Why I Want To Go: The Event Which Must Not Be Named V

For the fifth year in a row, you are invited to return as a students to the exotic Hogwarts School, in the far away land of "England".
Leave Valehaven behind and travel to a place where lessons, Dark Arts, dark marks, yummy munchies, and snake faces villains await.  The day is sure to be filled with important lessons, punctuated by challenges that ensure you have been paying attention.  The night will be filled with....menace, mischief and magic!
And, possibly, my favorite!  Mythical beasts!

An Atypical View: Season Two: #32

10 More Questions Interview with Cory Roy (Asharn Starchaser)

Queen Asharn - Photo courtesy of Jesse Gifford

1) What achievement either in or out of character are you most proud of?
I feel the achievement I’m most proud of was helping run a Queen of Hearts team. We went into the event wanting to have fun and even though we lost drastically we still had a wonderful time. I hope to help run a team again in the future, maybe not as Queen though.


2) Are you a fighter or a caster? Have you always been? How did you choose?
I am a caster and for most of my realms carrier I have been one. I have had times where I tried to be a fighter but medical issues have gotten in my way so I tend to stay caster. But, honestly, even if i was able to fight more I would still choose to be a caster it is what I'm good at and I enjoy running around throwing lightning bolts.


3) Have you ever owned an artifact, momento, or magic item that has meant a lot to you, and why?
I have a dragon egg that means a lot to me. I got it at Black and White 2014 and I hope to one day hatch it. It means a lot to me because my character had to work to get it it wasn't something just given to me and that to me makes it worth something.


4) What group of people do you spend the most time with and why?
I would say I spend the most time with my nation, Gau Dring. They have been some of the best friends I have ever had, in or out of character, they are there whenever I need them.


5) Who is your best friend in character and why?
I should probably say my husband Luke John but it would probably have to be Lako. For the past few years, he has been one of the people I can go to for anything and I can rely on him to try his best to help me out.

6) What event or moment had the greatest impact on you as a player?
As a player the moment that had the most impact on me was my first event. I was at the event Tournaments of the Blue Rose I believe 2009. I had no clue what was happening most of the time I barely had any practice with larping before then. Nighthawk and Kazmar spent a significant amount of time that event teaching me how to fight and how to play the game in general.


7) What event or moment had the greatest impact on your character?
The event that had the greatest impact on Asharn was Ashen Bounty 2015. I felt that event was a turning point for me. I was working with a lot of people on the quest and I felt like I was contributing a lot to what was getting done. Plus, it was one of the first events I got to quest with my lightning bolt.


8) What is your most embarrassing moment, either IC or OOC?
This is a tough question because I don't really have any moments that stand out to me as embarrassing. I find most of the time that I'm very comfortable with what goes on in the game and community the closest thing to embarrassing for me is public speaking so probably when I was helping with the intros at order of the list and I was not sure of what I was supposed to say and told to make stuff up on the fly.


9) What is the best piece of advice you'd give to other players?
My advice to other players is to go and talk to people. This game is a community and the people in it are wonderful and I have made friends here who I basically consider family now. Realms has shaped my life more than anything and it's all because of the people who play the game.


10 ) What is the most important thing you've learned through the game?
Hands down it would be Heal Limb. But besides spells it would be that you need to learn to think on your feet. More times than I can count I have gotten myself into situations in the realms that i never even thought would happen. Whether it's role playing and trying to think of what my character would say as opposed to how I would react or if we are on a quest and we have to figure out some random way to get passed some magic barrier and licking it seemed to work. That legitimately happened and I honestly didn't think it would work but it did.

Piper's Queen of Hearts (23) Bardic

PIPER'S LITTLE LIST

Based on "As Someday it May Happen" from Mikado, by Gilbert and Sullivan

(Piper:)
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list — I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed — who never would be missed!
There's the rhino-hiding fighter who will never call his shots — 
All casters who can't seem to fit Heal Limb into their slots — 
And while we're on the subject of the healers we don't like — 
Let's scratch off all the ones who try to raise you on a spike — 
It's like “if they're impaled, your efforts should cease and desist” — 
And I don't think you'd be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed! 

(Chorus:)
He's got 'em on the list — he's got 'em on the list;
And they'll none of 'em be missed — they'll none of 'em be missed. 

(Piper:)
There's the t-shirt tabard garber, and the others of his race,
And the combat sneakerist — I've got him on the list!
All people who hate role playing and shove it in your face,
They never would be missed — they never would be missed!
Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone,
All tournaments but this, and all past quest lines but his own;
The newbie from the Institute who looks like she might cry,
Who "once had studied fencing, and would rather like to try";
And all unarmored fighters on a night quest won't exist — 
For I'll put them on the list — and they'll none of them be missed! 

(Chorus:)
He's got her on the list — he's got her on the list;
And I don't think she'll be missed — I'm sure she'll not be missed! 

(Piper:)
There's the super anal generals that like their charts and graphs,
And floor you with them flat — you know it's just for laughs.
All little tykes and nuisances that love to run around — 
If I put them on the list, I'd end up underground!
At this time, our queen would like to make mention of her pet peeve:
All people who duct tape their greaves onto their legs.
______________________________
The task of filling in that blank I'd rather leave to you.
But it really doesn't matter whom you put upon the list,
For they'd none of 'em be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed! 

(Chorus:)
You may put 'em on the list — you may put 'em on the list;
And they'll none of 'em be missed — they'll none of 'em be missed!

Monster Island, a History by James "Sir Tao" Murphy

Monster Island

By James Murphy

mysterious island by matty17art on DeviantArt

More than a couple of years ago, about the time Blackwood created the Necro-dragon “Fred” I started to have an idea of bringing together some of the best monster makers in the realms to make props for a quest event. I had conversations with a couple of them. A bit later I was helping Folkestone with the Shades plot and was introduced to the Shadow Titan.

So I stated to form an idea for an event. I had helped run the last Mythdranor and was a fan of that type of immersive event. Once the players entered Mythdranor they had fight and or think their way out, no stopping, no diner break, and no tents. Of course the Event Holders for those events swore (again) that they would never hold any more events like that (he he he).

Now as good as the prop makers I had in mind are, I knew I would need more then they could give, so I started asking just about everybody if I could borrow props. And wow, did the realms come through. I have more Dra…. Er, creatures then I know what to…. No, I know how I am using each and every one of them.

So I gathered some monster makers. I added the idea that the event will have 24 hour content. I asked to borrow a bunch of props. But, I needed a hook. Dagger had moved to Germany several years ago and was doing larps over there. He ended up in some sort of something and as fallout of that, “assassins” were sent over here to kill his king.  That was a couple of years ago, so this idea that the Realms would have to go take care of this thing became my McGuffin. Lets get the players on a boat, crash them on an island, and have them survive a continuous period while fighting monsters.

Now I have some incredible prop makers, some fantastic borrowed props, some fun encounters, and a type of event that does not happen very often.

This is going to be fantastic, stressful, sleep deprived, experience that will probably make me swear by Sunday that I will never hold this kind of event again. (Note: most of the past Eh’s are either helping me with this event or are playing it).

Hope you secured your spot on the boat and see you at boarding.

Why I Want To Go: Monster Island

So, lets see if I can get this right.  This weekend at Creathorne Farm, you get a chance to jump into a 24 hour live site, coming up against who knows what.  And its in a small questing enviroment?
What a rare opportunity this is!  With a very seasoned event holder at the helm, one has no idea what the challenges could be.  The team working on this weekend long event has decades of experience throwing challenges at players.
So pack smart, get yourself there plenty early  (Friday sounds pretty good) and prepare to embark on a strange, crazy journey.  And, good luck!

An Atypical View: Season Two: #31