Monthly Archives: October 2014

PC Submission: Corabarra Rescued!

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Know the spirits through and through/

Guide them as they come to you./

Some are brazen, some are meek/

Listen to them as they speak.

-Excerpt from Rhyme the Twenty-Ninth, The Ancient Rhymes

On the 11th of Reapingdusk, in the year 124 of the Age of Fortune, heroes from the town of Elmerton freed the Corabarra family of Tzigane from the haunted city of Qui Lagua- also known as the City of Faith – where they were resisting being haunted and possessed by the spirits there. It was a joyous day.

Using a ritual, Elmertonians bound the spirits of the Corabarra to a volunteer named Azareth. The names of the trapped Corabarra were recited and Azareth was then sacrificed and sent to Vorkarian, bringing the Corabarra spirits with him.

With the ritual successfully completed, now the Corabarra should be able to return from Vorkarian free of haunting spirits. The hope is that these Tzigane will be of assistance in the conflict with Tshurkurka.

I will not present the full list of Corabarra freed, but below are the Top 10 Most Most Common Corabarra Names according to the Memory of the Blood (along with the number of Corabarra with that name). I hope you find this list interesting:

Female                                                                               Male

  1. Maria (64)                                                               1. Tamas (47)

  2. Abela (54)                                                                2. Vanya (38)

  3. Flora (51)                                                                 3. Tem (34)

  4. Katarina (50)                                                          4. Wen (32)

  5. Katryana (43)                                                         5. Burril (24)

  6. Aleta (38)                                                                6. Beti (22)

  7. Olena (34)                                                               7. Pias (22)

  8. Adara (24)                                                               8. Casamir (21)

  9. Risa (24)                                                                  9. Radu (20)

  10. Loiza (21)                                                                10. Rye (18)

 

Rybin vanHoltRybinvanHoltseal

Historian and Scholar

Please note: the above list is for entertainment purposes only. Gender accuracy of the names not guaranteed. Author not responsible if you give your male child a female name or vice versa based on this article.

PC Submission: Common Man’s Guide to Wood Trolls

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In this installment of the Common Man’s Guide, we will tackle wood trolls (Note: physically tackling wood trolls is not advised). Wood trolls are commonly encountered while traveling in Irvanshire and are even more common in the nation of Kire Dero to the north.

Wood trolls are of human height and appear made of wood with long brown noses, long brown ears and long brown claws. They rarely if ever travel more than half a dozen paces from woods or other natural settings; entering a town or even a large building is a good way to lose a pursuing wood troll.

Wood trolls are not always hostile, but often are. When fighting wood trolls, be wary of being entangled. Any strike from a wood troll’s claws or any weapon it wields could entangle you if you are not careful. Be prepared to dodge or parry such strikes if you can. When entangled you are easy prey, so it is best to use superior numbers: bring a companion to protect your back.

Wood trolls seem to be attracted to shiny valuable objects, and searching wood trolls for valuables can prove profitable. Be sure to look in the following places when searching for coins or other items: under it’s bark on the torso and other places, inside the nose, and inside the ears. You’d be surprised what you can find if you’re thorough.

At this point one might be thinking that wood trolls may not seem like much of a threat, but we have not yet discussed one of the wood troll’s most important attributes: regeneration.

Wood trolls regenerate – that is to say they heal quickly – in natural settings which explains why they are loath to leave such places. Within about a minute a wood troll can fully heal from nearly any injury, unless that injury is caused by fire. Traveling with a nature caster is thus strongly advised when dealing with wood trolls. Any wounds cause to a wood troll by fire will not heal, though other wounds will. Dealing a final blow with fire is one sure way to finish off a wood troll. Keep in mind that any Magestry caster can use the cantrip Fire Strike as a way to eliminate an unconscious wood troll. If not dealt with quickly after being rendered unconscious, a wood troll can begin healing and awaken again, so exercise caution when looting.

Remember this motto: “Fight smarter not harder,” and you will not have trouble with the same troll twice.

For further expertise on fighting wood trolls, seek out Sandow in Elmerton.

 

Rybin vanHoltRybinvanHoltseal

Historian and Scholar

PC Submission: To Fegoria! And Unfortunately Back…

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Tired of endless winter and cold? Do you mourn the loss of all colors other than grey and white? Miss the delicious dinner we were fortunate enough to eat last moon? Then come to Fegoria! This winter, all are welcome to board a procured airship, piloted by the distinguished Captain Liam, that will carry us from the freezing lands of Elmerton to the land of permanent summer known as Fegoria. SUN?!

But what cost must you bear for such an amazing journey? Merely a few copper to keep your boots in good repair! I covered the rest. But wait, there is more excitement to be had! MORE? YUP!

We will be arriving near Villa Arruinado. It is the ruins of an old town where fourteen standing stones surround three in the center. The fourteen stones are meant to contain the ones in the center which are a place of power and are the cause of the ruination of the city and its inhabitants. We must be careful, as the people who died there remain very territorial of the place. SOUND FAMILIAR? WE ARE EXPERTS IN THIS!

Don’t spend too much time with the stones though as what we are looking for is under them. We will seek an entrance to the mages deep. Somewhere down there is a place of power and when the magestream passes, the place is one and then another. It is now and before and before. TIMELINES!?!

sunAlso, I’m back!


-Tumbles

Lav’Endros Will Not Be Abased!

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House Lav'Endros

In a speech that stirred the hearts of those faithful to the Noble House Lav’Endros, Baroness Lobea Lav’Endros declared that her house will not tolerate the fear tactics and slandering that House Windlock has been utilizing. On the 7th day of Reapingdusk the Baroness, accompanied by several members of the Banta Kinswae, confidently strode out of the woods and into her manor house in Elmerton, roughly grabbing two Windlock guardsmen by their collars and dragging them inside. Throwing them to her feet, she called the attention of all within the House and, with a snarl of defiance and her long teeth bared in anger, spoke the following:

“It ends tonight! House Windlock will no longer use their influence to incite Fear in my House. We will not be bullied and we will not have our reputations dragged through the mud. We are not beasts to be reviled, but are people to be Respected and, yes, even Feared when crossed. The Noble House of Lav’Endros will, as we always have, overcome all odds and we WILL NOT SURRENDER! Windlock may have tried to stir up doubt in the Kingdom, but Lav’Endros will band together and prove them wrong. And I will lead them. I will NOT be forced out again and I AM NOT afraid. Consequences, be damned! Let Windlock try its best and watch as they fall to the Tree and Wolf!”

Amidst enthusiastic applause, she snarled again at the Windlock guardsmen and left the room, growling something under her breath that sounded like, “…and now, to Simon.” The tension between the two Houses is growing more palpable, and everyone- with the exception of the Baroness- is waiting with bated breath to see how House Windlock responds to this statement and act of defiance.

Bakeries Beset by Blackgates

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Medieval_bakerA number of bakeries, grain mills, and caravans carrying baked goods in the Fiddlehead Hills have been hit hard by groups of ravenous individuals seeking breads, grain, and pastries. However, in some tragic cases, these individuals, many of whom seem to be touched by Shadow energies, have not stopped at stealing the baked goods and have viciously attacked and, awful as it may sound, eaten anyone nearby. Terrified witnesses claim that this wicked hunger only extends to adults, but even though small children are spared, they are often kidnapped. One child was found alone deep within an as-of-yet harvested wheat field. Upon finding her, her rescuers claim that they saw a number of figures disappearing into the field, though they were unable to apprehend them.

Research into  various nearby towns have suggested that these awful cannibals could be the terrors known as the Blackgate family, though why their primary target seems to be bakers and the like has not yet been identified. If the attacks continue, it is likely that the price of flour, grains, and baked goods may increase. Please note that these terrifying individuals are cannibalistic, generally fairly strong, and may possess the ability to cast as Shadows do. It is advised that you do not attempt to engage them on your own, and keep doors and windows locked at night.

Magestry’s Best of Harvestwane 124

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Here are our picks for the September 19th-21st event:

Toner Best PC

Majento was, as always, a solid roleplayer and positive influence on my enjoyment of the game.

 

 

This month, our Best PC is someone who is truly representative of the best kind of player any LARP could ask for. Anthony LaRosa who plays Majento, is not only a great role-player and a safe (and competent!) fighter, but as a talented musician, he also strives to help create and maintain the kind of immersive atmosphere we love to have at game. On top of all that, he is a constant help OOG- he has been setup coordinator for years, ensuring that everything gets set up even before most staff members get to the camp. He also stays after each event leading mod-building cleanup and helping to make sure that we all get home in a timely fashion. We are truly blessed to have him at game. Your PELs indicated that you were also impressed with Majento. Here are some highlights:

“I spent a lot of time with Magento this game which is always a positive.”

“I always love role playing with Toner and think he does an excellent job and brings an interesting sort of darkness to the game.”

“Magento always holds a place in my heart, but since his run in with the Furies, I find his turmoil very fascinating. And Toner plays it so well.”

Thanks for everything, Toner!

DCIM101GOPRO

VIL-helm was FABULOUS! I hope we see him again!

 

 

 

This month’s Best NPC goes to one of our newest staff members, Nick Donoghue! Nick has been a wonder behind the scenes, coming to help set-up before game, staying after to clean-up, and being an amazing NPC during the event. Not only does Nick rock out as a crunchie whenever we need him to (or take on the hefty role of an Orcish Incarnation!), but he is a fantastic role-player with a flair for making people laugh. Also, he has been kind enough to make dinner for us for the past few games! You, too, thought he did a great job:

“Nick’s NPC, Wilhelm, who became the servant of the mages guild for a copper was super funny. I’m often impressed with Nicks role playing and Vilhelm did not disappoint.”

“Nick Donoghue was by far my favorite NPC this past event. In addition to being great for my plot, he played the perfectly lovable Wilhelm -pronounced VILhelm- and even prepared us dinner.”

“Wilhelm was hilarious and such a good time. We are going to have a blast with him and I assume he loves creating problems for us to by being awkward at the worst times.”

Thanks, Nick!

Annual Brewers’ Guild Auction Postponed Until Further Notice

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Wine barrelDue to extenuating circumstances the Brewers’ Guild of Irvanshire has declared that they will be postponing the annual Brewers’ Guild Harvest Festival and Auction until further notice. Strange abnormalities in this year’s Harvest grains and unexplained phenomena occurring everywhere from the fields to grain storage to breweries and in the taverns themselves has caused the well-known Irvanshirian portion of the Guild to halt production on their various brews and even to recall a portion of them- primarily those made from ingredients native to the areas in and around the South Farthings, the Fiddlehead Hills, and the Go-Betweens. The Brewers’ Guild also advises brewers the kingdom over to bring them any unusual brews or unexplained stories so that they can further investigate, however, they were unclear as to the exact nature of the incidents.

Regretfully, this unfortunate series of events has required the attentions of most of the areas Brewers, thus disallowing the Guild to coordinate and execute all the necessary duties needed in order to put on the Harvest Festival this year. The Brewers’ Guild would like to apologize for any inconvenience.

Player Submission: A Common Man’s Guide to Undead Part 1

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In this foray into undeath, I will explore the subject of several common types of undead: skeletons, zombies, and ghouls. Before you say, “Oh my!” rest assured they are not nearly as frightening as they may seem.

First, some common traits of undead. Undead in general are unaffected by psionic and spirit effects with some exceptions. the most notable being their reaction to spells that Cure and Inflict wounds. Unlike living creatures, undead are harmed by Cure spells and healed by Inflict. Necromancers who command undead use this to their advantage, particularly with area Inflict spells that simultaneously harm living creatures and and heal undead. It is important to remember that this can be used against them with Cure spells, however.

Undead creatures also react differently to sunlight. Most undead cannot exist in direct natural sunlight. Shining magical sunlight upon undead may be effective, to a varying degree. Sometimes it can destroy, injure, blind, or cause a pain-like reaction. Other times it simply irritates them. If you see undead out-of-doors in the daytime, you should expect the undead to be formidable indeed.

There are also some spells specifically designed to deal with undead. As this is a guide for the common man, I will not delve deeply into spirit hunter skills, but the ability to Turn Undead is common enough to warrant some discussion. Turn Undead works as a Mass Fear or Whirlwind that only targets undead. Situational, but still very powerful you say? Well, necromancers have an altered version, Bolster Undead, which can provides resistance to one or more Turn Undead attempts. Therefore, it is not recommended to attempt to Turn only once. If you are going to Turn, be prepared to do so 2-4 times, or find another way to deal with the undead.

With the preliminaries out of the way, our first undead subject is the skeleton. Skeletons are easily Skeletonwarriorsidentified by a lack of flesh exposing bare bones. Skeletons are often dressed in rags, but can be well armed and armored. Not much more need be said of them, most skeletons can be dealt with in a few sword blows, though there are exceptions.

Zombies are a different matter. Zombies are rotting, slow-moving corpses. While slow, they can pack more of a punch than skeletons. Zombies often take 20 or even 50 regular sword blows before they stop moving. Even when they have been put down, they are still a potential danger. It is good practice to be wearing gloves before handling any corpse, but this is especially true of corpses that have been shambling around, bumping into each other, and being exposed to the bodily fluids of various victims for Incarnations know how long. For your own safety, don gloves before searching a defeated zombie.

Ghouls are more troublesome than skeletons and zombies. They possess pale white skin and flesh, and are marked by an insatiable hunger to consume people. Ghouls are often encountered  with zombies and skeletons, but are distinguished by their ability to paralyze their foes and dragging them off to be devoured. Therefore, it is imperative to use a “buddy system” when ghouls are present to ensure that no one is left behind. A single ghoul can typically consume a full grown adult in 5 to 10 minutes, less if more than one ghoul consumes the same corpse.

For more information on undead, consult a spirit hunter. Current spirit hunters in Elmerton are Reinen and Eraku.

RybinvanHoltsealRybin vanHolt

Historian and Scholar