Adventurers Guild Monster Drawings from Feast of the Leviathan XXII

At this past Feast of the Leviathan the Adventurers Guild created a series of challenges against which heroes of the Realms could pit their skill and their wits. The happy result of one of those challenges can be seen below. We'll let the pictures tell the story.

Meme Mondays

by the Meme Team

Winter/Spring Horoscope1020

By Janna "Iawen" Oakfellow-Pushee

A long time ago, the races of the Realms have looked into the stars and wondered, What if?, never realizing that in some places, in some planes, those very stars were looking right back at us, wondering the same thing. There's a lot the stars can tell us, if only we show a humble want for knowledge.

In past years, a man has visited the Realms who was not a man at all, but a fallen star who took on a human persona as Hesperus Star-keeper. As it is, two Star People with the names Orion Mars and Cressida still walk with us from time to time. Even now, we sometimes also battle with Strangers beyond the Stars.

All have names, all have houses, all have a purpose and a drive.

And, if you're willing to listen to the what the stars have to say, you might just find yours, too.
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These are thoughts on how your Winter, heading into Spring, might be turning out.

House of:

Capricorn: With the Wolf Moon already passed and the Snow Moon predicted to bring with it the namesake, you're readying your knives and social skills in the dark.  While the light is slowly returning (thankfully) from the Solstice, your current paranoid persona is having you prepare for the worse that could happen to your group first, and then yourself.  Running solo?  Then it might refer to your material things, such as your cart or personal mount, or even something notable as two sets of winter clothes.  Nobody likes their things purposely ruined, and while I would say things can be replaced, the stars would disagree with me.  If you cherish something deeply, perhaps leave it away from the next few gatherings.  If it's a person you love, make sure you're not going to 'kill them with kindness or protection'.  We all joke about knifing a person and sitting on them 'for their own good' until a danger has passed, but to actually practice this before the Spring Equinox will have many a Realmsian angered and confused.  Best to work on that social thing instead.  Might cause less danger. Maybe.

Aquarius: The murkier the waters, the more stodgy and stubborn you'll become.  Dragging your heels from the sand to the seashore, you keep drawing the water up and dumping it out, to no avail.  You cannot clear the ocean all by yourself, and it's idiotic on anyone to think that you could (even with a Divine Intervention or three).  It's no longer time for doing the same thing over and over; this salt and dirt are ruining your amphora.  Instead, take a step back from the line, and then another, and then another.  Move away to a safer place and completely clear, clean, and polish until the amphora (and yourself) can shine again, the way you're used to.  People will make high demands of you doing this period, but in order to bloom on the Spring Equinox this task should surely be done.

Pisces: The year is barely starting and already you feel like a fried fish.  The back and forth temperatures of both your friends and the weather are beating down on your usual day-to-day routine, drying up your energy so much that you can barely muster a fight, a reading, a ritual, or even just getting out of bed some day.  Never fear, Pisces and especially rogues in this House: you won't be out of water for much longer.  After a tumultuous period that leads up into the waxing crescent within February, your entire adventure of Life will be flipped over, and for the better.  Just have to wait it out, then wade it out.  You're going to make it.

Aries:  The need for expressing yourself, if you're a Fighter, is there in your mind to the point of aggravation.  "But what do Fighters get?" is a cry you might also hear, perhaps from your own lips.  While Casters in House Aries will have it much easier heading into March, that doesn't mean that Fighters in this House shouldn't try.  Make that weapon.  Sew that garb. Paint the thing.  Do the stuff.  Write it down.  Fighter does not equal 'dumb' nor does it mean you should stifle your creativity.  On the contrary, now is the time to bust it out, as hard as you can. If you fail, proudly toss your horns and announce that you meant to do that.  And while you're at, take another adventurer along for the ride, like a Sagittarius. You'll be amazed at the things you two can accomplish this Winter!

Taurus: Fighters in this house are going to experience an excellent swing upwards (no pun intended) in their style and skills as their hard work pays off. No hard work, though? No problem as you're also going to become seemingly more lucky during the month of February.  As we march our way towards the end of Winter, however, those who have been practicing will break away from the pack, and the adventurers of the Realms will really start to take notice of those who they can tangle with, and who they shouldn't grab by the horns.

Gemini: February does not present a pleasant situation. Conflicts between senior members of your group may disrupt the harmony of the House. Children will be at the receiving end.  No children? Then it will fall on your newest or inexperienced members. Expenses miss the arrow's mark, overshooting and although it's nice to look like wealth, one ought to make sure their coffers are actually able to stand up to such display. It is up to you to be calm and restore cordiality and a sense of balance in the group atmosphere, but at the table gamble for your life.  You're going to need to make all the gold you can, however you can, and as quick as you can.  March will also not be as kind to you or your pockets, so if you're the generous type (with your weapons, with your magic, with your personal gear) it might be time to hold back and even possibly cash in those few favors to get you through.

Cancer: Certainly February will be your month, and in every possible way.  At the beginning, there will be first proposals that will change your adventuring situation, which you have been waiting for (FOR SO LONG!).  As soon as it turns out that changes can be beneficial for you, then do not wait a moment with their implementation.  Speaking of Implement, if you're a Cancer that has this spell, consider changing it up from what you currently have it as.  Have a Wand? Go Orb.  Staff? Go Book.  And so forth.  A little change here and there will spark interest again for you, and also catch the eyes of those who are more into subtlety, and thus note that perhaps you're not as uninspired as they thought you were.

Leo: This Winter, the stars say those in this House of Lions will be accompanied by a carefree period and it will be harder than ever to control their expenses.  Even so, a lion will have enough cunning in their life to survive, and you will use the winning streak in an excellent way so that you will provide yourself with an additional source of income.  Now that's something to roar about!  Special note:  At the end of the February is Xaos' Holy Day (The Missing Day), and you'll be the center of attention because of a certain event that happened in the past. However, before you start a discussion on this subject, think carefully about what you want to say, then do not be ashamed of the words you said.  Brush your mane, and present yourself.  Here. You. Are.

Virgo:  If you're in love, it will be passionate and imaginative. There will be a good rapport with your partner until the 17th of the month. After that, you are lost in your own thoughts. Overall, life will be pleasant for fighters and casters alike. There will be plenty of opportunities for alliances. Keep your eyes wide open at tournaments and other social gatherings. A spiritual connection will complete the affair and you'll have it altogether by the Equinox.

Libra: The stars foretell that your life will be easier than normal this winter, heading into spring. You will have fewer responsibilities and more time to do the things that you want to do. Working on your hobbies will be able to bring you a lot of joy this year. 1020 is a great year to focus on yourself and your relationships, and no better time than the present to make this happen.  To the outsiders, those not within this House, it may appear to be slothful, sheer laziness, but you are literally relaxing (something you didn't get to do last year, or, one might argue, last decade) and taking things in, slowly, and letting things that don't work out go (again slowly).  This is going to be an amazing time for you, and I'm cheering you on!

Scorpio: This winter, you have to deal with annoyances that exasperate or even depress you. In January, communication is difficult, you try to stay composed in early February but you are confronted with misunderstandings and incomprehension in late February and early March. Wait until the Spring to promote more constructive exchanges, and to narrow the ranks in what you believe to be your true family, your true love.  Fighters should check all their gear and blades, fix anything broken or outright throw gold at the problem if Blacksmithing isn't in their wheelhouse.  Speaking of Blacksmithing, weapon-smiths who are Scorpios may find it a lucrative year if they offer their talents at the right time before Spring shows.  Those are Scorpio Casters should heavily consider a complete garb over-haul to work with the spells (and thus the material components) they've committed themselves to.

Sagittarius:   No love for Healers, sadly.  You will feel inclined to resolve any problems that may have occurred last year. This is a great time for cleaning up the past in the present to make way for a better future. You need to be patient, social, and daring this year if you want to make an impact.  Seed of Life, while useful, is currently nobody's friend in your repertoire, so make way for optimizing what you can do now to prevent further sit-downs on the side of the field from occurring.  Don't forget that Archery is literally within your Sign's namesake, so why not 'give it a shot'? Also, if you grinned at that pun instead of groaning, then you're going to want to make others grin during the gloomy, muddy season ahead.


No matter what you believe, have a wonderful 1020, and be well. - IawenW

The Tenghuanese Well

Knowledge is fleeting
Good things come to those who wait
The present is now

Bardic Circle: Drinking With Pirates

By Diamond

To the tune of “Dancing With Bears”

I went to his camp in the middle of the night. G C G
I searched everywhere and I looked left and right, D G
And to my surprise he was nowhere in sight G C G
Cause Simon goes drinking at night. C G D G

chorus
He goes d-d-drinking, drinking with pirates. G
Rowdy pirates, fancy pirates, salty pirates too! D G
There’s nothing on earth that Simon won’t do G C G
So he can go drinking, d-d-drinking, C G C G
d-d-drinking, go drinking with pirates. C G D G

Simon brought banned booze to sell.
Now it’s all gone, from what I hear tell.
And I can’t help but notice the smell.
I’m sure Simon’s been drinking like hell.

Chorus

He told the captain to shoot their flags.
Using a cannon the shot it to rags,
While empty bottles fill the trash bags.
Simon drinks till he gags.

Chorus

Many a time Simon ends up married,
And only through divorce is bigamy parried.
With many a lass has Simon tarried.
To get home after drinking, Simon must be carried.

Chorus
Chorus

Asirwar Wrap-up: Feast of the Leviathan XXII

by Jason "Aeston" Rosa with help from Alex "Elouan" Groom

Original Announcement:

In a grandiose, opulent room atop a temple in the highest mountains of Asgard, standing around a humongous round table with room for everyone to speak face to face, the scene opens upon thirteen only recently born deities locked in a furious debate with one another. While most of their discussions had been civil, many finding unanimous agreement about how they should best contribute to the revitalization of their worlds, there had certainly been some friction as well. Yet even in those minor arguments, the Asir and the Vanir that stood around that table had never been a position such as this: One where each god and their children were so completely opposed to one another’s point of view that they could find no common ground.

The debate entered its third day and not a single one of the gods had budged an inch on their stance. Finally, with no end in sight, Crow, the acting head of the pantheon, suggested that words would not suffice to put this argument to rest. Instead, he proposed that the gods engage in a friendly competition, a war between the divine armies that they could create and command, with the nearby Asireach Peninsula as their battleground. They would meet in combat and the deity that was successful in wresting most of the landform from their brothers and sisters would have their way in the argument. Begrudgingly, the rest of the Asir and Vanir agreed. Certainly none of the rest of them had any better way out of this debacle. And in any case, each of them had supreme confidence in their ability to wage war and be victorious.

You must act as the hand of the gods and help determine the victor of both the peninsula and the debate. The nature of that debate, the outcome that your side wishes to pursue, that will be revealed to you… and decided by you. But only if you are triumphant.

Wrapup:

The Asireach Peninsula stood serene and vacant in the morning mist. Before the Black Death invaded, this area of land held a great walled city home to many hundreds of Asir and Vanir. Now it was barren, the structures all erased by the ichor that once covered the land, save the scattered temples across the firmament whose divinity somehow preserved them. The lives of the gods that once resided here were given in battle against that otherworldly foe those many years ago. Now, the Asir of this new era would do battle here and in doing so pay respects to what came before and the predecessors who lost their lives in this place.

Each Asir along with their children claimed three holy temples from which to wage war. Once they had settled into these starting provinces, they willed into existence spectral warriors that would follow their commands and join in battle against one another. They agreed upon the rules of conduct they would abide by and separated to their camps to make their plans.

The clarion call of a horn rang out across the landscape and the armies marched forth. Each of the gods wrote the story of the war with their strategies and their diplomacy and certainly some of their plans found greater purchase than others. Early on, Crow claimed the territories closest to him and remained entrenched in his area for the rest of the war, unable to push his way out past his foes. Vivant and Sovereign started out as allies working towards common goals, but Sovereign broke that pact to pursue their own interests. Vivant began retaliating against this betrayal with the help of Tychasaurus and Lormar, eventually forcing Sovereign into a defensive position from which they could not recover. Graynar had an aggressive strategy taking over large swaths of land, but was pushed back by the combined forces of Tychasaurus, Lormar, and Vivant, who felt Graynar’s strong starting position made him a threat. Ultimately, Lormar and Tychasaurus decided to try to claim Vivant’s remaining territory, as he had been weakened by fighting with Sovereign. It was a race to gain as much ground as they could, the two sisters being in the best position to be victorious.

When the dust finally settled, the warlike ferocity of Tychasaurus and her keen negotiating skills could not be opposed even by the combined efforts of several of her brothers and sisters. The Asireach Peninsula was still fractured in its loyalties but the greatest amount of it was now her domain. Victory in the war and victory in the wager belonged to the lord of all dinosaurs.

It is not the predilection of Asir to be petty, however. At least not openly. The bet having been settled through glorious battle was all anyone required to be able to stand back around the table peacefully and continue their work to rebuild the most metaphysical aspects of Norlund. However, not before Tychasaurus had finally settled their debate and had her way.

In the countless millennia before the Black Death the most ubiquitous creature throughout all the many worlds of Norlund were the trolls. One might be deceived into thinking this was because the race was a hearty one, able to thrive in different climates and conditions, savage in their ability to survive no matter the adversity. This is only partially the reason, however. The greater truth is that trolls existed everywhere because the thread of their species was knit into the very fabric of what was Norlund. The personification of all of the worlds, of the spirit of battle, of the ferocity of nature, of the balance and harmony within all living things… all of that was the lifeblood of the Troll. In the devastation caused by the Black Death, however, the primal spark from which Trolls were wrought had been permanently extinguished.

Yet with the powers of all of the new Asir united, a new primal spark could be created. From this spark would be born all the new members of that species for all time, and from the species' inner qualities Norlund would grow and be shaped into its glorious, but uncertain, future. 

That species, however, need not be trolls.

The debate that raged between the gods was over what this new race would be. For each of the Asir and their children had a different vision of what the new Norlund would become and each of them worked to assert their point of view during their discussions on how to rebuild the worlds. Most of the time diplomacy and discussion was enough to resolve these differing points of view but on this issue each Asir had set their feet and refused to budge.

Crow, who maintained a cautious leadership over the rest of his siblings by virtue of being the oldest, gave in to the whims of his daughter Thyra and campaigned to make dragons the new race of the divine spark. Of the siblings, Lormar had the greatest respect for tradition and felt most compelled to create a new world as similar as possible to the one that had died. Her argument was to create a new race of trolls that would come from the spark. Vivant understood well the power that could come from the most majestic aspects of nature and fought for the spark to birth mighty oak trees across all the worlds. Sovereign harbored a deep respect for the kobold race for behind their warlike exterior was a culture that held deep reverence for wisdom and mysticism. They saw a future for Norlund where the divine spark was infused with these qualities as well. Graynar threw his lot in with the jotun, believing a spark full of order and decorum would come from the heavy hand and rigid society of these giants.

Each of the Asir and Vanir had their own individual desires for the new race of the spark. Each of them envisioned a world that would best suit their own hopes and whims. But none of those gods were victorious in the Asirwar and now each of them stood silently regarding Tychasaurus, waiting for her to render her verdict and obedient in their promise to honor the terms of their wager.

Tychasaurus remained still and reverent, only slightly betraying her mood by the upturned corners of her mouth. She let the moment hang there, partially to relish what she had achieved, partially to revel in the happy repercussions of winning this vital argument with her siblings. At last, ready to speak the word and chisel into reality her intentions, she drew a deep breath.

“Dinosaurs!” she roared such that the entire temple shook with the reality and the gravity of it.

And dinosaurs it shall be.

Meme Mondays

by the Meme Team