Lione Weekend:
Or: What do you mean it's Wednesday already!? Ack! Ack!
Ok, so, last weekend was the June Lione event. Anybody who reads this probably already knows that. It was an outstanding event. A flood of new players and a large number of scripts really helped to push it over the top. The down side is that I was so busy for the entire event that I am absolutely certain there are details that I have completely forgotten about at this point. I keep wanting to do in-detail post event letters but I keep forgetting and then when I get around to it I have forgotten so many details that I wind up not bothering. Not this time, though! Without further ado:
From the journal of Acolyte Kiral Nadav Adir Hannan Rushdam, War leader of the Glorious Throne of Summer Thunder -
This past weekend saw two important events. Firstly there was the Ascension of Summer. Secondly there was the Summer Solstice celebration. Of course, all of us of the Summer Throne currently in Dawn's Refuge turned out in our finest, with tokens for the Throne altar prepared and ready to step into the leadership of the expedition.
As we stood in front of the Oasis, chatting and awaiting the rumored arrival of high dignitaries from our homeland, master Kareem arrived to let us know that his very brother, the High Summoner, was indeed on his way, but that he wasn't expected to arrive for several more days. Almost literally just then, a cry, a summons of the Summer Throne, was heard across the lower field near the Oasis, but fog had rolled in with the fall of night and obscured our view of who approached.
Imagine our surprise when, out of the fog, stepped not only the High Summoner, but an entire procession of the Summer Throne! Servants, bearing gifts, prestigious Throne members, and indeed one of the very advisers to the Zenith! There was music, and dancing, even fireworks!
Of all the things I had expected, this was not it. It seems the High Summoner commissioned a boat capable of making the three month journey here in a fraction of that time. I should not have been surprised, as after all, he did send the original Summer contingent to this island through a magical Gate. What struck me most of all, though, was this: They did this for us. These dignitaries left the comfort of their homes, and even if very quickly, traveled to a place that, at best, they might describe as painfully rustic. All to show their support of us, here in this place. Of course each and every one of them no doubt has plans and schemes of personal benefit from all this, but even so. It was a sight that made me proud of my homeland. No other Throne has put on such a show of support of it's people.
I had a long discussion with the High Summoner, explaining to him the apparent nature of the abandoned city beneath Shadow's Edge, and the map that was found there. We spoke of other things, as well, and he seemed at least slightly impressed with my general understanding of the situation. I spoke to others, as well, including Nadjeerah, whom I had met at the Midwinter feast. It was only as the sun began to brighten the sky just before dawn that I went to bed, having very much enjoyed, in turn, the infectious enthusiasm and the consummate grace that those two brought with them. (Even if the High Summoner did make those of the other Thrones nervous, rapping the gate smartly with his cane. For that matter, he made *me* a touch nervous when he spoke of building a vortex into the Gate.)
There was entertainment, as well, and I stepped up to take a turn at the drum.
The next day dawned entirely too bright, and entirely too early. I rose, bathed, and dressed well before Abia and her helpers prepared the morning meal, which included a special treat in honor of our Ascension. After breakfast we were told of what we would likely be hoped to accomplish that day... attuning five crystals, one for each of the schools of Magic, so that the High Summoner could perform a ritual to further stabilize the gate, to allow our home Thrones to send projections into the Oasis, so that we could more easily communicate with them.
We accomplished much this day, though the exact sequence of events runs together in my mind. I personally helped my Throne to escort the Clockwork guild's digger on it's path to sample the mineral content of the ridge line not far from the Oasis, helped charge the Crystal of Corruption (We were returning to the Oasis when we discovered a good portion of the town, especially the Autumn throne, in combat with a powerful spirit. When an Autumn crusader salted the spirit, instead of being banished it stood up again, whole once more. It was then that I realized the crystal of Corruption was needed, fortunately at the time I had it in my pocket, and was able to begin siphoning the spirit's corruption into the crystal. Sadly, I was distracted for a moment, moving to help the fallen, and Hassim took the brunt of the spirit's wrath as it's power was drained into the crystal, and he was afflicted with True corruption.
I also helped to charge the Sun crystal, which was done by appeasing the Arcana of Sun and Moon, who had previously been angered by Master Kareem, along with the rest of the Arcana. Later in the evening, I and the other three Oathsworn to the Summer battle banner Anwar Alim charged the Blight crystal, by first taking out a number of goblins in the woods, and then by infiltrating an Eclipse stronghold and assassinating two of their Human leaders. I myself wielded the blade that ended the two of them, though it wasn't planned that way, more a matter of opportunity. In reporting back to Nadjeerah later, she seemed somewhat surprised by the fact that I was largely unbothered by the actions I had taken. I can see why... it seems that many she had spoken to had given their estimation of me as a gentle man, and their estimations would not be far wrong. However... the Eclipse are my enemy, and the enemy of all I hold dear. They would not hesitate an instant to slay me if they had the chance, and I will not honor them by holding their lives more dearly than they hold mine.
Very nearly the entire town participated in the crystal of Fate's charging. I am still unsure exactly what happened... we traveled, somehow. Perhaps as spirits. We stepped into another time and place, and were hailed as Brothers of Heorogar. I at first thought we were fighting in the War of the Forgotten, a conflict I have heard a little bit about within the Winter throne. I may have been incorrect, however, and the battle we fought may have been a smaller conflict, the one that led to Eoelm Osterstrom's initial Banishment. In any case... I was there. I was Kiral, but I was also a warrior of Winter, for a brief time. It was I who fired the first shot from the siege weapon that breached Osterstrom's defenses. The fighting was fierce, indeed, and as we rushed through the breach in the wall, and I found myself squaring off against Ostrestrom himself. We share taste in weapons, but such was his skill with a long weapon that he struck mine aside, and then slew me with a single blow.
At least, so I thought, for as I fell, I found myself sprawled upon the pillows of the Altar of the Summer Throne, having lost neither Gift nor Godsend, but with a clear memory of receiving that death blow. I can only assume the magic that brought me to that place and time prevented my death there.
I also was finally able to speak to Erryl of the Dawn about totems, and how best to attract their attention. I will soon have a symbol of Lion to wear on my person, I can only hope that my efforts thus far have been noted, along with my placing a symbol of Lion as the offering linking me to my Throne in this place. Later, I was able to participate in a battle against spirits that were attempting to supplant the animal Totems, arriving just in time to help cut down, and deliver a death blow, to the Enemy of Lion. Truly the spirits were with me then to arrive at such a fortuitous time.
That night, after all the crystals were charged, we brought them to the High Summoner and he prepared for the ritual. Five were selected to perform simultaneous Games with Fate, and the rest of us took up positions to defend the ritualists. I myself stood near to protect Erryl and Dander, who was one of the Ritualists. Erryl was dumbfounded when the Spirit of Fate instructed her to slay Dander if he cheated at the Game. Fate can be uncaring, but never before have I seen the spirit be THAT cruel. My attention was taken from them soon after, as, while the High Summoner focused the Gate's ritual, spirits poured forth from it to try and disrupt the ritualists. the High Summoner put on an awesome and terrifying display of power, draining his attendant Djinni of more and more of their essence, until they literally shriveled up and died from losing it all.
in the end, the ritualists succeeded, with three of the five, as I later heard, achieving critical success. Huzzah!
Later in the evening, as I and my Throne mates spoke to Nadjeerah, it became apparent that the others of my Throne were concerned that her Offering was, in fact, a poison. It seems there is a Summer flower known to the Assassin's guild that, distilled one way, makes a most deadly points, and another way, makes a most glorious scent. Upon finding out that the others thought it might just be poison, I resolved to find out. I retrieved the bottle from the Altar (Rude, perhaps, but what was I going to do, let anyone say I had only pretended to go smell it?) and brought it back to the Oasis, where I set it on the table, and unstoppered it. Leaning over, I inhaled deeply... and it was the most glorious scent I had ever smelled. Even now, days later, I can clearly bring it to mind, but it defies my ability to describe.I can only smile, if asked, and say that any who wish to try it had better be sure they are strong of heart. The smell so overloaded me that I actually passed out, briefly, much to the consternation of the onlookers who were, just for a second or so, convinced I had just died of poison.
I even, during the day, found a chance to give a Solstice gift. In other conversations, I had discovered that the Spring ritualist, Nadiya, has chosen to walk the path of the Maker. Since I happened to have one, I chose to give her an appropriate gift as a gesture of friendship. I gave her the Maker symbol that my adopted mother gave to me when I left the tribe, saying the same words: "I think you will need this more than I".
It was another late night, and I fell into bed exhausted, sleeping soundly and with a clear conscience.
The morning of the Game of Houses went smoothly enough. Summer, as expected, won the Will of the Caucus, by a significant margin thanks to Hassim. After the Game, we traveled to the Pumpkin Patch, in order to deal a blow to the evil animated plants when they were at their weakest. After some travel, we arrived to find spirits, pumpkin heads, and a large, animate clump of vines. After cutting the vines apart and having them reform a number of times, Kasch suggested we try to pick the fruit growing from the vines. We did so, but the stems were too hard and strong to make it easy. I then used my weapon to strike off the entire fruit-bearing branch, and to my surprise and delight it worked, the vines grew still and the corruption faded from them. However, we then were bewitched by a spirit, and grew lost in the pumpkin patch. The spirit at times caused many of us to become frenzied, and we spent much more time fighting each other than fighting it. Apparently our spilled blood was pleasing to the spirit, and eventually it let us go.
Ok, so, last weekend was the June Lione event. Anybody who reads this probably already knows that. It was an outstanding event. A flood of new players and a large number of scripts really helped to push it over the top. The down side is that I was so busy for the entire event that I am absolutely certain there are details that I have completely forgotten about at this point. I keep wanting to do in-detail post event letters but I keep forgetting and then when I get around to it I have forgotten so many details that I wind up not bothering. Not this time, though! Without further ado:
From the journal of Acolyte Kiral Nadav Adir Hannan Rushdam, War leader of the Glorious Throne of Summer Thunder -
This past weekend saw two important events. Firstly there was the Ascension of Summer. Secondly there was the Summer Solstice celebration. Of course, all of us of the Summer Throne currently in Dawn's Refuge turned out in our finest, with tokens for the Throne altar prepared and ready to step into the leadership of the expedition.
As we stood in front of the Oasis, chatting and awaiting the rumored arrival of high dignitaries from our homeland, master Kareem arrived to let us know that his very brother, the High Summoner, was indeed on his way, but that he wasn't expected to arrive for several more days. Almost literally just then, a cry, a summons of the Summer Throne, was heard across the lower field near the Oasis, but fog had rolled in with the fall of night and obscured our view of who approached.
Imagine our surprise when, out of the fog, stepped not only the High Summoner, but an entire procession of the Summer Throne! Servants, bearing gifts, prestigious Throne members, and indeed one of the very advisers to the Zenith! There was music, and dancing, even fireworks!
Of all the things I had expected, this was not it. It seems the High Summoner commissioned a boat capable of making the three month journey here in a fraction of that time. I should not have been surprised, as after all, he did send the original Summer contingent to this island through a magical Gate. What struck me most of all, though, was this: They did this for us. These dignitaries left the comfort of their homes, and even if very quickly, traveled to a place that, at best, they might describe as painfully rustic. All to show their support of us, here in this place. Of course each and every one of them no doubt has plans and schemes of personal benefit from all this, but even so. It was a sight that made me proud of my homeland. No other Throne has put on such a show of support of it's people.
I had a long discussion with the High Summoner, explaining to him the apparent nature of the abandoned city beneath Shadow's Edge, and the map that was found there. We spoke of other things, as well, and he seemed at least slightly impressed with my general understanding of the situation. I spoke to others, as well, including Nadjeerah, whom I had met at the Midwinter feast. It was only as the sun began to brighten the sky just before dawn that I went to bed, having very much enjoyed, in turn, the infectious enthusiasm and the consummate grace that those two brought with them. (Even if the High Summoner did make those of the other Thrones nervous, rapping the gate smartly with his cane. For that matter, he made *me* a touch nervous when he spoke of building a vortex into the Gate.)
There was entertainment, as well, and I stepped up to take a turn at the drum.
The next day dawned entirely too bright, and entirely too early. I rose, bathed, and dressed well before Abia and her helpers prepared the morning meal, which included a special treat in honor of our Ascension. After breakfast we were told of what we would likely be hoped to accomplish that day... attuning five crystals, one for each of the schools of Magic, so that the High Summoner could perform a ritual to further stabilize the gate, to allow our home Thrones to send projections into the Oasis, so that we could more easily communicate with them.
We accomplished much this day, though the exact sequence of events runs together in my mind. I personally helped my Throne to escort the Clockwork guild's digger on it's path to sample the mineral content of the ridge line not far from the Oasis, helped charge the Crystal of Corruption (We were returning to the Oasis when we discovered a good portion of the town, especially the Autumn throne, in combat with a powerful spirit. When an Autumn crusader salted the spirit, instead of being banished it stood up again, whole once more. It was then that I realized the crystal of Corruption was needed, fortunately at the time I had it in my pocket, and was able to begin siphoning the spirit's corruption into the crystal. Sadly, I was distracted for a moment, moving to help the fallen, and Hassim took the brunt of the spirit's wrath as it's power was drained into the crystal, and he was afflicted with True corruption.
I also helped to charge the Sun crystal, which was done by appeasing the Arcana of Sun and Moon, who had previously been angered by Master Kareem, along with the rest of the Arcana. Later in the evening, I and the other three Oathsworn to the Summer battle banner Anwar Alim charged the Blight crystal, by first taking out a number of goblins in the woods, and then by infiltrating an Eclipse stronghold and assassinating two of their Human leaders. I myself wielded the blade that ended the two of them, though it wasn't planned that way, more a matter of opportunity. In reporting back to Nadjeerah later, she seemed somewhat surprised by the fact that I was largely unbothered by the actions I had taken. I can see why... it seems that many she had spoken to had given their estimation of me as a gentle man, and their estimations would not be far wrong. However... the Eclipse are my enemy, and the enemy of all I hold dear. They would not hesitate an instant to slay me if they had the chance, and I will not honor them by holding their lives more dearly than they hold mine.
Very nearly the entire town participated in the crystal of Fate's charging. I am still unsure exactly what happened... we traveled, somehow. Perhaps as spirits. We stepped into another time and place, and were hailed as Brothers of Heorogar. I at first thought we were fighting in the War of the Forgotten, a conflict I have heard a little bit about within the Winter throne. I may have been incorrect, however, and the battle we fought may have been a smaller conflict, the one that led to Eoelm Osterstrom's initial Banishment. In any case... I was there. I was Kiral, but I was also a warrior of Winter, for a brief time. It was I who fired the first shot from the siege weapon that breached Osterstrom's defenses. The fighting was fierce, indeed, and as we rushed through the breach in the wall, and I found myself squaring off against Ostrestrom himself. We share taste in weapons, but such was his skill with a long weapon that he struck mine aside, and then slew me with a single blow.
At least, so I thought, for as I fell, I found myself sprawled upon the pillows of the Altar of the Summer Throne, having lost neither Gift nor Godsend, but with a clear memory of receiving that death blow. I can only assume the magic that brought me to that place and time prevented my death there.
I also was finally able to speak to Erryl of the Dawn about totems, and how best to attract their attention. I will soon have a symbol of Lion to wear on my person, I can only hope that my efforts thus far have been noted, along with my placing a symbol of Lion as the offering linking me to my Throne in this place. Later, I was able to participate in a battle against spirits that were attempting to supplant the animal Totems, arriving just in time to help cut down, and deliver a death blow, to the Enemy of Lion. Truly the spirits were with me then to arrive at such a fortuitous time.
That night, after all the crystals were charged, we brought them to the High Summoner and he prepared for the ritual. Five were selected to perform simultaneous Games with Fate, and the rest of us took up positions to defend the ritualists. I myself stood near to protect Erryl and Dander, who was one of the Ritualists. Erryl was dumbfounded when the Spirit of Fate instructed her to slay Dander if he cheated at the Game. Fate can be uncaring, but never before have I seen the spirit be THAT cruel. My attention was taken from them soon after, as, while the High Summoner focused the Gate's ritual, spirits poured forth from it to try and disrupt the ritualists. the High Summoner put on an awesome and terrifying display of power, draining his attendant Djinni of more and more of their essence, until they literally shriveled up and died from losing it all.
in the end, the ritualists succeeded, with three of the five, as I later heard, achieving critical success. Huzzah!
Later in the evening, as I and my Throne mates spoke to Nadjeerah, it became apparent that the others of my Throne were concerned that her Offering was, in fact, a poison. It seems there is a Summer flower known to the Assassin's guild that, distilled one way, makes a most deadly points, and another way, makes a most glorious scent. Upon finding out that the others thought it might just be poison, I resolved to find out. I retrieved the bottle from the Altar (Rude, perhaps, but what was I going to do, let anyone say I had only pretended to go smell it?) and brought it back to the Oasis, where I set it on the table, and unstoppered it. Leaning over, I inhaled deeply... and it was the most glorious scent I had ever smelled. Even now, days later, I can clearly bring it to mind, but it defies my ability to describe.I can only smile, if asked, and say that any who wish to try it had better be sure they are strong of heart. The smell so overloaded me that I actually passed out, briefly, much to the consternation of the onlookers who were, just for a second or so, convinced I had just died of poison.
I even, during the day, found a chance to give a Solstice gift. In other conversations, I had discovered that the Spring ritualist, Nadiya, has chosen to walk the path of the Maker. Since I happened to have one, I chose to give her an appropriate gift as a gesture of friendship. I gave her the Maker symbol that my adopted mother gave to me when I left the tribe, saying the same words: "I think you will need this more than I".
It was another late night, and I fell into bed exhausted, sleeping soundly and with a clear conscience.
The morning of the Game of Houses went smoothly enough. Summer, as expected, won the Will of the Caucus, by a significant margin thanks to Hassim. After the Game, we traveled to the Pumpkin Patch, in order to deal a blow to the evil animated plants when they were at their weakest. After some travel, we arrived to find spirits, pumpkin heads, and a large, animate clump of vines. After cutting the vines apart and having them reform a number of times, Kasch suggested we try to pick the fruit growing from the vines. We did so, but the stems were too hard and strong to make it easy. I then used my weapon to strike off the entire fruit-bearing branch, and to my surprise and delight it worked, the vines grew still and the corruption faded from them. However, we then were bewitched by a spirit, and grew lost in the pumpkin patch. The spirit at times caused many of us to become frenzied, and we spent much more time fighting each other than fighting it. Apparently our spilled blood was pleasing to the spirit, and eventually it let us go.