What I Want to See

With elections for Caligo and Ember Shoals officers in the near future, my thoughts have turned to the things I'd like to see in our park and in South Florida.

More Cooperation
A few years ago, the various parks in the tri-county area were very active in supporting each other. That support has faded, and it seems that the groups are increasingly insular. I would like us to reverse that trend. How can we do that?

• Bi-Monthly Joint Battles - We used to do these. Every other month, one of the local parks would sponsor a joint battle. The other parks would make a maximum effort to attend. This would result in much larger battles than our normal weekend fare. It would also forge ties among the members of the various parks.
• Annual Campout - Right now, the only larger, weekend-long events are held in central/north Florida. If you can't travel that far, then you miss out on the fun. Why can't we bring the fun south? Once we get used to cooperating with each other to host joint battles, we can consider holding our own campout.

I think that we should reach out to our neighbor parks in South Florida and start the process of organizing these events.

More Atmosphere

While it's fun hitting people, to me Dagorhir and Amtgard shine when we create a shared fantasy world. Thus, I would like to see more effort to create a medieval/fantasy atmosphere.

• Garb - Looking the part really evokes the correct atmosphere. Remember when Robb wore an orc's mask? It made it a lot easier to believe we were fighting the dreaded raider Tarhogg Spearchewer rather than Robb. Well, an easy way to do this is to wear garb. It doesn't have to be difficult to put together a basic kit. I want to come up with creative ways to encourage garb. I don't want to punish or prevent people from playing. Perhaps give more incentives for garb. I'd love to hear your ideas.
• Game Names - I believe that using game names can also evoke the proper atmosphere. If you don't have one yet, let's talk. I'll help you come up with one. If you have one, get used to using it, and encourage others to use it as well. One way to do this is to refuse to respond to your mundane name while you are at the park. If they persist, you can say "I don't know who that is. My name is ________."
• Titles - When I was in the Adrian Empire, titles were far more common than in Dagorhir/Amtgard. As you walked around at an event, you'd hear people referred to as Sir ____, Lord ____, or Lady _____, etc. I felt that it helped foster that medieval atmosphere. I'd love to have more titles at our park. Fortunately, we could use our independence to come up with our own Caligo titles (e.g. I'd like to start an independent order of knighthood dedicated to service to the realm).
• Lore Battles - I love battlegames with a lore element to them. They have a backstory and the results of the game affect our shared fantasy world. They can be difficult to plan, however, so I don't know if we can do more than what we are already doing. I still want to continue with them.

What do you want to see? How can we achieve it?

The Astromancer's Armil

Among the many denizens that have been harassing Ember Shoals since the return of the Faedwyr, the scalor have been a particular nuisance to our seafarers. These fish-men, who live in the shallows along the coast, will often raid ships at anchor. And so it happened a couple of months ago, but this time there was a crucial difference. The leader of the raid carried a driftwood staff with a glowing spherical object on one end. The unfortunate crew identified it as an armillary sphere.

An armillary sphere

The survivors of the raid were rescued by members of the Ironheart Accord. I, Rufus, personally interviewed them. When they told me about the glowing sphere I immediately thought of magic. Could it be the Astromancer's Armil, one of the three Druidic relics that could defeat the Faedwyr? I decided to find out.

I organized an expedition and we set out for the site of the raid. From the coast, we could see the wreck of the victims' ship; It had settled into the shallows with the masts sticking above water like a monument to the tragedy. We used incantations that allowed us to move (albeit slowly) and breath underwater. We then ventured below the waves, and were immediately attacked.

The scalor were upon us like we were minnows. We fought as best as we could but were driven from the waters. But we would not give up. We strengthened our magics and returned to the fray. This time, we were more successful, and were able to make some progress to the scalor's lair. But their defenses stiffened and we reached a stalemate. Beyond the line of scalor, we could see their leader gesturing at us with his staff, the sphere still atop it. He grew so angry that he ripped the sphere from the staff and tried to throw it at us. Nevertheless, the scalor defenses were too strong and we were driven back to shore.

Or so I thought. As I stood dripping upon the beach, an object suddenly was flung from the depths and landed on the sands. I walked over and picked it up. As I touched it, I could feel the magic flow through me. I knew in an instant; this was the Astromancer's Armil. But who was the brave hero who retrieved it and tossed it ashore? I have not yet found that out.

We now have 2 of the relics in our hands. We just need to find the Gardener's Rod and then we can assemble the Faethorn!

OOC Notes

• This was the Lore scenario for April, organized by Xhorja (aka Robb).
• The scenario was essentially heavy object, but was set "underwater." The Ironheart Accord had movement restrictions and had to reach an air pocket to breath. This gave a decided advantage to the scalor.
• Xhorja told me that he (as the scalor leader) threw the sphere at us and it was recovered. I did not see that part as I already had been shattered. That's why I took so long to post this; because I did not witness it I was unsure how to portray it. Ultimately, though, I needed to write something because this was a very important Lore event.

Pirates vs. Pixies

Following their victory over the enemy ship, the crew of the Starbreeze rounded up and imprisoned the captives, tended to the wounded, and repaired any battle damage. That done, they decided to celebrate with a little rum. They opened the hold, and were greeted by a horrific sight.

The rum was gone!

They searched high and low, but could find no sign of the rum. Then, they looked ashore and saw the culprits. A band of pixies were flying into the forest, carrying a cask of rum!

"Get them!" shouted Captain Vandar. The crew raced ashore and tracked the pixies to a clearing in the woods. Scattered throughout was their store of rum. The crew rushed forward to recover their precious cargo. Suddenly, pixies swarmed upon them, stabbing them with slim, sharp swords. Then, the Faerie Queen appeared; she began shooting the pirates with her magical bow.

The Faerie Queen as played by Artemis

Stung by the onslaught, the pirate crew retreated. Then Captain Vandar arrived. With a lash of tongue and the flat of a blade, he turned the crew around. This time, they made methodical sorties, and bit by bit were able to recover most of the rum. Then Vandar ordered a withdrawal to the beach,

But the pixies followed the pirates, continuing to hound them mercilessly. Because of these attacks, Vandar realized that his crew could not make it back to the ship with the rum. As he surveyed the battlefield, he could see the Faerie Queen urging on her pixies. Vandar knew what needed to be done.

"Kill the Queen!" he commanded.

The pirates turned their attention upon the pixie leader. Shots rang out from their pistols, forcing the Queen to dodge and duck. The pirates surged forward, beating back pixie attacks and pressing toward the Queen. Finally, a shot struck her and she plummeted to the ground, The crew rushed her and struck her down. Triumphantly, they returned, only to find the captain bleeding upon the ground. The pixies had rushed him and cut him down.

"Get me back to the ship." he moaned. The crew picked him up and brought him back to the Starbreeze.

That night, as the Starbreeze sailed away from the cove, Vandar rested in his cabin. Though weak, he knew he would recover from his wounds. It had actually been a good day. He had captured a ship and rescued his rum from the pixies. But, would he be able to use the cove again, or would the pixies return to deny him his hideout?

OOC Notes

• This account reflects the remaining 2 scenarios of yesterday's Amtgard Day
• First (of the above), the pirates had to rescue bottles and kegs (made from rolls of camp pad). The pirates did well, recovering 1 of 2 kegs and 5 of 6 bottles.
• The second was a Kill the King scenario. The pirates won this one.
• The players used their standard classes, but they had additional abilities depending on their side.
• Pixies also had the ability to fly, but they could use no armor nor could they break shields or armor.
• Pirates had "pistols," represented by magic balls. Pistols shots worked like Force Bolt.

Battle for the Cove

Captain Vandar, the notorious pirate commander, sailed his ship the Starbreeze into the isolated cove on the coast of Ember Shoals.

Captain Vandar as played by Robb Rodgers
Photo courtesy of Lea Anne Pitt

Suddenly there was a cry from the crow's nest.

"Ship ahoy!"

Vandar started in surprise. Why was another ship using his secret cove? He could not let that stand.

"Beat to quarters! Prepare for battle!"

The drummer beat the alarm. The crew primed, loaded, and ran out the guns. The ship bore down upon the interloper. Vandar could hear the alarm coming from the other ship. But they would be too late!

The Starbreeze sailed within range. "Fire!" called Vandar. A salvo burst from the mouths of the guns, raking the enemy ship.

"Prepare to board her!" commanded the captain. He wasn't going to waste time in a gunnery duel; he planned to take the battle to the foe. His ship surged forward, and rammed the enemy bow to bow. Grappling lines sailed across, drawing the ships close. Vandar's crew rushed forward, but the enemy had formed a shield wall. The crews hacked, slashed, pushed, and shoved, but neither side could make headway.

One of Starbreeze's crew released the lifeboat and brought it to the side of the enemy, Using it as a bridge, the rest of the crew could outflank the rival pirates. Now there was a two front battle going on. The crew pushed forward, determined to take the other ship. But suddenly the enemy broke through and rushed upon the deck of the Starbreeze. The situation was dire, but the crew fought valiantly and defeated the rush. Once again, a stalemate set in.

Vandar suddenly had an idea to break the stalemate. He sheathed his sword, grabbed a shield, and dove into the water. Using the wooden shield as a makeshift raft, Vandar made his way around to the enemy's stern. This diverted attention away from the main battle. With this distraction, the crew of the Starbreeze was able to rush forward and take the enemy ship, including their fine store of rum!

OOC Notes

• This is an account of the first scenario from yesterday's Amtgard Day. The theme of the day was Pirates and Pixies so we began with a boat battle.
• I took some artistic license for this account. The scenario wasn't about taking the ship; the objective was to steal the other side's rum. I just thought that a battle of conquest made a better story (and it makes more sense in conjunction with the other scenarios, which will be posted at a later time).
• The part of Captain Vandar was played by Orion in this scenario, although it was actually Robb who jumped into the "water" and "swam" around the ship. Robb would take over the role of Vandar in the later scenarios.

Updating the Chronicle

I have been remiss in updating my account. Ever since the formation of the Ironheart Accord, I have been inundated with responsibilities and have not found time to write. We have been clearing out some of the monsters that the Faedwyr have released into Ember Shoals. This has attracted the Faedwyr's notice and now they are hunting us. We have to keep moving from camp to camp, keeping one step ahead of our enemy.

The archipelago of Ember Shoals still remains off the coast of Caligo, allowing us to maintain contact with the Sentinels of the High Forest. We have received reports of their activity. Here is one of the reports:

After a succulent feast of dire turkey, and the successful rescue of Father Wyntor, the Sentinels enjoyed a well-deserved rest. The tidings were good, and the feasts were merry, however such goodness can only last so long in the corrupted land of Caligo. One night during yet another merry feast, a strange visitor stumbled in, and collapsed. To the surprise of the Sentinels their visitor was a wounded Dwarven cleric, when pressed on how he received these wounds, he spun a tale of awe and woe… 

While his people had been mining the darkest depths of the world, they had stumbled upon an ancient kingdom, once belonging to the Nubian spider people. The strange magic of the realm corrupted their king, and forcibly transformed him into the Spider-Lord. In an act of desperation, the cleric had taken his holy weapon Thunderclap, and used its powerful magic to seal away the Spider-Lord. left unchecked, the spiders would eventually find a way out, so the wounded and weary warrior found his way to the Sentinels of the High Forest to beseech them for aid 

Compelled by their mission against evil, the sentinels armed themselves for battle, plunging into the depths of the world to smite unrivaled evil, not knowing how many of them would return.... 

The Sentinels must aid the cleric in retrieving Thunderclap, using it to open the throne room, and smite the spider lord once and for all, putting to rest the unfortunate Dwarven king.

I have since heard that the Sentinels' expedition was a success. One of their allies, a mighty warrior named Raven, struck down the Spider Lord.. The Sentinels recovered then recovered Thunderclap.

While this was good news, I recently received dire tidings. A band of orcs led by one Tarhogg Spearchewer has been raiding throughout the Shoals.

Tarhogg

Their latest raid is an act of horrendous infamy. They crossed a ravine over two bridges and cornered a unicorn in a small clearing. They were attempting to capture the creature when a patrol from the Ironheart Accord heard the commotion. Investigating, they intervened and managed to drive the orcs back across the ravine. But the filthy, corrupted monstrosities refused to give up their foul designs. Spurred on by their venomous hatred of all that is good, they renewed their efforts. They counterattacked, and this time the Accord was forced to retreat. This left the unicorn at their mercy. With the Accord temporarily neutralized, the orcs roped the unicorn and dragged it off to their lair. We are now trying to track the orcs but haven't succeeded yet. Tarhogg is a cunning brute and covered his tracks well. Our quest continues however.

I do have some good news to share, which shall be my next account.

OOC Notes

• The account of the Spider King comes from Orion. It was a scenario that we ran in January.
• I don't have accounts of the February or March scenarios. Feel free to send one to me if you have it
• The account of Tarhogg's evil was from our May scenario. It was essentially a heavy object bridge battle with 2 bridges. The unicorn was the object.
• Thanks to Artemis for designing the scenario
• Kudos to Xhorja and Orion for dressing up for their roles as Tarhogg and the unicorm, respectively. Thanks for adding to the atmosphere of the scenario. If anyone has pictures of them, please send them to me so I can add them to this account!
• Speaking of pictures, Xhorja posted the one above on the Ember Shoals Facebook page. It was so good I had to share it. Please let me know who the artist was.