What You Missed: Songs of the Abyss Part II

[Editor's Note: catch up with Part I here]

by Michael "Swoop" Zajac

As we entered a small water filled grotto, a lone siren greeted us. She seemed almost too excited for guests; we quickly learned why. The dim lights that had been suspended by the ceiling began to drift downward, their tentacles glowing with a pale light. We were besieged, as jellyfish descended from all angles, entangling adventures as their toxin coursed through their bodies. I was one of the last few, looking desperately for an escape, only to find none. As the caves walls began to quiet as more joined the dead than the living, I knew that my time had come. I stop resisting and made peace, knowing that my destiny had brought me here for a purpose. The sea always remembers those who sully its waters with blood of the innocent, and it seemed she was finally taking her due vengeance upon me. The light slowly faded, and darkness enveloped my mind.

                And yet, a voice echoed in the darkness, a familiar voice.

                “While you have died at sea, adventurers, your time has not come. Join me as we travel to  Glashtyn Port, a place where those who perish on the waves await judgement.”

                Our bodies rose, as the Divine Harlot, always watchful over us on our quest, led us on a march of the drowned. The stomp of our feet was in time with the wail of the mournful dead, as we pushed through the fog to a small clearing around a campfire. Here things seemed to fade in and out, as lost souls settled down by the fire while others faded into the mists. Some remembered bits about themselves, but others suffered the curse of a faded memory, not even remembering their name. We had been finding trinkets in the various boxes we had recovered from sirens, lost mementos of their former loved ones before they were dragged to the depths to be brides for the Fallen King.  Some of the lost souls recognized their possessions, and handed letters over to us to give to their loves.  

                It was there I found what I been running from for so long staring me in the face.

                There, staring at me was the man I been accused of killing, imprisoned for a crime I did not commit. There was the man who had haunted my dreams, as I escaped the port where I awaited to hang and fled with the Riverhawks. The face that had spurred this life of adventuring, against my will. Yet as he looked upon me, there was no hatred in his heart, no fear. It was then the Divine Harlot exposed the truth of that fateful stormy night. The demon spirit Glashtyn, the same one who been dragging to-be brides for the Bronze King, came aboard my ship at night. Using his powers of transformation, he assumed my form, where he approached the first mate, throwing him overboard in the middle of a stormy night. The quartermaster saw from afar the deed, and promptly had me thrown into the brig.

                I was at a loss for words. Why would this spirit torment me so? The Divine Harlot pondered, then asked if I was curious why the siren’s song had no effect on my state. I had no answer, so she continued. She told me that the Glashtyn had a son, one who would not age with time. That one day this son washed up on a beach, and was taken in by a bar wench, one with loving eyes and a lovely singing voice…

                I knew her point before she made it, that the woman she spoke of was my mother, and this son of Glashtyn to be my father. All of those years wondering, and yet the truth tasted like a bitter wine. I knew then that my fate was intertwined with this place, and this king, and all the machinations involved. I knew then that we must find this Fallen King and confront him, to rescue Sayeh and return home to the realm of the living. We knew that the King rest in the tomb of the fallen kings, so after a night of restless sleep we set forth our plan to sneak into the tomb.

                As the sun rose over the fog, we began our ruse. We crafted crowns of materials nearby and adopted false titles to gain access to the tomb of fallen kings. Vesper and Axel attempted to play the parts of King K and Shadow K, and combining my lack of knowledge of Blackwood and my comedic sense that all good things come in threes, I adopted the title of Light K, king of the Day Shift within Blackwood. The Gray Man waited by his ferry boat as told him our fanciful false titles, and with that farce we managed to board the vessel. We traveled across the river, and it was there the Divine Harlot had to leave us, blessing Axel, Tulli and I with her strength. 

                After gaining the favor of some unknown kings, we walked down towards the beach, at the tail end of a ritual. There the Siren Queen, the first love of the Bronze King, stood over the King’s body and with a cry burst open the other Krackniss egg that we assumed would be our ticket home. The Bonze King awoke and in a rage threw the Siren Queen and the Bronze Weapon that she had recovered into the sea. Vesper stripped with lightning speed and retrieved the blade from the water, while the rest of us fought the King and his bronze guardians. Across the way the sirens returned, and after we read the letters from their dearly beloved stuck in Glashtyn Port, they blessed the Bronze weapon to strike true against the Fallen King. With the strength of five men, Axel thrust the magic weapon into the King, stunning the king as we threw into the water. From his chest, the second baby Krackniss burst forth, subduing the Bronze King. With that, our voices joined in song, we were transported back to the realm of the living, Sayeh’s body lying on the beach.

                As I looked over, I saw that the first mate who had been slain had also returned with us, and I greeted him with much joy. As Sayeh coughed up a gulp of water from her lungs and stood, I joined her to see if she was well. I looked into her eye and saw fear, and at that moment I felt a sharp blade pierce my back. I heard a scream as I fell. I was quickly raised, just in time to see the Demon Glashtyn doff the form of my first mate and disappear into the sea. Sayeh, armed with the knowledge given from the divine Harlot, gravely warned that if the spirit had joined the realm of the living, he would seek out another bride for the Bronze King to drown.

                 I knew that this would be my quest, to not let another life be taken by this demon. I knew that this time I would not run from my destiny, but embrace it. While this may be the tale of the day Swoop drowned, from this a new chapter would emerge, a new hero to rise from the tides. While this is the tale of the day Swoop died, this is the beginning of my chapter. For my name is Larenzu D’ Scudo, and this is my story.

Why You Should Go...to Tournaments of Blackwood

by Matt "Mathies" Butler

Continuity, but we will get back to that…  Each year the Eventholders for Blackwood Tournaments put together a unique event with things to do for the whole family.  

 Friday starts with some light questing and hang-out time.   

Saturday begins with a Grand Melee to determine the Generals, who then choose their teams schoolyard style.  Like years past, there will be a combination of team and individual battles with some new fights as well as plenty of tournaments for those who don’t swing a sword. While this is going on, there is the option for the kids to be off questing and saving the Realms from evils far greater than you’ve ever seen.  After a solid day of fighting there will an In-Character dinner, Bardics and a Poker Tournament.  When the sun goes down, grab the kids and watch the pyrotechnic display which will light up the sky for the whole family to enjoy.  After the smoke clears, there will a quest for those brave of heart to venture forth and continue fighting those evils that plague our lands.  

Sunday will have continued tournaments and will end with the naming of this year’s winning general.

Continuity, that “C” word our game has needed for a long time.  The EH staff from Blackwood and Folkestone have combined their years of event-throwing talents and are working together to bring you just that.  Those of you who were at N/S this year may recognize some familiar faces.  It is rumored that His Excellency, Nertail, will be attending the Dinner.  It is also rumored that others from New Verai, including a High Priestess or two, will be there as well, some even fighting alongside you in the tournaments as you support your General. 

See you on the field.

What You Missed: Songs of the Abyss Part I

by Micheal "Swoop" Zajac

                As the last sounds of struggle faded into the gentle pull of the current, I had always known that this would be how it would end. Lost at sea, drowned deep beneath the waves as gently glowing jellyfish embraced us in their deadly caress. I knew at some point I would pay for my crimes, that the sea would take its vengeance upon me. My last sight was the panic in my friend’s eyes, as they desperately attempted to escape this fate in vain. My last thought of my dear mother, her eyes looking lovingly as she hummed her favorite shanty as I lay down to sleep as a young boy. As I find rest on the bottom of the sea bed, poison coursing through my body, I realize there will be no one to tell my story. So please, allow me to tell the tale of the day Swoop drowned at sea.

                It started months ago, when Sayeh was taken. Well, “commandeered”. A being identifying as The Divine Harlot gave her a choice to become her avatar in this time of great need. As the spirit entered her body, she demanded Tuilli to attack her, where she disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving only a map behind. Later Tuilli, Axel and myself received visions from this being to travel north to the Sapphire Isle, Sayeh’s home. As we gathered and planned, we were attacked by a being who taunted us to seek the Bronze King. I was familiar with the tale of the Bronze King, a king who had ordered a sword to be made of bronze from a witch and a warlock. But as he tried to slice with the sword it would not cut. As he ordered the witch and warlock to death, they cursed him with their final breaths, foretelling of his queen perishing to the sea and his heir to never sit on the throne. Thus the story goes, his great defeat at the Battle of Nettles, and the how his queen threw herself in the ocean. We knew not of how this would relate to Sayeh’s disappearance, but we knew we must stop this being to get her back.

                As we gathered on the port with our fleet of ships and band of adventuring crew, we set sail north. For five days we sailed, assaulted by waves, icebergs, sharks, and overtly aggressive seagulls. We managed to procure some eggs from a sea creature that allowed us to breathe underwater, and we descended the depths. There we found a thriving ecosystem, with sharks, crabs and vicious whirlpools. There also was a lone figure, her fair voice carrying easily over the waves. I looked curiously on as some stopped and started drifting towards her, as if entranced, while others held their hands to their ears in pain. For me, it was just gentle music, as I stand there unaffected. As I spoke to her, we learned these sirens were women dragged down to the bottom of the sea, worthy brides for the Bronze King. While those found unworthy were simply drowned, those who were found loyal were transformed into these mythical creatures.

                As the creatures cleared a lone sea hag found us, offering unwarranted advances and items to aid us in our quest. She told us of where to go to advance forward. As we swam across the way, we entered a dark cavern, which we shortly found was a living whale! After traveling for a time, the whale spat us out near a passing vessel.

                Unfortunately, this was no friendly vessel. A roving band of bounty hunters recognized our faces, and soon the ship was a brawl. While Tuilli and Axel were self-proclaimed pirates, my wanted poster was from a life I tried to flee from. While we almost took the ship, a flash of smoke put us into a deep sleep as we were thrown into the brig.

                While we lay in the brig, separated into two groups, I reflected on the past. Deep down I knew I could not run from this fate forever. As fellow adventures gazed at the wanted posters hanging on the wall, most were confused by the unfamiliar name beneath my face. While most ignored the  odd pairing, a few realized no mother names their child Swoop. As I tried to explain, we were interrupted by the realization that there were keys hidden around the brig to free us! We quickly began searching every nook and cranny, finding keys and a lockpick set stashed away. We heard various manly grunts and cheers coming from the other brig, assuming they were finding similar clues to escape. The ship was starting to lean, a tell-tale it was taking on water, so time was of the essence. While the men in the other brig managed to free themselves, a lone lock was all that stood in our way. The water was rising fast, but the last tumbler would not give. Finally with an exasperated cry for aid, the final lock clicked as we rushed out into the deep sea.

                We rejoined our companions as we fought our way to a shipwreck. The sharks became bolder in the dark, and many were lost to their rows of sharp teeth. A pair of sirens guarded the ships, drawing in unwary adventurers. Axel acted quickly and pulled a ritual dagger we found and managed to banish the two before they could cause more harm. From there we managed to find two chests guarded by angry crabs, where we found trinkets from lost sailors. From there, Axel felt a tingle, and his egg that he had been carrying for a year began to roll away on its own. We hurried after it as it rolled into the deeper ocean, where it began to crack open. A mighty creature emerged from it, half kraken, and half loch-ness monster, what we ended up calling a krakniss. The creature began to follow its nose for food as it led us on the next leg of our quest....

I Can't Even

I Can't Even …

By, 

Sara 'Zarine' Jessop

… First Impressions Part 2

All the way back in April I wrote an article about first impressions which can be found here. Unfortunately there are some new people about who clearly do not spend their days reading old copies of the View and thus have taken their first steps into the Realms with their foot in their mouths. Fear not, young plebs, for I have sage advice for you which might help you and your future in our lands.

First off you'll need to recognize that you've made a mistake. If you think you've done everything perfectly fine and have done nothing wrong then I can't help you. Understanding that you are not perfect and can improve upon something is usually the first step in becoming a better person in almost every circumstance. So man up, or woman up for you lovely ladies, and admit that you done mucked it up.

“But Zarine, I didn't muck it up....” Oh yes, my love, you certainly did. You see, when you first come into the Realms as a fresh adventurer you are somewhat like a child, and children should be seen and not heard. Observe, listen, and learn about the culture that you have found yourself in. Don't be that annoying tourist from another land who thinks that they know better than us. Be that guy or gal that soaks in a new environment and learns from it before they try and change it. All too soon you'll be more like a teenager with all kinds of wacky ideas and too many opinions on everything, but people might actually listen to you because you've paid your dues as a respectful observer. And make sure you get out all your good ideas during this time, because before you know it you'll be one of those whiny old people who hurt all the time and don't like change.

Do not think that I am telling you not to get involved. Getting involved will help you learn and grow within the community. You'll get to know people and better understand how to address them when giving an opinion or asking for assistance. But get involved with the understanding that you are new to the world and its peoples and don't instantly start disrespecting them and making baseless assumptions. Otherwise you are going to have a bad time. We do not take too kindly to people who speak first and think later, unless you've been around longer than dirt and then you can say whatever the heck you want no matter how dumb it is.

If you have come to terms with the fact that you have blundered, I am here to tell you how you can fix a bad first impression. The first thing you should know is that it is going to take some work. It takes approximately eight positive encounters to make up for a negative one.

The most important thing is to apologize. Don't over atone, that just gets weird, but a simple “sorry, I messed up and got off on the wrong foot,” can do wonders for repairing a damaged reputation. It shows that you understand your mistake and are willing to admit it. Most people will respect that and be a little more lenient in their grievances towards you.

The second most important thing is not to do it again. If you've just apologized for being a jerk, and then five minutes later you're a jerk again, now it's a pattern of behavior. It's not that you've given a bad first impression, you're just a jerk and likely always will be. When people say “bad” in this case they mean incorrect. If you repeat the action you are only proving that the first impression was the correct one and further cementing into people's minds that this is simply who you are. If it's not who you are, stop telling people that it is. If it is who you are, well, then I literally can't even help you.

Find a way to change our minds. We are likely never to reevaluate our impression of you on our own as that takes more energy than most of us want to put forth. So you will need to give us a reason to reevaluate and change our minds. Just make sure that what you do makes us actually want to change our minds and not just think even worse of you. Try doing the opposite of whatever you did the first time, and just remember that you'll have to do it quite a few times before we start to see that you aren't the bumbling idiot that you first appeared to be.

So you see, dear reader, it takes patience and understanding to overcome a bad first impression and not from everyone else but from you! You are the one who unimpressed us, after all. We've all been there and likely will be again at some point in our lives. No one is perfect all of the time and we all make mistakes. Some of us learn from them and some of us don't. Be the one who learns and eventually people will begin to see you for who you really are, and not that one instance of stupidity.

Whoooo Ashenmark Day!

See you next Tuesday.


Zarine is the proprietor and Madam at Alchimia Lupanar, a magic marshal approved practitioner of medicine, an award winning author, and has 36 years of experience in giving her unsolicited opinion.

Arc Sphere Distortions

Arc Sphere Distortions

by Steven "Therian" Matulewicz

10 More Questions with....Andrew "Lysis" Adams

Photo by Lexie Mitchell

1) What achievement either in or out of character are you most proud of?

I am the most proud of having brought, or been a part of bringing in, a number of well known people into the game, in multiple different decades. I don't want to name names, because that would seem boastful, but it means a lot to know that I made an impact on the game, through those that are still involved.

2) Are you a fighter or a caster? Have you always been? How did you choose?

I have three characters. Lysis-fighter, Enricho-fighter, Braemor-caster

When I first started, I was with a group of people that started their first event complete with tabbards, flag and heraldry. (The group was called The Sons of the Phoenix) Within the group, we had a mix of different types of casters, but it made the most sense for me to be a fighter, since I had a martial arts background.

I stayed a fighter because I really wanted to hone that one skill and it wasn't until I felt I was a very accomplished fighter (yes, back in my day, I'd say I could hold my own. Now a days.....not even close) that I was ready to start a new character, Braemor, whom was a spellcaster.

3) Have you ever owned an artifact, memento, or magic item  that has meant a lot to you, and why?

I've owned many different magic items and momentos throughout my career. Mostly they were just that, items. None held much significance to me, Andy, but two hold some significance to Lysis. The War Banner of Teng Hua and Kedamono. (Story to follow in answer #7)

4) What group of people do you spend the most time with and why?

Not sure if you mean IC or OOC, but the answer is likely the same. Jason and Angie Gray. Jason and I have been friends for longer than I can remember, and I formed a friendship with Angie starting at one of her first events. He was the best man at my wedding, they housed me when I was homeless for a couple of months, and I ended up living a block away from them. We are also all students at the same dojo. IC, I feel like I get along with, and can hang with just about anyone. 

Photo by Jesse Gifford

5) Who is your best friend in character and why?

My best friend, IC, would be Da'oud. He is my sworn brother and he took my family name of Matsuma. I have to be honest and claim old age, but I'm not 100% positive of the situation, but I believe we were both trapped somewhere and by becoming sworn brothers it helped us escape. I could be TOTALLY wrong.  It was a LONG time ago.

6) What event or moment had the greatest impact on you as a player?

I have two of them, actually. It was my first event, Silverquest 1995. My group was out questing and as the fighter, I challenged Jeremiah Darksparkle. A daywalking vampire only effected by silver. Well, we had none, and I didn't know, so I died.  The NPC (played by Scott Rodlin) probably assessed that we were no match and didn't decimate the party, but I died.  The group wanted to get me raised, but many healers of the time would only raise you if you paid them (I'm glad that changed). Since it was our first event, we had no money. I eventually got raised, but it took quite some time.  Later that night, I was hanging by the fire, alone. A person walks up and sit and strikes up a conversation. He asked how I was doing. I told him that I was bummed because I was the best fighter in our group, and when I died, I couldn't be raised because we had no money. He reaches into his pocket, and hands me a stack of gold. I was having such a horrible time at my first event, that I was considering if I wanted to stay or not. This one gesture kept me in the game. No joke. This person was Matt Spakoski. (His character was Sebastian Grey, the Lord of the Sloths)

The other was being Knighted into the KoEF.  It was the Feast of Chimeron 9. This event was to be the culmination event to fight the war against Pathos. The event holders thought it would be cool for the players to have bagpipes playing while the war happened. So they made sure that I was there (was it a ruse just to make sure I showed up?) and I also brought two bagpiping friends of mine.  During dinner, I'm sitting with my friends. The KoEF get up and start making speeches about someone that is going to get Knighted. I vividly remember turning to my friends and saying, "Woah. This is a big deal. They haven't knighted anyone in 3 years. I wonder who it is." When I got called up I was stunned. I had been running The View from Valehaven for a few years at this point. This was when The View was an actual printed document. I was just so surprised that the Order felt like I had given back to the game enough to be recognized for my service.

7) What event or moment had the greatest impact on your character?

It would have to be becoming Emperor. (Here is the story associated with question 3) At the time, the nation of Teng Hua had been vacant for many years. Emperor Stone Dragon had left, and the country was in ruin (Meaning, the player left the game and nothing happened to the nation). Folkestone decided to start a plot to find a new Emperor. The plot was: In order to become Emperor, you needed to find an Item of Regalia. There were 7. One for each Province. Items were: No-dachi (5' sword), Katana (3'8" sword), Wakisashi (3' sword), Tanto (18" dagger), War Banner, Samurai armor, and the Coin of Wealth. In order to claim the throne you needed to present an item to the ancient, along with your army. Then each army will fight to determine who will gain the throne. For the whole year, people who were vying for the title were searching and searching. Needless to say, I wanted to win, and the only item I was able to secure, was the War Banner.

The final battle day came up, and there were a number of people trying to win. Sebudai (played by Lackey), Shadow (played by Steve Hinkle), a Demon NPC (played by Jeff Maki I believe), and a character played by Colin Campbell (Can't remember his IC name). This character was the former warmark for Teng Hua, and the item that he acquired was Kedamono, the No Dachi, which had been his weapon to begin with, as warmark.

After the war was over, it had been tabulated that I won by 1 point. At this time, the event holders placed all 7 magic items in front of me, and allowed me to keep only 1. The other six would go to the other provincial governors to help them hold their seats. (Meaning they were taking them out of play). I, as a player, wanted to keep the armor because it would have been the most useful, but I felt character wise, it would make more sense to keep the No Dashi and give it back to Colin's character so he could continue to be my warmark. However, when I did so, he informed me that he was not going to stay on. (IE: He was just an NPC that he was playing for the year to help the plot). So this meant that I was allowed to keep Kedamomo. It is no longer a backed item, but it still has significance to Lysis as it is a reminder to him of how he gained the throne.

8) What is your most embarrassing moment, either IC or OOC?

I know this will sound pretty lame, and honestly I wasn't really embarrassed , but it was funny. At the coronation of King Pyr, I was outside sitting on my throne. My girlfriend, at the time, was there and she wanted to give me a back rub. I turned my throne around, sitting on it backwards, and she proceed to give me a back massage.  Unbenownst to me, Talon (John Berrini) had taken her place and I was getting a massage from him (Nice hands John). During the massage, my girlfriend comes around to the front and asks if I'm enjoying the massage.

9) What is the best piece of advice you'd give to other players?

Unless you have a medical issue stopping you from doing so, fight. Learn to fight and learn fight well. With all weapon styles. It is the one skill you will be able to use with any character you play. Even if you decide to play a spell caster as a new character, learn to fight. And not just with a 3'. Even if your character can only use a 3', learn to fight sword and shield. Learn 2 handed. Learn flourintine. If you know how to fight these styles, you will be able to better defend against them. Trust me. Fight.

10 ) What is the most important thing you've learned through the game?

Fair play. I know it seems cliche, but it's true. There is truly nothing to be gained from cheating. When I started, there were a few players that were blatant cheaters. And not just not calling shots. And it was widely known. They may have gotten a brief immediate reward, but the long term damage they did was something they couldn't really overcome. It's just not worth it. Call your shots, and don't cheat. If you die, big deal. It's just a game.

BONUS QUESTION #1: Who would you like to see the next interview be with?

I think it's great to interview newbies.  Yes, they may not have as many, or as long stories, since their playing career is much shorter, but it can be very meaningful to them, and can be quite an honor to be asked for an interview. I couldn't give you exact names, since I'm not involved in the game as much any more.

 

BONUS QUESTION #2: Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print?

Not really. I think I've chatted your ear off enough. lol

Photo by Jesse Gifford

Tao's Bardics from ToC 2017

 Poem:

If I had my life to live over, 

I'd live it over a bar.

At closing time, I would never have to go far, 

a few steps across the floor, 

up the stars to bed.

If I had my life to live over, 

that's where I would be instead.

Song [to the tune of summertime:

Summertime, and the questing is easy, 

tourney fighting, questing at night, 

well your healer's dead, and your blacksmith is missing, 

come on front line, don't you die.

[Free-form scat. I think I mentioned head armor, heal limb, while also doing some "De de de's" and "bah bah bah's"]

Come on front line, don't you die....