Home Questing: Task 19 Results

 by Christopher "Janus" Donnelly

Hello, and welcome to Home Questing: The 19th task.  Halloween is tomorrow, so we asked you to write the most spine chilling story in two sentences or less.  So let’s see what we received.

First, from Bart:

I'm not a monster because I must drink blood to survive... I'm a monster because I CHOOSE TO ENJOY IT FRESH.

Next from Cressida is:

Nightmares don’t care if you are young or old, charming or cunning, or if you have the strongest magic or quickest blade; Nightmares care only for the sweat trickling down your temple as you hear the voices of those who judge you for everything you are and are not. The hard truth is waking up and realizing the Nightmare is here and that sleep is the only true escape from it.  

From Keras is this:

It was by the Stoneway we found them; fresh blood drained from their distorted bodies, flowing as a rill into the nearby river. The Dragonfly had returned for the final deal, trading dreams for nightmares. 

The penultimate submission is DelHemar’s:

The old woman had said to follow his shadow home, but as the umbral hand moved on its own to open an unfamiliar black door, he realized he should have asked whose home he would be led to.

And finally, from Janus is this:

It was easy to ignore a child’s screams when you could contribute it to a fisher cat in the woods.  But that comfort is gone now that you have moved to the city, and the screams still follow.  ( IP)

So, I was thinking, who is one of the scariest people to be angry at me, so I asked Iawen Penn to help me out.  Take it away, Iawen.

In first place (5 points) is DelHemar.  OH SNAP.  Super eyebrow raise!  Nothing becomes Scary when one believes themselves to be solo, and, suddenly, supernaturally, are not. This one is my favorite.

In 2nd place (4 points) is Bart.  HAHAHA, whoops.  Settle down, Diskordia.

In 3rd place (3 points) is Janus.  Nope nope nope.   I actually find myself more angry than scared by this one. Parental nature. That said, Janus thinks I’m scary when angry, so invoking a strong emotion within also works.

In 4th place (2 points) is Keras.   This reads more sad, defeated, or fated, as opposed to scary.

In 5th place (1 point) is Cressida.  It reads more in the style of an adventurer’s report than a story.

Thank you so much Iawen.  Now, for my series of judgements.

In first place (5 points) is DelHemar.  I could imagine myself in this situation some day, and being able to transport myself there, definitely leaves a chill in my spine.

In second place (4 points) is Cressida.  Many of us have done things that still haunt us to this day, so I’ll give this to the horror that is humanity.

In third place (3 points) is Bart.  It’s amusing, but not quite what I see as leaving a chill in my spine.

In fourth place (2 points) is Keras.  I am not familiar with the Dragonfly, so I feel I am missing a piece of the story.

And finally, disqualified is Janus.  It isn’t spine chilling.  It’s just what happened when I moved.

So, including the point for participation that brings the scores to:

DelHemar - 11

Bart - 8

Cressida - 6

Keras - 5

And finally, to add some levity after those scary stories, Cressida also dropped this off for us:

Q: Why did the ghost go into the Tavern? 

.

.

.

.

.

A: For the Boos!     

BOO THAT STAR! ...and yet I love puns.  <3 (this comment was added in by Iawen when I wasn’t looking)

See you next week!

WYM Black and White 2020

 Black and White has a place of legend within the Realms community. Oldbies will all have a story about it. Whether they talk about picking up blue, passing around oranges, or some rendez vous with death. People tell stories. 

Further more, it’s the sort of event that has so many things going on, its impossible to do everything. It just doesn’t happen. 

But this was the virtual Black and White. So maybe you skipped out because of the notion that it might be watered down. Or lacking in some way. It wasn’t. 

I can’t tell you all the things that went on. You just missed them. There were quests, virtual perhaps, but quests all the same. I took part, in a way, in one that skirted the dreaming. I observed some nerthewells that were trying to really cause a fellow named Jack some trouble. There were ships, and weapons, and maps. It was a confusing dream observation, and I wish I had more to tell you. Honestly I think I spent most of my time observing a man working the engines and fighting off a weird tentacle monster destroying the engines, while also living inside them. Dreams are weird. 

I participated in a council about Jack, the Dreaming, and the Risen Kingdom. We asked important questions, and got cryptic answers. We learned secrets and stories. And we were left to wonder more, like who were the people that we dubbed “the cultists?” and “Why would anyone ever ride the space worm to certain doom?”

There were other quests going on. There was dancing. And an auction for fabulous prizes. Gambling, with various games. I should have done more, I should have joined the games and activities.

I should have done more but I was engaged.  I just parked myself at a table. I parked myself at a table, with some friends, and had a conversation. People came and went, joined the conversation, and left. I learned about unicorn farms, and what sorts of people can be redeemed. And the choices that a King must make for his people. But it was mostly what I needed. To hear my friends, enjoy their company, check in on their trials and tribulations, and just sort be with them. 

Honestly, I’d say that this event set the standard for what a virtual event should be. For what an event should be. And that’s just what I’ve come to expect from Black and White. 

And that is what you missed.

I’ll see you on the field, someday, 

Keith “Saegan” Cronyn

Small Pleasures Bracket - Round 12

Not a big surprise that the Realms at Large continues to favor a rainless day even above the most doggiest of doggos. Here's where the bracket stands now:

Perhaps this next contest will be a bit closer.

Option A: A communal campfire on an evening with a slight chill.

Option B: A full moon resulting in a well-lit night quest.

Vote on Facebook!

Viewtober #2

 

Meme Mondays

by the Meme Team

Bonus Among Us Meme (Part 2)

Home Questing: Task 20

by Christopher "Janus" Donnelly 

 

Here is the form for you to submit your most impressive throw of a piece of paper into a bin: 

https://forms.gle/fWsmWE8gsN3GYJ7f8

If you would prefer to send something to me directly rather than uploading to youtube or some other video hosting site, please email it to techiemikey@gmail.com.

****************************************

Transcript:

Hello and welcome to Home Questing: The Twentieth Task.  This week I am asking you to throw a piece of paper into a bin of some sort.  The most impressive throw wins.  You have until Friday at noon, and your time starts now.

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Why I Want To Go: Black & White (Virtual) #3

 By Kim "Mayumi" Coffey

The Black and White may not have been my first event, but it was a memorable one. Every year I look forward to the fun, and I treasure the memories, trinkets, and photos I’ve left with when the night is over. 

I miss Larping. I miss the magic of getting dressed up in strange clothes, of running away from goblins in the woods, the endless nibbles at the serving table, sitting with my friends around a table and discussing the latest shenanigans of mortals and gods, the casino tables, the auction prizes… We each have our own favorite bits, but I suspect we all miss it.

This year, the Chimeron team is trying something new. They can’t invite us all out to Springfield to share the poison punch, endless nibbles, and dancing in the woods. Nonetheless, they wanted to share the spirit of the season and community with us all. 

Strange and fancy clothes will be worn, and shared, and appreciated - possibly even by the Order of the Peacock. The favorites off the buffet will be had, even if you have to cook them yourself ahead of time. There will be running around in the woods, even if the woods are in the digital realm of Minecraft. The discussions of mortals and gods will be had, even though the table is Digital. The Casino will be running blackjack and there will be a Stacked Deck Tournament, though you will be playing via web browser. Dancing will be had, even if it’s in your living room instead of the great hall. There will be tickets, though perhaps not so many as usual, and prizes to win. The pomp and ceremony of Chimeron Court will bring smiles, laughter, and occasional happy tears as it often does, even if it’s very light on hugs.

It won’t be quite the same, but the Chimeron Team is hoping this Virtual Black & White will scratch that Larping Itch a little. I, for one, am looking forward to some new fun memories and maybe a prize or two.

Black & White 2020 Preview #3 - Black Ticket Auction Prizes

At this year's Black & White, you will have many opportunities to earn Black Tickets for the evening auction. You may get tickets by:

• Playing table games in the Great Hall
• Joining Minecraft content
• Dancing (daytime or evening)
• Gambling (Poker Tournament and Blackjack)
• Turning in the Newbie Packet (if you are a Newbie)
• ... And other activities

Let's take a look at some of the prizes on offer this year! For the full selection of prizes, check out prizes.chim.fyi.

Dragon Pouch

These wildly popular pouches are made by renowned crafter Megan "Kyomi" Matulewicz and look like a cute dragon! The pouch part is roughly 6" by 6". The wingspan of this creature is 18". These beasts of burden are always made from high quality materials.

Editor's Note: This prize was originally called "Custom Dragon Pouch". We have been asked to clarify that the pouches shown are the actual auction prizes and have already been created by Kyomi.

Striking Pell

Stephen "Laika" Sanford made a whole set of these pells for SMAS fight practices. They allow the students to practice sword forms and basic tactical maneuvers while maintaining social distancing.

A Custom Encounter in the Next RealmsCraft Questing Event

The winner of this prize will get to work with the RCQ staff to design part of the next RealmsCraft quest. If you've enjoyed these quests in the past, this could be a special treat!

Carrie Dolph Original Art (Signed)

You could own this beautiful piece of art made by a well-known member of the community. It's even signed by the artist!

Fortune Teller Set

The last item in this preview is an absolutely gorgeous set of fortune telling paraphernalia hand crafted by Alexandra "Elena" Reynolds. It includes runestones, a pendulum, a Ouija board, tarot cards, a guidebook for all of these things, and a very nice velveteen bag to hold everything.

And more!

There are more than a dozen prizes available in this year's Black Ticket Auction! To see them all, check out prizes.chim.fyi.

Why I Want To Go: Black & White 2020 (Virtual) #2

By Beth "Freesia" Tozier

Black and White Ball has been a staple event for over two decades in the Realms. It has always been the perfect end to the summer eventing season. With food, dancing, gambling, auctions and more, this event is a showcase of what the Realms has to offer. Black and White has a way of bringing us together to share in our experiences of the year. 

This year, with COVID-19 and the need to social distance, we see a change in format that will surely still capture the event as we know it. It has been a tumultuous year for many people. We have been isolated from friends and family, we have been forced to make hard choices and sacrifices for the good of all. The out of game news reels hum with discord and strain. It has been harder on some, but we as a community always find a way to come together. We always find a way to make the best of a terrible day, week, month, and year. We have seen dark times before (out of game death and illness, the pain and loss that comes with it, and more) and we have always found a way to put on our armor, gather our gear, and hold each other close to make the best of what has been given to us. 2020 as a whole should be no different. For we are the people of the Realms, we are strong, and we can come out of this year stronger. 

After the online reading of the rules, players can go through a number online of formats to interact with the event, NPCs, and other players. From IC content, to court, to dancing, there is a lot to look forward to (even if we are only doing it all from home and perhaps with our ‘pods’ of people). 

Knowing the staff involved with planning the event this year, I am sure that there are a few surprises in store for each of us. Maybe you will adventure into the woods, or slay a monster (virtually of course), perhaps there is a little surprise here and there for those brave enough to let their imagination take hold. While we will all miss sipping poison punch, snacks galore, and the amazing dessert spread after court, this Black and White is sure to bring us closer together than we have been all year. 

Surprises abound for those brave enough to explore. 

Let your imagination take hold and bring you to an event we all love, and enjoy the atmosphere and memories. Dress up at home, decorate, and maybe even make your own poison punch and crabbies. 

Black & White 2020 Preview #2 - Recipe Video

In today's preview of this year's (virtual) Black & White Masquerade Ball, Lady Indana shares the recipe for her French Onion Soup Tarts.

(For this recipe and more visit https://bw.chim.fyi/recipe-book. Some, like this one, will be available ahead of time. Other recipes will be released--or even streamed live--during the event. We'll be sure to share the list of ingredients ahead of time though so that all you at-home feastocrats can be properly prepared.)

If you can't see the video, switch over to desktop view or go to the B&W site linked above.

Hello!

Since we cannot share the food for our kitchens this year, we are instead choosing to share the recipes we cook with. So, by popular demand, let me bring you into my kitchen, and show you how to make French Onion Soup Tarts.

• 4 medium onions
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup broth, beef or vegetable
• 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup shredded swiss
• 1 package puff pastry cups

1. Slice the onions into long, thin slices. 
2. Melt butter in the bottom of a large stock pot. Slowly caramelize the onions in the butter, stirring nearly constantly towards the end, until they are a nice deep brown.  They will reduce in size a bunch. This will take a long time, possibly 50 minutes or more.
3. Once the onions are fully caramelized, deglaze the pan with the broth. Set the onions aside to cool.
4. Once the onions have cooled completely, fill each puff pastry cup with onions
5. Sprinkle mozzarella and swiss cheese on top of the onions.
6. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and brown.

Why I Want To Go: Black & White 2020 (Virtual)

With Sara "Zarine" Jessop

 Why Zarine wants to go:

Ah, Black & White, one of my favorite gatherings. It has all of my favorite things: Fancy clothes, formal court, masks, socializing, dancing, delicious hors d'oeuvres, and of course, death. Now many of these things will be different this year as we need to use magical means to get together due to in person activities being unsafe. I love mingling in all formats, so I for one am quite intrigued to see how Chimeron will present their usual finery within this new form of socializing.

The food at this gathering is always delicious, and I hear that they may be making some of the recipes available to try at home. Dancing might be a bit difficult to transmit magically, yet they have laid claim to it happening and the idea of dancing without having to physically touch any of you sounds divine. Auctions are always enjoyable, as I do so love winning things, even if I have to wait for a courier to deliver all of my winnings to me here at home. Formal court is always a favorite of mine, and with this new communication style maybe we'll actually be able to hear what people are saying as truly most of you all are horrid public speakers. This tends to be one of those gatherings where very big things are announced and you do not want to miss something important! Socializing, while different, will still be easy to do and after months of isolation many of us really need a chance to talk to people outside of our own household.

And the masks! There will still be an opportunity to magically share your image with everyone, and really there is no better way to see all of your faces than when they are mostly covered. Now I know we are all sick of wearing masks for safety reasons, but this is different my darlings, this is masking for fashion! I personally will be giving out a prize for my favorite mask of all, so make sure you wear your very best one, my dears!

The biggest reason I want to go though? I actually miss all of you. You know I have been cooped up too long when I am looking forward to interacting with all of you plebs. Then again, a gathering where I don't have to leave my own luxurious surroundings is my favorite kind of gathering.

Why Sara wants to go:

Much like Zarine, and probably most of you, I am sick of social isolation and lack of events. Getting to be someone else for a day is an escape that I miss more than I can even explain. Obviously having in person events right now is no bueno so we have to be creative. There have been a few virtual events so far and they have been fantastic, and they are always being improved upon as we learn what works and what doesn't. Black & White being a mainly social event lends itself well to gathering over Discord, and I am so excited to see how Chimeron presents things in this relatively new (to us) medium.

I miss socializing with all of you, both in and out of character. I miss putting on way too much garb and feeling like a different person and the confidence I get from that. I miss buying things from my friend's shops and supporting their passion. I miss my friends trolling me with ridiculousness and trying to get me to crack and break character. I miss can't evening all the things that can't be evened, and even the ones that can. This event is an opportunity to do all of those things again, and I cannot wait! And the best part? When you want to leave you just take your headset off and disconnect from Discord. No carting stuff to your car, no awkwardly half ungarbing in the parking lot, and no driving! You're already home!

It can be hard to stay motivated to do Realms related things without a lot of events happening. It is likely not an easy task to modify an event to be virtual while still maintaining an immersive environment and having enough content to fill the time and we should support the people who are putting in the effort. They are taking the time and energy to give us the opportunity to be someone else for a day, and that is an incredible service to the community that should not be overlooked. There have been quite a few folks who have put a lot of effort into still proving some content during this strange and difficult time and we should let those folks know they are appreciated in the easiest way possible: participating in the content they create. So come. Participate. Even if it's just for a little while. I hope to see (or hear) you all there!

Black & White 2020 Preview #1

Chimeron has been hard at work preparing this year's virtual Black and White Masquerade Ball. Over the next few days, we'll be sharing some early details of the seasonal celebration.

While they might look a little different from what you're used to, many of the traditional elements of the Black & White have been transposed into a virtual format, including:

Socializing

Join your fellows players on the Black & White Discord server and catch up with your friends. We have modeled our text and voice channels after several well-known parts of the traditional event site. Pull up a chair around a table in the Front Hall, have a private conversation in the Throne Room, or pay your respects to the people have honored in the Memorial corner. https://bw.chim.fyi/site-map

Eating Tasty Food

Make a treat in your very own kitchen with the Black & White Recipe Book. We will have recipe instructions, cooking videos, and even live streaming sessions. Make sure you check out the website ahead of time to make sure you have all of the ingredients you need!

Showing Off Your Fancy Garb

There will be a special channel on our Discord server where you can put your fanciest Black & White garb on display!

Playing (And Hopefully Winning) Poker

Sagart of the Stacked Deck will be hosting an official poker tournament online. There is a 10 gold buy-in; see the B&W website for more information.

Light Questing

Several forms of questing and puzzle-solving will be available for players of all ages. Keep an eye out for a certain special mailbox! These activities will be announced throughout the day by the Herald, and you can check the schedule ahead of time.

Dancing

It's a masquerade ball for a reason! The Princesses of Chimeron will be leading dancing sessions during the day and also later in the evening. Dancers of all skill levels (including none at all) are welcomed.

Talking Business

There's always a few big meetings at Black & White, and this year will be no exception.

Attending Court

Chimeron will hold its traditional court, and as always, others are invited to present their own business before the Realms.

...and so much more! Check out the official Black & White website for everything you want to know: bw.chim.fyi

Finally, to kick off this week of Black & White previews, we want to know:

What is your favorite Black & White memory?

Drop by the Facebook page and let us know in the comments! 

Meme Mondays

by the Meme Team

Bonus Among Us Meme (Part 1)

Home Questing: The 18th Task - Results!

 by Janus "Christopher" Donnelly

Hello and welcome to the results of home questing: the 18th task. Last time, I asked you to contact me to schedule a time to chat.  And the reason for this was a timed task!  Let’s see how that went:

I’m going to nip a few things in the bud early.  Writing was allowed and fine.  In addition, Cressida’s categories, while unique, are in fact categories...just not useful in categorizing things.

So, that leaves us with people who created the following word chains:

Laika (8 words)

Chimeron (Nation)

Night (word)

Therian (name)

New Illinar (plot)

Righteous (emotion)

Sky (place)

Ymir (god)

Reason (thought)

Del Hemar (12 words)

Cat (animal)

Telephone (communication device)

Egg (food)

Golf (sport)

Frank (name)

Kilogram (measurement)

Mother (family relation)

Red (color)

Druid (faith)

Dragon (mythalogical creature)

November (action)

Read (action)

Cressida (13 words)

Pumpkin (Grows in a patch)

Nut (is covered in dirt)

Turmoil (the feeling I'm feeling right now)

Loss (something I don't want to happen)

Sustainability (something important to me)

Youth (Group of people I like to work with)

Heart (Favorite symbol)

Tea (something i don't enjoy)

Art (best form of expression)

Trees (Freaks of nature)

Science (is real)

Earth (planet)

Heavy (attribute)

So, in first place is Cressida with 11 points, second is DelHemar with 10, and in third is Laika en’Naur with 9, but I am also giving him a bonus point for not mentioning anything even vaguely from the emerald path to bring his total to 10 points.

And that brings us to the total scores so far.  For the first time in a little while, we had someone new hop into 3rd place.

DelHemar - 175.5

Cressida - 161

Laika en'Naur - 39

Saka - 22

Iawen - 20

Aeston, Areni, and Gwen - 18.5

Kovaks - 15

Orion - 13

Bart - 11

Vawn - 10

Syruss - 10

Jerrick Jerrickson - 10

Luc-Dubois Coupant - 9

Osa - 8

Keras - 8

Kwido - 6

J'reth - 5

Nalydros - 5

Rosetta - 5

Sagart Hawkshade - 5

Tarun Ul-Sikar - 5

Thayet - 5

Vanduke - 4

King Alexander Cecil - 2.5

Jace - 2

Kara Nithisdottir - 1.5

Thoril - 1.5

Stay tuned next week for the next challenge.

Viewtober #1

 

Small Pleasures Bracket - Round 11

Well, last week people choose friendship over money and there just might be hope for the human race after all. Just warms your heart.

Here's where the bracket stands now:

This next round might be a foregone conclusion\ given past performance but the vote must commence! Here we go:

Option A: There is no rain for the entire event.

Option B: A cute doggo on site that enjoys petting and scritches from everyone.

Vote on Facebook!

Rumors for October 1020

[Across the Realms]

It isn't exactly certain who started it but theres something of an obvious joke rumor going around 

"Does Captain Orion Mars is squid?"

[Chimeron]

The strange cat-like creature seen lurking near the Gi portal now appears to be helping out around Gabriel's tavern. Seems a certain Kovaks had adopted a new cat... This one talks kinda funny and looks kinda scary but apparently its name is Viktor and he's really good at making baked goods and seems to act like a form of security for the premises now.

Meme Mondays

by the Meme Team

Home Questing: Task 19

by Janus "Christopher" Donnelly 

Here is the form for you to submit your short story: https://forms.gle/Ny4RKHxho5cWpkr28

If you would prefer to send something to me directly, please email it to: techiemikey@gmail.com.

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Transcript:

Hello, and welcome to Home Questing number nineteen. ‘Tis the season...the season of fear.  This week’s challenge is to write (up to) a two sentence story.  The story which chills my spine the most wins.  You have until next Friday at noon, and your time starts now.

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Special Announcement

 

In the face of the ongoing pandemic and the inability to hold in-person events, the View remains committed to our mission to continue bringing you weekly content to help us all stay connected while we can't see each other in person.

To that end, we need help!

With only a few virtual events on the calendar, our normal avenue for creating and producing content has decreased considerably. Therefore, we are turning to the community for help and putting out an official call for submissions. 

Not sure what you can do to help? Here are a few things:

• Do you draw, paint, or are otherwise artistic? Scan some of your art and send it to us, we'd love to run it!
• Do you write poetry, fiction, short stories, bardics, songs? Send us your literary works, we'd be more than happy to post it!
• Do you having a burning etiquette or personal question that you desperately need an answer to? Our resident agony aunt, Madam Zarine, can't wait to answer you!
• Do you want to answer questions about yourself? We have many different interview question sets that you can complete to let us all know a little bit more about you, including:
• 10 Questions (the OG of interviews)
• 10 More Questions (because more is always better)
• Fresh Faces (for newbies under two years)
• 10 Questions with an Event-Holder 
• Tricks of the Trade - just for spell-casters!
• Voices in the View (our new column focusing on players who identify as a member of a minority community)
• Do you like to create puzzles, riddles, or brain teasers of any variety? These are always popular features and you're welcome to send us yours!
• How's your meme game? The Meme Team is always accepting submissions. 
• Do you have old View posts or other historical Realms-related items you can scan? Do it up and send it over!
• Anything else Realms-related you want to send that may be kicking around on your hard-drive

You can email anything to areni.daru@gmail.com, or feel free to reach out to me or your closest View editor: Renee Booke, Keith Cronyn, Lani Jones, or Ryan Welch. 

Thank you all for your consideration. This is an unprecedented time, but we can get through it together as a community. 

Morning Coffee Break

Got your morning cup of coffee and a few minutes? Great! We're trying out a new feature at the View - we're going to be asking a series of questions and we want to know your answers! The question is posted below. So while you sip your morning beverage of choice, ruminate on this one:

With Halloween fast approaching, the View wants to know - 

What is the spookiest/ scariest/ creepiest thing that has happened to you at a Realms event?

Head on back to the Facebook page and drop a comment to let us know! 

Small Pleasures Bracket - Round 10

Flush toilets remain undefeated for now. Can anything unseat it from it's throne? Here is what the bracket looks like right now:

And here's our next match in the lineup:

Option A: Going out to dinner break to that amazing restaurant everyone in your group loves.

Option B: Ample coinage on all of the monsters.

Vote on Facebook!

Meme Mondays

by the Meme Team

Home Questing Task 17: Results

by Christopher "Janus" Donnelly 

Hello and welcome to the results of home questing: the 17th task.  This time, we asked people to write a Haiku that was about themselves or their nation.  We got five Haiku received this time, so let's see how people did:

First from Laika en'Naur is this describing his past, his faith and his oaths.

Elven Heritage

Paladin of Light and Hope

Shall do no evil

Next from Cressida is one about Chimeron and it’s leadership.

Rowan leaves lead forth.

A monarch majestic as

the butterfly flies.

Then from Keras comes this Haiku about The Rivvolk.

Sailing dreams and stone,

 save those tainted soul and mind.

Fear the Dragonfly.

Penultimately from DelHemar is his view upon joining Chimeron:

And last, and quite probably least, from Janus is about his subnation Rua Thar Cinn’s heraldry:

The Mountain and Wand:

The two things Janus can draw

Is our heraldry.

So, seeing as I didn’t get a chance to see him when I visited Teng Hua recently, I invited Emperor Lysis to be the judge this week, and I am thrilled at the fact that he accepted.  Take it away Emperor Lysis.

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Thank you so much for those very thoughtful words.  I am not nearly as well trained in haiku, but I will do what I can to evaluate them, as they all match the format.  This was actually the toughest round to judge, as only one stood out to me...and that was Januses...and that was cause it had my name in it.  That said, here is what I have decided:

Of course, in 5th place, and then disqualified is Janus.  He tried to use my name to gain favor with the judges which I can’t reward.

Tied in 3rd place is Cressida and Keras.  I loved Cressida’s allusion with both a Monarch and a Butterfly.   And Keras’ makes me want to know more about the Dragonfly.

In 2nd place is Laika en'Naur’s.  Each line stands truly on it’s own, and then blossoms in full when strung together.

And finally in first place is DelHemar’s.  It has a full nature theme that stands on it’s own even though it is about something else entirely.

So, that leads us to the point of the scores for the week.  After a point for participation we have them as:


DelHemar with 11 points,
Laika en'Naur with 9 points,
Keras with 8 points and
Cressida with 6 points.


Stay tuned next week for the next challenge.

Coffee Break Revisited

 Drawing on the replies from yesterday's coffee break question as well as replies sent privately, we present Coffee Break Revisited - an word cloud sharing the most important words and concepts from the gathered replies! Do you recognize your words?