Salt Queen's Log - The Return of Change

 by Hannah "Nhadala" Blood

It’s been a hot minute since I caught up with the adventurers of the realms. After living in 7,000 years of my nightmares, Asmodeus’ gift for getting me out of Gaol, I wasn’t ready to face anyone. They wouldn’t understand. Instead, Purple and I spent some quality time together in the salt mine. We hunkered down up north, and I was ready to accept the fate of talking to myself for the next however-many-years-I’m-doomed-to-live.

However, Change and Damion Redblade were having none of it. Damion’s messenger crow essentially kicked down my door, and said “it’s time queenie. Change has arrived.”

I threw on my champion’s belt and felt a new sense of power. He was right, Change was with us again, and calling for our aid. It was only through Change’s grace that I was able to survive so many encounters of the past few years, and I could not throw that in his face in his time of need. I heeded the call.

The realms greeted me warmly as I arrived. Much appreciated, but little did they know the reason for my sudden appearance. I made camp alongside my new apprentice, a woman I found while digging in the mines. She has no recollection of her past, but is more than willing to assist me in all my endeavors. That would be tested this weekend.

Night fell, and we set off to meet with Damion. We wandered as a trio for a while, getting a sense of what was happening. There was a wedding going on, and we apparently needed to gain blessings from the local pantheon before the grand event. I was only half paying attention when suddenly we felt the pull of our beneficiary. As if waking from a haze, we were suddenly face to face with Change. It had been so long.

“Followers,” he said. “I need your help…”

And thus began the weekend of quests for Change. In reality, much of the goals were aligned with the rest of the adventurers. We needed some flags, and a few swords (which we could touch for some reason without backlash), and ya know a few souls for kicks. There was limited time, so the challenge was staying one step ahead of the clever realmsies. We were successful due to our focus and reaction time.

As the second night fell, Change required the charged up swords. I’m not going to say how I charged them up, but let’s just agree that there was at least less one emissary after Saturday than when we started.

The adventurers threw the gathered power into the fire, immediately turning it green. We grabbed the three swords, and circled the fire to forge a new weapon. Through the grace of Change, a new weapon was forged.

Needless to say, Damion was excited.

Change spoke to us again. “The demon,” he said. “It’s possessed by the Three-Faced God. Destroy it my followers.”

At this point, everyone was on the same page. Big ol’ demon with these murder hobos? It was going down!

With teamwork only the Realms could supply, we continually charged the sword and attacked the demon until it met its demise. Amid the tired celebration, Changed appeared before everyone.

“Excellent work adventurers! You’ve aided me in my plight. With this success, I DECLARE WAR ON THE THREE-FACED GOD.” Purple relished with delight in my mind, but I was left slightly confused. I’m happy we were successful, but what was our end goal? Perhaps I’ll never know, so I let Purple’s joy sink in.

Again, Change disappeared without another word.

Again, we await his call

What You Missed at Feast of Blackwood X (photos)

Photo by Keith Cronyn 

Photo by Keith Cronyn 

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Sean Finn

Photo by Sean Finn

Photo by Keith Cronyn 

Photo by Sean Finn

Photo by Sean Finn

Photo by Keith Cronyn

Photo by Keith Cronyn 

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

Photo by Dustin Mack

What You Missed at: Feast of Blackwood

By Ed "Tuilli" Drummond

Kyuram and I arrived a day late to the start of festivities due to running relief up to the Sapphire Isle after their recent tragedies. Once we arrived in Blackwood proper, we set up camp and met up with the Broken Spears to get the low-down on what was happening. I spend a good majority of my time following along my siblings-in-arms in the Spears, as well as attending to Dagger of Blackwood, visiting from the lands beyond the Fog to the East.

While out with a scouting party, we encountered some elves which were gathering components of something. While talking with the elves to determine our next goal, we found that the agents of Change among us were already ahead of us and had not only gathered the components we were seeking, but had made a rather lucrative contract with the elves and were paid in gold for their service. Soon after we discovered an area occupied by a particularly powerful creature which had to be surrounded on two sides by two people chanting a specific incantation to be affected by our weapons. We also found creatures who were very fond of turning adventurers against their friends. We were able to eliminate that threat and move on.

Soon after, we discovered some sort of spirit trapped in a castle. We discovered through trial and error that there were what appeared to be golden bones that needed to be collected, along with a vessel to hold them. We were able to gather up the required parts to free the spirit; there are unsubstantiated reports that this may have been an old flame of Syruss. Spirit freed, we were able to return to the tavern to regroup.

While others gathered something to enable a gnomish workshop to build a construct to defeat the dark power facing us later, I looked on as agents of Change were discussing the fate of the banners that were discovered with another group, to which they agreed on the single fact that it seemed we were doing the dirty work for an "evil god".

At one point, a ritual was called to drive corruption out of something, led by Gavin the Green, to which they called on one of the deities native to Blackwood that was similar to Vandor. Potential vessels were called forward, and the god found Cronin Barbaria worthy and heard the plea of the ritual, assisting our forces.

Our forces at one point had to storm an area that had some powerful protection. Only by running as fleet-footed as possible were we able to move faster than their weapon blows, we got through the security. Once at the base where we fought long and hard. They couldn't stop all of us, so we finally were able to probe our way into the base to see what they were hiding. We were able to secure everything we needed and headed back to regroup before moving onto our next waypoint.

Proper nightfall brought out the dark power that we needed to defeat. The forces of the Realms were able to build a construct, although keeping it powered was difficult. Through some flavor of Bardic Magic, Goosyrus was able to help empower the construct to swing strong enough to affect the adversary, surrounded by lesser demons and shadows. After a long hard fight, we were able to defeat it and the night was won.

The following day, it finally came time to gather for the celebration. We all gathered at the Amphitheater to wait for the bride to arrive, while water wyrms and dragons played in the lake behind us. Once Sir Tao was able to determine the proper section of the Book of Blackwood to read from, a lovely service was conducted, and we were all led back to the tavern for a proper celebration.

There was a grand presentation of gifts to the newlyweds, including a rousing performance of a song by Dagger and I (as authored by Dagger), as well as a number of opulent gifts and fantastic food. To top it off, for his services running the East Blackwood Company (and presenting a mountain of paperwork to the royal couple), Dagger was inducted as a Knight of Blackwood.

All in all, a fine celebration, although the ceremony and after party itself was surprisingly bloodless.


(OOC)
Thanks to all of Blackwood for a great party and event. It was a blast! I also really enjoyed the regionals this year, they were pretty great and the corrupted arm was SO MUCH FUN!

Remember to send in a review if you haven’t already!

Why I Want to Go-Non-Event Weekend Edition

by Lani "Gwen" Jones

In an odd turn of (non?) events--we have lots of opportunities to get together and hang out this weekend--and I promise--you can catch them all!

First, if you’re in the Worcester area, check out the WPI newbie night quest. This is an opportunity to introduce our newest players to the game, and I know that they are still looking for a few more NPCs if you are around. (The event itself is only for newbies--if you have questions, please reach out to a member of SMAS). I have some fond, fond memories of my first newbie night quest, and this can be the type of experience that hooks newer players! Then, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump over to Marlborough for the 2nd ever Do Your Part(y).

Come join us for snacks, drinks, crafts, and a good cause this Friday night at the Marlborough Moose. This non-event series was designed as a way for us to hang out with each other, help a rotating good cause, and dance! This Friday we’ll be getting our arts & crafts on by making paracord bracelets for our active military friends through Operation Gratitude. If you’d like to help out even more, we’ll be running a raffle with a variety of neat baskets including: pasta dinner, pumpkin spice, football, and Halloween! We’ll culminate the party with epic dance moves fueled by our cash bar and your donations to our ever-popular Apple Music Jukebox where you can select 2 songs to play for just a $1 donation.

Finally, round out your weekend with A Walk in the Park--a non-event scavenger hunt put together by none other than the legendary Dave and Carrie Dolph. Fun? Check! Finding Stuff? Check! Fabulous Prizes? Check! It’s certainly going to be a walk to remember! (But, like, in a very, very good way.)

Having 3 non-events in one weekend really affords us all the opportunity to get to know more about each other, have fun, and help our community. I hope that you’ll make an effort to get out there this weekend and get to know someone in a way that you might not have before, whether that be as a crunchie enjoying the delight of newbies, eating, drinking, and making merry at the Moose, or hunting for hidden objects in the park with two of my all time Realms heroes.

O'er The Lands of the Realms: Voraniss

by Jason "Aeston" Rosa

Hi Res Map Link

Description by Renee "Kindrianna" Booke

In the year 1017, Templar Hygar Athame and his allies championed the cleansing and reclamation of the small fishing village of Voraniss. With this act of expansion, a new nation was born. The Lycans of Darkspire, as well as the Humans and Elves of Aerenor, flooded forth in numbers ready to be reunited under a single banner in the hopes that there was a place for them, and their unique traditions, on the world stage.

The once abandoned fishing settlement was soon declared the new nation’s capital. Standing as a beacon of hope for growth and new prosperity, it was also a testament to the powerful magics of the natural world. The village itself is located on a channel known as Nathair’uncain (roughly translated to Serpent’s Channel or Channel of Snakes depending on your local Elven dialect) which connects Lake Irvan to the ocean. This channel separates the rest of the country from the swampy peninsula home of the Kul’Matha, territory reclaimed with the dwindling of the Lost Kingdoms. The Kul’Matha are what the Realms at large might call “Lizardmen,” and they are easily confused with snakes or other reptiles, thus the channel's name. Each summer, these Kul’Matha cross the water on makeshift barges and boats seeking to raid and blood their next generation of warriors.

Many people do not know that “Lake” Irvan is actually an inland sea, making Voraniss’ relationship with the water both profitable and necessary for supporting the lives of all its new settlers. Fish and crab are some of the capital’s primary exports, with Salmon and Trout acting as popular dishes. Poached fish with mint sauce is a local favorite for welcome travelers looking to try something new during their visit.

Lake Irvan is fed by the Geata’isen (Gate River) flowing down from the northern mountains. The Elves of Calandia quite literally used it as a gateway to move to and from the inland sea rather than risk the danger of the forest during the early days of their settlement. Calandia is the oldest city in the country and the place where much of Voraniss’ druidic culture was born. Othorion Elderheart, now the Totem of the Stag, ruled as Calandia’s King until his death in the Month of the Stag, Year 638. In life, he was a disciple of the wise tree Mendleaf aka Autumn-Elm and considered by many to be the first Druid of Voraniss. The heraldry of Calandia is a blooming flower, representing the birth of Druidism, surrounded by oak laurels believed to be symbolic of Othorion’s nobility, wisdom, and love of life. Trade in Calandia largely revolves around items featuring highly coveted Elven craftsmanship, including the famous copper daggers believed to affect creatures of the Spirit Realm.

Moving eastward from Calandia there is another river, one that separates Voraniss from Sharangil and flows past the coastal city of Mirador. This river is called Grianmhar'isen (Sunny River) by the Elves, a reference to the gold and prosperity of Mirador itself. Mirador is one of the less private places in Voraniss, a trade hub where passing ships and merchants are allowed to stop and exchange goods and gossip. Most other cities and towns in Voraniss will bring their goods to Mirador to sell because of the larger markets and client exposure. The banner of Mirador depicts a westward facing Octopus encircled by a compass and two diamonds pointing North and South. The compass honors the traders and voyagers that call Mirador home, while the Octopus stands as praise to both the ocean and those that demonstrate flexibility and intelligence in their dealings. Here it is easy to forget that Voraniss is a wild place, at least until you meet the Coral Prowlers. They are less of a Pack and more of a gang of assorted lycans that have taken it upon themselves to protect and defend the wealth of Mirador. They are also there to make sure that the trappings of civilization present within Mirador respect the rest of the country’s wild nature.

South along the eastern mountains and past the Shrine of Raven stands the mountain stronghold of Kenkilit. Destroyed when the Shadowlands emerged from the ocean, Kenkilit was a broken place that found new hope in the Broken Spears Free Company led by Commander Cronin Barbaria. It was Four Days Before the Flower Moon, in the Month of the Hawk, Year 1018 that Archdruid Hygar signed a treaty with the Broken Spears. Voraniss would provide the Company land to settle, farm, and build upon in exchange for protection and aid for the refugees that filled its ranks. The arrangement worked out nicely, for Commander Barbaria grew to love the land and its culture; and was eager to rebuild Kenkilit so that it might better serve the needs of all their people. Kenkilit now boasts most of Voraniss’ actual farmland and iron mines deep within the mountains have safely been reopened. More than seventy-five percent of non-Elven made weapons that come out of Voraniss have seen the fires of a Kenkilit forge. In honor of the treaty, Kenkilit took upon the heraldry of the Broken Spears but placed it on the Voranian field.

Further South, beyond both Kenkilit and Voraniss, rests the Teorainn’isen (Boundary River.) It connects the eastern mountains and Nathair’uncain, but more importantly, it separates the northern and southern forests. Some believe the translation should be taken more philosophically, that Teorainn’isen doesn’t just act as a physical boundary but a magical one between the light and the dark that dwells within every soul. Early explorers did tend to avoid the southern forests, believing them to be haunted. The trees grew so close together there that even in the middle of the day the forests were dark and hard to navigate. Perhaps out of superstition, or maybe practicality, most of the population found it prudent to stay north of this river lest they tempt the wrath of the primordial wood.

The last of Voraniss’ rivers shoots off from the Teorainn’isen and continues south through the wilderness. This river is called Sealgaire’isen (Hunter’s River). Nowadays, the more feral of the lycan packs are allowed to roam freely within the southern forests of Voraniss and keep the spirit of the hunt alive. Most of the country’s residents know better than to go too far south without permission, for it is here that strength and ferocity are a currency more valuable than gold. Apart from the occasional shrine, the only permanent structure on record that offers respite from the elements in the south is Arashimura; a ruined keep built long, long ago as a holy place in the mountains dedicated to the veneration of wind and storm.

Voraniss is a large beast, with stories and legends permeating every facet of life within her borders. These are only some of her tales; mere whispers from a land where Trees can roam and Storms breathe prophecies into being. The rest we will have to save for another time.

Meme Mondays - MEMESTORM

by the Meme Team

It's a Memestorm of Garm memes after this past week's events!

Spotlight on: Queen of Hearts Armourer Entrys

Team Shadowdragon Armourer Entry

by Keith "Saegan" Cronyn 

This helmet had been an idea in the back of my head for some years. The concept was creating a helmet that emulates a cathedral by doing brick work along the outer portion of the helmet, and then using the pieces that were set in as stained glass windows.

Photo by View Staff

It was hard to create an effect that looked like stained glass, but basically I tooled the windows into place, and hammered them so that it would have a look of hammered glass once the stain and glaze were in place.

Photo by View Staff

Overall I'm happy with the piece, I did a style of helmet I hadn't don't before. I learned some new things about leather and stain, and I accomplished my goals as an armorer.

Team Shader Armourer Entry

by John "Gordon" Rescigno 

When I found out I was going to be building a helmet, I was pretty worried. I had only ever built one helmet before, and it did not come out the way I wanted it to. For that helmet, I followed Prince Armory’s Fantasy Helmet pattern and tutorial. This was all I really knew, so this is what I worked with. The difficulties with this kind of helmet were the sizing and not being able to hear very well, because it covered the entire head, so these were the things I tried to improve upon in my design. Before moving forward with my design, I tried to search for some inspiration.

Photo Provided by Author

Photo provided by Author

Photo provided by Author

Photo Provided by Author

These were the two images that stood out to me, especially the blue helmet. The tooling on the bottom and the faceguard were my favorite parts. I omitted the upper visor for better peripheral vision, and shortened the design to avoid the hearing issues. This is where I ended up. The helmet sits around the brow with the help of leather headband on the inside, which helps you size the helmet to the model. The back actually has one less overhead panel than the original design to improve both ventilation and make the fit more comfortable, while still covering the appropriate amount of the head. This feature is hidden with the soft leather in the back that hangs over the neck and down the upper back. 

With many helmets, the faceguard is incredibly important. It can, in my opinion, make or break the look of a helmet. The faceguard is what other players interact with, and can make you feel more powerful with that added anonymity as well as obscuring your facial expressions, which can give you an upper hand in a fight. However, I’ve noticed some faceguards muffling fighters’ voices too much at times, making fights harder to marshal or be a combatant in. My solution to this was to cut out some longer slits in the faceguard so that calls could clearly be heard, and the fighter wearing it could breathe while fighting, which I keep getting told is important to do.

Photo provided by Author

 Finally came the fun parts of the build. Structure is important, but being able to identify friend from foe on a battlefield is just as, if not more important! I am confident that with the black and gold being the most prominent features of this helm, you would be hard pressed not to identify the wearer of this helm as an Ashenmark fighter. 

Photo Provided by Author

Photo Provided by Author

I had an amazing time stretching my skills and venturing outside my comfort zone to create this helmet, and i’m sure it will not be the last one I build. Stay tuned for more, and thank you to Rhiassa and Team Ashenmark for giving me this opportunity!!

Photo by View Staff