By: Nixon "Jasper" Showalter
Hello friends, foes, and otherwise,
I have now returned from the land placed between Chimeron and Rhiassa with more stories to tell! I was highly looking forward to the summer festival this year. As the weather began to warm, I was looking for a nice place to lounge and enjoy some light activities while catching some rays!
As we momentarily crossed into Chimeron, there were some extremely fun and unique tournaments being run! The first was called Turtles vs Frogs, which ended up being equally silly and fun. One team were Turtles, being very defensive on their torsos but weak everywhere else. Frogs had to lose their legs before losing any other limbs or dying, so they were extremely strong. Teams took turns as each type, then a few rounds where the teams were matched animals.
For each tournament, we were given tickets that would later be used to spin the wheel. More on the wheel later, the people have thoughts.
The next two tournaments were Poison Ball and Kobolds vs Adventurers. Poison Ball is a tried and true game, honestly one of my favorites. It is so fun to have multiple chances to come back into the game and also allows you to be on the ground for a bit to catch your breath in the heat. Kobolds vs Adventurers pitted one adventurer against every other person in the tournament as a kobold. This was an interesting tournament to figure out how best to defend yourself against hoards of enemies. After these two, I was able to get some more tickets as well!
An important note, a new, extremely strong weapon combination has been discovered. It is mandatory that you use a five foot sword and have a cup, mug, chalice, or some drink receptacle in the other hand. It can be filled, it can be empty, it can be thrown in your enemies face, but purely having the cup in your hand greatly increases your combat effectiveness. If you win a tournament using this combo, you get to name it. Keep that in mind. Also if this already exists and has a name, no it doesn’t.
As the tournaments slowed, we were able to partake in some light questing as well as some delicious food. Throughout the day, Rhiassa was providing some amazing light dishes as well as finishing the day with an amazing dinner. Starting with a charcuterie board, then going into some other snacks like a variety of quesadillas, loaded french fries, and a dinner of sausages, coleslaw, corn, as well as a ton of toppings. Everything was delicious as always when Rhiassa is in the kitchen, and recounting it now has made me direly hungry.
While food was delivered throughout the day, I made sure to head out and help anyone that needed aid throughout the day! We first headed quickly to Stonewood to free some captured barbarians. Slavers had kidnapped them and tied them up, it was up to us to head into the woods and free them. There were magical bonds that were broken by solving puzzles as well as enemies that were extremely strong. At some point, one of them killed me and I believe enchanted me to first.. uh.. explode. And then to enter an unstoppable rage against my friends. I was told that LukeJohn kindly held me in a wrestling hold while I was dead to ensure I did not get up and attack my friends again which I am deeply thankful for. Believe it or not this was not the only time today LukeJohn wrestled me.
I then headed to the Western Flank! It was reported back to me that some adventures went off into the Fae wilds to recover some speaking crystals. I heard that everything went well and they were able to get all of the information from the crystals. Apparently in their way was a troll and some goblins, but apparently the troll was very easily tricked and they were able to grab the crystals right from under their legs. Very good work to the adventures that went on this trip!
We then went to a small village to help save a sheriff who had gone missing. Now, my dearerest reader, this quest ends up being very divisive so I will tell you my side of the story and allow you to make your own decision.
To begin our adventure, a kind soul named Pierre Villi’Gere briefed us that some merchants reported strange creatures at a cave, the sheriff went to investigate, and then never returned. Now Pierre was convinced that these were just some goblins and the merchants were being dramatic, so we headed off with the mindset there may be goblins or more. The creatures we found were definitely goblins in a sense. They had been mutated, grown far more than they ever should’ve, bearing multiple heads and turning our limbs into natural growths which we had to rend off to be able to use them normally. At some point fighting the goblins, they tried to negotiate a deal with us. I, being the diplomat (see the amazing trade deal I did in Blackwood), attempted to negotiate but was quickly tricked and stabbed a bunch. With terrible timing, the cave collapsed between myself and my dear friends. During this time of being dead, I somehow became part of this goblin rat king and was convinced it was good for me. It was not. It sucked. Once I was chopped free of the amalgamation, I was able to help free the sheriff. The growth was too strong in this area to be broken off the sheriff who was absolutely covered in it. We dragged the sheriff out of the cave and to the village healer, who used some magics to destroy the growth and help the sheriff who was very happy to have this happen.
Now some important notes. While fighting the amalgamation, there was a divine aid called to Gaia which actually empowered the goblin rat king… strange right? Additionally, the village healer turned out to be my good friend Benoit of the Apostles of the End.
Flashback time: Some time ago we were helping ‘N’ destroy some creature who was messing with time and absolutely breaking the rules of time travel. We were able to kill the creature (I think? At least stop it) and during that time we met a group called the Apostles of the End. Now my friends had met them before and hated them, but this was my first time and I refuse to not form my own opinions, so I listened. And they spoke. The person I acquainted myself with was a man named Benoit. In the moment there was not much time to speak but in the time since we have exchanged multiple letters discussing the group.
While they may not have the most friendly name, the Apostles of the End are a group focused on freeing the world from corruption. I have agreed with all of the things they find corrupt thus far, things like tyrants enslaving their peoples, rulers killing innocent citizens, dragons destroying villages out of greed, all things that we as adventurers seek to stop as well, all things I agree with doing. So I have been attempting to become acquainted with the group and give them a chance to do the good they seek to do.
Flashforward time, back to the Summer Festival: Benoit tells us that Gaia’s power is causing this growth, and a shard of the Protogen Blade (a massive unwieldable sword that is capable of destroying planes) that is being protected by Gaia was channeling the energy from the divine aid and causing the growth to do more damage. This was all confirmed to be true via seer magic. I am personally not the biggest fan of Gaia. I love nature, love the earth, the ground, all of the things that Gaia tends to represent. What I do not like is the hatred of undead who choose to live their lives in peace, the disregard for free will, and the overall pompous attitude I encountered in my recent bout with Gaia in Blackwood. So when Benoit asked to be brought to the shard, in my head it was where the divine aid to Gaia was called, and I agreed to bring him there.
Another important note, I was wrong. The shard was not in the caves where Gaia’s power was called. The shard is under the Church of Aurora in Chimeron City. The Apostles of the End did not know this either, and wanted to. So when some of my friends charged at me, weapons drawn, threatening my life and Benoit’s, I was nothing if not confused. Benoit did not find the shard where I took him because to neither of our knowledges, it was not there. However, my friends screaming the actual location of the shard at me, in earshot of Benoit, did in fact give us both the knowledge of where it was. Benoit left upon learning where it was, I have sent him a letter and am waiting on its return. My friends are convinced that the Apostles seek to destroy the Church to get the shard, I find that hard to believe, especially as no one has made the claim they plan to do so. Only time will tell now.
With the moral quandaries and swords drawn on Jaspers out of the way, we get into one of the final adventures of the day, helping some dogs find their names. I am a bit fuzzy on what was happening, partially because I kept getting mauled. What I do know for sure is that a dog went and ate Lord Ferg a few times, absolutely not cool. Another dog tried to eat my sword, also not cool. I am not sure who these dogs belonged to but they really need to invest in a trainer. After some time, we were able to properly name all of the dogs with the proper name tags which calmed them down significantly. I guess I would be rowdy if I was missing my name too.
The day ended off with a delicious dinner, as well as strawberry shortcake for dessert. King Orion began pulling the tickets we earned throughout the day and with each ticket you were given a chance to spin the wheel. The wheel was full of numbers and whatever you landed on you earned in gold! Now, the wheel was absolutely soooooooooo rigged, and everyone except maybe Aeston will agree with that. It was impossible to hit the highest two numbers, so with each spin the 2nd highest amount you could get was 25 gold, which was still very good. The 1st highest amount was of course hitting the 1 gold plus bonus spin an infinite number of times in a row but no one hit that space more than once, maybe next time.
I was able to go home with all of my parts still attached, my soul in my body, my body well fed, and a bunch of good stories to tell, so I would say the day was a success!
Until the sun touches the sea,
Jasper Sherwood
