Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Rumors for August 1023

 

[Across the Realms]

Those along the coasts of the Realms may hear of masons and carpenters receiving strange requests. Those who normally build lighthouses feel they’ve been asked about fortresses, and those who deal in the mundane have been left scratching their heads about impossible floor plans that the clients insist should be possible.
~~~

-Scrying Orb Now Recording-

“He wants an abridged version??”

indistinct fighting sounds in background

“KOSD very busy!

Blackavar expedition already paid for.

Please protect the contractors!”

~~~

Small white lights can be descending from the sky and landing at various points. A larger concentration of the lights have been falling in close to Voaraniss proper as well as in the north of Stonewood. Little else is known of the phenomenon as when the area is inspected there is nothing to be found.

[Chimeron]

Small bands of goblins have been seen traveling the road between Chimeron City and the Town of Moonhold. Passersby have kept their distances, and there are no reports yet of any attacks. In Moonhold itself, the townsfolk have seen goblins setting up booths at market, but few have gone close enough to see what's for sale.

[Nangea]

As merchants return from sailing to Nangea, glowing seaweed has been found on the hulls of their ships. Initial attempts to clean it off led to people getting sick, but careening wharfs have since learned to take more care around this dangerous plant.

~~~

Pacifican merchants returning from Nangea report seeing unusually rough waters on their trips. Boats are needing repairs more often than normal due to all the storms.

[Pacifica]

It's been nearly six years since King Skyros rose to power, and the Pacifican people have started to wonder how much longer they will need to wait before they can finally see a royal wedding. Some suitors have made attempts, but thus far none have caught the King's interest.

[Rhiassa]

The flow of trade continues unabated across the Vanfrost; the people of Midgard benefit greatly from the Realms' wares and luxuries and people across the southern nations are transfixed by Norlund's exotic products. However with all commerce comes some element of underground merchandise. In this case, it's been rumored that some dinosaur whelps have been secreted away from their homes and into the Realms to serve as exotic pets to the wealthy. A detachment of the Lion Militia has been stationed at the Vanfrost customs checkpoint to help abate this issue.

[Saurabia]

Exclusive story from the Raptor Rag! Allegedly, our Rex brought back a dream demon from his joyride on the luxurious Dreamliner. Maybe that cute Ooble isn't the only thing he brought back, or perhaps the Ooble is just a disguise! Our sources tell us that the dream demon is a risk taker, and that he's been seen plotting with our leaders!

For more on this story as it develops, keep reading the Raptor Rag—we're not afraid to go beak-to-beak with the people in power!

[Southern Wastes]

Sir Dagger of Blackwood accepts the people's choice to name SLIM of CrestGrath as its new Mayor. As of last year, SLIM is the current Mayor of CrestGrath. As one of his first acts as Mayor, he ordered the completion of the stone wall around the town. To pay for the construction in the remote Town of CrestGrath, SLIM offered free drinks and food to all who are actively working on the wall, mines and quarry for the duration of its construction. 

The wall has only been 1/3rd complete for 18 years and in that time not a single stone was has been laid until now. Similarly, the Town Hall has been "under renovation" for a similar time. All town projects stopped when Sir Dagger of Blackwood, the prior Mayor, diverted all founds to construct the Library of CrestGrath around 18 years ago.

Residents of the town have mixed feelings about the renewed attention to the wall, yet the mayor insists that it will be constructed.

Why They Want To Go - Rhiassa Presents: Queen of Hearts XXVIII

We asked each of the Queens of this coming weekend's teams why they want to go to Queen of Hearts and why they were excited about their teams.

I was asked what my goal was for this weekend, and what my team was setting out to accomplish, and honestly, I've been stumped for a while on this question. Of course one of my first goals I set out to achieve when starting prep for a team was that I wanted the team to embody what it means to be a powerful woman in our community, but since then it's grown into so much more than that. Truth be told, running a QoH team never crossed my mind until a passive side comment was made about it. Seeing how quickly my friends and even acquaintances rallied behind the idea and how excited everyone got at the opportunity to compete with and against some of the talented members of our community, I knew I couldn't let the sparks fizzle out, and decided it was time to embrace the flames. And I'm extremely grateful I did. Between the powerhouse of kickass women at the helm of our team all stepping out of their comfort zones and showing tf up, to all of the hard work each and every team member has put in this far from crafting, to logistics, practices, comedic relief and so much more, I can't wait for our overall fight and spirit to be displayed this weekend for everyone to see. I truly could not have asked for a better group of folks to be by my side. So I guess to answer the initial question, my ultimate goal for this weekend is to showcase what strength in companionship and passion can achieve.

See you on the field,

-Ser Elizah 
Knight Commander of the Lunar Aegis 
Knight of Blackwood
Squire to the Sable Dragon

I am beyond excited for this year’s Queen of Hearts! I’ve been waiting a very long time to run my own team, and now I finally get to. Woo-hoo!

One of the things that I am super psyched about is my lady true supporter squad, whom I have affectionately dubbed “Kindy’s Angels.” (If you know, you know.) Between the four of us, we have almost 60+ years of experience in Realms! I know I am in good hands, and am so appreciative of everything they have done thus far to get the team ready and in good shape.

We’re setting out to achieve personal bests this year, encourage new folk, go outside of our comfort areas, and have a good time above all else. When these groups get together, we are absolute goofballs, which I appreciate in the heat of competition. While I love combat, I am most excited about non-coms. It’s like gift-giving at Christmas for me, and I can never wait for the big reveals. 

I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone!

- Spirit Queen Dame Kindrianna

Knight of the Eternal Flame

Knight of the Sable Dragon

Knight of the Lunar Aegis

Magi of the Realms

High Priestess of the Church of Vandor

Looking Gods In the Eye: Prelude

by Ethan "JB" Goldman

In the Realms we had to once kill a God because the faith of the Realms was out of balance with the amount of Gods we had. This had lead to a ultimatum, either accept our apathy and forsake faith, abandoning worship and allowing the worshippers to be put to axe… Or to take one of the strongest of Gods and strike him down, a task that was done with shockingly little fuss, and only one casualty.

This raised a question: Does the Realms need the Gods? And this highlights the purpose of Garm perhaps best.

We have become jaded, we have killed too much, forced our will on so many, that the Gods have lost their splendor. The Dark One does not call anymore, we feed it anyway. Why would the void look back at us, who follow it blindly? 

Why turn to the Light when Darkness itself has died twice? It's not by Gaia’s hand that Norlund was saved, and why would the Realms bend the knee to their children, having fathered 3 pantheons?

Intervention is no longer Divine, and we do not worship, we negotiate, as if they are but mercenaries. Some of us wait for a god to impress them to follow them, not wishing to believe in someone on paper when the god will, inevitably, emerge to make their own case… as if the God is applying for a job.

So when Garm asks “Why have the Gods”, what CAN the Realms do but echo that question?  When we wonder “What can Aurora do for us” you will always be disappointed by that answer. 

I offer a second theory: I believe the Gods are being looked at the wrong way. We treat them too much as we do humans.

We see their power and know they are, or at least claim to be, good, and question why they are not perpetually involved in world affairs the way our kings and lords are. Sure, the Dark One need not meddle in banditry and other evils… but with Rainecourt threatening all divinity, with the Erl King wishing to render this world a wasteland… Their lack of assistance seems striking, even when they do help.

Shandar is willing to walk straight to Garimaddon and fight his dark magics until the false king’s all too mortal heart gives out, yet Gaia will not stay with us at nightfall to face the knight who most wishes to defile all she cares for?  

By this paradigm the Gods owe the Realms much, but this only works in the concept of humans with the powers of Gods, we do not think much of the duties of the gods that we do not see of them, yet define their worship.

We ask Aurora for spell resets, or for her Tears or her swords. In short we ask her for miracles.

We do not ask her for matters of the Light, of Purity and Hope, except in the context “Boy I hope we get a spell reset”. We do not ask for guidance from the gods, merely Guidance. We choose to flavor our demands of resources in the colors of the gods but rarely do we go further, thanking the gods for the blessings of their domains that are NOT tied to miracles. 

When one turns to the Gods as sources of power, you will inevitably be disappointed, in the same way that Lionheart is a subpar shovel. It has all the qualities necessary, it is strong, it will not break, it is not what it is however.

The gods are not masters over their domains, they ARE their domains. A wizard may call forth water with ease and move on his day with no consequence. The Storm can not rain without diminishing its clouds, bleeding upon the earth. The gods are the same.

The Dark One is not simply every 200 taps to the back of the head and a praise to its name. It is ENTROPY, it is every roll of the dice, every wave breaking the rocks to sand, every sound you hear when you are alone. It is outside us, and while our actions may feed it, or even oppose it… its work remains. The Dark One always guides the sword that slices the soul, whether or not we ask it for divine aid or otherwise pray. 

The other divinities are the same. They are constant presences who serve to color the worlds in ways directly beneficial and sometimes harmful, but always in ways outside their purpose to their clerics. The sun will rise whether or not Aurora’s faithful remember to crow at it, because Aurora believes in the Realms more than we believe in her.

Which is all very sappy… but there’s a point.

We treat faith as a tool, as the Fourth Path of magic, something we reserve to our rituals, or plots. We do not speak of the gods until we need to save them or kill them. But this is what builds our ire towards them an ire they do not deserve, as we await them to be “Worthy of us”. We define the gods only by their miracles and their priests… but they are beyond that. You do not need the admiration of Aeston for Justari to deliver you from your enemies, Arius does not need you to utter the Cowards Confession each time you steel your nerves… These mundane blessings are where the gods’ songs can be heard, not in the rare miracle. Indeed these miracles are often the gods at their LOWEST. When Aurora blessed the Realms with her tears, it's not as effortless as simply offering her hand to the people. Her child was murdered, and she felt despair, failing her one true purpose, her tears are the concentrated form of her power as they are nothing less than the broken pieces of a shattered soul.

I would not wish that on my worst enemy. But because this is her greatest miracle, others have. Simple consequence of the pragmatic mindset. If we view the gods as how they can help the Realms, and their miracles are martyrical… then inevitably, the Realms will define them BY their sacrifice, and hope to maximize the gods assistance to the realms by imitating it. Inevitably, the Gods become Meat.

When a god performs a miracle, they must turn away from their duties, they must forsake hope, or death, or war, to assist you and hope that the investment is worthwhile. Many times it is, when Vesta assisted against Rexan she sacrificed her powers to bring a world that was less poisonous… BUT this does not mean this trade off is viable EVERY TIME.

We ask why, if the gods do not always answer our prayers why do we need them, but if the gods are personally answering every prayer of yours why do they need YOU?

The Gods do not  need our direct prayers to do their work. You can do the same.

You do not need dog ears to appreciate the full moon, the lit paths are a gift enough. You do not need the blessing of Laika to hope for a better future

If one were to treat the Gods for who they are, not for their clerics and their miracles, then one would see the gods for the Value they have, to the Realms, and even, maybe, to you yourself.

In this series I seek to do just that, we will look at every god not for who follows them, not for the prayers they answer, but for who they are. We will see past the churches and magics to look the gods in the eye. 

Along the way I shall provide maxims to assist one in attuning thyself to faith.

We will start with my oldest rival, one of the first gods of the realms, Gaia herself.

Maxim 1: Neither a single plant, nor a forest, makes a garden. Do not look to a god for every answer, nor do you the vastness of gods steer you away from faith itself. Cultivate a Garden of worship, defining your values and fears by the faces of those behind them.

Spaces in Between: It Feels Like Reality Is Falling Apart

 by Omri Azar

(The above imagery has appeared on a seal that was broken, flashes of vision, and on the bodies of seven individuals killed outside of Coventry. What does it mean?)

Here are things as I’ve experienced them, near as I can recollect, and let’s hope your experiences match up with mine. I can’t claim that this is a writing of things I know. Nor is it fully exhaustive and comprehensive. It’s speculation. TLDR; Things are weird and it feels like reality is falling apart.

The first I heard of Squire Liselle Silvermaple and Sir Aelias Softshadow, I was handed a bounty for their renderings to the tune of 100 rowan, signed BC.

I immediately figured out who these people were and where they were at, then found Liselle and let her know there was a bounty on her head. At the time she and Fern Eberhardt, Squire to Count Ser Kovaks Darkvale, were preparing for a presentation about the threat Eagle’s Rook is facing. BC has continued to threaten these two and at one point Liselle and BC parlayed, as allegedly BC will not harm those that break bread with him. Do not take this to mean you are safe.

An extraplanar being, Margaret August, Servant of Aurora and Squire to Sir Laika Knight of the Crown, claims to have witnessed up to that point several incidents of duplicate people, odd objects, and things that were not quite as they seemed.

There are a myriad of odd and strange rumors, not all we could possibly follow up on in these last few months. Death Knights and stolen identities and odd traveling figures galore.

How this would relate to a bounty placed by BC is not now even entirely known.

BC (Blood Cult, Bone Cult, Birth Control <-fan favorite) stands for Blue Coyote, at least that's the leader's name. Allegedly. An enigmatic figure in a blue hood, cape, and blue cloth mask  There was a some sort of skull mask on their face, likely feline or canine. Wields a staff of bone that might inflict Bone Blight on his victims. An effect of Bone Blight is potentially maybe reality magic? You are undone and made to be yourself again, but with a small familial connection to BC. Signs and symptoms include a stabbing/puncture hole, goo around said hole, and sudden fond feelings towards BC. According to Margaret a Protect the Soul delayed the last of these symptoms if not completely stopped. Don’t get stabbed with the goo, you will be paralyzed. Immunity/Purity to poison may help. Treat Bone Blight as a zombie bite and don’t keep it secret. Bone Blight can be undone by a master reality mage, especially a dream demon, or BC himself. BC was targeting Liselle and Aelias because it was seen by Sharti that they would bring about his downfall. Now he is targeting everyone involved as any two may play a part in the ritual that will doom him. I do not know what this ritual is.

At one point a group of us attempted to investigate reports of BC guild activity outside of Folkstone, only to have potentially have been drugged. It feels between the drugs and the reality mayhem we cannot trust our senses.

There are cracks in the wall, according to Sharti. Lights shine through. Something cannot come through. Not yet. Does reality need to break more to make this being be able to come through? Does BC serve this being? He said the light made things for him possible, is it related to the cracks?

BC saved Shoshanna. Yes that Shoshanna, whose arm bones were made into swords of light. We do not know why yet. Maybe as a favor? She is now alive but is she also dead. She and Sir Chan go drinking in Ivory sometimes.

Squire Tony was given a ‘thirsty’ dodecahedron by Aaron Matthewson, a half angel wanderer. Son of Matthew of the Silver Legion. Aaron carries a spear staff with four angel sigils, of Order of Michael, Order of Gabriel, Order of Raphael, Order of Uriel. These dodecahedrons might be a key. The importance of these dodecahedrons are still unknown. Each dodecahedron is the collaboration of two gods, with there being seven dodecahedrons total. We do not know which 14 gods total made one except Garm, Aurora, and Dionin.

Now we talk about the gods, and their part in this. What is their part in this? A statue of Justari was seen to have black veins around its base, divinations thrown at it negatively affecting the caster. Sir Chan tried to help, and in return his connection to the Just god severed. I sold the information Justari might be dead to fae trader Lavendar, so apologies to them for now sharing with all of you. He is not dead, maybe, just affected. When the Hammer of Justice returns, the wounds of betrayal may heal.

Asmodeus. Not a god. Or is he? At Black and White in the year 1022 ‘he’ showed up. Apparently claiming to be god of balance after Garm died saving Dalinnda. According to Margaret. Rumor has it there’s an Asmodeus that acts a little odd, enough to have rumors around it. Amodeus cannot lie, this is very likely another duplicate. Sharti said something about Margaret beefing with Asmodeus. And there’s two death knights traveling, one in red and one in blue, looking for something. What are they looking for?

There is allegedly a civil war brewing in the Dreaming. Since The Champion’s death a decade and odd years ago there’s been an absence of the head honcho dream demon. Many names thrown around for replacements, including Risk Taker, Death Dealer, Gloom Father, the Dream Demon, etc. Risk Taker claims to be able to do something about Soul Taker, and the fact that Soul Taker took over King Alexander Cecil at some point during a ritual to destroy pieces of Rexan. Unrelated or not? The Champion has been seanced. He has laid claim to an Intervention and we do not know what will happen when the time for the Intervention comes.

Meerkat Meerkat Meerkat. But which one? A mage with reality magic under his belt showed up again after years of absence. Except there was were maybe two. Allegedly had a conversation with himself. He's since gone around giving reality magic to others, dodging the question of 'which Meerkat is he?' claiming reality is subjective, is he him in any reality he's in, if the reality he's in is his, if the ones he's spent the most time in even the one he started out in. I will spare you the rest. Is he part of the problem, part of the solution, a neutral force? He claims to be trying to help, that these newly made Reality Mage novices will help against a threat.

There is a well of reality magic in Coventry called the Well of Reality Magic. Reality magic was sealed away. Except others can still use the power. For now. The guilds are trying to undo the sealing of reality magic. Another seal entirely was broken underneath Coventry. You recall that image up above? That is what was on the broken seal. Guarded by a draconic being, a reality mage, a dream demon, all now dead by varying means. Four chains. There was a butterfly, wyld, always changing and defying identification. A piece of sand heated to the point it changed form. A chip of bone from BC's bone staff, chained? There was a dodecahedron, with a skull face that tried to grab my soul. It was like that of a troubled king. We’ve since come to realize these were clues pointing towards this being a dodecahedron made by Dionin. Alexander Cecil and his sword Soul Taker, with their mutual connection to the god Dionin. Who was the other collaborative god, we could not say. The Reality Mage Guilds in Coventry have since sealed the broken keystone that let entry into this strange cavern, and they’re building something in Coventry, perhaps to unseal the well.

Reality magic may be useful in the fight against dream demons. Let’s hope the guilds can unseal the well to let its power flow once more.

Among the odd circumstances we’ve faced was a traveling merchant going by Robin the Merchant. In exchange for items, which at first we, perhaps falsely, thought were missing artifacts from Ivory but were actually transient in nature and were decided by the buyer and their worth, we exchanged monetary value and more abstract concepts. I sold ten minutes of my voice and 50 gold. Margaret sold a song. J’ortsa sold a story. Sir Pawldo sold some blood and his protection to poison. His business was called “Chameleon gift hoard.” It’s in the Space in Between.

What is the Spaces in Between? Information varies and is sparse. There’s some writings on it. http://library.cityofivory.org/2673/Treatise-on-Their-Nature So what shall we do from here? 

If you take this too seriously you will go insane. If you don't take it seriously enough you will be rendered. Take the horrors with a grain of salt and don't let your mind melt.

“Don't look for the "quick" solution. Don't presume you know everything that is going on. Expect any victory to come at a sacrifice or cost.” - Sir Aelias Softshadow

If you know anything about any of this, maybe, potentially, anything at all, send me a letter, a hawk, something. [kyrabarry@gmail.com. GoldKarmaDragon#0484 on Discord]

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Watchers of the Skyless Sea

 Posted at local taverns and crossroads across the Realms, a sheet of parchment with a purple and silver crest emblazoned on the top appears. What follows is a transcription of these messages.

 

The void is filled with darkness, terrors beyond comprehension, destroyers of worlds, and corruptors of minds. We are the Watchers of the Skyless Sea—our mission is simple: to stand vigil over the void and provide a safe harbor for all who need it. There are many threats to the Realms, and we are here to fill the role that has been left empty for so long.

The Realms is facing many threats—the Erl King, Sir Edwyn Rainecourt, the Lost King to name a few. With no one to watch for these threats, we are helpless to prepare until they start marching down on our doorsteps. We have decided that the Realms can sustain this lifestyle no longer.

The Watchers were founded at Voraniss Court during the Wishing Ceremony, assembled by our leader Sir Jean Baptiste. He called upon us one by one, J’ortsa of Creathorne, Squire Fern Eberhardt, Sir Jericho Axelthorne of Arken, Sir Vesper of Blackwood, Ser Elizah of Blackwood, and Magus James Swift of Stonewood. These seven were chosen on account of their strength of will and overwhelming knack for keeping ones own characteristic. This order was formed to deal with the threat of Sir Edwyn Rainecourt and his knights of destruction. However, we are more than an order to fight one lich, we will seek out any threat that dares to enter our seas. We seek to establish ourselves as an order, and with it, to protect the Realms, our home, from devastation.

We are the Wickies, the keepers of the lighthouse. Our goals are to protect, watch, and alert the Realms of the threats before they enter our plane. We aim to collect and disperse information to better know our enemies. We are seven strong, a collective of unique minds who all share the same goal: to protect and to lead. The Wickies are always true to ourselves, we spit in the face of corruption, and laugh at beguilers who promise power.

            We will protect all members of the Realms. But we will need your help, we require information to understand our foes that are already within the Realms. The Wickies shall stand against the threats of the Realms and never fall away in the face of outside forces.

When the night has fallen, and the stars do not shine.

We are the Watchers of the Skyless Sea.

We Survive.

~ Watcher J’ortsa