September 2018 event highlights

"My liver....it twitches in the presence of politics."

Let it be known that at this feast a half drunk Highlander Dragoon was smarter than one of the Barony's Knights, and figured out friday night that this "Spirit" was a sleeper agent.

Second Main Mod......holy shit. the priestess, Starling and the mooks came close to dropping Donny. What saved him? Smart fighting and Heavy Armor on a lark.

Thanks to everyone for an enjoyable first Knight Realms out among the players! Special thanks to Duncan and Gideon for getting me started on interacting with a bun ch of people I did not know. Some other specific highlights in no order:

-> Making friends over old Scottish songs (in this case breaking Nallick with "The Rising of the Moon" all of ten feet away from the Moon Elf Princess)

-> Tournament fun, and having Ike(sp?) work me into a panic, and putting me down. My shield shoulder is still tense.

-> Later getting picked by said Castellan for his "ball" team

-> Following Trickster and figuring to get back to back with Duncan before he cold remember to tell everyone else to do the same. It might not have been a relevant tactics, but we were on the same wave length.

-> Having some really good RP time with Lord Silverbow

-> Greyhair sympathy with Lords Gideon, Silverbow and Sir Grim. Yay old folks!

Great first time, see you all again soon.

Bengarion Mortimer
aka Joe Siegel

Some months, my highlights are as much Camp Sac highlights as they are Knight Realms. Friday night I wasn't at announcements because I was still tapping away in the Card system, but I was in good company. Hell, I would've been able to get garbed up sooner if I wasn't falling over the keyboard laughing every 10 seconds.

Part of the fun is rolling with the punches, even when you end up accidentally punching yourself or putting your foot in your mouth. What Nalick meant as a compliment ended up sounding like the opposite and he then earned a catchphrase for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday afternoon, I hung out by the ice cream truck (thanks again for the cone, Anna!) and I was surrounded by people who really wanted to hit things.

"We do have that fighting ring in the Barracks field... why don't we have a sparring session?"

It started out small enough and thanks to Joey and Ashley Lynn, morphed into a tournament with a gold prize. More and more people filed in; a wandering encounter wandered over, which brought another section of the town. When the tournament ended and I stood at the back watching the literal parade of townsmembers head back toward the Inn, it was a sight. Player-driven shenanigans will always be my favorite; I just didn't expect to set it off.

Marcus' benediction. Cody, whenever Nalick tells Marcus he's proud of him, I'm sitting there nodding right along. You rocked it, brother.

Being able to stand up straight for the toast at Feast. Huzzah!

Other than a short scene with Josh H., I didn't interact with the plot NPCs, but you all looked great--especially Josh and Hana.

Late night zombie times. Goofing around with Adam, Mike, and other friends before showtime. Tricking Dani into thinking I was dead but then crawling toward her--props for reacting like you were properly spooped.

Poetry readings with Victor and Lois.

Last but not least, having an OOG epiphany about how to play my character and scaring myself with who he actually is, right on time for a Matt Majchrzak event.

Perfect.

So a few days later than planned to be posting.... but its been a busy few days. Along with battling the Plague that seems to have befallen so many from the weekend...

A good weekend for me- with it beginning Thursday and the clearing of the encampment for the last use of the year.

Highlights!!

- Pre lay on lessons... Reno, you quick study. Now if we can fix your footing...

-Friday Night diplomacy... and the realization I was dealing with a Corrupted Zealot but not certain how.

- Luna and her boundless optimistic enthusiasm resulting in a rescue after she miscalculated.
She must drive Cinder mad...

- Saturday Morning Mass.
I was conducting the only mass held this month and this also meant those who were at Mass got to advance test the new Mass rules courtesy of James, who gave me them thirty minutes before Mass.
For those who were not at mass, I will say this about the new rules mechanic- they are pretty decent. Not without a flaw but its a minor one and already noted.
Also have a PREVIEW of the new Altar rules as well as a partial explanation of what is planned for certain (REDACTED) areas. Official release of these is planned for October but real life being what it is, this date may get pushed back.

Here's hoping it does not.

- Portal Jumping can be entertaining as hell... and a fun gamble at times. This gets important later....
Managed to determine that Belechand and I were on the same wavelength again on the priestess thing (dunno if that is good or bad thing...) and finding out later how to beat it... I was SOOOOOOOOO waiting for the other foot. Because solutions are not supposed to be that clear cut in Travance. And I was not the only person thinking this.

I'll take it though. Kinda tired of the millions of hoop-jumping that tends to happen to get a solution.... so simple cause/solutions are quite welcome!

- Fighting during the Trickster Mod. Good RP between Walter and I... and having Joe S go back to back as he called for it was nice. Always a positive when you have someone else as tactical minded thinking...
A Monster Squad-inspired highlight within this. "Hey Walter, does Trickster have nards?"

- Feast was awesome.

-Missed out on main mod 1 due to some stuff.. but made Mod 2. And that comment about portal jumping can be entertaining? Well... benefits of mass are a thing and one benefit prevented me and the two others who were and Mass and jumped the portal with me... immune to one effect and after a wicked fight for our lives, part of the festivities that was Main 2.

I hope we non-undead turned folks scared the bejesus out of you.

- Post main stuff... not expecting to be doing stuff till 4 am but when I do, that never happens.

- Ms Lavin, I look forward to RP with that NPC in the future. The Religious and Cultural discussion is too good of RP to NOT do between the priestess and the priest. I hope opportunity comes sooner rather than later.

Sunday was rare RP. I'll take it!

With winter's grip approaching, the camp was packed for the last time this year and its Winter Quarters for us in October. So until then... see you then!

A+ subtle return. Would subtle return again.
(am I getting my throwbacks confused? xD)

FIRST UP THAT WAS THE SINGLE BEST FEAST I'VE EVER HAD AT KNIGHT REALMS.
and yeah it's been a while. BUT really. That was bomb. I meant it when I proposed btw. Your partner is a very lucky human!!!!! xD (#MostlyJokingISwear)

Had an awesome time meeting JUST SO FRICKEN MANY new players (who were all quite sweet!) and there were still plenty of familiar faces to hug tackle~! Jeez, I really really really missed you guys. <3

I didn't have much of a plan for my (newer new) character (Mira Aino, if ya met her!) beyond an out-of-game theory I have about how you can teach yourself real-world skills if you play a character who has them already (and you do so for long enough.) However it came together much better in-game than I expected- from bonding with other Khitanese characters a bit, to casually chatting about how "THE REAL TRAVANCE" holds up to the myths and legends. In particular, I think it was THE AMAZING DISAPPEARING FOUNTAIN that really got me in the zone for her. Mira meditated in front of that fountain for about an hour and a half on Friday night, and then in the morning, it was gone. So she started to have a kind of deliberate grace about her, especially from the way she reacted to that, that really lit her up as someone distinct in my mind. (she was so nonplussed by the fountain even though it was so impressive to her that there had been a garden and a pond at night, and then in the morning nothing at all! What a great lesson about DRAMA ;P) and by Sunday morning I had the nerve to attempt an In-Character guided meditation (AND THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who sat for it, I hope it was an interesting peek into your character's mind maybe!)
(ALSOOOOO PM me if you sat for the guided meditation and you thought it was nifty, or wanted to do more stuff like that, or if you would be interested in knowing more about or possibly even helping with that project I mentioned <3 )

So that's a LARP Koan right?
"What is the difference between Meditating In Character and Out Of Character?"
(when I was feeling all Enlightened and clever I said the answer was "NOTHING" but now that I'm down for the count with the LARP PLAGUE OF DOOOOM (can't believe I forgot about that, took no precautions at all, level 13 foolish).... now I'm thinking I could really use that full heal after a minute, and that that's a pretty significant difference xD)

And finally to the Ostcliff fellows teasing me about my OOC Old-World Stories on Sunday morning... since apparently talking to me out of game is like visiting a LARPer's retirement home.... xD <3 .....
You can absolutely still LARP uphill both ways barefoot in the snow if you reeeeeeally want to~! Just go on a Totem Pole Hill Mod in February with leaky boots. xD