Tournaments of Creathorne Tourney Results

With many thanks to Liz "Matiya" Butler for promptly sending them!

Hobbit hill climb Limited
1. Jack of Redwall
2. Elric
3. Lance
4. Ivory

Hand and a Half Limited
1. Shandar
2. Vuel
3. Ivory
4. Torolf

Great Weapon 8ft. Limited
1.Shandar
2. Runaris
3. Guilliam
4. Vuel

Great Weapon 6'6" Limited
1. Shandar
2. Torolf
3. Tuilli
4. Rawlin

Single Short Limited
1. Shandar
2. Vuel
3. T-Main
4. Eldritch

Sword and Marn Limited
1. Shandar
2. Seagan
3. Drike
4. Rillan

Sword and Shield Limited
1. Shandar
2. Vuel
3. Drike
4. Rawlin

Dagger Limited
1. Shandar
2. Jack of Redwall
3. Tor
4. Ivory

True Florentine Limited
1. Rillan
2. Runaris
3. Shandar
4. Tor

Corsican Mug
1. Neko
2. Bohis
3.Jack of Redwall

War Tourney Unlimited
1. Invictus
2. Blackwood
3. Neden

One Woman Unlimited
1. Shadar
2. Elizah
3. Freesia
4. Evie

One Man Unlimited
1. Wrath
2. Shandar
3. Daekara
4. Vuel

Single Combatant Unlimited
1. Shandar
2. Wrath
3. Swoop
4. Rawlin

2 Path Unlimited
1. Veit
2. Bart
3. Melethielle
4. Swoop

3 Path Unlimited
1. Nos
2. Neko
3. Pilpus
4. Ivory

3 Man Unlimited
1. Legio XV
2. Legio 7
3. Young Wolves
4. Creathorne

5 Man Unlimited
1.Invictus Legion 51
2. Legion 1
3. Jack of Redwall
4. Torolf

Spirit and Steel
1. Vuel and Zatarra
2. Shandar and Kiira
3. Inferno
4. Bromance

Knight and Squire
1. Shandar and Wrath
2. Eldritch and Shader
3. Guilliam and Gordon
4. Daekara and Trent

Couples
1. Shandar and Kiira
2. Elizah and Guilliam
3. Elder

Live Axe
1. Hayden
2. Rawlin
3. Steel Foot
4. Tor

Live Knife
1. Nova
2. Kyomi
3. Tor
4. Mathies

WYM TOC 2018

Tournaments of Creathorne is a 4 day event, with at times hundreds of people that come and go. Some people will only hit this event this year. It's the event for triumphant returns and for many people, it's their first event.

So I couldn't possibly tell you everything you missed at this event. But I'll give you what I know for true.

You missed tournaments. Combat tournaments, both single and group. 5 man, and War tourney. Invictus won the nations tourney again this year. Which may be of no surprise to many of you, but I think the real surprise was how much we needed the medics guild on the field this year, with no fewer than three rolled ankles and one hospital trip. We really appreciated their efforts and contribution to the game that day.

Beyond combat tournaments however there were non coms, including pick pocketing, bookmaking board games of variety, bardics, campfire cooking, mixed drinks. The list of competitions is pretty insane. Many of the challenges I didn't even know were happening just because I was engaged on the tourney field.

At night at this time of year, in Creathorne portals seem to appear rampantly. They bring you to far off places and often on interesting adventures. This year they brought us to a place plagued with madness, where Celestial beings were fighting against a villain known as the Yellow King. Adventurers needed to gather materials to create weapons that could help them fight the yellow king, blades made of sanity. They needed to endure challenges in the name of the searing light. They needed to traipse about a garden at night picking flowers. They needed to protect their minds from the absurd, their bodies from the drain of war, and their lungs from rancid poisonous death. These challenges were surprisingly difficult. People suffered serious loss during these adventures, and certainly some people did not come out of it the same, if at all.

I caution you when asking for more information about these adventures, some people may still be in mourning.

But on to more merry of things. ToC is a time where a lot of people do business, it's a good place for it because of the sheer number of people that show up. I know among other things, at Blackwood court, Sir K elevated Torolf to the lord of Alonis, Seeker to the Steward of Eroewan, and Nos and Tao became Dukes.

Other courts surely happened, but you would have to ask around to find out what from them was for public knowledge.

The rain stopped no one. Despite the down pour is couldn't be called a damper. People partied and reveled and enjoyed themselves in every way. It was an event.

So yeah. You missed a lot. Stop doing that, and show up.

Keith Cronyn
Prince Saegan of Blackwood

Arc Sphere Distortions

Arc Sphere Distortions

by Steven "Therian" Matulewicz

In Observance of Memorial Day

 Today as we gradually pack our stuff and wander home from Creathorne, or relax at home with our families and friends eating burgers and dogs, or brave the crowds to shop some of the multitude of sales going on, or whatever else you might be doing today --

Today, on this day that many of us have off from work, and even if you don't --

Take a moment to remember that today is not just about a three-day weekend, or a day off, or the last day of a four-day long event --

And that many of the freedoms and liberties that we may sometimes take for granted, indeed; our very way of life, was hard-fought and hard-won by our ancestors and relatives throughout history and the not-so-distant past, a fight that many of our family members are carrying on in the present, and one that will continue to call upon us to be defended in the future through a changing world -- 

Please take a moment today, on Memorial Day, to remember and honor all those who have served in our Armed Forces who were never able to make it home to families and friends, and all those who otherwise died while in service to our country; those service members who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live the lives that we do in the way that we want. 

Wherever your travels may take you today, take the time to remember all of these brave men and women, even if you have no personal connection.

And remember that freedom is not free. 

Flashback Friday Picture Edition

One of the most storied traditions in our game, Tournaments of Creathorne, begins today. In honor of all things that have been around a loooooooong time, please enjoy some pictures of some current players when they were much, much, much younger.

Baba/Malaki, 2004

Avendar, 2003

Temorse, 2007

Aeston, 2004

Saegan, 2009

Bouquet, 2002

Shean, 2004

Vawn, 2004

Shandar, 2004

Kyntela and Gwen, 2007

Syruss, 2010

Gau Dring Biology Report

GAU DRING BIOLOGY REPORT 

EDITION 1: CHOOLATES

Creature Type: Fungus

Habitat:  Wilds of Gau Dring and beyond

Eating Habits:  Carnivorous, will consume all but a few bones. Prey is anything with flesh. Non-herbivorous. 

Behavior:   Choolates live in packs that travel across Gau Dring. Hostile toward anything that moves, they are to be avoided at all costs unless you are experienced with hunting them. Despite their cute, puff-ball appearance, choolates have a maw filled with razor sharp teeth that are honed to devour anything that crosses their path. Prey is often surrounded before it even sees the first choolate, and is then viciously ripped apart in a choolate- tornado of fluff and teeth. Usually all that remains is a few bones due to the ferocity with which the prey is consumed. This can make it difficult to call the soul of an adventurer as there isn’t a body left to call it back to, and civilians are quite frankly, shit out of luck. There have been unfortunate villages found scattered with bits of bone but no people in sight unless they managed to get into a basement in time. Choolates hate the dark and the cold, so they tend not to be so aggressive during the winter time.

Uses: Samples of choolate fur and teeth have given insight into the structure of the choolate. The spell “Identify” and the knowledge of the civilian healers has shown that their teeth are made of Adamantite, Silver, and the remaining bones of whatever they’ve eaten. The fur is made of strong, silky fibers that can be dyed and woven into very soft, fine fabrics. Choolates are also considered a delicacy in Gau Dring. They are mashed up and often served in the form of pies, cakes, and pastries.

What to do if you see one: If you encounter a choolate, your best bet is to scream “CHOOOOOLAAAAATES!!!!! RUUUUN!!!!” as loud as you can, and try to run. Don’t expect to get very far though. If you’ve seen a choolate, it’s most likely that the herd has surrounded you and you will die in a few seconds. At least if you yell out, your companions have a chance of getting away and coming back to try to find your bones.

Physical Description:  Fluffy pink puff-ball. The maw is almost as large as the choolate itself and filled with a spiral of sharp, flesh-shredding teeth. The fur of this choolate appears pink from the bloodstains of its victims. The vortex within the maw is comprised of its teeth and the bony remains of prey.

Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!

Why I Want to Go-Tournaments of Creathorne XXV

by Lani "Gwen" Jones

Forgive me some nostalgia, but I can’t talk about why I want to go to Tournaments of Creathorne XXV without sharing a story from Tournaments of Creathorne XV. See, TOC was my first event ever, and so it holds a special place in my heart because every year I remember how I felt driving down from Maine to Grafton, New Hampshire not knowing what was in store for me. I was so nervous that I ended up driving back and forth past the event site for almost an hour before I was brave enough to pull into the driveway lined with flags and full of cars. Now I make an equally long drive from Connecticut, because to me, this event is a must not miss, flagship event on the Realms’ calendar. There’s a million reasons why, but today I’ll limit myself to just a few highlights that really show off what makes Tournaments of Creathorne unique.

1. Judging. TOC is the perfect place to go if you want to be judged. Wait, wait, wait...hear me out. This event features a tournament or contest for everyone. This year I’m particularly excited to participate in the campfire dessert contest, but there will be also be a poker tournament, a brewer’s tournament, jugging, bardics, a Chopped tournament, a Magic tournament, a mixed drink contest, and a distance siege equipment competition, just to name a few. This is in addition to all of the combat tournaments that will be run throughout the weekend, including the flagship Nation’s tournament.

2. Atmosphere. This event is one of my favorites because that atmosphere is spot on for Memorial Day weekend. This is one of the events that brings the Realms together, both old and new. There are people I look forward to seeing at this event that I really only get to see once a year. In addition, the mellow, discreetly damp atmosphere is a great way to have some responsible adult fun while swapping stories around campfires. This year, people are really going to be bringing their A-game in terms of garb and regalia based on all of the #TOCvaguebooking posts I’ve seen over the past weeks. I’ve spent this weekend the same way for the past ten years, and I honestly couldn’t imagine it any other way because of the atmosphere. This event really has something for everyone: from epic night quests to dancing around the fire, from combat to camaraderie--I promise you, you won't be bored.

3. Cookouts. If you know me, you know that food is always going to make the list of reasons I want to go anywhere if it’s an option. I love the TOC barbecue on Saturday night. It has never failed to hit the spot when all I want is a great burger, dog, and some delicious sides. But if you nose around enough campsites, you will see that people are always cooking up something delicious, and if you are nice, people might even share with you. In addition, there is nothing like the smells of breakfast wafting around the event site in the mornings before the day’s competition gets rolling again (pancakes anyone?)

4. Kids’ Quest. Now, although I don’t have any myself, I think that the TOC staff does a phenomenal job of entertaining the little ones throughout the weekend. You can't walk through the event site without seeing a posse of wee ones holding adorably sized weapons and beating down monsters. In addition, there are crafting projects to keep all the pint-sized adventurer’s happy throughout the weekend. I love that the event staff embraces the growing community, because these kiddos are the future of the Realms.

I could go on and on, but really, you should be packing. Don’t forget to bring something warm and plenty of extra socks. And maybe a few wet wipes wouldn’t go amiss either, after all, this is going to be a long weekend ;)

What You Missed: Neden BBQ 3

By Alex Groom (Elouan of Rhiassa)

Photos by Justin "Dresden" Theriault

Despite arriving about 15 minutes early, food was already being served.  I quickly helped myself to a cheeseburger (topped with BBQ sauce).  Throughout the day, I would also help myself to veggie kebabs.  While not on the menu, Jean Baptiste was selling jerky, and I can’t say no to Baptiste Butchery jerky (the key is to just enjoy it, and not think about it too much).  This particular batch was made with whiskey, and you could definitely taste it.  I can honestly say it was one of the best jerkies I’ve ever eaten (admittedly, I am a sucker for whiskey.)  I was informed that Baptiste Butchery would be at ToC with more jerky, and would in fact be taking custom orders as late as Tuesday, May 22nd. [Disclaimer: I do not hold any affiliation with Baptiste Butchery.  I just really like jerky.]

About an hour after we arrived, Neden held a quick court.  To start, Dresden, editor in chief of the Neden Kazoo, awarded kazoos to both myself and Asharn for having solved the monthly puzzles found in the Neden Kazoo.  These kazoos were no mere kazoos, and in fact held the power to alter reality within the land of Neden (as long as said reality altering request was in the form of a headline). After this, Nymbous announced he was stepping down from his role as Lord of Neden, and handed off said responsibility to Duke (now Lord) Syruss O’leary.  With that, court was adjourned, and we returned to the festivities.

Throughout the day, Neden offered a variety of festivities to partake in.  A carnival ran all day; it offered plinko, and that game where you throw stuff at cans and try to knock them down.  On top of the carnival, combat tournaments ran throughout the day.  Success in either of these festivities led to one winning tickets, which could be used to try to win a variety of N-house items in a raffle that would occur at the end of the day.

There were also a variety of noncombat competitions. Particularly entertaining was an equestrian show that various members of the Realms could enter.  This show consisted of a talent portion, an obstacle course, and a race.  Quick aside: never lend Hanzo a horse; we learned the hard way that he has a tendency to ride them to death. Horse death aside, those of us attending found ourselves entertained by this display of aestheticism and athleticism.   In the end, the talent portion was won by Fancy, and the obstacle course and race portion were both won by Asharn.   For his success, Asharn won half a blue ribbon.

In addition to the equestrian show, there was an egg toss (the final throws of which were over improbable distances), a sack race, a pie eating contest, and a 3-legged combat race.  Winners of these received “obscene amounts of tickets” (to quote the members of Neden).

The day was concluded with a raffle.  Items included Baptiste’s Friendly Shovel of Banishment, the Wands of Healthy Living, the Orb of Truth(ish), and the Sticks of Cheerful Nihilism.  However, the most sought item was the other half of the blue ribbon.  When assembled, the blue ribbon would allow someone to undertake a ritual to turn an N-House magic item into a regular magic item.  Temorse ended up winning the other half of the blue ribbon. 

With that, the Neden BBQ concluded.  Overall, it was a relaxing day of good food and merriment, and I already look forward to the next one.

Arc Sphere Distortions

Arc Sphere Distortions

by Steven "Therian" Matulewicz

10 Questions with an EH

with Andy "Shean" Disbrow

Announcements at Feast of Creathorne - by Dustin Mack

1. What events have you previously thrown? (include years) 

I started throwing events I think in 1992 with the Dragonsbane madden quest with Keith Hollumbeck.  I was mentored and given huge pointers after that by Tim Gilkes, Shannon Slate, Kathy Joureny, Aaron Addison, John Berman, etc.  I have had on my staffs over the years many people Jarrod Marshal, Scott Rodlin, Jeff Makki, Becky Garbos, Ben Greene, etc. I have held personally lots of events not sure on the exact number but I am comfortable with saying 75 at least. Some Events I throw I have other people help me and put them down for EH credit because I always have EH credit with TOC.

• Tournaments of Creathorne 25 years to dates 1993 to now.
• Feasts of Creathorne in part or whole going back to 1994-present I think we did not do Feasts for a few years. I want to say 14 or so of them.
• Dragonsbane events in the early 90’s.
• Mythdrannor ToC Night quests and as standalone events in the 2000’s as 24 hour live events.
• Lord of the Rings: first few Summer and winter fests with Stephen Hinkle.
• Winter Wonderalands: we did winter camping in tents etc.
• Day of the Dragon in 2005.
• And the past few years I have been doing the stacked deck final tournament events.

Game convention events:

• All of the Carnage convention events I have organized with the carnage staff for Realms to have events at carnage. Helped Travis Wilcox, now I help Tara Jackson-Pregent manage it.
• 5 Pi cons in Mass, not any more.
• 7 OGC cons in NH, not any more.
• 13 Arisa cons then I handed it to Dan Diamond to manage.

2. What led you to start throwing events? 

I was asked By Keith Hollembeck to help throw Madden Quest and that was it.


3. What would you like your events to be known for? 

Quality, we always try and give the players and the staff a good time and provide them the most for their dollar. Be it a feast, quest or tournament it is our number one priority that people leave knowing they got their worth.  Great interaction and something to remember the event, be it experience or that trinket they got off an interaction or npc,  Food that fills them up and or something they have never had before or rarely get to have.  Nice or custom prizes for tournaments.


4. What aspects of event holding do you consider most challenging? 

You cannot please everyone:  We really try hard to but some people are never happy even when we base the entire weekend around them, they still are not happy. BUT those other 99% we hope leave with a smile and a fond memory.  All the prep work, all the planning, all the notes and scripts go out the window and you have to wing it 20 minutes before the quest/event starts. X prop is misplaced, hunters in the big field, hornets, you name it, it will be that wrench in the cogs that mess up everything. It will happen, be ready. That PC that decides he is not going to tell they party that they have a puzzle piece needed to finish the quest. Yeah that cool guy. We have ways to work around them because of past experiences…  

Prizes at Tournaments of Creathorne - by Dustin Mack

5. Tell us about an event moment you are particularly proud of? 

Well it is kind of BAD but well very fond:  ToC 3 or 4 I think Eldritch, Klever, and Swan are playing demons but the masks are too tight so they have them on top of their heads, so they look so much taller with the two-foot horns on top too. They walk out of the thick fog towards the PC’s and every one runs. One PC runs right into a drow (Sloan/Scott Carr). Scott is right in the PC’s face “gold elf your ass is mine” he screams right into the guys face. The PC can’t move he is shaking, etc. Scott looks over at me and I shake my head ‘no”so he walks away from the pc. The PC stands there a good 30+ seconds shaking then drops to his knees for a bit. I run into Scott a little later he asks “Is the guy who shit his paints okay?”.  Me ”He shit his pants?”. Scott “Oh yeah he did”.


6. Tell us about something that went wrong and what you learned from it? 

So many things go wrong all the time. Many times it is that people say they know what they are doing but in reality they have no idea how something works. You have to show some people they so they learn, not just get them away from the grill that they just burned two full sheep on. You have to show them how they cooked it all crazy with flames three feet high and the grease was making the flames go crazy higher. PJ butchered up the burned mutton, we cut off the burned stuff served it with a smile and everyone was happy. Now we do Burgers but we learned Aaron Addison does not know how to cook, but he makes a huge fire from not lots of wood and we should use propane grills not an old oil tank on cement blocks. Lol good times are always had by all!


7. What do you think makes an event site “good” and how have you gone about locating sites?  

Easy access from main roads, running water is a must, fire access even if it is a fireplace in the tavern,  It can hold more people than you expect and the amenities you need for want you are doing.  I am lucky that I have access to loads of sites.  Scout property, people I know's farm land, federal property, etc.  I just happened to decide to not do farming and use my extra property for an event site. But I know Jason Fiero who has access to a small gun club’s property for small feasts or indoor events, and other hidden treasures like that. I was able to help Rhiassa find a nice property in CT where they throw their annual Feast through the Scouting organization. Etc…


8. Have you managed to maintain a balanced budget? Any advice for other event holders on doing that? 

  WELLLLLLLLLLLLL, sometimes…. We are pretty good at it, and we are pretty good at spreading out big expenses over years so I would say I make it work… Some Expenses are thousands over the budget but the things bought are for 3-5 years so it all works out in the end. There have been a few years where I was way outside the budget and I think we have caught up on that over the years. But items like the custom Tournament Medals, I have a minimum order to make to make it worthwhile doing them so I make it all work. I do all the ordering so I know where the numbers are most years so if it is a hole we are in it is just me. Realms events are supposed to be nonprofit, right, so if you do happen to clear something put it into the next event, that is what I was taught.


9. What staff positions do you feel are essential to running your events and what do you do to help empower and support them? 

   Wow so much I can say here. “I” try to involve as much as the community as I can with the events I throw. Examples: I have Jarrod as my head marshal and he gets marshal staff he can work with from all over the Realms. Kitchen staff, Lani gets cooks, I do as much precook and prep as I can do but the onsite stuff I have her organizing.  Noncoms vary over the years but someone who loves games. Reg Crew: Becky Most years single handedly handles that for me with some Tavern staff on the side. I try and have the people I see as the best, if I can get them, to help head a specific area I need covered to help make the events great for everyone.  But the Entire Community I try and have them all take part in the event. Even if it is just picking up that plastic cup that someone else dropped. Lead by example, roll my sleeves up and get into every nook and cranny of the event. Be part of every part of your event even if it is not something YOU are an expert in you can hold the ladder while that person suspends the cool prop that was made that will drop down and scare the be-gessus out of people if that is all you can do.

Making the Rounds at the Feast - by Casey Lemay

10. What advice do you have for other Event Holders? 

Find an EH whom you respect what they are doing in the game, NPC, help, etc... learn it before you jump in. 1000 bad quests will be forgotten, one great event will not.  Try to shoot for the one great event and then do better next time. Your second event will be bad, nothing you can do about it accept it now, you will get over it. Do not let your second event stop you from throwing better events.


11. What can we look forward to seeing from you in the foreseeable future?  

Well we have ToC 25, lots of new things, we may even have people who do not speak English all that much but hey we will have some Omnibus in Quebecois if we are lucky. Playtesting some new things. I guess you will have to come and check things out… 25 Years in a row 2/3rd more to go!


See All of you Soon
Andrew Disbrow
AKA: Sir Shean O’Quinnlin

Why I Want to Go: Neden BBQ 3: Burgers, Bashing, and Besties

by Lani "Gwen" Jones
[Editor's Note: originally published on 4/11/18]

It’s finally here folks, my favorite season of the year--BBQ season! There are few things that I enjoy more than a fun relaxing day of food, games, and friends and Neden is helping us kick the season off with their third annual BBQ bash. Neden is known for serving some top notch grub, and I am coming with my appetite for all the classic standards and a spicy twist that promises to be unique and exciting.

Personally I’m thrilled to be in attendance this year because of the great things that I’ve heard about this event and others like it over the past few years. I got a small taste of the carnival at the Tournaments of Artemis and had a blast playing some mini games and enjoying the silliness. In addition, I have it on good authority that there will be a mix of standard BBQ lawn games and Realms tournaments to keep everyone entertained when they simply can’t eat any more. I also have heard from a reputable source that there will be an extra special tournament called the Neden Triple Crown that you have to see to believe how epic it will be. For those of you who like to gamble (and I know you are out there!) there will likely be a chance for you to test your luck and skill that way as well. And of course, what are tournaments and games without prizes, and word on the street is, some of them may be magical. This event has a little bit of everything to make sure that everyone has a good time.

During a time in the season when the weather has been rather dreary and we are all desperately awaiting spring, Neden is stepping up to provide us with a day of lighthearted fun and I know they will deliver just that. Their positive attitudes make it impossible not to smile and their dedication to providing content that is easy for everyone to engage with is what sets apart Neden events. As I write this, I’m already starting to smile more despite the snow, because I know that spending time with my Realms friends and family at a BBQ is exactly how I want to be spending next Sunday. I look forward to seeing you all there.

What You Missed - Folkewood Spring Event (photo edition)

Editor's Note: all photos and captions by James "Tao" Murphy

"Peacefully figuring out disagreements"

Voraniss after they were called out by the Nightpack

The pickle merchant's barrel

There is always room for jello

Confused monkey

Ritual to spread the immunity

Fire emblem back but confused

Tabards vs. Garb: Are they mutually exclusive?

by Hannah "Nhadala" Blood

Becoming a member of a nation can be one of the single most important defining moments for your character. Nations represent different things for different players, but overall joining a nation has meaning for everyone involved. Part of joining a nation is representing your new found national pride with – dun duh duh dahhhhh – a tabard!

Why the tabard? Well it’s an easily defining factor for any sport – jerseys, shirts and skins, pinney’s (oh god middle school flashbacks). Covering our torsos is the most obvious way to define who we are. Some nations use this to define petitioners vs. full members, NPC’s use this to define crunchies vs. big bads, some nations use this for unity and equalization – but some nations are starting to stray the path from traditional tabards for a more garb-oriented approach. I’m a fan of straying, but honestly my extreme national pride has me torn.

ToC is coming up, and I’ve spent hours looking for garb. Every time I find something I love, I think “why spend this money if my tabard will cover it?” or “what if I lose weight and it doesn’t fit later?” I’ve turned down possibly hundreds of garb ideas because I my tabard is easier, and represents something I’m passionate about  – but I’m starting to realize something. Even if my garb is covered by a tabard, I still know I’m wearing it.

Garb is about fun, creativity, characterization, and confidence. I love my tabard, and would never want to hide it, but just become it’s covering most of a badass corset I bought doesn’t mean I’m not wearing a badass corset. If I want to have a heckin’ awesome garb day, I should just live it up. Who says I won’t use that garb as an NPC later, or go to a ren. fair, or just wear it on my day off? It’s worth it. What’s a waste of money is buying something I’m “meh” about because I think it goes with  my tabard.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I, Nhadala Kinder of Grimloch, am going to try and step up my garb game because ultimately I’m worth it. YOU’RE ALL WORTH IT. Join that nation – wear your tabard and garb with pride – do the thing.

What You Missed - Folkewood Spring Event

by Renee "Mouse" Booke

The weather wasn’t ideal for Voraniss’ journey to New Verai. Spring had gotten off to a very rainy start, and so the ground was damp and slick. The clouds hung overhead keeping an eye on us regardless, knowing that we wouldn’t be deterred from venturing off to help our neighbors. We weren’t sure entirely what to expect considering what has happened to us in the past, but we knew it wasn’t going to be good. After the posted missives suggesting that someone was looking into buying lycans, we felt like a target had been placed upon our backs. We were all on high alert for danger.

When we arrived the different factions of New Verai were engaged in heated political discourse. This conversation was quickly interrupted when an assassin struck. This time the victim was the Sacred of Flame, a Fire Priestess by the name of Azeneth. It all happened so fast that I was shocked, for one moment she had been there right in front of me, and the next moment she was gone.

Thinking quickly, someone used time magic to prevent Azeneth from being completely obliterated. Now, the arcane isn’t exactly my expertise…so take what I say with a grain of salt. From my understanding it was this magic that put her soul in a type of stasis so that we could work to retrieve her and bring her back to reality. The only problem was that time rifts were popping up around the area as a result. We were going to have to work quickly to prevent things from becoming worse.

It soon became apparent to us that Azeneth would be needed in our own time to prevent something tragic from happening. Without her, it appeared as if some kind of disease that slowly turned people to stone might possibly become a reality. Either way, my motivations were simpler than all of that. Azeneth was a friend, and adventuring to save her just felt right.

In and out of rifts we went, collecting items to help us construct a compass that would be able to direct us in time. At one point, some very primitive peoples with a strong relationship to fire made Karmha their Queen, hailed Kyara of Gau Dring as a Priestess of the Flame, and worshiped a shapeshifted Swoop who appeared before them as a Fire Elemental. It was very interesting and I saw many things that are difficult to describe with words…namely because I don’t fluently speak the grunty language of Mogar and his ilk, so I have no idea what everyone was saying to one another.

In another rift we found ourselves in prison with our weapons confiscated and blocks put on our magic. We had to use our smarts, solving puzzles to free our magics, while others bribed the guards to get weapons and sneak them inside the prison walls. I heard some adventurers were quite crafty about this, going so far as to hide the bodies of guards they managed to overpower.

Once we had obtained some special ore for the compass, it needed to be properly aligned to where/when we were by receiving Siltana’s blessing. The tricky part of all of this was that it was going to take at least two types of magic to do so. Together we all formed an elemental circle, charging the area with the natural power of Siltana. Gau Dring and Voraniss took the lead on this, teaming up to act as the elemental points while the rest of the adventurers sorted themselves around the circle in the elemental positions they most strongly identified with. With the elements on the outside of the circle, those representing the aspect of Spirit where safe to be in the center. Lako and Hygar took up that burden and were able to fuse their power to interesting effect. Hygar’s connection with the natural world and Lako’s ability to manipulate time and reality took them on a strange and bizarre magical journey, but they were able to get the job done.

It’s when the nighttime came that my memories start to get a little fuzzy, so you must forgive me. My emotions regarding all of these events are still running quite high. I remember the nighttime rifts to Gaol opening up, I remember solving puzzles and rearranging objects with my friends that were as heavy as boulders…and then I remember the compulsion to go and fight the Night Pack. The response to the challenge I issued them at Feast of Leviathan. I remember marching into battle alongside my brothers and sisters of Voraniss, I remember Sarix Nosetti becoming a were-boar of Mogar’s line earlier that day and agreeing to fight beside us. I remember Rillan fearlessly coming to our aid as a fellow lycan, and friend. And I remember the screaming.

Oh how I remember the call to the God of Vengeance as we marched. I could feel his light around me as I carried him onto the battlefield and stood face to face with one of the Masters of the Night Pack. I remember he and I exchanged words, I remember my rage…but I can’t remember much after that. My memories fade to darkness like I am haunted by some memory that is just out of my reach. The echoes of howls and the sound of battle feel like a distant dream…but I digress.

When the dawn came we were tested by the Gods. Trapped in a mental prison of our own doing, I suppose we felt the need to see that vengeance through and finish our quest against the Night Pack, and to learn that were truly not prepared for such a battle. We wouldn’t have made it out of there had our friends not come to rescue us, for which I am incredibly grateful…but my soul still aches.

After that, people worked on putting Redd back together after his life force had been used in a ritual to restore our magics to us. The poor man was incorporeal for most of the adventure, unable to physically interact with many of us, but still able to be there and be of assistance. There were also political tensions between nations of the Realms, but ultimately we were able to talk things out once everyone had calmed down and put their concerns out in the open. Most of it came down to miscommunication and misunderstandings. For my part, I will strive to improve my communication skills for the future and make sure those under my care do the same.

The last part of our adventure, after we put some very wiggly reality puzzle pieces together, took us far back into the past. A time where we met one of the most majestic creatures I have ever seen. Kang, I believe his name was, appeared to be a pink gorilla of sorts. Lako believed this must have been some kind of distant ancestor, but Mogar believed this was definitely something he wanted to mate with during tusking season despite the fact that the creature was flinging his own poo. Kang was not intellectually advanced, but he was strong and could speak in broken phrases to us. We tried to befriend him, and soon learned that his innate immunity to the disease we were fighting would help make everything right.

Swoop played music, trying to set the mood for Mogar’s wooing of Kang, but it was no avail. The Orc’s moves were rejected. Kyara tumbled around in an acrobatic display to entertain him. Laika even tried to stand on his head with some help from other adventurers. Kang clapped his hands, amused, but wasn’t really having any of that. Despite the wound to Mogar’s pride, Gavin and Artair were able to gather up the adventurers and get Kang to participate in a ritual to Gaia in which his immunity and strength were shared with the rest of us, curing those who had been afflicted with the disease. I wanted to take him home, but alas we were pulled away in time and returned back to the present.

Azeneth was back. Despite my relief upon seeing her face once more, many believed that things have been altered by our meddling; worried that we have yet to see the damage our actions have caused. If assassins are trying to kill people in our time/reality to perfect their own, I have no doubt that we will be forced to deal with this again. Next time I hope we are better prepared to prevent such a travesty.

Arc Sphere Distortions

Arc Sphere Distortions

by Steven "Therian" Matulewicz

What I Did (that you could have too) - Feast of Chimeron XXVI

by James "Tao" Murphy 

The day was comfortable, sun shining through the trees, just pleasant to be outside. I broke my heart when I had to go underground to fight ghost and moving stalagmites.

Kara has been staying in the castle recently so we decided to journey together to the lands of Chimeron for the annual feast. We were able bring the transport close, and unload, but there was not a lot of space near the tavern so I sent her off with it to a local park where she caught a shuttle ride back with Sir Therian.

Chimieron does know how to host a feast, when we first arrived there was a day board of cheese, crackers, bread, and various butters. There were also several types of cold colored drinks; red, yellow, and brown. My favorite thing here was the spiced garlic butter on bread.

Soon it was discovered that regional magic did not have a “future” tense (?) and had to be updated, squished and modified. However to do this first several of us had to go to Castle Chimeron [stomp] in the dreaming. Kind of an unusual group of people did this, myself, Temorse, Kwido, Malaki, and Rorin.

The dreaming is a strange place, sacks of potatoes, crowns, candles, it all went weird, but I guess we saved a princess? Married a princess? Tricked a butler? Still not sure.

After we returned from the dreaming, we enjoyed the appetizers that were brought out to us in the field, while we had some time to just talk among ourselves. Several people started working on modifying the regionals.

After a bit, an apprentice blacksmith/artesan approached us and asked for some help. He had knocked a piece of art off the wall and broken it, and needed some Iron to fix it. We did not know of any sources of iron in the area and kind of forgot about his problem.

While I was waiting for the Poker tournament to start, a fey was confronted in the tavern about stealing stuff in a nearby mine. They admitted to stealing things like candles, dice and other things from the mine. (it had a neat hat that). King Cecil immediately called for the Militia and had her tried, convicted, and sentenced within a few minutes. It told stories of Ghosts in the mine. Using this excuse…. reason to enter the mine, I asked if in return for disposing of a few monsters in the mine, if we could scrounge some iron. The King was agreeable to this and some of us set off to the mine. No, the number of us was something that was not easily determined, some said there were five, some said 7, some said more then 3, counting is hard.

We had to use an L-E-Vater to go down. I was told it was stairs that are easy on the knees. If true I thought I might have to hire someone to build me one in the Castle. However I soon learned that some creature’s tail is used to control the up and down, and, well, I would prefer not to enslave (or have to pay) some creatures for my own comfort.

After we left the sunshine and went down a bit we entered into the mine where Stalagmites and a ghost(?) were running amok. The ghost was only affectable by magic, which we did not have a lot of. I was able to drop it for short periods of time but nothing the party had could keep it down. We were able to break apart many of the attacking stalagmites. While I was busy with the monsters, several pieces of iron were found and recovered. I am not sure we made any permanent solution of the ghost, but now at least they have a way of keeping it down occasionally.

We were unable to find the apprentice when we came back out into the sunshine but some of the party would catch up with him later.

While looking for him we did find someone named Osgood (?) who was asking for help with a ritual. Always leery of these things, I quickly grabbed Kara and Temorse for assistance. He was looking to set up a space he could perform magic in without worrying about things getting out. He did not seem very experienced and we corrected several parts of his ritual so as not to get ourselves stuck in the circle.

It was at this time I went to play in the stacked deck tournament.

On a break from the tournament, several interesting things happened. The first was that representatives want to test/challenge us. They might be connected to several gods from beyond the stars. It might have something to do with Wrake’s father. Several of us feel that it might be better to do things first, then react. Time will tell.

Just as we were getting ready to sit back down I happened to notice that a ragged member of the Risen Kingdom was dragging a dead Temorse. I quickly grabbed weapon and shield and went for them. Rorin was quick to see the situation as well and ran to catch up with me.

At this point I am going to share what Kara told me later:

For the first part of the “Temorse rescue” (as Tao may call it), it really started when someone looked at me and said “You wanna take care of bandits?” (I may be paraphrasing there). The original plan, after ruling out a straight on attack and joining the bandits, was to disguise ourselves as the merchants the bandits kept targeting. I never did get an accurate look at the party, which apparently consisted of myself, Tyruss, Orion, Kwido, and Temorse. I’m not quite sure what happened, as while we knowingly walked into an ambush, we still walked into an ambush. I want to say that there were two in front of us and two in the back of us, forming a pincer attack. I got out of the fray at one point only to see everyone dead and one heading towards me. It’s at this point I cursed myself for wearing a corset that day as running in a corset is a special kind of hell. As you might have guessed I didn’t make it far, until one of them, a kid much younger than me, caught up to me. I’d like to be able to say I was able to convince the kid to leave, but no. The kid got a decent shot to my chest and I fell. I didn’t have my death watch up, so I was out until I regenerated, in one of the bandits arms, being dragged. Thankfully I was able to kill the one dragging me. It’s at this point Tao and Rorin came up and helped. -Kara Niðisdóttir

So the first thing the Risen Kingdom person said was “If I don’t report back in 5 minutes ….” Which is when Rorin hit him with lightning, and I came in from his other side. I looked at Rorin and said something like “They are within 5 mintues go that way” and we took off running.

Around a few buildings and through some trees, I saw Kara with lightning ready, getting ready to attack around a corner. I quickly asked her how many good guys were out here, while finding 4 more Risen Kingdom goons. I should mention, they looked like life had not been treating them well recently. I guess when the gate you came in gets closed, and the rest of your invading force was wiped out, it can really ruin your day. They had turned to banditry to get by.

The smallest of the bandits quickly ran to attack us, but this time Kara was ready with her lightning and took that one out quick. The rest fell quickly to Rorin and I. we poked our head around the corner of a building and found the rest of our friends. Getting some of them up and dragging the rest back to get raised we made our way back to the tavern.

I later saw that some of the party had dragged back the Risen Kingdom goons for interrogation. I still don’t know if they learned anything.

There was also a soup course in there somewhere. Both were pretty good. Later they served a bunch of yummy main courses. I ate too much.

Court happened later. Lots of stuff happened, we might need to go fight snakes soon and then dessert was served.

A lot happened in one day.

10 Questions with an EH

by Callahan "Syruss" Marsden

What events have you previously thrown? 

I have been hosting events for over a decade now, which as I type this seems crazy silly. Now, while I have hosted 12 events in my own right the following is only a fraction of the events that I have had the privilege of collaborating with and working on. But a following is a list of the events I have done starting with my first event back in 2006.

• Feast of Souls, June 16, 2006 - June 18, 2006
• Night Games 2, November 30, 2007 - December 2, 2007
• Grimloch Presents 2, July 20, 2008
• Grimloch Presents 3: Zombie Survival /Bardic campfire, August 28, 2009
• Tournaments of the Blue Rose V, April 17, 2010 - April 18, 2010
• Tournaments of The Blue Rose VI,  April 29, 2011 - May 1, 2011
• Tournaments of The Blue Rose VII, April 27, 2012 - April 29, 2012
• Order of the List Invitational 3, November 16, 2013
• Free Nations Training Night, September 19, 2014
• Dragon Master (Friday Night Carnival), June 12, 2015- June 14, 2015
• Neden Zombie Clean Up, July 9, 2016
• Nedengiving, November 26, 2016

At Tourneys of the Blue Rose VII by Casey Lemay

What led you to start throwing events?

At the time Christopher Marques and I were looking for our next challenge in the game all while finding an outlet to give back. We have been NPCing aggressively a lot those years but wanted to be content providers and frankly, we were curious about the EHC and how the game was shaped.

We linked up with Josh Learned who had some experience working on events beforehand and decided to try our hand at a three-day event that had a bit of everything. We wanted a feast aspect, a quest aspect as well as tournaments. We wanted a fun engaging story told on a 24-hour live site.
Needless to say, we were ambitious for first-time event holders.

We sought a challenge and were given one. We learned a lot by helping events over the years but looking back now we were greatly unprepared for things such as time-blocking encounters, portion size for the feast, props, and ambiance. All aspects we as a team and individuals would grow in over the next few years.


What would you like your events to be known for?  

This is a tough question as the answer has changed from my first event to our last event. At first, I wanted all inclusive an event that had all aspects, something for everyone to do. Now I don’t think that goal has changed, but the execution certainly has. Now that I am throwing events with the Neden EH staff we attempt to throw quarterly events one of each different style (a tournament, a quest, a survival monster hunt, and a feast).

What I love about throwing events with Neden is our prop making department. We strive to have magical artifacts up the wazoo and tons of interactive elements throughout the event.

The one thing I would like Neden events to be remembered for would be for its lighthearted interactive and fun/silly elements. All while providing content for the community that we all love and cherish.


What aspects of event holding do you consider most challenging? 

The issue I often run into is staffing. I love the Neden crew and we always show up the day of, unfortunately (really really fortunately) we have been getting bigger attendances which stretches us somewhat thin. Add the fact that our members all work varying schedules it often leaves a brunt of the prep work to fall on a few shoulders.

With that said I would like to really thank Andrew Whitty O’Leary and Chris Hamblett for consciously helping me with prop projects that take way more time than I ever estimate.  I can always count on my Neden crew to come through with prep either by having a crazy prep party at Andy's, making things from their home and sending it to site day of, or ordering stuff we need and having it shipped to my house (I love seeing Syruss O’Leary c/o Neden Castle parcels) so I never have to worry about props. But more staff would definitely make some of our more expansive events easier.

NPCing for Zombie Clean Up by Dustin Mack

Tell us about an even moment you are particularly proud of. 

I have mentioned this before in a "10 questions" but it bears repeating. The proudest thing I did as an EH was to help to resurrect the Tournaments of Blues Rose alongside Eddie Reed (Qualoyth) and Kyle Vaihinger (Caspian) but more important than resurrecting it we gave it a new role and it started hosting charity events for Fallen Members of the Community or members of the Community in Crises. It all came about when we lost a dear friend Jason Massey, and I was privileged in organizing a charity version of ToBR for the family of Jason Massey alongside the rest of the Blue Rose Squires at the time. 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.

Now I am privileged, alongside Andrew “Nymbous” O’Leary and the Neden staff, to throw an amazing Can Drive for Homeless Veterans (Veterans Northeast Outreach Center) once a year. We are also now in the process of making all of our events charity based with the idea to donate all earnings to a cause within the community or to add to the overall donation toward VNOC at the time of our can drive.

But it is humbling to see the love and charitable nature this community posses. Whether it be a fight-a-thon, a locks for love cutting, a can drive, or a charity auction we always seem to face whatever weather or drive and make a showing of force and charitable nature.


Tell us something that went wrong and what you learned from it.

The Zombie Survival Event (aka Monster Hunt) has been one of my long-standing events and I learn something about throwing it each year. With that said I have had the benefit of growing the event each year.

I have learned to walk events sites better, utilize space or lack thereof better and mostly, I learned how to add things to the event last minute and surely how to prepare my staff more effectively.
However, the most important thing I learned from year one is time blocking encounters ahead of time and giving a window for PC’s to mess that up by either crushing the provided time or going WAY OVER.


What do you think makes an event site “good” and how have you gone about locating sites?  

Me personally I love a site with water access, especially in the summer. But a site with cabins, indoor plumbing, a nice central tavern area and a space that noise won't be a problem are all key factors for what I deem a good site.

With that being said I don’t always adhere to my own rules. For starters none of the Neden events have included water, often times we use Public Parks in order to keep costs low so we can spend more on our quest and feast.

We in Neden generally pick Southern NH as that is where most of our staff lives (with exception to our Western ma brothers who often help remotely with prop building)


Have you managed to maintain a balanced budget? Any advice for other event holders on doing that?

A budget you say? That sounds nice… All kidding aside I am almost always over budget and that's ok. Neden for the past few years has been in a rebuilding phase, where we are just now getting used to throwing events four times a year. The previous EH’s in their infinite wisdom did not keep a lot of props, tables/water jugs/clip boards, and other materials so we have been re-buying things we need.

Now that we have most of what we need to throw events our costs have gone way down. We can now budget money by reusing props from our less costly events to save our big spending for our end of the year feast.


What staff positions do you feel are essential to running your events and what do you do to help empower and support them?

I absolutely could not do what I do without co EH’s. Now I know there is only one EH spot per day of an event but all of Neden’s events have multiple people wearing the EH hat despite the fact only one gets the title officially.

Having another one to two people being an absolute voice for both players and staff has made things extremely easier. While most things can get delegated to rolls such as head NPC for your NPC staff, head marshal for your marshaling a feast-o-crat to run your kitchen or even reg desk to prep everyone coming and going, I have found having a person with equal authority to make event changing decisions that I trust allows me to be in multiple places at once. It is however imperative that we are on the same page prior to the event, that we both have a similar vision of how the proceedings should be turning out.


What advice do you have for other Event Holders?

Now, this may seem silly but don’t be afraid to make mistakes. These will only help you going forward.

Ask seasoned EH’s what they did for X maybe it will help you with Y.

But something I wished I learned sooner is PLUG YOUR OWN EVENT and do it  OFTEN. If you want people to show up give them constant reasons why. Until your event is a staple for most to hit annually then they may not know they want to hit it. Try flyers, Write-Ups for the View or follow Neden in making Realms Commercials big:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYeyLFMrnAs (note that event Date was Moved to May 20th)

The whole crew at Feast of Neden

What can we look forward to seeing from you in the foreseeable future?

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Neden Staff in action you have 4 chances this year alone.

So if you are interested in A laid-back BBQ with good old fashion BBQ games, tournaments and prizes then head to Neden for Neden BBQ 3: Burgers Bashing and Besties, May 20, 2018.

If you want more of a challenge with puzzles and fighting and story and pizza zombies then head on up to Neden and see what Emilio Jimenez is cooking up for Neden Questing 3, June 17, 2018.

Because we never seem to clean up the mess during the Quest come help us take care of what forces still elude us during Neden Monster Clean up 3, July 15, 2018.

Now this leaves us with our big finale our Thanksgiving Holiday Can drive. If you love traditional Thanksgiving meals, award-winning cranberry sauce, carnivals, gambling, museums, entertainment and prizes then do we have an event for you. Join us for Nedengiving 3, November 18, 2018, and be prepared to be amazed.