Weekend update
So this was my "I get to go play Realms" weekend and I went to North/South War.
The only disappointment was that our side didn't win, but Rhiassa had a great showing and there were more great moments and memories than I can really list. The biggest and best surprise was seeing Aeston get knighted into the Knights of the Realms, and being able to stand with the other members of the order now that they've changed the order's internal rules so that (if I understand correctly) once a KoR, always a KoR. For a while they were asking KoR to only wear the KoEF belt if they didn't attend enough events in a year.
All in all, I fought well. I'd like to think that I was one of the five best on our side, but I tend to be kind to myself in such matters. I mostly fought sword & shield and had a few wonderful runs defending my pikes and helping our flank roll though grimloch (when they weren't rolling through us, that is). At one point I managed to block two incoming arrows with one shield move for the pikeman on my left and then a few seconds later, blocked two more incoming arrows with a shield block for the pikeman on my right. It was sweet, and I got a few compliments from some very very good pikeman (Eldritch, Wil, Maverick, etc...)
I was incredibly proud to see Aeston get knighted. I was incredibly proud to be able to fight with Aeston and Da'oud on the same line and know that I had a hand (however small) in their training and development. They are both so good and between the three of us we made an awesome combination. I'm not sure many trios on site Saturday would have had an easy time with us, and on Sunday only a few would have given us a run for our money.
I was also so happy to see Sybil there, and hope to see more of her. Some of my best fighting moments of the weekend were fighting shield for Areni, who has not only picked up pike, but was kicking ass and taking names. That was so much fun and I really hope I have lots of chances to shield for her in the future.
Seeing Mohan step up and grow into more of a leadership role was really great and getting a chance to hang out, talk with, and fight alongside Symir was great as well. He's only getting better and I look forward to someday seeing him start moving into the upper ranks of Realms fighters. Last but certainly not least, seeing Kyntella continue to fight with us and help to make Rhiassa a great nation and effective fighting force (when I could easily see her moving on to Grimloch) always makes me happy. She is getting very very good (esp with hand and a half), as are so many of our guys.
It was also a ton of fun being able to fight with Maverick. I have a surprise in mind for him for the next time we hire him (possibly next No/So). It was great to have him with us, and I hope we can manage to keep him in our line for as many years as possible. He's grown into his belt and has become a great leader and one of the best fighters out there. It almost seems greedy to try to snap him up again next year but I really hope we can manage to do so. Maybe he was the extra pop that put our squad over the top this weekend (at least in terms of our ability to so often stand up to Grimloch)...
All in all, while nothing will ever replace my memories of old Rhiassa dominating North/South, this year was a wonderful glimpse of what we have ahead of us if we keep our focus, keep training, keep growing, and keep having fun. This year rocked, but it's only a glimmer of what's to come. A little more skill, a few more members, fewer gaps in my armor (!) and we will be truly sick. As it was, we stood up to the best fighters in the Realms this past weekend and came within a hair's breadth of winning the event.
OK - enough rambling. I'm off today and dantesmom and I are heading off to see Star Trek in Londonderry. I'm betting it's a movie best seen in the theater... I'm also trying to rest and recover - my legs ache like crazy and a day to relax is definitely in order.
Cheers!
The only disappointment was that our side didn't win, but Rhiassa had a great showing and there were more great moments and memories than I can really list. The biggest and best surprise was seeing Aeston get knighted into the Knights of the Realms, and being able to stand with the other members of the order now that they've changed the order's internal rules so that (if I understand correctly) once a KoR, always a KoR. For a while they were asking KoR to only wear the KoEF belt if they didn't attend enough events in a year.
All in all, I fought well. I'd like to think that I was one of the five best on our side, but I tend to be kind to myself in such matters. I mostly fought sword & shield and had a few wonderful runs defending my pikes and helping our flank roll though grimloch (when they weren't rolling through us, that is). At one point I managed to block two incoming arrows with one shield move for the pikeman on my left and then a few seconds later, blocked two more incoming arrows with a shield block for the pikeman on my right. It was sweet, and I got a few compliments from some very very good pikeman (Eldritch, Wil, Maverick, etc...)
I was incredibly proud to see Aeston get knighted. I was incredibly proud to be able to fight with Aeston and Da'oud on the same line and know that I had a hand (however small) in their training and development. They are both so good and between the three of us we made an awesome combination. I'm not sure many trios on site Saturday would have had an easy time with us, and on Sunday only a few would have given us a run for our money.
I was also so happy to see Sybil there, and hope to see more of her. Some of my best fighting moments of the weekend were fighting shield for Areni, who has not only picked up pike, but was kicking ass and taking names. That was so much fun and I really hope I have lots of chances to shield for her in the future.
Seeing Mohan step up and grow into more of a leadership role was really great and getting a chance to hang out, talk with, and fight alongside Symir was great as well. He's only getting better and I look forward to someday seeing him start moving into the upper ranks of Realms fighters. Last but certainly not least, seeing Kyntella continue to fight with us and help to make Rhiassa a great nation and effective fighting force (when I could easily see her moving on to Grimloch) always makes me happy. She is getting very very good (esp with hand and a half), as are so many of our guys.
It was also a ton of fun being able to fight with Maverick. I have a surprise in mind for him for the next time we hire him (possibly next No/So). It was great to have him with us, and I hope we can manage to keep him in our line for as many years as possible. He's grown into his belt and has become a great leader and one of the best fighters out there. It almost seems greedy to try to snap him up again next year but I really hope we can manage to do so. Maybe he was the extra pop that put our squad over the top this weekend (at least in terms of our ability to so often stand up to Grimloch)...
All in all, while nothing will ever replace my memories of old Rhiassa dominating North/South, this year was a wonderful glimpse of what we have ahead of us if we keep our focus, keep training, keep growing, and keep having fun. This year rocked, but it's only a glimmer of what's to come. A little more skill, a few more members, fewer gaps in my armor (!) and we will be truly sick. As it was, we stood up to the best fighters in the Realms this past weekend and came within a hair's breadth of winning the event.
OK - enough rambling. I'm off today and dantesmom and I are heading off to see Star Trek in Londonderry. I'm betting it's a movie best seen in the theater... I'm also trying to rest and recover - my legs ache like crazy and a day to relax is definitely in order.
Cheers!