by Ethan "JB" Goldman
Listen, there are two easy, almost obvious answers. Leviathan has long been one of the few culmination events in the Realms. It is where NPCs are rewarded, the View gives out prizes, its the last goodbye most of our heroes get for three months. Leviathan has always been important, conclusions always are. And with the Yule Cabin having been retired, among several other big events the years prior, more has been left unsaid than last year. You go to Leviathan to say hello, to say goodbye, to make promises you might be able to keep.
Plus its a feast, some would say THE feast, Chimeron, Ashen Bounty, they always share space with quests, the Coronation had its tournaments. There is a purity in Leviathan’s one day, in how its entirety works to support the feast experience. Its quests are low stake and outsourced so you can choose to enjoy the feast without dooming a village. A entire table is dedicated to holding appetizers, it has a BAR (Without booze but still), it has mini golf. It’s denser than other feasts, plenty to eat, plenty to watch, plenty to do. All in support of its feast structure. There aren’t many anymore that follow that formula still.
I can even bring up Voraniss', quests will be running, important quests against Sir Rainecourt, chances to settle scores and defeats that have been steadily racked up in the last 2 years. For many people this threat is everything to them, and the chance to get an edge, any edge, is reason enough.
But that’s easy, you can read off the Realms page for that. People have been to Leviathans for 25 years, they know what it has, they know what they like about it. You didn't NEED me.
So why don’t we speak about something else. Let us talk about time.
30 years ago, I was born. 30 years ago, there was no Voraniss, there was no Invictus, no Neden, no Grimloch. There was Folkestone however, there was Chimeron, Blackwood. And there was Rhiassa.
Before there was Aeston, there was a man named Sir Duncan. There was also Sir Da’oud but I don’t know that guy. Duncan is a storied man. He served under Prince Bob, he freed Dalindanna from Orlando’s (Formerly the Champion) hands. He fought in the Ascension war under Garm. He wrote a comic book, that may not seem as impressive but, I mean, he did it. It was funny. All of this five years before Aeston even joined Rhiassa.
But, in 993, none of that happened yet. Duncan didn’t know what “The Champion” was, all he knew was that his old kingdom was gone, buried under magic and blade and bitter defeat. 30 years ago. Duncan started over.
Twenty Five years ago Leviathan started, it wasn't the oldest feast, it wasn’t even Rhiassan, it was a Chimeron feast, then it belonged to the Free Kingdoms. It wasn’t the conclusion of the year, it wasn’t even the beginning. 999’s first event was hosted by Shadow (my god) and was about retrieving a Palinteer from Mordor. What Leviathan was, was a relic from the host's homeland. But, like Aeston himself, it was not home. It was in Chimeron, like Rhiassa once was, then it joined the Free Kingdoms, like Rhiasssa once did. But when it did, Aeston did not go to Rhiassa. He formed Vinehaeven. Another memory. Fifteen years ago, on the fifteenth Queen of Hearts, Aeston joined Rhiassa, knighted by Sir Duncan himself.
Fifteen years ago, the feast of the homeland was home.
Eight years ago Sir Duncan mentored an ill tempered chef from the swamps but no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. But seven years ago, Sir Duncan retired. A story started 30 years ago, and ended like a hundred others. Time compartmentalizes things. Tragedies, Triumph, eventually they are just trivia.
The great work of great people does not often survive their people. The Free Kingdoms collapsed as soon as King Jarrod’s interest in it did. People do not follow dreams, they follow people. It is the easiest thing for something to end. It happens by accident.
Sometimes however, things do not.
Why do I want to go? I’ve skipped Leviathan’s before. I’m not skipping this one though. I have debts to repay.
Three days from now, Sir Duncan returns, and will gaze upon his works. And it, all of it, will still be there.
One of those works happens to be a cook. So he’s going. So I am going.
Are, you going?