Blast From the Past - Part 16

This is another Battle Cry (February 1992) which directly followed the one that we have posted in Blast From the Past - Part 15. It is interesting to see how much one month makes. We can see that the event calendar is starting to fill out and has a bunch more events listed than were there before. I also like the IC bit dealing with the false King of Valehaven.

Funny Pictures

In this series, we're posting some unique pictures of us as we play in the Realms. The challenge we present to you is to provide us with funny captions for the pictures in the comments section. Try to keep 'em relatively clean and fun. (Photo by Dustin Mack)

10 Questions - Randy "Randal the Light" Gordon

Randy "Randal the Light" Gordon

How long have you been playing?

I was a freshman in  high school when I saw an ad in the paper for HAUG (Hartford Amiga User's Group).  Marble Madness was an amazing game for the time.  By chance I met Aaron Ravenberg at the meeting, who in turn introduced me to Rob Riley, Nana Prom, and the rest.  That was when John Wrisley and Glenn Slate were running Lost Chest, before Shannon or Lance were household names.  Let's just say that jelly bracelets and colorful leggings were popular...for women that is.  Eventually, we started heading north to beat on those Folkestone teenagers like Brendan, Jarrod, Dave, Paul, and company. 

How has the game changed since you've been playing?

I can't claim that I'm as connected as many of the other people that have been interviewed.  I was extremely active in the 90's, but then have had spurts of involvement and energy over the past ten years.  It's hard to maintain a balance between the things we enjoy and the lives we live.  Family and career make us choose our time wisely.

Perspective is a key that makes this is a tough question to answer.  I often feel the rush of something new, whether it be a new larp, a great video game, or a new game campaign.  The challenge is when you continue in a world and the new innovative ideas are things that you've seen time and again.  I remember so many exciting moments that I think had a positive impact on my out of game confidence.  I worry about when games become more rote and less emotional.  People should have passion, feel love and hate, be heroic, and challenge themselves to be more.

Depending upon which version of history you read, I may have held the first event holders' meeting.  I was nobody but a player with a heart that called up who I thought were the key players in this loose network of games.  Shannon, Lance, and Clarinda were really the soul behind the games for a while.  Terry and Terri were there along with many others.  I was a kid running a meeting with a bunch of more experienced gamers.  I remember losing my cool and throwing a plastic bottle at Lackey.  It wasn't my finest moment, but I cared and was trying to get a bunch of individuals to agree to some basic concepts like weapon length rules and other minutia.  

I had role models that impacted me.  If I did things right, I may have had some positive impacts on others.  It's almost like some of us are grandparents, since many of those that were my players have grown into event holders and leaders of the game.  I can't be bothered to worry about the weapons or the plots.  In the end, we have a game that continues to live because their are always people that love it and will help it stay strong. 

Who have you learned the most from?

This is a tricky question.  As a player in the early Realms, I learned a great deal about events from Shannon indirectly and Lance more directly.  Carrie Dolph was one of the people that I enjoyed seeing at events the most, whether as pc, npc, or event holder.  Back in the day, Folkestone meant family.  I miss that.  I stayed honorary member but never joined.  I brought back some souvenirs from my trip to Folkestone in England.  There's no question that Kathy Journeay, Clockwork, and Lackey were a formidable force in the game and its hard to imagine that they didn't make an impression on me.  Maybe I learned the most from many of my players that were willing to jump through the silly hoops that I put in front of them.  Sometimes they even smiled.  So, Lars, Shane, McKrye, Quick, Meerkat, Blak, Ragnar, and the rest.  

Of course, collaboration is always a challenge.  Early on with Rob Riley and Mike Palumbo (Panther).  Later with Kyle (Kaz), Matt (Zula), Dave (Amergin), and Leanne (Faellin).  I encourage people to try working with different people. It changes your perspective and if you don't kill each other can make magic. 

What was your best moment IC?

How can you just pick one?  Not going to happen.  Random stream of memories commencing in 3...2....1....

Out in the woods of Glenndale, I was running so hard from a monster I ran through the boundary line.  They were telling me to come in but I was nodding no.  No chance was I going back in there.  Real fear.  That is sweet.

During a Queen of Hearts or Duke of Glenndale competition being held in Periden a master chess player was bragging about how he couldn't be beaten.  Pure instinct, I called out Knight takes player and killed him.

On a quest to find the name of the Nameless One, I looked at the puzzle and got the answer right away.  People said that I couldn't have figured it out.  Hours later they got to the end of the dungeon to find out that I was right.  Sometimes Carrie and I think alike.  It is very scary.  If we didn't kill each other, she'd be my choice for a collaboration.  At the same event, everyone else was dead.  There were guards patrolling.  I crawled around until I found Thomas Althorne's body since I knew he had a "By My Voice" healing power.  At my instruction, he quietly called it out to the 15-20 bodies on the ground.  Stealth recovery.

Three Liches- "Jarrod, you have to trust me."  This might have been my most emotional character moment with Randal.  Long story. It ended with friendship trumping fear.

Fighting Pathos.  I didn't have a clue who he was but knew he was the villain.  Groups of three were going into a castle mod at Chimeron.  I pushed past the demon companion (Steve Johnson I think) to be in a group with a misguided pc working with Pathos.  I was Randal the Thorn in his side.  I couldn't win but I made it as difficult as I could for him.  I killed the girl.  She was an annoyance and a distraction.  When I realized that I couldn't hurt Pathos (Steve M) with my own weapon, I grabbed hold of his.  Steve is a big guy.  I couldn't really grab it from him, but he rolled with it.  It didn't matter that I was breaking the combat rules.  It was right for the moment.  I hit him a few times with his own weapon before he pulled it back.  We were on the top of the castle and had a crowd watching.  I still remember Queen Meg's cheer.  I called Knight.  I used a special rage power to be invulnerable for a while.  In the end  it was my most epic fight.  It didn't matter that I lost.  It was awesome.

I suppose I should mention the KoEF and Knight of the Realms ceremonies, but not really.  It wasn't the badge at the end that mattered.  It was the journey that mattered.  Okay, story time is over for now. 

What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?

Call me sentimental but I like playing The Champion, taking one soul at a time.  In the end he couldn't be beaten. There was always an escape plan.  The mask is still in that magic basement of mine waiting for one last hurrah.  You didn't really think it was over?

Burying players alive.  

I loved the Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz events.  The pc warps that merged characters with literary icons was lots of fun to manage and to see.  Kathy Horn as Dorothy, Niko as the Tinman, Callin as the Scarecrow, Jarrod as the Lion (back when he had the fro).  It was really chaotic.  I used to have all the ideas in my head and make a bunch of it up as I went through.  I was like Santa with my bag of schlock.  People can joke, but everyone loves getting real treasure walking in the woods.  Sometimes I'd be putting out stuff until 2 am the night before, which explains why I was a little scattered before the event even began,  Who can sleep the night before their event?

I started the Order of the Magi.  The Knights of the Realms thought we needed to recognize mages and so I did it.

Much of the most rewarding experiences that I've had as an event holder happened when I had direct contact with a player.  I liked to challenge people, sometimes pushing them to the edge.   I'd like to think that I had some positive influence on some of them.  Event holders rarely get the feedback that they really desire, the thanks for the hours they prepare and run quests.

Many of the things that are memorable aren't scripted.  Dave (Callin) and I got into a wrestling match as key npcs.  It just sort of happened and it worked.  We couldn't have done it for a second group.  It wouldn't be natural.  Sometimes the things that happen when you aren't planning are the once that are the best. 

Being made a Knight of the Realms

What would you like to see changed or developed more in game? 

One of the difficulties with the Realms is that it has a hard time playing nicely with other larps.  Variety is a good thing.  It doesn't have to be only the Realms.  There are many games out there that people could benefit from playing.  Steal the ideas and bring them back.  I always struggled with getting enough npcs.  Many of the other larps have a character point exchange system where you npc for one game and get character credit for another game that you play.  They never have a shortage of npcs because of this.  The combat isn't really that different.  Theater style is another thing that I think more people should try.  Intercon, Brandeis Festival of the Larps, RPI Dice Bubble, WPI SLAW, and more.  I was at a game recently and had a KOEF fireball as a part of my costume.  The Realms newbie who was at the game looked at me and asked if I was a KoEF.  I met some great people that happen to be good friends of Gideon and Mouse.  Open your eyes to other things, try them out, and use them to make the Realms better. 

What advice would you give new players?

Find a balance.  Love the game but don't make it your life.  When you have a better job, you can afford better garb.  That doesn't mean you'll wear it.  

Play fair.  It is okay to lose.

Find friends.  It's tough to be independent in the times we live in.  Our realms groups are the people that we hang out with out of game.  They are our families.  Choose wisely. 

What do you love most about the game?

I love the potential that is always there.  The freedom that anyone can create a story and make it happen is great.  We have many talented minds and its nice that they have access to a world we share.  

There are many people that I've met over the years, friends past and present.  Who could ask for more? 

Who would you like to see the next interview be with?

Jeffo is one of the silent architects that helped forge our boffer world.  Jesse Perry just made the game nicer.   

Why I Want to Go- WIGOH

WIGOH: The Hidden Tunnels of Osiosiosio
June 1, 2013 (Saturday 12pm) - June 1, 2013 (Saturday 7pm)

This outdoor dungeon crawl is designed for "newbies" who have been in the Realms for 5 years or less. If you fall into that category then this event will be an excellent opportunity to shine. This looks to be a trap-laden, puzzle-solving, monster-ridden dungeon. The goal of the quest is to recover an item we will need to defeat Bedlam, so there is definitely incentive to go! But what are those who are not newbies supposed to do? They can come and NPC and thus show our newer players how much fun the Realms can be.

This site is in the backyard of someone's house. That being said, they are asking people to carpool as much as possible. They have also made special mention (multiple times) that No Live Steel is allowed under any circumstances, so I figured I'd mention it again.

Question of the Week - 94

If you are in a nation, why did you join that nation?

Blast from the Past - Part 15

The Battle Cry was a supplemental mailing from the View From Valehaven that specifically only gave event listings. This Battle Cry from January of 1992 gave 3 events and a practice. Of note is some of the pricing (on par with today's events - maybe even a little high) and an announcement for an event for the celebration of the birthday of the King of Valehaven (who didn't exist and was a "big bad guy"). Also note how few events there were compared to today's Realms. (copy provided by Janna "Iawen" Oakfellow-Pushee)

Funny Pictures

In this series, we're posting some unique pictures of us as we play in the Realms. The challenge we present to you is to provide us with funny captions for the pictures in the comments section. Try to keep 'em relatively clean and fun. (Photo by Dustin Mack)

What You Missed- Feast of Chimeron XXI

Photo by Angela Earle Gray - 2013

Photo by Angela Earle Gray - 2013

Photo by Angela Earle Gray - 2013

Photo by Angela Earle Gray - 2013

Why I Want to Go- TOC20

TOC20: 20 years now get off my lawn

May 24, 2013 (Friday 6pm) - May 27, 2013 (Monday 2pm)

This event is huge! It has the largest attendance of any Realms event during the year. It has so much to do; this year features a wide variety of combat tourneys (Order of the List points), quests (on some reopened trails), food (a pig roast), and non-combat tourneys (campfire dessert cook, brewing, siege equipment, MtG, Risk, other board games, a casino, and others). There are also kids tournaments and quests. There will be sooooo much going on! This is an excellent event for doing stuff and then hanging out afterward and having a good time.

A number of the non-combat tourneys will require some prep on your part before the event so make sure to check out the event listing to see which ones you want to enter and see what you'll need to prepare for it. As mentioned, a number old quest trials will be reopened, so there will be something new for those who think they've seen the entire site before.

Question of the Week - 93

Do you think players should have more of a say in the rules than they already do?

Blast from the Past - Part 14

Once upon a time the Realms had a dedicated body of Marshals who offered their services to do such things as weapons inspections and tourney marshalling at anyone's events...called the Marshal's Guild. Here is the Marshal's Guild Handbook from 1992. Is there a place for such an organization in our modern-day Realms? Yes, I believe there is. (copy provided by Janna "Iawen" Oakfellow-Pushee)

Funny Pictures

In this series, we're posting some unique pictures of us as we play in the Realms. The challenge we present to you is to provide us with funny captions for the pictures in the comments section. Try to keep 'em relatively clean and fun. (Photo by Dustin Mack)

10 Questions - Callahan "Syruss" Marsden

Callahan "Syruss" Marsden

How long have you been playing?

Photo by Casey Lemay

I started going to fight practices in late 2003 for a few months before my first event. My first event was Tournies (they spelled it that way) of Chiron 10 on March 7^th, 2004 so I am going closing in on ten years now, hard to believe..

How has the game changed since you've been playing?
The game has changed in several ways. We have made spell progression easier (it used to take much longer to learn spells), we went from two cost to one cost buydowns, we got rid of the rule where spell casters use to have to wait three seconds before switching combinations, we have seen the rise and the fall of the Skirmisher, spells have gone away and new ones have been added and that’s just the magic side.

Fighting wise I've seen the introduction of shark mail and then neo-prene as well as fiberglass and bamboo.  Armor and weapons keep getting lighter, which I feel is a good thing as it allows those with less muscle mass to still be combat effective. 

We have also started to see an upswing in competition which I think is a good thing.

Who have you learned the most from?

This question I have given the most thought and hands down was the hardest to answer. You see I learned from so many different people. In fact I still learn from so many people, new players and old players every time I take the field. I find in order to keep growing you need to continue to learn.

In short these people taught me the most:

Tom Johnson (Blade) who brought me into the game taught me I can take easy roads or hard ones but hands down the harder paths would bare the most fruit.

Henry Giasson (Guilliam) taught me to open my home to new players and give every kid a chance because we were all new once.

Matt Daviault (Zula) taught me how to pick a lock and be a shady individual. Damian LaHaye (Sabboth, Dell) taught me how to quest and how to use seer magic. Bobbly Blache (Gryf) showed me that there doesn’t need to be a North/South divide and that if you give people a chance you might just make new friends.

And probably the two most influential people in my career are Ben Grant (Rohde) Chris Marques (Jaha). They pushed me to be the best version of myself with countless fight practices, weapon making nights, event planning, and being the two best friends a guy could ever dream to have.

What was your best moment IC?
Hands down my favorite IC moment was when Jaha and I went to (now) the Dark isle (then) Dracula’s Island. We were in a village were a murder had just happened; people were running around panicking except for one mill girl. We went over and tried to extort her for her grains so that Grimloch could eat during the winter. When she would not bend to our threats we killed her. Then the guards came over and were very upset and wanted us arrested.  Jaha and I were quick on our toes and said she was the murderer who had killed the local blacksmith. We explained that she was in a jealous rage when he turned down her love and affection for another women. The guard clearly didn’t believe us until another guard said  “Sir we found this bloody dagger on her and it appears to be the same shape and size of the victims wounds.” So they raised her and asked her what was up and she started screaming, “If he won’t love me he can’t love anyone.” Jaha and I were rewarded and from that day on we became super sleuths.

Also there was this time were I joined the greatest fighting nation the game has ever seen. You know them as Grimloch I know them as family.

Photo by Angela Earle Gray

What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?

NPC: I really liked playing the nameless knight for the Duke of War during the Oberon portion of the Fae events. I got to assist the rise of Sir Owen to Cullculen (sp?) up to the final encounter were I sacrificed my self to get him up with full armor so he could defeat Oberon.  I never really role played before this I always kind of played Syruss as Cal with garb so this really got me into playing different roles and made me want to expand my horizons.

EH: Proudest thing I did as an EH was help to resurrect the Tournaments of Blues Rose along side of Eddie Reed (Qualoyth) and Kyle Vaihinger (Caspian)  (taking place at the end of this month). More important than resurrecting it however, last year we lost a dear friend Jason Massey, and I was privileged in organizing a charity version of ToBR for the family of Jason Massey. I got to see our community step up and really donate to a great cause and show me just how much of a family this Realms community could be. We raised well over what we expected to and PJ told me the joy on the face of Mrs. Massey and how proud she was to see a community her husband loved so much step up in her family’s time of need.

As a player from a non IC perspective. My favorite moment was when Jaha and I held the beach at a North South war. The two of us made a final stand and killed 22 people (who for some reason decided to stagger in on us one or two at a time). While we were eventually killed it was hands down one of my favorite fights of my career.

Oh and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the other top three: Winning Champion of Grimloch back to back years, going on to Win Champion of Queen of Hearts and of course my victory at the Invitational last year and being inducted into the Order of the List.

What would you like to see changed or developed more in game?

More EPIC plots!!! We used to have a whole slew of Big Bad guys then in like 2006 we killed them all.

We are now starting to see the rise of great Epic quests again. I would like to see more of those.

More interactive puzzles and pickable(is that a word?) locks, better costuming for NPC’s heck better garb for players.

Also continuity would be nice, maybe a group of EH’s that work on ONE HUGE EVENT together, with epic costumes, puzzles, and cross over event character’s.

What advice would you give new players?

Four things.
1. Go and support your local fight practice. It is one of the best ways to meet new and great people and hone your fighting skill as well as your ability to call shots.
2. NPC and NPC often. I was brought up in the game with the mindset you NPC every third event you hit. It is a way of giving back to the community as well as another great way to practice different weapons and spells, but more importantly you allow your friends who NPC all the time the same chance to have fun on the weekends as you often do.
3. Give everyone a fair chance (sometimes multiple chances) if you put yourself out there and meet knew people you might find that preconceived notions of them were less than accurate and you may even find yourself with a new best friend. But at the very least you will have given someone a fair chance, which is something we all deserve.
4. And as a wise man named Jason Rosa once said wear kneepads (I wish he told me ten years ago lol)

What do you love most about the game?
Late night drinking parties…….just kidding. What I truly love most about this game is the community. I have met my best friends on the planet here, heck most of those friends have transcended from friends to family along time ago.
Time and time again I see us come together as a community, whether it is for a fundraiser for a lost love one, to raise money for cancer, to support community kids school fundraisers or to work together to help improve a event site we all love. There is nothing this community can’t do when we set minds to common task.

Who would you like to see the next interview be with?
Tom Johnson (Blade) (good luck)
Bobby Blache (Gryf)
Eddie Reed (Quayloth)
and if you are really stetched for interviews
Jacob Ruggiero (Grebinar)

Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print?
Yes put yourself out there as both as student and a teacher and never be afraid to try something new or make a mistake
Also…Hey Ben its me Cal

Why I Want to Go- Feast of Chimeron XXI

Feast of Chimeron XXI
May 17, 2013 (Friday 12pm) - May 19, 2013 (Sunday 12pm) 

[The author of this article will be running plot at this event.]

One of the longest series of events has been the Feast of Chimeron. They are following their format of questing during the day and a grand feast Saturday night. There will be a variety of different quests this year; you will be able to see the Shades, Book of Moons and Bedlam plots (and maybe more) making an appearance at different times over the course of the weekend. Of course, the highlight is the feast which was superb last year. So, join the tradition!

This is a new site for us. I was able to walk the site earlier this year and it is really nice. The feasting hall is wonderful; large enough to accommodate everyone and it has a rustic feel to it. There are also various buildings on site for our use and a wide variety of terrain/questing areas all over the place. The event is allowing for their Trappings of Civilization so make sure to check out the event posting to see which one best suits you. Also, if you can NPC for a portion of the event (Friday night, Saturday day, Sunday day) you will get back part of your event entrance fee ($5 per NPC portion).

Question of the Week - 92

What is your favorite event site and why?

The Grimloch Tribune

The Grimloch Tribune

By Callahan “Syruss” Marsden

LEAD STORY: ZOMBIE WORMS!!!!!!

The Necromantic Blight that plagues Grimloch knows no bounds!   The dirt and worms are even being infected!

So-called zombie worms — and yes, they actually exist — like to munch on bones for dinner. The creatures also use the bones for shelter. Spread throughout Grimloch, zombie worms are quite adept at making the bones of people and other large animals look like Swiss cheese.  

But these worms don't have any mouthparts with which to gnaw the holes. So how do they do it? A study published on May 1 in Westwood by Dr. Venture states that the "bone-drilling" worms, are actually "bone-dissolving" worms: The worms’ skin produces acid in large quantities to break down bones.

They also have reported to have excellent echolocation and follow the above ground foot traffic. They wait for an unlucky adventurer to meet some horrible fate then they go and infect the corpse. They also have been known to infect a careless adventurer looking to camp on the ground under the stars.

Grimloch resident Stryker was quoted saying “There is a reason we sleep in tree forts it is simply too dangerous to sleep on the ground with all of these undead creatures lurking about.

Upcoming events:
Looking to make your fortune?
Want to win something magical?
Or perhaps want to see some games you’ve never seen before?

Then come to the grand opening of Nymbous and Syruss’ “New Eden Casino”!

There will be a VIP poker tourney that will give you a chance at a magical artifact that you can alter yourself as well as a pretty decent sized purse (gold not actually a purse Grebinar you silly dog!).

The entrants of this tourney will be treated like kings (Ask Cecil how awesome that is) you will be waited on hand and mouth with delicious Drinks, Snacks, and Cigars or candy Cigarettes depending on you preference.

Also there are still openings for server and dealer positions so if earning your coin is more your style and you would rather not gamble and WIN then please send your Ravens to Syruss’s weird home address at Rohde and Syruss’ Hump House and Bar
That’s P.O BOX syruss83@yahoo.com Compton Grimloch 69697

Order of the List Activities and Points on the horizon 
When is the next time you can win points? Please continue to check Grimloch tribune for up to date articles on when you can score your next points and shoot for that top 16 spot!

Hey Guys we have two more events coming up this month where you can either can either battle for a top 16 spot, or continue to solidify your spot in the standings.

The Iron Lotus Presents: Dragon Master is providing Moonlit Tournies this Friday night.

Also Tourney of Creathorne is right around the corner. So sharpen your steel stretch your hamstrings and prepare for some excellent competition.

All of the results can be located At the Order of the List’s data collection station located in Grimloch (another weird address) orderofthelist.com

 
 Obituary.

This week in Grimloch we are mourning the death of Captain Fatty McGargle.

Cpt. McGargle first came into Syruss’s life as a little wooden puppet he got at Uncle Cecil’s four years ago this year.

They grew as more than just puppet and puppeteer and became life partners.
Traveling everywhere getting into all kinds of shenanigans these two were inseparable.
 
Until the tragic day when Syruss came home from Green and Gold not to his loving Puppets wooden arms but only to find Rohde playing fetch with Grebinar. It was not a mere stick they were playing fetch with it was in fact Cpt. McGargle.

“He had so much love in his stick heart, and he was always smiling with that painted face of his” **sobbing** “I will never love another puppet again!” Syruss cried.

When asked why he did it Rohde said this “ I hated that fu*$ing puppet.

Well that's it for this issue I am Theddy Quill along side Syruss reporting the facts, the whole facts, and nothing but the facts. Stay safe see you next week

What You Missed- Tournaments of the Blue Rose VIII

Photo by Casey Lemay - 2013

Photo by Casey Lemay - 2013

Photo by Paul Tilton - 2013

Photo by Paul Tilton - 2013

Funny Pictures

In this series, we're posting some unique pictures of us as we play in the Realms. The challenge we present to you is to provide us with funny captions for the pictures in the comments section. Try to keep 'em relatively clean and fun. (Photo by Dustin Mack)

What You Missed - Feast of Winter's Twilight III

Photo by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee - 2013

Photo by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee - 2013

Photo by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee - 2013

Photo by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee - 2013

Why I Want to Go- Iron Lotus Presents: Dragon Master

Iron Lotus Presents: Dragon Master
May 10, 2013 (Friday 6pm) - May 12, 2013 (Sunday 4pm)

This will be a full weekend event, jam packed with all sorts of things to keep everyone busy. Friday night will feature a "High Roller Poker Tourney" which will feature a classy atmosphere, a variety of casino games and of course poker. Also on Friday night there will some Order of the List tournaments which will be hosted by the Huntress Guild and betting will be encouraged for the tourneys. On Saturday, there will be a full day of questing that will include some heavy role-playing and combat all deigned to include every type of player.

This popular site is excellent for hanging out (so will be great for Friday night) and for questing (so will be great for Saturday). This event is the dream of a long time player who has finally taken the leap to throwing an event, to get a chance to tell her stories. This will be an excellent event to try out a new plot and show some support for a new eventholder.

Question of the Week - 91

Do you think the print copy of the Omnibus rules is still relevant or do you only use the online version?

The Grimloch Tribune

The Grimloch Tribune

By Callahan “Syruss” Marsden

 

 

LEAD STORY: Mineral Mine Cave-In, Dwarves of Grimloch Possibly Wiped Out.
A local mining crew the renowned “Six Dwarves and a Pick-Axe Crew” went missing after leaving to go on a mining survey of new caves near  POTA Mountain.

The changing of the seasons has produced many landslides and depressions in the hilly region where the miners were reported to be going. It is unclear at this time if the dwarves were underground at the time of the mudslides.

Competitor and long time rival of the “Six Dwarves and a Pick Axe Crew” Little Jon had this to say:

“Those arrogant bastards never saw the downside to their greed. Mithril was the foundation of their wealth, so also it was their destruction: they delved too greedily and too deep and now they suffer the consequences.”

Little Jon gave some great insight on how mining works and would like everyone to know that if you have some ore that needs mining please feel free to utilize “Little Jon’s Construction where we produce BIG results!”

Recent events: Dog Done Did Good

 (A silly fact update as told through the eyes of Theddy Quill)

 Recently Grimloch allowed a particular fancypants dog to join the group, now she is working with the other ladies of Grimloch to make sure we are dressed to the 9’s and not looking like we shopped out of dumpsters. That dog of course is Effa.

But her actions don’t just stop with Grimloch she and her fellow members are making a stand on common threads of the Realms.

She recently held a tournament marshalled by the Order of the List members to raise coin and cloth to help clothe  new adventurers as well as the common people of the Realms.

 I recently spoke with Sir Syruss the Awesome about how he as member of the OOTL felt the tournaments went and his take on the cause:

Theddy:  “Hey Big Sy, how do you feel the tourneys went?”

 

Syruss:    “ As per what is becoming the norm for OOTL point Tourneys there was a ton of competition, everyone is pining for an early spot on the "Top Sixteen". The fights were clean, fast, and some were very exciting.”

 

Theddy: “What is your take on clothing in the Realms and do you feel this is a good cause?”

Syruss: “Clothing I think varies from region to region, some richer countries obviously have the means to clad their countrymen/women for any occasion. Some newer settled countries often have trouble balancing what to spend their coffers on; most times it is invested in making sure their countries' warriors have proper equipment such as armor and weapons.
As for the cause, I think it is as good of cause as any. People need clothing and if this is a means to get it to them then that’s great.”

 

After meeting with Syruss I had the chance to get a quote from the hostess of the Event and here is what she had to say:

EFFA “Tournaments of Tunics was conceived as an attempt to fundraise a ”cover your shame bin”, and to try and encourage fancier dress within Realms through example and encouragement (with such things as the Garb Swap). It is my hope that hosts of large gatherings (EH’s) start setting dress guidelines for their events and allow them to use the “’cover your shame bin”” to supplement and provide clothing options for those adventurers with none. We as a community are constantly making strides to improve ourselves in combat, marshaling, and adventuring but dress has often fallen by the wayside. It is my hope that with the advent of the ToT, garb swaps, and ”cover your shame bin” that we can. as a community, work together to push for a better looking and more dapper tomorrow.”

Order of the List Activities and Points on the Horizon

 

Please continue to check Grimloch tribune for up to date articles on when you can score your next points and shoot for that top sixteen spot.
Next chance to score points and thrust yourself into the top spot comes at Blackwood Tournament 3 (7-5-13 at Creathorne Farm Grafton NH)

Not only will this be a great chance to score some serious points but it is also a great time to work with and shadow the Order itself. As you may or may not have known the OoTL has an excellent marshaling program for those who want to advance their abilities to Marshal. Last year they certified their first marshal outside of the Order in Rillan of Grimloch, who spent the majority of the 2012 season working with Rohde, Jaha, Shandar and Tychus trying to hone his marshalling abilities.  Perhaps others will make a similar commitment this coming season.

Also you can ask any members of the Order for one on one training to better strengthen you combat skills

 

 Dear Rohodey,

 

An advice column from our one and only super sensitive super soldier the one the only Rohodey.This article allows you the readers a chance to have our on site "Cerebral Assassin" take a crack at what’s making you crack. So submit all questions via raven to Syruss and he will read them to Rohde (cause we all know he can’t read):
Dear Rohodey,

I have never written to you before, but I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me.

The usual signs; knocks on the door but if I answer, the "gentleman caller" makes a run for it. My wife has been going out with ‘the girls’ a lot recently although when I ask their names she always says, just some friends from work, you don’t know them.

I try to stay awake and watch for her when she comes home, but I usually fall asleep.
Anyway, I have never broached the subject with my wife. I think deep down I just did not want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I decided to finally check on her around midnight, I hid in the garage behind my sword rack so I could get a good view of the whole street when she arrived home from a night out with “the girls.”
When she got out of the carriage she was buttoning up her blouse, which was open, and she was quickly fixing her hair which looked all ruffled up.

 

It was at that moment, crouching behind my sword collection, that I noticed a hairline crack where the grip meets the fiberglass shaft on my GrimGear made single short.

Is this something I can fix myself or should I take it back to  Grimloch Gear for repairs?

Signed…
Concerned Fighter

Dear Concerned Fighter,
    First off, GrimGear has great customer service and I am sure they would replace the entire sword for you as long as you never EVER bring up the fact that you were spying on your wife when you found it. I am sure Guilliam had good reason to have your wife out that late. She was probably auditioning for a waitress position at Rohde and Syruss's Hump House or something and that's why her blouse was undone, Guilliam sometimes has weird "casting couch" style auditions when we ask him to cover the bar for us while Syruss and I visit new "business contacts" out in Thistle Grove. But as I said, when you go to Guilliam about getting your sword reforged, don't mention your wife or you might end up with that sword where you didn't want it. After all he won most intimidating two years in a row! (pffft)

 

Rohodey

 

 

Well that's it for this issue I am Theddy Quill alongside Syruss reporting the facts, the whole facts, and nothing but the facts. Stay safe see you next week

Funny Pictures

In this series, we're posting some unique pictures of us as we play in the Realms. The challenge we present to you is to provide us with funny captions for the pictures in the comments section. Try to keep 'em relatively clean and fun. (Photo by Dustin Mack)

10 Questions - Leanne "Faelinn" Hoffman

Leanne "Faelinn" Hoffman

Photo by Melissa Fitzgerald

How long have you been playing?

My first event was Lost Gate Legacy in 2002.  That makes it just over 10 years.  Some days it doesn’t seem that long ago.

How has the game changed since you've been playing?

There is a distinct lack of one shot adventure weekends.  Everything now seems to be a part of an overarching plot or has some plot tie-ins.  While that’s not a bad thing, I do miss the contained 3-day adventure.

The fighting has gotten a lot faster and the weapon tech has changed a lot as well. Green foam and duct tape have been replaced with regular insulation foam and weapon socks.  I go back and forth on the pros and cons of the change of scale in weapon tech.

On the plus side I think there are more opportunities for newbies to get involved.  A lot of groups seem more open to helping newer players, mentoring, and giving out loaner gear.  Anything that helps more people get involved is always a good thing.

Who have you learned the most from?

I’ve had the benefit of learning form a lot of different people and getting different perspective about how the game works.  Aaron Metzger really got me to love the spell system and told me you can be a caster and still kick a butt and have fun with the combat parts of the game.  He is really the other half of my EH-ing brain for better or worse.  His stories of questing with his group of friends when he started really made me want to capture those moments for myself.

Carrie Dolph showed me from my first event that you can pour yourself into the game to tell a unique story and watch it come alive.  Even in the pouring rain at my newbie event, I watched people talk of the real threat of enemies, trials and tribulations, epic battles, and heartfelt roleplaying.  I totally wanted to be Carrie when I became an EH.  If I could draw half the emotion of the PCs from my events as she did in that one event where I watched people rally to fight a giant bainen worm, then I would have called it a success.

What was your best moment IC?

Best is pretty subjective.  To this day, I tell the self-deprecating story of Feast of Chimeron 17.  I was being that guy who was talking during court to Iawen off to the side.  The Magi of the Realms were called up to talk and I said to Iawen, “Meh.  They aren’t going to say anything important” and continued with our conversation (complete with stupid hand gestures).  We talked and laughed and then I noticed the hall was completely silent.  I causally turned to the side and noticed the ENTIRE feast hall was looking at me.  I remember having a bewildered look on my face and stammering out “Uh, hi.  I think I missed something important.”  And that’s how I was inducted into the Magi of the Realms.  Lesson to everyone: don’t be that guy at court!  It will come back to bite you!

My other best moment (another Janna in tow adventure), was Feast of Chimeron 13.  This was the event where Faelinn and Ophelia pretty much became inseparable.  Other people will say it was Rites of War 7 where I killed Titiania.  Either way those stories are best told in person.

As cliché as it is, some of the best questing was the Owen and Faelinn questing buddy times.  When you have a small group that really works well together you can accomplish almost anything.

What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?

There are so many and most of them involve fake blood, gross makeup, and/or intense roleplaying.  I think my favorite was for the Twilight Champion.  I was NPCing as Faelinn who was possessed by Ascerbus.  Faelinn/Ascberus had to be scalped while still alive to kill the guardian beast tied to her.  We worked out the mechanics of the fight (me being sacrificed and all) and had to work around my tonsil surgery and the pain med induced wackiness that followed.  The minute the first sword hit me, I wailed at the top of my lungs and started crying.  I can only describe the sound as a painful scream/gurgle/rasp punctuated by sobs.  I sounded gross and horrible and just painful and it make the PCs super uncomfortable.  When I was killed, I wandered over to the NPC area where I was told the NPC briefing had to be stopped because I had freaked out the NPCs and no one could concentrate.  It was at that point I noticed Aaron had shaved his beard and comedy ensued.

Any time where I can play either a named NPC role, or am given the chance to roll with punches as a crunchy I have a blast.  Anytime I’m a goblin or crunchy with Chelsea Stoddard is a good time.  We die so horribly!

Photo by Robyn C Nielsen

What would you like to see changed or developed more in game?

 I would like to see more NPCs from different plots make cameos at other people’s events to make the world seem a little more cohesive.  I know we are never going to all play nice together as EHs and there are some very differing opinions in creative plot teams, but it’s the little things that tie everything together.  More roleplaying is always a good thing and having more IC interactions help people stay in character more and feel more involved with the event.

What advice would you give new players?

Go out and meet people from all different nations.  Talk to people!  Don’t be afraid to ask questions of offer a suggestion on a quest!  Some of us are not as scary as people seem to make us out to be.  You’ll find a lot of people have the same interests as you do.

While playing an evil necromantic lich overlord might be a wicked cool character concept, it might not be the best thing for you to try as a newbie.  Keep it simple to start off.  Playing an elf might seem like a good idea to begin with, but after 10 years of spirit gum getting stuck in your hair, you might want to rethink that. 

What do you love most about the game?

 I absolutely love running around with my friends in the woods.  There is nothing like having a good time, in all kinds of weather, with your closest friends saving the day or causing hijinks.  It’s the people and the atmosphere of the events that really does it for me.  S’mores-quest is also the best quest!

As I’ve moved to helping staff and EH more, I really love cooking for people.  Working with a fantastic kitchen staff is seriously a joy that I look forward to every time I’m in the kitchen (be it mine or someone else’s).  When you have a cohesive staff, it makes giving back to the community so much more fun for everyone.

Who would you like to see the next interview be with?

Sean Veale, the hardest working man in a goblin mask.  For someone so quiet, he is truly a workhorse for the community (and quite funny).  My other vote is for the ever eccentric Randy Gordon.  That man’s basement is an event holding treasure trove of shlock.

Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print?

Pre-reg for events!  It really helps for planning purposes and I can’t always remember who is allergic to what food. 

Also never listen to Rel tell the story about Titania during the Rites of War.  He’s a big fat liar pants.

And Jonas Cooke is secretly in love with Faelinn…pass it on!