1023 has quickly come and gone and as the year comes to an end and we gear up for our 1024 season we asked you to reflect on your past year and share what you are looking forward to in the upcoming one.
Dani “Elizah” Lacasse:
1. What are you most grateful for from the past year?
Making new connections and strengthening previous ones. I’m extremely grateful for my friends and chosen families' continuous support in all my endeavors.
2. What was your best memory from the past year?
Queens of Hearts and winning the spirit and camaraderie awards. Having folks from all parts of the game rally behind me and come together was heartwarming and something i’ll never forget. Taking home those two trophies was truly all I could have asked for and made everything in the lead up worth it, plus I got to spend time and take the field with some amazing folks and made new bonds that I hope will flourish in the years to come. *slay*
3. What did you learn in the past year?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, you never know who’s hand is reached out for you to grab onto.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the past year?
Overcoming the fear of letting people around me down. Stepping back into being a fighter.
5. What are you most excited for in the upcoming year?
New adventures. Seeing stories come to life! Watching and supporting the new initiates of the Lunar Aegis work on their challenges. Oh, and the second installment of our Tales of a tea-totaller event series!
6. What are your goals for 1024?
Continue to learn from the mentors around me. Continue to grow within the community. Continue supporting and uplifting players in our community. Continue to grow the order of the Lunar Aegis! Help promote better communication within our community.
Ethan “Jean Baptise” Goldman:
1. What are you most grateful for from the past year?
The Watchers
2. What was your best memory from the past year?
Fighting a cannibalistic rabbit in a eat off.
3. What did you learn in the past year?
One well placed magic circle can be really, really annoying and that's funny.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the past year?
Bedlam (again)
5. What are you most excited for in the upcoming year?
Lesslam.
6. What are your goals for 1024?
A event
Anything else you'd like to add?
When you die the body undergoes autolysis and the lysosome your cells use to digest break down, the last thing the human body eats is itself. This is the basis of rot. Therefore, I'm not weird.
Matt “Vesper” Hewitt:
1. What are you most grateful for from the past year?
Competition
2. What was your best memory from the past year?
The queen of hearts bridge battle when I held off the enemy line with just a pike.
3. What did you learn in the past year?
I learned how to be a competent fighter and the skills it entails.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the past year?
Starting a completely new style of play from what I was known for and comfortable in.
5. What are you most excited for in the upcoming year?
A real rematch with Ser Roman.
6. What are your goals for 1024?
To become more integral in plots and the community. Do more questing with my friends!
John “Gordon” Rescigno:
1. What are you most grateful for from the past year?
Brand new baby!
2. What was your best memory from the past year?
My players singing my big bad back to sleep.
3. What did you learn in the past year?
I learned that people trust me as a leader on a quest.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the past year?
Coordinating an event with my knighthood.
5. What are you most excited for in the upcoming year?
I’m writing a new plot.
6. What are your goals for 1024?
Throw an even more successful KoSD Questing.
Paul “Grindin Starbrook” Tilton:
1. What are you most grateful for from the past year?
I am constantly grateful for the community that exists in the Realms. It's been a huge part of my life for the past 20 years and constitutes most of my close friendships... as well as how I met my fiancee. In a time where many are struggling with loneliness, we have access to an unending supply of some of the best people in the world.
2. What was your best memory from the past year?
Driving to Ashenbounty with a carload of props, plans, hopes, dreams, and a tremendous amount of anxiety. I'm talking huge pit in the stomach and all sorts of questions like "what if this goes badly? What if everything we've put so much work into falls flat and no one ever comes to our events again?" And then I pulled in, put my car into park, took a deep breath and walked into the tavern. Over the course of that Friday all my anxiety melted away as I got to work with my family in black and gold. They really are some of the hardest working, most helpful, and fun people I could imagine. Everyone's willingness to own a project and finish it inspires enough confidence to dispel the worst anxieties.
3. What did you learn in the past year?
I learned that it's really hard to say no to a Realms event, but also necessary. It feels like our calendar fills up more and more each year, and it really doesn't feel good to not be there to support your friends. But there are a lot of things that need to happen outside of the Realms. If I didn't make it to your event this year, just know that it's always a hard decision!
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the past year?
Going along with my comments above, it's balance. Work, family, travel, other hobbies, and purchasing a house all have demands on my time. Time management is tough!
5. What are you most excited for in the upcoming year?
Getting to go back to Nangea and see our players explore, learn, and most importantly influence the direction it takes.
6. What are your goals for 1024?
Continue helping at events as much as I can, and taking on more projects that fit my skills.
Anything else you'd like to add?
1023 has been a wild one, and 1024 is likely to be just as good!
Keith “Saegan” Cronyn:
1. What are you most grateful for from the past year?
Family!
2. What was your best memory from the past year?
Probably overly generalized, but working together with Blackwood.
3. What did you learn in the past year?
That I have a vast deep support network.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the past year?
I fought in too many wars this year.
5. What are you most excited for in the upcoming year?
I keep hearing a rumor about Smoked Duck.
6. What are your goals for 1024?
To help Blackwood grow and develop. To develop strong external relations
To support the growth and training of the Riverhawks. Some leather work goals. Some fighting goals. Writing goals, reading goals, and fitness goals, and a cooking goal.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Goals are great. I try to set many, some that are out of my reach. Some that are easy benchmarks. I like to feel good about the ones I check off my list, but don’t sweat the ones I can’t. Goals shouldn’t prevent you from making progress, and it doesn’t have to work for everyone.