Mythodea / The Forgotten Abbey

30.11.2021

After a recent expedition to the land South of Westfjord, Corporal Bødwar returned with news of what he had experienced there. The great ice sheet which walled off whatever was South of it from Mythodea had a break which the Freischaerler had found. One of the Freischaerler, a sort of Mythodean Partisan, had seen a monastery somewhere behind the opening and reported it back to those present at the first expeditionary camp.

With this information, Sir Dagger of Blackwood traveled to Zweiwasser to speak with the Margrave Balor the Red to get his thoughts on the subject. While there, Tovak, a renowned scholar, arrived to deliver his accounts of what had happened on that same expedition. The Margrave decided to gather a force from within the Realm of Roses and travel South to explore the region further. With that, Sir Dagger gathered who he could form among those available from East Blackwood and journeyed South with Zweiwasser and their allies. Members of the Court of Roses and Thorns also embarked on the mission and therefor would have the overall command of the Realm's expeditionary force. Raul Mazhak an Oshead, Manca'Quar; Fenrik von Frostwacht, Emissär des Hofs; Heinrich von Buntfeste, Reichsedler were those present from the Court. Abu Saif ibn Dun served as General.

As expected, the expeditionary force reached the Abbey by nightfall after marching through the opening in the ice sheet into the unexplored lands of the Southern Continent. Their journey had been hastened by the encroaching Undead Flesh and Skargen forces who were also eager to reach the Abbey though at first the expedition did not know why. By the time the Abbey was in full view, the expedition was attacked by Forsaken. There was a rush to fall back behind the walls of the Abbey with heavy infantry holding up the rear while the rest of the expedition and supplies were pulled inside.

Once inside, the gate to the Abbey was closed with the Blutpackt warriors staying behind to man it. This only served to slow the advance of the Forsaken as they manage to batter down the gate and push their way in. The Blutpackt sustained heavy casualties in the subsequent push and began a fighting withdrawal to a second bridge over an inner moat. At first glance this bridge appeared to be the only way to the inner Abbey and thus the rest of the Expeditionary Force aided the Blutpackt in holding that bridge; however, this meant that Skargen and Undead Flesh were able to take the outer wall and gatehouse for their own which resulted in a siege of the Abbey from within the Abbey's outer defenses. For reasons unclear at the time, the Forsaken were not able to cross over the bridge entirely in spite of having the numbers to do so.

Once the combat situation had calmed, East Blackwood took the first watch at the Bridge and were eventually relieved by Margrave Balor the Red and his Drachengarde. General Abu assumed command of the fighting force gathered by the Realm of Roses, including East Blackwood while Shila of Zackenberg took over leadership of the scouts and Fenrik von Frostwacht assumed leadership of the knowledge seekers. Both the scouts and the knowledge seekers who would learn as much as they could from the Abbey, most importantly, why the Forsaken had wanted to take it in the first place. From East Blackwood, Bødwar and Antares aided both the scouts and knowledge seekers.

The Abbey was resided in by a group of brothers and sisters, as they called themselves, under the guidance of an Abbot. The Abbey also played host to a book binder and a team of cooks and caretakers. The residents of the Abbey offered the expedition shelter and were sure that it would be safe within the inner grounds.

The Inquisition and the People of the Abbey

The brothers and sisters of the Abbey often bore scars such as blinding, burns and so on. They were friendly and welcoming to an extent but they did not speak openly about their religion or purpose which drew the suspicions of the expedition. The knowledge seekers spent much time speaking with and questioning the Abbot, brothers and sisters. Some letters were found throughout the Abbey which also aided in uncovering their story. Later it became apparent that not only were they unwilling to say too much about themselves but they in fact could not remember everything as if something had removed those memories. It was learned throughout the first days of the expedition that the majority of the people of the Abbey were in fact prisoners of an "Inquisition" who were sentenced to a life of repentance.

Important questions remained such as, who were the others who lived there, namely the Book Binder, and who were the Inquisition and where were they. The people of the Abbey professed that the Inquisition had not been there for years but it was believed that perhaps the expedition was expected to be The Inquisition. The book binder himself explained his purpose of being at the Abbey was to leave his old life behind. In his room were many books including bestiaries containing creatures that did not exist in Mythodea and a book that explained the identity of the book binder. He had been the Weapons Master of The Inquisition and had been imprisoned there for knowing too much. When questioned further, the book binder declined to comment.

The expedition searched for information concerning The Inquisition. Not much was learned but, The Inquisition is reported to have existed for as long as anyone can remember. They believe they act as the institution that "Keeps the Balance" and have various rules.

Rules of The Inquisition via Oral History:

1. Hands off Witchcraft

2. All Magic is Bad

1. If magic must be used then magic should be taken form one's self

A Connection to the Ancient Rulers

A recovered letter or journal of a "traveler" detailed things the traveler wished to remember. This traveler described fleeing the Inquisition and a desire to meet those who had fled North long before. It was hypothesized that those who fled before were perhaps the Ancient Rulers of Mythodea and that the traveler had also been a mage of similar power suggesting that prehaps those imprisioned in the Abbey were also mages of similar power to that of the Ancient Rulers.

Failing of the Abbey Wards

By the second day, the protections of the Abbey began to fail. It had been learned that runes around the Abbey's outer defenses were at least partially responsible for the barrier that defended it and these were found to have been tampered with over night by the Skargen. The Abbot was questioned on how to repair the runes but he confessed that he did not remember. He remembered having written instructions in a book which should have been in the Abbey's library but that was nowhere to be found. And thus, a search for that book and or the means to repair the barrier commenced.

The book was likely never found but the Blutpackt managed to uncover the instructions for a ritual which could repair and or construct new wards. The instructions that were found explained that they existed in the instance that the Inquisition was not present to do it themselves. The ritual could only be performed at the Witching Hour and the rune needed to be painted in blood. The ritual was performed but there were not enough ward components to repair all of the damages which later led to the wards being breached on the final day of the expedition.

Anti Magic Field

As those with magical abilities or magic oriented existences entered the Abbey, they felt strange as if their magic was being hindered in some way. After finding an alter in the catacombs beneath the Abbey, a rune was discovered there. The same rune was on necklaces around the necks of the brothers and sisters of the Abbey. Later, information on a rune that could block and or hinder magic was found among the scrolls of the Abby but it did not become apparent that the rune on the altar and around the necks of those living there was indeed that same rune.

After a time, knowledge seekers from the expedition noticed that some of the runes on the necklaces were different than they had been and those wearing them seemed to feel better than they had before. Those wearing other runes started to remember things that they had forgotten. This in conjunction with another scrolls which pictured various runes helped form the theory that the rune on the alter was indeed the one dampening magic and likely also harming the memory of those who wore them around their necks.

A letter was found that connected the strange happenings with the changing of the runes with a person most called simply "The Traveler." This culminated in the near failing of the overall anti-magic field on the last day of the expedition which resulted in the temporary restoration of the Abbot, brothers and sisters of the Abbey.

Rika of the Drachengarde saves Sir Dagger of Blackwood's Life

During a battle the expeditionary forces lost, a member of Zweiwasser's Drachengarde, Rika, saved Sir Dagger of Blackwood's life while Forsaken forces attempted to kill the wounded ambassador. The soldier of the Drachengarde actively parried all incoming blows that would have otherwise ended the life of Sir Dagger until such a time as the Knight of Blackwood could be removed to safety. Later on after Dagger had been tended to and was well on his way to recovery, he came across Margrave Balor speaking with Rika about her exploits thus far. To add to this, Sir Dagger praised her for saving his life earlier on in the day.

The Forsaken Involvement

The question of what the Forsaken wanted with the Abbey was at least partially answered when scouts overheard a conversation between Undead Flesh soldiers. As reported, the conversation detailed a plan to have "one" of the "Abbeys" be the new home of the Bone Queen. Hindering any action of the Forsaken has typically been a prefered strategy of the Settler's of Mythodea but the idea that the Undead Flesh would want to move the Bone Queen's home away from Mythodea was and interesting one to say the least as it opened up many more questions than it answered.

Toward the end of the last day of the expedition South beyond the ice wall, the Undead Flesh broke into the tunnels beneath the Abbey. In response, General Abu sent all available forces with the exclusion of Zweiwasser, into the tunnels but the tunnels were too narrow to fight effectively with those numbers. Meanwhile, the Skargen war-band, who had had the Abbey under siege for the past several days, attacked the bridge over the inner moat. The Zweiwasser troops stationed there called for aid but none was sent. Soon the Zweiwasser force, including some of East Blackwood, were overwhelmed and pushed back. Antonius of Zackenberg stayed in the tunnels and fighting there and sent all available soldiers back out to aid in the courtyard against the Skargen. Zweiwasser took heavy casualties before the excess of troops, who had previously been in the tunnels, made their way back to the courtyard to combat the new threat.

The overall battle devolved into a bloody mess with the expeditionary force only just barely claiming victory. A heavily wounded Sir Varek was leading the Zweiwasser force at that time and he became furious with the leadership of the expedition. He stated that they were responsible for Zweiwasser nearly dying in the fight as they either refused to aid and or managed their available forces too poorly to do so effectively. The Realm of Roses Leadership apologized for the "mistake" and said it would not happen again. Sir Dagger, also heavily injured in the fighting, pushed himself up to speak stating, "mistakes have been made which could have cost many lives yet a decision was made. It is better that a bad decision is made rather than no decision even if it was the wrong one. I trust that the events of today will be learned from and we can come together in the future to fight for common goals against the Forsaken."

The expedition left early the next morning to return to Mythodea after a brief rest at the camp that Margrave Balor the Red of Zweiwasser had set up two days prior. They left with more questions than answers and a gloomy outlook for the future. Yet in all of the struggle, a light at the end of the tunnel could be seen. Adalbert from Siegelstadt had acquired valuable information that could help aid Mythodea's recovery. How effective this information will be utilized remains to be seen. 

Mythodea / Castel Del Sol

11.10.2021

After the Summer Solstice in Lunorth, some of East Blackwood returned to Copperdale while others moved on to other East Blackwood locations around Mythodea or onto missions elsewhere. From there, Commander Anthem Divigil Delos HORD of the Embassy Guard invited diplomats of the Embassy, merchants of the East Blackwood Company and soldiers of the Embassy Guard to his home, Castel Del Sol, for a gathering and party hosted by him. Of those expected to attend, Sir Dagger of Blackwood brought a guest of his own, Jinx Kilfrin Funkentanz of the Fae. Also, although there had been a message that "The Jasmine" had recently made port in Mythodea, it was still a surprise when Lady Sayeh of Sapphire Isle arrived to the gathering as well.

As part of this celebration, the host agreed to have a memorial to the those who have fallen in recent times. The Five Candles memorial was hosted as well as two separate memorials for the recently deceased, Ronja Damotil of the Märkischer Bund and Lord Sir Vawn Coupant of Eagle's Rook.

In Memoriam

In recent memory, wars plagued Mythodea followed by, plagues, famine, natural and unnatural disasters throughout the known Worlds. Many have lost their lives in these struggles and some have come to be remembered in name and or in deed. The first ceremony was the five candle's ceremony form Zweiwasser and other parts of the Realm of Roses. This ceremony told the story of the destruction of the creature known as the Pestilence Crab and it honored those who fought and, more importantly, those who fought and gave their lives in service of Mythodea and the Elements. Four candles were lit representing the fought of the five champions who fought and two were re-lit symbolizing those who fought and who's flame still burns in life.

This ceremony was followed by words about Ronja Damotil of the Märkischer Bund who died in the Hohld in a conflict with the Undead Flesh. He spoke of her deeds and her passing and those she left behind. To conclude the memorial service for the evening, Lord Sir Vawn Coupant of Eagle's Rook was honored. A surcoat of Eagle's Rook was hung flanked by two candles in representation of him and those he left behind when he ascended to the Summer Lands. Sir Dagger told first of his passing and of what he meant to him in life. Following that, Lady Sayeh of Sapphire Isle spoke of her personal connections and experiences with Lord Sir Vawn, a true hero of the Realms and all who had the honor of meeting him. At the closing of the ceremony, a song was sung, The Ballad of Sir Vawn, by the bards present which told the story of his Lord Sir Vawn's passing.

Blackwood Court

Blackwood Court plays host to official Blackwood announcements, knightings, granted titles and important presentations. Last year at Sapphire House in Triskel, Western Seal, Sir Dagger of Blackwood and Djako Kaevh hosted the first Blackwood Court in Mythodea. This year, Sir Dagger of Blackwood and Lady Sayeh of Sapphire Isle hosted the second Blackwood Court in Mythodea.

The first item presented was that Bødvar BeerHunter was announced as being the East Blackwood Company's newest merchant. Bødvar had presented Sir Dagger, at a gathering in Lunorth with the Iron Daggers, with a chest of coin and a business proposition. Sir Dagger accepted on behalf of the East Blackwood Company welcoming Bødvar into the East Blackwood Company. Bødvar, with the support of the East Blackwood Company, will be constructing a brewery in the near future. It is reported that the hope is to have this brewery within Schwarzheim, Drachenbrück in Zweiwasser.

Commander Anthem and Captain Varn were also called forth to speak on Bødvar returning to his previous rank of Corporal based on honorable and devoted service since his demotion. Before those gathered, Commander Anthem and Captain Varn spoke kind and well deserved words of the recent deeds and beyond admirable service Bødvar had performed since his demotion earlier in the year. Bødvar was then returned to his previous rank of Corporal.

Sir Dagger of Blackwood and Lady Sayeh of Sapphire Isle explained briefly the title and position they held as Legates East and West of Blackwood which meant they could decide on matters of citizenship together in the absence of the Crown. Following that, they announced first the acceptance of Bødvar BeerHunter as a citizen of Blackwood before the gathered court. Bødvar stepped forward and proclaimed that as he was now a citizen of the Kingdom of Blackwood, he was no longer a mercenary but rather a Soldier of Blackwood and therefor would no longer be accepting payment from the E.B.Co treasury as a mercenary.

Captain Varn and Master Djako Kaevh were then recognized as Sworn Citizens of Blackwood meaning they had been sword to the Crown of Blackwood and the Nation as a whole. Both spoke continued oaths and promises to the Crown and Blackwood. Sir Dagger of Blackwood also encouraged Captain Varn to decide on a liege in the future.

Also present, made possible by a Sea Witches Glass, was Sir Pillipus of Eroewan who was recognized and congratulated by the Court for his recent knighting.Sir Pillipus, one the Knights of Blackwood's newest Knights, was invited to speak.

The Merit Based System

During Blackwood Court, Captain Varn presented the East Blackwood Company's new Merit Based measurement system. It is the hope of the East Blackwood Company that the Merit Based System become a standard system used in various realms and lands in the near future. A further more detailed report of the Merit Based System will be presented by "The Ambassador" at a later date.

Gathering

After the formal Blackwood Court was concluded, the rest of the night was simply a party among the guests who were present and East Blackwood as well as a celebration of life in the name of the fallen. Commander Anthem offered his guests a buffet of various food and some sweets, ale, liqueurs and wine, though Lady Sayeh had brought her own crates of wine to offer the gathering as well. The night involved music, meditation at the Terra shrine and good company into the early hours of the next morning. 

The Realms / Death of Lord Sir Vawn by Dagger and Eagle's Rook

06.10.2021

OT/OOC: (IT/IC bellow)

Two years ago I had the honor of writing the obituary of a great and moral character in a landscape of gray played by an even better man. As a child and teenager I had looked up to the character and as I grew older the player. The player, Dave, was fighting cancer and appeared to have been losing the fight. Knowing this, a LARP event was hosted where his character could fight his final fight, walk through halls filled with his countrymen and women and, pass on into the Summer lands. It was an honor to write that character obituary (you can see it below) but today I received the worse news one could get. The player of Sir Vawn, Dave H., passed away today after fighting with cancer over the past few years.

I am thankful for the chance I was given to speak with him at Feast of Blackwood 2019, the same LARP where my own character was knighted. Dave was a great man.

May he Rest in Peace.

- Gary E. Heinstrom

The Ballad of Sir Vawn

Death of Lord Sir Vawn Coupant,
Knight Commander of Eagle's Rook
Templar of Vandor
Knight of the Eternal Flame
Knight of the Realms

Not all struggles are fought on a battlefield. Some are born out of pride, loyalty, respect, and honor. Vawn struggled with all of those things. Born a lowly farmer, Vawn Coupant earned a knighthood and was later risen to the status of Lord of Eagle's Rook. In his time, Vawn was a paragon of honor, valor, and truth as it was the code he lived by. Vawn's wife was a symbol of his personal values and when she fell heroically and entered the Summerlands, Vawn dedicated his life to do the same where one day he would be reunited with her.

Along with an intrepid host of warriors of the Realms, Sir Vawn journeyed through the cursed plane of Gaol on a holy quest given to him by Vandor, the God of Protection and Vengeance. Together they faced off against wicked Asmodeus and the fell minions he had gathered, in a valiant endeavor to free Garm, the God of Balance, who had long been imprisoned, pinned to his throne by the Sword of Kings. It was there on that noble quest that Vawn Coupant passed onto the Summerlands where he would fight his final battle for all eternity along side his beloved wife.

Hero is a common term in the Realms, yet few live up to the name. Most "heroes" spend much of their active lives invading foreign lands and meddling in the affairs of others. While not all actions on behalf of the "heroes" of the Realms are morally bad, few can actually say with conviction that they are true heroes. Yet Sir Vawn had always lived up to that meaning the word hero invokes. He had always been a figure one could respect and idolize. A white knight in a field of gray, Vawn Coupant was a true Hero of the Realms in his lifetime.

Having risen from a simple farmer to become a knight, lord, and paragon of Honor, Valor and Truth, Sir Vawn's mortal existence ended in much the same way he lived, in service to others. Lord Sir Vawn Coupant leaves behind his daughter, Liana Coupant, the family Coupant, and a grieving nation.

The Realms / Exotic Items, Creatures, and Wares

05.10.2021

Where shall I begin? While the day itself started at the crack of noon, the work for this gathering started weeks earlier, to say nothing of the years of history. I myself found out what a big deal it was to Magus James Swift when he personally asked me to aid him, calling in a favor owed to him from the days of the Bedlam War.

Article written by Eric "Rosetta" Willisson

Source: View from Valehaven

I do want to mention that while a few names show up repeatedly in my telling, that is only because of the places I was focused throughout the day. Every single person who came to this quest was essential. I saw so many acts of heroism, large and small, from quick thinking to keep a line together, to acts of sacrifice, to running to defend when heedless of danger. There are long stretches where I do not discuss the fighting, but make no mistake, it was nearly constant, and we could not have accomplished what we did had we not been well-defended.

Because of the history, recent and not, we had documentation, newly-crafted items, old artifacts, and magical power gifted to us by everyone from fellow adventurers to the Stonewood Fae, there to support us on our quest. We would need everything that was brought to bear.

Soon after arriving, and confirming to James that I was there as a representative of the Fae answering his summons, we gathered in a cozy tavern outside the town of Wartham. I could already hear those present discussing their own preparations: yes, the graveyard was "locked down" to prevent its dead from being used against us. Yes, the knightly gauntlets were charged. Yes, the Blood Brothers item was active. Soon, James addressed the crowd.

He reminded us why we had come, and the expected tasks ahead of us. We were there to reforge the evil sword Shadow Fang to make it into a force for good. First, we would have to reach Wartham. Second, we would fight the demon called The Smith and take its hammers, the Horadric Malus. Third, we would gather Runestones from our enemies until we could assemble the required Runewords to empower Shadow Fang and activate necessary magical tools. Fourth, we would actually reforge Shadow Fang and kill the fallen archangel within it. Just four things. Along the way, we would find the Black Soul Stone, a prison with which to keep Izual, the archangel, from simply returning to fight us later through the demonic Cycle once we had slain him.

Apprentice Tempest moved around the room, handing out actual trifold pamphlets introducing us to the lands of Stonewood. If mine did not get too dirty, I will be submitting it to the Library of Ivory. It covered key things we needed to know about the types of dangers in Stonewood, whether to do things on impulse without checking first (no), and current members of the nation.

Soon, James and Tempest enchanted the armor of all ten or so fighters who were present, and we set out for Wartham. We had hoped to find multiple survivors of the recent weeks' attacks, but when we arrived we sadly found only one, a man named, if I caught it right, Voloris. Wartham itself had a small graveyard, the anvil we would need, and a border of a few dilapidated buildings and some trees. Outside, the red portal we had been warned of glowed faintly. We also found a box with blanks that would fit the Runeword needed to re-enchant Shadow Fang.

The portal began to disgorge demons. Undead, mostly, with fairly tough armor. As predicted by my divinations, we quickly started to find Runestones carried through the portal. While some assumed they belonged with me because of my own association with Runes, it was Rowan of Stonewood and a newer adventurer, Astaria, who were able to make the most sense of them. cross-referencing them against a book of runic lore and keeping track of which of the 84 Runestones we had collected. Their work proved vital throughout the day.

Early on, a greater undead being came through the portal. Most of us were unable to affect it, and on the rare occasion we did drop it, we had little understanding of how it had happened. It helped set the tone for the day, in that it took us a very long time and some noteworthy costs to figure out how to finally destroy it. Ser Kovaks' use of Fighter's Intuition, Apprentice Thoril's use of a Sleep regional, and Astaria's Magic Missiles all proved vital, as well as several people's keen observations.

After this, there was a lull, and Kovaks brought truly essential supplies from their cart. There were water, grapes, cheese, pepperoni, animal crackers and pretzels. They had reminded us in the meetings leading up to this quest that an army marches on its stomach, and thus came prepared. We relied on these greatly throughout the day, and I cannot imagine how hard it would have been to continue on without these snacks.

As we expected, soon after this, more undead emerged from the portal, and they were clearly accompanied by the Smith. Two hammers, and a loud voice told us all we needed to know. In addition, it was accompanied by what appeared to be Lord Elwin of Stonewood, fighting on its side and very difficult to harm. By this point I had noticed that the majority of our enemies were enchanted beings, and frequently used my Circle of Protection to avoid fights and get kills where I could. The fight went poorly for us, and at one point we nearly all were felled, but Thoril saved the day with a magic item that, for some reason, is activated by shouting "Attention Campers, all in the sound of my voice, rise and fight!".

I believe the Smith was finally defeated when enough different people had attacked it, though I may be confusing that with another fight. Similarly, I am unsure how Lord Elwin was defeated. See what I meant about the greater undead setting the tone for the day? I do know that we attempted to destroy the body afterwards. It dissipated, and we agreed to work on fixing it another day. We were too far in our current mess to take on anything else. A current theory is that it was a simulacrum of him.

With the Horadric Malus in our hands, and the majority of the Runestones collected, only a scant couple of hours in, it seemed that time was on our side. This was about to change.

We had noticed a locked door that would normally have lead to the basement beneath the tavern, with a curious inscription on it, a long series of standard spells separated by three symbols: ~, +, and |. It seemed likely that the spells indicated some kind of password, and over time we put increasing amounts of work into solving it. Tempest, Astaria, and Rowan did much of the painstaking work, but it eventually took several divinations and spending favors granted by the Stonewood Fae to finally solve it. Before I understood how the Fae preferred to be spoken to, it expressed its displeasure first by blinding everyone for several minutes, and then by killing the entire questing party. Thankfully, we had diligent healers and a magical Group Healing pool belonging to James to help us recover, and the door unlocked when I spoke the password.

We sent a scouting party inside, and they reported that there was a terrible miasma, making them feel incredibly ill. There was also, some distance down, an altar with skulls and an item that could only be the Black Soul Stone. The stone was surrounded by a magical field and could not be touched. When James and I went to investigate the stone ourselves, he noticed that there were tiny images of Runestones etched around the metal casing for the stone, likely fitting the twelve circles surrounding the stone. He began to record them, though almost succumbed to the miasma.

We planned to send different people down, each to stay as long as they could to record Runestones. Sir Avendar went first, and was able to get several before he felt his magical protections being burned through. Tempest chose to go next. However, we noticed she was remaining there for a dangerously long time, and when we sent someone to investigate, they found no sign of her, only the notebook she had been writing in. A Guidance did not answer me as to whether she had been absorbed into the stone herself, but it seemed the most likely bet. It also seemed likely that we would need to be able to bring it out to rescue her. Rowan volunteered to continue the work, and had me tie a rope around her waist so I could pull her back if she fainted. I waited for the longest time I thought could be safe, called to her and got only a cough in return, pulled the rope back in, and to my horror found the empty end. She, too, had vanished.

The sun was setting and we had lost two of our people, and still were far from activating the Black Soul Stone, or even solving what was wrong. I composed a ritual of Fae power to Intervene for help, and suddenly found myself holding a pile of twelve Runestones, empowered to deactivate the shield. I ran down, followed closely by Kovaks, and inserted the Runestones as quickly as possible. With the last one, I saw the shield flicker and vanish, and seven demonic spirits in the room became visible as they were sucked inside. To my relief, the bodies of Tempest and Rowan materialized in front of us.

I tried to take the Black Soul Stone, but quickly found it had a compulsion to return it to the spot. It would need a Protect the Soul or similar magic to remove it. We grabbed the two bodies and hurried back into the fresh air.

While arranging for the two of them to be raised, we found Talia, a new adventurer who had been given a Protect the Soul sash. She was able to bring the stone up from its holding place. Unfortunately, when I took it as she handed it to me, its power overcame me and I was compelled to slay everyone around me, while being protected from their weapons myself. Eventually I was stopped when Kovaks grabbed me from behind while others pinned my arms, until the magic left me in a huge explosion. The stone began to drift back to its spot on the altar. Later experiments confirmed it could only be kept inside a Circle of Protection for a short time, and we concluded it would need to be left in place until it was needed. I made sure Talia knew that she was one of the only people who could take it, and that when Izual was brought low after Shadow Fang was reforged, she would need to retrieve it so he could be imprisoned.

It was much later in the day than we had hoped, and we knew it would soon be time to begin the reforging process. Sir Sean called to the god Thane to restore our magics, though like all things divine in Stonewood this came at a cost. Jericho performed an Augury to determine that, contrary to some earlier beliefs, it would be a good idea to close the red portal then, not wait until after fighting Izual. Blackwood headed to the portal with a plan. It wasn't long, however, before someone came running back, saying that the portal had closed, with everyone else still inside. I rushed over to attempt a summoning ritual to pull them back out of the Hell they were now trapped in. At first it seemed like I was successful, as bodies appeared, but at last, when my power reached Sir Mathias, I felt him Resist Magic and the ritual ended. The other members of Blackwood were understandably extremely upset that I had left their lord behind, though I tried to explain that he had resisted me. I would have been upset and confused, too. At the very end of the night, I made one last attempt, supported by the rest of Blackwood other friends of Mathias, to summon him back to us, but once again he outright refused. I believe Squire Pilpus, Sir Nos, and Sir Elizah have worked on learning more since then.

There was nothing else for it but to begin reforging Shadow Fang. James had summoned an "automation crystal" that would work the anvil. After confirming we had the Runeword we needed, thanks to the hard work of Astaria and Rowan, we brought the Runestones, the Horadric Malus, and Shadow Fang to the anvil, and began.

As expected, the fallen archangel Izual emerged swiftly. Thanks to a blessing by Lady Natira, we knew he would be unable to escape Wartham, and with the portal closed he would have no way to reach the demonic realms. However, we expected to have to defend against him and the minions he summoned for over an hour and a half. Thankfully, magic from Sir Sean and others seemed to lessen this greatly.

Still, the battle was hard. Night had fully fallen, and his minions were plentiful. I spent most of the battle using my Circle to help prevent one side of the line from being wrapped, but unable to harm very many of the heavily-armored undead. Behind me, it was clear that the battle against Izual was raging. Thoril used all of his Sleep abilities to prevent Izual from reaching the anvil and interrupting the forging, but there still were many close calls.

I believe that I missed when Shadow Fang was actually finished, but when it was, the tenor of the battle changed from simple survival on our part to seeking victory. Around this time, one of the undead managed to break through my Circle, raise me as undead, and sent me to kill James. However, this was at the exact moment that James had invoked all of his power and was fighting Izual hand-to-hand. I came in to try to kill James from behind, but my dagger bounced off him as easily as if he had been an Archangel himself. Eventually the people around me caught on that I was probably being compelled, not trying to stop James for some inscrutable Fae reason, and so killed me.

The next thing I knew, I was alive and no fighting was occurring. Instead, there was a discussion taking place. I ascertained that there had been a fatal mistake, and Izual now had dominion of the Black Soul Stone himself, and to make matters worse he contained the three Prime Evils that had been trapped inside it. So confident was he of his victory, that he had agreed to let us regroup and discuss his offer to let us walk away.

Things were indeed bleak, but it is never wise when fighting the Realms to give us time to think and pool resources. Thoril revealed that he had a scroll of Wish he had been hoping to use otherwise, but he could sacrifice for this cause. Not wanting to waste time, and knowing the ways wishes have a tendency to backfire, we decided on a simple one quickly: to make it so that the Prime Evils were back in the stone. Obviously, when this wish was made, the truce was over.

Unfortunately, it turned out the stone was still embedded in Izual's chest. Still, this had made him significantly more vulnerable. Avendar used a scroll to reach Vandor and rip the stone out from his chest, at which point everyone descended on Izual, and soon he was dead and his body dissipated. His spirit seemed to float away, possibly to the Black Soul Stone.

In the end, we were battered, bloodied, and weakened, but we had accomplished what we set out to do. Shadow Fang is no longer an angel-slaying sword of evil, but rather a force for good. Its powers are of Peace and War, such that James may better serve his goddess.

The one snag was that the Black Soul Stone itself went missing, with nothing but a small pool of mysterious liquid to mark where it had once been. It seems it may have been acquired by an even bigger threat, one which may have orchestrated some or all of this for its own plans. But, such is the way of dealing with gods and angels, and perhaps we will confront this foe another day...

Posted by Crown Prince Saeganof Blackwood

Bicolline / Holiday not Resting

04.10.2021

In the heavenly archipelago of Soumess the Argannais fleet of the federation made anchor. Where once a party had been expected, a conflict took its place. The Federation reportedly had not come for peace but rather war. The contingent of Imperial troops and allies, such as the Realms Embassy, who had been making enjoying a vacation from plague and war in the archipelago were well into their cups when the Federation fleet arrived. This led to a violent battle ending in imperial defeat. One scribes accounts of what happened were found on a beach in Soumess.

HOLIDAY NOT RESTING

This Posthumous text by Manisse Murgol was aquired by "The Ambassador" staff via Sir Shean of Creathorne, Guild Master of the Realms Embassy at Bicolline:Practical outfit, knotted hair, half full of his favorite alcohol, wearing a leather bag full of all his material; ink, feather, parchment, and a business card on which one could read: Manisse Murgol, scripting bard, Dailypo camp. In her gloved hand was a draft of what should be a special dispatch of the Dailypo camp now condemned to rot on sunny beaches, as the woman was knocked out by alcohol but, fate decided that a young Argannais infantryman passed through [and picked up] the precious paper floating in the rising tide. Curious, he unfolded it and read it. [Later that text would find its way into the hands of others and eventually "The Ambassador."]:′′True to their habits, the Empire and the federation Arganese had not planned such a rocambolic situation! In the heavenly archipelago of Soumess, fighting futile violence is currently taking place, suggesting a revival of human stupidity as soon as the great plague is nothing but a bad memory. You, readers, are entitled to know what's happening here! Full contingents of harnessed and ready to feast soldiers are landed in force on a small fine sand beach overlooking a sea in the colors of Azure. Having come so far aboard an imperial frigate, I cannot hide my surprise from you when I spotted the Argannais fleet of the federation which had already anchored anchor in the archipelago.Good, I thought, poor naive that I am. My well-deserved vacation was a pleasant one, so many people to party with, I already imagined myself joining the ranks of the knights of dawn, still intoxicated with the party that would be held overnight. But now the bullies of this dictatorial federation who still dar[ed] to stand up to imperial democracy have come to us, weapons to fist, standards to the wind, to call us back to where we came from. I quote the exact words used: ′′Go back to your country if you are not happy. You don't respect our values, not celebrating with you!′′ What a nerve! On the contrary! It is our values of kindness and openness for all those who think exactly like us who are flouted!
No way of leaving it there. I'm not a warrior, but I must admit to you, readers, that I felt mustard climbing me to the idea that I should share my little piece of paradise with dictatorial lackeys, which is vast enough for everyone. However, it should be noted that the fighting was nebulous. Alcohol, mixed with the heat of the islands, made some troops distracted to the point that they could no longer discern friends of enemies. In conclusion, it became clear to me that for these soldiers, the holidays are caught by war!′′

The the federation Arganese soldier folded the paper and looked at the rest of the imperial contingent, beaten and shot down, which was returning to the ships. He sighed at length and decided to send the article to the offices of the Dailypocamp. Freedom of the press is essential, although opinions are often to be wary. A small altercation over which the two nations have the moral right to impose their visions and customs when the celebration comes had created new friendships. Taking her way back, her dark look slowly cleared up as the end of the holidays presented itself with a much cheerful finding.

The soldier grommela in his teeth: ′′ In the end, it was really a nice fight.

The Realms / Feast of Blackwood

22.09.2021

Every year, the Kingdom of Blackwood hosts the Feast of Blackwood where the warriors and people of the Realms are invited to partake in the festivites, hospitality, activities presented and of course, the Feast itself. This year things were a bit different however as is apparent in the text of the official invite to the Feast:

"Come one, come all Denizens of the Realms to Feast of Blackwood 1021, A Tale of 2 Feasts! At Blackwood Tournaments, we were acquainted with some residents of what appears to a mirrored physical plane of Blackwood, and we became aware of the existence of a world ride with new locations, people and experience that beg to be explored by those brave and enterprising enough to ford the dimensional boundaries that confine us in our day to day lives! Mediators and the royals of Blackwood have made arrangements with the political leadership of our new found neighbors for those in attendence of Feast of Blackwood to experience a holiday celebration and a tour of this new realm, and on the day of our feast, host some new friends at court. We look forward to a weekend of exploration and new bonds being forged and would be so honored to share this with all of the realms. We hope to see you there."

On occasion, we at "The Ambassador" enjoy the "Ramblings" of Madam Zarine especially when it comes to various events we ourselves were not present at. In this case, Zarine has written a summery of what transpired at this year's Tournaments of Blackwood. Here are some exerts from that article.

"Ah yes, it is once again my favorite time of year. The smell of mulling spices and simmering soups fill the air. Pumpkin everything brings all the basic bitches to frolic in the crisp, colorful leaves in the yard. Cooler days and even colder nights encourage folks to spend their ill gotten gold on a warm companion. But most important of all, Blackwood welcomes us all into their lands to partake of all their meaty goodness. And partake we do. Perhaps a bit too much, really. Honestly, you could have fed a small village just from what I ate alone."

During the Tournaments of Blackwood, as Feast was also hosted with a variety of foods to dine on that Madam Zarine commented in depth on.

"We might as well start at the beginning with the appetizers. The cheese and crackers were cheese and crackers. Not much to say about them as they were pretty standard. I would like to see some more thought put into the cheese selection, perhaps some of those cheeses that sound like cities that The View just published would be interesting. The veggie plate was much the same. Nothing fancy but serviceable and something to snack on before the other food came out.

"Cat's cucumbers were tasty if a tad bit dry. Also, I am given to believe they were not prepared by an actual feline which is disappointing to say the least. Kiira's allergy meant that her cucumbers came without crackers, and I have to say they actually looked more appealing that way so perhaps that is an idea for the future. The mini quiches were delicious though they sadly got cold quick which is probably a problem without a solution. I am also not the biggest fan of phyllo dough, but it seemed to work well for this particular dish. The Rueben pizza had the same issue as the quiches in that it cooled too fast. It also had pickles on it, and while I would have preferred it without, it did give me an excuse to pick them off and fling them off into the woods like a bitter old heiress tossing her husband's mistress' panties off the balcony after she died under mysterious circumstances. Also they were delicious. The Rueben, not the panties; those probably taste like regret and alimony. The blackwood meatballs were amazing, as usual, and I was gifted many plates of them. One plate was even hot and fresh from the kitchen, so thank you for that, I very much appreciate it.

"On to the main course. When our order was taken we were only given the option of chicken or beef, which was disappointing because I actually wanted the zucchini. Later I discovered that no one actually registered as vegetarian, either out of embarrassment or because there really weren't any, but either way it was quite sad that we were denied a taste of the world's fourth best squash for seemingly no reason.

"I chose the beef, which has been the wrong choice for two years now. This year it was Roasted Herb Beef Tips, which were very flavorful but a bit over cooked for my liking. They were actually more enjoyable reheated at home the next day.

"Now, because I'm Zarine, I got to taste a sample of the other two choices. The chicken was Crispy Chicken Thighs, and while I did not find them particularly crispy, they were moist and delicious and I do love a good pair of thighs. The zucchini dish was once again the best of the main courses. Zucchini Roll-Ups were their name and being delightful was their game.

"The sides were fairly good and well presented. The mac & cheese was smooth and creamy and I usually dislike what other people call good mac & cheese. The carrots weren't very memorable so I assume they at least weren't bad. The green beans were good and I enjoyed whatever was with them; sunflower seeds maybe? I don't rightly remember other than that I liked the addition of whatever it was.

"Dessert. Now, some people wondered why I got dessert personally delivered to me by Mathies who then explained each cupcake in explicit detail. Once again the only explanation is that I am Zarine and you are not. So, let's start with my least favorite: the Chocolate Cherry. Honestly, they were amazing, I'm just not a lover of muffins containing cherries so this was a bottom for me. The Caramel Apple Spice were truly divine, and I love me some cream cheese frosting. My favorite though was definitely the Lemon Crème. Just the right amount of lemon and the frosting was the perfect consistency so these were the clear winner for me.

"Overall this was a fantastic feast. It was a pleasure to see people out and about again. I had some fantastic conversations, enjoyed some gambling, and ate too much delicious food. The only thing missing were soups. Well, I guess that wasn't the only thing. I suppose the king wasn't there and that is probably more sad than no soup. It's at least comparably sad to no soup... So thank you once again to Blackwood for having us and for feeding us. Also, many thanks to Iawen for letting me watch her table for a bit. It sounds like it was work, but really it was great fun. And of course a big congratulations to Sir Pilpus on his knighting."

One can read more from Madam Zarine here: The Scarlet Harlot 

Mythodea / A Party with Iron Daggers

21.09.2021

After concluding the business of payment between the East Blackwood Company and the Cotiere of the Iron Daggers at Lunorth's Summer Solstice festival, East Blackwood was invited to attend a gathering at the lands the Lord Protector Viktor allowed Sir Raven to be regent of. The gathering was intended to be a celebration where the Lord Protector, friends and East Blackwood would be hosted by the Iron Daggers. Sir Dagger of Blackwood, Bødvar BeerHunter and, Wesley Black attended the gathering as representatives of Blackwood and the E.B.Co. They had not expected the trouble that came however.

Gathering

Upon arriving in the region West of Copperdale in Lunorth, there was a welcoming speech made by Sir Raven the new administrator of the land. At the conclusion of his speech, Sir Raven announced that during the gathering, all titles would be left at the door. All those participating addressed those present by their first names. Of those attending the most notable was the Lord Protector of Lunorth himself, Viktor Kettle.

Bødvar joins the East Blackwood Company as a Merchant

During one off the two evenings in the local-long house, Bødvar presented Sir Dagger with a chest of coin accompany by a request to buy his way into the East Blackwood Company. Bødvar wished to run a brewery which was met by cheers from those gathered. Sir Dagger accepted the requests and promised to have the East Blackwood Company assist with the construction of the new business. 

Trouble in the Forest

As the land was new to the Iron Daggers, they organized several patrols. East Blackwood offered to take part during the second of four. During the first patrol, the Iron Daggers recovered a scepter that seemed to corrupt those it touched infecting them with a disease of greed or perhaps simply histaria. Through theory and analytical magics, it was believed that the scepter may have had some connection to Fae that were likely within the forest. However, this was never proven.

During the second patrol, East Blackwood and Iron Daggers patrolled a different area in the forest. The patrol came across a bandit camp. The bandits had captured a miller's daughter after burning the mill down and killing the miller. It was believed that the miller's daughter had been abused. At first, Rooster of the Iron Daggers offered the bandits their lives if they left that place without their weapons; however, once it became known that the bandits had killed the miller, the patrol attacked and killed the bandits. In the fight, Wesley Black offered the bandit he attacked to die with honor. The bandit chose the less honorable path and died without it.

The deed to the miller's land was recovered at the bandit camp and the miller's daughter was escorted out of the the forest and to Sir Raven. Not long after the next two patrols entered the forest and returned though the last returned corrupted. After the threat of the corrupted party was brought under control a ritual was performed to cleanse the corrupted and learn more about the situation that was unfolding in the forest.

As the light faded from the sky, it became apparent that the scepter had belonged to the Fae of the forest, particularly, one Fae calling herself the Queen of the Love and the Forest. The Queen of Love demanded the return of the scepter which had been found within the forest earlier that day by the first patrol; however, when it was searched for it was found to be missing. Someone had moved it. The Fae aggressively demanded its recovery and to force the issue removed the ability to love from several present.

The rest of the gathering frantically searched for the scepter eventually finding it but by then another problem arose. The scepter had either corrupted another or they believed simply that they were. Only with the aid of the Fae was the supposed corruption lifted, the scepter returned to the Queen of Love and, the ability to love returned to those She had taken it form.

Feast and Games

The Cotiere of the Iron Daggers presented their guests with three meals a day, desert, drinks and alcohol. Accompanying the hospitality was also the presence of "The Game." The Game was a thieving competition where items were given to the guests of the gathering and other items were spread around the area to be collected. After a time, three participants of "The Game" turned in enough points at the designated turn-in-times to arrive head-to-head with one another. Those participants were Agnes and Sylvia of the Iron Daggers and Bødvar of East Blackwood.

Bødvar and Sylvia allied themselves to one another to beat Agnes but due to external assistance from unnamed proprietors, Agnes came out victorious in the end earning first prize which was a golden Dagger made from the original Iron Dagger mold which made many if not all of the Daggers that the Iron Daggers wear. Sylvia and Bødvar won a bottle of port for achieving second place in "The Game." The rest of the evening was reserved to gambling, drinking and good conversation where the bottle of Port was emptied among many others.  

Mythodea / South of South

14.09.2021

Atteron requested aid of their allies and aid answered... or at least they attempted to. A host consisting of Fortress of Diversity and allies left Mythodea on on a voyage to Atteron to answer the call for aid. Due to weather difficulties at sea and the presence of the Skargen, most of the Fortress of Diversity ships made landing at the World Forge but they knew the island was too unstable to stay there long. Mr. Quinn, originally of the Fortress of Diversity mission, had been among those who went off course returned to the main host of the Fortress of Diversity to inform them that the Freischar were in need of aid on the Southern Continent. Together, they left to the World Forge and voyaged South to the lands near Westfjord where they later met up with Porto Leonis, the Seekers, the Realm of Roses, the Naldar and others who had already answered the call of aid from the Freischar.

Near Westfjord the hosts combined forming a larger host with those who had intended to go there. After the misfortune, the host made camp and were met with the surviving Freischar who spoke of an expedition they were undertaking further South.

Diplomacy

Banner Barer

Merane Úlfsdóttir met Bødwar BeerHunter at a festival, in part, hosted by him. During the festival she won the melee and later, after a night of drinking and gambling, she explained that she would be embarking on a mission to Atteron and asked if he would like to assist. Sir Dagger of Blackwood gave his blessing to both Bødwar and Lordas of the Embassy Guard who left with the host to support the Fortress of Diversity on their mission. Due to a set of unfortunate events, the host found themselves near Westfjord in the South. There, they set up camp and prepared to meet whatever threats that may come.

Shortly after nightfall, the host came under attack by the Black Ice. A question within the Fortress of Diversity was raised, "who is going to carry the banner." Bødwar BeerHunter, Emissary of the Kingdom of Blackwood and Embassy Guard volunteered to do the honor. Bødwar reports fighting the Black Ice and Skargen until the enemy assault was defeated. The banner remained standing.

Among the Freischar was one who had been suspected of treason against the Elements and Mythodea. There were those who wished to see her executed for her alleged crime but Bødvar BeerHunter and others offered to serve as her defense objecting to the situation at hand. A compromise was made where the accused Freischar Lilly would have to lead the charge into battle against the Black Ice in the region and should she fall, she would be proven innocent and should she live she would be known as Lying Lilly. Lilly did indeed survive her ordeal at least on the battlefield.

Events

Missing Trebuchet

Emissary Bødwar woke the next day before the break of dawn and scouted the unfamiliar area the host had camped within. Without any expectation of finding anything, Bødwar stumbled across an unguarded trebuchet near a Black Ice camp in the surrounding region. Bødwar returned to the Fortress of Diversity Camp and informed Kaela, the Military Leader of the Fortress of Diversity and the Leader of the Explorers Banner of what he had found. With the assistance of Kaela, Merane Úlfsdóttir, Verian, Bødwar returned to the Trebuchet and together they pushed it to the Diversity camp.

Kaela Supports a Ritual

A year ago the East Blackwood Company left Mythodea on a mission to the Bahianische Reich Bødvar Beerhunter of the Embassy Guard was shot by a cursed arrow during a battle with several orc clans. Since then no amount of healing, alchemical assistance and or surgical efforts have brought relief to the corruption that grew from the site of the wound making Bødwar unable to use his left arm for much more than holding small objects.

During the campaign, several friends and people of the Fortress of Diversity volunteered to construct, lead and guard a ritual to cure Bødvar BeerHunter of his cursed wound. A man named Ruben was the ritual lead, Valerie served as an observer and as an aid. Lovis, a personal friend and teacher of Bødvar, served as second in command of the ritual. Kathleen aided as a surgical healer. Verian served as the alchemist and Arashi, Mandrin and the military leader of the Fortress of Diversity herself, Kaela offered their services as ritual guards. Through the ritual, the wound was opened and the corruption was drawn out and place in a container for security reasons. The ritual was successful but the container, that was considered to be very dangerous, is missing.

A Murder?

Among the Freischar was one who had been suspected of treason against the Elements and Mythodea. There were those who wished to see her executed for her alleged crime but Bødvar BeerHunter and others offered to serve as her defense objecting to the situation at hand. A compromise was made where the accused Freischar Lilly would have to lead the charge into battle against the Black Ice in the region and should she fall, she would be proven innocent and should she live she would be known as Lying Lilly. Lilly did indeed survive her ordeal at least on the battlefield.

Away from the battlefield on the last night before the host once again departed on a further expedition, Lilly was found dead, her throat cut, after someone next to her had screamed calling people to the location. The scream was short lived and the person whom voiced it, and Schmuckich the sister-in-law to the Archon of the North, was also found injured laying near the corpse of Lilly. Through attempted divination and collection of evidence accusations were made as to who the murderer was. The Ambassador Staff will follow this story as it continues to unfold.

Bicolline / Thorsday

Finally, after so long, people were able to out of their homes and gather in some number. Ragnorok of the Empire hosted a celebration in Bicoline where Sir Shean of the Realms Embassy was invited to attend. By about midday, Sir Shean O'Quinnlin, Guildmaster of the Realms Embassy in Bicolline, Lord of Creathorne arrived in Bicolline after being cept away due to plague for so long. Once there, Sir Shean went to a cabin a friend, Ailsa, loaned him to use in preperation for the festivies to come. Shortly after, Sir Shean set out to meet with Ragnarok, the group in which the Realms Embassy is closest.

There were some afternoon activities but mostly prepping for the Thorsday dinner that would be the following day. The Evening offered a good amount of catching up and Drinking even a Birthday was celebrated. Many of the guests present had not seen eachother for well over a year and a half. The Morning, breakfast was made. There were pancakes, french toast and, Bacon! More people arrived as the day went on. As time went by, better smells came out of the kitchen.

Tournament against "The Bear?"

At around three past midday, there was a call for everyone to armor up and get weapons out to fight. Two Ragnarok warriors want to be the bear. Sir Shean, not being Ragnorok himself, was asked to fight which was a huge honor for someone who is family but not a Ragnorok himself. Fenris verses Gabrel of Ragnorock were team captains. There were six fights where the captains got to pick people to fight for them. The Outcome was Fenris 4 wins to 2 for Gabrel.

Dinner with Ragnorok

Everyone cleaned up and changed into their finner clothing come the evening. Sir Shean even had blue this year so as not to offend any human gods this time... (there were no thunder claps in the distance this time) Dinner was reported to be amazing and all of it cooked over open fire. It was a great bonding time with lots of good fun. The late evening was filled with music even some dancing when those gethered had some travelers arrived with guitars and dancing girls... A good time was had by all.

Mythodea / Summer Solstice

17.08.2021

With conflicts between the East Blackwood Company and the Coterie of the Iron Daggers and, the suggestion of Ceallach of the O'Anni, East Blackwood ventured north for Lunorth's Summer Solstice festival. In these dark times the festival proved a fine respite. A plethora of tournaments were hosted from both host and guest alike of which Makø Tock of Nova Bretonia and East Blackwood and William Klatch of the Embassy Guard won the One Pot Cook-off, Lordas Champion of the Guard won the Mage's Duel "without magic!," and East Blackwood took second in the 3 v 3 arena duels.

With large festivals like these one can always expect dignitaries, merchants and persons of interest and likewise business and diplomacy can be practiced. The Summer Solstice was no exception. 

Contents:

1. Gift of Wine to the Family of the Lord Protector of Lunorth
2. Lady Anne meets the Archon of the North
3. Lord Protector Darius
4. The New Lord of the Three Sisters of Lunorth
5. Partying in Lunorth
6. An Altercation Ending in Violence
7. Trade Negotiations with the Lord of the Three Sisters
8. East Blackwood Company Pays the Iron Daggers
9. Trade Negotiations with Father Kettle
10. Tournaments
11. New Members

1. Presentation of a Gift of Wine

At the start of the festivities at the Summer Solstice in Lunorth, East Blackwood and Nova Bretonia presented the Lord Protector and Victor T. Kettle and his wife Grand Inquisitor of Lunorth, Master of Fairh, Lunorth's First Lady and Member of the Order of the Black Sun, Eva De'Andre an E.B.Co crate of assorted wines as a gift. At the same time Sir Dagger of Blackwood introduced Lady Anne and Makø Tock of the East Blackwood Embassy.

2. Lady Anna-Katharina von Rabenau meets the Archon of the North

Lady Anna-Katharina von Rabenau of the East Blackwood Embassy had the opertunity to meet the Archon of the North, Kop-Tar of the Ulu mulu . During a conversation at that time the Archon overheard that Lady Anne had never killed anyone. He asked her if she think she would. She answered yes after a bit of contemplation. The Archon followed that up with more questions along the same lines as the then took the Lady from the East Blackwood Embassy to meet with the various guests and hosts present.

3. Lord Protector Darius, General of the Northern Army

Sir Dagger of Blackwood introduced the East Blackwood Embassy's Lady Anne to Lord Protector Darius at an official gathering honoring the new Lord of the Three Sisters. Shortly after the three of them made their way to their seats at the high table where the conversations continued. Lady Anne was later introduced to another Lady Protector of the North. In this time, Darius also allowed time for Dagger to speak with the Archon of the North.

During the evening after the second to last day of the Summer Solstice in Lunorth, Sir Dagger, with the Fae Jinx, attended a birthday celebration for Agnes of the Iron Daggers where Lord Protector Darius was also present. There in a humorous chat, Lord Darius's ears were insulted and Dagger was forced to write a poem about them later. That poem has yet to be presented.

Lord Protector Darius offered to have Lady Anne train with him and his people a day later. Lord Sir Raven of the Iron Daggers also joined Lady Anne and Lord Darius for the training providing his own tutelage as well.

During the length of the festivities, Sir Dagger and Lord Protector Darius talked again and again about matters of diplomacy and opinion. At one point Lord Protector Darius and Sir Dagger even ventured out into a dangerous wood together twice in search of someone thought to have been in danger and later a member of the Embassy Guard who had gone missing, Logaan.

4. Lord Captain Ravn Ulfsson, Lord of the Three Sisters and Noble of Lunorth

Ceallach of the O'Annid, as a then honored guest of East Blackwood, invited and spoke with the Lord to be of the Three Sisters, Captain Ravn Ulfsson at the East Blackwood camp. During this meeting Sir Dagger was dealing with another matter however after Ceallach informed Dagger that they were invited to dine at the high table with the new lord at his longhouse later during the festival.

Sir Dagger and Makø Tok worked a trade deal to pay for a gift for the new lord, an amber necklace and the crate it came in. Once the trade deal was done, Sir Dagger asked Lordas, the new Champion of the Embassy Guard, to inform Lady Anne that the formal gathering at the longhouse appeared to be about to begin. With members of the Embassy Guard, the gift was transported to the Long House and they made their way inside, Lady Anne following just behind.

Once inside and Sir Dagger and Lady Anne were seated with Lord Protector Darius, a speech was given by Lord Protector Viktor Kettle and Lord Ravn was sworn in as the new Lord of the Three Sisters. It was after that speech that Sir Dagger and Lady Anne presented the new lord with his gift. Later that night, Lady Anne also had the opportunity to speak with the new Lord.

5. Paryting with Iron Daggers, Fae, Lunorth and Others

The East Blackwood camp was host to gatherings for the first couple nights of the festival. The one thing East Blackwood and Ceallach of the O'Annid had plenty of to offer its guests was alcohol. Everything from Mead, Spirits to Beer... so much beer. Many of the guests were all too happy to accept the hospitality often drinking with East Blackwood late into the night.

Following one such party, one of the Iron Daggers had promised to fight alongside East Blackwood in the next day's tournaments to the displeasure of his comrades. Still, half drunk and hardly awake, the Iron Dagger took the field alongside East Blackwood to honor his promise.

The resulting comradeship at these parties earned Lady Anne and East Blackwood invites to all of their gatherings especially the Name-day Celebration of Agnes a member of the Corterie. The night before the last of the festival, Lady Anne, Bødvar and Logaan, at least, of the Embassy Guard presented Agnes with a gift they had made for her. She was reported to have been overjoyed receiving it.

6. The Altercation

After the Tournament to decide the new Champion of the Guard, Ceallach of the O'Annid was offered to remain in the East Blackwood camp as an honored guest. Several days later, there was an argument between Sir Dagger of Blackwood and War-master Ceallach of the O'Annid the escalated until Ceallach ran a knife across the Ambassador's, Sir Dagger's, throat. Jinx, a fae from the Eastern Seal, healed Dagger and Dagger instructed Lordas, Champion of the Guard, to inform Ceallach that he was no longer welcome in the East Blackwood camp.

Shortly after, Sir Dagger spoke with Grand Inquisitor, First Lady of Lunorth, Eva De'Andre asking her for her advice in dealing with the matter. He followed her advice as best he could as a result of the conversation. Sir Dagger attended the Iron Dagger's birthday celebration for Agnes rather than pursue justice that night.

During the final day of the festivities, Sir Dagger and Logaan requested the aid of the Advocate's Guild in mediating a conversation between Ceallach of the O'Annid and Sir Dagger of Blackwood. After three hours of talking the two came to an unsteady resolution, the advocates were paid and thanked for their services and those present returned to the festivities for the time being.

7. Trade Negotiations with Lord Ravn of the Three Sisters

After the new lord of the Three Sisters officially swore his vows, Sir Dagger and Lady Anne presented the new lord with a gift on behalf of East Blackwood. After this Lord Ravn and Sir Dagger talked potential trade agreements and assistance with one another.

8. Payment Agreed and Made

Sir Dagger of Blackwood with Ceallach of the O'Annid and Falk of the Embassy Guard sat down with Sir Raven of the Corterie of the Iron Daggers to discuss a finalized payment agreement. Sir Dagger and Lord Sir Raven made a gentlemen's agreement which was carried out two days later with the assistance of an Advocate form the Advocate's Guild and witnesses.

9. Trade Negotiations with Father Kettle

Among matters concerning a request form Nova Bretonia, trade was negotiated with the Kettles for shipments of horses. The deal has yet to be finalized.

10. Tournaments

Champion of the Guard Tournament

Every year in the summer, Sir Dagger of Blackwood hosts the Champion of the Guard tournament. This year, the tournament took place at the Summer Solstice Festival in Lunorth. Five soldiers of the Guard took part: Wiliam, Falk, Logaan, Lordas, and Bødvar leaving the acting champion to watch. The final fight was between Logaan of Nova Bretonia and Lordas Palatinus. Lordas defeated Logaan and Ceallach of the O'Annid challenged him to a fight. The two fought and in the end gifts were given to the exiting champion to honor his service over the past year.

Lordas Palatinus is the new Champion of the Guard.

3 vs 3

The new Champion of the Guard insisted that both East Blackwood represent themselves in the tournaments and that Sir Dagger himself fight along side them. The East Blackwood fighters in the three on three tournament were Sir Dagger, Lordas and Logaan.

Poetry (Sort of)

Late on the first night of the Festival, Eva "suggested" that Dagger take part in the poetry tournament on the following day. Dagger took part in the poetry tournament the following day. The poetry entailed a rousing-Ignis oriented speech for the soldiers of the Northern Seal followed by a speech about Magika. All participants performed well but the winner was clear to all, Jack of the Order of the Black Sun.

One Pot Cook Off

Makø Tock and William Klatch of the Embassy Guard entered the One Pot Cook Off with a recipe from William and they won. William later gave his recipe to the hostess of the event.

Mage's Duel (Battle of Wits)

After the winning the Champion's Tournament and participating in all of the combat events, Lordas also found himself participating in the Mage's Duel. Lordas, however, has no command of magic so, we were curious to see what exactly the tournament was. As it turns out, the Mage's Duel was a battle of wits where the challenger and challenged make rules for each other to follow. In the Final, once such rule exchange was as follows:

Challenged Rule 1: Both Challenged and Challenger must must get a cup of the same size with the same amount and same type of water, whoever drinks it first may win.

Challenger Rule 2: The cup must be the Challenger's cup which is a unique cup.

Challenged Rule 3: Both must start in the middle of the arena with one hand on the cup.

Lordas and the Challenger fought for a bit but ultimately Lordas got the cup and was able to drink its contents. Champion of the Guard, a warrior of cold steel, won the tournament after succeeding in a final set of challenge rules.

Auction and Shadow Shield Gambling

The Pommern hosted an Auction during the Summer Solstice Festival. At the auction Makø made herself present and known as someone willing to be a lot of both her betrothed, Bødvar's coin and that of a friend on things she wanted. One such thing she wanted was a free pass to the finals of the Shadow Shield gambling tournament. She won her coin to enter and later at the conclusion of the festival she competed in the event at the final table yet came up short just before the end.

11. New Members and Contracted Soldiers

Lordas Palatinus

Lordas agreed to sign a temporary contract for the Summer Solstice and also, should he win the Champion of the Guard's tournament, he would agree to the year contract after. Lordas won the tournament becoming East Blackwood's new champion for a year.

William

William signed a temporary contract with the Embassy Guard for at least the duration of the Summer Solstice.

Westley Black

Westley Black agreed to sign a contract with the Embassy Guard in the near future after being recruited by Lordas but not before he received permission form his wife, Willow.

Willow

After a conversation with her husband, Westley Black, Willow agreed to sign a contract with the Embassy Guard in the near future after Westley had been recruited by Lordas.

Falk

Falk signed his second temporary contract with the Embassy Guard with plans to sign more in the future.

Stab

Bødvar Beer Hunter befriended a goblin named Stab from the Academy over the duration of the festival. At the end he requested that right to recruit him into the East Blackwood Company and Sir Dagger obliged. Stab is now part of the East Blackwood Company.

"skipper" Manfred p kettle

During the length of the Festival, Sir Dagger and East Blackwood had a lot of business and talks with Niels Forbonte. Many deals were concluded and for one such the payment of a new member of the East Blackwood Company was agreed upon, "Skipper" Manfred p Kettle.

Lotti

After talks with Lady Anne of the East Blackwood Embassy and Lordas of the Embassy Guard, Lotti agreed to sign a temporary contract with the Embassy Guard.

The Realms / The Court of Blackwood Gathers for the First Time Since the Plague

14.08.2021

The Court of Blackwood Gathers for the First Time Since the Plague

His Majesty, King Kerrell of Blackwood held a small tournament in mid-summer, and with hope in their eyes the citizens and heroes of the surrounding realms did gather in small numbers. It is still too soon to tell if these dark days of solitude are over, but we seek the courage now to face the new age ahead.

In this new age of Blackwood, His Royal Highness, Prince Saegan has passed his honor as Knight Commander of the Knights of Blackwood to Lord Mathias. Lord Mathias has had a long history throughout the realms, and has spoken of how much he values his knighthood over any other honor that has been given to him. The Prince gifted the new Knight Commander with a pair of decorated bracers with the two hands of the Knighthood, a gift His Royal Highness made with his own hands.

The Knights of Blackwood have also welcomed a new squire. Dame Matiya of Folkstone, once a squire to the Queen of Blackwood, Her Majesty Jinx, came before the court to ask Tazzia to become her squire. Their common love for cooking and family is known to many across the realms, but they are also vocal and dedicated to the growth of the community as well as mages. The kingdom looks forward to seeing what this new chapter will bring.

Lastly, His Majesty announced that in the coming months he must sail to the Southern Isles, which is far past the Southern Wastes and the surrounding allied realms. His mission remains a mystery to us all at this time, but he will not go it alone. In his absence, Prince Saegan has been left in charge of the kingdom, the first true test to see what the future will hold.

Mythodea / A Festival and a Murder

13.07.2021

 Bødwar, known as the Beer Hunter, and his friend Tawarisch invited friends and allies to celebrate the summer solstice together in the Western Seal of Mythodea on the lands of Johan Bruchstein. Some notable names present at the gathering were Ceallach of the O'Annid, Sir Dagger of Blackwood, Talwyn die Weiße from the Free Alliance, Ivy from the Banner of Silence and more.

Setting

Within the Western Seal, away from the large and establish fiefdoms, were the quint lands of Johan Bruchstein. Johan was presented as the official host of the festival and offered a field with a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance for the enjoyment of his guests.

Murder

A messenger was found dead on the start of the second day of the festival near the festival grounds by the guests. His throat had been slit and he had blood on his hands as if he had attempted to stop the blood from pouring out before he died. The messenger carried with him a bag which held a locked container and a note but the note. The container was taken to be studied and opened but during the handling of the corpse, a few were poisoned.

While some guests worked on unraveling the riddle others worked tirelessly to cure those who had been poisoned. In the end both the poison had been cured and the container had been opened. The container was successfully opened by Lordas, one of the guests, and the contents were read revealing that Johan Bruchstein's brother-in-law Werin Meinhauer had most likely killed the messenger who had tried to inform Bruchstein of his plot to forcibly inherit the land from him. Johan feared for the safety of his sister to which Ceallach of the O'Annid promissed to help track down Meinhauer and bring him to justice and in the process save Savina Meinahauer after a night's rest.

Tournament

Johan Bruchstein had promised a tournament and a champions purse to the winner. The purse was for 100 Copper Coins. Due to the events earlier in the day, Cae made the suggestion that the tournament be shortened to a Grand Melee where are participants would fight at once. This allowed there to still be a show for the local villagers as well as grant everyone a chance at winning the purse.

Merane Úlfsdóttir of the Fortress of Diversity defeated Sir Dagger of Blackwood, Rohen of the Dal'Rida and others to become the Champion of the Tournament and win the Champion's Purse. The rest of the evening was reserved to the party and gambling before the next day's hunt for justice.  

Mythodea / Death and Demons

08.06.2021

Sir Dagger of Blackwood, Blackwood and the Realms Embassy's ambassador to the lands Far East, promised the aid of Blackwood to Nova Bretonia to help them combat the problems plaguing their land a half year prior when a pendant gifted to Sir Dagger by the Rii of Nova Bretonia, Isenden, suddenly light up while visiting Triskel, Nova Bertonia's capital. Upon magical analysis and comparing of information gathered elsewhere, it had been determined that the threat originated somewhere deep in the forest in northern Nova Bretonia where the Fae refugees were living.

Sir Dagger set off from Zweiwasser with Corporal Bodwar and Mako Tock to the Western Seal where Champion of the Embassy Guard Ceallach of the O'Annid and Leon, a ranger, joined them. From Triskel in Nova Bretonia, the group continued north to Crotin-sous-Pont en Goesel.

Beta the Voice of Death and Morgan(a) called for Aid

Though it was assumed that the Voice of Death, Beta, had been missing, he finally appeared to the gathered force of Nova Bretonia and East Blackwood. He expressed fear of what was to come and frustration for the weakness of Morgan(a). A ritual was performed to call upon Morgan(a) and finally she did appear though, as Death had proclaimed, she was in a weakened and apathetic state. Ceallach of the O'Annid spent time with Morgan(a) to calm her to the situation, i.e. the death of the fairies and the eating of them. He also worked with Logaan of Nora Bretonia and the Embassy Guard to insure that she remain on our side.

Morgan(a) had a ring made for her last year to reduce her power and her rage in order to insure the security of Nova Bretonia and the Western Seal of Mythodea. It was reported through magical analysis that the ring was breaking. Sir Dagger believed, however, that the ring would need to be removed in order for Morgan(a) to be strong enough to combat the three opposing aspects of the apocalypse. Ceallach was in agreement with this plan and worked to make it a possibility. There were obvious fears expressed by the Nova Bretonians that once the ring was removed that Morgan(a) would go back to her old genocidal ways but Sir Dagger disputed that stating that she was brought down without the ring before through compassion.

Sir Dagger suggested to Rii Isenden that he should give Morgan(a) the mayor who had executed the murder of Morgan(a)'s people as a peace offering with the hope that it would help bring her to the side of Nova Bretonia and East Blackwood and also offer her some semblence of justice and closer. This idea was agreed to but put off until after matters at hand were dealt with for fear of enraging Morgan(a).

With Ceallac's help, the ring was destroyed which had the effect of altering Morgan(a) in ways that were expected. However, she held true to her promises and stood with Nova Bretonia and East Blackwood. By this time, Beta was frantic and blamed everyone but himself for weakening and ruining Morgan(a). Eventually logic won out and a deal was struck to grant Morgan(a) what had been taken the year prior. With that she was ready to aid in full.

Rituals to Destroy aspects of Apocalypse (Again)

The queen of Nova Bretonia along with their mages, Morgan(a), Beta and East Blackwood gathered for a ritual to summon the apocalyptic aspects and defeat them once again. The first aspect attempted to put those containing her to sleep breaking the circle that bound her. Logaan of Nova Bretonia and the Embassy Guard was able to defeated her using his gauntlet which was blessed by Morgan(a). Although Sir Dagger had cautioned the use of Elemental power from Mythodea due to the state of the land, Terra was still called upon to defeat the second of the aspects with Corporal Bodwar supporting in that part of the ritual directly.

The third and final aspect that threatened Nova Bretonia at that time was Bolg, the aspect of War. Ceallach of the O'Annid, Champion of the Embassy Guard took the lead with his blessed spear against War. Sir Dagger had defeated the aspect last year after a long struggle but this time Ceallach of the O'Annid and the rest were better prepared. War shattered the circle with thunderous blows from his maces but those of the ritual scrambled to reform it while Ceallach and Sir Dagger moved to combat the beast. Between the two, Ceallach of the O'Annid thrust his blessed spear into the eye on Bolg's chest and used it to draw War's energy into it defeating War once again. With that the ritual to defeat the three aspects of War was complete but the whispers of a king of hell remained lingering. A true enemy perhaps? A ring leader?

The Aftermath

Beta, the Messenger of Death the Fourth Aspect, showed those present what would happen if they failed what was to come. Soon a vision of a struggle against the aspects which felt as real as life itself was cast over the gathering. In that vision, everyone was dead or dying. Almost as soon as it began it was over, leaving bitter sweat taste lingering as a reminder of what may be in store in the future.

At that moment though, the battle was won and it was time to celebrate that victory. The combined force of Nova Bretonia and East Blackwood returned to the tavern at Crotin-sous-Pont en Goesel for a night of food, drinking, gambling and general revelry. It was during this time that Morgan(a) was presented with the Mayor who had led her people to hunt Morgan(a)'s.

Mythodea / Terra Tunnel Gate and Celebration

08.04.2021

For almost a month, last winter, a band of around 100 people united together to protect, transport and plant a Seedling culminating in a ritual to open a NEW Terra Tunnel gateway due West of Schönweiler in the Realm of Roses. That mission, though fret with hardships, was a success. Stordon von Zackenberg and the Malaka're had requested the aid of followers, friends and allies of Terra on that mission at the start of winter. The journey, fraught with hunger and difficulties, led the band on a journey from Shan Meng-Feyn and down the Blue River through the various river fiefdoms of the Realms finishing West of Schönweiler.

On the 22nd into the 23rd day of the mission, many of the camps gathered celebrated the triumph with drink, good conversation and song. The East Blackwood Camp hosted one of these gatherings.

Terra Tunnel Celebration

To celebrate the hard victory in establishing a new Terra Tunnel Gateway near Schönweiler, the various camps of the band hosted their own private and or public gatherings. One of the larger gatherings was hosted by the East Blackwood Company. To commemorate the success, Stordan von Zackenberg and the Malaka're presented those present with a medallion. Those who wear it will do so with the pride of recognition for this feat in harsh times.