Drachenfest 2012

[janestarz]

This is the fourth time I visited this week-long event, and the second time as an organiser. I run a group called the Anarquendor, consisting of some 30 elves from the Netherlands (and one guy from Belgium we really like). It can be hard sometimes to keep track of which day it is, and because we're on the game grounds for a week this will be quite a long story, so please bear with me.

This year we had an exceptional amount of shit thrown our way, but most of it was IT. Or at least, we tried to handle it IT as much as we could. One of the things I am really proud of is that we three organisers/command, could shelter the others somewhat from what was going on. This kept the situation play-able and things did not go sour at all for our group. But we'll get to that when we get to that.

Monday
I was mostly ready with my preparations on Sunday evening. Dishes done, note for the catsitter, etc, etc. When Monday morning came and the people who would pick me up parked in front of the house, all that was left for me to do was feed the cats and pick up my backpack with essentials (SPF 50, phone, wallet, Drachenfest ticket, glasses and sunglasses and my driver's license). The others that piled out of the bus and car made sure the enormous pile of boxes and things that needed to be taken along got loaded into the bus.
And we were off!

We drove to Uden, where the Enneade group has their storage and we loaded benches and tables into the bus, securing them standing up against one side. This was the final stop before our trip truly began, and although we paused next to the road in Germany, we made good time. There was a little detour due to the A44 being closed (if I recall correctly) but in the end we pulled up to the queue trying to enter the terrain.
The Green camp was very nearly in exactly the same spot as the year before, but instead of the Gold being our neighbour and having an empty hillside for Tai Chi practice next to us, we were now flanked by Chaos on the hill and Black in Gold's old spot. The rest of the camps were shuffled a bit too, but I was happy that the Red was still on the other side of the field (I'm no fan of Red).

Tents were unloaded and Diverteddreamer organised people and where they should pitch the tents. As soon as the kitchen tent was erected, we started work on the kitchen and Eferillion got the two tiny refridgerators working. Twilightbanana went over to the supermarket somewhere halfway the day to get supplies for dinner, and slowly but surely the huge 22 x 22 meter camp place we had been granted, filled up to a good home.
The other cars started arriving too. Immanuel and Ivrellith were a bit later because of troubles with their car being loaded with too much weight, and Dreek and Lalaith didn't join our caravan out of Uden, arriving with the final living room tent. We set up the tables and benches, the Captain's chair, the rug (we have a rug! That still cracks me up) and when Twi returned from groceries he could start on dinner. Pasta! A rich, carbo-hydrate filled meal that each of us could use.

Tuesday
Although being cold for most of the night, the morning was fresh and bright and after two seconds in my black t-shirt I decided it might be better to wear my awesome Tommy Hilfiger sleeveless polo. Keffie and others worked on the garden and created a tiny, triangular pond that was of course instantly abused for cooling the Command's feet. *grin*
Since we can't keep using the pond for this purpose, Immanuel set to work on a square meter footbath on the other side of the main tent entrance.
The tarp was erected as a welcoming portal and entrance to our camp, the shrine was pioneered together from fallen wood from the nearby forest, the garden got its finishing touches and I worked on my chain mail. I had decided pretty last-minute to try and finish my scale mail skirt, and it needed several rows of European 4-in-1 to make it wearable. I even finished it, except for the final row at the top nobody will ever see anyway.

Some briefings continued with the bodyguards, having a new member in their midst, and Diverteddreamer went to town to buy a necklace for Sairahiniel, who stepped down from Command but took on the position of Emerwen (Keeper). I also visited town to buy some ear cuffs at a cheerful blacksmith, but they turned out to be too small for comfort after putting on the elf ears.
By the time dinner came around everyone dressed up. Last year we had visitors hoping to persuade us in voting for their candidate on Tuesday night and although Tegingûr was against it at first, perhaps the sheer peer pressure of everyone dressing up in their costumes changed his mind. We made the rounds through the camp, mainly to show "hey, we're here and we're IT, come play with us." but some others interpreted it as "Look at us being awesome." I was briefed afterwards about the rumours and grumbles the others picked up.

Please note that in the bit of IT explanation, I might write "I told..." or "I ordered..." but in truth, I could not have done it without my trusty right hands: Lyavanna and Tegingûr. We three are Command, the ones leading the Anarquendor, and we work together as a team.

Wednesday
Another fitful night of sleep later (this will be a recurring theme throughout the report, as I haven't slept well on the Drachenfest at all but it's so bland to start each day with breakfast) I dressed up in my costume again and glued back the ears. The breakfast of Champions was already being prepared by Sulein and the living room looked wonderful as everything was in place.

It wasn't long before our first visitor arrived. The Avatarin herself, dressed in an open skirt and leggings, a top and a loose jacket, entered our tent. We made a place for her in the livingroom and I ordered pancakes with Sulein, who set to cooking.
As the Avatar was seated, most of the Anarquendor gathered round, as they knew I would have a gift for the Avatar. Lyavanna held it in her lap and when she gave it to me, I presented it to the Avatar.
"It's a new dress." she said, surprised at the contents.
"A gift from the elves of Weylin." I said.
The avatar stood, and shrugged out of her jacket. I motioned for Sairahiniel, my sister, to help the avatar dress. I noticed that all the male elves had averted their gaze. Most were looking outside the tent, their heads turned away so the Avatar would not feel exposed. She seemed not to have any problem disrobing in front of us, and stepped out of her skirt. Sairahiniel pulled the dress over the Avatar's head and loosened the laces on the leather top.
When she was fully dressed, I told her the dress looked lovely, and the men turned their gazes inside again. Sulein entered with the Avatar's pancakes and chocolate milk and she enjoyed breakfast. My own pancake came next -- I did not want the Avatar to feel like she was the only one eating -- and we made pleasant smalltalk until she was done.

Parthalan and Finn visited me, although I am unsure whether they did this in the morning or the night previous, or perhaps I visited them, as I am known to do so. They told me their intention was still to vote for Joona, who was running for Kriegsrat this year, the General of the Green Camp.
I told them of course that I could not vote for Joona after his actions of the previous year, and that I could not stand by them in this case. We each understood one another's point of view, and we parted as we always did; as friends.
I made sure to find Robert Griffyn afterwards. As the Innenrat (internal politics) of last year, he would be the chosen person to approach conerning other candidates for the position. Robert was kind enough to point out Mellion, who had been Kriegsrat in a previous year, and at my request introduced Lyavanna and myself to him.

We were offered seats in the shade and water, and Robert, his task now done, took his leave. Mellion introduced his knights, two brothers very much alike, in identical armour, whose names I instantly forgot.
"To be honest, you're not the first ones to approach me with this question." Mellion said. His dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, and his dark eyes would no doubt woo many human women. "Several others before you have asked me to take up the candidacy and run for Kriegsrat this year."
"I have heard many things about you." I said, not exagerrating much. "I hear you were leader of the Fänge before Alandir and that you have been Kriegsrat before. It is my hope that you would once again take up the seat."
Mellion sighed. "Joona is the candidate I am voting for. Why not vote for him?"
I told him. The story was long in the telling and Mellion frowned several times throughout the story. "I see." he said when I had finished. "Joona is a count in the Kingdom where I am a Duke. In all things, he is my subordinate and I cannot say I am too pleased to hear the things you say he has done."
"I would bring twenty-six votes your way." I said. "And although I cannot speak for them, I can talk to Parthalan of Dunkelgrün on your behalf and see if his men would join us in the vote."
Mellion touched his small beard lightly.
"I believe I have stroked your ego sufficiently." I said bluntly, done with diplomacy. "There are no further arguments I can bring to this table. But if I cannot persuade you by myself, perhaps the others before me begging you to run for Kriegsrat are sufficient reason."
Mellion promised to talk to Joona, and Lyavanna and I said our farewells.

The Tor was nearly finished, and finally the Avatar climbed the stairs wearing her new dress. After her speech, the candidates for the Innenrat, Aussenrat and Kriegsrat were elected. With overwhelming numbers, Bibi and Robert Griffyn were elected again for their old positions, but the vote for Kriegsrat was a close one.
Mellion had indeed decided to run, but with Joona as a running mate. The other candidates were an Ork and Yakk the Barbarian, who in the end joined forces in the hopes of defeating Mellion. It was a close call, but in the end Joona and Mellion won.
Dunkelgrün also presented the Avatar with a gift: a throne, carved from a single tree trunk, which was carried to the Avatar by six strong men. It was adorned with branches and flowers that swayed in the breeze, and the Avatar accepted gracefully.

The official program was concluded, and after a spot of lunch I asked Finn if he would like to take a walk with me in the cool forest. I had not even spent ten minutes under its cool branches before and was looking to correct that oversight. The forest was cool, but there were no discernable paths for humans. I chose a deer trail that led up the hill and Finn and Gílthir followed, the latter keeping a respectful distance and with Arandur's warning not to return without me still ringing in his ears no doubt.
I spoke to Finn about the ritual Parthalan had been invited to participate in, and told him about my own ritual. It had been nearly 120 years but I could still remember the taste of blood, the feel of it gushing out of my arm. I showed Finn the scars, told him how they never really faded.
Finn looked very scared. It was not him, but his leader that would join the ritual and if anything were to happen to Parthalan, it could mean disaster for Dunkelgrün and the Calennar.
We spoke for a long time, sitting underneath a very tall but young tree, and I told him about the undead wars. Gílthir sat beneath a tree some distance away. I thought he had walked on, but he too had sat down when we did. When we got up to go back, Gílthir followed at a distance.

In the evening, I attended the opening Ritual of the Drachenfest; the Avatar wore her new dress. We infiltrated the Black Camp after the Ritual, gathering information and generally just hanging out inside their gates, posing to be of the Black Camp.
Before going to bed, Eferillion and I visited Metrino in the camp of the Eichen to talk more about the Poison dancers.



Idril during the Champion's Fight

Thursday
The heat did not abate and people laid low during this first day of the Drachenfest. There were hardly any battles and the quiet was pleasant. I sent out the Anarquendor to arrange matters for our own ritual, and they confirmed we would have the official ritual circle that night. Yava'in had spoken to our candidates, but she was not at all impressed with Bibi. Yava'in spent some time getting to know our other candidates.

The avatar visited us again and told me about an artefact that she had. I had seen her walking around with a purple pearl in her hands, and she had a mission for the Anarquendor. "Each camp has its own pearl, and you will need to retrieve our pearl from the Red camp."
Immediately, a plan formed in my mind. I had vivid memories of my visit to the Red camp last year, and I discussed the plan with Teginûr and Lyavanna at my side.
"If we ask Ritter Ben to accompany us to the Red camp with an entourage of Anarquendor, we can get inside. I will have a lengthy discussion with the people from the Red camp about my torture last year, while the rest of the Anarquendor break off to find the pearl."
The plan was approved and I approached Ritter Ben. Sadly, he was down with a sunstroke, but he sent Barahir of the Dúnedain with us, and wrote a letter of introduction for me. We were nine Anarquendor and Barahir, but he didn't seem to mind the escort. The sun was beating down on his steel breastplate and I wondered if he wasn't cooking.

At the gates of Red, we were stopped. The man we had wanted to see, who could introduce us to perhaps the Kriegsrat of the Red camp, was not there this year. The guards on duty wouldn't allow us access. We waited for a while, and they provided us with water. Finally, we were allowed inside. Barahir, Cuilgalad, Alaron and myself went before a pompous human holding court under a tent, while the rest of the Anarquendor split off to search for the artefact.
Barahir and myself were shown into the open end of a U-shape of tables. The pompous human sat at the head, flanked by nobles and nobodies.
After he heard my case, he told me to sit, naming a few of the humans to stand up and make place for us.

I told him everything about the torture I had endured the previous year. I started with our mission to regain the flag of the Red camp, stating matter of factly how we went about it and how we succeeded. How I was captured and tied to the gates without food or water until dawn came. How we had, in the day following the ordeal, taken our own prisoners to show the Red camp how one should treat them.
The humans discussed shortly, trying to make sense of this. "We had no legionaires in the Red last year?" one asked, while behind him on the path I could see the Anarquendor passing by in their search for the pearl. The humans deliberated. They asked me the name of the person who had tortured me, and I described his surcoat. One of the nobles at the table nodded, saying the man was not at the World of Dragons that year.
It was a lengthy discussion, but that was all I needed -- to buy time for the Anarquendor. In the end, the humans tired of me. They asked me what retribution I would have.
I told them I would be content with ten lashes for the man who had tortured me, but since he was not there, I suggested the Red camp to send over at least five gardeners to tend the Green garden. There was a nod, a promise, and then I was dismissed.

At the gates, the guards noticed there were a few missing, and insisted we would leave as one group. Barahir, who complimented me on the elegant solution, seemed anxious to leave. Finally, everyone was assembled and we made our way back over the field to the Green camp. Sadly, our mission to retrieve the artefact was less of a success. It was nowhere to be found. Worse, we had used our only excuse to enter the Red camp and wouldn't be able to return to search again.
During the day, Lyavanna and I sat with a couple of pirates who offered their help. It would require Lyavanna to dress up as a pirate herself, but it would give her free access to the camp. The pirate man talking to her said that "young, pretty girls in a pirate hat" had free access and could go where they wanted.

That night we had our ritual.
Yava'in had been very busy preparing and practicing the ritual, and as she invited each of the participants into the circle it was clear they were very nervous. We were gathered in the big ritual circle, where the Avatars of the Dragons were summoned each year, and it was a powerhouse of ritual magic. The ritualists first cleansed the circle and then started their dance to pump up the energy. Ivrellith, Bibi, Baumschubser, Parthalan and Delu stepped into the circle, some more hesitant than others.
I had warned Finn not to step into the circle at any cost, no matter what would happen, and now Parthalan was a part of the ritual circle and its energy, I told him that he could grab my arm if he needed to hold something. "I can take it." I told him.
Ivrellith was the first to face her totem animal, and her battle was difficult. In the end, she was dragged towards the healers, blood dripping from her mouth and various wounds. It was Bibi's turn next. He faced an eagle in the circle, one of the most majestic creatures and the largest bird I've ever seen. After Bibi, Parthalan fought his fox totem.
Finn grabbed my arm. I was ready to wrap my spear around him, should he show signs of entering the circle, but that was not necessary.

Finally, Baumschubser and Delu faced their totems and it was done. The ritual had us all on edge, ready to jump into the action, join the hunt, but it was not ours to participate. As the energy ebbed away and the circle was cleansed once more, the ritualists left the circle. Some fell over from exhaustion, but they were quickly guided back to their feet and splashed with water. The Avatar, who had been witness to the ritual, seemed impressed, and Mellion, who with his army had guarded our circle, told us to make haste returning to the Green camp, as Orks were coming closer.

While we returned to the Green camp, Lyavanna told me in no uncertain terms she needed to speak to me. The rest of the Anarquendor were still riding the high the ritual had provided them with, but Lyavanna and I found solitude near the edge of the forest. There she told me the news that had reached her.
Tegingûr and Sigil were still away, but as soon as they returned to the camp (the latter completely splattered with blood), Lyavanna and I apprised Tegingûr of the situation. We called all the Anarquendor into the large tent with us, and bade them to sit.
We could not elaborate overmuch at that point, but we did need to apprise them. We called on their military strength.
"Every Anarquendor from this point on, will wear light armour at the minimum. You are at all times armed with at least one weapon, and as always I expect you to be able to defend yourself should the need arise. Furthermore, nobody leaves the camp alone any more. You will take at least one..."
"Two..." Tegingûr interjected.
"...two others along to watch your back. I cannot elaborate to the why at this point, but these orders should be followed at all times. There will be consequences for disobeying these orders."
The Anarquendor looked to understand the seriousness of these orders.
"I will want to know who our neighbours are." I continued. "I will need teams of four to go out among them and talk to them. Find out who they are. Why they are here. What they think the Green way is, and how they walk this path. First group."
Several hands rose. I called them off and sent them to a corner of the camp. I sent out five groups, leaving several behind with us. Arevalo was one.

He was stubborn, challenging, shooting me a look that was pure defiance. "Captain, may I ask why?"
"No. You heard my orders. There are reasons why we issued them. It is yours to follow them. At some point I may be able to elaborate, but this is not the time."
Arevalo stared. It was not a pleasant stare. The horns painted on his face reminded me of his totem, and I met his gaze and held it. My own totem stretched and sharpened its claws. In the end, Arevalo nodded. I sent him away.
This left us three with our bodyguards. Lyavanna spoke to them of the situation, because they did need to know. Then I asked someone to fetch Robert Griffyn. He was told of the situation as well. Poor Robert was shocked. Having a bloodied Sigil standing guard behind him, breathing down his neck didn't help in the least, but I could care less at this point.
We also spoke to Finn and Parthalan, after Griffyn had left with explicit orders not to tell the Avatar about our plight. Parthalan and Finn were helpful -- after their initial shock they started devising plans. It was rumoured we were no longer welcome in the Silver camp and that the usual asylum that was granted to any who came knocking at the Silver gates, would not be extended to us. To test this, Parthalan suggested we would go the next morning to the gates, and they would follow. If we were indeed turned away, we would know enough, and they would ask the Silver Avatar to see if she knew anything about these orders at the gates. If we could enter, well and good, there was no problem.

When all our plans were made, they bade us a good night, and left us to our worries. Tegingûr attended to other matters and left Lyavanna and me with Sigil.
"What happened to you?" Lyavanna asked. "You are covered in blood. Is it yours?"
Sigil shook his head. The more questions we asked, the more he retreated into himself, although what came out was more the voice of a confused teenager than that of a grown elf. I had no idea Sigil was capable of this -- and it was the least opportune time for him to fall apart on me. On all matters concerning covert operations and camp security, I would consult with him or Arandur, but to have him reduced to a shaking mess at the hour where the entire world seemed to be hostile towards us was less fortunate.
Lyavanna did most of the talking, and what I could gather from his conversation, this sometimes happened. It was a trauma from his past, no doubt, and Tegingûr knew Sigil well enough to take him into the woods whenever it happened. When I was sure he was capable of performing his duties, I rose and left. Some Anarquendor came to report in, and Lyavanna delegated the task of writing the information down to Sairahiniel. Arevalo was keeping her company.

Slowly, the elves were filing into the camp, reporting, and turning in for the night. I sat near the fire, watching the dancing flames. Names went through my mind, and I was hoping I was wrong. But the information seemed true enough.
Suddenly, Ivrellith rose from her seat in the alchemist tent. She stormed out the entrance to our camp, closely followed by her brother. Sigil grabbed a sword and ran after them, but returned soon afterwards without them. "I can't find them."
He took another elf along to search for them, and my worrying over a list of names now included the two younger elves. Although they were adults and knew well how to take care of themselves, and had even been key in the mission to conquer the Green flag back from the Red camp last year, Ivrellith and Runhir could be very stubborn. When Sigil returned without them once more, we lit lanterns and went out to look for them. Eferillion and Arandur joined Sigil and me, and we walked about the camp. The Green camp was deserted, many of the humans had already turned in for the night. There was no sign of the two, and the guards at the gate told us no-one had left in the last hour. When we returned to the Anarquendor encampment, there was nothing for it but to wait until they would return.
Eferillion encountered them in the end as he was returning from the latrines. He had clearly warned them of my ire, because when they returned they did not meet my gaze and went to their alchemy table immediately.
I called them over, chewed them out, and issued Camp Arrest for both of them. Neither would be allowed to leave the camp unless under specific orders to accompany one of the Condhagors or myself. I told them I was very disappointed, and sent both of them to bed, before turning in myself -- all Anarquendor present and accounted for.

Friday
The following morning dawned clearer than it had any right to, with the news of the previous night still hanging over our heads. I discussed matters with Lyavanna and Tegingûr, and we decided to clear things up. Gossip and rumours did our cause more harm than good, and people were making up stories that were distracting them from their missions.
"Last night Lyavanna received word from a very reliable source. We cannot name the person who provided this intelligence, because his life is at stake, but we do believe this information is true. The news he told us is that someone from within the leaders of the Green Camp want us, the Anarquendor, dead.
"We have discussed this amongst ourselves and sent you out to get to know our neighbours. The key now is to win trust, be helpful to the Green camp while at the same time trying to gather proof that there is indeed someone who wants us dead." I paused. "To protect our source and to keep our enemies in the dark about the fact that we know, I would urge every one of you to not discuss this. It is a fact that we have enemies. Don't talk about it. Don't gossip or theorise. You never know who might overhear. We need to keep them in the dark that we know or all the proof we might have found otherwise will disappear.
"We have a list of possible suspects. Because of the wording of this information, we don't know whether it is one of the councilmembers from the Rat, or whether it is another leader that is influential. Because we believe he is trustworthy and because this is a matter that does concern him, we have already met with the Innenrat, Robert Griffyn, and urged him not to apprise the Avatar. If she goes stomping around, our leads will go to ground and we will never find out what we need to know.
"Our suspects are: Alexander Kormach, of the Ruf. Mellion, the Kriegsrat, and his sidekick Joona. Georg Humbel of the Fels, the Torwache, although I very much doubt that he would be capable of such a thing, so I believe we can strike him off the list. We could suspect Bibi, but seeing as how he laid his life in our hands last night when he participated in the ritual, I doubt he would have anything to do with this. Robert Griffyn of the Innenrat is also not one of our suspects. Any others?"
Some suggestions were made, but none of them held. It was Gílthir who spoke next. "I had a long talk with Alexander yesterday and I believe we have enough influence within the Ruf. He is very willing to talk to me."
"See if you can find out more." Lyavanna ordered.
"If we can strike more suspects from this list, we will have an easier task. If we can incriminate others, or if you find proof, let us know. As soon as we have proof for this, we can go to Robert Griffyn and the Avatar."
I told them of the upcoming mission to Silver, and we decided who would accompany me. We dispersed.

I put on armour and gambeson and joined Parthalan and Finn as well as Kawoosh of Gobbo Inc. at the gates of their camp near the entrance to the Green camp and we set out towards Silver. The Silver camp was a lot further up the hill this year and was closer to Red than I was comfortable with, but Silver seemed capable enough of defending itself. The heat had laid most camps low and there weren't many big battles, although the orks seemed stronger this year and ventured out to hunt more often.
We consulted with Parthalan about the final plan and he decided to wait and see if we could get inside, before trying to enter himself. This way, he could immediately ask the Avatar if she was aware of orders to shun certain people should we not be allowed to enter the Silver camp.
At the gates, we were met with some hesitant stares, but admitted, provided we promise not to use our weapons inside the Silver camp except to defend ourselves.
Lalaith, Arevalo, Lyavanna and I went inside. (I remember one of the Order joining us, but I can't for the life of me remember which one, possibly Cuilgalad.)
We asked to see the Avatar, and as we were seated opposite her, I was impressed by her serenity. We spoke briefly of the ideals of the Silver camp, and I made up an excuse for asking. The Avatar actually complimented us for keeping an open mind and looking further than our own camp, and she offered to have someone show us around the Silver camp, which I graciously accepted.

Arevalo blessed the beautiful garden of the Silver camp, where butterflies floated freely, and we were shown the temple with the ideals of the Silver camp. I pointed out 'Mercy' and 'Benevolence' and remarked that those would be our favorites, jokingly.
As our tour took us further into the Silver Camp, a man crossed our paths and spat at my feet. It took some restraint not to attack him right there, but I told our guide about it. The woman went to speak to the man, and made him apologise, but I made sure to remember his sigil; a black bull's head on a yellow field, with a red ring through its nose.
Other meetings were more pleasant. One man in white and green spoke to us, asking us for tea, and told us he used to be a part of the Green camp himself. I also asked about the people of Kargath, to whom I was introduced. I gladly accepted his invitation for tea, after the heat of the day had subsided somewhat.

Our mission fulfilled, we returned to the Green camp, making a short stop at Grey to leave a letter for Mammoth, announcing that we would send a delegation later to enjoy their shade and water. Lalaith had not reported this to me initially, but she had had a dream and wanted to visit Mammoth. With our rigid attitude of the previous evening, she had not been allowed to go, and Lyavanna said that Aziza of Mammoth's camp would welcome a little heads-up. Little did we know that we would not get around to it -- even though I reminded Arevalo after nigthfall that he should still take Lalaith there. I don't believe this ever happened. (Shame, because it was a bit of plot devised by Anastaszia and myself!)

The day was far too hot to do anything, and after an hour's sweating in the shade, I decided to take off the gambeson after all and dress in something a little more cool. For our tea invitation that afternoon I wore the leafy surcoat, and my spear, but no armour. When we returned to the Silver camp that afternoon, the Ambassador of Kargath seemed preoccupied. Arandur checked to see what the man was pouring for us, behind a curtain, and nodded when it was offered to me. The ambassador himself drank of the same water.
Finally, the word came out: one of his men had been abducted by demons into the Limbus, and he apologised for not being the best company. I stood, insisting that he should attend to his man instead of drinking tea with us, and we took our leave.


Ready for a fight.

As we exited the Silver Camp, suddenly we saw a mass of Gold army approaching. The guards at the Silver camp asked us if we wanted shelter, but I declined. We noticed that they were heading towards the Red and Blue camps, and as Gold and Red have an alliance, this could mean only one thing. I sent Gílthir as a runner back to Green to inform Mellion of Gold's intent to attack our ally, and monitored the situation from near the gates. Soon enough, the Red army was pouring out their gates and they were battering the walls of Blue. But Mellion had heeded our words, and assembled the Green army as well.
In the battles that followed, we drove off Gold, then Copper, we even did a bit of business with Black before joining forces with the Blue army and trying to break down the Red gates. Mellion was a shining beacon, rallying his troops.
I had my hands full with Rauron, who disobeyed an order to stay close. He moved forward once, and after a warning moved off again. This time I was done with warning him, and the butt of my spear found his jaw.
"Next time you disobey my orders, I will send you to the Limbus myself." I told him, as he clutched his jaw.

The situation was dire. The Red archers were getting better and as Finn was wounded by three arrows I dragged him off the field to a healer. We weren't making much progress in the Red gates, but once they were open again, we surged forward. Perhaps this would be an opportunity to capture the pearl of the Red Camp.
As we stood in the gates, we saw their shield wall, four or five heavily armoured men thick, each with a large shield. Our ballista was making barely a dent in their ranks, and the ballista they had pulled up behind their gate made more than enough of a dent in our ranks.
I saw Rauron surge forward with the next group of Green fighters. I saw him fall.
As the fighters retreated, Rauron was nowhere to be seen, his body was gone and there was no trace of him. I was hesitant to leave, and cornered Finn and Haddingur to ask what could have happened.

I made a bad decision.
Our list of suspects, short as it already had been, had become shorter during the day. Alexander Kormach was sufficiently wooed by Gílthir; Bibi and Robert Griffyn were no longer suspect. Georg Humbel had never been a real suspect. And I understood how shrewd Mellion was, he had shown as much during our talk on Wednesday, but I did not for a moment doubt his strategic insight would let him sacrifice us as a group -- the Anarquendor are far too valuable for that, and I knew he reali large shield. Our ballista was making barely a dent in their ranks, and the ballista they had pulled up behind their gate made more than enough of a dent in our ranks. sed this.
Which left only one suspect: Mellion's right hand Joona.

To be honest, perhaps my view of the man was prejudiced because of what had happened the year previous. Perhaps I was wrong. My timing was definitely off, but I gave the order to kill him.
Himdir, Gílthir and Arandur jumped the man, and used their weapons on him until he stopped moving. Only too late did we realise he was trying to heal himself. We withdrew, and Finn and Haddingur stepped between the other Green fighters and us.
We retreated, expecting an arrow between our shoulder blades at any second. That didn't stop us from visiting the cemetary. If Rauron had indeed died and gone to Limbus, he would appear there, but there was no telling how long this would take. As there was no sign of him, we returned to the Green camp, as a fair share of trouble would wait for us there.
Finn had already caught up with us and I sent him to Tegingúr with the news of what we had done, so Tegingûr could prepare the other Anarquendor for war.

As we returned to the Green camp, I found most of the Anarquendor gearing up for battle, and I quickly shrugged out of my leafy surcoat and donned gambeson, chainmail and kidneybelt. I belted on my sword and apprised the Condhagors of the situation. Tegingûr had bought me an hour, promising the Avatar he would look into the matter and get back to her when she came calling. All of us knew what the Avatar had promised us that morning: that any Green raising a hand against another Green, would be skinned and hung by their tongue from the Life Tree in the garden.
Alaron quickly briefed me he had spoken to the Avatar, and urged me to tell her this was done for Joona's position. Any Green can challenge another Green for his position, as the younger wolves try to nip at the older ones. He also told me to make haste, to be the first at the Avatar's tent, so that she would hear my story first.

This was exactly what we did.
Already, people were milling around the Ratszelt (council tent), and I asked both Baumschubser and Aruk the ork, champion of the Green camp, to stand by me and speak if they wanted to. Aruk joined me, standing behind me to my left, while two of the Order took up their position at my shoulder. On the bench in the Avatar's tent I was flanked by Lyavanna to my left, and Robert Griffyn to my right.

I told her everything that had happened. Although we lacked evidence, I chose my words carefully, stating that I wanted Joona's position and that my timing was off. That I regretted challenging him on the field, after a battle, in stead of inside the camp as would be proper. "Instict spoke."
Finally, Joona himself arrived, with an underling or two. Tegingûr let him pass through, closing the ring of swords and spears after he had entered. The man shot me a look filled with poison, but he sat opposite me, to the Avatar's right hand.
I had already had plenty of time to tell the Avatar my side of the story; I had had more than plenty of time to spin my words into the tale I wanted her to believe. And as any lie, it was firmly based on a core of truth, firm enough to build a foundation that would be more than strong enough to support me in this difficult and unsteady situation.
Joona wasted little time and even less words. His anger fueled his arguments, and not the cold logic I had applied. But then, of course he wanted justice, while all I wanted was to stay alive.
In the end, Joona was disappointed by the Avatar's judgement. He told her that if she would not stand by her words of that morning, even when the evidence was clear that one Green did indeed raise a hand to another, that he could no longer follow the Green way.
All the Avatar replied was; "Then go."
Joona and his cronies left the tent, presumably to pack their things and storm out the gate. The rest of us stayed a minute longer. The Avatar spoke to me. "I hope this action does not divide the Green camp even further."

We walked to the Tor, the gates to the Green camp, and climbed the steps as overhead a thunderstorm gathered, echoing the mood in the camp. The Silver Avatar, having entered the camp and the Ratszelt while we were discussing, had joined us and climbed the steps as well, standing side by side with her sister. I chose a slightly lower perch, off to the right-hand side of the Avatars and without a roof over my head. Arandur and Sigil took up their vigil at my shoulder, standing a respectful two paces behind me. To have something to occupy my hands, instead of clutching my sword, I tried to rest them on the wooden railing in front of me, although they were not relaxed at all, it was a more friendly-looking pose.
The rest of the Anarquendor crowded around the steps that would lead to me, and they let Aruk through. The ork had spoken on my behalf and he now stood halfway up the stairs, a silent voice of support at my side.

The Avatar spoke at length about what had happened. She told the Green camp that she had heard there had been an attack, that we had come before her and that I had explained my actions, and what that explanation was. She said I had apologised (which I had not, but I had voiced it so it sounded like an apology), and that I had accepted the punishment from the Avatar to make amends for the Green camp. She spoke of how I had challenged Joona properly to single combat here at the gate, but that Joona had instead chosen to avoid the challenge and leave.
She was trying very hard to protect me.

I don't know how much of her protection was bought with OT currency: bought by giving her a dress, by playing well, or playing the political game well. I knew that Arne (Joona) was no favorite of the organisers, although he did shoulder a lot of the OT organisation before the Drachenfest. The truth is, I did try to keep things as In-Time as possible, literally playing the political game to save my own life. I had told the Avatar that I was responsible for the action, that no Anarquendor but me should pay this price.

There were murmurs from the people below. Some voiced their concerns, others doubted they could still trust the Avatar. Some went as far as to interrupt her as she was speaking. Finally, the Avatar had enough. She was not accustomed to explaining herself, as personification of a Dragon, she would have no need for it! She stopped the discussion that was starting up with a bark of "Enough!
"You say she should pay with her life, others say it is the way of nature. Everyone who wants to see her dead, to my left hand side." She held out an arm to show which way they should go. "Everyone who doens't want to see her dead, to the other side. Now!"
For a second or two, I was very scared. I had accepted the judgement of the Avatar, even now on the gates when she asked me if I would accept the judgement of the camp in this matter. I saw no other way, and who knew? Perhaps we had more friends than I knew of. Perhaps my actions were admired by some. I knew that the Avatar had done her best to protect me, and if that would not sway the votes in the camp, nothing else would.
Sigil spoke softly under his breath the number of heads he had counted. "Fifty on the left." A few minutes later, although it was already very clear to me, he said "Two hundred on the right."
I would not be killed.
Those on the left hand side still argued with the Avatar. She told them to step outside, to talk to Joona, who was out on the field. But this was her judgement.
And I spoke too. I told them that the Green camp could not afford to be torn in two over this matter. That the next day the Endslacht would be, and that if Green were to have any chance for victory on the battlefield, we should stand united, as one Green camp.

Finally, it was done. The crowd dispersed. Some grumbled, some not. Their faces and sigils were noted by us on the gate, and the rest of the Anarquendor down the stairs as well. We knew who stood by us, and who did not.
I thanked Aruk, for standing with me on the gates. I thanked Karthan, who had spoken loudly and clearly, waving the Green sword, speaking of wolves and pups, how the young would overthrow the old, and how the pack should be united.

We could not have suspected the aftermath. Several people, sometimes in groups, would come to our camp to thank us for our actions. One group actually came to bring me a bottle of wine. I declined. "I made the right decision at the wrong time, and the Avatar punished me. It would not be right to accept your gift. But I would visit you tonight and join you, if you wish to open the bottle then and drink with me."
One of the last ones to come to our gates was Wolfgar, the Champion of the previous year, bringing along the Silver Avatar. Wolfgar, being his usual barbarian self, cheerfully shouted "There she is!"
And the Silver Avatar complimented me. "It takes a large woman to admit she was wrong and submit to the judgement of the Avatar. I wanted to tell you this in person, because you are very brave, and I admire your courage."

The thunder rumbled in the distance, and the rains had dissipated by this time, and life was sweet once more.

Saturday
The day of the Endslacht. With all the turmoil in our camp, I was unaware of the plans for the Endslacht. We expected problems -- surely some of the people who had voted to have me killed would find me on the field and try and take matters in their own hands.
At the morning gathering near the Tor, the Avatar quickly discussed what had happened the previous night. "I am aware that not everyone was present in the camp when the vote occurred;" she said; "But outside there were no more than fifty people. With the vote of 50 against two hundred, it would not have mattered either way. My decision stands."
There was still time for discussion, visiting friends, speaking to people and it is true that some came by our camp. A delegation of the followers of Etienne came by, asking for an explanation several times, but missed me each time.

We ordered everyone to suit up, and were ready half an hour before the rest of the camp. We marched to the gates, and took a moment of peace in the camp of Dunkelgrün. Finally, everyone assembled. Mellion asked for the Hauptmänner to join him in the Ratszelt and he told us the plans. There was a treaty signed by each camp that the healers would not be attacked, and we should abide by that treaty. He sketched the battlefield for us on a tray on the table. Our alliance with Blue and Grey would stand for years to come, and as luck would have it, the Black camp was wedged between the Green and Grey camps. Mellion wanted us to crush them first, and then join the fray with Red and Gold.
Silver, having no alliances at all, would focus on getting rid of the Orks, and then leave the battlefield altogether, not competing for the title this year.

As we returned to the gates, Mellion gave a little speech and I updated the rest of the Anarquendor of our battle plans. Tarek and his group of shape shifters would fight side-by-side with us, and we marked their faces, each carrying a symbol of their clan on their faces. We marched onto the field.
Green joined Grey in front of their gates, and Blue came up from the far end of the field to join us, so the plan to smash the Black army was already foiled. The orks set gathered their army on the high ground near the Chaos camp, and Silver marched before our lines to stand in front of the Black. As all the armies were ready, Silver and Ork marched forward, their march turning into a run, and their armies clashed as we held our ground, a mere witness to the onslaught.
Lalaith raised her voice in song.
Rystill! I await thee
Your true son am I
I hail you now as I die
I pledge you my sword and to no man I kneel
Ours is the kingdom of steel
High and mighty alone we are kings
Whirlwinds of fire we ride
Providence brought us the crown and the ring
Covered with blood and our pride

As the final survivors of the battle between the Orks and Silver left the field, our armies started moving. Tarek was to our left side, and we kept an eye on the Golems Dunkelgrün had acquired. Our line set up across from Red at first, and we maneuvered a bit before steel kissed steel. Our line clashed with that of our enemies, and all of a sudden an axe flew from the shieldwall in front of me, hitting my forehead. I dropped to the ground,
I awoke again with a healer's hands on me and I quickly got to my feet. I was still a little unsteady, but the black spots soon vanished. I found the Anarquendor again, and took over command. They squared their shoulders as they heard my voice once more, and we now faced Red, who had a slight advantage of higher ground over us. I was more concerned about their shield wall. There were three rows of heavily armoured fighters in front of us, and mages and archers crowded in between. Our shield wall was one man deep, and hardly any of our troups wore heavy armour. Leather, sometimes a bit of maille protected us, but the Reds did not come.
I saw Finn locked in an honourable duel with a Red, and I saw him lose. As his opponent planted his sword in the man's heart, I turned away, focusing instead on the battle around me. I called out the Green motto, and my troops responded, their resolve growing.
Each time the Red mages threw us back, we came forward to meet them. Their fighters did not even try to break through our lines, and the Greens around me, all of them, stood fast. Tarek and his clan were still by our side, but the Golems and the Calennar were long gone, moved away in the battle that still raged. Other Greens had taken up their place and Blue's healers were taking on our casualties.


With spear and swordfighting gloves, in the thick of the Endslacht.

Finally, I saw the Red and Gold flags move away, down the field, and as we tried to intercept them, we saw it was no use. They were still too protected by their own troops, and stretching towards our flank would mean our line of shields would never hold. Why they had not tried flanking us, is beyond me, but in the end, it did not matter.
With most of the Anarquendor still with us, and only minor injuries, the battle was ended. Three cannon blasts announced the fight was over. Tarek had not left our side, and I thanked him for his support. I ordered all the Anarquendor to sit and drink, and checked on their status, to see if any were falling over or becoming non-responsive, but all was well.

I had lost my spear as I had fallen to the throwing axe, and I went to the Orgaplex to retrieve any arrows I might have lost, while the rest of the Anarquendor returned to the Green camp.
The moment I returned as well, Tegingûr cornered me. There was a prisoner in the camp, someone that had been snooping around, and as he had started to work with her, several Anarquendor had questioned his orders publicly.
"Your own sister!" he spat at me, and I nodded.
I was beat, dead tired, but this could not wait. I grabbed a bottle of water and shrugged out of my kidneybelt and then bent over to let the chainmail fall off my shoulders. Although the temperature had dropped considerably since the thunderstorm of the previous night, it was still warm enough in just my gambeson.
I took a seat near my own tent, as the living room tent was in use for storing weapons (once more), and Tegingûr took a seat to my right. Lyavanna sat to my left, and one by one we called forward the offenders.
Starting with Sairahiniel.

Saira was shocked by my words, no doubt, but I cannot have her countermanding orders of command or questioning orders in public. Not from her, nor from any of the others. I made that very clear. Sairahiniel said that perhaps the military was not her place, and I did not disagree with her. After Sairahiniel, I called Eferillion, who realised just how much out of line he had been when Tegingûr recounted what had happened. Eferillion apologised sincerely, and we told him we'd get back to him on his punishment. The last one in this matter was Mirilas. As the former bodyguard of a diplomat I had expected more of him, and I told him this. Telling him there would be an official note in his records was just the beginning, and then we dismissed him as well.

As the prisoner was still in our camp, and Runhir was working on a potion, the situation was still ongoing, and Yava'in brought another matter to my attention. The Anarquendor seemed very eager to ignore the fact that the prisoner could hear everything, and were giving away far too much information. As we were attending to the insubordination of some, they were acting like they had never heard the words "confidential information" before.
So our hearings continued. Lalaith, Arevalo, Sairahiniel and even Cuilgalad, who definitely should have known better, were called in and reprimanded as well.
And that was not even the end. Ivrellith had ignored orders during the Endslacht, and Lyavanna wanted to know why.
This turned out to be a matter of being overly concerned for her brother, and not malice or being a lackwit. I was relieved, but this would require more thought in the future about how to go about this. We told Ivrellith to also think about a possible solution.

Finally, an hour and a half later, it was done. Dinner had already started and I was still dead tired from the Endslacht. I loaded a pile of salad into a bowl and added a generous pinch of salt to the dressing. After two bowls and a bit of meat, I felt a little better, good enough to wash off my warpaint. Soon enough, guests would be arriving for the post-slaughter feast.

(After dinner, I went out onto the field. All the Germans had gone INSANE. A week of hot temperatures and no sieges finally got to them. People were playing baseball with swords and throwing stones. They were using the ballista on the Spielleitung. They. Were. Insane.)

There was something that needed attention first, and with the arrival of Aruk and Mirilas' hard work, this was possible. I asked Sigil to speak about Aruk and his training, and Sigil only had praise for the Ork.
I told everyone how Aruk had supported me, when the Avatar was questioning me and when some of the Green camp were asking for my head. We had a gift for him: a necklace like we gave to Finn the year previous, naming him Mellon-en-Anarquendor.
Aruk was touched, not knowing what to say, and then his friends clapped him on the shoulder, and we could get feasting.

I made a short visit to Dunkelgrûn, and found Finn and Parthalan well and hale. Finn said he had gone through Limbus and appeared back in the camp, and I asked him if someone had already checked him to see if he were an undead.
He fished out a dagger, but I was one step ahead of him already, slicing his upper arm. Finn groaned, blood streamed, and I nodded, relieved.

Several Anarquendor came to get me. Our guests were arriving, and I was needed. Tarek had brought his whole clan, several bottles of liquor and even bread dough. More guests arrived, each with a bottle of liquor to share with us. I tried to attend to all the guests, sharing their drink and trying not to get too drunk in the process. My plan to spend time with each of our guests and have something of their drink failed, as some guests left before I could toast with them.
Tarek asked if I could sing a song for him in Woodelven, but my voice was broken. I was sitting with Parthalan and Finn, and asked them if they minded I would try my voice on them first, to see if I could still sing well enough. They did not mind, and were very happy to hear a song in Sindarin.
Then I joined Tarek, and I sang for him. There were tears in his eyes when the song was done. He told me that he had heard songs sung by many races, but never before a woodelf.

Night came, and guests left one by one. As Karthan and his crew were the last around the fire, I started clearing bottles away (more than a full basket!) and the remains of the salad bar of dinner, before going to bed myself.

Sunday
Taming the mess of clothes in the tent was my first chore, and then breakfast. During the breaking down of the camp, I mostly coordinated people, knowing full well that nobody knew exactly what needed doing (not even me), but if I looked like I knew, it would seem like we all did. I pressed water on everyone, and pointed towards tasks that needed doing. Finally, everything was loaded in the bus, and we could say goodbye to our friends. The Basel Crew of the Calennar finished at nearly the same time as we did and were looking for us before we could go to them.
Parting is such sweet sorrow.

The trip back, starting with a stop at Burger King, went well enough. The airco kicked in at some point, but after a few hours' driving, I got a blackout at a rest stop. Although I was very capable of driving safely, and commenting on other's people's driving as I was behind the wheel, after parking I couldn't remember who had been driving to that point. (What do you mean, "auto pilot"?). Diverteddreamer took over at this point, and then Tim after that.
Dropping off the benches and tables in Uden and then on to my home, where NoKey was still awake and the things were unloaded in the rain. But it was so good to be home.


I must have forgotten a ton of details, a handful of important Things We Did, but it's good to be done.