What you Missed - Festum Solis

Coordinated by Bri "Margaret" Meisser

What did you miss from Festum Solis? So much happened that even those of us who were there missed stuff! Thankfully, I was able to enlist the help of many talented writers and adventurers to ensure that you can get a more complete picture of the event. Enjoy!

—-

Account by Styx of the Chimeron Militia

Friday Night

On June 23rd, 1023, a sizable force of adventurers of the Realms arrived at Coventry, myself among them. We were there to aid the defenders of Coventry in their fight against the Lost Kingdoms. Present were most of Voraniss, Invictus and Stonewood, a few members of the Chimeron Heroic Militia and the Riverhawks, and a few unaffiliated adventurers. 

That night, we set out on a quick raid to retrieve a relic that was needed to help seal a well of Reality Magic that our enemies were using to strengthen themselves. Once we did the appropriate divination to actually find the relic in the dark woods, it was relatively easy to recover it, at least compared to the difficulties of the rest of the weekend.

The Lost Kingdoms fielded human soldiers against us, who we were able to defeat with low casualties. The confined space in the forest made things more difficult, as did the lack of visibility. The relic, an Orb of Potential, was recovered and we returned to Coventry for a war council.

The war council was brief and primarily consisted of us dividing our forces into 2 groups, to secure more relics and defend the throne of Coventry. We were also reminded to not disturb the throne of Coventry, lest we interfere with Aurora helping the defense of Coventry (and get smote). War council adjourned and everyone went to bed promptly and got tons of sleep (by which I mean stayed up too late sitting by the fire). 

Saturday

On Saturday morning, an adventuring party set out to recover another relic needed to seal a well of Reality Magic in Coventry. The group consisted of most of Voraniss, a few members of the Chimeron Heroic Militia, a few Riverhawks and a couple other adventurers. This effort was successful, but the Lost Kingdoms put up a fierce fight to deny us the relic.

The Lost Kingdoms' forces primarily consisted of human foot soldiers and mages, with a few Phantoms joining them. They were led by the Skald Daikon, who can only be hurt by arrows drawn from a bow to the chest. We didn't have enough bows and couldn't do more than annoy him with the occasional arrow. I attempted to banish him, but got rendered for my troubles. Eventually, he would be dealt with, but not before we got in a lot more trouble.

Garrimaddon showed up while we were in the process of retrieving the relic. He and his forces killed most of us, including myself. From what I heard afterward, he then decided we weren't worth anymore of his trouble and left, along with his army. Daikon left less gloriously, with Page Margaret August calling on the power of Aurora and banishing him. Hopefully that doesn't mean she has yet another target on her back…

After Garrimaddon departed, the relic was recovered. We made it back to Coventry in good order, with a shiny new hat (not before raising a lot of people, calling quite a few souls and having a lot of trouble fishing Margaret out of a Circle of Protection). Thank you to Squire Alias for Interventioning to be able to call as many as souls as we needed, we might very well have left without everyone's souls returned otherwise. 

—-

Account by Kiira of Invictus

So, while we were researching how to separate Garrimadden and his shields, a bunch of angry people attacked us at the temple and were heading towards recovering the relics. We must have been outnumbered 3 or 4-to-1. It was just plain nuts. 

Several of them were hitting us so hard, they could take us out with just one blow! If we hit those ones, they’d shatter any weapons unless they were unbreakable. They were also avoiding those of us who could kill them because they were very smart. There was at least one who could only be attacked if you wielded a ghost bladed weapon, and it was super smart and knew exactly who had them! Then, there was one who was but wasn’t Sir Wil. He was a skald… more on him later…

We found this incredibly danger prone villager who was wearing the hat relic we needed, who seemed to not be able to stay in one place and was actively thwarting safety. Then, there was another less danger prone one who was mostly dead, but I ensured they made it back to the temple unharmed. 

I died several times, along with everyone else. Like, several. I went through almost all of my alchemical and support spells I prepared for the day. It was intense, and the enemies were and endless font of death, up until they slowly retreated as we solve the shrine(I think it was a shrine). 

There was a puzzle with three questions. Aelias was able to solve the first answer, which was awesome, after throwing some magic at it. The second answer I knew because I asked Druid King Hyger the night before to give me any information he had attained that could be helpful, and one of those things was the second answer: TIM THE ENCHANTER!!!! Yay, Hyger! Finally, after throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this encounter, I cast a really powerful alchemical spell which reset everyone in the shrines spells and gave us the answer to the last riddle, which Aelias was able to answer lickity-split! 

While all this was happening, King Shandar went after the Not Sir. Wil, Sir. Wrath went to save  Shandar from being rendered by the Not Sir. Wil, the rendered corpse of Shandar was dragged into the Temple of Aurora’s sacred circle protecting the throne by the priestess, I lost track of Wrath at that point, and we some how ended up coming out ahead, even King Shandar who eventually had his head reattached through some restorative magic. But, I was worried there for a moment. The Earl King’s forces do not mess around, that’s for sure. 

Well, we ended up winning, although it was quite precarious for a while, and securing the last two relics, the hat and the wand, and saving the villagers.

—-

Account by Omri Azar

Much of this I cannot divulge. King Hygar said for the ritual scraps and all transcribed copies be burned, so none feel foolish enough to attempt to use it or undo what we have done.

While I cannot say how a ritual of sealing would become a ritual of unsealing, I’m sure those more versed in the arcane and mystical arts and sciences could speak on that.

What you’re getting from me is a recounting of the ritual to seal the well of reality magic as best as I can recollect without any of the bits that could lead to one recreating it directly. In as chronological and coherent of an order as I can make this.

With Arvitt Garrimaddon and his army knocking on Coventry’s door, and their forces allegedly tapping into reality magic, those of Coventry felt it best to seal away reality magic. This part will need some clarification later because also allegedly King Hygar sealed it away, so whether this actually occurred or it was unsealed for some reason is still unknown to me.

Friday evening Malcolm, a reality mage, said that we needed to complete a few trials in order to gain the items we needed for the ritual, and ciphered scraps to tell us what to do for the ritual. These items will be left vague for the reasons discussed before. With the combined forces that had gathered at Coventry during Festum Solis to defend it from invasion, we sought out the first trial that very night.

Each trial had some common elements. We were to collect blue cubes that would relate to a puzzle at our destination. There was a guardian, and an aura around the final part of the trial. I know with at least the first trial getting an attempt wrong meant those within the aura faced a harmful effect, usually to the limbs. And with each trial we were besieged by enemy forces which we needed to deflect. They sought what we were seeking, and they were not going to make it easy.

The puzzles themselves were different. The first required us to use the cubes to make a word, a password to speak to the puzzle’s guardian. The second required some math, which I know J’ortsa spent some time working on. The third trial was attempted by a group I was not part of so could not speak to its nature.

Sometimes we found blue cubes on enemy forces. In one case on a trial on Saturday I found a blue cube in someone’s home. That same trial Diakon had a cube for some reason. He offered it in exchange for Hygar’s head or someone’s soul. Neither of which was given, although he managed to rend some people, and we managed to somehow get the cube from him.

We didn’t lose anyone that day thankfully and Diakon was banished in such away any blood he took had no effect. Anyone who knows Skalds knows what a blessing that is. Tulkhan will have another chance to shoot Diakon in the chest, the skald’s one weakness. Or the crotch, as he once successfully accomplished. Doesn’t kill but sure looked like it hurt.

It took us until Saturday afternoon to successfully collect all the pieces and determine what the ritual was supposed to be. Excellent teamwork and dedication from all who were involved. Some although perhaps not all decipherers include Onyx, Margaret, Elizah, J’ortsa, Chrysanta, Omri, and perhaps Aelias. I do not wish miss anyone but with enemy forces attempting to invade it is hard to keep track of every moving piece. With ciphers decrypted and items collected, it was time to enact the ritual.

King Hygar is a reality mage, and he took point for most of these trials. And so he was the one who dealt the penultimate blow in the ritual of sealing. J’ortsa, Elizah, James Swift, and Aelias all played parts in the ritual as well, and so did I.

It was wondrous and breathtaking. The ground shook and energy collected then blasted into the air in a colorful swirling beam. And then energy dissipated and the well was sealed.

The effects of sealing the well are yet to be fully determined in my opinion. What ripples it’ll cause and what effects will be caused are to be seen in the future. We should all watch for what may come.

—

Account by Page Margaret August on the defeat of Garrimaddon

As Saturday wore on, I received a vision from Aurora. As long as his shields stood, Garrimaddon would be able to get through any line. If we were not able to take them out, he would take the throne. So the pressure was on. One of his shields had been taken down during the Voraniss war. Sir Benjamin Grans. But two remained. King Dresden Quinn, the tactician, and Ixxan Iredann Ney’l Otann’i, the mage. So a ritual was devised to take them down. Myself and Styx would both cast rituals of banishment directed at the chains which bound the shields to Garrimaddon, backed by interventions from Queen Kindrianna and Lady Natira. 

As the time came, we marched onto the field and I began to call on Aurora. The torrential downpour which had been covering the field only moments before began to fade as a beam of light encompassed the area where we were standing. Styx and I called to the shields. Using the power of Space and Light to serve the chains. We spoke to the Shields, offering them a path to redemption. They issued challenges, that should we complete them they would be severed from Garrimaddon. Dresden offered a magic missile challenge, which was completed by someone in Invictus. Ney’l blessed the dagger of anyone who would accept the challenge so they may be able to strike him and render his soul. At night, we would hunt, and if we won his connection would be severed. Myself, Tulkhan, and Fern accepted the challenge.

As night fell, the armies of the Lost Kingdoms fell onto Coventry. Fighting was brutal, as they began to push us back through the woods towards the throne. We stood in the open, waiting for our enemy to try and hunt us, and sticking together as a pack so we could overwhelm and kill him. But he never showed. We felt that the hunt was a two-way deal, and that by failing to show Ney’l had broken his end of it. Thus, his connection was gone, and Garrimaddon was vulnerable. 

Garrimaddon meanwhile was marching to the throne. He made his way onto the pavilion, before being blasted back by Aurora’s light. He resumed his march. A group of us made our way to the throne, ready to make our last stand if necessary. Blows fell on him, but nothing was landing. James Swift was able to call upon the Sword of Kings from his book, and with Queen Kindrianna enhancing its divine aid into an intervention, he threw “Sword of Kings Lightning Bolt”. Stripping off a point of Garrimaddon’s armor for the first time in a thousand years. He was vulnerable.

Still, as sword blows rang, it was not enough. I prayed to Aurora, and she told me what I already knew. That only in single combat did he have a chance of being defeated. So King Shandar took up the fight. Not only defeating him, but absolutely humiliating Garrimaddon as he stripped him of his armor and killed him. But Garrimaddon began to generate. He unfortunately was able to escape. The fight is not over, and will have to continue in Caer Ma-Ut where he can be defeated once and for all. But for now, Coventry is safe.

—-

A report of Sunday’s journey to the besieged and destroyed town of Nathan’s Hollow.

Written by Fern Eberhardt for The View from Valehaven and the adventurers who joined in freeing Nathan’s Hollow in late September of 1021.

The Sunday morning after driving Garrimaddon and his forces away dawned warm and only got hotter from there. Most adventurers elected to remain in Coventry, a wise choice after the brutal battle the night before.

There was one other order of business Margaret and I felt we needed to complete though. In September of 1021, we had traveled to the town of Nathan’s Hollow with many other new adventurers, asked there by Sir Laika to help defeat a necromancer who had taken over the town. The necromancer was defeated, but the town had been razed, with no hope for a gaggle of inexperienced adventurers to restore the area. Margaret, in one of her first talks with Aurora, asked for a way to bring the town back to the thriving community it once was. Almost two years later, everything fell into place. 

Margaret had gathered people in her life that she believed could represent the aspects of Auroran faith, we were in Coventry after the defeat of a great enemy, and we had a group of allies and the High Priestess of Aurora, all ready to travel to this town. This group consisted of twelve of us; myself, Margaret, Tony, Ypnn, Bogen, Onyx, J’ortsa, Alric, Omri, Styx, Rosetta, and High Priestess Bianca. 

On the outskirts of the town, we first encountered a massive chasm, hundreds of feet to the bottom. Circling around inside were harpies. I admit, I was quite distracted with trying to feed and befriend them, so I was surprised when I looked over and saw Tony walking out over empty air, the land falling away a thousand feet below. He led us all out over the chasm, his faith in the gods guiding him. When we were about halfway across, he disappeared from the lead, and we saw him on the other side fighting a dark figure. Each time it was defeated, we were able to move toward Tony. Each time Tony was struck down, Onyx called out, raising him to continue fighting. Finally, the last of our group crossed, and the being was defeated for a final time.

We pressed on, and were soon engulfed by the smell of rot. Rottling undead blocked our path, and I found that I was able to purify my companions of the diseases the rottlings tried to impose. Another pleasant surprise was when I touched my hand to Alric’s blade, and it heated up, flames licking around it. He was one of the first to strike the rottlings, and it went up in a short blaze. Once I had made it so that we could properly put these undead down, we traveled up the trail. Along the way we picked up a new member to our group, Forest Runner Walter who was able to turn natural components we found into thrown cures to use against the rottlings. J’ortsa’s aim with them was deadly, or perhaps lively. I don’t think he missed a single shot. Tony, Alric, and I fought side by side often during that march, doing what we could to stand in front of our surprising number of caster allies. And then, up ahead, one of the Erl King’s warlords, Maggot was commanding the rottling forces. After a battle, Styx struck him down and cast a banishment, forcing the warlord’s retreat and the dispersal of the rottlings.

Once inside the town limits, a feeling of dread descended upon us, though it seemed to settle upon me a little later, as Rosetta said I had a strange reaction to the human bones scattered about. Along with the dread, darkness settled, and had to be pushed away by the light. Ypnn taught Bogen how to bring light forth to the area, and he stepped forward, her lantern in hand. With their powers and light, they granted members of the group the ability to swing light with their weapons. Tony and J’ortsa were particularly effective in teaming up to fight the embodiment of Darkness, driving it back.

Upon that victory, Margaret came across a shield of a Paladin of Tana Torne, and we had to recall memories and voices of the fallen we had encountered on our journey into Nathan’s Hollow. Omri helped assemble and organize our thoughts, and the correct order was found. Upon the proper recitation, a memory replayed of Tana Torne’s final stand, voices echoing out over the empty town.

And then… and then a nightmare arose. I was the first to see an unknown demon striding across the field toward us, but Margaret was the first to recognize the being as The Champion, still dead, but brought about as Bianca’s nightmare, a nightmare of despair, of hopelessness. The demon began enchanting our party and Bianca to attack our allies, and Margaret rebuffed him every step of the way. The demon spoke to many of us, threatening some with outright violence, speaking to others of their greatest doubts, and to others, myself included, things we already knew. To end the nightmare, to put Bianca at ease, those of us Margaret had chosen to represent the aspects of Aurora had to surround Bianca and speak about what the aspects mean to us. The undead dispersed and were restored to life, and Margaret banished The Champion, not without him getting some words in edgewise.

As we continued to monitor Bianca, the Paladin of Tana Torne and the owner of the shield we had been using approached, and introduced himself as Maxwell. We spoke with him and learned further steps that must be taken.

There is still much to do. Contact should be made with the stronghold city of Loch Torne, the forces of the Erl King must still be driven back, and people have to regain their lives that were untimely ripped away. But for now, the town of Nathan’s Hollow is alive again, and search parties are being sent out to return people to their homes. And to those who know, I made sure to ask that Forrest is looked after, and brought home safely. 

OOC:

Shoutout to all of the event staff and NPCs who worked hard to make this happen. This is not the last we’ve seen of Lost Kingdoms plot, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Why I Want to Go - Voraniss Questing 2

Hello everyone, me again here to tell you why I’m excited to go to Voraniss Questing 2!

Things are starting to get crazy as I’m sure most of you either remember reading, have heard me talking about, or are actively involved in this plot and I’m so excited for the next chapter coming up this weekend!

Some of you might remember the BIG ritual that a lot of us took part in during the Gilded Lion and Silver Branch Summer Festival to destroy what was remaining of Rexan both physically and spiritually. Well that whole thing was because we found out that the lich we’ve been fighting against was planning on reanimating Rexan as an undead god to control!

Some of us also learned more about the Circle of Crows and how we are going to need to retrieve lost knowledge, The Keeper and the role their spirit is playing even after death, and that the lich is likely heading to one of his former allies next. There’s so much to do and so much to get involved with and it makes me so excited to get to dig into it! 

I’m sure that he still has many plans that we’re going to need to stop him from achieving, even after our best efforts to put an end to his plan to reanimate Rexan. What those plans are going to look like is hard to say right now, but the fact that we must stop him is very clear. He wants total control over everything and that is simply unacceptable.

Is this is the first time you’re really hearing/reading about this plot and it sounds like there’s a lot of stuff to catch up on? Don’t worry, this is only the third event in the quest series despite the name and all of us would love to see you there and help get you up to speed!

One last thing while I have you here, I have a theory that I’d really love to test this weekend. If you have a weapon that has a special call like axes, maces, hammers, etc. I’d be really appreciative if you could bring them with you!

That’s all from me for now! I can’t wait to get to see everyone this weekend and fight alongside everyone again! 

See you all soon!   

Justin B. Hawkes / Grarr Seawoods

A Tribute to Conrad

Realms lost one of it's own last week- Conrad Barnes, who played Garharz. His loss is felt deeply across the community and by those who knew and loved him best. In tribute, we have gathered memories that friends and family had posted or sent to us in the wake of this sad news. We hope that you read these words below and remember him in your own way. <3

Henry Giasson (Guilliam)

Conrad was always good to me. He was a positive and uplifting presence who was eager to share a drink, share a story, help the people around him, and treated everyone that I ever saw him interact with well. The world has lost someone who could bring a smile and some light wherever he went.

You’ll be missed. Tonight I’ll drink a toast for absent friends.

Sara Jessop (Madam Zarine)

My first memory of Garharz was during a large war tournament. I don't remember which one, only that it was at Andy's. He'd set up a mystic forge, and was repairing people's armor like a madman. 'I fix it fast, I fix it good' is the only part of the verbal I remember, rapid fire over and over in that crazy accent.

The character was the total package. Look, accent, personality, spell build... Everything tied together into a cohesive, real character. But I remember thinking, often times people who play characters that quirky often burn out, and while it was cool it wouldn't last. Eventually he'd lose the accent, or tone down some other parts of the character for ease of play. But he never did. While I'm sure he grew and changed as a person, he still stuck with who Garharz was at heart.

Conrad added to the immersion of our game so much, and in a way few do. He was more than that goofy accent. He roleplayed his spell build in a way that I'd never seen done before, and without sacrificing effectiveness. He proved that you could be a great roleplayer and also a great combatant at the same time, without needing to sacrifice any of one for the other. He was an inspiration for a new generation of combat casters. Off the field he helped introduce new tavern games and he was always willing to help anyone, new or old, learn how to play them. He was welcoming and friendly and easy to strike up an in character conversation with. He didn't take himself too seriously and just played his character with such pure joy that was infectious.

I didn't spend too much time with him outside of the game, but at a friend's wedding a few months back I realized I liked Conrad the real life person a lot. We tend to spend so much time in a game world with each other that we often forget to get to know the players behind our alter egos better. We should do that more before we realize it's too late.

The world will be a little dimmer without your light, my friend. Safe passage to whatever comes next.

Beth Tozier (Freesia)

Hail to the traveler as he goes!

Lo, do I see you as you are, were, and could be,

I see you as you go where we cannot follow.

Hail to the traveler as he goes!

Lo, do I see you as you go,

Joined by those who have gone before; those that will guide you away from us.

Hail to the traveler as he goes!

Though tears may be shed,

We see you as you go and know we are more for having had you with us.

Hail to the traveler as he goes!

We raise a glass to you. We cheer your deeds.

We remember and we see you.

Hail to the traveler as he goes, until we all meet again.

Hannah Blood (Nhadala)

I haven’t really had the words to express how sad I am to be losing a friend.

When I first joined the LARP community, Conrad was there. Not just as a character, but as a person. He helped me get started, taught me how to play, created backstory together (Nhadala and Garharz were childhood friends, both from the same small northern village, iykyk). He taught me how to run Blacksmith, which I ended up loving and became a huge part of my play style. He taught me how to make my own fun, and to have a big personality.

But outside of that he made sure I was welcome. He let me crash on his futon instead of camping in the woods. We ordered sushi and laughed about life. We talked about video games, board games, movies. We shared our relationship woes and truimphs. And we were always smiling and laughing, always rooting for each others success. Conrad brought honesty and true joy to those around him.

The last event I went to I was surprised to see Conrad there. We spent hours catching up, playing games, and generally heckling. It was as if no time had passed between our last visit, and it made my day so much more memorable.

Nhadala lost a childhood friend, and in reality it feels the same.

Cheers, Conrad - until we meet again.

Gerald Chartier (Gray)

Like a lot of people, I met Conrad Barnes at Realms. We bonded at a Folkestone Questing event during a big field battle, when he was operating a Mystic Forge and I was operating a Circle of Healing right next to each other.

Conrad was a delight to be around. He had an infectious enthusiasm and was always fun to banter with. He made things better just by his mere presence. In character or out, at an event or hanging out IRL, he made the people happy just by being around them.

I'm really going to miss you, Conrad.

Zach Senchuk (Loken)

I've been good friends with Conrad for nearly half my life. I have been with him through many of the later chapters of his life.

At Conrad's first event he was my backpack "caster" as we were both on Green for Green and Gold. Even back then he had his accent and story exactly where he wanted it. I used to bring my entire computer setup over to Rad's to have LAN weekends with him in his tiny, but cozy, apartment on the outskirts of Leb. We even spent a week living together after his second dislocation and subsequent surgery for his shoulder to make sure he had someone around to help take care of him. It was a week full of silver linings, bottomless tea, and as many microwavable meatballs as could fit in a single man's freezer.

I got to see his journey into the Realms community at large, and literally infect those around him with his joy. For those who had the pleasure to know the man behind the blacksmith, Conrad truly was one of the most positive people I have ever met. Even in the most sorrow of times he was a lighthouse out of the fog for those around him.

Over the years, as many of us do, we find and lose many connections. I consider myself fortunate to have been around to witness Conrad finding someone he deserved, for many reasons, but not least because she made him as happy as he made others. Gabby brought joy to this man in a way no one else ever did. The connect you two had was, is, and will continue to be so special.

I have always been moved by the strength of the Realms community and it's ability to support each other when we lose one of our members to tragedy. I find myself particularly moved this time because beyond what he did for us, he did for so many of you as well. I am not surprised by the number of stories that have come out to honor Conrad, but each one moves me as if it was the first I've read.

When I think of "camp" I think of home. A group of my closest friends, the smell of fire, good food and laughter as we tell stories through the night. The perceptive of you will have noticed, but Conrad was often the first face you saw when visiting us. This was no mistake. It is wise to put your best and most charismatic face to the front, and there was no confusion to who that was. I mourn my friend, I too however, mourn those new faces who might visit in the future who will never be gifted with a greeting from our favorite blacksmith, because they will not know what they are missing, and I will.

Grief and celebration for me are the same coin. I *know* what I am missing, but to the best of my ability, I choose to celebrate what I was given. I will never again be able to put my garb on again without thinking of Conrad. The drama of that statement is lofty and intentional, all the more powerful because it is true. Do not be confused however, this is no curse, but a generous gift. I will forever be reminded of these joys and more. Were we all to live our lives to such fullness I am certain the world would be better off for it.

In some ways this is Conrad's last chapter, but like all those before it, will continue to be told at our fire, will continue to bring us joy, and will continue to mean the world to me.

I will miss you Conrad, Thank you.

John Rescigno (Gordon)

Conrad was the first face you saw when you came to NA Camp. With a smile on his face, he would say hello, introduce himself, and make you feel welcome whether it was your first time or your hundredth coming to visit us.

I’m especially thankful for him being a welcoming friend for my wife when she came to the game and was nervous about being around all the new people. He made her and so many others comfortable in a highly in-character environment that was intimidating for many, including myself at first.

Being such an active player, Conrad was often the first NA member that people would meet, and we couldn’t have asked for a better person to give that first impression to the community.

To our Diplomat, Garharz.

I’ll see you on the other side of the Dark River one day my friend.

Morning Coffee Break

Got your morning cup of coffee and a few minutes? Great! Time for our continuing 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:

What's your favorite off-site dinner break location and why?

Now head on over to social media and give us your best answer!

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Puzzle Grids by Temorse

These puzzle grids were part of the "escape room" challenges at Clontarf Shuffle this past Spring.

In each of the games linked below there is a set of 16 things.  They can be divided into 4 categories of 4 related things.  While some may fit into more than 4 categories, there is only one way to divide them evenly so all things have something in common.  Some may be the topic, while others could have hidden words, or truncated terms that connect them. 

• https://puzzgrid.com/grid/75226
• https://puzzgrid.com/grid/75225
• https://puzzgrid.com/grid/75224
• https://puzzgrid.com/grid/75223

Come on back to social media after you're done and tell us how you did!

Why I Want To Go - Festum Solis

by Bri "Margaret" Meisser

What was supposed to be a lovely day of festivals and a celebration of Aurora and her divine light in the seat of her power. Is now being turned into a war because some dumbass name Arvitt thinks he’s King of the Realms or something. Well obviously we can’t let that happen. So

Here’s why I want YOU for the defense of Coventry

Friday night we will be meeting in Coventry to discuss the invasion and make preparations. A group of us will also be doing a ritual to try and contact some potential allies who may have more information about the Erl King.

On Saturday, we’ll be marching to war. Rumor has it Arvitt himself will be there. We will also likely be encountering Wolds, Skalds, and Rottlings. So if people can bring maces and torches that’s definitely suggested. 

As both a Page to the Knights of the Crown and a devout worshiper of Aurora, the defense of Coventry is of the utmost importance to me. 

The Lost Kingdoms are not to be trifled with. But neither is Coventry or the heroes of the realms. So. Will you pick up the sword and help? Fight like everything is at stake. Because it is.

May Aurora Light Your Path

Page Margaret August

OOC (Because Margaret doesn’t know this is happening yet :))

Sunday we will be making our way to Nathan’s Hollow, to help fulfill promises made over a year ago. This is really important to my character, and something I’m very excited for.

I’m also a big fan of questing, and super excited for the opportunity to quest with my friends. The event holding team has been working tirelessly to make this happen for us, and I can’t wait to see it all come together,

What You Missed - Feast of Chimeron 28

by Ethan "JB" Goldman

This Saturday the nation of Chimeron called for a hunt, and naturally it fell on me to report it. 

After all I am the Realms' greatest hunter… at least, among those who are still around… and write reviews… and are named Jean Baptise. 

You know what? It doesn’t matter if I am the “most qualified” , I was the lowest bidder, and that is all that matters.

The way the hunt operates is simple. There are things out and about, those things drop tokens, those tokens represent food. At the end of the day you can exchange a set number of those tokens for food, the staff eat from the tokens no one checked in. In practice this means that, there was around… seven different feast menus cooked simultaneously, but spoilers I guess.

When I arrived I realized to my shock I was probably the third or fourth best fighter among the hunting parties… this is not a good thing.

Keep this a secret between the two of us, but my morality is frequently the subject of heated debate, (well not exactly heated, more a “I get denounced for some crime against four or six gods and three species, and I say ‘um… okay, and?’ and roll my eyes to indicate disinterest/contempt) but I am actually pretty bad. Not morally just… competency.

However, for a hunting party so deep in the wilds of Chimeron that it was no longer legally definable as “Civilization”, many of the individuals who joined this hunt did so as their introduction to the… “Killing Work.” Many of whom were relearning how their specifical magical talents interact with Chimeron's proximity to the Faewylds… Which also meant, perhaps more importantly, we were a hunting party with few healers and other magical experts. 

(It also means a lot of people COULD be better fighters then I am but they didn’t have armor.)

This is important because this means the fact I lost to cheese (Twice) is not entirely my fault.

With the influx of new talent the hunting parties were divided into two groups.

The first group was led by Katsuie and composed mostly of people Katsuie presumably met along the way, including at least 1 demon. 

The second group was me, the Blackheart family, Iawen, Iawen’s kids, Omri, and this wolfcat who’s name I kept (and continue to) keep forgetting.

Later on Blackwood showed up and I went from fourth best to seventh because Blackwood “knew what they were doing” or whatever. 

I can not say how the other great heroes fought or what threats they defeated… but I can say what we fought.

Team Iawen or “The Kebobs of Justice” were first alerted that a poor merchant had his cookie stores robbed by a malicious, malevolent even, horde of cookie enthusiasts. We initially tried to negotiate with the thieves but this did not work because the only thing the bandits valued were cookies, and with our lack of cookies we had nothing we could offer that they respected. 

So we killed them!

I am going to say that a lot to be honest.

Afterward on the way back we found a farmer who needed help guiding his pigs back to the pen, and we did NOT kill those, we helpfully used some ears of corn of guide them back to their pen and all was well.

Next on our itinerary, there were concerns that a false goblin king had arisen, ruling over the nearby goblins and Chimeron asked us kindly to “Get rid of them”.

It turned out King Geezer wasn’t for show, he seemed nearly invincible, a strength of arms he used to bully those around him into paying tribute. However Iawen’s seer magic informed her of a secret. Geezer wasn’t named Geezer, it was Geaser, the pronunciation was off… and he had to be killed as all tyrants are.

So I took Iawen’s dagger and approached Geaser with two silver as tribute. And then I stabbed him in his moment of trust. Et tu Baptise? Then fall Geaser.

Thus always to tyrants.

So after THAT we were told of two important issues, a farmer needed help with his cows and… you know… there was a lot of hunting, I’ll hit the highlights.

Trips the Kobold “Seer” needed help finding his friend. His friend was a untouchable potato spirit with a tendency to cry. Tulli made a special wagon to help pull the potato back to her friend. Then trips tripped. 

There were a lot of jokes about throwing the potato spirit and the like, but I didn’t get them! I am not deep into potato lore!

Savage Sarah befriended an escaped gingerbread man.

A artillerist needed our help defeating his evil sister with grenades. The artillerist sister turned out to be a poor shot and only managed to kill Iawen’s kids. Iawen was not enthused about this, and beat the sister to a inch of her life, knighting through two grenades until we finished the job with our own grenade (which is apparently the only way artillerists can die) as the child killer lay bleeding among the gunpowder. Iawen then informed the artillerist that she was not going to be so lucky to merely die the next time she lay a hand on her children. 

So let that be a important lesson to everyone…

THEN we had to face our greatest foe yet… Cheese. Evil cheese. Evil hot cheese. Sexually Charged Cheese… the vilest kind.

See some farmer person took some cheese and put it in a magical furnace. After beating Sir Vespar in a battle of wits for the rights to the cheese (I picked paper and he picked rock), we found ventured forth. Navigating through a lava grid used to heat the cheese… only to find out the cheese was locked… 

Somehow, as we tried to break the lock, the cheese just broke through. Now the cheese wasn’t especially armored but we were outnumbered and just overrun. Iawen escaped with our corpses, and the cheese followed us until Blackwood  saved the day and defeated the approaching cheese.

THEN we were attacked by some baby dragons. Then when the dragons lost they ran away crying to a much bigger dragon.

Now the dragon wasn’t happy we killed its kids, and we felt a little bad about it, but the dragon apparently either didn’t speak draconic or had absolutely no interest in talking to us anyway… so we fought it.

And dragons swing hard, and healing was limited, so I ran away hoping that I could get Lady Tarnisha’s help healing the dragon… and when I came back the dragon was dead!

Which was super embarrassing for me, because I was hoping I made a, you know, strategic decision that could’ve helped a lot of people but I just wasted Tarnisha’s time. I was even doing relatively well against the dragon thanks to my blade, but my metal was apparently stronger then my mettle was… 

A few people were upset about us killing and intending to eat a dragon because they were part dragon. Unfortunately for them, I am not the person to express these complaints to.

“Can you imagine” they said to me, scorn in their voice. “That would be like… cannibalism!”

The interesting thing about new people is that for once my reputation didn’t precede me.

You know what was also interesting! We met another farmer! This one did not rely on extraplaner mold or magical furnaces to make their cheese… instead they used the greatest power of all… religion!

You see, the farmer needed to placate the spirits of Tomatoes, Cows, and Basil. And I was here for it!

Tomato demanded entertainment, Cow demanded the betterment of the Cows under the farmer, and Basil wanted help fighting aphids. Savage Sarah realized that Ladybugs were great at fighting Aphids and was really really excited to see a ladybug… but Basil wanted a order to these things and so they were last.

First was Tomato who demanded a play, which I ended up director. Omri suggested a romantic tragedy, and I was to direct and narrate… so I introduced to the world The tragic Romance of Jortsa and Sir Roman. Apperantly it was really popular because a lot of spirits watched it. Anyway I did my due diligence to plug the ad read at the end for VQ2, and that was done.

After terse negotiations with the cow and several bad jokes, the cow spirit agreed to bless the farm…leading us to finally fight the aphid menace…

Turns out bugs? Pretty weak actually, even when small… BUT since the Basil spirit sort of owed me, they were able to summon a Ladybug spirit for Sarah before we returned to full size.

If it is possible to worship the Caprese trinity I would, will, and already have. But I did not want to bother the poor farmer too much.

There were more fights, regenerating wizard pigs who rolled all but two of our youngest (with the spirit of Blackheart helpfully coaching the newbloods on how to fight), corrupted clockwork cheeses that needed to be cut in triangles, a potato horde that needed to be peeled away, and cow communists… However this was not even all the fights that happened, just the ones I saw. So we have to rush through them a little.

There was a legendary questing beast, some fabled moose, some fae creature that Katsuie definitely found dead of natural causes outside the fae’s hunting preserve, and a evil rabbit as well. I am sure they were very interesting stories, I just wasn’t there.

Now that feast time came, came the complicated part of dividing the parties in half and organizing the food distribution. Which is the part people probably wanted me to talk about… so sorry it took 3 pages to get this far.

I got:

1. The holy Caprese salad I ran a play for

2. Tabbouleh made from a bog beast I just bummed off Katsuie cause he didnt want it.

3. Rabbit Stew made from Rabbits Iawen shot down that I didn't mention.

4. Baked potatoes that Trips gave us for helping his friend.

5. Mint cookie sandwiches that we liberated from those bandits.

Every other table got something else. I also… did not have feasting gear, I did buy a bowl but they did not sell spoons.

I grabbed a handful of tabbouleh bare handed, the bulgar spilling between my fingers… suddenly, I had a spoon.

Everything was good, and the other tables were more then happy to trade, allowing fun to be had by all… except the baked potato, which no one was going to eat when venison was a option.

I don’t think anyone ate the dragon, which I mean… feels wasteful but whatever.

My favorite dish was probably the caprese salad, because I worked for that the hardest. I liked everything there, which I can not always say about feasts, and this is especially impressive because of all feasts, this one would have been afforded the most leniency given he complexity and scale involved… but it didn’t need the leniency.

If I had to make a complaint it was that, for one reason or another, a single person was in charge of both recording every tables food choices, and also telling everyone what those options were. Which is entirely all too much for one person to do and, only after all the hunts were completed, which tightened the deadline rather thin. This probably was done to make it so the hunts were a bit mysterious, but if we were told which token meant what throughout the event, even if we didnt know which token came from which quest, things would have been easier on everyone.

HOWEVER time for court!

Court was short, since most people were new only Chimeron had business to attend to.

Most of it was acknowledgements of skill and accomplishments, Orion stepped down as militia head and gave it to Bogen. Also Griffen, squire to the King, was given the task to create a kingsguard to protect King Cecil, you know, in case war happens or something.

The reason for this was because war happened or something.

Bear in mind this involved speeches from both Garrimaddon and King Cecil so, if i were to give the exact speeches we’d be here all day, so I am going to, I want to say paraphrase but this probably counts as butchering.

Garrimaddon sends a letter that says. “Cecil, since we all know I am super cool, the rightful king, and the absolute best, I know you will surrender to me. Give me all your stuff and tell everyone I am great and deserve a million girlfriends. I promise not to do anything super evil.”

So Cecil goes. “Okay everyone, lets be real, theres no way in hell I am going to do that but let me explain exactly HOW not cool Arvitt here actually is. See we used to have these spirits called Kal en Dral who were actually cool (yes they were Saka don’t roll your eyes), but they left to protect us from these things called Kal Kre Bain, see there were rules to their exile that also helped ward them from us, and these Kal Kre Bain are such assholes that the Kal en Dral actually willingly gave up their ability to meddle in our affairs to help us against them. You see the Kal Kre Bain can be almost anything, but they bring ruin to all the lands they go to. And you may say “But Cecil, we do that too” but we do that by action, we go to war for causes good and bad. And we can argue about that, but the Kal Kre Bain and their agents the Bainen cause ruin to the world just by being IN it, their literally presence is poison. And if WE were killing universes just by standing there I’d say we were monsters too. And Arty here summoned one of those Kal Kre Bain, the Erl King, to our world just so he could rule over the ashes he claims he rightfully deserves. And, I can not stress this enough, our world burns just by them standing around, their invasion of Coventry and the treasures it holds, while certainly vile, are but drops of bucket to the pain they bring upon the land. So I am, as per Chimeron law formally summoning the lords of my provenance now, and asking them, shall we go to war.”

Then everyone says yes except Magus Janus who said: “Listen my King, I will follow you anywhere, but as the Time guy I have to point out that every time we do this war stuff someone dies. You are aware of this right? Not everyone in this room is going to be here by the end of this.”

And Cecil goes “Yes, that is true, and it’s not like I am going to war TO kill off my own people… but against the Kal Kre Bain, death is certain, whether we fight or not. I can not ask the rest of the Realms to die for it if we do not do the same… so I ask again, do we go to war.”

And Janus goes “Yeah alright, just wanted to make sure we were all aware of the score.”

Then Cecil kindly asked the Kal en Dral that, since the Kal Kre Bain were clearly here anyway, that if they were to help out again that would be nice.

So I would like to return Cecil’s sentiment.

Elemental spirits, if you are still around, and still reading the View from Valehaven (why?), it would be nice if you helped defeat your mortal enemies.

And if you elemental spirits happened to be the spirits of tomato, cows and basil… send me a message we should hang out some time.

Sir Jean Cest Magnifique Try Baptise

Knight of the Steward, Sword of Summer and Your Friend

(I am serious about the offer Caprice spirits.)

 

Conspiracy Monthly

by Kyra Barry

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

What's It Do? What's It Do?

In this continuing View feature, we show you a picture of a theoretical magic item. Then you go back to Facebook and in the comments, invent your idea for the powers that this item would have.

This week we're going to try something a little different. Below is a selection of hats. Pick whichever one you would choose to make into the magic item at an event and describe what it does.

Option A

Option B

Option C

Option D

So pick your hat, or two, or four, and tell us what they do back on Social Media!

Why We Want To Go: Hunt It! Kill It! Eat It! 3

Dan "Baron Diamond" Diamond

Why I want to go to Feast of Chimeron? I was fortunate enough to participate in the first two "Hunt it, Kill it, Eat it" style events. A feast where you choose your own menu is pretty rare. And the beasts are each an interesting encounter, where often some wit or keen observation is a help to the prowess at arms. One need not fear monotony in either the encounters nor the resulting dishes into which they are rendered by the cooks.  As you feast on that which you have overcome, you can carouse with satisfaction that these dishes you have earned on the field.

Ed "Tuilli" Drummond 

I love hunting things, killing them, then eating them.  The fact that I get to do all that with friends is GREAT. Also I really enjoy a good feast, so it should be a great time!

Dennis "Katsuie" Coffey

First and foremost, I want to go because of the food. The Chimeron Kitchen always puts out really tasty fare. Secondly, I'm looking forward to the questing in a format I've yet to experience. Hunt it, Kill it, Eat it is a rare event. Combining the two sounds like a recipe for an awesome time. So much so that I've managed to convince something like 9 of my friends (and their friends) to come try out the Realms and quest with me on Saturday! 

The feastocrats, Kim Coffey and Ken Belsito

Come join the great hunt - we can't wait to see how high we can pile the tables for you all! Don't forget your feast gear - bowls included. Dining will be outside under the sunset and stars. Bring your friends, your appetite, and maybe some take-home containers!

What You Missed - The Gilded Lion and Silver Branch Summer Festival II

by Kai "Luke John" Yang

This past weekend was the second Gilded Lion and Silver Branch Summer Festival. Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day, sun shining and just warm enough for comfort. Contrary to other things you may have been told, it was far better to not avoid chances of treachery by remaining in the safety of a guarded fortress; but instead make the trek to the border of Chimeron and Rhiassa for the festivities.

The day began with a series of friendly group Tournaments hosted by Sir Shader of Ashenmark. Some staples like bridge battles and a variation on capture the flag were great to shake off any potential combat rust and kick us all off into fighting shape for the upcoming warmer months.

Later in the afternoon a group of adventurers answered the call for help from Blackwood against a fire cult intent on spreading their burning corruption. Luckily the heroes managed to purge the cultists in the area, though we are still working on puzzling out their rune magic and coming up with a way to stop their intended blight on the land.

Smaller activities throughout the day that I had the pleasure to take part in included attuning subconscious minds to gain intel on the movements of the Risen Kingdom, combat training from the Gi Resistance against some truly despicable creatures, and a ritual to ensure/cement Rexan’s defeat. That’s not to say that’s all that there was. Indeed, the festival had the arrival of a Yosei Trainer, Tea Time with the Fae, Tables from the Stacked Deck for newbie and veteran players, two other calls for aid from Stonewood and Voraniss, and much more I was unable to attend.

Last but certainly not least, the Rhiassan kitchen cranked out a myriad of food and drink throughout the day. All of which was of the excellent quality we’ve come to know from the chefs of Rhiassa. This included BALT’s, Roast Beef Sliders, Various Pizzas, Meatballs stuffed inside Buns, etc. I was told there was entire course involving Grilled Cheeses, Fruit Skewers, and TWO different cheese fries that I missed – (reason enough to attend the next festival). Though the capstone of the event was the Rhiassan Smokehouse. A delicious mountain of drumsticks and ribs coated in smoky goodness that were best described by Sir Tao as “large hunks of meat that [he] was very much looking forward to eating”. This was then followed by a bountiful table of cookies (made by Fern) that I would compare to a charcuterie table but for desserts – of which I may have eaten an inordinate amount of. Fantastic fare all throughout and a round of applause was well deserved by the entire kitchen team.

Looking forward to the next Summer Festival and will be very content If it is as great as this past one. Though someone will legitimately have to stop me from consuming too many cookies – not joking, there’s a good chance I ate like 20+ of them.

A Missive from Midgard

photo by Brianna Meisser

Greetings Heroes of the Realms,

I was pleased to see you again at the festivities you held at the north border of Rhiassa, The Gilded Lion and Silver Branch Summer Festival, this past weekend. I was pleased as well for you to have met my trusty Saurian Steed, Buttercup. In the years since you saved Norlund from total destruction the benevolent stewardship provided by Tychasaurus has allowed Midgard to prosper, and travel across its wide, fertile plains is mostly accomplished on smaller two-legged species of dinosaurs like Buttercup.

As I mentioned to you when we spoke, while Norlund was ultimately saved through your intervention, right now Yggdrasil, which connects together all of the lands of Norlund, is growing amuck. With Midgard and the other worlds made anew, the ancient tree no longer understands how to interconnect them all and as such, is tearing the lands apart with its gargantuan roots and branches as it tries. I remain confident that this issue can be dealt with but to do so you will no doubt need to traverse great distances across all of Midgard and beyond.

Thus, I am inviting you all to spend some time in the next few months coming across the Vanfrost to obtain your own Saurian Steeds. Provided below are all the instructions you should need to locate and capture your own theropod which you can then use when you travel once more to Norlund to right this final wrong.

Strength and Honor,

Ulric of the Jomsvikings

A Guide to Theropod Capture and Domestication

 

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Rumors for June 1023

 [Across the Realms]

Members of the Order of Many Pasts have been very active over the past few months, traveling far and wide to document Dream magic manifesting among magically gifted folk at rates not seen in roughly a decade. Some have been heard bragging about receiving a summons to Chimeron Castle for an audience with the Warlord there.

[Chimeron]

The streets have been abuzz about a party of native Gians in blue tabards who arrived through the underground portal earlier this week. They seem to be led by a middle-aged man who walks using a cane. The travelers have been seen making slow progress toward Rhiassa with a large rolling cage in tow, though the Gians and their Militia escort have prevented civilians from getting near enough to have a look at what's inside.

[Rhiassa]

Traveling merchants who have made frequent trips to Norlund across the Vanfrost have begun to realize that the lands aren't particularly safe. The large populations of roaming carnivorous dinosaurs are an issue that can be more or less dealt with through armed guards but the real danger comes from an extreamly high instance of geologic activity. The whole landscape seems to be unstable at times and there are rumors of whole towns that have been wiped off the map because of earthquakes and landslides.

What you Missed - The Lost Ruins

Well. We survived. What did you miss from the Lost Ruins? A lot of manual labor that’s what. But let me backup. 

The adventures of the Realms ventured North in Stonewood to investigate some ruins that were uncovered by archeologists there. These ruins happened to be near this big bad Chapel. The thing inside is scary. Last time someone knocked on the door, everyone within 10 feet lost a third of their soul (ticked), everyone within 50 feet had their souls ripped from their body. And everyone within 100 miles died. So everyone was given ample warnings before our expedition to stay away from the Chapel. Zula would be sitting by with a big stick and lawn chair to make sure of it. 

When we arrived at the ruins, the archeologists showed us a table. Thankfully. Merrix and Hygar had done prior research to learn how to operate it. But first, we had to power it. And, we were on a timer. There were many magical batteries around the area; many of which required copious amounts of physical labor. Some highlights included using rope to move a bucket from one platform to another, killing 100 undead within an arena, and carrying 150 tiny rocks, which took two hands to maneuver, all the way across the area through the mud and past all the undead trying to kill us.

While this was happening, Aelias was being hunted by Thane’s Champion, who slew anything that got between him and his target. This was a tough battle, and it led to magic leaving the area which was unideal. It was a hard fight, one which will continue another day. 

We also had to deal with Malthael’s agents during all of this. Many including Stewhart, Tulkhan, and Shandar challenged these Greater Reapers, helping to push them back. 

As the timer ticked down, smoke began to emanate from the Chapel. It was quite scary, chasing down Hygar even as he attempted to teleport away Kindrianna took her stand, and with the power of Solarus and Vandor was able to fight back.

Eventually, the table was fully powered, and Hygar and Merrix took their positions. Before my eyes, Hygar vanished; leaving behind all of his stuff. It was quite alarming. I apparently followed soon after, alongside Kindrianna, Tulkhan, Avendar, and Merrix. I do not remember what happened her, as. I returned a while later in a pile of goo. But eventually after some effort my soul was called and I was raised. We all made it out. Hygar activated the escape dirt we were all given, and we returned to the castle to fight another day.

Until next time

Page Margaret August

Settler of Voraniss

OOC:

Stonewood events will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first time I got to quest with Voraniss, and it was amazing to be able to continue that tradition this year. The NPCs and Staff put in an amazing amount of work and hold themselves to a high standard. And so I wanted to thank them for all the work they put in.