Why I Want To Go - Evie's Tavern Presents: The Midnight Festival II Tournaments of the Lunar Aegis

Sometimes it's the simple things that are true. I want to go to Midnight Festival, because I went last year, and it was awesome, and I trust the team to do a great job again this year. 

You might think I’m biased, as it’s being held within the lands of Blackwood once again, but I'm really just enjoying the privilege of enjoying a marvelous series of festivities right outside my front door. Tournaments, Food, Vendors, delightful. 

The Lunar Aegis stepping up and hosting Tournaments for the first time is an important occasion, and I’m excited to offer some support. As a tournament regular, both as a competitor, a marshal, and a host, I can say the format of Pairs is underutilized. It gets thrown into tournaments in the form of Knights and Squires or Spirit and Steel, but an entire tournament day devoted to team pairs is pretty unheard of. As someone that favors the simplicity of smaller tournaments over massive war tournaments, and as someone that loves nuance and innovation, I think this could become a true staple of the tournament season. 

One of my favorite experiences traveling the realms is a shared drink by the fire. It's a simple thing, but I believe it's important for every adventurer to be able to tell stories and share experiences. Having the insider scoop, I know encouraging this is a particular aim of the event with a mixology competition, having dancers for the fire, and loaner gear for anyone that would wish to join in on the dancing. 

Tempest did an excellent job in my kitchens at Blackwood Tournaments, and I’m excited to be able to leisurely enjoy her picnic fare. Reading the announcement, I  got a bit confused, and thought she was going to be providing us with a dinner as well. But I got clarification, that we’re to fend for ourselves for dinner break. Knowing Tempest’s cooking, I’ll probably be too full to worry about it. 

Of note, it’s an important theme of the tournaments to support women and gender minorities, as well as a mentorship within our community. And who wouldn’t want to come out and support that? 

I’m excited!

I’ll see you on the field,

King Saegan of Blackwood

Realmsle #36

 

                       

This custom Wordle-adjacent-puzzle features a 5-letter word that is particularly relevant to the Realms.

If the embedded page isn't working below you can click this link to get to the puzzle.

Like regular Wordle you can copy your result's (but only if you follow the link), so paste them or a screenshot onto social media to let us know how you did. But no spoilers!

Blademaster

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

[Article in plain text]

BladeMaster 

The Blue Rose is one of the oldest Knighthoods in the Realms, founded by Sean Aengus, in the lands of Hiedenkries. Tradition and history is a big thing within the knighthood, as well as instilling a strong bond between a Knight and their Squire and among the knights themselves. Loyalty is one of the main tenants of our Knighthood, we got each others back no matter what the circumstances. Squiring tasks consist of making sure they can set up/break down and clean up their own camp site and assist their knights in general tasks. Knowing rules of the game and fighting with honor is also a thing the knighthood tries to teach. We encourage and support contributing to the game, whether it be marshaling, ehing, crafting, or just being a fun PC. The Blue Rose Knighthood is here to have fun, be among friends, and be positive in all our efforts. The Order of the Blue Rose every decade challenges the heroes of the Realms to prove themselves in a tourney to claim the coveted title of Blademaster. Individual fighting skill is key to winning the title and emphasis will be given to tourneys involving "knightly weapons". Spell casters will be able to participate in all the tourneys. The gauntlet has been thrown down, will you pick it up? The Blademaster title comes with its own belt as well as the power to call three armor piercing swings per event. The tournaments have been held since 1002, run by our knights and we strive provide challenging fights, good food, a little bit of everything from tournament to light questing and some non coms. The Knights of the Blue Rose have been humbled, in the past, to have had the honor of organizing charity events when members of our game, or their families, are in great need. The sympathy and generosity of the people of the Realms has done much to bring good into this world, showing the true character of our community, and today, we are asking for that aid once again. This year the order is honoring one of our own who was a squire within the Knighthood but passed in 2025 James (Jim) Marden who was a long time player of the realms. Jim was Pj’s squire up until his health didn’t allow him to play the game he loved so much. We are raising money for his family to help them with their lose and remind them the realms still cares. So we will be doing an ALL CASH ticket auction with some really cool prizes. A lot of the game’s venders have been very generous and donated some of their fine goods of all sorts plus maybe a blue thing everyone likes, who knows? Come quest, participate in tournaments, donate to charity, play some magic and some poker, and have a great time with us for this event. We look forward to seeing you on the field! 

Here is a list of our past winners and current Blademaster title holders: 

1002: Aeston Stromgate                   1010: Rohde                                     1024: Shiba Vuel (Vpower) 

1003: Duncan Conrad                       1011: Jaha                                       1026: ?????

1004: King Pyr                                 1012: XT 

1005: Shandar                                 1013: Tycus Rane

Queen of Hearts XXXI: Knave of Hearts - Tournament Results

 

War Maneuvers

Field Battle - Team Diamond and Team Club

Folkestone Challenge - Team Heart and Team Club

Bridge Battle - Team Spade and Team Club

Castle Battle - Team Spade and Team Heart

Wizard War - Team Spade and Team Diamond

Hadrian's Wall - Team Spade and Team Club

Monster Chess - Team Spade and Team Heart

Rock Assault - Team Spade and Team Diamond

Grand Teamwork - Team Heart and Team Diamond

Bridge Battle Limited - Team Heart and Team Club

Folkestone Challenge Limited - Team Heart and Team Diamond

Castle Battle Limited - Team Spade and Team Heart

Knave's War - Team Heart and Team Club

Weapon Styles Showcase

Single Short Individual - Jasper, representing Team Heart and Club

Single Short Squad - Azimuth, Daekara, and Veit, representing Team Spade and Diamond

Mixed Florentine Individual - Daekara, representing Team Spade and Diamond

Mixed Florentine Squad - Luke John, Jasper, and Torolf, representing Team Heart and Club

Sword and Shield Individual - Torolf, representing Team Heart and Club

Sword and Shield Squad - Jasper, Fern, and Luke John representing Team Heart and Club

Hand and a Half Individual - Luke John representing Team Heart and Club

Hand and a Half Squad - Fern, Corvus, and Jasper representing Team Heart and Club

Oops All Ranged Individual - Bogen representing Team Spade and Diamond

Oops All Ranged Squad - Grazen, Bogen, and Azimuth representing Team Spade and Diamond

Five on Five Tournaments

Five on Five Lines - Team Spade and Team Club

Five on Five Bear Pit - Team Spade and Team Club

Five on Five Jugging - Team Heart and Team Diamond

Arcane Artisan

Armament - Grazen representing Team Spade and Kalashai representing Team Heart

And the winner of Knave of Hearts was: Team Heart led by the Knave of Hearts, Johan!

A Gilded Invitation

Good People of the Realms,

It is my pleasure to invite you all once again to Ashen Bounty, our annual harvest feast this fall. This year is a special celebration. This year marked the fifteenth year since the founding of Ashenmark and this will be the thirteenth Ashen Bounty. For much of those fifteen years I have served as the Highlord of Ashenmark, but at this years feast I will have the privilege of stepping down, and abdicating my rule as this year we celebration the ascension of Dame Umbra and Sir Raynor Skyline to the throne of the nation.

I invite you to join us on Friday night, as I will hold my last court in Ashenmark, before stepping down. Saturday will see a day of feasting, competition, reverie, and camaraderie alongside the ascension of the new leadership as they hold their first court. We hope you will join us in this celebration as we transition to a new generation and era of leadership in Ashenmark.

Highlord Temorse Sorrowind of Ashenmark

OOC Note: Registration for this event will go live later this week, Sunday will also include the normal Sunday questing content.

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Why I Want To Go - Queen of Hearts XXXI Knave of Hearts

 By: Adrian Cronin 

This year is my ten year anniversary in the realms. Queen of Hearts was my second event and by far the most intense crash course the realms has to offer. My friends and I found the game through a simple google search and decided to give it a shot. We had pvc weapons, no armor and got our asses handed to us all day long. There were four teams back then, rushing back and forth across the field with an intensity I could never have anticipated. My memory of that event is so vivid. We met the friends who would become my church, and my nation. I wrote a song on site and won the bardic tourney, only for my trophy to get handed to the wrong person and never be seen again. I got piked in the face. I got yelled at. It was legendary.

Coming back to the event over the years, it has faced multiple evolutions to survive the times while still managing to retain the same staples we all love and enjoy. Like jilted lovers, we complain to Sir Aeston and he takes it in stride. Managing to create something interesting for us all to enjoy. I have high hopes for this year.

With no predetermined teams, we have an opportunity for balance. We can take things down a notch in regards to the intensity. Make the game a bit more approachable, especially with such a large community of players with different desires and expectations regarding what we do.

Ten years ago, the Broken Spears just showed up. And now that’s all we’re asking you to do. Just show up, fight your ass off, call your shots, watch your blow strength and stay hydrated. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate humility, which is a core value of the Broken Spears Free Company than to compete on equal ground with all of you. That field has a lot of history. Plenty of ghosts and at least a few angels. The eyes of the warriors who came before us are upon us. Act accordingly, and do honor to yourself and to them.

When night falls, the most hyped night quest in quite some time will be taking place. So save a bit of steam.

I’ll be honest, I would have loved to have run my team this year. To celebrate Broken Spears on their tenth year and bring the hype of my team's progress to proper conclusion. However I am taking this extra year as an opportunity. To mend broken bonds and prepare the community for the greatest battle the realms has ever seen. 

For next year, Cronin Barbaria will face off against Margaret August. Margaret and I are both committed to putting past strifes behind us and are holding our teams to the highest standards. 

We’ve got a year. My sigil may be a bull but that doesn’t mean I can’t squash beef. Let it end.

Praise Vandor.

-Cronin Barbaria