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janestarzDespite packing problems and a short stop at IKEA to pick up some wood folding chairs, we arrived at the St.Walrick terrain at a good hour. The camp was slowly filling up but I had the feeling not many of the players had arrived yet. Still, setting up camp is a lengthy process and there was a need for groceries.
While NoKey made camp I recruted Asterion to come along for the groceries and when we returned (around seven) I instructed NoKey to make us some vegetable soup to keep us sated until I could start on the macaroni; first I'd have to park my car quite a bit away and walk back.
I'd set my expectations low for this Moots. VA hardly ever has the kind of play I enjoy; most players just want to be epic good or epic bad guys. It's not so much that they're denying other people the spotlight, it's just that everyone would like to have their own spotlight, and it's kind of blinding you. Oh, hey look, another evil mwuhahaha/lawful stupid player. Wooptiedoo.
I'm also often getting the vibe that it's a know-your-peeps thing. If you know peeps, they'll play with you. If you don't, meh. Chances are you'll be ignored.
And these two combined make it into a mess of "YOUUUU! YOUUUU are the CHOOOOOOSEN ONE!" where Pietje is giving Klaasje a lot of epicness in a very loud voice -- right next to Jantje and Keesje who are doing just the same thing.
MEH. Not my thing.
It's not that I feel ignored, because trust me, I don't want somebody dribbling in my ear like that. It's just that I'm kind of missing the smaller things.
But boy, did I get them this Moots!
Fridaynight there was something with plant-beings attacking us. I followed Bart around, he circled the pentagon where smoke was rising, and in the mist I was attacked by someone from the Fighter's guild. No time to react, he disappeared soon enough and I had bigger things to deal with. The plants were ferocious and I had to be healed no less than twice by Arturo, who spent quite a lot of mana to get me breathing again.
The fight was rather dark... because of the high risk of forest fires, the firefighters had forbidden any kind of fire -- even lanterns. Cooking was grudgingly allowed, but only under strict rules. We had forgone the primuses (cooking on oil - in case of fire can not be extinguished with water!) and taken the large gas stove along. But guild tents were very dark, as were the camps.
After time-out, people gathered in Faction Gargoyle to share a drink, remembering Geert. It was an odd affair, where Thijs and Claire were the last to arrive, and many people I didn't know. I chose to share my whisky with Thijs, who really appreciated it and told stories of Geert.
It was less abundant than I thought, and once I remembered that I'd had some ibuprofen earlier that evening I stopped drinking and went to bed.
On Saturday, I attended the Gargoyle meeting and hung out at the mage's guild a bit. The sun was burning us to a cindery crisp and I set up some lemonade for thirsty people after breakfast. Then I grabbed my camera and made the rounds. Fresh, bright and early people who'd been sweltering in their sleeping bags had donned (parts of) costumes and were enjoying roleplaying in 27°C weather. I knotted my Arafat-shawl around my head and stuck my head under the faucet to keep cool and avoid sun stroke.
Picture thanks to and © Martijn van Gerven.
I surprised Ekitch and Aqua'el with cool cucumber at a meeting with the navigators later in the afternoon. Ekitch was a bit startled by my sudden and unnoticed appearance at his left shoulder, but I do have a reputation to keep up...
After dinner, we were called to a mission. Some paladin of Luna that had claimed souls for himself, in stead of sending them on to Luna as is proper. We called upon several people to help us out and I was happy to have two DGO members, Helena the healer being one of them, with us, as well as Snothak the goblin and Armandis from Gargoyle. Armandis proved to be an invaluable asset as well, especially when he said that he "only" used a little bit of his powers (17 mana...I get 5 a day!)
Luna herself opened a portal to us, and we entered an eerie world: the world of the dead.
In the distance shimmered another portal, back to the living world. We stepped out in the early evening of a lush green world.
Several men were bounding down the path as the last of our group stepped out of the world of the dead. Mort grabbed one as he tried to rush by.
"Run! Run for your lives! It's Orpheus!"
They appeared to be very scared. Orpheus, the paladin we were supposed to show the error of his ways, was actively murdering and killing people to gain more souls for his power. As the villagers ran on, we continued.
It wasn't long until we found him.
In the abandoned ruins of a temple he stood, his long hair cascading down a long coat, some guards or followers nearby. He was raving, claiming that Luna had left him, abandoned him. That he still did Her work.
Bart, Mort and Choris approached Orpheus, tried to reason with him. I stayed at the entrance to the ruins, keeping the rest of the group behind me. The followers of Orpheus wore blue and black, perhaps reminiscent of DGO. The one closest to me was just two steps away, and I instructed Helena to bolt to the right if things would go bad. I handed Armandis my bow and arrows, they would be useless in close quarters, and eased two of my daggers from the scabbard at my waist. I stood, sometimes offering some reason, but in the end Orpheus challenged us to make him change his mind.
As Bart charged forward and pummeled into Orpheus, I stepped in, placing my two daggers at the guard's throat. I didn't even see Mort or Choris' reactions. The guards eyes were wide in fright, but he was fumbling for his weapons. It wasn't likely that he could draw his sword, but I told him "Come then, try, give me a reason."
He did and I shoved the daggers up, through the soft part of his throat, cutting major arteries and maybe even reaching the brain. His eyes rolled up and his body sagged against the wall I had pushed him into.
I turned, looking for the other guard but he had been dispensed with as well. One by one, Bart, Mort and Choris were flung from Orpheus. I took a place in front of the tall man.
"And what will you do?" he challenged me.
I paused to ponder that question. I had no illusions I could hurt him, not while he was holding onto so many souls and using their power to strengthen him.
But I could try.
As someone grabbed Orpheus' head from behind and started chanting an incantation, I slipped my knives beneath Orpheus' ribs, pointing up. It had very little effect. He flung me from him, and I pummeled into Bart, who had stood behind me and was busy taking away the souls Orpheus had collected, sending them on to Luna.
As I scrabbled to get up, I saw how Helena held onto Choris and how she used his body to shield herself, readying a healing spell.
From behind the ruins, the two guards returned, raised from the dead by Orpheus. The one I had killed earlier bellowed "YOU!!!!" and charged at me, but someone stepped in.
It was rather messy. As the guard raised his hand to my fellow Pathfinder, I grabbed it from behind and pulled him outside his balance. He toppled backwards, dislodging my foothold and we crashed down, my fall crushing a few arrows.
Finally, it was done. Mort rolled the corpse of the dead guard off me, and Helena healed my injuries. One of the fallen guards had tried to amputate my foot as he had rolled on the ground. But Orpheus had gotten away.
We returned straight away, back through the world of the dead and back to the Vortex, where Bart walked to the altar, laid his hands on the cold stone, and disappeared in front of our eyes.
Mort explained how they three, the priests of Luna, had channeled the souls from Orpheus' grasp and sent them to Luna. "About half of what he held, a thousand souls in total."
Kronkel, during a ritual
We also had a little skirmish with followers of Rosie. Apparantly, our Elemental Prince Tekton is not the only one who is very powerful. (e)Rosie and Zand were trying to gain our support, and Rosie made a point to attack us if she wouldn't get her way.
When night had fallen in earnest, the Pathfinders gathered in the camp. Helena joined us too, it had been a long day.
Chant approached us. He wanted to speak to us in private. Helena was definitely not invited.
The Wulfander gathered 'round and we had a discussion about our faith. Bart had been adamant that Tiara, former master of Luna, was getting ready to betray Luna, and that she was acting rather strangely.
Now they tried to convince us that if we wanted Her to, Amraphen could come to the Vortex. Because Amraphen and Luna were similar but not the same, the Wulfander clan urged us to reconsider.
"If die, want your soul to Luna to go, or to Amraphen?" Tiara asked. That was a difficult question.
We discussed the matter some, and I asked them why Helena could not join us, since she was a follower of Luna as well as a fellow member of Gargoyle.
It was then that we noticed it was very quiet in the camp.
Helena had been murdered. She was lying, face-down, on the table. One of the Wolves of Waukeen was lying behind her.
Pandemonium broke out. The Wolves of Waukeen were warned, people were checking the food on the table and the Wulfander declared that there was poison in play (but not in the food). We tried to make sense of things, why Helena? Why Lewie of Waukeen?
I made a report to the Goldwing, and found Armandis. That proved to be a stroke of luck, as Armandis immediately investigated the motives and came up with a few plausible theories. We sat with Ekitch for a while discussing these, but didn't come up with anything solid. Yet.
Sunday morning we were called to battle.
Tekton needed our aid, and Maywhin opened a portal to the edge of the Vortex, near the Void, so we could assist him. As we exited the portal, soon it was clear we were wedged between two armies. Both Zand and Rosie were coming to attack Tekton, who was busy with his task of building the Vortex.
As the faction members streamed from the portal, the armies moved to surround us. Soon the battle was underway.
I granted Choris an Earth Shield as well as myself, and granted a nearby dwarf the Strength of Stones. I loosed arrows at the enemy, ducking behind other Gargoylians for their protection from spells or weapons.
My arrows dwindled quickly in the quiver. Sometimes I could salvage an arrow from a fallen enemy, checking it to see if it would fly true. I chose my targets with care.
"Him! That's a healer." a Waukeen pointed towards a blond man in a brown vest. One arrow took him in the shoulder. He started murmuring a spell. I loosed another arrow at his chest, and urged the Waukeen to strike at him.
Finally, it was over. Only Rosie and Zand stood, their armies slain. What happened to Rosie, I didn't know, but Zand stood before Tekton. Our Elemental Prince put his massive stone fist on Zand's shoulder and I heard his incantation. "By the powers of Earth, we shall be as one!"
The surge of magic lifted me off my feet.
Someone woke me with water in my face, and I scrambled to my feet. The battle was done, Tekton was still our prince.
Praijol and Aphazel were talking to him, and the faction kneeled, granting their strength to regrow Tekton's hand. I kneeled behind Ekitch, planting my hand on his shoulder, sending the last of my mana to Tekton. The massive surge of mana from behind me made me dizzy, a strong hand on my shoulder, several people behind me.
When it was done, Tekton's severed fist had reformed, like a giant boulder.
In the heat of battle, Aphazel decided to declare war on faction Air.
We took a portal back to the forest edge near their faction, and charged inside. Soon enough, they were defeated, a frightened lot of people from faction Ent standing idly by. I decided to return and rest.
During the big battle it was so warm, that I decided to grab my camera once more instead of jumping into the fray. It was a little scary to wade in between the fighting people, but I don't stand out in my Pathfinder uniform, and I was safe enough dodging the fight while being in the thick of it.
After the battle had quieted down, the wounded were healed, I retreated to the shade. A lot of people were still playing, but others had opted to start packing. Both Bart and Mort had changed out of their costumes, and they joined the two dead (Helena and Snothak) in our camp to lounge in the shade for a while.
Meanwhile, I had a lovely conversation with devoted followers of Lilith. Apparantly, a war between the gods had broken out and we were forced to choose.
That was quite, quite a welcome change. Roleplay! Actual roleplay!
Granted, I was lying on a sheepskin in the shade, enjoying a soft breeze, cold water on my feet and a fresh cup of coffee, which only enhanced the experience, but still it was quite nice!
Vortex is looking better each year! *wink*
See all my pictures here
After Time-Out was called, NoKey and I started clearing away the camp and people said their goodbyes. It was quite a good Moots, and I'm happy with the photos I took and the play I had.
To be continued...
While NoKey made camp I recruted Asterion to come along for the groceries and when we returned (around seven) I instructed NoKey to make us some vegetable soup to keep us sated until I could start on the macaroni; first I'd have to park my car quite a bit away and walk back.
I'd set my expectations low for this Moots. VA hardly ever has the kind of play I enjoy; most players just want to be epic good or epic bad guys. It's not so much that they're denying other people the spotlight, it's just that everyone would like to have their own spotlight, and it's kind of blinding you. Oh, hey look, another evil mwuhahaha/lawful stupid player. Wooptiedoo.
I'm also often getting the vibe that it's a know-your-peeps thing. If you know peeps, they'll play with you. If you don't, meh. Chances are you'll be ignored.
And these two combined make it into a mess of "YOUUUU! YOUUUU are the CHOOOOOOSEN ONE!" where Pietje is giving Klaasje a lot of epicness in a very loud voice -- right next to Jantje and Keesje who are doing just the same thing.
MEH. Not my thing.
It's not that I feel ignored, because trust me, I don't want somebody dribbling in my ear like that. It's just that I'm kind of missing the smaller things.
But boy, did I get them this Moots!
Fridaynight there was something with plant-beings attacking us. I followed Bart around, he circled the pentagon where smoke was rising, and in the mist I was attacked by someone from the Fighter's guild. No time to react, he disappeared soon enough and I had bigger things to deal with. The plants were ferocious and I had to be healed no less than twice by Arturo, who spent quite a lot of mana to get me breathing again.
The fight was rather dark... because of the high risk of forest fires, the firefighters had forbidden any kind of fire -- even lanterns. Cooking was grudgingly allowed, but only under strict rules. We had forgone the primuses (cooking on oil - in case of fire can not be extinguished with water!) and taken the large gas stove along. But guild tents were very dark, as were the camps.
After time-out, people gathered in Faction Gargoyle to share a drink, remembering Geert. It was an odd affair, where Thijs and Claire were the last to arrive, and many people I didn't know. I chose to share my whisky with Thijs, who really appreciated it and told stories of Geert.
It was less abundant than I thought, and once I remembered that I'd had some ibuprofen earlier that evening I stopped drinking and went to bed.
On Saturday, I attended the Gargoyle meeting and hung out at the mage's guild a bit. The sun was burning us to a cindery crisp and I set up some lemonade for thirsty people after breakfast. Then I grabbed my camera and made the rounds. Fresh, bright and early people who'd been sweltering in their sleeping bags had donned (parts of) costumes and were enjoying roleplaying in 27°C weather. I knotted my Arafat-shawl around my head and stuck my head under the faucet to keep cool and avoid sun stroke.
Picture thanks to and © Martijn van Gerven.
I surprised Ekitch and Aqua'el with cool cucumber at a meeting with the navigators later in the afternoon. Ekitch was a bit startled by my sudden and unnoticed appearance at his left shoulder, but I do have a reputation to keep up...
After dinner, we were called to a mission. Some paladin of Luna that had claimed souls for himself, in stead of sending them on to Luna as is proper. We called upon several people to help us out and I was happy to have two DGO members, Helena the healer being one of them, with us, as well as Snothak the goblin and Armandis from Gargoyle. Armandis proved to be an invaluable asset as well, especially when he said that he "only" used a little bit of his powers (17 mana...I get 5 a day!)
Luna herself opened a portal to us, and we entered an eerie world: the world of the dead.
In the distance shimmered another portal, back to the living world. We stepped out in the early evening of a lush green world.
Several men were bounding down the path as the last of our group stepped out of the world of the dead. Mort grabbed one as he tried to rush by.
"Run! Run for your lives! It's Orpheus!"
They appeared to be very scared. Orpheus, the paladin we were supposed to show the error of his ways, was actively murdering and killing people to gain more souls for his power. As the villagers ran on, we continued.
It wasn't long until we found him.
In the abandoned ruins of a temple he stood, his long hair cascading down a long coat, some guards or followers nearby. He was raving, claiming that Luna had left him, abandoned him. That he still did Her work.
Bart, Mort and Choris approached Orpheus, tried to reason with him. I stayed at the entrance to the ruins, keeping the rest of the group behind me. The followers of Orpheus wore blue and black, perhaps reminiscent of DGO. The one closest to me was just two steps away, and I instructed Helena to bolt to the right if things would go bad. I handed Armandis my bow and arrows, they would be useless in close quarters, and eased two of my daggers from the scabbard at my waist. I stood, sometimes offering some reason, but in the end Orpheus challenged us to make him change his mind.
As Bart charged forward and pummeled into Orpheus, I stepped in, placing my two daggers at the guard's throat. I didn't even see Mort or Choris' reactions. The guards eyes were wide in fright, but he was fumbling for his weapons. It wasn't likely that he could draw his sword, but I told him "Come then, try, give me a reason."
He did and I shoved the daggers up, through the soft part of his throat, cutting major arteries and maybe even reaching the brain. His eyes rolled up and his body sagged against the wall I had pushed him into.
I turned, looking for the other guard but he had been dispensed with as well. One by one, Bart, Mort and Choris were flung from Orpheus. I took a place in front of the tall man.
"And what will you do?" he challenged me.
I paused to ponder that question. I had no illusions I could hurt him, not while he was holding onto so many souls and using their power to strengthen him.
But I could try.
As someone grabbed Orpheus' head from behind and started chanting an incantation, I slipped my knives beneath Orpheus' ribs, pointing up. It had very little effect. He flung me from him, and I pummeled into Bart, who had stood behind me and was busy taking away the souls Orpheus had collected, sending them on to Luna.
As I scrabbled to get up, I saw how Helena held onto Choris and how she used his body to shield herself, readying a healing spell.
From behind the ruins, the two guards returned, raised from the dead by Orpheus. The one I had killed earlier bellowed "YOU!!!!" and charged at me, but someone stepped in.
It was rather messy. As the guard raised his hand to my fellow Pathfinder, I grabbed it from behind and pulled him outside his balance. He toppled backwards, dislodging my foothold and we crashed down, my fall crushing a few arrows.
Finally, it was done. Mort rolled the corpse of the dead guard off me, and Helena healed my injuries. One of the fallen guards had tried to amputate my foot as he had rolled on the ground. But Orpheus had gotten away.
We returned straight away, back through the world of the dead and back to the Vortex, where Bart walked to the altar, laid his hands on the cold stone, and disappeared in front of our eyes.
Mort explained how they three, the priests of Luna, had channeled the souls from Orpheus' grasp and sent them to Luna. "About half of what he held, a thousand souls in total."
Kronkel, during a ritual
We also had a little skirmish with followers of Rosie. Apparantly, our Elemental Prince Tekton is not the only one who is very powerful. (e)Rosie and Zand were trying to gain our support, and Rosie made a point to attack us if she wouldn't get her way.
When night had fallen in earnest, the Pathfinders gathered in the camp. Helena joined us too, it had been a long day.
Chant approached us. He wanted to speak to us in private. Helena was definitely not invited.
The Wulfander gathered 'round and we had a discussion about our faith. Bart had been adamant that Tiara, former master of Luna, was getting ready to betray Luna, and that she was acting rather strangely.
Now they tried to convince us that if we wanted Her to, Amraphen could come to the Vortex. Because Amraphen and Luna were similar but not the same, the Wulfander clan urged us to reconsider.
"If die, want your soul to Luna to go, or to Amraphen?" Tiara asked. That was a difficult question.
We discussed the matter some, and I asked them why Helena could not join us, since she was a follower of Luna as well as a fellow member of Gargoyle.
It was then that we noticed it was very quiet in the camp.
Helena had been murdered. She was lying, face-down, on the table. One of the Wolves of Waukeen was lying behind her.
Pandemonium broke out. The Wolves of Waukeen were warned, people were checking the food on the table and the Wulfander declared that there was poison in play (but not in the food). We tried to make sense of things, why Helena? Why Lewie of Waukeen?
I made a report to the Goldwing, and found Armandis. That proved to be a stroke of luck, as Armandis immediately investigated the motives and came up with a few plausible theories. We sat with Ekitch for a while discussing these, but didn't come up with anything solid. Yet.
Sunday morning we were called to battle.
Tekton needed our aid, and Maywhin opened a portal to the edge of the Vortex, near the Void, so we could assist him. As we exited the portal, soon it was clear we were wedged between two armies. Both Zand and Rosie were coming to attack Tekton, who was busy with his task of building the Vortex.
As the faction members streamed from the portal, the armies moved to surround us. Soon the battle was underway.
I granted Choris an Earth Shield as well as myself, and granted a nearby dwarf the Strength of Stones. I loosed arrows at the enemy, ducking behind other Gargoylians for their protection from spells or weapons.
My arrows dwindled quickly in the quiver. Sometimes I could salvage an arrow from a fallen enemy, checking it to see if it would fly true. I chose my targets with care.
"Him! That's a healer." a Waukeen pointed towards a blond man in a brown vest. One arrow took him in the shoulder. He started murmuring a spell. I loosed another arrow at his chest, and urged the Waukeen to strike at him.
Finally, it was over. Only Rosie and Zand stood, their armies slain. What happened to Rosie, I didn't know, but Zand stood before Tekton. Our Elemental Prince put his massive stone fist on Zand's shoulder and I heard his incantation. "By the powers of Earth, we shall be as one!"
The surge of magic lifted me off my feet.
Someone woke me with water in my face, and I scrambled to my feet. The battle was done, Tekton was still our prince.
Praijol and Aphazel were talking to him, and the faction kneeled, granting their strength to regrow Tekton's hand. I kneeled behind Ekitch, planting my hand on his shoulder, sending the last of my mana to Tekton. The massive surge of mana from behind me made me dizzy, a strong hand on my shoulder, several people behind me.
When it was done, Tekton's severed fist had reformed, like a giant boulder.
In the heat of battle, Aphazel decided to declare war on faction Air.
We took a portal back to the forest edge near their faction, and charged inside. Soon enough, they were defeated, a frightened lot of people from faction Ent standing idly by. I decided to return and rest.
During the big battle it was so warm, that I decided to grab my camera once more instead of jumping into the fray. It was a little scary to wade in between the fighting people, but I don't stand out in my Pathfinder uniform, and I was safe enough dodging the fight while being in the thick of it.
After the battle had quieted down, the wounded were healed, I retreated to the shade. A lot of people were still playing, but others had opted to start packing. Both Bart and Mort had changed out of their costumes, and they joined the two dead (Helena and Snothak) in our camp to lounge in the shade for a while.
Meanwhile, I had a lovely conversation with devoted followers of Lilith. Apparantly, a war between the gods had broken out and we were forced to choose.
That was quite, quite a welcome change. Roleplay! Actual roleplay!
Granted, I was lying on a sheepskin in the shade, enjoying a soft breeze, cold water on my feet and a fresh cup of coffee, which only enhanced the experience, but still it was quite nice!
Vortex is looking better each year! *wink*
See all my pictures here
After Time-Out was called, NoKey and I started clearing away the camp and people said their goodbyes. It was quite a good Moots, and I'm happy with the photos I took and the play I had.
To be continued...
