Oct 2014 - highlights

Great fun this event!

First, having the normal predictability shaken up with a different schedule and tailored main mods was AWESOME! I know it was a pain to coordinate, so thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen!
I know it can't be done every event, and that's fine. I do look forward to more events in the future that break the mold, though. It keeps things unpredictable and exciting.

Second, this was my first month of Monster Marshal training shifts. THANK YOU to all the marshals and NPCs who made this so much fun! I had a great time, and can't wait to do it again. It gives me a chance to interact with a lot of players I don't normally get to see during the course of an event. Also, it's great fun for me to send out an encounter, then see a group of NPCs return excited and telling stories about their shift.

Alisandrian main mod Saturday afternoon- Tycho was actually really useful in a fight! WOO!

Finally- Ginny & The Goblins Travance Tour 1214!!
I look forward to a return engagement.

In no particular order:
-Simultaneous Body Block
-Ilana v Ilana, round 1, FIGHT!
-Master Warrior lessons. Intimidate without the skill.
-Magic everywhere. Magic in my hair. Magic in my beard.
-Psionic delivery system
-Lots of smithing
-Tsoli one-shotting himself

-Dennis wanting to get more 'involved' "Hey, we need someone to wield Bloodtide" "What?"

Also Dennis, the Black Sheep of the Brand family (because he's the only one who doesn't cause a headache)

-Ilana can kill herself in two hits unless everyone takes her spell packets first

"Ilana, why do you have Kaladonia's mark?" She's been having trouble talking about it the past couple of months and I decided to make her flustered about it. I was amused at least.

-Guarding Bloodtide's various owners. Did not expect the Count to be a problem

-Resentment. Ilana's not felt that in awhile.

-The rescued Morlen!? Need more Suppress Magic I guess. (Shame I can't help) Also, great RP from Mark

-Really mad at a Dwarf King

-Did we miss the thief by ten seconds? We were so fast, the ST had to chase us down. Caught the tailend of Balfurous. Kind of wished I was closer so I could give him a piece of my mind.

-I'm not sure why, but Palinthorn basically saying 'no' made me really happy. God dragon, best dragon.

-Icarus Box is tons of fun

-Chaos Warriors (Looking at you Chris/George)

-Hear our call world! So many PMs and letters to write!

This was fun. Because of reasons. Reasons starting with T. T-reasons. DAMMIT ELIAS. Also, the rapidity with which the situation escalated has given me encouragement that people actually read the Chronicle

Gideon & Kleidin's wedding. I almost teared up at "By nature's will".

Gates! The technobabble is strong with Matt C. Seriously, dude, it's kind of scary and impressive at the same time I am insanely happy to be a part of this.

Inventing 3-dimensional paperwork with Amizar. Having him come to Lois later saying "So I think we need a list that..." and then having Lois open to a page in her notebook with everything Amizar was about to suggest. I ran out of ink in my pen twice this weekend. Also, teaching Amizar his first mage spell - the same one Lois learned as her first spell.

WE FINALLY HUNG THE CHANDELIER IN THE LONDWYN TENT! Clicky clicky LIGHT!

Druidic tradition lesson with Gideon & special guest Typhon

Lois hit a thing with Bloodtide I wish my actual RL body wasn't so broken right now - I would have loved to run around outside and fight some things. Lois ended up passing it off pretty quickly because I realized I really couldn't handle it OOG right then - but not before giving it a stern talking-to

The format of the event was fantastic. I loved having all these little side mods. I actually felt like I would be useful on the one for the Barony, instead of turning into target practice for NPCs as happens in most large battles. I know format shake-ups are a once-in-a-while thing, and I understand why, but hopefully Kirsten's change-up will inspire more of these kinds of things every so often.

Marked. Due to logistical oversights (I checked in kind of late and didn't know about the mark, so didn't get one, and then I was next LM on shift and still didn't know what was going on, and then there was a mess with Staples early Saturday), Lois didn't get marked until sometime late Saturday afternoon. This was oddly appropriate and mirrored her life in Travance: set apart at first, then confused and not attaching herself to anything, then finally choosing to serve the Barony.

Lois surprised me and actually missed Goggins. I was expecting her to not really care, but by Sunday she was stomping around ranting about how she wished he was there.

My thoughts on the October event:
With regards to the modified format- damn it went well. I think it was one of the smoothest I’ve experienced in the year I’ve been here and there was been some good ones. I’d love to see this experiment happen again as, as it was pointed out- it got more than the normal folks involved and EVERYONE had some sort of role in the groups- and there was backup available from other factions not engaged.
Awesome stuff…. And I honestly cannot wait to see what comes next. Mad props to Kirsten and all those who cooked this event up.

As to the rest of the weekend…

Pregame talk- Birgitta’s “Brawl Lesson”. For those who saw her and the make-up “shiner”, this was something we talked about doing and thought her coming into game with it being a neat thing to see who noticed.

The level of grief I got from some folks over the shiner was funny as hell. And one of those who yelled at me (Angeliana) was a predicted person to have issue…


Friday night- NPC shift
First time I’ve done first shift NPC and the role given with a small group of roughnecks…. Was hilarious. I hope those we popped on our run around travance learned not to travel alone… No deaths but at least one person was left in a very vulnerable way. *grin*

Early sat- in character as Duncan just arriving… and immediately getting involved in some fighting and the latest madness befalling Travance. Really starting to think the PC should drink more….
Saturday Guard Meeting- The reading of the laws to the New members of the Guard and what is expected of Us. Then seeing that one specific point was rammed home to an Officer who forgot his duty… by the wisest and Eldest of those on the Guard. I am thinking it’s a mistake that won’t be repeated.

As is typical, a call for help breaks up the meeting of the Guard…. And from its resolution, patrols get run.

More fighting, more patrols and no little diplomacy.

The arresting of a friend for supposed treasonous writings… Seeing him acquitted at Great Council then hearing he was executed anyway due to machinations from elsewhere. Depressing and maddening… Don't we have more important things to do?

New Player mod…
So a Nyad Fire Mage and a Celt Ranger/Cav attempt to rescue a Dragoon who was a kidnap victim then get captured themselves… being beaten, tortured and made into experiments. Then trapped for the New Players to find a way around.... Some very intense RP between the victims themselves and the victims to their rescuers. Yay(?) for the derangements/insanities from this…

Then a few hours later, explaining to the cause of the kidnapping what he caused. Good RP there
RPing the issues stemming from the kidnapping… well, it does prove some folks pay attention.


Baronial Group’s Main Mod (aka How to Kill a Squid-face without being able to hit him.) was an interesting thing… Finding the aforementioned squid-face on the road to Kaladonia and telling those we passed on the way to intercept the Illithid to be wary if we fail…

Learning some of the folks in his merry band were possessed/controlled towns-members (including Sir Victor!!) sucked but we managed to win out our fight- not an easy thing, lemme tell you. I, as well as a few others, wished we could have fought in a wider location with some room to maneuver. Ah well…

Saturday night talk with Lorelai and some of the things that happened during it- concerns raised to others over them…. And RP will happen as a result of it, I am sure.

Early AM Sunday cabin raid- Between the Skunk that got into the Armory and our having to leave the door open to let him find his way out…. To the attack by Undead on the armory as a result and everything that transpired there- it was a screwed up encounter. Learning the Greater Undead Kensai wanted an Honor Duel to resolve things….

Had I figured it out, I’d have done it. Being grouchy over the wakeup and the IC issue I was RPing… yeah. Would have been a fight to watch


Sunday Morning….
Teaching, fighting and wondering what some people are thinking when they choose who babysits Bloodtide. Duncan is really beginning to think some sort madness has befallen some very smart people he respects within Travance. This both saddens and scares him…


All in all.... an excellent event and I so look forward to Samhain...

I loved the new tower mod. It allowed us to actually use our skills to try to avoid the traps or negate their effects. Not everyone could detect or disable traps, so the players that would otherwise be stuck behind a battle line while the fighters killed the enemies actually had a use. They could help deal with the traps, or had to fight the few enemies that were there because the heavy hitters were often hurt by traps. It led to a lot of interesting situations (groups getting separated, having to improvise walking routes, etc.) so it enhanced RP a LOT in my opinion.

Also, getting knocked out in the woods by Hadle and having my stuff stolen....you better watch your back Hadle I'll find out it was you eventually... :evil:

Learning trade with Valentine and a bunch of other skills as well.

Also traveling to the bloody stump in the dark of night to...have a talk...

All n' all, it was an awesome event, and I'm looking forward to the ball! I hope to see your all there!

-Amov