Proposals & Admin Meetings in the Realms

By: Tucker Noyes, Pat Bobell & Keith Cronyn

Everyone's favorite time of year is right around the corner, proposal season and the Players' Meeting (PM) and the Event Holders' Council (EHC)!  In this short series of articles we will talk about all things proposals; what the PM and EHC are, how the process works, what makes a good proposal, and everything in between.  This first article will focus on giving an overview of how we make changes to our rules and what makes a good proposal.

The Proposal Process

Each year the community goes through a process to decide on changes to the rules of the game.  This process starts with any member of the community writing a proposal and submitting it to the RealmsNet.net website. There is a specific section of the site for all of this, located by clicking your name/profile in the top banner and selecting "EHC Proposal Dashboard".  There you will see links to Edit Proposals (write or edit your own), or Approve Proposals (add your digital signature to others' proposals you support getting discussed at the PM and/or EHC). You will also see links to the lists of all the Draft, PM, and EHC Proposals. Draft proposals can be commented on and edited, but not approved until their status is changed. PM and EHC Proposals can not be edited by the author and have already received the necessary signatures to be discussed and voted on at the appropriate meeting.

As of this year we are trying a new system to help streamline the PM and reduce the time discussing proposals that have little community support, requiring any proposal to have 30 signatures from any players in the community to be discussed at the PM.  All players are encouraged to take a look at and read through proposals being submitted over the next couple months.

If a proposal is submitted to the EHC it will have the opportunity to bypass needing to be voted on at the PM.  This is done by having 10 event holders sign off on that proposal.  If a proposal submitted to the EHC fails to get 10 signatures, then it will need to go through the PM in the process outlined above.  Proposals that end up going to the PM will need to not only pass at the PM, but also the EHC, while proposals that bypass the PM will only need to pass at the EHC to become rules changes.

When writing or editing a new or draft proposal, you may set its Proposal Type to "Request for Comment", leaving it as a draft that other members of the community can comment on so you can make changes before submitting for approval signatures. Once you are confident the proposal is ready for one of the meetings, you can instead save the Proposal Type as "Players' Meeting" or "Event Holders' Council". If you submit to the PM, EH signatures will not be able to advance that proposal to the EHC automatically. If you submit to the EHC and do not receive enough EH signatures, the proposal can still be discussed at the PM if it receives sufficient community support and advance to the EHC through a favorable vote at that preliminary meeting.

The Administrative Meeting Organizers this year are Pat Bobell and Keith Cronyn, and can be reached using the following email for any questions:  ehc@admin.realmsnet.net

The Players' Meeting

The Players Meeting is a gathering that is open to any member of the community that has attended an event in the past calendar year.  At this meeting proposals that have garnered at least 30 player signatures will be discussed and voted on.  A ⅔ supporting majority is needed for proposals to pass the PM.  Online proposals to the PM must be submitted by the day before the meeting, and the day of proposals at the meeting require the person submitting it to be in attendance at the meeting.  These proposals also need to have 30 players in support of them to be discussed.  Because of this, it is highly recommended that proposals are written and posted online as early as possible to give the community the most time to understand them. The final aspect of the PM is that the players get to choose a Players' Representative.  The ‘Players' Rep’ is an individual who is able to speak to the players' opinions and cast a vote at the EHC.  We will discuss the process of choosing the Players' Rep in a later article.

The Event Holders' Council

The EHC is where the final decision is made on proposals.  The only people who are allowed to attend the EHC are people who were official event holders of a legal event in the past calendar year, as well as the Players Rep and the EHC Administration staff. To be able to vote at the EHC, an EH must have attended at least 6 events in the past calendar year, including their own.  Proposals must have gone through the PM process or have been signed off on by 10 event holders at least a week prior to the PM in order to get here.  Proposals cannot be added to the agenda at the EHC, though they may be changed if the owner of the proposal is present and accepts an amendment, or if the Players' Rep is willing to accept an amendment on an absent author's behalf  Here proposals will also need a two thirds majority vote to pass, and if passed become official rules in the next season's Omnibus.

After voting on proposals, the EHC votes on the various elected positions needing to be filled for the community's governance over the next year. Nominees for positions are required to accept their nomination to be included as options during voting, so it is recommended that anyone interested who isn't able to attend the EHC communicate their desire to the Administrative Meeting Organizers before the meeting takes place.

So that is a brief overview of the process that takes a proposal to a rule.  Now let’s briefly cover why we write proposals and what makes a proposal a good one.

Why make a proposal?

There are many reasons and viewpoints when it comes to making a proposal.  As a diverse community of people who are very passionate about the game we often clash when it comes to proposals and changing the rules to the game we all play.  In addition those who attend the PM and the EHC are giving up their own time to help improve the game, so it is also important to make sure your proposals are well thought out and vetted before you submit them to the PM or the EHC.  So what are some good reasons to make a proposal?  New ideas for game mechanics or changes to existing ones are the most common, trying to address an imbalance in the game, and removing rules that are no longer pertinent are all great examples of proposals.  Making a proposal because you thought something sounded like it would be cool, but haven’t given any real thought to however is not really an outstanding premise.  Rules changes affect everyone in the game and should be well thought out in regards to actual game mechanics, design, and balance.

What Makes a Good Proposal?

For any proposal clean, concise writing with plenty of deliberation put into it makes it much stronger.  Community feedback is also important, which is why making use of the Draft section of proposal submission on realmsnet.net is very important.  In addition there are some things to think about depending on the type of proposal you are actually writing.

          Balance Issues - Sometimes mechanics in our game become unbalanced. This could be  due to a change to that mechanic in a previous year, a change to something that affected that mechanic, or just a change in the game outside the rules.  Balance issues should try to be as concise as possible, fixing the perceived issue with as little impact as possible to other aspects of the game.

          New Idea - Oftentimes we see players submitting changes to add something new to the game, which is great. However, these are often the proposals that require the most work and vetting.  A common proposal to see is one that adds a new spell to the game.  When making such a proposal you should ask yourself some questions before submitting; Is this truly new design space?  How does this affect game balance?  Is this a game mechanic that works within our system?

        Rules Removal - Sometimes rules become defunct or don’t make sense with the current state of the game due to other changes.  Rules removal is often fairly obvious, but it is good to make sure that in doing so that what is left is still clear to the reader.

        Clarifications - These changes tend to be some of the more difficult ones.  For these proposals it is very important that you focus on some of the minutia, especially when it comes to wording, as poor wording is what leads to Clarification proposals to begin with.

This is a short guide to writing proposals that will hopefully help people trying to make changes during this proposal season.  Included is the basic proposal structure that will help you communicate efficiently and concisely.  In doing so you will allow your readers to better understand what you're trying to accomplish and enable them to give you more effective feedback.

Formatting Your Proposal

Proposal Summary

This should be the meat and potatoes of exactly what you are doing, much like the abstract in a professional paper.  Having a clear concise message will give readers a good idea of what the proposal is all about.  

Rationale

At the end of your Proposal Summary, you should include a concise rationale for the proposal - a set of logical reasons for the change that you are making.  This is where you should identify the problem or area of improvement that you are addressing with your change.  These reasons should be logical and not just “Because it’s cool.”  If more people can identify with the problem at hand, the more people will likely vote for or give helpful criticism of the proposal.  Here you also want to include your reasoning on how these changes will address the problem you have identified.  When you can, try to reference specifics from the Omnibus and stay away from anecdotal evidence.  

Changes

Here you should include the specific changes you are making to the Omnibus text.  Use the html guide next to the text box while you write the proposal to properly highlight the removals, additions, and changes you are making to the text.  This section shouldn’t include anything but the text changes to the omnibus.  It is often helpful to include or "current" and "proposed" versions of the text so others can easily see exactly what changes are being made.

Notes/Updates

Finally after the changes I like to include any relevant notes that might not be obvious changes or any updates I make to the proposal for the sake of record keeping and helping people keep up with the comments.  This section is the most optional, but will help people entering into the conversation later keep up with the context of the discussion as time passes on the drafts.

Make sure you always review your proposal before you submit it. I recommend vetting it through a group of people who may have experience in the area that you're proposing something in (ie. if you change a healing spell, you may want to have some people with experience using that spell review it first).  This will give you a more polished product to present to the greater public and let you deal with any glaring issues outside the limelight.

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Realms Cros-Sword #2

Welcome back to CrosSword Sunday! A new custom Realms related crossword puzzle, kick back and relax as you prep for your upcoming week!

If the embedded page isn't working below you can click this link to get to the puzzle.

Like any of our other puzzles feel free to chat and share your results on social media but no spoilers!

Note to players:

- As with any NYT-style crossword, not every answer will match the theme, but they generally fit the spirit of it. 

- On a similar vein, some answers or clues may occur more than once across different puzzles.

- When you're stumped, call a friend!

Janna Oakfellow-Pushee: The OP Insectafae, Bard, Monarch, Knight, Friend Part 1

By Kieran/Kyra/K “Omri” “Mirren” Barry. In truth, merely the orchestrator and compiler of the words that others give tribute to an amazing person

Janna Oakfellow-Pushee née Flannery’s first event was the one where Queen Meg went Under the Hill, Feast of Chimeron X, and it was only uphill from there for the player and their character. Their very first character, Bouquet, an insectafae, would become Nimbus, Queen of Fae. Janna has had a myriad of characters since, both PCs and NPCs, named on Realmsnet.net and unnamed. A current and well known character is Sir Iawen Penn of Eagle’s Rook, with whom many newer faces to the Realms are familiar.

Photo courtesy M.G. Norris photography Leviathan 2019, Dani OP and Janna OP

“Janna’s passion for plot and storytelling is something I always strive to emulate. Even when they were writing many plots simultaneously, everything always connected to create a living and breathing world. One of the best compliments I have ever received was being told I reminded someone of Janna, and I hope live up to that by telling stories and creating worlds like they do for many years to come. 

Janna also teaches us that it’s okay to not be okay, and even when we are struggling there are people who love us. That even when I am sick and suffering, I am still valid. So it is up to us to continue to Love, and to look after each other. Not just when things are good, but especially when they are bad.” Bri “Margaret” Meisser

A year ago in summer, for a Tournaments of the Branch challenge, Becky “Kovaks” Baron had the contestants put together a chronicle of Insectafae. At the time I put a couple of weeks’ worth of effort into it, bound in green, and labelled it a chronicle. I have since worked on further editions of the chronicle, for although it was the first long term plot Janna Oakfellow-Pushee ran and concluded, it was woven into other plots they since ran or had part in, with pieces popping up that would later tie into another plot or even another character’s backstory. Janna had part in shaping peoples’ lives, both in game and out of game, and the Realms would not be the same without their touch, their words, their warmth, their presence, and their love. We are so lucky for their love, that it is directed at this community.

“There are few people who love as deeply or as completely as Janna Oakfellow-Pushee. Certainly the Realms means a lot to all of us, and many consider some portions of the Realms to be their found family. Janna takes that a leap forward, treating every member of the community as if they were not just their kith but their kin. They care about every one of us, our struggles, our goals, our journeys. They’re the first to offer help or to reach out a hand. They ask us questions and truly listen to the answers because they always seek a deeper understanding of each of us. Their grasp of Realms lore is ironclad because those stories are the history of their family so of course they are vital to learn and memorize. They are a Knight of the Realms in the truest sense of that title, someone who willingly and gladly carries the weight of the Realms on their back.” - Jason "Aeston" Rosa

Photo courtesy Sawyer Judkins, Janna and fellow KoEF knights at the (at this article's publishing) latest Knights of the Eternal Flame's knighting.

Janna is an open book. A well written, well loved tome that is bound in beautiful leather, with margins written in that they wrote themselves, taking in notes and marks of love, from letters to rocks that others collect and share with them. Evident in what any says about them is their passion for the game but beyond that for people. They have always taken time for people, and some of their favorite things within this game and without is to see people flourish and thrive. To hear tale of what a friend has gone on to accomplish.

Photo courtesy Kersten Prince, Janna as Iawen taking part in a Black and White questing party called Kebabs of Justice (left to right: Tuilli, Iawen, Cressida as a tree leaf thing, [up] Jean Baptiste, [down] Savage Sarah (Iawen/Janna's child), Omri, Liona)

“I met Janna at my first fight practice, they took me under my wing and helped give me advice for not dying quite so fast. 

Janna ran the first plot that I really got involved in. They drew me in with their storytelling and their desire to get new blood involved in their plot. They let me feel special and important when I didn’t know anything or anyone. 

Janna has always been there to help me be the best me I can be, and has been a mentor and a friend. Their humility, their honor, their love, their determination.” Becky "Kovaks" Baron

A phrase I hear every so often from Janna (aside from 'stop letting your shoulders make out out with your earlobes', a playful reminder to relax my shoulders) ‘the late Dave used to ask me "well were they wrong or did they just hurt your feelings?"’ about situations in which conflict arose and they will take that upon themselves as well, not just something they repeat unto others. A reflective and keen soul, not above admitting that they’re not perfect. They're always trying and improving, not in a self-flagellation way, but in the pure enjoyment for self-betterment, like that zen master who just so happens to dress up and run around play pretend throwing spells and swinging swords.

Photo courtesy Kersten Prince, Janna as Iawen

“Janna is one of those people who will say something once and it becomes a phrase that percolates through the Realms.  Other people will say it, and you'll still hear Janna's intonation.  It is awesome how much attention people pay to what Janna says. 

Bouquet/Nimbus, Sir A/Aberes/Iowen, Jayde... Janna has always found a way to turn a niche into a story that will draw other people in.  Some might be tangential to that story, some may be of critical importance, but anyone who takes part will see Janna as part of the core of the storyline. 

This applies when Janna is EHing, as well.  A Janna story, either with co-EHs or not, is different than every other EH's.  Variety is one of the things that makes our Realms so accessible.  No player will want to do everything, but every player can do something.  Janna is part of the people who make sure no one gets left out.” - Jerry "Pawldo" Pearce

Janna is taking a step away from the game as they deal with their health. That means plots such as the aforementioned time snarls is moving into different hands, for those who wish to take up the mantle. Many think fondly of said plots, old and ongoing, and consider it a pleasure to have been part of their plots either on the Western Flank or as PCs. And Janna is no stranger to Western Flanking in other plots, contributing to the community in all the ways they can.

What Iawen looks like beneath a human facade/glamour.

“There is so much to say when it comes to Janna and how they have changed my life in game and out of it. Janna was truly the first person to make me feel welcome as a newbie. Fresh out of college and full of social anxiety I found warmth and comfort immediately upon meeting them and being welcomed to their weekly game nights. Over the years I would get advice and support as I went from playing to NPCing to EHing, all of which they were most happy to advise me on, and they showed up and NPCd for me when I got started throwing events. They would lead equests that allowed me to venture to new worlds and perform bardics that inspired me to write my own. The kindness and hugs on the hard days kept me going and encouraged me in a way that is truly indescribable. Every day I aspire to be kinder, stronger, and more creative because of their ability to do all three in a way that awes me. Our bond means the world to me and I would not be who I am today without their kindness, courage, strength, resilence, creativity, and love. I am a better larper and human because of Janna.” Crystal "Cressida" Welch

It’s not just in plots that they leave a mark. Though the firesides have been fewer, so I’ve heard, when they sing it’s beautiful. A masterful weaver of words and tunes.

“Janna is awesome! 

Janna and I made a bardic for Cimone for Queen of Hearts one year, and it was really neat collaborating because we each came up with half the tune and lyrics, but it was all blended together.  And it came out good, too – I remember Kevin/Kwartz having to perform after us and saying it was like he had to compete with Destiny’s Child. 😊  We also had fun making filk versions of our own song! 

Janna has a real knack for inventive plotmastering, with deep backstory and colorful NPCs (sometimes literally!) with interesting costumes and props and a great variety of interactions available to PCs.  A lot of people have enjoyed Janna’s plots – from both the heroes’ side and the western flank! 

Janna has always had such a clear concern for others, and checks in with how people are doing and never hesitates to offer genuine care and support.  Janna’s an emotional safety net for so many people, and it comes right from the heart.  

Janna’s a big hugger – they have a hug for anyone and everyone! 

Janna is so good at finding the humor in so many things.  Whether chatting about family life or aspirations, NPCing or plotting, sorting props or making cookies, you’re sure to share in Janna’s sparkling laughter many times along the way!” - Kathy "Mahkta" Fey

Photos courtesy Robyn Nielsen, Janna getting knighted by KoEF, Kathy Fey in front holding the white belt 

I easily admit to bias, as even before I knew it Janna elevated my enjoyment of the game. As the wolf shopkeep Madame J at my very first Black and White they painted my face to better accentuate my character’s nature. They facilitated me and other Riverhawks getting to my very first winter event of Uncle Cecil’s Crazy Taven. And in that car ride they struck up conversation, learned I was only a stone throw’s from their home, and invited me to game nights. Now my character Omri is petitioning their character Iawen’s nation of Eagle’s Rook. It’s a slippery slope between cards and tabards, folks. Joking aside, despite how our relationship has developed positively, they still would’ve behaved exactly the same with someone who may never end up seeing them again.

“There are select few instances in any person's life when a someone gets the opportunity to change a life drastically for the better.  These opportunities are seldom easy to spot, and most often nearly impossible to capitalize on, which is why today I join what Im sure will be a symphony of praise for one Janna Oakfellow-Pushee, who has dedicated their entire adult life to, not just finding, but creating those miracle instances for, what from my perspective appears to be, nearly every single person in the Realms community. 

I could tell you that a decade ago I was a waffle shirt and brown sweatpants newbie with no tabard and a D-Ring belt when Janna dedicated half of their Feast of Leviathan to paving the way for the rest of my life, but frankly that would be underselling it.  I was on the cusp of 16 years old, unknowingly on the brink of homelessness and was alone in room full of adults expressing themselves in a way that I, as a troubled innercity youth, was totally unable to compute.  In that moment for me, none of this was real, it was a silly escape for people who had to have more time and money to spare than I could even imagine- until Janna sat down and asked my name.  They wanted to know who my character was.  They wanted to know what brought Ben here.  They wanted to hear about the music I liked, and how long I'd been playing the guitar I brought, Who brought me, Who I've met so far, Who I thought looked cool and did I want to meet them- and 2 hours later I wasn't the Ben that was scared, jealous and on the outside of an experience that was passing me by.  In that instant I became the very beginning of Pilpus, bright-eyed, curios and bashful, all because Janna decided to be the first person ever in my life to treat me like a person.  Not a kid in need, not someone that could give them something, just me.  Just because, as I would soon learn,  Janna was being Janna.  Janna just gives a shit about people.  Its that simple, and because of that simplicity, I'd wager that nearly every player in this game can tell you the moment that Janna made a difference in their life, gameside or otherwise. 

The next lesson that Janna passively instilled is that being one of many to have been blessed by their presence doesn't make me not unique, or not special, it just made me part of the Realm's family. A family that a decade later has truly become my whole life.  Even if at that table in 2014, I couldn't conceive what this community was or would be, by the end of that conversation, I knew that I wanted to be just like Janna, because Janna was AWESOME! Kind, Smart, Interesting, Rowdy, Funny, Caring, Insightful, Honest and Fun.  If you asked her how she did it, all her signs pointed back to this game, and kid Ben was just gonna have to figure it all out if I wanted to be just like them, and so badly I did, so I started walking that path to wherever it lead. 

2 years later when the game lost Bud Wolfhope, even though I'd never had the pleasure of getting to know him, I saw how devastated Janna was.  I brought my new girlfriend to Blackwood Tournaments to fight with me in Bud's honor because if Janna cared, I cared, even if I wasn't around to know why.  The first event I ever staffed was a WIGOH, because I knew the amazing effect that getting to participate in Janna's wonderful stories could have on a new player.  Fast forward to today, Everything I am to this community and everything I do for it comes from Janna caring so much about our people that it was contagious.  My newborn daughter's middle name is Iawen, because without Iawen Penn sitting at that table to guide me, who knows if she'd even exist, or have the amazing family of people around her that she does.  If Sage Iawen grows up to be even half the beautiful soul her namesake is, I'd be the luckiest man in the world. 

If there is any gray area remaining in my assessment of Janna's impact on my life and this game as it relates, for those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure of your own special moment with Janna to look back on, I will leave you with this final sentiment.  Janna Oakfellow-Pushee is the breathing soul of this community, this whole game, and they have been for at least my entire Realms career.  Everything that is good amongst our people can find its roots in their selfless kindness.  There isn't a belt or crown in existence that could be worthy of honoring what they've done.  Should the sad day come that Janna isn't physically on site working miracles for us- their fingerprints are in every fantasies ink, their voice is in every person who guides you to happiness, and their love is always at the table with you helping make sense of the strange world that is being placed in your hands to build and love in kind.” - Ben "Pilpus" Lacasse

Bouquet pre-loss of wings, fresh to the Realms 

So many truly wonderful people in this community, it’s made better by Janna being part of it. And Janna would say it's made better by you being in it (unless you're an asshole but also that we're all assholes sometimes, try not to let it become something that brings down the community). Hey Janna, we love you. 

Conspiracy MONTHLY

 By Kieran/Kyra Barry

Happy Holidays

The staff of the View would like to wish all of our readers the happiest of holidays! We will be back with our regular content tomorrow!

The Guilliam Photo Project Part 1

A few months back Henry 'Guilliam' Giasson was kind enough to share with me a small bin of historic photographs that he had stored under the agreement that I would find a way to preserve and share them.

Since these were *ancient technology* (like film and prints) many of these photos have never been seen by a larger Realms audience. Exciting!

What follows is a selection of those photos with many more to come!

- Jason

Announcing the 2024 View Awards

The View from Valehaven Awards are returning to The Feast of the Leviathan once again! 

TLDR:

Nominations open TODAY December 23rd on RealmsNET

Voting opens on January 4th on RealmsNET

Three winners per category

Award presentation at Feast of the Leviathan

Categories listed at bottom of article

Details:

We had a fantastic, full year of events in 2024 and we’re looking forward to recognizing one another’s efforts in this year’s View Awards!

There are some small changes from last year as we continue to try to make the awards process better. so please read below if you want to be well informed.

The View Awards voting is split into two phases: the nominations and the votes.

Nominations:

Nominations open on TODAY, December 23rd and close on Friday, January 3rd at 7:30PM.

Nominations and Voting will both require you to log in to your RealmsNET account and follow a link from the home page.

There is a new category under Events for Social event. We decided that there were enough events that didn’t fit in any other category where the main purpose wasn’t specifically feast, questing, or tournaments but rather coming together to socialize with a variety of entertainment options available.

Speaking of event awards, some event awards will NOT require nominations. One Day Event, Weekend Event, Tournament Event, Feast Event, Questing Event, and Social Event will all appear on the voting form with ALL events that meet those definitions able to be voted on. Each event was tagged as either One Day or Weekend and as one of the categories of events mentioned above.

Besides those categories, nominations will work like they did last year.

To nominate, fill in the events, items, and people that you think should be on the official View from Valehaven Awards Ballot. 

There will be one blank provided per category but you can create more by clicking the (+) button to make multiple nominations per category. You may leave categories blank. You may also submit the form multiple times to nominate further entrants per category if you decide to add more later. 

Voting:

Voting opens on January 4th and will close on January 12th at 7:30PM.

On the voting page you will see all of the nominations that were made for each category. 

You may vote for up to THREE different events/items/people per category. Each of these votes counts equally. 

Winners and Presentations:

The View Awards will be presented at The Feast of the Leviathan after Rhiassan Court.

Rather than a single event/item/person winning best in a category, there will be three winners per category each recognized with equal standing to one another. In cases where there are ties there may be more than three.

A new change last year, this is a rather noteworthy shift from the way the View awards have run for over two decades, but it is an important one. The purpose of these awards, as always, is to give the community a way to say “thank you” to its members and event holding teams for going above and beyond in how they enrich our game. By recognizing multiple events as described above it extends our ability to show our appreciation and extend our camaraderie with each other without also having to rank each other’s contributions in contrast to one another.

We look forward to running these awards for the 2024 eventing season and we are honored to be able to present them this year at Feast of the Leviathan.

Find the complete list of voting categories below, new awards are denoted with *

EVENT AWARDS

Outstanding One-Day Event (no nominations)

Outstanding Weekend Event  (no nominations)

Outstanding Tournament Event (no nominations)

Outstanding Questing Event (no nominations)

Outstanding Feast Event (no nominations)

Outstanding Social Event (no nominations)

Event with Outstanding Special Effects

Event with Outstanding Props & Costumes

Event with Outstanding Night Quest

Event with Outstanding Food

Outstanding Dish at an Event

PUBLICATION AWARDS

* Outstanding IC View from Valehaven Article

* Outstanding OOC View from Valehaven Article

Outstanding View from Valehaven Series

Outstanding View from Valehaven work of Poetry, Song, or Fiction

Outstanding Realms Photograph (please include public link and accurate photographer information)

(this category will have all Facebook banners from 2024 automatically nominated)

PLAYER AWARDS

Outstanding Group for Staffing and NPCing

Outstanding Newbie (under 1 year in Realms)

* Outstanding Younger player (between 1 and 5 years in Realms)

Outstanding Bard

Outstanding Craftsperson

Outstanding Photographer

Outstanding Artist

Outstanding Vendor

Outstandingly Dressed

Outstanding Feastocrat

Outstanding Servant or Kitchen Staff

Outstanding Combat Marshal

Outstanding Magic Marshal

Outstanding Trainer

Outstanding Mentor

* Outstanding Displays of Kindness

* Outstanding use of Support Magic

Outstanding Roleplaying of Magic

Outstanding Roleplaying by a Player Character

Outstanding Roleplaying of a Single NPC Role

Outstanding Grunt NPC

PARAGON AWARDS

Outstanding Honor in Combat

Outstanding in Helping Eventholders

Outstanding Role Model

* Sapphire Award (awarded to individuals who identify as women or gender minorities who go above and beyond in the community and are outstanding in advocating to advance women and gender minorities in the Realms)

Outstanding Contributions to the Realms

Revelry Filk: Baby, There's Kobolds Outside

 By Crystal "Cressida" Welch

Winter Revelry brought a filk competition, and what better way to end the week and kick off a showcase of filks (with their creators' permission and submission to the View) to sprinkle in the upcoming cold weeks than with this one from the one and only Bard Cressida! (Whose player also played Cornix throughout the event).

"I really can’t stay 

(Baby, there’s Kobolds outside)

I’ve got to go away 

(But, baby, there’s Kobolds outside)

This adventure has been

(Been kicking monster skulls in)

So very nice

(I’ll hold the line, just stab twice)

The kingdom will start to worry

(Got kill them in a hurry)

The villagers pacing their floors

(Listen to the creatures roars)

So, really, I’d unleash fury

(You’d be judge and jury)

But maybe just a half a sword more

(Grab a sword I’ll pick up my board)

The village might think

(Baby, it’s bad out there)

And the corpses do stink

(Best get the remains out of there)

I wish I knew how

(There seems to be a portal now)

To break this spell

(I’ll disenchant, I know it well)

I ought to say “Go, go, go, sir”

(The monsters move ever closer)

At least I’m gonna say that I tried

(What’s the sense of hurtin’ your pride?)

I really can’t stay

(Oh, baby, we’ll hold out)

Together: Baby, there’s Kobolds outside!

I simply must go

(But, baby, there’s Kobolds outside!)

Move and stay low

(But, baby, there’s Kobolds outside!)

Your hospitality has been

(How lucky you dropped in)

So nice and kind

(Look outside they’ve formed a line)

My they look so suspicious

(Gosh they look kinda vicious)

My knight will be at the door

(Waves of them hitting the floor)

My we must be ambitious

(Gosh they are super vicious)

But maybe just a lightning bolt toward

(Never such a group before)

I’ve gotta get home

(But, baby, you’d die out there)

Say, lend me your arms

(It’s totally dire out there)

We must take a stand

(I thrill and take your hand)

But don’t you see?

(How can they do this to me?)

There’s bound to be more tomorrow

(Think of the lifelong sorrow)

At least there will be plenty who tried

(If you got stabbed and died)

I really can’t stay

(Get down, Kobolds out)

Together: Baby, it’s Kobolds

Baby, it’s Kobolds outside!"

What You Missed - Winter Revelry

 Written by: Lynn "Tempest" Butler

Dear Friends, 

The air was crisp with coldness, fresh, frosted leaves, and smoking breath. Oh how you missed the cold. 

But, the sacrifices you made by staying warm, I could not do. 

By staying warm you missed the excitement of a decorated hall, lights, candles, ornaments, as far as your eyes could see. 

By staying warm you missed Matiya’s smiling face at the desk as she multitasked with baby Sage and Mathies hot on her tracks, waiting for the next magic friend to reach into Father Yule’s sack. 

By staying warm you missed sweet Cornix fluttering about, from station to stage, squeaking and squawking, singing and shouting, - never having a chance to perch and eat her shrimp in peace 

By staying warm you missed the feast! 

Oh goodness so much food littered the tables; ham, potatoes, breads, appetizers Kyomi’s meals kept bellies bulging and belts loose. 

By staying warm you missed the quick feet of old men, Tao ducking and weaving and not dealing, Sagart carrying presents for the mimic to feast. 

By staying warm you missed cookies coming to life. 

Frosting, sprinkles, props, and details- you could use anything on the table. Popular pieces replicated the named heir of Chimeron and Blackwood’s knight Commander. 

By staying warm you missed the love that community brings. 

The cheering of shots and shouting of cards, the rambunctious actions at Evie’s bar. The clapping and hollering of Sir Torolf’s knighting, a bruised shoulder marking achievement and years of fighting.

The laughter of many partaking in gift swap glee There is so much that you missed to see. 

Though the fire was cozy and you were as warm as could be, Was it worth missing the Winter Revelry? 

With Love, 

Sir Tempest 

High Priestess to the Church of Arius 

Magistrate of the Winter Revelry 

Knight of Chaos

Hear Ye Hear Ye: The Player's Meeting Announcement

 Hello everyone!

We've received a handful of questions about proposals and the upcoming PM/EHC. Since a few folks have asked, the questions are probably prevalent in others' minds as well. Below is a brief treatise for all who are interested. If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for being engaged in our community's regulatory process!

Pat B. "Saka" and Keith C. "Saegan", your Realms Administrative Meeting Organizers

 How to See/Approve Proposals

We've put together this doc with some instructions and screenshots of the necessary RealmsNet navigation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rTak2T_7-_m6SfyR6aVp0XSCa4765vKWpJuCJLj25hQ/edit?usp=sharing

 Dates and Locations

We're working on reserving in-person space that could theoretically facilitate hybrid meetings (as the prior EHC passed a standing policy encouraging hybrid meetings). That space and the practicality of a hybrid approach is still undetermined, but we are aiming for mid-February through early March Saturdays for the two meetings. The locations we are considering are in Nashua, NH and Worcester, MA.

 Proposal Approvals

The EHC passed a standing policy requiring at least 30 members of the community to support any given proposal before it will be discussed at the meeting. This includes day-of proposals - the standing policy specifically states: "This support and the proposal must be submitted to the organizer(s) of the Players’ Meeting before discussion on any tabled or other day-of proposals." As has been the case for well over a decade, proposals receiving the approval of at least 10 EHs able to attend and vote at the upcoming EHC can bypass the PM if that approval is registered at least a week before the PM. Time permitting, proposals that bypass the PM will still get discussion time at the PM.

Winter Revelry - Gingerbread Voting

Thank you everyone who decorated a gingerbread cookie at Winter Revelry! We were absolutely blown away by the submissions and decided that you the people should vote for your favorite. Click HERE to vote! The winner will be announced on Friday!

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Guess That Realmsie

Another in our continuing series! In the below picture there is a Realmsie-shaped black hole. Can you figure out who it is based only on the profile? Tell us on social media if you think you know who it is! The answer will be revealed later in the day.  

The Epic History of the Realms: Chapter Two

Written by: Dan Diamond

Chapter Two: The fall of Valehaven and nearly the end of the whole Realms LARP

Corrections from chapter one: The Realms did not in fact start in Steve Johnson’s living room (according to him). John Wrisley did not break his arm when the siege tower fell on him, rather he sprained his ankle and torqued his back. In his words, "It was one of those things where six inches one way or the other would have been a different story. There were parts of the tower that would have killed me pretty good. I was caught by the diagonal metal braces that had some flex. Amy Reed, now Amy Wrisley was the EMT on site. So, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

1991 was the year everything changed.  First, the fall of Valehaven. With little preamble, Prince Bob announced the end of Valehaven. The individual nations were united no more. Prince Bob released his will, a document which specifically precluded any continuing of the principality (and neatly closing off the available Princesses alternatives). Sir Eldritch claims to have held on to the original document for all these decades, and was good enough to make it available for this article: 

According to Bob Traynor, the general expectation had been that Prince Bob was going to leave the crown to Princess Meg, as their characters were married. Dis-inhering her was a surprise. It should be noted from this in character account that Sir BS apparently believed the will to be fake. He has a first hand account of this era dredged up from a very early website. 

The Glendale Era (1987-1991) was over, but other events continued. No longer in character politically unified, some saw anarchy and some saw a larger society forming. Many missed this shattered unity and a longing for a return to Valehaven’s glory cast a shadow for years which boosted the rise of Verai (see upcoming chapter 3). And there were those who adapted to the new society. In that vein, Meg the fighting barmaid, no longer Princess of Valehaven, organized her friends and followers. Bob Traynor remembers that cold Friday September night at Rrathchllwyn. Queen Vrille of Blackavar had sent Morgil and Lady Anne with orders to support Chimeron’s genesis. That night there was an unusually spectacular northern lights display, which Bob proclaimed (in character as Morgil) was a good omen for Chimeron’s birth. In a small fireside swearing in ceremony, Chimeron was founded and Queen Meg emerged with a small group but big plans. I believe this group IC included the mighty Sir Shane, Lady Cassa, clever Pol Coville, and Angus Coville (nicknamed “Clockwork” for his crafted creations, among which was an early crossbow), and Lady Dee (a bard whose campfire singing was a prominent part of era before regular night quests).

It is here that I enter the story.  I came to WPI in 1990, and while I was interested in LARPs, those that I had found had been interactive literature style. I did participate in what I later learned was the legendary first run of Uncle Don’s “The Morning After”, but that’s another story. I’d read Niven’s “Dream Park”, and in the first month of 1991 at the Arisia convention I saw that the LARP group inspired by that book existed, but despite actively seeking one I had not managed to find the LARP for me. The best I could do was the WPI fencing team. Then in the fall of ‘91 my inquiries bore fruit: I heard that there were people doing a LARP fighter practice at nearby Elm Park. So, I sought them out and introduced myself to Chimeron. That was two weeks before they made their presentation to the WPI Science Fiction Society. In this presentation, Kathy Journeay (Queen Meg) spun tales of legends and wonder. Andy Dunphy (Cassa)’s leggy red dress certainly helped; the WPISFS membership were enthusiastically on board, and the large, regular practice at WPI began. 

My first event was the first event for many of the WPISFS, in early December the “Plague Event” by Chris Chaney (Pol Coville). Like most new adventurers (then, as now, termed “newbies”) I didn’t have a good grasp of what was going on. There were tourneys, a tiny dungeon crawl, and a plague going around. The high point for me was when I saw utility in a cursed item. There was a noisemaker which if spun would create an eerie sound, which would attract all the monsters to converge and attack. I saw how it worked, and decided it could work for me. No one wanted it, so I got a hold of it and sounded it on the far side of the (tiny) event site from the dungeon. Then as the monsters converged, I dropped the noisemaker and ran around to hastily single handedly loot the temporarily vacant dungeon (a few silver from the bottom of a cauldron of goop). A lot of my best moments in my early adventuring years involved fast running. 

After that, my friend Brian Lebel (Jamal) had the idea of founding our own nation, and with our friends  became “Banecroft Barony”. In January of ’92, the WPISFS pitched in and we had an unofficial Realms event in the WPI lower Wedge in which we had some tourneys, a modest feast, with Banecroft founded and the first blue tabards issued, the zeroth “Baronial Birthday”. Our first official event as a nation was Tournaments of Chiron. Like many we planned join Chimeron when the others did in the spring, but in this nebulous in between time I was faced with my first political decision. The Amazons were having some sort of serious disagreement with Kugen of Mirkshaw. Seeing our new group, the Amazons appealed to me for aid in their cause. Kugen (OOC, Terry Armstrong) looked and acted like THE Kugen from the “Highlander” movie. I was sympathetic to the Amazon’s plea, but did not offer our swords, and diplomacy prevailed anyway. But that was soon forgotten as something Realms-shattering happened. It was at this event that the shocking news dropped: Shannon announced the end of the Realms! No more game, no more events. 

For me, it seemed like this new world full of promise, which took me a year or a lifetime to find, was being capriciously snatched away. Wonder became doubt. Years of legends seemed about to become myth. I asked Queen Meg if this was really the end, and her grim, businesslike reply was, “We won’t let that happen.” Indeed, the movers and shakers of the Realms had a series of meetings to determine how the Realms could or would continue. I know it was a series of meetings because three separate people I interviewed claimed to have hosted the “first Event Holder’s meeting.” I don’t doubt their honesty, and concluded that the process was more gradual than a single meeting and which one of these meetings was official was a judgement call, as the process was refined. The first “meeting of event holders” wasn’t the same as the “First (official) Event Holder’s Council”, as they were in the process of defining the latter. The basic gist they hashed out was the final core principal which makes the Realms what it is: shared ownership of the game. In a sense, the current Realms system began in those meetings of early ’92. What was before was the LARP Shannon created, what was after was the Realms community. It is this community ownership which makes the Realms unique among LARPs. Almost any LARP you can think of has a single event holding team. The Realms has as many event throwing teams as there are people who care about the Realms, and it changes over the decades with only minor rumbling. The Realms of 2024 is really different from the Realms of 1992, but it has continuity and is indisputably the same LARP. In my opinion, the greatest strength of this system is how different the events it can produce. One weekend can be a huge and desperate war, the next a high-profile tournament, the next and intricate role playing story, then the next week an intricate puzzle solving quest, and then a boisterous party. It’s what has kept me playing all these decades rather than getting bored. You never can tell what you will get, and there are little boundaries on an EH or player’s creativity. 

Jarrod Marshal and John Wrisley’s accounts agree that one fundamental principal that was forged was that a player has control of their character and an event holder has control of what happens at the event they throw. That meant that an event holder couldn’t make it a fact that Vader was Luke’s father without Luke’s player’s consent. You got to set your own character’s backstory, and no one could rewrite it unless you agreed. Similarly, if a different event holder wanted to have a big activity from their plot happen at a first even holder’s event, they would need the permission of the event holder holding that actual event. 

They worked out the definition of an Event Holder (subsequently abbreviated EH), and thus the definition of an official event. They wanted EHs to be the deciding the rules because, as John described it, “if you wanted to change the game, you had to put some work in”. They defined how this group of EHs would vote on the rules, and when. Thus, the Event Holder’s Council (EHC) was formed, which continues to keep the rules of the game a living document to this day. Last but not least, they hashed out the actual rules. Jarrod Marshal (lord Jarrod) wants it noted that Folkestone was key to Pikes being in the game in those first meetings. No doubt everyone had their own pikes to grind, and the rules needed (and got) decades of refinement since. They worked it out, every word in the Omnibus a result of democratic sausage making.

So, why did Shannon drop first Valehaven, then the Realms? Bob Traynor names simple burnout. As any leader of a large Realms nation will tell you, it’s not easy. Being the political leader of the entire Realms must have taken a lot of effort that had to have been difficult to sustain. Add to that running at least two large events a year, it’d be a lot. James Murphy points to creative differences. Shannon understandably had very strong feelings about what would be good for the Realms. As more people became creatively involved in the Realms, the more it changed from his vision. For example, James Murphy remembers that Lance’s (that’s a nickname, Highrider IC and Tim Gilkes OOC) “Path” magic system replaced the “Component” magic Shannon preferred. Steve Matulewitz confirms that Lance and Shannon differed on the rules. Jarrod Marshal points to a romantic breakup as a factor. Another source believed the actual, real and tragic death of the prominent Realms player Nana Prom had hit Shannon particularly hard, but this clashes with Jarrod’s recollection that Nana Prom was part of the EHC shortly before he was lost to us. This could be confused because there were certainly meetings of event holders in the Glendale Era. Randy Gordon at first told me that he “thought everybody knew” why Shannon abdicated IC and OOC, but then when I pointed out everyone else had a different answer than each other, he immediately said, “I’d best keep it under my hat then”, which is the most Sir Randal answer ever. But Randy was right that it doesn’t matter: Shannon Slate took the Realms as far as one man could, unifying several precursor games and establishing several of the fundamental principals that makes the Realms what it is. When he could bear it no farther, a lot of collective bargaining forged something unique to LARPing, and the final collective ownership of the rules both established the last Realms fundamental principals, and also made the Realms immortal: dependent on no one person or even team to keep it going. Distributing the work, when one EH moves on, another steps up. More events are possible, and they are more varied than ever. Of course that means there are lows as well as highs: so, curate your Realms experience for the sort of events which you personally like, but don’t be afraid to try new things because there is some surprisingly good stuff out there. 

I could end my history of the Realms there. Everything that follows is in a form a player of 2024 would recognize. But there are some great stories to come, and the loss of Valehaven left a hole many were attempting to fill in different ways. In Chapter three, 1992, the new society was figuring itself out, IC and OOC. What nations would survive, which would set policy? Diplomacy was more complex than ever, and in that storm Banecroft struggled between different winds, and Verai began its meteoric rise. Camelot, I mean Valehaven, had fallen and a golden age was replaced with one that was both gritty but vibrant.