Should Knighthood Be Special?

I expect that one of the ramifications of my proposal for a new definition of excellence would be an increase in the number of LARP knights. After all, one would not need any special skill, just a determination to assist the local park. So, is expanding the number of knights at the park a bad thing?

I hope you would say no. Unfortunately, there are those who would say it is bad. They would argue that knighthood would cease to be special if it became more commonplace. That's just so sad. When people argue for knighthood being special here's what they are implicitly saying - I want knighthood to be rare so that I can feel superior to others around me.

There is a fundamental problem with that response. A true knight does not seek to be special, at least not in the way implied above. In other words, the true knight does not feel the need to elevate himself or herself above the crowd. Remember that humility is one of the key virtues of knighthood. The true knight follows the words of St. Paul:

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves (Philippians 2:3 NASB)

The true knight should want to serve and glorify others instead of himself / herself. He / she should want to see more knights.

Furthermore, knighthood does not need to be exclusive to be special. With proper pomp and ceremony, we can make the newly fledged knight feel special. Even the simple act of calling the knight Sir or Dame ought to lift them up. I really take offense if someone cannot feel special if we also call others Sir or Dame.

Finally, I feel that knighthood will be as special as the player makes it. Go out to the park and live the virtues of chivalry, and see how that makes you feel. Just don't think you need to bring or hold others down to feel special.

Rethinking My LARP Armor

My previous plan was to go with plastic armor. I am now re-thinking this. Perhaps I should get leather armor.

Here are some possibilities:

Arms - Full arms from Medieval Collectibles for $99 (much cheaper than Alchemy Armory)
Not sure of the fit, though.

Legs - Greaves, also from MC, for $50 (a little more than plastic but Dag legal)

Body - I like this brig for $200 but am unsure if it is Dag legal

Helms - Cannot find cheap leather helms that look nice. Perhaps I should just go with metal. Here are two under $50 -  the Rufus (love the name) and RFB Steel helm

The Rufus Helm

The main issue with leather is the color - I prefer white or steel. Perhaps I can try painting.

My Kind of Excellence

Previously I questioned using individual achievement as the basis for knighthood. I asked "So what is our solution to the problem of excellence?" Today I would like to provide my answer.

Originally I was going to title this post "The Right Kind of Excellence." I changed it because I realized that I am not the final arbiter of what is right or wrong. I have always believed that each local group should be allowed to determine their standards for awards. Thus, it is not right for me to dictate how other groups should act. However, I will unequivocally state what I think is right.

As I mentioned, I believe that individual achievement is the wrong basis for knighthood. Instead, I believe that a truly knightly person betters his or her community (and by community I primarily mean the local park). In my eyes, there are two ways that a person does this:

1. Provide concrete service to the park
2. Contribute to the atmosphere of the park. I call this "flurb" excellence

Path 1 is pretty self-explanatory. The player takes on tasks that help the park. Serving as an officer, organizing games and events, acting as reeve, teaching, helping new players get into the game, etc. are all invaluable services to the park. The group would not function without these people. Some groups do overtly recognize these people. For example, Amtgard Flame Knights have earned their belt through their service to the kingdom. These people excel by helping their comrades and should be recognized for their efforts.

I personally think that the second group gets overlooked, but they too are vital to the LARP experience. And yes, what we are doing is LARPing. We are taking on roles as medieval heroes and playing out their adventures in live action form. Sounds like live action role playing to me. Anyway, I have frequently said that LARP groups have the most fun when they create a shared fantasy world. Thus, players improve the park when they contribute to this shared world. How can they do that? Here are some ways:

• Wear appropriate garb! This is the easiest way to create atmosphere. Nothing breaks immersion like someone in a T-shirt and shorts. However, a well-done kit will accentuate the game.
• Use game titles and names. Another way to break immersion is to use people's everyday names. "Hail Xhorja" sounds better than "Hey Robb." Even better, add their title - "Hail King Xhorja."
• Of course, adding titles only works if people have titles. That's why I want to make it easier for people to earn them.
• Ditch the mundane stuff while LARPing. Park day is not the time to watch videos on your phone or listen to modern music. And hold off on discussion about school, work, your D&D campaign, etc. Try to start conversations about events in your shared fantasy world.
• Decorate. Bring banners and standards and hang them around. Throw in some other odds and ends that look medieval. Anything to accentuate the setting.
• Accessorize. Try to get replacements for modern accouterments. Don't drink from a water bottle - get a water skin or goblet instead.

These are just some ideas I have to make the park a better place. Most groups would consider these ideas to be a bit "flurby." If so, then I firmly believe that we need more "flurbiness" at our parks. Furthermore, I believe we should be rewarding people who contribute to the setting. This is what I call "flurb" excellence, and I firmly believe that it should be a basis for knighthood.

The Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles will undergo some changes in the new year. I explicitly want to hand out more titles, especially knighthoods. One of the conditions for our knighthood will be "flurb" excellence.

The Problem with "Excellence"

If one complains that the requirements for knighthood are too stringent, the powers of be trot out the old mantra of "standards" and "excellence." "Git good" they say and most people just shut up. Unfortunately, no one analyzes what is meant by excellence and if it truly benefits the game.

In most LARP organizations, "standards" and "excellence" focus upon individual development and achievement. For example, the mark of martial excellence is usually beating other players and winning tournaments. These achievements distinguish the truly excellent warrior from the merely average soldier. Likewise, producing works of art distinguishes the excellent artisan.

But do these forms of excellence truly benefit the game as a whole? Not necessarily. Let's use combat as an example. Let's say that a new park forms. All the players are newbs and are not very good fighters. Yet the group as a whole can be having a ton of fun because the skill levels are similar. Because combat in this case is balanced and competitive, the group benefits.

Now let us assume that one individual studies and practices until he or she becomes a highly skilled fighter. If the rest of the park does not also improve, then the group can actually suffer. Combat becomes unbalanced when the uber-fighter is present. Less skilled fighters become frustrated with being cannon fodder while the uber-fighter is annoyed by the lack of challenge. Battle games cease being fun, the members are increasingly disgruntled, and the group begins to splinter. In such as case, the pursuit of individual excellence actually hurts the group.

Let me make a couple of caveats to my argument. First, I am not talking about a player who develops a skill and then teaches it to others. Obviously, teaching is a tremendous service to the group. However, it is the teaching that is knightly not the initial development of personal skill.

Second, I am not saying that individual achievement should not be rewarded. I think there is a place for recognizing personal excellence. I am questioning the nature of the reward; in particular I do not think it should be the basis for knighthood. A true knight should practice the virtue of humility and should not seek individual accolades. Knighthood based on personal success contradicts the very essence of knighthood. Instead, I believe that the proper reward for individual achievement should be some sort of masterhood rather than knighthood.

The problem with excellence then is that, in my opinion, the wrong type of excellence is being used as the basis of knighthood. When knighthood is predicated upon individual skill, then there is a great potential that truly knightly people can be overlooked.

So what is our solution to the problem of excellence? I'll take up that question in my next post.

Return of the Winter King

We had peace for a season.

After the defeat of the Winter King, we had been left alone for months. Although Freehaven remained our headquarters, we had restored the chapel at the old Heron Hall. We renamed it the Chapel of St Griffith, after the last defender of Heron Hall. Our priests took care of the chapel and of St Kessog's Church. Meanwhile, some of the Warden's manned Wyvernwatch Tower, vigilant for the return of any of our enemies. We learned that Lander's Edge was being rebuilt.

I have been making regular visits to St Griffith. I was there when it happened. It started as a glorious fall day - the sun was shining but the air was crisp and clean. The nearby settlements were harvesting their fields. Merriment abounded. Suddenly a fell wind swept from the north. The temperature plummeted until our breath seemed to freeze in our throats. The sky turned gray and snow began to fall. It was not the light, fluffy snow of a pleasant winter's day. It was damp and icy and clung to one's body like the grip of death. The wind increased to a gale, blowing the snow about until it formed an icy, white veil that obscured all vision.

But we could hear, even over the howl of the wind. The screams echoed clearly across the plains. I called to the Wardens to form up. Mounting our horses, we rode out of the gates of the Chapel. Then a gale force wind shoved us back into the chapel grounds. Try as we might we could not get past our gates.

As we tried to decide what to do, we heard footsteps crunching through the snow. Through the veil of the wintry blast, a figure in a white cloak carrying a large bundle approached. It approached and dropped the bundle at my feet. It was a man, frozen solid.

The figure removed his hood. His face was as white as a corpse and his eyes were pale blue, like ice.

"I come from the Winter King," he stated. "My lord claims this land as his own. He shall give you to the next full moon to vacate. Do not try to hold out. Your crops are destroyed and your people dead. You cannot prevail."

With that, the figure turned and walked back into the blizzard.

The next morning the sun rose, revealing a canvas of white snow covering the land. We rode out to access the damage. We found village after village blanketed in snow. Digging through the banks, we recovered corpse after corpse. The entire population had been frozen solid. The crops, too, had been turned to ice. No nutrition remained.

Dejected, we rode back to St Griffith's. We knew not what to do.

OOC Notes
This does not represent a particular battlegame. Instead, it's a little story that expresses my dissatisfaction with our park's current direction. Why do people feel like they need to follow the crowd rather than just be themselves and forge their own direction?

Realms!

Elizabeth showed me this funny bit about Game of Thrones (it starts around 1:40 but the previous 1:39 is also good).

Regrets, I Had A Few

Shrouded Isles is facing an uncertain future, which has me pondering the mistakes I have made in my LARP career. Oh, I've made a few . . .

• I regret letting leadership of Dragon Coast pass to someone who did not share my vision. Now, I feel that Glen did a fine job. After that, however, it seemed that the park was moving in a stick-jock direction. Furthermore, leadership did not really respond to feedback. If I could do it again, I would have taken over the Chancellorship from Glen. Ironically, some of the things I wanted to do (such as park autonomy) are mirrored in my vision for Shrouded Isles.

• I regret declining leadership of Caligo. At the time, I did not want to run a Dagorhir park but wanted to start HFS instead. What I should have done is take over Caligo, and then push through the changes I wanted (such as a Caligo knighthood). I think people may have been more on-board that way.

• I regret introducing Amtgard to Caligo. More particularly, I regret introducing Amtgard awards to Caligo. Now, it seems that the park values awards more than park autonomy, which has led us to bend the knee to Neverwinter.

Sigh. No sense fretting over past mistakes. Just need to forge forward, and remember the words of the Chairman of the Board.

Sing it, Ol' Blue Eyes.

The Templar

One thing that frustrates me about Amtgard is that I cannot play a paladin (my favorite RPG class) because I am not an Amtgard knight. I have no ability or desire to pursue a knighthood so I am effectively shut out. I believe that there are likely others with a similar frustration. There have been attempts to remove the knighthood requirement for paladin, but they have (and will likely continue to) fail. I recently had an epiphany - create a new paladin-like class!

Below is my first attempt. The goal is to create a class that can tank, but not as well as Warrior. To compensate, this class gets some holy magic, including the ability to Heal.

TEMPLAR
There are those heroes who embrace the code of chivalry and fight the good fight, but have not had the privilege of receiving the accolade. Yet they continue their quest, regardless of their status at court.

Garb ?? sash
Requirements None
Look the Part Heal 1/Life
Armor 4 points
Shields Medium
Weapons         Dagger, Short, Long, Javelin

Templar Abilities per Level
1st Scavenge (ex) 1/Life
2nd Harden (ex) 1/Life
3rd Heal (m) 1/Life
4th Release (m) 1/Life Charge x 3
5th Flame Blade (m) 1/Life
6th Adaptive Blessing (m) (self only) 1/Life

Class Abilities

Scavenge
T: Verbal S: Sorcery R: Self
I: “Scavenge”
E: Repair 1 point of armor in one location, a shield, or a weapon
L: Kill Trigger

Harden
T: Enchantment S: Protection R: Self
I: “I enchant thee with Harden” x 3
M: White strip
E: Bearers weapons or shield may only be destroyed by Magic Balls/Verbals which destroy objects, e.g. Fireball
L: Will only affect either the weapons or the shield of the bearer, not both.

Heal
T: Verbal S: Spirit R: Touch (others only)
I: “Sword Cut, spear stab, mace smash, arrow jab,
Let the white light of healing descend on thee.
Let the white light of healing stop thy spilling blood.
Let the white light of healing mend thy bones.
Let the white light of healing close thy wounds.
Let the white light of healing restore thy vigor.
The white light of healing hath healed thee.”
E: Heal a Wound.

Release
T: Verbal S: Sorcery R: Touch
I: “From thy bindings thou art released” x5
E: A single ongoing effect or State is removed from the target. Casters choice.
L: Cannot remove Cursed.

Flame
T: Enchantment S: Flame R: Self
I: “The element of fire shall infuse my weapons” x3
M: Red strip and white strip
E: Bearer’s melee weapons are Armor Breaking and Shield Crushing. Bearer and their weapons are Immune to Flame.

Adaptive Blessing
T: Enchantment S: Protection R: Self
I: “I enchant thee with this blessing” x3
M: White strip
E: Bearer becomes Resistant to one of the following Schools: Death, Flame, Subdual, Command, Sorcery. School is chosen at the time of casting. Does not count towards a player’s Enchantment limit, may not be worn with any other Enchantments from the Protection School.

Paladin Soft Kit

Lately I have been focused on a fighting kit for a paladin character, but what would a paladin wear outside of battle? I've been pondering this and have been researching kit from the crusader military orders. Here is a particularly useful site on Templar kit - The Noble Company and Order of St Maurice.

I've found quite a bit of useful items at Medieval Collectibles:

A plain linen coif

Topped by a beanie-style cap.

Round caps are also appropriate, but I think most people will associate the beanie with a religious figure.

I could also use a nice hooded cloak. It is available in cream.

I toyed with the idea of getting a proper monastic robe, but I think my tunic is fine. I could use another plus more tights.

Updated Paladin Kit

Here is my current paladin kit

I need to upgrade some elements. This is my latest wish list for a paladin kit. from head to toe:

Helmet
I like this helmet from Norton (http://www.nortonarmouries.com/product-page/spangenhelm-with-nasal-bar), in plain steel color. Size 62 cm (24.5")

Coif
My current coif is OK, although it bothers me from an authenticity standpoint that it uses velcro. I could upgrade with this one from Medieval Collectibles. Size Large.

Gambeson

I have a ranger's gambeson, but its tan color doesn't really look paladin-like. Also, it is too thick to wear under my chainmail. I can just wear chain over my tunic, but the metal stains the tunic. A nice gambeson, like this one, would help. Size Large.

Tabard
The tabard is a loaner. I need my own. I am going to try to make one, but if it doesn't work out there is always this one. Size Large. Color TBD. The red looks really good, but I am partial to blue myself.

Torso Armor
I currently have a nice set of aluminum chain mail. Unfortunately, it only covers down to the upper thighs. I'd like to extend coverage to my knees. Perhaps a chain skirt, such as these.

Ultimately, I'd also like to get a coat-of-plates. Currently working on making a set myself, although Alchemy Armory has a kit.

Arm and Leg Armor
My chain currently covers most of my arms, but there are times where I may not want to wear the chain. For example, I want to make/get a coat-of-plates, or I could just go with the gambeson. It would be nice to have some armor for my arms. However, I want it to be light - plastic light. Alchemy Armory has nice plastic armor (not as nice as Norton or Wyrmwick but functional and cheaper). Get the full arms. The tops of my legs will be covered by my chain skirt, but the shins are still vulnerable. Protect these with the greaves.

WISH LIST

• I will be ordering greaves ASAP.
• Next on my list is the helmet and gambeson.
• After that TBD

Heavy Metal

UPDATED Oct 28

I've been shopping around for stuff to make a paladin kit and found some metal armor at really decent prices.

A simple helmet for $60

10/28 update - I emailed the supplier, asking for the weight of the helmet. They responded that it is 3.8 pounds. Seems a bit heavy; I think I will stick with plastic.


Greaves for only $27

The question is do I really want to go with metal? Interestingly, metal is cheaper than either plastic or leather, but it is heavier. Still, I could use it with Dagorhir (can't use plastic for Dag) and I get extra armor points in Amtgard. Hmmm.

10/28 update - At yesterday's Dag battle, I tried out some metal greaves and bracers. The greaves felt fine; I wore them all day and barely noticed them. The bracers, however, were very uncomfortable. I may get the metal greaves but will definitely stick to plastic or leather for the bracers.

By the way, I really like this gambeson (only $49)

10/28 update - this gambeson is still on my wish list.

There are a few other things I have my eye on, but the above are my highest priorities.

More Paladin Wish List

I previously discussed some purchases I want to make to change my outfit to a paladin-y look,

Last weekend I went with a paladin look. I like how it turned out.

A few points about this kit:

• My aluminum chain really sells the knight in shining armor look. I'll have to wear it more.
• However, there is no armor coverage from the bottom of the hauberk to the knees. I can rectify that with a chainmail skirt (e.g. this).
• The tabard really makes the kit pop. I borrowed this from Artemis. I wonder if she'd be willing to sell it.
• Another upgrade would be silver or white greaves. I should order a pair from Alchemy.
• The coif is OK but I still want this one. Also, I could really use a helmet to top it off. I'm now leaning toward a simple spangenhelm.

Assault on King's Landing

Battle of Blackwater Bay - Part Two

Despite taking severe losses from Joffrey's wild fire (as accounted previously), the forces of Stannis Baratheon managed to land at the gates of King's Landing.

They rushed up the beach to the gates and began to batter them down. Joffrey's men sallied forth. There began a brutal fight under the walls of the beleaguered city.

But Stannis's troops proved too strong for Joffrey. The gates fell and the way into the city was open.

But then a trumpet sounded from the west. The struggling soldiers all turned to look. A new army, bearing the colors of the Lannisters and Tyrells, had arrived!

OOC Notes

• For the second part of the Game of Thrones scenarios, we played a castle battle. There were 2 entrances into the city. Stannis's troops had to annihilate their opposition.
• The scenario was intended for Stannis to win. His troops had unlimited lives while Joffrey's forces had 5 lives each. The goal was to eliminate the defenders as quickly as possible. I let each team be the attackers and then compared times. The second team (I forgot who was captain) won handily.
• This scenario was merely a set-up for the final scenario, which will be a fight for the fate of King's Landing pitting the reinforced Lannister/Tyrell forces vs. Stannis. We did not get to play it last weekend. If permitted, I will run another Game of Thrones day where we complete the battle.

Battle of Blackwater Bay

Part One

The navy of Stannis Baratheon, true heir to the throne of the Seven Kingdoms, slid into Blackwater Bay, preparatory for an attack on King's Landing. King Stannis was determined to end the reign of the bastard Joffrey, who erroneously claimed to be the eldest son of the late King Robert Baratheon. By taking the capital, Stannis would ascend the Iron Throne and gain the honor he deserved.

The vanguard of the fleet was met by a few paltry ships of the bastard. But then disaster struck.

A hail of wild fire struck the fleet, obliterating it in seconds. Although Ser Davos Seaworth was thrown from his ship, he was quickly rescued by the second wave and took command. He tried a flanking maneuver but was driven off.

Then, Sallador Saan led the remainder of the fleet in a mad rush across the bay. The wild corsairs under his command swept the enemy from the shore, establishing a foothold at the base of the walls of King's Landing. King Stannis landed and prepared to storm the city.

OOC Notes

• As I mentioned in my last post, the Kingdom of Neverwinter is doing a Game of Thrones themed reign, so I have been running GoT scenarios. Today we did the Battle of the Blackwater.
• The first scenario, described above, involved an amphibious landing. Stannis's army had 4 boats (sticks of Frost King foam) and had to make its way through the bay (the battlefield), land on shore, and seize a control point. To prevent them, Joffrey's force had 2 boats, and wild fire (fireballs). 
• I let each team take a turn as the invaders. In the first run, Xhorja (playing Davos) and his force was wiped out by fireballs in their first attempt. Later, Xhorja managed to make it to shore, but was quickly killed.
• In the second run, I limited the wild fire because it was too overpowering. I guess that was true to GoT. Also, the second team (led by Hollywood) tried a different strategy. They made a mad rush to the shore. Quickly overpowering the defenders, they seized the objective for the win.
• Next time, I will make the boats move at a walking pace. Hollywood's mad rush kind of broke the scenario, although it was good strategy.

A Quiet Time

From the pen of Brother Rufus of Freehaven.

For the most part, it has been a quiet time for the Shrouded Isles. We have heard of fighting between the Maakan and Me'owtzlan in the jungle of Tloth, but we have seen no sign of either the Undying or the Faedwyr. I suspect that may change someday, but for now we are enjoying the respite. I have returned to Freehaven where the Wardens are busy building up our settlement. We are building a new Heron Hall as well as a new fleet. We have abandoned the original Heron Hall, although we restored the chapel, which a small contingent of priests maintain. We have rebuilt and man Wyvernwatch Tower as well as Castle Kessog. For now, there is peace in the realm.

OOC Notes

• It has been a while since my last post. We're still playing but we haven't been advancing any lore. This is primarily because the Kingdom of Neverwinter is doing a Game of Thrones theme so I have run a few GoT scenarios. I didn't bother writing lore for them.
• We tried out Amtpocalypse a couple of months ago. Ember Shoals's current monarch is not particularly fond of post-apocalypse so we haven't tried again. I must admit that I'm OK with that. While it was an enjoyable change of pace, the presence of firearms greatly changes the dynamic. I'm more of a sword guy so I prefer the more melee-heavy dynamic of the medieval setting.
• A couple of Sundays ago I ran an archery booth at my church's Family Fun Day carnival. It was well received. I hope this will open the door to a LARP group at my church.

Wardens of the Wasteland

In a fit of madness, mankind ended the world.

But not all perished in the hell that mankind unleashed. Some animals and people unluckily survived. Over the years, their descendants tried to eke out a living in the vast wasteland. In this brutal landscape only the fittest survived. You became predator, or you became the prey.

However, some of us refused to degenerate to such levels. We banded together, tried to help each other, and began to form settlements scattered throughout the land. This attracted the attention of human predators - gangs of robbers and murderers who had no qualms about taking from others. They attacked travelers between the settlements and raided the weakest villages. We realized that we needed a band of warriors who would defend the settlements and protect the people.

And thus the Wardens of the Wasteland were born.

OOC Notes

• Soon our park will begin experiments with an Amtgard variant called Amtpocalypse. It is Amtgard in a post-apocalyptic setting, adding nerf guns to the weapons mix. I'm already thinking about lore for this new setting.

The Jungle of Tloth

Lying in the far south of Ember Shoals is the jungle of Tloth, a steamy expanse of dense foliage and strange creatures.

Tloth is the home of two sentient species, who have been battling for control of the jungle for generations. Then, mysteriously, both races seemed to disappear from Tloth.

Me'owtzlan

Most well known of the two sentient races are the Me'owtzlan, or cat-people.

Maakan

The Maakan are the bitter rivals of the Me'owtzlan. They are snake-like beings with arms like a human.

The Battle of the Zcrat Xeen Pozt
The Me'owtzlan reappeared when the Benevolent Antiquities Lodge (BAL) began excavating Me'owtzlan sacred sites, including the obelisk known as the Zcrat Xeen Pozt. Since then, they have been rebuilding their civilization.

The Maakan, however, remained in the shadows. Until one day . . .

The Me'owtzlan priests were at the Zcrat Xeen Pozt, preparing for the Midsummer celebrations. Suddenly, out of the jungle slithered a band of Maakan. They attacked the priests and put them to the sword. The survivors fled into the jungle, calling for help. A squad of Me'owtzlan warriors rushed to their aid.

One of the priests pleaded, "Do not let them defile the sacred Pozt!"

The warriors advanced into the clearing and engaged the Maakan. Alas, they were no match for the Maakan's poison. Soon they retreated from the site. The Maakan leader slithered up the Pozt. As it coiled its body around the obelisk, it lifted its head and jeered at the retreating Me'owtzlan.

"The jungle isss oursss, kittensss!"

Just Die Already

Apparently the Undying have not been completely defeated. Today we were victims of a zombie attack.

The Iron Hearts have been touring the island of Ember Shoals, searching for any signs of our enemies. So far things had been peaceful. However, we arrived at one town and were helping inter some of those who had recently been killed in the fighting. Suddenly our party was beset by a wave of Undying. They rushed the cemetery and quickly overwhelmed some of the townsfolk. The Iron Hearts then formed a defensive perimeter and pushed back the marauding undead.

Nevertheless, their numbers took its toll. More and more of the defenders fell to the zombies. I myself was wounded but was quickly healed. And it was fortunate that I was wearing armor - on more than one occasion it protected me from harm.

The situation was growing dire when I used the Broken Cross of St Kessog to call upon the power of the Lord. Our ranks rallied and we exterminated the remaining Undying. Our priests then blessed the corpses and we quickly buried them.

But now we must be wary of the return of the Undying.

OOC Notes

• Today we played a scenario of Zombie, which I have described as an Undying attack.
• In today's game, the zombies started with 4 players and the humans had 5. If you were killed by a zombie you became a zombie. However, if a human was wounded, he could be killed by a teammate and sent back to spawn. I describe this as being healed. It happened to me once during the battle.
• The zombies had infinite lives until the humans lost 2 players. Then the zombies could be destroyed for good.
• Today, the zombies whittled us down until only Ferrum and I were left. He then killed the last zombie (Artemis) but was killed simultaneously. He then turned on me but I managed to kill him, leaving me the last one standing.
• Armor helped immensely. I took a few hits but I was able to shrug them off due to armor.

Garb for Florida's Summers

When last I wrote about garb, my focus was on typical medieval European styles (the tunic and hosen look). I continue to wear the same style throughout the summer because I need the sun protection (thank you skin cancer). However, some people find such coverage to be a little stifling. There is, however, a way to look period and stay cool - look to the ancient world!

Ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian styles all provide comfortable options. Probably the easiest is a Greek chiton. It is simply two squares of cloth pinned or sewn together. That's it (although you may want to wear shorts underneath for modesty's sake).

A chiton

For a little more effort, you could make a tunica, which is essentially the LARP standard T-tunic. However, you can wear it by itself and you would look Roman!

More information about Greek and Roman garb can be found at this site.

Another option is to wear a kilt. The kilt is not just Scottish - warriors in other cultures wore what amounts to a kilt. Here is an example:

Egyptian warrior - from the movie The Ten Commandments

Or you could go the loincloth route.

All perfectly period forms of garb that will help you stay cool in the Florida sun. Just remember the sun screen!

Paladin Kit Wish List - Armor

I am fairly content with my ranger kit  but lately I find I really prefer melee-focused classes. In particular, I want to go back to a paladin look. In this post, I'll be jotting down some ideas.

The key to the paladin look is heavy armor. However, I don't actually want to wear anything heavy so I am looking at plastic armor.

Helmet
I love this Stormforge helmet from Wyrmwick. Painted in bright silver with gold highlights, it would look very paladin-y. My main concern is that the back may extend a bit too far down, preventing a full range of motion for my head.

A more practical option may be a spangenhelm. Wyrmwick has one as does Norton.

The spangenhelm leaves a lot of my neck uncovered. Not a big deal but I am worried about sun protection. I'm thinking of getting a sun mask, like this one from Coolibar. It looks like a medieval arming coif but is thinner and is made for sun protection (SPF 50). I would prefer it in black though.

Arms and Legs
Wyrmwick and Norton both offer full sets of armor but their prices are a bit stiff. Alchemy Armoury has some nice basic plastic armor for SCA use.

Yes, it's black but I suspect I could paint it. I'd like to get the full legs and full arms.

Torso
I've been toying with the idea of a coat of plates. I'm thinking it may be lighter and cooler than my chainmail (which I need to wear with a gambeson). Alchemy has a COP kit. The main issue with a coat of plates is that it typically only extends to the waistline.

I could extend coverage with a chainmail skirt. Found some on ebay.

If I go this route, I would want to cover up the chain. I could convert the coat of plates into an armored surcoat, which will extend down to about my knees.

The Winter King

As I recounted last time, the Iron Heart Accord had managed to hold off the attack of the Undying. Just when the Undying regrouped for another attack, they were beset by the Winter King!

Our joy at seeing the Undying routed was short lived, for the minions of the Winter King continued to rush forward, straight at us. They overwhelmed our defenses and rushed into the fort. At one point, I faced off against the Winter King himself. With an icy breath, he froze my shield then shattered it with a blow from his ax. He followed with a powerful blow that knocked aside my parry and sliced through my mail. Stunned and bleeding, I fell to the ground. My men pulled me from the fight. We retreated through the castle and made it out of a postern door.

The Winter King and his minions relentlessly pursued us. The we heard a horn blow from the west. Turning, an army crested a nearby ridge. Through the haze of blowing snow and ice, one of my men could see the army's flags.

"It is King Beast and Baronetas Xhorja!"

Reinforcements had come at last!

With a cheer, the royal army charged into the enemy. Xhorja led a ferocious band of orcs into the fray. He was also imbued by the orcish shamans with the power of nature. When the Winter King froze his forces, Xhorja called upon the powers of nature to free them from their icy bonds.

Cleaving and stabbing ferociously, Beast and Xhorja cut their way through the ice minions to the Winter King himself. Because of the swirling snow, I could not see who struck the blow, but one of the leaders pierced the Winter King's icy armor. He let out a howl of rage and pain. The ice minions raced to his aid and surrounded Beast and Xhorja. They found themselves in a desperate fight, surrounded by the enemy. But their sturdy blades decimated the minions. Soon, none were standing.

But what of the Winter King? He had withdrawn from the fight and now was standing upon a faraway hill overlooking the battlefield. "I shall be back!" he exclaimed, then retreated out of sight.

Once he left, the storm ceased, the snow melted, and birds began to sing. The sun warmed us; it felt like a glorious spring day.

In the aftermath of the battle, we searched far and wide across Ember Shoals. We could find no sign of the Winter King or his minions, of the Undying, or even of the Faedwyr. Could this mean peace for Ember Shoals, or are our enemies merely slumbering?


OOC Notes

• The part about me facing the Winter King is fanciful and included for narrative purposes only. I actually served as an ice minion. Beast and Xhorja played the role of the army opposing the Winter King while Artemis and I were minions. Rage was the Winter King.
• We used Amtgard militia rules. The scenario was mutual annihilation.
• The Winter King had a few abilities - 2 iceballs, Icy Touch of Death (wounds kill), armor and shield breaking. Xhorja had a Release.

Attack of the Undying

After being chased by the Undying to the Castle of St Kessog, we the Iron Heart Accord found ourselves under siege by the army of undead. We thought we had a large enough supply of food to sustain us until reinforcements arrived. Unfortunately, none came. Furthermore, our enemy did not have to worry about food or water - they could wait for us indefinitely. Oh, they tried a few assaults but we beat them back. After that, they seemed content to let us starve.

And it looked like their plan would work. As winter ended and spring sped on, we found our supplies dwindling. We cut our rations in half, and then in half again. We grew weak from malnutrition; we would be lucky to hold off any assaults. Then one day Brother Warren was praying in the chapel late one night. He placed a crust of bread upon the altar then went to sleep. When he awoke, he found an entire loaf where he placed the crust. He checked around but no one else went into the chapel that night. Was it a miracle? He tried it the next night, leaving a slice. In the morning their was an entire loaf. Surely St. Kessog was aiding us! That very night we placed our entire food supply in the chapel. The next morning it was overflowing with food. We were saved!

The Undying must have learned of the miracle, because they renewed their assaults upon the castle. They finally managed to destroy the gate and rushed en masse against the castle entrance.

Our warriors plugged the gap, holding off the undead with their shields. Occasionally, one of ours fell, only to have his brain eaten by the Undying. Our archers were busy thinning out their ranks, until we ran out of arrows. Then they picked up swords and joined the fray.

The numbers of undead proved to be irresistible. They stormed through our defenses, slaughtering any of our number in their way. They gained hold of the courtyard and were smashing through the doors to the keep.

Meanwhile, Brother Warren rallied the reserve in the keep. He strode to the door, the Cross of St Kessog (a holy relic of the revered saint) upon his chest. He called to his brothers-in-arms.

"Brothers!" he proclaimed, as he pointed to the relic. "St Kessog has already saved us once, providing us food in the direst of times. By this cross, he shall provide again. The battle is won, we only need to lift up our swords and chase of the foe! Who is with me?!"

The reserve cheered in unison and rushed to the door. They sallied through the doors and smashed into the Undying, hacking and slashing a path through the walking corpses. Then, an Undying blade lashed out and slashed Brother Warren across the chest, smashing the Cross of St Kessog. It split in two. There was a stunned silence - then a shock wave emanated from the broken cross. It cut down all the Undying in the courtyard. With renewed fervor, the Iron Hearts sallied from the castle, chasing down the last remnants of the assault.

However, I had to blow the horn to regroup the troops. In the distance, I could see Strifelord Ekthor rallying his forces for another attempt at the castle. Despite our momentary victory, he still had the numbers to overwhelm us. We had to be ready for a second assault.

But then we saw Ekthor turn away from us. He began to reorganize his lines, facing them in the opposite direction. Could it be? Reinforcements?

Then a bitter wind blew from beyond the lines of Undying. Icy rain and hail began to pound down upon the landscape. A frosty blast coated the trees with ice. In seconds, a chill winter had descended upon Ember Shoals. We could barely see anything, but we heard the sounds of battle. Then we could see the remnants of the Undying army fleeing from the field.

Out of a frosty haze a new army approached. They looked like shaggy white apes with blue faces. Urging them on was a tall, skeletal figure. His pinched skin was an icy bluish white. He wore a crown upon his head. He stopped, a expelled a deep breath. A blast of frigid air rushed from his mouth.

"Oh _____." one of the warriors next to me exclaimed.

"What?" I asked, scowling at his blasphemy

"Do you not know? Have you not heard the stories? If they be true, then we are as good as dead. For that appears to be the Winter King!"

 "_____!"


OOC Notes
It has been a few months but we finally got a chance to run another lore scenario. I am continuing the Holy War against the Undying, which began last year. Some notes:

• I (Rufus), Chris, and Orion played the Iron Heart Accord while Xhorja, Artemis, and Bas were the Undying.
• We played a castle battle, with the Undying trying to seize the control point and hold it for 30 seconds. The intention was to allow both sides take a turn as defenders. However, the heavens opened up and we got pummeled by rain, ending the game. I added it to the story, although in reality it wasn't icy.
• The incident with the cross is also based on an actual event. My wooden cross was broken in the midst of battle, although I did not notice it until later. I embellished the story for narrative purposes. Likewise, the Undying did break through the initial defense. Xhorja reached the control point and held it for 10 seconds before the defenders counterattacked, killed him, and drove off the rest of the undead. 
• We used Amtgard militia rules, with a couple of special scenario rules for flavor. The Undying were slow, but could eat the brains of any of their victims to gain a point of bubble armor. One member of the Iron Heart Accord had a swift heal ability.
• We did not get to the second scenario I had planned - the emergence of the Winter King. Stay tuned!

The Protector - Part 2

A continuation of the Protector class. Refer here for the first part.

Abilities
Level 4 - 
Sanctuary - (1 user per life. Range of 5’) - Anyone within 5’ of the Protector cannot be attacked. They may not fight but can otherwise act as normal. Maximum duration is a 30 count. The Protector must recite “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” (from Psalm 46:1). He or she must then chant “Sanctuary 1, Sanctuary 2, . . .” until reaching 30 or ending the protection.

Swords into Plowshares - (1 use per life, 1 recharge. Range of 20’) - The target player cannot use his or her weapon for 15 seconds. The Protector must call out the target player’s name and weapon and recite the verse “and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (from Isaiah 2:4)

Level 5 - 
Fear No Evil - (1 use per life. Range of Touch) - The blessed player gains 1 point of armor for each section. Treat like regular armor, but it cannot be repaired. The Protector must recite “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me” (from Psalm 23:4)

Hold Person - (1 use per life, 1 recharge. Range of 20’) - The target player must stop. Targets may not move their feet for 30 seconds, but they may speak, fight, use abilities, etc. as long as they don’t move. The Protector must call out the target player’s name and recite the verse “Stop and consider God’s wonders.” (from Job 37:14)

Level 6 - 
Resurrect - (1 use per life. Range of Touch but not Self) - The target player returns to life without having to return to the spawn point. The Protector must recite “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (from Revelation 21:4)

Smite - (1 use per life. Range of Touch to charge.) The Protector may charge and use a sling stone. The sling stone instantly kills a player that it hits. Shields do not protect against the stone. The Protector must recite “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations” (from Revelation 19:15) to charge the stone. Declare “Smite” when throwing.

The Protector - Part 1

It has been a while but I have been struggling with this class. Because the protector is a primarily a support class, it has more abilities. In general, it gets one offensive and one defensive ability per level. This greatly extends the write-up so I am splitting it into 2 parts.

The Protector
Protectors are holy warriors who primarily support their comrades through blessings and healing, although they have some offensive abilities.

Armor – None
Shields – None
Weapons – Rod (blue) and staff (double ended)


Fit the Role – Armor of God (see level 3)

Abilities
Level 1 - 
Heal - (1 per level per life. Range of Touch) - Restores a wounded limb to full health. Protector must recite “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” (from Jeremiah 7:14)

Breastplate of Righteousness - (1 per life; 1 recharge. Range of Touch) - The blessed player may ignore the first hit against him or her. The Protector must recite “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place” (from Ephesians 6:14)

Revelation - (1 per life, 1 recharge. Range of 20') - Removes Hidden status from one player. That player can then be affected as normal. Protector must recite "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things.” (from Daniel 2:22)

Level 2 -
Release - (1 per life, 1 recharge. Range of Touch) - Removes Trapped or Withered status from a player. Protector must recite “Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin.” (from Acts 13:39)

Wither - (1 per life, 1 recharge. Range of 20’) - Target player falls to his or her knees and cannot take any action except to defend him/herself for 15 seconds. Protector must recite “For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb” (from Psalm 37: 2)

Level 3 -
Armor of God - (1 per life. Range of Touch) - The blessed player may ignore the first two hits against him or her. Protector must recite “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11). When hit, the blessed player calls out “Armor of God”

Rushing Wind - (1 per life, 1 recharge. Range of 20’) - The target player must retreat 20’ directly away from the Protector. The Protector must call out the target’s name and recite the verse “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind” (from Acts 2:2)

Coming up - levels 4 to 6. They will include abilities like Sanctuary, Swords into Plowshares, Fear No Evil, Resurrect, and Smite.

Twas A Dream

As I was taking a nap this afternoon I had a very vivid dream. I normally don't remember my dreams but this one stuck in my mind so I wanted to get it down.

A ship full of Viking-like barbarians is fleeing from some catastrophe. In it is an extended family of the barbarians. The ship is captained by Thorvald, an experienced warrior. Accompanying him is his wife Elga, a young woman (who is likely a servant), 2 sons (one late teens, another about 9-10), and some of Thorvald's comrades in arms.

 

They are shipwrecked in a civilized land. They are rescued by someone from the civilized land and nursed back to health (a merciful priest perhaps) At first, the populace of the civilized land treat the castaways with suspicion and contempt. However, Thorvald wins them over by defeating a monster that was terrorizing the land.

One day most of the barbarians just disappear, leaving the two sons and the servant girl. Number 1 son then tries to track them down. One day, he is kidnapped. Number 2 son sees his brother being dragged off. He is distraught because he believes that someone from the civilized land committed the crime. He bursts into a meeting of their ruling council and accuses them. When they try to get rid of the boy, he grabs a kitchen knife and kills one of the council members. He then stands over the corpse, waving his bloody blade, and issues a challenge to the council.

"If you are innocent, prove it in a test of arms. I will fight any of you cowards and criminals!"

The sergeant at arms disdainfully agrees and stands before the kid. A ring forms around them. The boy realizes that his blade is bent. He states he cannot fight with a defective weapon. He demands that someone procures matching daggers. Someone finds some and hands them to the lad. He checks them and is satisfied. He throws one at the sergeant of arms, who is holding a wooden club. The dagger embeds itself in the club. The sergeant at arms and the rest of the crowd stare at the dagger in surprise.

The battle is over in no time. The boy easily dodges a clumsy attack by the sergeant at arms and stabs him through the heart. He then berates the council, calling them cowards, and pledges to find his family. The council does not try to stop him.

After many months of wandering, the boy comes to a series of caves inhabited by a strange race of humanoids. They are actually peaceful, and even seem to recognize him. They take him into their cave city, where he surprisingly finds his father and mother! I'm not sure how they got there, but they remained to help the beings. But what about his brother, the boys asks. His parents reply that he had been brought here and was safe. He was out wandering the land.

At that point, all activity in the cave stopped. Some monsters are seen moving through some of the adjacent tunnels. Thorvald explains to his son that the monsters were at war with the peaceful humanoids. He was helping his new friends against these evil creatures.

After supping with his family, the boy is alone in the tunnels when he is approached by a spirit, one of a race of spirits who appear to the barbarians. These spirits are like a person's conscience, guiding them if they are losing themselves to evil. The spirit tells the boy that he committed two murders, and must return to the civilized land to face the consequences for his crimes. In tears, the boy complains that they would kill him. The spirit replies that if that was what was needed for justice to be done, then so be it. However, there was another way; the boy could offer his services in recompense. It was a tradition in the boy's former homeland a person causing an accidental death could repay for it with seven years of service. The boy was to return to the civilized land and offer that deal. The boy wiped away his tears and sadly agreed.

"I will tell my father." the boy states determinedly. "I will go at once."

"No, not yet." The spirit replies gently. "Wait until you grow to be a powerful warrior. Then it will be your time."

That's when I woke up.

Wow, I thought. There are just SO many stories possible from this one dream. I could flesh out the story of Thorvald's escape and adventures in the civilized land. The war against the monsters, the eldest son's adventures, and the youngest's sons labors in recompense for his transgressions all make great fodder for stories. I guess I need to start writing.

The Warden Class

Next up is the Warden. It is kind of a cross between Amtgard's scout, assassin, and archer. Here is my first draft. Comments are welcome.

The Warden
Wardens are lightly armed warriors who patrol the wilderness, scouting for enemy incursions. They specialize in stealth and combat with missile weapons.

Armor – Cloth or leather; no metal
Shields – Small
Weapons – Missiles, Blue

Fit the Role – Dodge (1 use per life) – ignore a hit. “My help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:2)

Abilities
Level 1 - Hide (1 per life, 1 recharge. Self only) - Player is Hidden and cannot be affected in any manner (e.g. enemies cannot attack a hidden player). While hidden, the player cannot move, attack, or speak (except to end hiding). Player must recite “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble.” (from Psalms 32:7) to become Hidden. To end Hidden status, recite “He reveals mysteries from the darkness.” (Job 12:22)

Level 2 - Track (1 per life, 1 recharge. Range of 20') - Removes Hidden status from one player. That player can then be affected as normal. Player must recite "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things.” (Daniel 2:22)

Level 3 - Trap (1 per life, 1 recharge. Range of Touch to charge) - A sling stone can be treated as a bola, which Traps an opponent who is struck by it. A trapped player cannot move his or her feet but can still fight, speak, and be affected by other players. The trap lasts for 30 seconds. Player must recite “Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.” (Proverbs 14:19) to charge the stone. Declare “Trap” when throwing it at someone.

Level 4 - Free (1 per life, Range of Touch) - Removes Trapped status from a player. The Warden must recite “Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1)

Level 5 - Stalk (1 per life) - Player is Hidden (as per Hide). However, the player may move up to 50’ from where they began to stalk.  Player must recite “They slip by like reed boats, Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.” (Job 9:26). To end Hidden status, recite “He reveals mysteries from the darkness.” (Job 12:22). Note that Track also works on players who are stalking.

Level 6 - Fire Bomb (1 per life, 1 recharge. Range of Touch to charge) - A sling stone can be treated as a fire bomb, which counts as a Red weapon when it hits an opponent. Player must recite “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49) to charge the stone
Declare “Fire Bomb” when throwing it at someone.

The Guardian Class

Here is my first draft for the Guardian class. I combined my own ideas with those of Robb from the comments on my prior post.

• Note that Robb suggested "Champion" as the class name. I am leaning toward "Guardian" because I want to use "Champion" as a title. Nothing's fixed in stone though.

The Guardian

Guardians are powerful fighters who use their strength and skill to defeat the enemy. Because of their use of shields and armor, Guardians stand at the forefront of the battle line, ready to repel and smite attackers.

Armor – Any

Shields – Any

Weapons – Any melee

Fit the Role – War Cry (1 use per life)

Abilities:

Level 1 - Repair (1 per life, 1 recharge) - Adds 1 point back to a shield or section of armor. Player must recite "Let them repair the breaches of the house." (from 2 Kings 12:5)

Level 2 - Strengthen (1 per refresh) - An undamaged shield can now take 4 points of damage before being destroyed. Player must recite "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him." (from Psalms 28:7)

Level 3 - War Cry (1 per life) - All opponents within 20' of the Guardian must retreat outside a 20' radius and remain there for 15 seconds. Player must recite "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" (from Judges 7:20)

Level 4 - Armor of God (1 per refresh. Self only) - The Guardian may ignore the first 2 hits against him or her. Player must recite "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." (from Ephesian 6:11). When hit, call out "Armor of God"

Level 5 - Shield of Faith (1 per refresh. Self only) - The Guardian's shield is now indestructible for the duration of the current life. Player must recite "Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (from Ephesians 6:16). When the shield is hit, call out "Shield of Faith"

Level 6 - Archangel's Might (1 per refresh. Self only) - The Guardian's weapons now do double damage for the duration of the current life. Player must recite "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel." (from Thessalonians 4:16). When striking, call out the number of hits

Recharge

Some abilities may be reused after being recharged. The recitation for a recharge is:

But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

(from Isaiah 40:31)

Some Design Notes

• I dropped Rally Cry from Robb's suggested list. I prefer to keep healing as a province of the Defender (Healer) class but I'm debating about putting it back in just in case a side does not have a healer. I do like the current list and don't want to drop anything; perhaps I should add a seventh level?
• I added Repair as a 1st level ability. Given that the Guardian's main role is a tank, armor and shield become crucial. Thus, repairing them will be very beneficial.
• I also decided to give Repair a recharge to give more staying power to the Guardian. For recharge, I chose a verse that is longer than the others because a recharge should take a little time.
• I changed the frequency of most of the higher level abilities to once per refresh. Otherwise, they would effectively be permanently on for players of those levels.
• All the recitations to use an ability come from Bible verses. It is an idea I gleaned from the Spiritual Warfare RPG ( specifically Christian RPG).

Please feel free to share any constructive suggestions in the comments.

Next up - the Warden (scout) class. (love the name Robb!)

A Christian LARP

Recently my church did a survey asking parishioners how to get more people involved. I answered "run a LARP." I didn't expect a response, or perhaps that they might try to excommunicate me. Instead, to my surprise, the youth pastor approached me to learn more. She asked how to relate it to church. So easy! Knight school - train the participants to be Christian knights. Anyway, she loved the idea and looks like we'll be starting up in the fall.

So now my mind is flowing with ideas!

• I priced out the cost of getting basic supplies. It came out to about $15 for a sword, $25 for a shield, and $10 for a tabard. A total of $50 - not bad!
• I am working on a rules set for the group, so we don't have to use Dagorhir or Amtgard. It will be akin to Amt. Initially we are going to ban bows and arrows (yay!). I think we'll use spell balls and allow players to be "slingers" a la David.
• Toying with the idea of classes. I think I'll introduce some basic classes, but not the full Amt system. We'll start with 3 hero classes - Warriors (fighters who rely on hand-to-hand combat), Rangers (those who use stealth and missiles), and Defenders (who specialize in protective blessings)
• Defenders will be like Amt Healers, with some twists. Their allowed weapons are rod (blue weapon) or staff.
• The RPG Spiritual Warfare uses Bible verses as the verbal component to trigger "miracles" (aka spells). I would like to do something similar.

Living the Dream

I sparked a bit of an internet war last week when I posted a poll on Facebook asking my park if they wanted to revert to a freehold. This sparked responses from a few outsiders, including the king and the prime minister of Neverwinter, defending the value of kingdoms. Their comments made me even more determined to break free of Neverwinter.

Yesterday as I was driving to work, I pondered why I have such a visceral reaction to the Amtgard form of organization. I have laid out before some of my points of contention but I did not explain why. I don't think I ever thought why. But then it dawned on me - it was because of the Dream.

I first heard the term "the Dream" in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronims - the oldest medieval LARP out there, though they hate the term LARP). The Dream refers to the vision that members have with regard to their ideal experience in the shared faux medieval world.

What was my Dream? I'd love to see my park filled with knights and ladies of the royal court, chivalrously greeting one another and interacting. I'd love to bend my knee to my king or queen and personally offer my sword to him or her. I'd love to stand in battle and defend my monarch. I could go on.

The problem with Amtgard is that it hinders my Dream. Knights are scarce - as far as I know there are none in South Florida. The king / queen is typically distant and doesn't visit my park. The rules preclude me from creating the environment I'd love to see at my park.

What is the solution? Change the Amtgard rules (which won't happen) or go my own way. With the High Fantasy Society I can go my own way and live my Dream.

Metal Destruction

As recorded previously, an automaton was terrorizing the countryside. A band of rangers stumbled upon its handiwork and tracked its path of destruction. They quickly alerted the King of the Shrouded Isles.

King Beast formed a party along with Xhorja and Magnus. Guided by one of the rangers they rode to intercept the automaton.

When the thing saw them it lumbered inexorably toward them. Xhorja had been practicing his archery, however, and had a couple nasty surprises for the construct. First he loosed a destruction arrow. With one shot, the automaton's shield was gone. His next shot pinned the thing in place. Then Beast and Magnus leapt into the fray, hacking and slashing, knocking iron pieces from the automaton.

The construct lashed at, wounding Magnus. He had to retreat from battle. It then worked itself free and advanced on Xhorja. Once again he managed to pin it. The three heroes then finished it off.

The terror of the automaton was over. But where did it come from?

OOC Notes

• Today we hosted a day battle, but numbers were poor. Thanks to those that did show. I thoroughly enjoyed the fighting.
• We ran an Iron Man. Congrats to Newlok for his victory! 
• After Newlok had to leave, we played a class game with the remaining participants. I decided to bring back the automaton from last month. This time I was the automaton while Beast, Xhorja, and Magnus tried to hunt me down. Xhorja's special arrows proved to be decisive.

A Thought on Knighthoods

The primary mission of Amtgard (or any LARP organization) is to have fun.
Getting knighted is fun.
Therefore more knights is more fun!

The Gardener's Rod

While the army of the Undying besieges the Wardens and Iron Hearts, the defenders continue to make forays into the wilderness to gather supplies.

On one such expedition, the party came across a hidden pathway. Here they find the skeletal remains of a Warden. Searching him, they find the following note:

"I have been wounded during a melee with goblins. I can no longer keep up with the party so I have asked Shroudstar to leave me while she searches for the Rod."

The party leader sucked in his breath. This was a clue to the lost expedition on the quest to find the fabled Gardener's Rod!

Excitedly, the leader read more:

"It has been days and Shroudstar has not returned. Now I hear scuffling from the thickets. There could be trouble."

There was no more to the note.

The leader determined to press on, and hopefully discover the fate of Shroudstar and the Rod.

After traveling a bit further down the path, the woods parted and the group entered a secluded glen. In the middle was a statue, with a staff lying at its feet.

A pair of tall trees flanked the statue.

As the party approached, the trees came to life and attacked. At first, this assault forced the scouts back. They tried to counter, but their blades could barely nick the hardened trunks.

"We must get that rod!" called the leader.

One of the party, a bard from the Iron Heart Accord, began to chant. A powerful ray of energy emitted from him, shoving the trees away from the Rod. Another scout grabbed it, and began backing away, shielded by a third member of the party. Enraged, the trees rushed forward, but again the beam of energy forced them back. The party was able to retreat from the glen with the Rod in their possession. As they returned to the path, the trees ended their pursuit. The Gardener's Rod was theirs!

But what happened to Shroudstar and the Horn of the Hurricane?

OOC Notes

• This was the second scenario from our February HFS day.
• Xhorja, Artemis, and Ferrum played the scouting party while Beast and Blade were the trees (Amtgard oakens). I believe Xhorja played bard; in any event he used Shove to move the trees away. Ferrum was able to grab the Rod and Artemis protected his escape.
• According to our lore, Shroudstar had the Horn when her party was defeated by the oakens. Since then, she has not been spotted in Ember Shoals (IRL she moved from the area). So now I need to explain how we get the Horn back!