the helpful house folk, except as friends, not food. The dessert table will be showcasing treats from the community, something I somehow find room for after the delicious fare that the kitchen provides all day.

Plus there will be fae plot abounding in particular. Something to do if you find the myriad of other activities not drawing your attention as much. Test your skill at tournaments, try your luck at stacked decks, and dance with Death at Chimeron's Masquerade!

What You Missed - KosD Questing III

By: Keith "Harkle" Palmer-Poirier & Becca "Nestra" Shields

Greetings Individuals of the Realms.

For those of you unable to travel to Archendell, Blackavar, or other places, myself (Harkel), and Nestra have prepared a report of the events that occurred recently. 

Friday night: 

Arriving in Archendell, as per the concerns of Wilma Wilmot and Baron Kurt Gautier, we were informed that some of the locals had gone missing alongside the appearance of strange portals from which Harrowed Ones were appearing out of. Sir Darion Gautier guided the group of adventurers to the portals, where we began combat against the Harrowed Ones present while working through the field, breaking portals in pairs based on the color of the portal.

Once the field was cleared, we moved back to town, finding that a door had disappeared. While fighting Harrowed Ones that appeared from where the door was, we had a portion of our group searching for the fragments of the door. In this process, they also met a speaking doorknob, which was a component of the door. With a final push, we managed to secure the doorway and rebuild it, speaking to the doorknob and securing the area. After the area was secure, the being known as Danny appeared and spoke with the group. With that, we were done for the night. 

Saturday:

Hey friends, Nestra here! I’m popping in to tell you guys about some of cool stuff that I got to do at KoSD Questing 3 on Saturday:

At the start of the day, my friends and I were sent to help a village overrun by snakes, wolves, and bears. The guards were missing, so we fought through the enemies, found keys to unlock houses, and rescued trapped villagers who had been robbed. We returned what items we could and promised to help them however possible.

Next, we found the missing guards at a fighting ring centered around an undefeated chipmunk waiting to battle another woodland creature. To shut the ring down, Timm—our only woodland creature—fought the chipmunk “to the pain” and won. After healing the chipmunk and ending the ring, we regrouped at the tavern.

We were then tasked with handling a group of imagined dragons. After defeating some of the adult dragons, we met baby dragons who gave us various tasks to complete. Nearby, a mysterious chalice called to all of the dragons in our own group, offering each of us power over all Blackavar dragons. We gathered song lyrics from the baby dragons and sang it to empower the chalice to contain the sleeping dragons. When we did, it erupted into a pillar of fire—showing our success.

Later, a group of orcs asked for help recovering lost blacksmithing materials. To earn access to their forge, we fought them in the orc pits using matched weapon combos. After winning, we helped them retrieve the materials and forged swords of Blackavar steel, a material stronger than regular steel.

Saturday capped quest:

As the forging ended, I joined a smaller group on a quest to recover J’ortsa’s soul from Death. A being named Nightmare appeared and challenged us, vulnerable only to magic and requiring a new person to strike him every time he was killed. After defeating him, we met Death’s granddaughter, who guided us through more battles until we finally faced Death himself.

Death offered a deal: if we beat him in a card game, he’d return J’ortsa’s soul, but another adventurer had to be bound to him. We quickly learned that Death played by his own set of rules and not the ones he laid out for the rest of us. So, after several failed attempts to get Death out—and some card swapping between Bogen and Timm to keep all of ourselves in—Bogen cast Deus Ex Machina to erase Death’s last move. With no tricks left, Death was forced to concede.

Finally, we discussed who should take the bond. Since it had to be someone unaffiliated with Chimeron, Crane volunteered. We agreed she was the right choice, and she accepted the bond and its boon.

I’m signing off and sending you guys back over to Harkel for the rest of the weekend’s activities. See you guys out there!

Nestra

Upon the rest of the group finishing our forging, we rejoined with a member of the Woodland Alliance who was contracted by the Tauntons and made our way to the crypt of Friedrich Bardus, the original knight commander of the Knights of the Sable Dragon. On our way, we found a large spider named Charlotte who spoke to many of our party. While some of the group entered her web, the rest of us continued to the crypt, entering and finding a painting that needed completing. Once done, while a group of us warded off the Harrowed Ones, the room was shaking, and then changed. Inside the changed room, there was a bust of Friedrich Bardus’s head and an urn, which inflicted some of our ranks with Harrowed. Additionally, there was a scroll container with a family lineage within.

Saturday night:

Returning to the village, we saw Sir Darion Gautier being lured away by an individual with a green apple. As he was second chance-ed to the Harrowed Lands, we moved to pursue using the door we had constructed the prior night. Entering the land, we once more encounter Charlotte. After a duration of negotiations, we were able to convince her to divulge the location of Sir Gautier. Making our way through her web, we encountered a series of branching paths in which we had to make a decision based on our values. Once a decision was made, we were restricted for the duration of our time along that path. 

Reaching a clearing after multiple of such questions, we encountered the entity known as War who gave us one final question. When we declared our use of anger during battle, War’s soldiers set upon us, killing us all while we were unable to harm them. Being brought back, we were in a clearing where, after some combat against more Harrowed Ones, we found Sir Darion Gautier and managed to escape from the Harrowed lands through the door from which we entered.

Sunday:

Nixon’s mod:

Traveling to the village which, while recently visited, now appeared long abandoned, we encountered a hoard of undead surrounding glimpses of individuals who we could not interact with. Following their path, we found our way to a village in which we could see the townsfolk, yet they were not fully there. Instead, it appeared as though the residents were stuck in a time loop of some form, and the only way to remove them from the loop was to do their duties for them, such as forging a sword for the blacksmith or killing the kobolds who attacked the village in the correct order, rather than the guard. Once we completed each task, we received a puzzle piece, obtaining all of which allowed us to break the loop and free the village.

Matthew’s mod:

Traveling through the Lauralins, we entered the version of Hell tied to that land. Seeing ice and fire creatures fighting, we made our way across the battlefield before being confronted by a door which maintained a record of those who had crossed through. Upon the door opening, we were faced with plant creatures which we rapidly fought our way through, though not without some of our allies being infected with the Blooming, a plant based virus which we had been called to attempt to remove from a villager. Arriving at the village, we found the sickly child alongside destroyed houses and a stronger creature which, when heavily injured, fell to the ground for a moment, still alive, before once more getting up, stronger than before. After a duration of fighting, we killed it and, taking the villagers with us, returned to the portal where the Blooming was transferred from the child to one of our own. With that, the door opened and we were able to leave.

Kyra’s mod:

Entering a tavern, we met with the Order of the Red Wings, an order of dragon hunters including a veteran hunter named Arthun. He requested our aid in dealing with dragons nearby which he claimed were wreaking havoc on the village. Moving forwards, we encountered orcs and other beings which were defending the dragon’s mountain. Denying our request to move forwards, we fought our way through the hostile beings until entering the mountain after catching a glimpse of a dragon. Entering the mountain, the ground collapsed into lava behind us, spurting bubbles of lava as we worked to clear the cave in ahead. Once fully inside the mountain, we encountered two dragons Miasma and Briggsy, as well as a clutch. Arthun reappeared as we made progress in speaking to the dragons and, after some arguing, revealed that he was behind much of the harm coming to the village, though some was also due to the odd choice of livestock by the villagers. 

After he became outwardly hostile, Arthun used trade secrets to undergo a draconian transformation, summoning Cadmasian soldiers to fight alongside him against us. After a long battle that included adding teeth to our weapons so that we were able to harm him, we felled Arthun and managed to help the dragons and other villagers come to an understanding that would lead to them being able to coexist.

That is all,

Harkel

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Why I Want To Go - Blackwood Questing

A grasping claw of evil spreads across the land, a god of magic and knowledge turned to wrath in the face of loss, a familiar but new magic system to explore. Will you heed Ihrin's call for aid?

By Jasper "Ihrin" 

Greetings, fellow adventures:

Once again we venture forth into the lands of Blackwood. Strange new magic is brewing and the autumn air is crisp and enticing. The time for feasting will be upon us again soon but It seems that what came to pass in New Fjallhom is still following us and the Ork-ne threat cannot be ignored. Their soul mounds are most concerning and cannot be allowed to spread any further than they already have. The powerful magics of the Arcanum seem to be our best chance at defeating them once and for all. There is much to learn and much we still do not understand but with our brave heroes and the Arcanum Corps working in tandem, I'm sure that there is much that can and will be achieved.

I have heard much about Shadowdragon from Elizah but this will be my first time visiting myself. I certainly wish it were under better circumstances but the Spears shall always answer when the horn is sounded. I look forward to exploring these lands and ensuring the safety of all who dwell within. Together we will surely see this through.

In service,

Ihrin

Quartermaster of the Broken Spears Free Company

Disability in the Realms: The Player

By: Bri "Margaret" Meisser

Disability is something that encompasses every aspect of one's life. I was given a task to write 3 articles about my disability and how it impacts my ability to engage with the Realms. I will be splitting this series into 3 distinct sections. Bri The Player, Margaret The Character, and Bri The Event Holder. My hope is that by the end of this series, you will have a better respect for some of the struggles our disabled players go through in order to continue to play this game we love. Becoming disabled is the only minority group anyone can join at any time, and we will all deal with health related issues as we age. But maybe by working together, we can create a game that’s more accommodating and understanding to those issues. I am only one disabled individual, and everyone’s experiences are unique. But here are mine. This is Bri the Player.

For those who don’t know me, I’m Bri Meisser and I play Margaret August. I have several different medical conditions and disabilities. But the one that impacts me the most is something called POTS. Postural Orthostatic Tachycarida Syndrome. I’m not the only one in the community who has this condition, and everyone’s severity levels are different. But I can speak to how it impacts me. When I stand up, my heart races. I feel fatigued and dizzy. If it’s really bad I may faint. I’m intolerant to the heat, and the brutal summer weather has made it difficult for me to enjoy those events. I take over a dozen meds a day to try and manage symptoms, as well as infusions multiple times a week. When you see me at events, I may look fine, but I’m usually managing dozens of symptoms while trying to put on a smile. I also have a connective tissue disorder. Walking can be challenging for me at times as my ankles try to roll with every step, and the way I have to fight and hold a sword may look funny. My joints ache and swell when it rains. I’m in constant pain. I can’t hold a pen right, and may struggle with certain dexterity based tasks. All of these things are challenging in our WISIWYG game which requires a lot of athleticism. In spite of this, I show up to events. A lot of them. I play this game because I love it, and it is worth it to me even when I am in pain and struggling for the joy it brings me. I can quest, I can socialize with friends. I can throw events and tell beautiful stories. I may not be able to solve all the problems in the real world, but in our world anyone can be a hero, even me. And that matters.

I am writing this article from a hospital bed having just missed one of my favorite event series. I say this not to gain sympathy, but to establish a difficult fact that I’ve had to learn. Disability requires sacrifice. It can be given willingly or it can be forcefully taken. But when you are disabled your body or your mind will take its due. You may be able to delay this for a time, you may push off the struggle, but the more you push the worse the crash will be. And sometimes this is worth it. Am I willing to spend a week recovering from an event is a constant calculation I have to make. And I’ve had an amazing time at events that I’ve paid for later. But sometimes even if you are willing to pay the price you hit the end of the line. And that’s where I am right now. 

I was hospitalized last week with sepsis. It was really scary, but I did my due diligence and took all my antibiotics as prescribed. My doctors cleared me and told me I had recovered enough to make it to KoSD questing. I was so excited that I spent all week doing preparations and planning with the event team on accommodations. But when my fever and chills came roaring back on the Friday of the event, I knew my choice was to go to the hospital myself, or to be taken there in an ambulance during the event. And it wasn’t really a choice at all.

In the section about Margaret the Character I will discuss more about how I get through the events I can make. But the events I can’t make impact me just as much as those I can. People sometimes like to jokingly make fun of me for my war councils and being over prepared for events. But part of why I put in so much preparation before events is that I never know if I’m going to have to miss an event. And even if I miss an event, I want to be able to say I contributed to the success of the questing party. That is the kind of player I want to be and the kind of legacy I want to leave behind in this game. 

I’m in a weird situation where my disability has developed since I started playing the game. And part of me is lucky, because I don’t think I’d be here if it hadn’t. But that has been really hard in its own ways. I’m constantly comparing what I’m able to do now to what I was able to do when I first started playing. It can be incredibly disheartening at times. However, it can also be sort of strangely validating in other ways. It’s very difficult to measure the progression of disability day to day because it happens slowly and isn’t always linear. There are crashes and periods of recovery. Internalized ableism is very real and sometimes I ask myself if I’m actually disabled or if I’m faking it. But even with all of my meds and other interventions, if I tried to do what I did at DI2 today it would land me in the hospital if I wasn’t already here. This is a fact I have to live with, and it shapes everything about how I play this game. 

Being disabled in our game requires an incredible amount of resilience. Quite frankly, if I was already disabled when I started I don’t think I would be here today. I wouldn’t have the same community ties or support network to make it work. As is, I’ve considered quitting on multiple occasions when it’s felt like the obstacles were too much to overcome. I have so many more things I need to consider when choosing my events to attend than most people do. Just a few of the questions I have to ask myself include:

How far away is the event? Do I have the energy to drive myself there? To drive home?

Will I be able to eat at the event? Do I need to bring my own food? Order out?

What is the parking situation? Will I be able to get back to my car safely? Will I be able to access my mobility aids if I need to swap halfway through an event?

If it’s a full weekend is the event close enough to commute? Do I have friends nearby I can stay with? If I stay on site, what is the food, bed, and bathroom situation and is this suitable for my needs?

What’s the weather like? Is it too hot or too rainy? Do I need to bring my heated or cooling vest? Heated gloves? Raincoat? How many layers and how many pairs of socks? Is there indoor space I can go to warm up/cool down?

What level of mobility aids will I need to get through an event? (This will depend on the weather too). Is the site accessible for a wheelchair or walker? Can I still participate in content if I’m using my aids? Is the level of content I can participate in worth the effort and cost?

What are the Covid/Flu levels in the community right now? Is it safe enough for me to attend this event?

And I have to ask all of these questions for the ~20 events a year I attend, as well as the dozen or so more I miss. It’s exhausting constantly making these mental calculations. I always feel bad about missing an event because I want to support the event holders in our community the same way they’ve helped support me. Part of me feels like I should staff and NPC more often, but it’s super challenging to balance when I desperately need the weekends I don’t play as recovery weekends. 

In my first year I attended nearly every event on the calendar. But as events became more frequent and my health worsened, I began having to pick and choose more often. I took time to learn which event series I deeply cared about and which I would be okay missing. Not because I want to miss events but because I have to. I used to get really bad FOMO about missing stuff, because everything was so new to me and I wanted to experience it all. And I still do. But I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that I will miss content. I will miss content that I care about a lot. But I also have developed a network of friends who will help me get caught up on what I need to know. And if anyone else has to miss content they care about, I will do my best to give them that same courtesy. 

I’ve talked a lot about the struggles I’ve faced. And they are very real and sometimes feel impossible. But it is not all grim. In spite of all of this I’m still here. And in many ways even as I grow sicker, I have become a more happy and fulfilled person thanks to Realms. Even my OOC family have commented with praise and admiration on my support system, which spans all of New England. 

When I need help, I have people I can turn to. It was a realmsie who brought me to the hospital and advocated for me when I needed it, and it was a realmsie who took me home when I was released. It was realmsies who called to try and make me laugh even as I was sad about missing content I care about. When my roommate was sick and I wanted to keep myself healthy due to my risk factors, it was a realmsie who opened a spare room for me. When I arrived at my apartment too tired to unload my car, I had half a dozen people waiting to help me unload because they wanted to help. I have had event holders modify content so that I could play. I have had feastocrats make me a special meal so I wouldn’t go hungry. I have had an NPC assigned to push my wheelchair on a difficult site so that I could participate in a module that was important to me. I have had people offer to carry my bags on quests when they’ve become too heavy, and even to carry me if necessary. I have been shown so much kindness from this community it would take a lifetime to repay it back. And so I am grateful.

Next time, I will discuss how being disabled impacts my ability to play my character. From my spellbuild to roleplay decisions. And how Margaret handles being disabled in a world full of magic due to the WISIWYG nature of our game.

Until then,

Bri Meisser

What You Missed - Ashen Bounty

By: Justin "J'ortsa" Thibeault

Ashen Bounty has always been one of the events that Khajiit looks forward to, after all it is the first time he met Lord Elric, and it was an Ashen Bounty that he was asked to join him in Rathkeale. But that is not important, seeing as Lord Elric missed the feast! And what a feast it was! Everything that was advertised, "gator wrasslin," the labyrinth, tournaments, gambling, and food were all in plentiful amounts. While J'ortsa did not get to participate in any of the tournaments he did witness everyone else enjoying them. Including when ANTON learned he could hold a magic missile in one hand! 

There was also a dog. And the dog was pointed at Khajiit. It was targeted. He was unamused.

(Note: Justin thought it was funny. There are no hard feelings)

The questing that went on into Zimeya and the obsidian necropolis was very interesting. While J'ortsa only went on one expedition. He did meet great success on the one he went on. Onyx indentified one of the crystal cores that we found, and attempted to use it to ward the fire elementals. To a very unfortunate failure. But it was then discovered that it worked against the crystal golem. Who was promptly executed by the fire elementals, tragic really. But the prospecting of the geodes made us quickly forget the death of the golem. We returned to Dr. Professor Boa and made quick work of the moon dial which allowed us to grow vines for the formation of a portal, alas this one does not know if it was completed. But he trusts that it was not abandoned.

The return to Ashenmark in the morning was met with much excitement, as the tournaments and labyrinth runs were happening semi-concurrently. There were a handful of new adventurers which were quickly assimilated into groups for labyrinth runs and socializing. This year the labyrinth was much more challenging and while this one sadly only got to venture in once, he enjoyed it and wished he could do more. Food was continually served throughout the day and much of it was appetizing. This one was sure he saw Grarr eat many a meat on a stick, so it clearly was very enjoyable. J'ortsa hand delivered a helmet for ANTON's snail, which was then shown off to all. 

Court was very short, quite possibly one of the shortest courts to happen. But that does not mean it was lacking in importance. Highlord Temorse congratulated the Aces from Team Cressida for their tenacity and skill (and what can only be described as "hopeful" math skills about their age, which was quickly dashed when realization set in) and there was much applause! Nos was granted a fireball for his growth and skill in combat and court was adjourned. Onyx and J'ortsa left shortly after, so this one did not hear about the rest of the main course, but he knows that it was served and enjoyed by all.

The next morning after the appletini hangovers were hammering people's heads, a very boisterous and odd miner (NOT minor, there was some confusion) arrived to inform us that we were needed to go mining. He was also spouting something about purple worms, not wyrms, but he had also never seen one, so it was hard to trust his judgement. Onyx and some others worked on a dowsing ritual while others defended them from birds, wasps, and bears underground. And Pilpus, as brave as ever, carted wood around so we could repair the supports and stop the aggravating cave ins, which almost 

killed Khajiit, thankfully he could brush death aside. As we delved deeper still into the mines there were still ground wasps, oil birds, and cave bears, and A LOT of lighting. Our guide had been very dutiful in his torch placement, he was very proud of this fact. Finally we found where the miners had stopped working before the collapses. And as this one was working alongside Evie and Cimone to repair the supports in the area the tunnels started to quake. A PURPLE WORM ATE OUR GUIDE!!! It was horrific, had the children in the party been watching they would have been traumatized for life. Unfortunately the only thing that can kill a purple worm is another purple worm, at least that was what our now deceased guide told us. The worm ate and ate members of our party, striking them down with the force of boulders. Until finally, the worms hubris got the better of it and it got too long and thus ate itself once it wrapped around a stone column. The party members it ate exploded violently out of the corpse and we destroyed the worm. And thankfully we retrieved the corpse of our barely digested guide, whose title escapes this one, and brought him back to us. 

May your path lead you to warm sands,

J'ortsa

Watcher of the Skyless Sea

OOC: As always Ashen Bounty is a delight and Ashenmark hit it out of the park yet again. I cannot wait for Ashen Adventures in the spring and next years Ashen Bounty. The mocktails were a delight and I loved drinking out of a little coupe. Stemware aint so bad yall. But Ive already written so much. So I will end it here. Thank you Ashenmark, and thank you players for coming along for the ride!

Monthly Toahscope - October 1025

 Hey everybody, it's time for the newest Toahscope. October is known to be a mystically unusual month, and my readings seem to be affected a bit by that. Oh well, what can you do? Anyway, let's see what's in store for you this time.

Air 
The upcoming Black & White ball will bring something significant to you
Fall will find their result in the food
Spring should pay close attention to court
Summer will come across a mysterious visitor
Winter may be effected by an old friend
Day will find this to be beneficial, but it will be detrimental to Night

Earth
Various creatures may have an impact soon
Fall should look for dragons
Spring will see orcs become important
Summer should watch for birds
Winter may find merfolk to be significant
Day will gets results through a direct interaction with the creature. Night will see something as a result of the creature's recent or current presence

Fire
All Hallow's Eve fiercely dominated this element
All seasons had the same result: a figure in red
Day and Night will both see a secret get revealed

Metal
This element will see something important involving Undead
Fall should be aware of zombies
Spring may want to look for ghosts
Summer will see skeletons
Winter will find results in a specific undead "normal" creature, such as a cat ghost or zombie goblin
Day will see this result in riches and Night will find treats

Water
This is a strange one. Your future lies in View articles
Fall should look for What You Missed articles
Spring will want to read the Why I Want To Go posts
Summer will somehow find answers in Conspiracy Monthly
Winter may want to keep a watch on Meme Monday
Day will find a truth about themself while Night will learn something about a close ally

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Why I Want To Go - KosD Questing 3 Pt. 2

 By Max “Azimuth” McCalla

People of the Realms, as the air cools and the leaves begin to fall, we are once again given the opportunity to return to Blackavar.

During my previous time in these lands, I saw a unique duality in place for us adventurers. On one side, we met the nobles of Blackavar. We talked with them, participated in their politics, helped them shape the future of their nation. On the other, we saw a novel and dangerous threat in the form of the harrowed enemies who opposed us.

Throughout our time in Blackavar and the lands beyond, I believe that we have been given a unique opportunity to influence the area for the better. I have seen bountiful opportunities to make your mark, be it through questing in the day or night, or through the social systems throughout.

I am looking forward to meeting the people of Archendell, this new settlement of Blackavar. I hope that we can all aid them in their research, and any necessary defense to keep them safe from the Harrowed.

And more than anything else, I look forward to our first venture into the Harrowed lands. For the good of Blackavar and beyond, we must make progress towards stopping the harrowing. And if nothing else, we should at least ensure that Archendell and Blackavar as a whole stay safe.

But not all that is Harrowed is evil, and not all that is Harrowed is lost. Like some others, I myself have taken on some levels of Harrowing, and in exchange, I wield a sword equipped with the power of war itself. This is a power I intend to use to defend Blackavar and my other allies, at any necessary cost to myself.

Because friends, powerful beings think that they can write our story, and it is up to us to prove them wrong.

In addition to our return to Blackavar and venture into the Harrowed lands, a set of new opportunities awaits us on the final day of our quest. 

Three calls have been sent, and I hope to see you respond. With feral dragons, a troublesome sickness, and a mysteriously abandoned village, many folks seem to need our help and I hope all who are near answer the call. 

May your spells fly free and your blades strike true,

Azimuth 

Member of the Chimeron Militia

OOC:

KoSD Questing is the plot series that I am the most excited about right now. When I went to KoSD 2, the open world questing felt well-done and a refreshing twist on a typical questing formula. In my experience, the EHs have brought an extremely high level of passion and creativity to the plotwriting, props, and storytelling. This is also an event series that caters well to new players, giving them opportunities to interact with the plot and get more involved in our game as a whole. I am so ready to see where this next chapter goes.

And as for Sunday, storytellers brings in 3 new event holders. Nixon, Kyra, and Matthew are folks who I have a great deal of respect for, and I am excited to see what they have prepared. With the backing of the KoSD and their passion, 

I am hoping for great things!

Why I Want To Go - KOSD Questing 3 Pt. 1

 By Justin "Alder" Thibeault

To Whom it may Concern,

It has been many months since my last visit to the lands of Blackavar, and I, Alder Blackthorn, have missed it greatly. While this journey will not take us back to Blackavar Proper, it will bring us to the settlement of Archendell. And I, for one, am excited to meet more of the citizens of these lands. During our last trip we met the nobility of Blackavar, descendents of the original Knights of the Sable Dragon, and how the noble houses had evolved over time.

Now of course we must do research into the Harrowed and other creatures that go bump in the night that are plaguing the new settlement. For the innocent settlers of Archendell must be protected, and I do beseech you, dear reader, to help me in this endeavor. After all, if we allow that dastardly fiend to continue to wreak havoc on the lands of Blackavar, there is no telling what may happen to the rest of the Realms. 

There are also the Harrowed Lands, unknown to myself, but nonetheless likely dangerous and in need of our intervention to keep it from encroaching on the civilized parts of Blackavar. I do not know what there could be in these lands, but I know what we have encountered before, and I do not desire to let them gain any advantage. Though these Harrowed creatures are not evil, when I asked Vandor this question before, and so perhaps they can be saved. But as a Vandorian, should they make any move to attack, I will be sure to stop it with all my power I can muster. 

As always as adventurers there is plenty for us to seek, and Blackavar is no different. The people need our help and we must answer the call. 

I look forward to seeing you all on the field.

Alder Blackthorn

Cleric of Vandor and Danny’s Friend

OOC: I loved KOSD2 last year, it was some of the most fun I have had at an event in a very long time, and I really hope to repeat that this year. This event team is an insanely talented group of story tellers and prop makers that have crafted an amazing story and it has literally only just started. And speaking of just starting, I am also super excited to see what our new Storytellers modules have in store for us! They all sound really interesting and I look forward to assisting on the western flank. Hope to see many of you there!

Neden Kazoo

 

What You Missed - Feast of Blackwood - Photos

Learning about the Arcanum Core, an exciting new way of using magic

Sebon was kidnapped. Again. This time with a bomb.

These Spore Orcs (Sporcs if you will) mean business

Stark in a cage, waiting to be rescued

PIG ATTACK

CHOMP

Yay food!

Merriment could be seen throughout the hall

Can you trust a demon, even if it can't lie?

Got any 3's? Oh, wrong game

Omri had a very, very unique bardic

The bards had some amazing competition

 

Toah is made Steward of Acteon (photo by Ypnn)

Congrats Tempest

 

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

What You Missed - Shadowlands

Stepping into the Shadow Lands, we were met with resistance—ruffians barring our path as we pushed toward Kharma and the Church. We tried to avoid a fight, truly. But Nos calling us bandits didn’t help our case. Thankfully, JB was with us, smacking us from death back into life. Turns out, a well-placed smack can be surprisingly restorative.

Jayce told us JB’s mind had been corrupted. To save him, we used the Head Key to dive into his brain. Inside, we found a map and a helpful guide—Little Guy’rus—who helped us navigate the chaos. JB’s ginger addiction turn do out to be the key to his vault, so we had to feed it. Battling through the void of his mind, we gathered the pieces we needed to break through. 

We laid out our game plan to cleanse JB’s brain. Our journey took us from “How Do You Like Them Apples” to “Drinks, Dingers, and Zingers,” then “Jerkeyville,” “Gotta Have Faith,” and finally, “Dreams and Nightmares.” Just outside the vault, we set up our hub—hunting down corrupted gnomes, apples, solo cups, beavers, blood drops, meats, dragons, coins, waxtons, barrels, and flowers. JB’s mind is... unique.

Together, we cracked the Shadowscript.

How Do You Like Them Apples: We found dragon dancing girls corrupted by bad apples. Dodging their charms, we brewed a batch of clean cider and freed them.

Drinks, Dingers, and Zingers: Little Guy’rus invited us to a Neden party. The welcome was... frosty. As a Knight of Neden, I spoke with the boys, got some clues, and somehow became a journalist for the Neden Kazoo. We debated leaving, but some persisted. We found the coasters needed to free the boys from corruption. Syrus got his karaoke moment too.

Jerkeyville: Here we met JB’s bloody side. We had to restart the jerky supply and the Baptiste Butchery. Dragons were slain. Dragons were... ground. Sir Elizah brokered a deal to save a few.

Gotta Have Faith: We descended into the Church of Shadow, crawling with shadowed versions of ourselves. Saegan tore through them, declaring our heraldry would not be worn falsely. We purified the corrupt waxtons and faced a rampaging coin golem while shadow selves vied for control of the church. 

Dreams and Nightmares: Mostly nightmares. Through divination rituals with Char, we learned our foes would be rabbits and babies. They came for our flag. Veet and I tried to shield it—failed—but created a regeneration point that healed armor. Creathorne stood firm, chanting to hold back the magic of super bunnies and babies. Veet used an intervention to reclaim our flag when it was lost. The rest of us ran flags through the darkness, gathering scattered pieces. The final battle was brutal—an invincible rabbit and a giant baby. But once they fell, JB’s mind was freed.

Vault: Two teams made it into JB’s vault, solving puzzles that unlocked hidden articles in the Neden Kazoo—revealing the truth behind the corruption.

The Escape: With the complete Neden Kazoo carried by Aiden and JB’s Virgin Blood (yes, really) in Samuel’s hands, we began our exit. A quick detour to save Char’s magic sword. Jasper led the charge as we fought our way out.

Back in the Shadow Lands, tensions rose. A beast tore through Omega Cultists—a creature unleashed that must now be dealt with. We need to gather the Keys and stop the Omega Key from forming. Hopefully not inside JB’s brain next time.

Armed with my blade—forged from a magical sausage found in Jean Baptiste’s brain vault—I venture forth to slay the beast. Hopefully, with you at my side.

Squire Whan-Hedda con Atlantis

Why I Want To Go - Ashen Bounty XII

 By Adrian "Cronin" Cronin

Greetings fellow adventurers,

Fall is here. The crisp October air brings a scald to the tempered heat of our summer battles. A great time to offer gratitude for all of our victories, revel and reap the great harvest. And what a bounty shall be provided in the lands of Ashenmark this weekend.

Twenaria, has bewitched me with her culinary magics. As a warrior, I’ve dedicated my life to Vandor; however to know my true fury… you need only try to keep me from that kitchen. My armor will surely need adjusting for the labyrinth and any combat tournament taking place. 

The labyrinth promises great riches to the team who can complete it. Last years labyrinth presented quite the challenge, I look forward to testing my mettle in its halls once more. Tourneys will sate my appetite for battle, as it is always and honor to trade blows with the great heroes of the realms.

I too, look forward to hearing how well Ashenmark has faired since last years evacuation. They are a resilient lot, with whom I have pledged my aid in the restoration of their lands. Whatever fowl enemy threatens Ashenmark surely threatens us all. I for one will repay their hospitality with displays of prowess, honor and glory. Woe to our enemies. Glory to Ashenmark!

-Commander Cronin Barbaria of the Broken Spears Free Company

***

OOC:

This is my favorite event of the year. It’s the one I push to my fellow Broken Spears as a buffet of what the realms has to offer. Some questing, bit of feasting, tourneys and plenty of interesting activities. It’s truly not one you want to miss.

I can’t wait to unwind alongside all of you after what has been a very memorable and epic summer. Plenty ahead for the fall and winter,  but when such a bounty presents itself… you’d be a fool not revel.

-Adrian Cronin

Yom Kippur

From the staff, may you have an easy fast if you participate in today's traditions, yom tov if not. There is still an article for today about an upcoming feast event, which feels appropriate.

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Rumors around the Realms October 1025

  

Rumors around the Realms October 1025

Central Realms Settlements 

Reports of missing livestock have increased a bit, especially from goatherds.  When searching for the missing animals, all that is found is bits of ash.

Blackavar

Rumors of dragon activity in the northern outskirts of Blackavar. A dragon hunting organization is looking for aid.

Across the realms

It's once again heard via messages passed around for the good people of the Realms to not be alarmed that a dragon is opening its hoard to others. The missives are the same as last year by all estimates. Any who write and deposit a letter at Black and White will receive a response and a gift. Letters are to contain what is asked for so that the dragon may choose gifts as appropriate. Gifts will then be dispersed by an ambassador at a later point. All exchanges are peace bound and in good faith.

a small town of brightvale

All attempts to reach the towns of Greystone, Hollowmere, and Marrowford have been met with silence. With so few soldiers to spare, only a handful were sent to follow the old roads, but they returned with troubling reports. The towns themselves could not be found, as if they had never stood there at all. In their place were strange ruins showing decay not known to our time. Some whisper that creatures linger among them, restless, though none can say for certain what they seek.