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.