Though we can't exactly predict at this point when we will sit beside one another around the late night campfire, raise goblets together as we feast, or cross swords on the field of war, one thing is for certain, all of us are looking forward to the day where we can safely and responsibly play Realms together again. In anticipation of the hope that better days are ahead, we asked you some questions about getting back to playing Realms.
Answers by: James Murphy and Sara Jessop
In your time away from Realms, what have you been spending your hobby-time on instead of going to or preparing for events?
James: I have played a lot of computer games. I bought all the expansions for Civ 6. I have been still writing encounters and throwing things in my idea bucket file. Some friends stated playing some online poker for slightly more then “just fun” stakes. While I feel my cash game has improved, my tournament game is quite dusty.
 |
| A pretty good hand for James |
Sara: I have mostly been playing video games and catching up on TV shows that I was behind on. I also got into some house projects, mostly getting the outside looking nice with some flowers. A lot of my hobbies have involved Realms in some way. Wrote some articles and started the Information Society (realmswiki) which sadly, hasn’t gained much traction but I hope with the potential to get back to the game soon that folks might find the time to write some entries. My biggest accomplishment was starting my video series, Alter Egos, and learning how to shoot and edit videos.
Sara's First Alter Egos Video
Accepting as fact that there are lots of things that we have all missed, what have you missed the most about being at Realms Events?
James: Hugs, sweat, fires, blue o’clock, the rush of the fight, taking about the fight, doing the fight again. But without a doubt interaction with more than just the 5 people that live in my house.
Sara: Getting to be someone else for a little while. I love exploring new parts of my characters and interacting with other people as her. I also miss just letting loose on a Saturday night with some pretty awesome people.
Are there are plots or specific events or anything that you are particularly looking forward to for after the Realms gets going again?
James: I want to see what Folkestone has in store I feel it might be likely they might be the first event back, (no pressure there). I was looking forward to being involved with the next installment of the yellow king plot, but I am not sure if or when that will happen.
Sara: I am not super into any plots. My limited event time means that I miss a lot of the story part of events and come too late into them to really get caught up. I tend to skip heavy questing and plot events now and focus on tourneys and feasts. I’m not counting on events happening before the end of summer, so for me I am looking forward to Feast of Blackwood and their delicious balled meat the most. I’m also looking forward to doing many things at Cecil’s which I may or may not remember later.
 |
| Blackwood Meatballs (picture by Sara) |
Have you concocted any grand plans of any kind for once we can get back to Realms? Events you are planning or things you are going to do with your character? Any secret projects you've been working on that you want to give us a hint about?
James: Concocted? Yes? Been talked out of by my wife, also yes. But I have keep chucking ideas in the bucket so who knows. Tao seems like he is pretty stable in what he is and how he does things. So I will probably just keep doing what he is doing. I am certainly not planning on overthrowing the realms as a whole and opening casinos and noodle houses on every corner. And I certainly would not be designing and ordering a new coin….
 |
| Clontarf Casino Franchise #2347 (photo by Casey Lemay) |
Sara: I am not very good at keeping secrets. Most of my projects have already been released to the public. I am looking forward to having more material to write for my blog and talk about for my show. It’s getting harder to motivate after so long away from the actual game. I also have tentative hopes that the Wiki will see more use as we get back into it, so I’ll likely promote that more when I feel people might feel more into Realms related things.
 |
| The Splash Page for Sara's Blog |
Anything else you'd like to say to the Realms about this past year we've spent apart from each other or in anticipation of us seeing one another again?
James: It’s been hard, we all have had strains and stress in our lives that likely we have never encountered before. Differences of opinion that were brought out into the light. These are interesting times. Combat is the very heart of our game. But let’s try to keep the conflict on the field. Let’s show up to play a game, to have fun, to keep the real world on the other side of the gate.
 |
| photo by Rebecca Murphy |
Sara: I can’t even.
No, but really, I think it’s been really amazing seeing what people have done to put out some Realms content into our lives. The View articles, puzzles, and questions, all the awesome virtual events that happened, videos and blogs of all sorts, home questing tasks, work put into consolidating and recording history and characters, #stalwartsundays, and any of the other amazing things I might have missed… all of them were proof of how passionate we are about this strange little world we’ve all helped to build. Thank you so much to everyone who’s contributed to the realms in these odd and trying times in incredibly creative and fun ways.
 |
| photo by Casey Lemay |