Retro- Magestry’s Best of Petalsong 125

I did not get a chance to do this after the first May event, but I wanted to be sure to give shout-outs to the folks who made Best PC and NPC! So, here are our picks for the May 8th-10th event:

Kraven - Wonderful role-player, very funny and a great ally in combat, and a wonderful friend.

Kraven – Wonderful role-player, very funny and a great ally in combat, and a wonderful friend.

 

 

This month’s Best PC is a veteran player who always puts on a good show. Chris Vater as Kraven is always a wonderful example of a fantastic role-player and a model PC. He is always around to help out after each event and does his best to be a help as a Player Rep during and after game. You all thought he did a great job as well. We’re certainly happy to have him at game. Thanks, Chris, and congrats!!

“I want to give Kraven the credit he deserved: He did a really good job confronting the purifiers about demons and handled the whole thing pretty well, in my opinion. I think Chris often gets overlooked but he’s a solid role player. The way he goes into and out of Loki vs. Kraven is pretty impressive.”

“Kraven’s show against the purifiers was truly epic. I thought I was in a movie watching that!”

“I have to shout out to Kraven though for his neat trick with absorbing Jerimiah’s life force and spitting him back out.”

“Kraven’s always a great performance. Such a solid roleplayer. We’re lucky to have him.”

Tim Stricker did an awesome job as his Windlock noble. He rocked it.

Tim Stricker did an awesome job as his Windlock noble. He rocked it.

 

 

 

Sometimes I just don’t know what we would do without this event’s Best NPCTim Stricker. Tim is always incredibly helpful behind the scenes, whether it’s setting up amazing mods, building fires (and waiting for PCs to show up!), sprinting back and forth between the Gypsy camp and Ops several times, or rocking out like crazy in crunchy mode as well as intense role-playing roles. We sure are happy to have him with us and we know you love him, too! Thanks, Timmy!

 

“Tim Stricker was great this weekend. Jeremiah the demon is a fascinating individual, and the Windlock noble he played was also great. His characters always have a depth to them, a subtlety that I really appreciate from a story immersion perspective.”

“Once Tim Stricker gets in character he fully immerses himself in that role and does very well with it. He always fights clean and role plays his hits well which I always appreciated.”

“Tim was that one fighter this event that never let me have an easy fight.”

I Knew I’d Be a Handsome Cadaver, But Not This Way!

Hey Elmerton!

I know my last visit probably soured you against me again, but I’m not working for Wreckanis anymore. I swear! I wanna be friennnds with youuuu, and I have information to give you as a peace offering!

The other day, I was in the forest outside of Elmerton and I met a young fae girl who was really sad. I sat down to talk to her and learned that she had found a necklace while exploring and she put it on, but then she couldn’t take it off! And what was worse than that, it was hurting her! I could tell from the Essence on the necklace that the last people to touch it were Jack Garren and Galynn, so I decided to try to make the thing my problem instead of this little fae girl’s; or, better yet, make it Jack and Galynn’s problem!

Together, the fae girl and I figured out how to get the necklace off of her and onto me, so now I can’t take it off! Shucks! Anyway, I studied it and, to my surprise, discovered it was a Tane item. Those crazy Tane are always making trouble! So, I went to Brimm and asked around and learned that the thing was made by a Tane named Jabjulalola, she used to be a Jubjub Bird, but now she wants to become a Morticent of the Gatekeeper. Lame.

(Oh, I should explain for those of you who may not know: Tane have the ability to turn themselves into other things. I don’t mean, like, just a shape change. I mean they can completely change into something else and actually become that thing, or an exact clone of that thing. It is kind of like fulfilling a dream, but in reverse since they started out in a dream world. Becoming certain things is harder than others, but ever since Tane on Brimm became aware of Magesta, many of them have set their sights pretty high. Making the change is a long road, and until a Tane completes it, he or she is still a Tane and must answer in the affirmative to the question, “are you Tane?”)

So, yeah, Jabjulalola decided that becoming a Morticent meant that she needed to have her own faithful servants and spiritual hosts, which all Morticents have, and those people are collectively known as The Cadaverate. To do this, she created cursed necklaces and gave them to people in Elmerton. Among other things, the necklaces are designed to instill their wearers with ability to host her Spirit once she finally becomes a Morticent, and becoming a Morticent is a task that is made easier for her if the necklace-wearers believe that she is already a Morticent, which is why she has been hamming up the monologues and maniacal laughter wherever she goes.

Well, there it is. Jabjulalola is no longer really a Jubjub Bird, but she is also not yet a Morticent. If she completes her journey, anyone in possession of one of these necklaces will become a member of The Cadaverate and recognized as a trusted servant by any Morticent of the Gatekeeper. While this will not mean that these people will lose control of themselves and go on a killing spree or anything, it WILL get in MY way of turning from Tane into a Redbush, and that junks for me! I hope I can get rid of this thing. It is pretty, though.

Your Dearest Friend Who Would Never Hurt YouWreckanisMadeMeDoIt,

-Mister Redbush

Player Submission: A Common Man’s Guide to Marionettes and Werewolves

Granted, the two entities discussed in this issue do not have much in common, but as Elmerton is currently dealing with fear of these (and other) threats I will be covering both this moon in an effort to help those afflicted face their own fears. Let us begin with marionettes.

Emily's MarionetteMarionettes or “puppets” as they are sometimes called, are constructs that can be easily and quickly identified by their pale faces, rosy cheeks, and hinged jaws. Or at least, identification would be easy were it not for the fact that they tend to appear under cover of darkness.

Another signature of these constructs is their vocal tics. Each marionette appears to be capable of uttering only a few short phrases or sounds, often in childlike voices. Fear of these creatures is understandable, especially when such sounds include eerie laughter, questions such as “Are you my mommy?” or “Promise you won’t tell?” or bizarre offputting statements including “I LIKE you” or “I’m going to rip off your wings!” As these constructs are mindless, the last statement isn’t even likely to be directed at a person with wings.

Adding to the air of fear and compounding the uncertainty that marionettes create is that, when struck by weapons or targeted by spells, they will appear to suffer no ill effect. This can be unnerving to opponents that feel they are powerless to stop them, but despair not – they can be dealt with much like other foes.

One thing to watch for is that, once defeated, they will sometimes collapse to the ground, or sometimes hang in midair as if dangling from invisible strings. In either case, whether or not they are dealt a final blow, they will sometimes rise again. After they rise they can be dealt with again, but be aware of this possibility. They will eventually fade away.
For more information on marionettes and constructs in general, consult Reinen.

Werewolves are another matter. Werewolves are fearsome beasts, and even experienced fighters may run in terror when facing a werewolf. Advice to the Common Man in dealing with werewolves: Don’t.

At least not alone. Their ability to terrorize their opponents can instantaneously turn a 2-on-1 fight against them into a 1-on-1 fight, which heavily favors the werewolf. For this reason 3-to-1 odds (or better) are recommended. When the odds are against you, attempt to retreat and seek reinforcements.

Werewolves are incredibly strong and thus they can hit incredibly hard. Among other things, the immense strength of these beasts allows them to quickly shrug off snares and bonds, so if you entangle one, don’t expect that to buy you much time.

Another reason the Common Man would be best to avoid werewolves is their signature ability to regenerate. The surest way to stop their regeneration is a silver weapon, but that is not easy to come by. Shadow damage is also an effective way to stop regeneration. Any psionicist who has mastered the 5th Circle of Psionics should be able to enchant a weapon with shadow damage at least a handful of times per day.

That covers basic werewolves, but as adaptable shapeshifters, there are of course variations. For advanced abilities and tactics, Silver is an excellent resource.

Yours in Knowledge,

Rybin vanHoltRybinvanHoltseal

Historian and Scholar

PC Submission: You Are Invited!

Dear Elmertonians and all others that may drift in to town. Tree Cake

You are cordially invited to the birthday party of Semaril Luthius. Please join us in merriment and festivities on Wakingday, the 30th of Petalsong. There will be refreshments and delicious food to eat and perhaps a ritual or two. Although it is a birthday party, gifts are not required, but I’m sure would not be turned down.

Hope to see many of you there,

Cesira Storm

Rogue Wizard!

To Denizens of the Fiddlehead hills, Elmerton, Raldo’s Refuge, and points between:

Be on the lookout for an extremely dangerous magic user who has escaped Concori Magesti’s attempt to subdue him.  His name is Silas Stonecipher, formerly of Concori Magesti, Irvanshire, who has now been expelled from their ranks.  According to a high ranking Guildsman, Silas was previously wanted for questioning about his research into dangerous magic, and was an accomplished theorist who has delved too deeply into forbidden knowledge.  He was traced through the use of stolen ritual components to a series of caves outside of Elmerton, where the mages sent to subdue him found evidence of extensive human sacrifice and what appears to be a form of void energy in an attempt to harvest spiritual matter for no doubt nefarious purposes.

Picture 139oilStonecipher is heavyset and bearded, and should be considered extremely dangerous. DO NOT attempt to engage him directly.  Even if he was to be killed, his unorthodox and profoundly perverted usage of spiritual magic may allow him to operate without the use of his body.  Contact Concori Magesti, and they will send specially trained mages to incapacitate and bring him to justice. A 15 gold reward is to be split amongst anyone who is able to provide information leading to his capture.

Please do your best to assist Concori Magesti Investigators who will be searching the countryside for Stonecipher, in a joint effort with the Portal Authority, who will be monitoring any unusual dimensional activity in the region.