What You Missed - Sanctuary Questing 13

By: Briar "Phee" Sieracki

 Time had paused for the demi-plane of Sanctuary at some time late afternoon, on October 25th, 1025 By Mortal Reckoning. It had frozen, because the Devourer of Time and the Guardian of Time destroyed each other. Without the Guardian to progress time, it could not be. Luckily, Sanctuary had the aid of a hero of the Realms, whose own time had been stopped (ha) when they stood as one of the three who sacrificed themselves so we could truly face and end the Mad Titan: Kieran Lostsong, the oft forgotten for how quickly they came into adventuring and just how quickly they left.

But that is a story for another time.

I write to you all today to tell you of what happened when we gathered in Sanctuary to adjust the balance. Since October, many newer adventurers (as well as a not-insignificant number of more established) have been planning to save Warble, the Guardian of Time, from her self-sacrifice. Now, many of us know the "Rules of Time Travel", and I know the set of 4: Don't Time Travel, Don't Travel in Time, Too Late You've Already Done It, Just Do It! Clearly, we'd have to jump very quickly to steps 3 and 4.

When we arrived, some of us found ourselves at different points of time in our lives or different selves entirely. Gordon found themself with the skills they would have had should some very good advice not been bestowed years ago. I found myself as a hopeful future. (Kieran themself called me "Your Majesty" so you can imagine my own surprise and understanding.) However, we didn't have a large amount of time (heh), as we needed to channel hope into a literal bridge to bring us to roughly the right moment to undo what had been done, but also destroy the Devourer.

As we heard the hopes of many settle around us, guiding us into the past, we discovered that our adventuring group was split into parallel but alternate timelines. We did our best, caught off-guard and understanding there were many creatures that we might have been prepared for, but preparedness is not the same as being ready. And then...the Devourer was walking amongst us, pushing and pulling people through the timelines, altering the flow, and occasionally feeding off our time. A few minutes later, and Warble appeared, and they fought, bouncing between timelines over and over, until she grabbed him, and....

Suddenly the chaos of battle was gone. We had been sent back to the moments before, and Kieran helped us change our angle of attack. A different entry point, more sideways. A slight change, one to maybe give us a helping hand. However, we also discovered several time-related artifacts we had were now missing, but we knew we would be able to reclaim them...in time. (Sorry, sorry.) This time, we angled ourselves just so to enter a space with small creatures with large eyes called Mind Readers. Mostly harmless, they just search for things to line their nest with, like that of information. They're also quite drawn to spellbooks, unfortunately, and had a tendency to nibble on legs. We were on a timer, and there were some challenges along the way.

 Sadly, around this time, old cold iron injuries flared up, requiring I take a less hands-on aid to the rest of our quest. It did give me a fantastic chance to observe most of the final goings-on. I still missed some things but thankfully, Bogen has given me the answers to what I didn't know, to allow me to continue telling this tale and fill in the gaps.

In order to set time right from this angle, we needed to move thing gears and thick gears to the right points in the room to interlace together, destroy clockwork creatures to gather rainbow gears for a third one, and I know another part of the room required a timeline of the Realms to be set back into a linear order. (Tara and Pawldo, from my understanding, were very set on that one.) Every so often, we would find ourselves back at the entrance, time reset. Each loop of that got us closer, and we could do these faster, knowing a little more than we did a loop prior. The trick was that we had to do all of those before time reset. This lead to many people memorizing the exact pattern to beat the clockwork creations, destroy them, and knowing exactly which one held which gear in the first place. There also was a small orange notebook that detailed how a scientist working for The Governor (whomever that is) made these clockworks with Franklin, the Devourer's Servant, that run on condensed time. It apparently made one person ill to the point of death to read it.

...Time loops, by the way, are a very dizzying theme of the day.

From the completion of that set of challenges, we found ourselves in another fight against Laughing Dead and Dogs of War (and yet, less terrible Dogs than they could have been based on records in Ivory, thank the gods), and yet again Guardian and Devourer fought, only for us to not be able to change that moment. We broke to refuel our bodies, rest, and consider a new plan of action. After all, if a Devourer is destroyed but they still have a Servant, that Servant becomes a new Devourer, and we have a different-yet-same problem again. Once again, we were split into three timelines, but now with a specific hourglass flipping every 8 minutes, marked on one side with a Time rune and an Anti-Time rune opposite. Bogen's notes again are helpful, as all I know was quite a bit of button mashing...and I was going to bite if I heard that DING again before the challenge began.

"To start the encounter we needed to let it finish anti-time downwards. We spent forever keeping it in the middle instead. That is when the bunny finger ritual thing happened." (We did, to waste some time. There's...no good way to explain it, it was just very silly to start, and then just...expanded. We got crystalized time out of it, which was quite helpful, as you'll soon see.) "Eventually we started the room. The hourglass was linked to Kas and Franklin, and we had to fight Franklin across the timelines." I know at one point, Gordon's timelines converged in a real messy way, and people had to put them down a few times before that got fixed.

Kas, thankfully, also had more insight into what the hourglass and Franklin had to do with things. Kas had soul-bound himself to Franklin's hourglass, and for a time experienced Franklin being in his head. This particular room involved them both vying for control over that hourglass, with Franklin representing the Anti-Time side, and Kas representing Time. Thus, Franklin had power so long as the sands flowed towards the Anti-Time side, and vice versa. Paired with a Time Boon that allowed Kas to cross timelines, Kas chased Franklin across time until all the sand had fallen to the Time side, aided by the button. Eventually, the two dueled, and Kas won control of the hourglass.

Finally, all that remained was to restore all the previously sacrificed timelines Franklin had given up the possibilities of to gain power as a time mage. In the end, Kas offered him a choice: Surrender and choose one of the many possibilities, hopefully do something good for once in his life, or continue fighting for the Devourer and face death at the hands of the very angry adventurers around him. In the name of self-preservation, Franklin chose the former and fought beside us for a brief while.

This time, we entered what was really truly the Plane of Lost Things. We entered a room full of hundreds of socks, a few monsters, and more Mind Readers. It was soon discovered that the socks had definitions and archaic words on them. I...got quite excited because I knew what several of those words were off the top of my head, while others weren't sure they were real words. As I got to matching words and definitions, others fed them to the Mind Readers, who were quite happy with new things to line nests with, and left. Others discovered that monsters seemed to be color-coded, and the only way to defeat them was to pull the same colored sock over their weapon first.

And then...finally...it was time. We were certain this was it, we could do it this round. We entered to discover a hard 30 minutes left before we could no longer continue this fight. However, we found our remaining time artifacts, and our very tense planning for this final push tried to combine in a matter of minutes. It began with a call and response to empower...well, I'm not sure if it was N, or the inert Time Snarl he tied to himself. Once it was done, all that was left was calling out Anti-Time to fight. This time, armed with the knowledge we needed, we made a push. And this time...this time it wasn't a mad-dash fight between Warble and Anti-Time, but Anti-Time sprinting, frantic to get away from the now Hug-Bomb shaped N. Cornered, it detonated, blasting the room, but leaving a few of us with Resist Magic alive. As things reached a very tense moment, and we started to relax, we realized that the clock was still ticking down. 5 minutes left, and a call for Last Rites rang out over the room, trying to make sure that Anti-Time stayed down. Styx began calling for people to stand for the fastest Sanctuary ritual they could. With several handfuls of crystalized time, and the ritual starting, I quietly called on Divine Aid to help however Styx needed it. People began pulling scrolls from their pockets, remembering at quite literally the last minute, they could draw on spare time to make sure the ritual had time to complete.

And thus, with a ritual channeled through the Watch of Lacune (a Titan's pocketwatch, and no small feat to use that!) to create a fixed moment in time...Warble's months long looping fight came to an end. Even as I write this, I'm still shaking off the echoes of a monarchy that hasn't happened yet, and my followers are resting or planning another adventure. As always, Sanctuary's survival is...a fascinating time to experience.

Okay now I'll stop making little jokes about time...that clock's run out.

Until we meet again, teska'gen'nashona.

 For now, simply

Phee

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If you haven't made an attempt to either PC or NPC a Sanctuary Questing...why not? Bri, as well as their fantastic team, have been telling some wild stories and challenging ideas of what a questing event means. Despite challenges of both college and health, Bri's crafted an absolutely amazing thing for the game. A good chunk of this event was planned and written from a hospital bed, something many of us would never attempt. Snow and health made some last minute changes happen, but truly, what a way to tell a time-looping story within a LARP where that's tricky. I can't even fully explain how wild and fun these events get because...well. You really truly have to just see it for yourself.

I also want to shout out the absolute care and kindness of the whole NPC staff and the sheer number of people who took the time to check on me or just make a joking aside while I had to quite literally sit in a chair out of the way when I subluxed two joints and had to go very non-com through a good chunk of the day. Kathy Fey also gets a big shout out there for physically stepping between the combat and me when it got too close and there was a chance of it colliding with me before I could get up and move. It's easy to feel despondent when that happens, especially as a disabled part of the game, but even the jokes of me clearly being the one summoning monsters helped keep me from wondering if I should just go sit alone outside. That level of care and levity from the entire staff truly helps and is a shining example of our community. An equally big shout out goes to the PCs who, instead of encouraging me to sit outside the room or completely step out when I needed to go non-com, instead found ways to keep me involved. I got to feel incredibly smart with those archaic words (we don't need to know why I know what word means "baby eater"), and sometimes just being silly as we wait for time to pass is exactly what we all need.

A massive shout out to Bogen/Zach and Kas/Alistar for their help in piecing together things I missed at the time. I completely forgot some stuff by the time I started writing this!

I’ll see you all soon!

-Briar/Phee

A Declaration of Peace in Eagle's Rook

 To the Heroes of the Realms,

We are pleased to announce that our lands, the lands of Eagle’s Rook, are no longer in the grave danger we faced these past few years. The forces of Guthrevin and the wraiths he appears to command have been driven underground and into hiding in Eagle’s Rook, and do not currently pose a great threat. Similarly, the Fae of Avendroth are no longer under threat, though are still making their presence known in our shared lands. 

For now, we seek to rebuild and open our gates to outsiders once more. Those who visit may find that our fields are not producing as many crops, and that the magic remains less accessible, but rest assured that we are regrowing. Alchemy has increased in relevance and relative usefulness, and those visiting may find that embracing these skills could bring better results than typical magical avenues. 

You may also see more of our representative members traveling outside of our borders once again, now that this threat has subsided. We are pleased to have been able to attend such events in 1025 and 1026 as Chimeron’s Feast and Coronation, Blackwood’s Tournaments, Ashenmark’s Feast, and the Feast of the Leviathan in Rhiassa. 

In the future we hope to rely on the aid of our allies to defend against Guthrevin and his forces, should they show themselves again. Until that day comes, Eagle’s Rook stands undaunted.

Steward Sir Wil

Sir Adara 

Sir Mikail

Lady Meela 

Squire Balthazar

Squire Omri

Squire Fern 

Herschel

Newbie Spell Prop Bin

By: Maria "Liselle Silvermaple" Carr

What is this: This is a bin of spell props to help enhance a new player's experience in the Realms by giving them access to spell props they might not yet have or have ready to use and allow them to use the spells they learn. These props cover 90% of the spells in the Omnibus.

How did this come about: When I came back to the realms after a long hiatus, I learned about the Newbie Loaner Armor Bin that made armor more accessible for new players to the game. It was then, I realized there was not an equivalent for new spell casters. With how quickly casters can learn spells, it is more important than ever that new players have access to required components.  

What’s in the bin: Within this bin are spell props that cover everything from sashes to rope to ritual paraphernalia. While most of the items are for loan there are a few things that players are welcome to keep. Some of these items include journals, pens, and markers. There is also a binder which contains the section of the omnibus ‘Magic in the Realms’ and ‘Spell Descriptions’. At the bottom of each spell description is what component from this bin can be used for the spell.

How can I get the bin at my event: I will happily bring this bin to every event I go to, but unfortunately I can’t get to everything. If you would like it at your event, please reach out to me and we can work on making arrangements - I have no problem passing it off to someone so it can get to your event.  

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Conspiracy Monthly

By: Kyra/Kieran Barry

From the award winning publication! 

What You Missed - Arken Expedition 2

by: Ella "Violet" Smith

Hello good people of the realms, this is what you missed at Arken Expedition 2: 

 All of us adventurers gather before the fire before making the trip to the Arken castle, where there was a call for adventurers to help defend the castle. They had heard rumors of a plan to seize the castle. Once we made it to the castle, it was only quiet for mere moments before the attacks started. The front was hit hard but held; the sides remained strong throughout; the archers would have ran out of arrows if not for the amazing use of shape shifting magic to go out and retrieve the shot arrows. 

 Once the siege appeared to be over, we were informed to go claim the land surrounding the castle. Each area had its own tasks to complete to raise the Arken flag, whether they be fighting or  puzzles. I can only recall what me and my small group got into. We were told when entering the area that there was not a game of fighting, but of wits, and the word inconceivable was thrown around a lot. I volunteered to do this challenge. The challenge was to pick between three glasses: two with poison and one without. Myself and the man that I was to play this with would each drink one. It was only until my hands were on the glass that I was told it was no mere poison: if I picked the wrong glass, part of my soul would be torn apart, leaving a permanent mark on my soul. However, I was willing to gamble; it was, after all, a one in three chance. Thankfully, I gambled correctly. I took the only safe glass, and after my opponent died, we were given a mirror shard and what appeared to be a recipe to seal the mirror realm. In addition, we got to raise the Arken flag for that area.

Once me and my small group got back from that, we were tasked to collect all the mirror shards so that they were in the same place. I got the feeling that the more I collected them, the more they were pulling to go towards the old shattered mirror. After the knowledge was shared, all of us adventurers made our way to the old shattered mirror. We put the pieces into the mirror and made it whole again. With the mirror whole again, we entered the mirror realm and were immediately met with violence. After we cleared the area and ensured that part of the land was safe, we took a quick soup break. We are mortal, after all. At least, most of us are. In addition, the feedback on the chili was absolutely incredible. 

After the soup and warming by the fire, we were back to the quest. We soon encountered slimes on the road. We quickly pieced together that the recipe I had gotten earlier was for the slime goo, and if we did it correctly, it could make a potion that could forever seal the mirror realm. The only problem is that we couldn't kill the slime or touch them to get the goo. Luckily, we had a magical ladle to collect the goo. While the goo was being laddled, the rest of us were working on distraction. Once all of the goo was collected, we needed to perform a ritual: we needed three magic users, two people of the color green, one person who symbolizes rage, and an alchemist to oversee it all. I was one of the magic users involved, and the ritual was a giant success.

After the ritual, we needed to get moving fast because the rest of the adventurers were already fighting up ahead. When I got to where the fight was happening, there was a lot of death. However, once the magic users were back up, everyone was raised again. We spent some time fighting towards a massive mirror building that seemed to hold all of the people we were fighting. There were some negotiations, but none seemed to work, so we just brute forced it and crushed the building. We took out the remaining people, I became a mother to a fox during this fight and still don't really know how that happened, and other people found really amazing magic items.  

We could at last  make our way out of the mirror realm, where we met up with Fancy, who exclaimed their thanks to us for assisting. Finally, mirror-Fancy showed up and started monologuing, but we all started running and officially sealed the mirror realms. 

Thank you all for reading my tale, stay warm  -Violet  

Why I Want to Go – Sanctuary Questing 13

by Alistair “Kasca” Gilmour

Heroes of The Realms,

I write to ask you for your aid.  Sanctuary, the plane my family calls home, has been under threat by forces that wish to destroy it and the Guardians who protect it.  My friends and I have worked to whittle down their forces over the past two years (maybe more?), but this time, it’s different.

At Black and White last fall, Warble, Guardian of Time and one of my friends, sacrificed herself to annihilate one of our worst foes.  Sanctuary has been in stasis ever since, and those of us who are Time mages have been stranded here, regardless of whether we belong in this time or not.  To save Sanctuary, we need to bring Warble back home.

To do this, we will be venturing through the Plane of Lost things, a land where anything that is lost ends up, whether it be socks, things you were sure you put in a safe place, even old foes and Time itself.  It will be dangerous, but knowing everyone, that kind of danger will be seen as a challenge.

The friends and family I have in Sanctuary have become an important part of my life, so to anyone who chooses to help out, you have my deepest gratitude.

- Kas

((OOC: I’ve had a lot of fun at every Sanctuary Questing event so far.  There’s a bit of everything for everyone, regardless of the magic you have or lack thereof, or your appetite for role-play.  The team has been amazing and they have big things planned for this weekend.  I think it will be fun regardless ^-^))