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:

It's Friday! What's your favorite memory of finally getting up to a Realms event on a Friday evening after a long day of school or work and casting off the shackles of real life for a while?

Head on back to Facebook and let us know in the comments!

Tales of Teng Hua: The Flight of the Crane

Beauty, standing still

Watching and observing all

What does the Crane see

Crane sees and knows all

Even whispers on the wind

A beautiful dance

Knowledge and Wisdom

Like a leaf upon the wind

Silence, an echo

Ages pass, Crane stands

Now becomes then, memories

The future comes soon

Danger in the night

Destruction and death for all

Nothing left behind

Crane takes flight, flashing

Rustle of wings, fluttering

Emptiness...nothing

What you Missed - Echoes of Ragnarok: The Quiet Year

It was a dream, and it was so much more than a dream. On that day the spirits of those who resonated with the Vanfrost were drawn to the great loom in Norlund that weaves together all the threads of fate. From there they looked upon the land of Midgard and how the people there, those who were once Jomsvikings, had spread across the untouched, fertile and to found their own communities. Tugging on the threads of fate the heroes of the Realms were able to make manifest their own wills and through them create the stories that would define the lives of these people. These are those stories.

Eaglesville

by Stephen "Laika" Sanford

The town of Eaglesville started out as a group with an abundance of spirituality, all fueled by the Monument of Light, which was a large boulder with a natural hole in the center which the light of the sun shined through onto the town and gave it warmth. Throughout the year the village had many strifes including,  Old man Jenkins riding a dino into the Monument of Light, Bat Lover Kyle doing what Bat Lovers do, Vampires, The Church of Tychesaurus declaring war on the village and of course when these problems come together the creation of Vampire Dinos. The High Priestess known as the Radiant One with her Dino Slaying sword and ritual that empowered the a Crystal in the center of town rid Eagleville of its Dino Vampire plague right before the end of the year.

At the end of the year, a rumble from beneath the town shook and from it sprouted a large root of what we can only assume Yggdrasil. The root shot straight up from the center of the town destroying most of the nearby structures and leaving everyone homeless. The Radiant one gathered the villagers and evacuated to the nearby nomad colony in order to regroup to rebuild.

Strifelake

by Ryan "Orion" Welch

Written Account of a Dream

Date of Dream: 23 October 1021

I don’t sleep often. When I do sleep, I infrequently dream. When I dream, I rarely take notice.

I took notice of this one.

I dreamed of a small village in Norland. A few dozen people settled along the edge of a lake fed by a river. The last of the winter ice was melting and Spring was rolling in. On the other side of the lake was a field of animal bones. What was the cause of this landmark? My dream state did not provide an answer. Beyond that field, the remains of a raider camp. The raiders had been recently driven off by the warriors among the townsfolk, and there was much rejoicing. After barely making it through the Winter, these people were eager for the new life of Spring. They gathered lumber from the nearby forest to build a sturdy bridge over the river and a hospital to make use of the medicinal herbs which were sprouting in the lakeside mud.

Time passed quickly as I jumped from moment to moment. The river flooded with melting ice and revealed a deposit of magical stones along its banks. A mage arrived in town suspiciously quickly as word of the discovery spread. A powerful whirlwind ravished the forest and felled a great many trees, but the resourceful townsfolk continued to make use of the lumber.

In Summer, strange happenings in the animal boneyard sparked tensions in the town. A bounty of crops promised a stronger supply of food for the coming year. A fishing boat was constructed and questions about the mage passed from house to house. Among the skeptics, a leader emerged. The mage herself became more bold. Outside the town walls, bands of kobolds riding dinosaurs were another source of stress.

As Summer turned to Fall, the mage was suddenly found dead, stabbed by an unknown killer in the middle of town. Soon after, her rival’s corpse was found under equally mysterious circumstances. A young boy was killed in a quarry accident, but then returned to life under even more mysterious circumstances. An earthquake sent the boneyard sliding into the lake as the social fabric of the town began to fracture in its own way. Rallying around their slain leaders, the townsfolk split into two factions. But somehow, with Winter looming once again, the people came together and cast out the most fervent followers of the mage and the undead child.

The long frigid nights were filled with danger. A group of the raiders from the previous winter returned to seek peace rather than to make war. The people of the town, once again united in their vision, welcomed the newcomers and hurried to create more shelter. Meanwhile, the kobold kavalry had tripled in size but were rendered immobile by the thick snows. Up the river, the undead child and his few followers gathered their strength (and madness) in an abandoned mansion. Under the lake, animated skeletons of long-dead triceratopses threatened the town.

Spring again. A year of watching this town and its people had passed through my mind in an instant. As I wondered how much longer I would be stuck in this ethereal state, a mighty rumbling shook my whole being. A massive tree branch shot through the frozen lake like a bolt from a ballista. Huge chunks of rock, dirt, and ice fell upon the town and very nearly laid it to waste. The contents of the lake rushed through the puncture wound in the lakebed as I was mentally shaken from my dream state. While this place faded from my mind’s eye, I heard a voice imbued with magical intention call out to the bedrock and raise a wall, stemming the flow of the river in order to protect the town from catastrophic drought.

I woke not with panic but great curiosity and concern. The unusual dream had felt so real, as if I was not watching an illusion but indeed an actual record of events. Even now, days after the event, the visions remain vivid in my memory, though I can feel them slowly eroding as all other memories do. As such, I have committed them to writing in order to have a more permanent account. I can’t shake the feeling that this information will be important again.

In the meantime, I am left with one question which stands out among all others: was this dream a promise… or a warning?

Aestonia

by Eric "Rosetta" Willisson

A small community of about 50 Norlunders settled at a river junction. They were inspired by the beauty of their surroundings, but needed food, and felt unmoored by a lack of tradition. As Spring got underway they began to explore the world around them and irrigate their fields. While they found some useful dinosaurs and friendly neighbors, they also soon discovered a mighty Chonkosaurus which had scared away most animals in the northwest and was on a path towards to their village. It dominated their attention for a time, leading to a defensive wall and the evacuation of mermaids from a nearby lake. Meanwhile, sources of magic waxed and waned, as water-giving crystals were dug up from fathomless depths, and a tradition of theatrical mages rose and then was wiped out by a volcano.

In the Summer, Sir Aeston of Rhiassa appeared, and inspired the community to come together, and form a militia to defend against the Chonkosaurus. In gratitude the village named itself Aestonia. They traded with their neighbors, hunted and domesticated nearby dinosaurs, and built infrastructure, including magical wells in every tent. Later, when Winter arrived, they had yurts made from dinosaur leather, drainage ditches for snowmelt, warmth coming from fire-people who had come through a portal to settle in the volcano, and even a sauna. There were setbacks, such as a war with lizardfolk, floods ruining food stores, and pterodactyls making trips to the west hazardous, but overall, they prospered.

Through the seasons, the Chonkosaurus continued to threaten. At one point, an altar to appease it was almost erected, before it was abandoned during a period of obsession with oven-making. A villager named Neville snuck past the Chonkosaurus and tricked it into turning around, finally putting the village from its mind. He was the hero of the village and was given the title "The Aeston". However, the power went to his head and he and his followers attempted to suppress dissent and keep him in charge. They were discovered and temporarily thrown out, before regaining power with a bloody nighttime coup. Finally they were replaced with a democratic council once Neville went missing in the Winter snows, never to be seen again.

Pack Rock

by Ethan "Prisoner 73" Goldman

Peace is short lived. Violence flowers easier than any weed. Perhaps it is the fault of fate, perhaps it is the fault of man. Indeed it is hard not to rest some of the blame upon Squidlum Wormdenger and Floki Redbeard for the bloody fate of Pack Rock. 

After all, they were the ones who placed the town next to a giant hole.

For a time all was well, giant forests were found and hewn, lakes were surveyed, and a great church to Vivant was built near the pit, to show that hope shined even near the darkest places. Perhaps that is what upset the tentacles so much. The Green Beast was vast and mysterious, for a time doing nothing but wiggling in its abyss. Some were fearful but Squidlum and the priests of Vivant were sure it was a sign. For if such a beast was evil, why had it not attacked, not done harm unto them? So a crane was set up to feed the beast. This was cautioned by Old Man Doomed, a weathered hermit who was here before the town, for he claimed the beast was cursed, it was as evil as that wretched stone he flung upon the pit years before.

The Old man was ignored however, at least by Squidlum who set about trying to raise the beast from the abyss. Further to the north other eyes watched, a castle was found to loom above the cliffs, and the Jotun Seidkona Svarj was found among the Greatwood, trading dreams and sleep for alchemy and futures. And then the troubles started.

Before the first leaves fell the church did, a fell storm brew over the pit, and disaster started in its wake. Squidlum’s was claimed by the tendrils, dragging the priest to the depths below. Though this only emboldened the Priests, who saw the mutters of the skeptical villagers and the militarization of the border to the pit as an attack against their faith, and the storm as much an abandonment by the gods as they were abandoned by mortals.

In the end this wrath is what saved the town, as an old statue of Fenrir was found. Bitter and baleful, the Squidpriests cut the throat of a stag upon the stones, and from the dirt of glenn wolves began to hunt and crawl. Yet to the ire of the vindictive the village embraced the wolf curse in a way they refused to for the Greenbeast. The wolves were fed, traded even, and the priestfolk, eager for power and place, found the wolves were not mere beasts, but as intelligent as any mortal. Many of the priests abandoned the squid for fairer pastures, building great grey standing stones around the wolfstone. 

Then disaster struck three times. The Jotuns of the north, divided more then Pack Rock thought, had a tribe ambush the townsfolk, sowing confusion and fear upon the men, as a dark elf warlock commanded the dinosaurs with a magical orb of similar shade to the ancient orb of Old Man Doom, the same hermit himself, having set out to see the truth of the gems, went mad and seemingly died to his own broken mind.

Then, as mutterings against the Greenbeast turned to action, as a great cannon was aimed at the monster, the beast struck back, causing a great storm to fall against Pack Rock. The Village, to its wits end with the priests, barricaded them against the village walls, letting the magicians die, and with the end of many of their number came the end of their patience.

The Squidpriests struck out, occupying the great mines and the abandoned throne of the warlock. They muttered their magics in secret as Floki redied blade and blackpowder against the beast. Twice the Great Bombard was fired, and with the help of the wolves, the Greenbeast lay dead, the great gem flickering beneath the cavern.

While the war against the green waged, the Wolf Priests encountered even greater fortune, with their temple allowing them to assume the shape of wolves, and the wolves the shape of men. Such was their prestige that, as Floki’s forces balked against the forces of the Northern Squidpriests, the wolves grew to replace Floki as leader. Upon the grey brow of a heavy timber wolf was the crown of king given, and the title Goodiest Boy became the great king's moniker.

Finally the Squids were felled, and the Jotuns cowed, and like a sign of hope, Old man Doom arose from his grave, dirty and wise. Apparently he was never dead, yet with the squid gone the man was at least able to reclaim his magic, and the great blue orbs that lay in the mine, their secrets never to be known by the village.

The year ended with the great wedding of Old Man Doom to Svarj, the greatest mages of the village united in matrimony. So great was the joy of the family that a giant root of Yggdrasil sprouted from the mountains. Yet with it came great swarms of dinosaurs, herbivorous giants that razed the land… Yet in doing so they saw their doom.

These were no peaceful farmers, Pack Rock had killed more than farmed, were more teeth than talk. Every problem was solved in blood, and these beasts were by no means exempt. The town embraced the teachings of Fenrir, and herded great swaths of the beasts south, down into the bottomless pit the squid once sat, the cleverer of the beasts escaped south. The stupid were sacrificed upon the wolfstones. The City had become more wolf than human, both in shape and attitude. Yet the city stood, its Pollysaur herds safe, and its river reddened yet wide. They did what they had to, but the other tribes had little to fear.

After all, in the end, the citizens of Pack Rock were Good Boys.

What you Missed - Echoes of Ragnarok: The Quiet Year - Photo Edition

 photos by View Staff

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

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:

Black & White was last weekend and as usual it was the first event for many new players. Whether it was at a B&W or any other event, tell us a memory of something that happened at your first event!

Head on back to Facebook and let us know in the comments!

Why I Want To Go - Echoes of Ragnarok: The Quiet Year

It's not summertime anymore, but if past experience has taught us anything, it's that when Rhiassa hosts a Ragnarok event at the Gilded Lion Summer Festival site, some crazy and experimental stuff is about to go down. While the Echoes of Ragnarok series has certainly had its share of traditional quests, there have also been quite a few events in the plot line that had some very non-traditional mechanics. Strap in, because that's the case this time as well.

It's been quite a while since the penultimate event in the Ragnarok story line. When the heroes left Norlund after repairing the damaged cosmology of that plane, while simultaneously winning an epic war that took place across six different worlds, they had just given rise to a new pantheon of Asir and Vanir. In the time since then, the lands of Norlund have been rebuilding. This event is about helping to create the story for how that rebuilding took place.

This is an event based on world building, role playing, and storytelling. There will be physical and mental challenges that must be overcome, but more than anything, it is for the heroes who set Norlund to right to have the opportunity to help build what that world now looks like in the aftermath of their intervention. If you've become invested in the stories of these people, the Jomsvikings and their allies, then you're invited to come on down to Connecticut and be a part of what those stories look like when they are told in full.

What You Missed - Black and White

By Kersten "Ypnn" Prince

Two years ago, I came to the Realms for the first time to this very feast, and I must say, it has not failed to give me the same feeling of awe as it did back then. 

Unlike two years ago, however, my arrival to the event was quite different. Rather than being helped along and introduced by others I met in passing, this time around I had many new persons joining me for their first time, with their enthusiasm being very contagious. And it was quite hard to miss these newbies - many of them having chosen to join into the Chimeron militia, we were easy to spot in mass heading down to the welcoming to the event and the line-up at the tournament for the Champion of Chimeron. As a spell caster, fighting is not my strength, so after being beat in the first round I got to watch from the sidelines as the impressive tournament of skill went on, slowly dwindling to Captain Orion, and Garen. Both of these talented fighters proceeded to take part in a challenge that, from what I could hear, sounded like an issue with a burning building, which ultimately determined who would fight the Death Knight first. In fighting the Death Knight, Orion was defeated, but Garen managed to pull through a close battle and win the tournament as the new Champion of Chimeron. 

Following the tournament, I and others helped newbies gather their challenges for the day, before joining with Captain Orion to the Realms Outfitters station. After being introduced by Captain Orion before he headed off to his vigil for the day, the newbies and I spent time looking through the fabulous wares, and after purchasing our findings, we headed off on a quest. This was the first part of this quest, which had to do with turning an item into something that could allow a single magic item to pass into Gi. We worked on gathering ground fruit for this, dealing with trolls and other beings to get it, but many including myself had to return from the quest early as the newbie tournament began. 

On our way back, however, we did, of course, catch our first sighting of Blue, the infamous weapon that catches the newbies off guard. As usual, Blue was very active during Black and White - I, personally, had three run-ins with Blue, but I know others recall more. Note to self, knock out people who try to pick up Blue even if they should know what Blue is because Blue can compel people, which surprised myself during the newbie tournament as we all tried to keep the newbies away from Blue, and Thoril wandered over in a daze and picked it up.

While I watched parts of the newbie tournament, this part admittedly was a break for myself to have food made by the wonderful kitchen staff, and I headed out early. After some time of socialization and learning spells, I eventually found myself back with the earlier quest. The quest had reached the final stages of the ritual, with the final part being for a chain of three people drawing on each other's back to attempt to create a rune that was drawn on the first. After multiple attempts, we finally succeeded, with the item being ready for use. 

Just as I was about to walk away, however, one of those helping me got my attention again - a pair of bandits had shown up, and in seeing myself returned, began joking on taking me as a hostage! However, as I mentioned before, the Chimeron Militia has many skilled recruits. I flagged down Katsuie to get their help, and with an arrow breaking up our stalling, the bandits did not get the chance to escape as the militia came in full force. However, during this time they somehow grabbed onto the item we had just enchanted and somehow made it disappear, and while I attempted to use Find the Path to lead a group of newbies to find it, there was no such luck. 

With time for one last activity before court, we gathered newbies to see what was going on with a time snarl that had appeared, though many had to leave to prepare after two attempts of rushing into the time snarl alone. On the third try, however, four of us managed to go in together, though it being the first time for one left it down to Rani, Thoril, and myself. As a trio (although, admittedly, Thoril made it through much of the first part himself), we managed to get through a series of questions where the answers verbally started with sounds similar to “sir.” With the next question quizzing us on all the first circle spells, we fell short, running out of time to remember a final few. With that, it was time to prepare for court myself, so I left these attempts. 

Court was as much of a spectacle as I remember from prior. I cannot recount exactly all the matters that were brought up, just a few. I know for certain Wyvern College staked out land north of Chimeron, Captain Orion officially became an Avatar of Chimeron (and thus Captain Sir Orion), and myself and the Silvan Sanctuary Farming Commune presented our harvest to the court for the feast. Following court, the auction occurred, along with dancing and festivities that eventually brought together an exhilarating evening. 

As always, Black and White overall was a wonderful event that I am glad I got to attend. 

(OOC: Huge thanks to the many wonderful staff of the event, from the EHs, to the marshals, to the kitchen staff, and many more. I very much enjoyed the event and I know many, especially of the newbies, are of the same opinion.)

What You Missed - Black & White Photos

photos by View Staff

 

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Memories of Dave - Part 3

From Angie Grey:

Dave touched so many lives. I wish I had an epic story of a single profound moment but I don’t.  I don’t even remember how or when I met him. I don’t remember how we became friends, other than he appeared and began to treat me like one.  I remember being surprised by our first invitation to his house, and even more surprised the first time he told me they’d be in Vermont and were coming to visit ours.  

He made a point of getting to know people in and out of character. He remembered surprising small details from conversations.  He made a point of always balancing his Realms and personal life and in doing so proved it was possible to stay relevant without being on the field every weekend.

Dave and I were planners. I’m fairly certain we are two of the people who have played a key role in organizing the most Queen of Hearts teams and enjoyed combining our efforts.  He loved to strategize and analyze. His enthusiasm was contagious.  I agreed to help organize more than one team because doing so meant another opportunity to work with Dave. 

Dave loved fruity drinks.  It didn’t match what most would have expected from a man his age.  His unabashed enjoyment of them (and bacon, and Hawaiian shirts, and… well you get the picture) made his friends smile, but likely got him a sideways glance in some circumstances. Yet I can’t imagine a time when Dave would have been concerned enough about what people thought of him to have made a different choice though.  Dave took the time to explore the world. He found the things he loved, and he loved them, deeply, without apology.  It was an inspiration to me, someone who was raised to believe it was better to fit into the “normal” mold, especially because he was skilled, smart and would have succeeded anywhere.  By being his awesome self, I know he inspired not just me but a lot of us to embrace who we are. I can’t imagine a more powerful gift. 

From Dani Lacasse: 

I'd like to take you to a time that wasn't too long ago but happened to be my first year in the realms. 2016. My first year in the game. And in 2016 the community held an event that holds a special place in my heart to this day. The realms hosted a fight-a-thon in honor of someone I never had the pleasure of meeting, Bud. 

And being my fourth ever, I was just so excited to go out there and fight, and if you could call me getting my ass handed to me 225 times to be exact, I did. 

And once we finished up, Dav came up to me and asked who I was and introduced himself to me and we chatted and took me over to a tent set up on the back corner of the tourney field and casually asked me what weapon sock I liked best. 

Flash forward a few events, this man who I vaguely remembered me and remembered that weapon sock I loved, he presented me with my first ever realms sword with that very sock. Standard 3 8", nothing eccentric to anyone else, but to me it meant everything.

You told me that not only did you decide to give me a weapon because of the fighting potential you saw in me but because I had inspired you, by participating in a fight-a-thon. Raising funds for someone I had never met and doing with a smile on my face the entire time with a community I barely even knew.  And I thought you were crazy at the time me inspiring someone like you!? Like John had said previously, you were someone who had been pointed out to me as someone I could always go to with any questions. It was surreal, but you told me that that was what this community was about. Coming to the aid of others when it's needed or required but when it feels right.

That very act of kindness and gesture from you is something I've held with me since, and maybe unbeknownst to but also a few lessons I'll never forget, a small gesture can impact someone so greatly.

And that you'll never know who's watching and whom you may inspire. 

So thank you Dav for not only allowing me to inspire you just that once but for also being one of my biggest inspirations.

photo by Beth Tozier

From James Murphy: 

It was a multiday quest, it was Saturday, it was summer, it was on Abe’s land in CT about 7? Years ago, it was hot.

We had to go all over site, fight uphill to get to the location, find a box? Do the puzzle, open the box get the things inside to get put together to make the McGuffin. Dav had brought his magic 6’6” I had my big shield. I decided I was going to be his wing man. We moved through the quest, sometimes being the front line, sometimes the back line. Different heroes came and went. But every time we encountered the enemy, we were in the center of it. Just about every encounter Dav had a few things to say; “stay with us”, “go help them”, “stay in a line”, “together”, and my favorites “get that person up”, and “Now!”

Several times we switched him on shield me on the 6’6”, His magic 6’6”. I felt honored. After a long day of fighting the monsters, we make it back to the fire pit. We are collecting our thoughts when a specific player talks about keeping everything for themselves. Some of the party thought that this was a pretty shitty thing to do. The player in question then said something like: well I am going to keep the stuff just the boxes I solved. I yelled a bit. I was hot, tired, exhausted, I had never been near the boxes. We were needed to keep the monsters at bay. The player then decided to share what was found.

As we were getting ready to break for dinner, Sir Vawn comes up to me and asks me what I meant by my yelling. Tao said something about sharing and putting together the thing and all of us working together. And Vawn agreed that these were things we should be doing. And then he said, “James does the player know you were speaking in character?” I was at a loss for words. I hoped they did. But I had not gone up to them and made sure they knew. In that moment I was embarrassed. I was humbled, I was quiet.

After dinner I sought out the player and we talked. This interaction has changed how I played the game. Any time I get into it with a PC, I always make sure that we both understand IC vs OOC.

I will never forget the fighting that day. But I will also never forget the lesson Dav taught me at break.

photo by Robyn Nielsen

From Michel Venne: 

I almost won a game of munchkins once versus Dave and his friend Thom. All I had to do was defeat a Lame Goblin. Because it’s munchkins, they both pilled buffs on the Goblin and I ended up losing. The amount of glee he took to remind me of this loss and my goblin trauma for over five years kept reminding me that despite claiming to not have a fantastic memory, he always remembered the things that would make us laugh. 

photo by Tom Burchell

From Janna Oakfellow-Pushee: 

When my FolFox treatments started sending me downhill, Dave was doing his own treatments at Emerson as well. One day we figured out we were separated by a curtain (but knew who the other was due to stating your name and birthday loudly to the nurses). I told them to check his ID, make sure he was old enough. He told me to keep it down over there and he'd get whatever drugs he damn well liked. We eventually made such a good ruckus the nurses opened the curtains and we piped down once we could actually see each other.  Soon we each drifted off to sleep in our chairs.

Besides a Friend, Knight Commander, GISHWHES Team member, fellow Toastmaster, mentor, and so, so much more...Dave was also a huge lifeline of support for me during the treatments, at the roughest time of his own set.  I won't forget the pieces and side effects and stories he shared with me, since they were (terribly) unique to our situation.  Because of him, I became a lot braver going forth in Life.

photo by Dustin Mack

From Ben Lacasse:

Dave to me has always been more than a person to me, but more an ideal to strive towards.  I met Dave when I was 14 years old, and I’d grown up a poor inner city kid, wrapped up in all the trappings of inner city life.  My prospects were few save a good brain for word play, and a love for high fantasy media.  Dave, through facilitating Riverhawk practice, unknowingly opened a door to a life that I love to lead, and wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.  Through doing something so small as showing up to a fight practice and whipping our asses relentlessly, he fostered a group of nerdy kid’s love of Dungeons and Dragons into an infinitely more productive pass time.  That pass time made us lasting connections across a vast community of people who span the entirety of our region.  In my case, I work in the field I do because Dave helped connect me to a community that contained someone who was willing to take a chance on me when no one else was.  Dave connected me to a community where I,  who had an extremely complicated home life, was able to connect to respectable and genuinely good-hearted adults who cared for me like I was one of their own, Dave being one of them.  I’d never had that before, and I only have that now because by some twist of fate, our paths were able to cross.

 It goes deeper than that though.   Dave was golden enough to be an ideal, but was down to earth enough to be a real person, which is a blessing I’ve counted on many occasions.  My favorite memory that I feel best defines the kind of person that Dave is is my wife’s birthday a few years ago.  Those readers who know me know that I live woefully far away from everything I participate in, which leads to a lot of frustration come the end of eventing season when the new england weather makes driving long distances less enjoyable/possible.  That also means that usually when Dani and I have celebrations and don’t have the cash/time/wherewithal to plan them up to 100 miles away from our house, it usually results in relatively small gatherings because it’s hard for people to make those long treks.  Dani had had a particularly long eventing season that year and on a wednesday night I’d planned an impromptu birthday gathering a night or 2 before and just put out a mass invite and hoped for the best.  He and Christina were among a very select few who made it a point to be present for her on a day that many might consider small, but seeing Dani’s eyes light up when he came through the door of the restaurant was a moment I’ve relived regularly this last week when I needed a pick me up.  Dave was always willing to go the distance for those he loved, and there was never a time I was in his presence that I didn’t feel that.

The last time I got to play with Dave was Leviathan 2019, where he had taken the time to craft a special personal plot for Torolf where one of his old viking tribesmen had come seeking a ritual combat of some sort.  The whole scene was a labor of love that Dave personally crafted and gave to someone whom I love and respect deeply, and I felt so honored that when Dave needed somebody to help him that he reached out to me for the assist.  For everything that Dave’s done for me, I am just happy I was able to give him something in return, even if it will never compare to what he’s done for me. 

I love you Dave. Rest in power, brother. I wouldn't be the man I am without having you to guide me. When I need you, I'll look to Valhalla.

by Angie Grey

From Jamison Bancroft: 

Dave and I never really had a close relationship. Over the course of two decades, Dave and I didnt often find ourselves in the same place for long periods of time, and we didn't often find ourselves spending time with the same people. Despite that, Dave was still one of my biggest role-models within the game. 

See, that's the magic of Dave. You didn't need to know him or be close to him to feel the effects he had on everyone around him. Dave embodied everything good about the Realms and it's community. Dave was a genuinely awesome person, and he will live on in the minds and hearts of every person who had the privilege of knowing him, interacting with him, and even those who only get to hear stories of him. He is a legend.

by Dustin Mack

From Steve Nelson:

A memory I’d like to share of Dave was from about four years ago. It wasn’t any particular occasion, but he had something for me. It turned out he had commissioned a wood carving of my Realms character. He was all excited, telling me all about the process of working with the artist on the design. It’s incredible, and I thanked him for it but also asked why he had done it. He said that since his health problems, he occasionally wanted to do things like that and decided he didn’t have to wait for occasions or even really have a reason. It was just an uncommonly thoughtful thing to do.

by Robyn Nielsen

From Keith Cronyn:

At fight practice, I remember asking him how he was doing. He said he felt like he wasn’t in control of his health anymore, that he was just along for the ride. This was a somber moment. I told him when it seemed like there was no other choice, his choice was to keep going. To keep f***ing going. I didn’t realize at the time how much that meant to him; until he did keep going. Because he did. That was years ago, he fought through so much. And I’d like to think his spirit is still fighting now. Love you buddy. 

by Matt Norris

From Owen West:

One thing that will always impress me is the inherent value Dave saw in everyone around him. For me, it manifested in how excited he was to welcome me into his life and serve as my mentor. Put generously, I was a driven teenager who didn’t know his place in the world; little in comparison to the many accomplished adults who held Dave in high regard. Dave saw in me potential that not many had recognized, and his support and encouragement helped me grow in ways that would have been impossible otherwise. His constructive criticism was a perfect balance of a call to be better and an acknowledgement that none of us are perfect. 

Thankfully, Dave’s boundless energy enabled him to help countless young men and women like myself fulfill their potential. Dave was one of the best people I know and he will be forever missed.

From Beth Tozier:

Have you ever sat down to write, and had your mind flooded with images and moments? None seem distinct or complete, but they each represent a different moment in time with someone.

That is what just happened. I sat to write of times with Dave and Vawn and even that other guy he played for a bit, but my mind would not let me settle on one thing. I will do my best to put into words as many moments as I can.

I don’t remember exactly when or how it happened, but one day we were friends. I don’t remember us meeting, shaking hands; the beginning of our friendship isn’t there. At this point, it feels like Dave and Christina were always a part of my life.

He and Christina came to my wedding. We went to concerts. We drank fruity drinks. 

Had deep conversions. Argued. Went to KRF. We fought together, we fought each other. Always there was Dave and Christina, always there was Vawn. 

Here are small bits of what I can remember:

I was helping out, not so many years ago, at an Uncle Cecil’s Very Merry… whatever the title was that year. I was behind the bar getting things ready with Jake/Gideon. This is (roughly) how things went:

G- Who is that that looks like Vawn?

Me- (only seeing the guy next to Vawn) Who? That guy? He looks nothing like Vawn and I don't know, some newbie.

G- It is so weird. How can you say it doesn’t look like him?

Me- How can you say it does. First of all, that guy is at least 5 inches too short and has blonde hair.

G- What?! No, not him, the one in the Eagle’s Rook tabard.

Me- Really? REALLY?! *I shake my head and motion for Dave to come over* Hey Gideon, I would like to introduce you to Vawn. Vawn, this is my idiot friend Gideon.

Dave and I laughed that Jake didn’t recognize him. Naturally all night I was introducing them to each other, and introducing Gideon to everyone in the hall. Dave laughed, he rolled with it, and every time he was introduced to Jake, he reached out with a big grin and shook his hand.

Did you know Dave and I had similar surgeries in 2005? Yup; we had matching scars on our throats from thyroid surgery. For months, after we were healed, we would joke about how Freesia and Vawn got them. Beth and Dave; we would talk about what it meant. Me with half a thyroid, him with none; me with a benign diagnosis, him with malignant. We did our best to support each other, and I did my best to be there during those early (the easy) treatments.

We went to a lot of Ani Difranco concerts (an average of one per year from 2004 to 2019). At one show in Portsmouth NH, Dave and I headed into town a few hours before the show. We went to some little shop because he assured me they had a “Life altering cheese”. He was not wrong. In the heat of the summer show, outside in the sun… Dave, myself, Jarrod, Wendy, Robyn and Eren demolished a brick of cave aged cheddar from Ireland. And, my life was certainly changed with that cheese!! It turns out, we sent so many people there looking for “Life Altering Cheese” that the store added a sign to their display “Cave Aged Life Altering Cheese.”

Bedlam; Vawn was entirely opposed to us opening Bedlam to get Bouquet out. He reg'd for the event, he showed up, and he refused to enter hell with us. 

“You cannot put the whole of the realms at risk like this. You don’t know what you are going to unleash.”

“And neither do you. We will handle whatever happens when it happens. But, we have to get her… Vawn, I have to get her.” 

“I’m not going in”

“Okay. If I don't come out, tell them I fell for something I believed in.”

I’m not entirely sure, but I do not think Vawn ever forgave Freesia for that. Though, when we emerged he was there. Yes, Dave stayed in the parking lot at the event where we started. Vawn waited to see if we would make it out and what would follow after us. And, over the next 8 years, he fought with us to undo what we did.

The most recent, and final memory I have was dinner just a few weeks ago. Neil and I sat with Dave and Christina in their living room. We ate take out, we laughed at the “You were the scary guy” story (ask Christina to tell you). We joked about the past, we spoke of the future. 

Neil and I would have sat there all night if we had been able. But, we couldn’t do that and we eventually had to say goodnight.  As we left, I hugeed Christina, told her I love her. I hugged Dave and I told him, “I love you. Thank you for being my friend.” He told me he loved me too. 

That last dinner, that last hug, that last moment, I will hold on to for the rest of my life.

Why I Want to Go: Black and White

By Crystal “Cressida” Welch

IC: 

Dearest Friend,

It has been far too long since I have danced with another being. I must confess, I have been practicing dancing alone in the woods, but the spirits I accidentally summoned were less than amused. Therefore it is absolutely imperative that you meet me at the Black and White Masquerade Ball this coming Saturday under the waxing gibbous Moon and dance with me. If dancing is too fearful a thought then we may enjoy the grand tournaments, delectable dishes, and the performances of courageous bards together. Feel free to take a peek at the charming wares provided by the best vendors and put in tickets at the auction. I hear there are some simply marvelous trinkets to be won this year, and though my home is filled with too many things already, you know I cannot resist the urge to win fabulous prizes. If you prefer games of skill and chance, then seek out the casino and remember me if you win. Oh, and please help me to remember to go out questing, as a certain magic mailbox must be found if we are to post mail in time for Father Yule to receive it. I already know you will look stunning at Court, just remember not to get the delicious dessert selection on your fancy garb. See you soon dear one. 

All the best,

Cressida

P.S. Do not forget your mask at home! Death and the Order of the Peacock are watching after all. 

OOC:

Everyone! It is that time of year again: the leaves are turning, the weather is crisp and beautiful, and we get to don fancy garb and dance in the woods! I have missed this event terribly. It is one of the few opportunities I get to gather with so many people I adore and just have a relaxed time with some of the best food. I do hope you attend, particularly because in celebration of the Realms being back up and running, the event is free to attend this year. That’s right, free! So I hope you come and join me for a dance and a good time at the many activities during the day. I may even have a special performance in the works…

Memories of Dave - Part 2

 From Christina Clements:

When I agreed to write this story of Dave, I assumed that on further contemplation one perfectly Dave anecdote would eventually come to mind.  Afterall, I have known the guy for more than fifteen years, alarmingly close to half my life.  But the harder I thought, the more I came up empty. There were so many short, important memories of Dave, so many 5 minute thoughts that are precious but insufficient to embody his influence or personality, as the background is muddy and too long to tell.

Dave managed to get my parents to drive 3 hours to Belchertown to see my knighting but to keep everything a surprise he made sure I was so busy and distracted I did not notice my own parents loitering at the event site until after I had received my belt that night. His grin at my surprise was entirely Dave.  He seemed to enjoy orchestrating surprises and gifts for other people. 

When I got a new car as an idiot 22 year old he checked my owners manual when I had stepped out to make sure it had a tire pressure warning light. His plan, he admitted to me, was if it did he would add the little colored stem caps that alert you to low pressure on tires.  I know he would have done it. 

He did once tell me if someone ever intentionally left me on the side of the highway he would come get me. I truly spent my entire early twenties believing that if I was ever truly in a bind and needed a no questions asked ride out of a bad situation Dave Hayden would have been that ride. He managed to do the impossible dance of both treating someone like an adult while watching out for them. 

A lot of people have said he was the ultimate knight, and obviously I agree, but he was also such an amazing friend.  He was the least judgemental dispenser of advice, patient with the errors of youth and inspiration to us all. Mr. Hayden, you will be deeply missed.  I hope I never stop hearing your stories or advice in my mind. Thank you for helping me grow up, and I will try to use your example to keep improving on my own path.  

Photo provided by Christina Clements

From Pat Bobell:

There are many examples of Dave's strength of character in the context of the Realms, so I'd like to share a brief story about him from outside our community.

Back in January of 2020, I needed to precisely-cut a couple hundred pieces of foam board for a board game prototype. I'm pretty good with an X-Acto knife but am not a masochist, so I asked Dave if I could use the laser cutter at his maker space. Luckily for me, he said he planned to spend Martin Luther King Day working there and said I was welcome to stop by.

When I got there, Dave wasn't working on any of his own projects. It turned out he was there to help a boy (who had been through his own health saga) to make a project he was excited about. Even with everything Dave had on his plate, he was incredibly generous with his time and skills helping both that boy and me with the things that we wanted to accomplish. I'd come to know Dave over the years as a thoughtful, giving person who strove to embody his ideals more consistently than most people I've known. This example of his drive to encourage and work for others, however, stood out to me. Seeing the effect Dave's attention and care had on the boy that day left a powerful impression, and inspired me to be more proactive with volunteering my own time.

That boy and I are just a couple of the many, many people whose lives have been improved by Dave's direct action or indirectly by his example. Through each of us, Dave's light and life will continue to shine.

photo by Dustin Mack

From Kyle Yazinka:

In 2012 I took a Knights of the Realms challenge to general one of the large war maneuver events. I decided North/South War 2013 was where I wanted to complete that challenge. When the event staff asked who wanted to be general, I was the only one who wanted the position. Dave did not think the general spot should be won unopposed so offered a two out of three match against me to decide who would general. After the fights Dave told me he expected the outcome of the fights to go exactly how they did but that he didn’t think someone should be given a spot without any type of opposition. I don’t know if he knew it was my KoR challenge but helped me whenever I needed it throughout the whole weekend. He mentored me to be the best beginner general I could be and taught me numerous things that still help me to this day to be a better leader and role model for our game and in life. Before this interaction I don’t think we had ever had a one on one conversation and I am grateful that he took the time to work with me so I could approve at something that I love. Everyday he showed the characteristics I strive to replicate in my life.

photo by Angie Grey

From Leanne Micciche:

Dave was someone who, no matter what, went out of his way to make people feel included.  One of my favorite outings with him was the last concert we went to.  He had messaged me online and asked if I wanted to go with him.  He asked a bunch of questions about the venue, if I was up on any of the latest music, and such.  His excitement was palpable even online.  I told him I'd love to, but only if it wouldn't be weird going with a very pregnant woman to a Judas Priest concert.  He said he would be delighted to go with me and offered a very surprised and excited congratulations!  He went out of his way to make it a fun and enjoyable trip even though the logistics and planning of our very different schedules made it challenging.  

photo by Robyn Neilsen

From Matt Brenner:

I wrote this roast for Dave’s celebration of life party a month or two ago. I knew that other people would rightfully want to talk about Dave as a paragon, or Dave as a mentor. That was not our relationship, though. Dave and I joined the Realms right around the same time, and our growth in the community closely mirrored each other’s. I wanted to poke loving fun and share a memory from before we were knights and leaders. Even a paragon starts out as a person with a few ideas and a sense of humor. We all start somewhere, and that makes our growth all the more impressive when it happens.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So, I am trying to think about what I was going to say tonight, and it was suggested to me that I do a roast. And I was all, “Holy crap, you mean I could stand in front of the room, make fun of Dave, and everyone has to listen? Sign. Me. Up.”

There’s a formula to roasts, right? You need to make fun of the target’s minor flaws and moral inconsistencies, but you never hit the major ones. You want people laugh, but not to go, “Oh no you didn’t!” This is Dave we’re talking about, so I’m thinking damn, I have this so easy. I don’t have to worry about accidentally hitting on any huge moral failings, so all I need to do it pick out the little things that we all do. Awesome.

For example, there is this one thing that Dave . . . no, no. That’s not actually an inconsistency. Instead, let me tell you about the time he . . . shit. That’s not actually bad thing at all. Ok, fine, but there was the one time at my Christmas tavern where . . . fuuuuuuck. That’s actually being a decent person. What the hell am I supposed to do here?

Oh, and by the way, the worst part of trying to put this together? Dave’s the guy who sits so high and mighty with holding fast to his moral compass, and he’s not even going to care that I just used a bunch of expletives. Damnit Dave, that’s a low hanging fruit. People who can take their ethics so seriously should at least be willing *tisk* *tisk* us about our language. Give me something to work with!

By the way, that last bit only worked because I lied. When has Dave ever actually lorded his personal sense of ethics over us? I’m serious. He’s not doing that – that’s us. We’re the ones looking at his standards and going, “Damn, I don’t know that I can live up to that.” Dave’s the innocent one here, we’re the one casting aspersions on ourselves.

Innocent. Hah, ok, finally something I can run with. One thing I admire about Dave is that he is a man who can mildly embrace his vices. The man mixes a damn fine cocktail, and don’t even get me started on his homemade cordials.  . . . that’s it. I mean, he can drink and party with the best of us, but I can’t think of a single time that I had to clean up after some sort of physical or emotional mess that he left behind. Looking around the room, that’s a damn sight better than I can say about many of the gentle people gathered here tonight.

On the topic of vices, I wish I could talk more about his poker skills, but I’ll be the first to say that I don’t belong at the tables he plays at. But it’s funny, though, that a man who is so devoted to the ideal of truth is also such a solid poker player. I mean on some level, poker boils down to lying to your friends well enough that you can take all of their money. Now I’m trying to imagine some sort of Star Trek mirror universe where we have Evil Dave effectively bilking everyone out of their hard-earned money while stroking his goatee. You know he’s evil because he has that goatee.

WAIT! Oh my God, Dave, are YOU the evil one? I can buy that this is the twisted, evil mirror dimension – I’ve done my share of doom scrolling over the past few years – but are you the EVIL Dave? I hate to go there but if you’re the evil Dave, what the heck would good Dave be like? Of course . . . Vawn.

-----

I’m sure tonight is going to have people sharing a ton of Realms memories. I want to share one of my favorites with you. The obvious choice would be to talk about when I got to recognize Dave as a Knight of the Realms, calling out his achievement and bringing him into the highest service order our community has. But no, I want to go a little further back – I want to say it was 21 or 22 years ago at Time Everlasting, the Final Moongate. This was one of those epic quests – it concluded a few years of events in a grand open world adventure where we meet new and alien creatures before slaughtering them mercilessly in the name of advancing the plot. Anyway, during a down moment, out comes Dave in standard NPC blacks, a black domino mask, and a black shady cap. It was the height of turn-of-the-millennium Realms fashion. Anyway, Dave is nonchalantly walking about as some NPC, and eventually a young adventurer stops him and asks who he is. I’m sure he used some flowery language because this is clearly a role-playing NPC, right? When asked, Dave just sort of plainly say, “Oh, I’m the Destroyer of Worlds.”

“The Destroyer of Worlds? Really?” Because this seems pretty dubious, right?

“Yes. Oh, where did you come from?”

“The gate to our plane is right over there past the hill.”

“Thanks!” And so off goes Dave, the Destroyer of Worlds, to the gate that leads back to the Realms.

Now this whole thing just feels surreal, even for an event, right? Like it this a real NPC, or is Dave just f***ing with us? But that’s not my favorite part. My favorite part is that whole exchange is so ridiculous that up storms Lackey – he was playing Subutai at the time, some Mongolian-themed Man-Lion archer with an outrageous accent that was definitely not Mongolian. Anyway, up storms Lacky, screaming at the top of his lungs, “When the Destroyer of Worlds asks where you are from, you DO NOT tell him where your home is!”

The rest goes as you might expect. Destroyer of Worlds get to the Realms, Cecil banishes the Destroyer of Worlds, and the Destroyer of Worlds shrugs and disappears. It actually went on for a handful of events, and that was a fun story while it lasted. It mostly centered around how bad we had screwed up, which is pretty typical for us heroes. But after all of these years, the one thing we don’t know is was this Dave’s grand design from the get go, or was Dave just f***ing with us in the beginning, never once thinking that the heroes would actually find a being called the Destroyer of Worlds and immediately without hesitation show him where we keep all our stuff? I’d like to think that he was just trying to f**k with us, and us heroes on that quest got to contribute in some small way to Dave’s eventual descent into cynicism with the so-called heroes.

I know that there are going to be a lot of heartfelt stories tonight. What I really want to say is that I remember when we were all a lot younger and dumber, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to grow beside you my friend.

Photo by Cal Marsden

From John Rescigno:

My favorite memory of Dave is the one I shared at his party before his passing.

At Feast of Teng Hua, we were all very excited about the Game of Thrones final season premiere, and we’re all itching to get home after the feast. 

Dave was in the kitchen pretty much the entire day helping prep food and primarily washing the mountains of dishes from the hundreds of Dangos that we all feasted on over the course of the day. 

While we were cleaning up, the only two things on our mind were Dangos and the premiere. To pass the time, we started singing the word Dango over and over to the tune of the Game of Thrones opening song. 

Dave’s eyes grew wider than the dish he was drying as of to say “I’m surrounded by crazy people”, but he kept on working and serving.

From Cal “O’Leary” Marsden:

This was tough for me to do; picking and choosing which memory of a friend to share. What story makes me smile the most? Was it the time he led Eagles Rook up a small mountain for a private quest? Was it a dinner party, or meeting up to craft something, or the time he gave me my fireball and said some of the nicest things anyone has ever said about me? How can I pick just one?  I put off putting a lot of what I was feeling in writing as somehow writing things down made things much too real and perhaps this was me avoiding the reality of this situation. That a really meaningful wonderful and supportive human being, someone I was lucky enough to call a friend, had passed on leaving a void that can never truly be filled as it is when we lose someone we love.

So, instead of a Realms story I wanted to talk about how Dave, throughout the years, taught me one of my biggest life lessons; something I take into my counseling practice when working with social emotional students. Something I will use throughout my life and something that I try to instill with everyone I work with. 

"You are not the sum of your mistakes."

Back in my early years of Realms I started off as more than off putting. I was a divisive player who often put his own fun over those of other players at events. I was quick to do bad things, help villains and laugh it off as evil RP. Due to those actions, often times I left the event feeling great and someone else would leave the event feeling crummy. 

Dave was one of the first people to offer me guidance on this. At a time when I was looking to grow I had already burned a few bridges because of some of my more sinister IC actions. When I was looking to change and evolve as a player both by playing New Characters with different Role Playing personalities but also as a player taking on bigger NPC roles to test my theatrical chops, I was reasonably met with hesitation and in a lot of cases had people not wanting to utilize me outside a crunchy role. 

I couldn't come to grips with people hating Cal the player because Syruss was a jerk. 

Dave was the first person to tell me, "Well, do people ever see Cal or do they only see you as Syruss the jerk?" That profound statement led to me taking more and more on in the community. With the help of Dave letting me be a part of Eagles Rook and getting to play a good guy that led to me having more relationships with the people Dave Role Played with. I started showing up to events early with him to set up and stayed late to clean. He helped me to reach out to the Chimeron crew too so I could help marshal Green and Gold which led to me helping marshal other events and evolved into me loving to Marshal those big events such as North South War (when I wasn't playing) or Queen of Hearts which is one of my favorite things to do. All the while making social strides. 

One day when I was picking up pikes from Dave for a What Lurks Beneath event we got to talking about where I was and where I am now,  noting that there is always still room for more growth. I thanked him for being so awesome to me over the years and for giving me the push to become better. I told him it would have been easy for him to write me off like others had done and that is when he said those fated words of, "Cal, no one is the sum of their mistakes and we are all capable of change." It was a powerful moment that shaped me as a person. 

Through my years of psychology schooling I focused on change and what makes people change and why. There are two things that are present in changing; a person's desire, without this change can't happen and a catalyst for change, something to help motivate and cause a person to want to change. Dave was my catalyst. He never gave up on a friend he saw potential in at a time where it would have been easy and understandable to do. He saw someone capable of more and fostered that and truly helped me grow. 

So Dave, on behalf of myself and every student I have had the pleasure of reaching and helping evolve as humans, thank you. Thank you for being not only a kind friend when I needed one but for being my catalyst of change.