Why I Want To Go - Voraniss Questing 4: The Ruins of Lostpeak

Written by: Zack "Anthony" Emmert 

IC:

Heroes and Adventurers of the Realms,

In a few days time, we travel far to the west, to the ruins of Lostpeak. This was the site of thel ast battle between the Knights of the Aberrant Gate, and the Miscreations that lie beyond that very gate. It was here that each of the Knights, save Sir Willmot D’Aubert and Sir Edwyn Raincourt, split up and left the site of the battle. Sirs Willmot and Edwyn fought against the miscreations together, and while they were able to destroy the physical structure of the Gate, Sir Willmot fell in battle. Several of the miscreations escaped the site of the battle, who later killed Sir Edwyn’s family. The combined loss of his family and his Knight Commander was the tipping point that drove him to become the lich we now face.

The Enlightened Quill Society and the Silvering Justicar have established an archeological dig site at the ruins, and we hope to recover artifacts and information that will help us as this conflict evolves. The Knights of the Aberrant Gate do not yet know that this is our destination, and we hope to keep it this way as long as possible. I hope to see you all there.

Good luck and godspeed,

Anthony Warder of Stonewood

OOC:

This questing series is my one-stop shop for story driven questing with deep and expansive lore, and never fails to get me fired up and ready to fight for my life. With each passing event, the plot staff have blown me away more and more with their dedication to their craft. From the costuming and props that bring the world to life (I’m looking at you, Flesh Blanket™), to the immersive roleplaying and top-notch NPCing, to the cohesive and well-crafted worldbuilding, Voraniss Questing is easily one of my favorite quest series in the Realms. I’m looking forward to seeing what the plot team has in store for us next!

See you all at Lostpeak,

Zack Emmert

Hedda's Helping Hands Kitchen: Recipe #1

Created by: Anna "Hedda" Hewitt 

Introducing a new series featuring handcrafted recipes directly from Hedda's kitchen brought straight to your table. From drinks, treats, sweets and more, Hedda's helping hands are sure to serve just what you're looking for!

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

What You Missed - Clontarf Shuffle 3: Three of a Kind

Written by: Nataliya "Shader" Kostenko 

This past Saturday I had a ton of fun attending the third annual Clontarf Shuffle (with Stacked Deck Final Table). I’m not normally one for gambling with gold–only with my life and well-being–but I was immediately drawn to the new Rhiassan-and-Saurabian collab game, Dino Racing! To participate, one places bets on the very real dinos that Lord Aeston keeps locked up in highly humane kennels (where they are sustained on a diet of only the freshest spider milk). You can even hedge your bets by placing additional gold down on the dinosaurs after they’ve already left the starting gate. Here’s a tip for anyone interested in making some big time dino dollars: first, you can always bet on the black and yellow ‘saurs. Those are safe (but also cool, stylish) colors. Second, if Sir Orion is at the table, the safer strategy actually becomes to bet on whichever dinosaurs he does not choose. You’re welcome in advance for these wealth-generating suggestions. 

I–along with several other adventurers–was torn away from the racing by a fellow with a really cool hat (but sadly no whip, that I could see) who goes by Blackwood Joe. ‘Ole BJ is an archaeologist who managed to get himself into some trouble with a sapphire collarbone. In that his collarbone was actually turning to sapphire. He also said something about a dragon, or rumors of one, but I didn’t fully hear him over the sound of all the dino chips I was raking in. Anyway, a small but effective party set forth to help Blackwood Joe out with this. While Omri, Anton, Eldritch, Irri, Aelias, and a few others kept some mole crabs (that made very interesting noises) at bay, Liselle, Baron Diamonde, and I tried to get a strange-looking door open. Our great enemy, a gentle breeze, kept blowing away all our progress on door-assembly, but eventually we got there. After that, I’m not really sure what happened because I died in front of a completely normal and in no way suspicious-looking door. Irri and Anton raised my armor-less ass probably twenty-seven more times while the rest of the party fought valiantly to drain the batteries out of some golems. In the end, we were triumphant! We escaped a mighty avalanche and got a huge (draconic?) wishbone for our efforts. Luckily for ‘ole Blackwood Joe, it broke in his favor and he was able to wish himself back to normal. 

Meanwhile, inside, the nail-biting Stacked Deck finale concluded with a victory by Zatara! I don’t know much about poker, but with a large crowd gathered around observing it looked like a close and well-played game. Jacques came in second, followed up by Bright and then Runaris. The runners up got hefty pouches of gold to gamble further with and the first place prize was some kind of (very nifty I’m sure) artifact. Also inside, Dame Kyomi’s cooking filled the whole hall with a delicious aroma–the lamb and potatoes were particular favorites for me, but she had tons of excellent snacks on offer. Despite being weighed down with lamb, we also managed to get through some (Advanced) Huntress practice. Then, the day’s festivities wrapped up with the ticket raffle. Many interesting prizes. I’d remember what some of them were if Sir Tao hadn’t nailed me in the head with the coins that he was also throwing out as part of the day’s winnings. To elevate a great day even further, we ended up raising quite a bit of money for a great cause. I will certainly be looking forward to future Shuffles!

Rumors for May 1024

[Across the Realms]

Crudely drawn and poorly spelled posters have been nailed to seemingly random trees in the more remote and wild places of the Realms. With some difficulty the posters are interpreted to say “Join Raging Rodents! Meet at Mid-Realm!”

[Blackavar]

A great earthquake has struck Blackavar! Many homes have been damaged, and locals fear new terrors now stalk in the night, with green eyes glowing in the darkness. Old Man Franklin even reported seeing a flaming circle erupt out of nowhere!

[Chimeron]

Peasants in Chimeron have noticed a particular forest has recently been undergoing rapid growth, with trees sprouting overnight, thick vines blocking paths, and strange plant monsters causing chaos. Some were quick to blame fae shenanigans or new fertilizer, but strange cloaked figures taking an interest in the phenomenon make it seem like there’s something more going on. They have been helping push back the overgrowth with mysterious powers of decay, but what do they really want?

~~~

Increased activity around the subterranean portal to Gi followed a small delegation of native Gidans traveling to the Realms. Folks who are close to militia stationed around the portal say the visitors were members of the Resistance delivering intelligence on locations to be scouted by adventurers from the Realms.

Why I Want To Go - Tournaments of the Branch III at Feast of Chimeron XXIX

Written by: Tucker "Temorse" Noyes 

This weekend marks the twenty ninth Feast of Chimeron, and with it brings all the promise that its former iterations have held, plus some new things.  Feast of Chimeron XII was my second event so it holds a special place of nostalgia in my heart, and over the years the shine has not worn off.  This year we have a wide variety of things to look forward to.  The delicious food will be in abundance as usual, the Tournaments of the Branch make their return on Sunday, and it seems like there will be a variety of questing available throughout the weekend.

Friday night will start the event surrounding the small gods, and it will continue throughout the weekend.  In the past we have competed or quested to obtain divine power to help entities take form to become gods.  In the past this has resulted in gods like Vesta, the Pale Queen, the Dealer and Autumn Rose.  It is up to the adventurers present as to who takes form from this event that happens only once every seven years.

Saturday will see a variety of happenings, but most importantly, food.  Feast of Chimeron has a long history of delicious meals, and I expect that this year will be no exception from Dame Cimones Kitchen.  There also appears to be some sort of investigation needed in the underground tunnels and caverns beneath the city.  And of course, what would a Feast of Chimeron be without court?  I look forward to catching up on some of the political and community happenings that I may have missed over the winter.

Saturday and Sunday harkens the return of the Tournaments of the Branch, a tournament I have greatly enjoyed in their past iterations.  Having the competitions split into different tiers have made them greatly more competitive as well as accessible for newer folks looking to show their skills.  The breadth of the tournaments is also impressive, in the past ranging from combat to engineering to theoretical tactics.  I am looking forward to the tournaments with great anticipation.

Maker's Space with Amber “Tarnisha” Fox

Organized by: Justin "J'ortsa" Thibeault

Makers Space is a View series about interviewing the makers, crafters, and artificers of the Realms and sharing their creations with everyone! I know I take pride in my work so I know you all must as well. That being said, how often do you get to humbly (or not so humbly) brag about your creations, so this is your outlet! Tell me everything!!

1. What is your OOC name?

Amber Fox

2. What is your character's name?

Lady Tarnisha of Darkvale

3. What crafting mediums do you typically work in?

Fabric, trim, floss, beads & pearls // Sewing, quilting, and some jewelry making and embroidery.

Photo provided by Amber

4. What is your favorite medium to work with? Why is it your favorite?

I love Garb-making! What is a character without clothing? Destined to land on an IRL Sex-offender registry, that's what! I love giving myself access to the Clothing befitting my noble station- no way I could afford that IRL and off the shelf. I love helping others elevate their look, Christmas trim snagged 2 Januarys ago makes a huge difference. I love making my cute kid even more adorable with fancy garb or a custom Halloween costume. I love transforming a clearance tablecloth into a beautiful gown with sweeping sleeves. I love the challenge of researching a new historic garment and making it come to life.

Photo provided by Amber

5. What is the most challenging part of working with this medium for you? How did you overcome it?

My first major challenge was understanding how to sew the middle seam of pants-- that is some advanced 3-D geometric manipulation! (Or, it is for me) I needed to look it up and carefully follow instructions on how to arrange the 2 leg-pieces each time --just Trust the instructions. That gave me How. After a while of watching How in action, understanding the Why started to grow. The same was true of how curved pieces come together and how to tweak them in the way that altered the shape the way I wanted. So much seam ripping on many different practice pieces. 

6. What is the piece you are most proud of? Why?

My wedding dress-- a white silk Hoop-skirted dress with green trim. I'd practiced on several similar dresses, or parts of dresses, before and the one for the wedding came out great. The silk was unforgiving of re-stitching. The corded trim couldn't do what my design asked it too, but I overcame the challenges. Everything was Just right for my Special Day.

Photo provided by Amber

7. What is the piece you have done most recently that you are allowed to share? Tell us about it!

I just delivered 15 servant sashes to Lord Aeston at FoLev. Before that I was thrilled to have been allowed to do the repair work upon one of the historic Darkvale tabards. I also used strung pearls to add Darkvale heraldry to the dress I wore to B&W this year.

8. What is the earliest piece you made? How long ago did you make it?

My first no-sew garb was in late HS. A satin pillowcase wrapped and folded around a Legal sized Manilla folder rolled into a cone, *stapled* together with a polyester scarf coming out of the top to make a "princess hat" (a Hollywood style Hennin). There was a matching bedsheet I tied with a rope and secured with safety pins into a empire waisted skirt, over leggings and a Cami, then with a lacy topped, sheer-skirted overdress I found at a flea market. I was ready for the Renn faire! My first Guided project was my red-lined green cloak in Nov of '97. I went to W.Mass for Thxgiving break with an older Realmsies and we worked on it over the weekend. My first solo-ish project was a set of 4 side-lacing dresses due for the summer of '00. My favorite of the batch (Half blue, half a warm color-shifting medium brown) was turned into a sideless surcoat and donated to the Peacock table for re-homing 2 years ago.

Photo provided by Amber

9. What medium do you wish to learn more about or have been interested in? 

I want to do small metal working. Chasing and Repousse' (metal engraving from both sides) making belt findings, maybe Pewter casting. Really kick my custom jewelry-making up a notch.

10. What advice do you have for the rest of the community when it comes to crafting and making?

Dive right in! Give it a try. Don't be afraid of using free or cheap materials. If you can't get access to a Sewing Machine, a plain needle and thread has worked for millennium. 

Photo provided by Amber

11. What inspires you to do what you do? 

The results, The intellectual challenge. Or Love for the community, via yards and yards of seams.

12. Is there anything else you really wanna share with us? Any upcoming projects, etc.?

I have so many would-be sewing projects in my stash, it's hard to find the time to bring them to life. But I think the one that will win the next slot is a 14th century open hood. However, those beaded place mats have been begging to go upon a fancy hoop skirt for a while. --- I have tried dozens of different crafts - furniture making, narrow weaving, chain maille knitting, Japanese cord making. I dabbled in leatherworking and basket weaving. Each gives me options for overcoming future challenges, even if I can't see how right now. Even if I didn't love that craft forever, it was still worth learning.

If you have any questions or would like to be inter

viewed, please send a DM to Justin Thibeault (spartan_a239 on Discord)