August 2013 Highlights!

Where to begin...

THE WEATHER. We could not have asked for better weather for August. High Summer, and it was low 80s during the day, and cool at night.

Logistics on Friday night - Geoff: "Just wanted you to know, good luck..." Joe: "We're all counting on you."

Playing Carlos for more than a few hours. It was a pleasant break from the normal IG responsibilities of Gideon.

ALL of the readings!

Watching OOG tears (from IG emotions) roll down JJ's face when she saw her reading.

Doing a card reading for Xod, using my Whimsy Deck.

I didn't get into a single combat as Carlos all weekend, other than a minor skirmish on my way to bed. In fact, I barely called a skill or prayer all weekend. The level of RP was so high, I never needed to.

Gina as Mabel. She may be a little punk, but she's MY little punk. Back off!

The Gypsy Birthday Party!

Clergy Lessons with Ben's NPC. "Malediction!" "I'm capable of taking care of myself." (Vanish!)

Drega'Meeting. "Why wasn't he Minister of Trade yesterday?"

Seeing a Hole Punch on people's cards. That system was an old marker from the Avatar System that Mike Smith and I originally met in, back in 1996, It was amusing as hell to see it in use here.

Sunday as Gideon. Short, but very potent none the less. I was wondering who was going to poke the insanity and get both barrels of Gideon's dementia. Fortunately, Aemorniel was expecting it. To quote Rudolph, "I'd rather see Gideon comatose, than rude."

A huge shout out to Mike Smith for running a very fun event. Thank you!

First highlight was the weather. Not the weather I was expecting for August, it was grand.

The role play was so intense this weekend I had a blast. I spent more time role playing than fighting this weekend and that was a very nice change of pace for my character.

Sitting at a table in the inn and for some reason a felt I had to look over my shoulder and there was Carlos waving his deck of cards my at me. The cards hit the nail right on the head and Jade is terrified for what is to come.

Jade had a bit of a break down this moon. So much going on emotionally. It is very difficult to know things about people and the world and not being able to say anything.

Amazing RP with Tim P this weekend. Finally had some family bonding time. ALL OF THE PLANNING!

Amazing RP yet again with Matt Calo. Always a pleasure. Again, ALL OF THE PLANNING!

Having to be baby sat is finally taking a very large tole on Jade. She is such an independent character that it is beginning to be a burden.

RP with Judge as Ethan. Love it. I actually got asked to be his gaurd and protect him. It really hit home for Jade she thinks very highly of him.
Ethan: (After making an invisibilty ring for someone) "So Jade, which finger is it on?"
Jade: "See magic." (She points at his pinky finger) "That one."
Ethan: "That's cheating!"
HAHAHA

Watching sorcery is sooo much fun. Can't wait til I advance to that.

Jade being faced with a very difficult decision. To stay or to go.

Being able to be the Baroness's body gaurd for awhile. So much fun role playing with Jen W. I learn more and more about her character every time I'm with her.

Actually being political is great.

Finding out that my spirit may not be as red as I thought. Amber is looking more and more like a possibility.

Holy crap Travance and Everest! AT THE SAME TIME!

Oh! I can't forget the intense RP between Danielle S and myself. Way to be a mom Jade. She completely put all of her stuff to the side to focus on her daughter's well being.

CROI MADE ME A SONG!

Last but not least, the Drega group singing me Happy Birthday as we were walking through a portal to the ports.

All in all a good event and my first event as a RP Marshal. What an honor. Can't wait to see everyone again in September!

Highlight: I got assassinated by the Shadow King! Yep, Ox fought toe to toe with him for about 5 seconds. But it was glorious!

Apparently I scared some of the new players on their first trip around town just by having a large silhouette. Sorry.

Shadow King: "Timestop" Edwin: "It doesn't work!" Shadow King: "Oh... alright then".

"I was told that you could help me with ..."

"Valentine.... are you an alchemist?"

Being in charge of making restorative tea for Jonathon Travance was pretty amazing, though his continuous gratitude was even cooler.

Telling IG secrets to characters who I looked up to (and still do) when I first came to game, and finding out they hadn't known them anyways.

Gypsy birthday was amazing, as I expected it to be, although I didn't expect that much food and drink. Thanks to everyone who brought things to the party, it meant a lot to me IG and OOG

Finally learning every single hermetic alchemy recipe.

And last but not least, getting a new alchemist to become my official apprentice! Can't wait for all the fun that should come from that

IG Arza
OOG Calder Putnam

Pre-game. helping James setup by being given access to fire and power tools. Clearly this LARP was going to be awesome, as I am getting access to all the things that still make my parents and close friends cringe at when I'm 33.

Seconding the weather. I could wear more of my Garb with Grimkjell and was actually COLD for once. Brilliant.

Seeing Geoff having fun was carlos was great, I know he's always doing responsible stuff as Gideon and it makes me smile when other people do.

Watching that handsome new pirate flirting with the Baroness. What a charmer

Watching Hassan beat the daylights out of everyone with just a steel sword and shield. Also, his costuming and makeup was glorious.

Getting whomped repeatedly during the first mod of the game as an NPC. I guess they thought I was actually important because I had the Khorne and nurgle symbol as well as armor and a helmet on. (I was just a minion, but they kept womping me Hilarious.)

Fixing tables and being a grumpy joiner in the Inn, and getting Moira completely suspicious of my NPC as he was fixing the table the baroness sits at. Then giving Elric ashby a stern talking to about busting up tables. (Thanks for the tip carlos. )

Getting randomly attacked by vermin swarms in the inn! That was new and interesting.

Just how beautifully done the Barracks looks.

Seeing Ox's amazing armor. Hearing that everyone is scared of him amused as well.

Morning:

Meeting Johnathan Travance. Finding out in-game a lot of the legends of the town and the truth behind it.

Sadly, most of the rest of the morning is a blur mostly consisting of finding out about the shadow king and the crystals. Grimkjell talking to the baroness about what the low-seasons should do in relation to the assasin school of Knight blades in Londwyn, and accidentally volunteering himself as the organizer of the assault. Grim manages to end up getting responsibility by asking "Who's in charge of X?" This is fast becoming an in game trend.

Being forced to sleep by a Barbarian Priestess in the monastery after setting up an impromptu assembly line for chain mail and other armor with elric Ashby, since many of the usual smiths were absent from the proper, Elric had a back-breaking workload so grim took it upon himself to speed things along. Many jokes about grim passing out in the bed of a woman far tougher than he was.

Afternoon, Going into logistics to trade in some gold to the bank and getting this in the mail. fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-a...9055_173966244_n.jpg

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Acting as the Baroness' runner for an important decree.

Visiting the Alisandria/Ostcliff tourney, kneeling before Xod, and watching my dragoon friend win the whole thing after he broke his sword and grim threw him his, like it was excalibur or something. It was an amazing visual in the afternoon sun.

Patrolling the proper and offering an old man an escort to Alisandria, only to find out that the Old man is in fact a Paladin of galladel. having a long and thoughtful conversation about the nature of duty, destiny, and a man's place in things, and having some personal-in game revelations that played out and had a real effect on Grim throughout the weekend and have really altered his personal character arc a lot. Thanks elf paladin dude! Kensington, I think.

Attack on Londwyn! (Hurr hurr)

Watching as a well-organized and hard fighting group of low seasons absolutely rolled the nest of brutes and assassins for great justice. My only wound during that entire attack was an OOG beesting right at the end of the fighting part of the mod. Grim demonstrating how valuable it is to be an Assistant IG as he helped the fighting Physician (can't remember the character name but he's awesome) and him work to revive Johnathan Travance after he nearly bleeds himself dry of strength making psioninc shifts from Londwyn to Travance. Grim bringing Johnathan back to the inn with the physician, seeing the well-organized response to Johnathan's illness, and then meeting everyone from klarington Everest to a bunch of White sorcerers as grim, acting as runner for the town, does something a Barbarian never normally does. On instructions from Everest, grim voluntarily comes to the Mage guild. a big moment, leading up to another large moment of character development after the feast. Exhausting myself utterly by sprintingup and down the proper like a real runner, and even stripping down to just my tunic and brawlers with no armor and sword because of the exigency of the situation. Things had gotten REAL by this point.

Spending the rest of the time leading up to feast passed out on a picnic table, waking up briefly to murder an attacking goblin that had been chased into a corner and then left, menacing and snarling.

Learning Berserker's rage in the most awesome way possible from Billiam, thus turning grim into Billiam's cheering section forevermore. (It helps that billiam beat up a mage immediately on exiting the abyss.)

Trying hard to find a mentor for master warrior and having good roleplay with all involved (Thanks Tobar, Orin, and Rayven), even though it ended in something of a failure. (Everyone had a student or couldn't teach)

Delicious, delicious feast, eating as a family with Aella, caldor, and xod, with added friends like Hassan and our loveable pirate

The best Mass i've ever attended IG. The visiting Bishop and the mother of the goddess of love talking were particular highlights.

Forming up for the final assault on the Shadow King north of Pendarvin. Talking to the baroness about battle-strategy, and getting volunteered by Augustus to be the hammer carrier. Thanks Guard bro. No pressure

Swallowing my Pride as a barbarian and asking Haraldson for magical protection, because failure would have been too terrible to contemplate.

Having a talk with Oren about pride and doing the right thing.

Wonderful discipline during main mod as enforced by the Baroness, and a smart strike team made up of people grim really enjoys playing with, special mention to the fighting physician and Aelyira. (I'd mention caldor but if Grim DIDN'T love working with his brother then that'd be notably weird.)

Giving Aelyira the hammer as a tricksy deception for double agents during main mod. A sensible precaution since we kept getting hit with assassins. (Or assasinators from an infamous gangdom, for those who get the reference.) Realizing your brother is having nightmares when he's thrashing around while sleep poisoned by said assasins.

Watching the Shadow King stalk around the field of the main mod, fighting hard and looking like Sauron. Great job NPC GUY. Watching Billiam pummel everything was also fun, and so was watching quan lu whoop some butt and get into it in the field. I'm so used to seeing him cooking I forgot what a tough dude he is.

Smashing with the assault team into the long (super long) corridor leading to the last crystal of the Shadow King, and a brutal, close range brawl which erupted, as Hassan stood forth and unleashed glorious murder like a truly inspiring warrior. Aelyria's blades of victory were also amazing, and grim himself cut many threads as well.

After that: the most heroic use of windwalker I've ever seen, as Aelyria pulls grim with him through the line of our foes, as our brothers and sisters smash into them, and go for the heart of the problem. Finding the crystal, and bringing the hammer down upon it, cutting the Shadow King's thread with grim's hand and the Hammer of light. He owes Aelyria forever, and... soon repays her with a private favor (Keep your minds out of the gutter)

Giving up a VERY useful and powerful magical item entirely for roleplay reasons. And feeling really good about it

Returning to the apparent approval of the baroness. (Though grim only heard it secondhand, having busily trying to avoided taking any credit for the fight at all while Tobar was asking a lot of probing questions.)

Being told by Tobar grim will one way or another have a master warrior teacher after all... well, someday, anyway. It would seem he earned it in the eyes of Travance, at least by some accounts.

A lot of celebratory drinking, then some important legal matters being discussed with the Seneschal that shall no doubt be important guard plot for the next moon. (Well, possibly anyway)

Let's just skip until late morning for various and sundry reasons that are entirely to do with an OOG car lock, haha.

Making friends with Johnathan Travance, and finding out that your character not only broke a crystal to save him, but apparently also was responsible for the death of the Shadow King himself. That may be the most important thread Grim the battle Tailor ever cuts.

Getting a letter from the monster marshal while in logistics to pick up some money for Gin Yuki. Acting as a messenger once more, seeing the inside of Winterdark after severalmonths of wondering. Meeting the baroness again, and seeing her reaction the letter.

A sad goodbye to Johnathan Travance, and saying my favorite Barbarian farewell, "Until next winter" which is how barbarians say farewell to soemone who is dying or going away for a long, long time. Telling Travance the secret of what HJOLDA! actually means.

Standing up the the clergy of light as I dragged off a corrupted Valosian to jail, the IG drama of grim having to ignore the wishes of his friend Rayven in the service of the Law, justice, and the orders of the seneschal were amazing. The insights I got into Grim's internal morals and ethics were interesting, and he had a very Javert-esque or Judge Dredd-esque aspect to him at that moment as I tossed the Valosian into the slam.

The bittersweet goodbyes to all my friends.

This was my favorite game yet for IG reasons, though I had a miserable OOG period from 12-3 AM sunday morning due to my car, the game itself was fantastic and so well written plotwise. I was enthralled and it brought grim to life like never before. My only IG regret is not seeing Aella and Caldor more.

Being freaked out by seeing the ever calm and kind Gideon flipping out on Aemorniel

This event was astounding. Just simply astounding. Also Grim I was that physician! :cool:

Friday Night - Maybe 30-45 minutes after lay-on I have to use Bind wounds a skill I've never expected to actually use. Ended up heading down to the bard thing as everyone was departing. Also ended up using Set Limb twice, gotta love assistants. The first blood tranfusion. I had walked in on it halfway through and helped where I could, mentally taking note of the procedure as it was something my character was already looking into as cures for other ailments.

Catching up on what I've missed the two moons I was gone.

Friday NPC shift 2-6am: First getting sent out as a horde of ogres which was besides myself consisted entirely of first-mooners. Our first stop? Alisandria. As we charge in Kor((?) I believe the orc with the awesome mask.) steps outside and Bam command goblinoid command goblinoid chaotic alteration Chatoic alteration. Next stop was Pendarvin where when we moved in Sylus dominated the Warlord and we basically got cut down.

We got sent out as oozes next. This was seriously one of the best moment of the event. We lied in ambush between the monastery and Pendarvin. Apparently our stealth skills were awesome as we ambushed almost 4 seperate groups. Two of them really stood out though. The first was just a lone PC. We surrounded him then:
PC: Roundhouse Break Limb
Npcs: No effect.
PC: ......Wait what?

And the other we actually ambushed the Baroness and Sir Cinder. When we came out all we heard was Cinder yell: OH S***! and backpeddle like crazy before thoroughly thromping us.

Saturday Morning: Mostly just an easy morning catching up with characters I hadn't seen.

Low Season Mod: It was fantastic. Just Fantastic. Meeting Johnathan Travance as we headed to the Baroness' Manor before portalling to Londwyn. Hacking through assassin trainees only to get dropped unluckily and almost killing blowed by our side. Walking back out after the crystal shattered only to here them calling for a physician. I get there to see Johnathan on the ground and move into action. I was exceptionally glad I had learned Bind Wounds at WitL. Nothing like healing someone for hundreds of body, even if it takes 5 minutes with an assistant.

Post-Lowbie Mod: As soon as we got back to the Inn taking charge of getting the transfusion set up and stepping back once everything was moving along. Getting sent to go find lower seasoned people who had yet to go on a mission to destroy any of the crystals. Finding only one person at the time who didn't go. Offering myself and Grimjkell to the mission and getting accepted. Walking outside and immediately hear people calling for a physician from the Monastery and helping to heal the faith of a Priest of Valos.

Feast: Delicious as always and PEACHES.

Pre-Main Mod: Most of this time was spent running around finding and making healing salves, finding two people who hadn't been touched by the crystals, getting the strike team buffed up and ready to roll, learning our precise role in the mission with Grimjkell, and discussing tactics and possible repercussions with Johnathan. Somehow I found the time to attend mass and become baptised.

Main-Mod: Incorporating the buddy system in the strike team and seeing the group work well together. Hassan and shield-boy ( I'm sorry I never learned your name)were awesome as was Aelyria and Caldor. Nalik (I remembered it finally!) and Trisana also really helped to round out the group. Getting sleep poisoned as someone who can fix it is frustrating. Carving our way to the crystal and holding off the enemy for Aelyria and Grim to shatter it. Holy crap protections are amazing.

Upon returning to the group Tobar asking for a report and detailing the fight to him espousing the strength and valor of Grimjkell and the others. Tobar promising Grim a teacher and wondering if I got him in trouble.

Buying rounds for the group then dun dun dun legal issues.

Getting told by numerous people that we did an awesome job.

Heading out to Londwyn again this time with Master Silverbow.

Helping Pluvius search for 3 or 4 hours for a new healer who had gone missing. Finding him safe in his bunk as he had wandered down to Alisandria and was there almost the entire time.

Not Sleeping YAH!

Sunday: Not much time was spent In-game as I had work later today.

Talks with the Seneschal about stuffs and ideas. Quietly surprised that He and myself agreed on quite a few matters.

Saying farewell to Johnathan after the missive. Vowing to become stronger and more adept and hoping to see him again.

I know I'm missing so much more but that's what 40 odd hours awake will do to you. I'm still kind of speechless.