August 2014 Highlights!

Friday:
Camp arrival and I already have 10 bug bites...
Waiting for words on whether or not I would get arrested for.. stuff. Getting to watch Gideon step up in an official capacity.
Going to the Andorran mass run by Angeliana. Props to her for having such a wonderful mass. It was amazing! The ambience and the
beauty of it was very impressive. You did a great job.
Gaian Mass run by my hubby was next. Watching him get two converts was so very cool.
Getting to test out my nocks. They worked really well and were so damn cool.
I am starting to play the how many times I hear either someone shout the word Caldor or ask me: "Where's Caldor?"
Friday's count: 55

Saturday:
Going to the kangaroo court. Getting chastised and then watching my hubby who is an actual lawyer fume for quite a while.
Having so many people support me after the fact gave me the distinct knowledge that I will be fine no matter what happens in the future.
Emerald coven meeting went long. Got to talk about a myriad of topics. Interrupted by attackers.
Got to meet Elder.. yay another Dryad.
My hubby did benediction feast.
A few of us ate steak...because...steak.
Getting Kleiden's dessert was so very nice. Thanks for sharing!
Main mod was impressive in it's size and in its longevity. I enjoyed that it was plot based driven.
Watching Augustus' who just came back to Taravence (yay) get returned to life by my hubby was interesting. He does it every moon now.. spooky.. stop dying people!
The bard circle at Kaladonia was fun. Tobar is always entertaining.
Going to bed early and then having a vampire come into our tent and get slaughtered, makes it so much easier to go back to sleep.
Sunday:
Waking up to a ratman getting slaughtered in my tent...priceless.
Killing ratman and then attacking the wrong target because I saw ELder in his dire wolf form enter a friend's tent.
Reminding the monsters that the altar they were on was being protected by a golem...
Lessons!
Tracking!
FUN!
Watching brother in law try to make it up the hill against attackers with a tiny..tiny ..tiny.. shield was fantastic!

This was a great event. There are so many new players that enjoy interacting with. I feel like I am reminded that the joy of this game is the people within it and though I don't interact with many of you, know that I am in awe by the effort all of you put into making this game come alive.

(Also Jennylynn I hope Judge appreciates how awesome you are. Every time I see you in costume or as your character, I am just amazed at how incredible you look. The first time I played this game I noticed how freaking bad ass your character design was and it still is! )

Alright...my second event. Hooray me. I would have answered sooner, but my appointment today ran WAY later than anticipated.

so, I will break things down by day.

Friday:

-hanging with Duncan and the other Celts and the Northmen. People finally got to see how....final...Highland justice is, and it is as it should be. Note: When you see 15 kilted men with sharp pointy objects coming at you, running is the best course of action. Of course, you'll just die tired, but at least you'll be in better shape for your next incarnation. Donald is very ambiguous about this Quan Liu scunner.
-being able to sit and actually socialize.
-Being told that my costume keeps getting better and better. Seriously, this is my first foray into a fantasy setting. This is heartening to me.

Saturday:
-All the weapons! All the armor!
-mind control sucks. Rules misinterpretations suck. Ilana is cool.
-Tower Mod: Nice to know a few things. "Disarm." "You can't disarm a two handed weapon." Got dropped. not cool. See above sentiment about mind control.
-Calling Morlens "Damnable Moron scunners." "They're called Morlens." "Tha's what I said-Morons. I know I have an accent, but I dinna think I'm tha' incomprehensible!" Playing a Scot based celt is funny sometimes.
-dropped again at the pre feast battle. and who should come save the Blood and Mud man of the schiltrons but...an Andorran- the "weak ones". Donald's head is all screwy now.
-paperwork during main mod sucked. More on that later.
-other things that will be discussed only in private.
Sunday:
-All the Learning! Shield Mastery was easier to deal with OOG, once I realized that I didn't HAVE to succeed at the thing. Apparently inspired a new sport involving a Hobling training buckler, three archers and a mage.
-Killing rat men. Worms suck. Getting them out sucks even harder.
-two collars of thieves, on my second game.

Assorted:
Having a talk with Morwenne that Nalick had been dreading, but having it turn out okay.
Blacking out and hitting the Inn floor while talking to Eevie.
There's a new bar in town that I'm looking forward to visiting.

"What does supportive mean?"
"It's like a corset, but more figurative."

Friday:
Angeliana's Andorran mass. It was her first and it went off without a hitch. The altar space was beautiful and it was a great idea holding the mass outdoors, in the open. Brother Aldric's meade was amazing.

Then we were led by Caldor to the Gaian Mass. I appreciated the context of both sermons, the first about love and reaching out, and the latter about family by blood and family by choice. Caldor brought up Nalick as an example of someone who had been attempting the former -- which is true but not in the immediate future.

Back at the Inn, a friend of mine was touting the fact that he had consumed five bottles of ale by himself, and was acting accordingly. Since we were both heading to Kaladonia, I decided to help him walk down there. After retrieving some things, he went off somewhere. I went to bed.

Saturday:
Singing meditation in the gully, organized by Typhon! I was worried that I'd miss it, after getting out of bed so late, but I made it and there was a decent turnout. I'm excited that it will become a regular event.

Luncheon at Pendarvin, where I met Astrid and Siggfreid, who had the strangest idea that I was a "dire hobbit." I've had other people seem utterly convinced that I was two halflings, one standing on another's shoulders.

Sir Silverbow needed a way to handle the hot grate being used to grill the food, and I just happened to have a pair of hearth gloves back at my room. Yay, feeling useful! The food was great.

I spent a lot of the day at Alisandria. I forget how I ended up there, but there was a little girl named Elizabeth whom was being hunted. Despite nearly everyone there being overall stronger and better-equipped, I felt obligated to keep watch over her. She clutched "Fallow Pig" -- a stuffed burlap sack with a button nose and little button eyes, and she was scared and worried. And she made me cry for real when she sang a lullaby. I loved most of the interactions that other players had with her, especially Sir Pluvious and Dr. Tobias. Incredible.

Feast was interesting. Thankfully, when people were shouting, "Don't drink the wine!" it hadn't yet arrived at our table. Then Kleidin came around and purified all of it. However, since no one purified the food, Nalick didn't eat any of it, and in fact turned his plate upside down when offered some.

NPC shift
After Main Mod was over, one of my other shifts, which is now one of my favorite shifts, was as a Wraith that sings. Larry came up with the idea, saying that I should make use of my talents, and it was a lot of fun. Thank you, Larry. Sorry, Beardy.

Shenanigans in the Inn with Thalia, Trisana, and Genevieve. Seafaring chickens and trying to divine their motives. Musing on how turtles get around from place to place. Singing. It was so much fun!

Tumbling down the stairs. Lidius and I managed to land on our feet. In fact, I think we both landed on his! Sobriety restored by Morgan. I tagged along with them, because they were on their way to Ostcliff and Kaladonia was on the way.

Sunday:
Andorra. Have. Mercy.
Sunday morning, Nalick is sitting on the edge of a bed with someone who arrived in Travance only recently. Our mutual friend is nearby and we're chatting. The front flaps of the tent are open. Caldor is walking by, pauses to look into the tent and is surprised to see me.

"Nalick!? What are you doing here?"

It didn't help that at that moment, I was buttoning up my shirt. I did have a t-shirt on underneath, but still. Caldor looks at the girl and back at me.
Caldor offered me a cookie, that I treated like a bar of soap. When asked what we had been up to, I said something to the effect of "hmphmphmphmhmmhmm." Before leaving, Caldor gives me the "I'm watching you" gesture.

Needless to say, I was blushing for most of the day and attempting to hide the redness in my cheeks. So many people came up to me to see if I was okay, but I legitimately lost the ability to speak in complete sentences. I would nod or say "Mmhmm," or temporarily remove the glove from in front of my face long enough to say "Quite!"

The Seneschal was one of the concerned and sought out a physician. A moment later, Dr. Darkwood is asking me questions. I give her hints, but I don't tell the whole story, so she kept asking. Then she starts tickling me and I'm rolling around on the ground, calling for help.

What did I get myself into?

Kensai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I witnessed some of the best roleplay thus far at this event. The NPCs this month did a terrific job, and my thanks to the full-timers.

Friday Night NPC Shift:
Jesselle the Torturer. It started out as a very 2D plot; just some torturers with some farmers they planned to put up for ransom. Then they were visited by one of the first wave of Morlins Logistics sent out. After roaming around the Mage's Guild area searching for the Morlins who had "stolen Jesselle's sister and attacked her brother," she became increasingly more insane and was brought to the Inn. Wonderful RP being cured by Tobias, who conducted the finest Major Insanity curing session I've ever witnessed. And what better way to thank him than by pulling him outside, breaking his legs, and sprinting away? Returning to Logistics feeling very proud of myself, I started pulling off Jesselle's garb until I was told that I was being tracked. I'm honestly very happy that Jesselle was brought to justice and got to sing all the way back to jail from where she was caught at I believe Ostcliffe. Hearing stories about "that crazy blonde girl" the next day by the Dragon's Claw bar had me suppressing a smile.

Saturday:

Feast was fun. Somehow none of the wine had ended up in the glasses of those who couldn't defend against poison the first toast, so how could Charcoal know any better for the second toast? Good wine, had a bit of a kick to it.

First arch casting lesson! My favorite lesson to date. It was completely incredible and indescribable exposing Charcoal to the Weavesong. Tobar was a phenomenal teacher and I am happy Charcoal could learn from him before he left for good.

Many, many Bardic lessons! Charcoal has never been so happy to have picked up Teach.

Main Mod. Protecting the healers from a whole crowd of aggressive Morlins and using my first instance of Unbreakable Voice during a particularly drawn out Lyric of Refuge.

After hearing Balfurous's booming voice across the battlefield and the Morlins' shrieks, Charcoal heard the Weave for the second time in her life. After hearing the beautiful harmony of the Weave in a secluded, peaceful location, hearing the cacophony of pain and rage was enough to bring her to her knees in a teary screaming fit.

Leaving the field with Goggins and a dwarf who's name I must have missed. Returning to the Inn to see the bar busier than I had seen it most nights after Main Mod as this month's was particularly depressing. Charcoal forced a 5 Gold piece into the hands of the barkeep and demanded 'a bottle of their strongest, keep the change, I don't want it.' Passing around a bottle outside the Inn with Goggins and the dwarf until Goggins had the brilliant idea to share magic mushrooms with the properties of Saytr's wine. And what a trip that was.

Sunday:

Not needing to explain the effects of Fanfare of the Turning Tide. Everyone knew already, I had used it so much. That would have been nice to know because it would have saved my voice a great deal of strain, but better safe than sorry.

Charcoal being requested to write a song for the people of Travance for the first time. Keavy, among a few others, seemed particularly pleased with the resulting Tiny Hobbit Shield song. I hope to get it cleared to perform during the next Feast I attend.

Spellsongs for alchemists. I think Charcoal has made some very good new friends/business partners.

Tobias's rigged hat. My ability to whistle indefinitely finally came into use, much to the dismay of several nearby townspeople.

Ukulele lessons!

Thanks for the gr8 event!!!

Take 2:
I want to say THANK YOU, this was my very first LARP, first Moon at KR, and I stilling talking about it (Mike thanks again, you PUMP me up, and thanks for the light!!!)

I really don’t even know where to begin. This has been the single greatest gaming experience of my life. YOU all made that happen. I have never seen so main veteran players assisting newer players in any gaming system. I asked a ton of OOG questions and several more Clarify questions. Everyone was more than accommodating to answer my questions, and even offer much needed advice.

I found that people at KR are even quicker to aid those in need than fans at a Metal Show, which gave me a much needed boost to my faith in people. That alone speaks great volumes for the character of KR as a whole, and is very much the back bone of my first experience.

I saw Personal Holds called when glasses came off, when people needed a hand up, to return an item, and to let people asked questions, warn of a tree limb or a rock behind them, an OOG dead NPC help a fallen Hero out of the Main Mod battle to get some water, and sit down. I also saw VERY Evil Character call a hold, asked if the new player was okay, helped her up, and OOG said,” I am a nice guy OOG, but I am Evil IG”, let HER call the Lay On, and he begin to say really evil things and attack her again, all in a single moment. (Yes Kane, I am referring to you.)

The flip side, during Main Mod a player was very into his role and was striking too hard, he was intense and RPing very well. I later found out more. He was asked to sit down, drink water, and was spoken to in a professional manner. On this note, I was told, he posted a heartfelt and meaningful apology to the other player. I was blown away by the communication, the response, and the professionalism of not just the KR staff, but the players as well. All of YOU make this possible.

I have a Character Background Pending, but I tried to build off of OOG friends, and the History I found of Travance. I thought I had a clear idea of who and what I wanted my PC to be. Let me tell you, I learned THAT day! I let the game shape my PC, and discovered so much about myself all because of YOU. I met many great PCs; Goggins YOU Sir, are simply awesome, Wulfgar, Shamus, and so many others.

I saw a NPC mod of Zombie Gypsy Caravans THAT was just great to see people’s reactions to it, and of course during Main Mod, when the families were slain for the failure to produce the correct Gem.

I had several ideas during my experience, some props, a skill, and ideas in general. I was so surprised to see the support I got. I got so much feedback, so ideas were added to, built on, and when one wouldn’t work, other suggestions were given. I was even informed how to get some of them started.

I can write a small novel on my PC’s first arrival to the land, but this is about My Highlights, and YOU all were my highlights. I feel like a new piece in a well maintained machine that fell right into place.

-Argyll McCoy (Dougan, F.)

P.S. If for any reason you should have any need to contact me PM me and I will give you my Cell Phone Number and can be contacted on Facebook under Forest Dougan. I shall try my best to attend next month, until then have a nice day.