by Eric "Rosetta" Willisson
Tara and Tirvanel had found a building in Chimeron City where they could host the first public gathering by the Healer's Guild in many, many years. I have missed their presence and am gladdened to see a return.
Tara organized the day's entertainment. She recruited some folks who were quite possibly all kobolds who were willing to fight, up-powered with various magics and glamors, for our enjoyment, with the promise of full healing at the end of the day. I did not have the opportunity to join in any of these battles, but from the chamber where the rest of us were gathered, I could hear every time the commotions started up. It sounded very exciting and it seems like everyone had a lot of fun. There was even a "rematch" by one group who wanted to try their hand at a particular scenario a second time.
Tara also orchestrated the Healer's Challenge, a sort of short, healing-focused mage's maze in which you were given a small spellbook with a very limited selection of spells and were told to go attend to the adventuring party in the other room and get them into as good a condition as possible. Although I am not a healer by nature, I did attempt this challenge, and I enjoyed how it made me think about careful resource management, and how success required helping the wounded party help themselves, as well as careful observation of their conditions. I hope the Healer's Challenge runs again in the future, and I wonder if as more of us master the basic skills, it will include more advanced ailments.
But, of course, what kept me busy most of the day was the room next to the kitchen, where, lured by hot chocolate, hot cider, tomato soup, and the all-important grilled cheese, many of us spent much of the day catching up. I was asked a few questions about a part of my history, started answering, and then noticed that while I was talking it had gotten dark out. I believe I am not the only one to have had such an experience.
And now, if I could beg your indulgence,
I will go into a bit of detail about the primordial origins, if you would, of the event. The story begins with Sir Valerie Hart. For those who were unaware, Valerie grew up in Nymphus Yarrow, in the northern part of Chimeron. There, she was mostly insulated from the dangerous happenings of the world, except that her brother joined the Chimeron Militia during one of the wars and since then had gone missing, presumed dead. A few years later, a grove of trees grew overnight around a house near Valerie's, and soon after, a hedge surrounded it. As high magics are prohibited in Nymphus Yarrow without the permission of the McKrye, this was particularly unusual. Valerie went to investigate, and began to eavesdrop on the conversations she could overhear, stories of kings, mages, honor, betrayal, and so much more. She picked up a lot but eventually was noticed herself and was caught, by the main speakers, Rel Zhirah and myself. Her warm and eager nature quickly won us over, and we could not be too upset with her for the subterfuge.
In the following years, Val quickly came into her own. She proved to be quite adept with healing magic specifically, but her interests were not limited. She joined Tara for the re-founding of Gryphon Hall, and joined the Church of Aurora, and even became a Squire to the Knights of Eagle's Rook. Along the way she did manage to find the ghost of her brother, granting them both closure and allowing him to move on. Val was one of the best of us, a friend to everyone she met, and a rare light.
The reason she is a part of this story is that among the many ways she helped people was in founding the Healers' Guild. The Guild helped healers support each other and coordinate, taught new healers, and generally helped elevate one of the roles that is completely essential as we all take on dangerous quests and fierce tournaments.
Val is not a part of this revival because, tragically, she gave of herself one last time at the end of the Bedlam War. Just as she had first gotten involved with adventuring by sneaking up to Rel's Grove, she found herself faced with the sacrifices that were required to make Mad Tom manifest so he could finally be defeated. While other adventures argued over who should do it, she saw how valuable time was ticking away and made her move, sacrificing herself before anybody could stop her. Valerie joined Dame Altana and Priest Kierien in empowering the artifacts of ice and light that pinned Mad Tom into one location, and she was there with us at the end as we pinned his heads with blades forged from our gods and destroyed his heart.
Val went on to reside in the newly-remembered Hallowed Halls of Danann, honored as a hero of Fae, and was posthumously made an Avatar of Chimeron.
While I still miss her presence in the Realms, I am delighted to see her legacy live on.
I hope the Healers Guild holds more events with good food, good company, and good entertainment like this in the future!