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olorielI'm back! And have been made an Orc fan. The elf-thing is glaring at me, but what can I do. I shall try to explain by providing a lengthy report.
Wednesday, August 2nd
We leave later than planned, due to a few unforeseen incidents including but not limited to the coin press not working, a forgotten shovel, and the general packing and loading, and make our way through the pouring rain and on some detours (due to the still-blocked interchange at Westhofen, remember it from last weekend?) to Diemelstadt. Having arrived there and actually found our camp, that of the Grey Dragon (which symbolizes Wisdom and Research), which is more difficult than one should think due to people who're already in-character usually ignoring the OOCs (as they should later on in the game, of course), we put up our tent - or rather, I put up our tent - surprisingly enough without rain for the moment. It is dark by the time we finish, and it's a tad difficult to furnish the tent and get into dark, as our only lamp is a bit on the weak side.
It's too late to explore the grounds, too, so we slowly make our way across the fields to the ritual place. As it turns out, it's already overrun with people waiting for the official kick-off. We end up somewhere behind the lines where we can see next to nothing. Well, for now, that's because nothing is happening, anyway. Eventually, one of the more extensively costumed Chaos demons storms the stage and says "Well, you all know there's dragons of all sorts of colours, and if you ask me, we're in-character now." That, of course, doesn't suffice, so we get to wait a bit more until the actual "ritual" finally begins. The Avatars of all camps are formally summoned, the metaphorical rules of the festival are read, and then we're dismissed to our respective camps. I'm tired and cold and no good at pub tours anyway, so I don't join the crowds in the tavern tents but go to bed, where I spend a cold night full of interrupted sleep. Damn in-character bedstuffs!
There was some pretty damn good QOTD, but I didn't write it down. Woe.
Thursday, August 3rd
The Grey Camp is a mixed bunch. As far as I can see, we have all sorts of creatures pursuing Wisdom: Humans (among them a horribly annoying troup of mercenaries), Elves (both elfin and Elvish), Dwarves, a group of oni, two mummies, a horde of wolf-people, even a few Orcs and Drow and an ogre. Accordingly, there's a lot of commotion when it is time to find a leader for our camp. Eventually, we elect one of the mummies (the Pharaoh Apokentis whose name I keep forgetting or mixing up with other pharaohs most of the time), and the leaders of two groups of human warriors. At once, discord arises; the dwarves won't follow an undead, and some of the mercenaries won't either. In the end, the mercenaries get ignored and the dwarves accept the mummy in exchange for giving him a dwarvish advisor.
Thomas and I walk to the organisation quarters for check-in - it was too late for that yesterday, too - which takes us through the "town" of Buntattabunipah (no, I have no idea who came up with that name either). I buy a pretty (latex) dagger at one of the stalls; it's fairly simple and not as lavish as some at the other stalls, but it's solid work and the stupid elf in my head says I'm to choose this one, so that one it is.
After check-in, I also buy a fur so the next nights won't be quite so cold. Shocking, I know!
Our camp is pretty much in the middle of everything; it's placed right in the middle between the Orc camp, the Great Norman Host, the Blue Camp and the City, and we can see most of the other camps from where we are, too. The wolf-people, lead by Ragnar, have taken up guard and inform us about the movements in the other camps. The Great Host is marching against the orcs as it is, but they don't accomplish much and eventually return to their camp. I go out to search for "herbs". I do not find any whatsoever - that is, I do not find any IC herbs, which are symbolized by the little paper umbrellas usually found as cocktail decorations - but I find a lot of 'actual' healing herbs, some car wrecks (really true!) and a couple of the tiny blue butterflies that flutter around everywhere engaged in passionate tiny blue butterfly sex. When I return to the camp, the Orc host is besieging the Norman camp. I watch from the sidelines with some others when suddenly the Grey Camp makes an excursion against the orcs. I hurry back to my tent, of course, to get into my chainmail and pick up my sword. By the time I get to the battlefield, the orcs have withdrawn to their camp and are besieged by the Silver, Gold and Grey host. I join the latter. There is mainly a lot of standing around and shifting lines to protect the other hosts - the "Voice of the Herold", the official newspaper, will call it a "battle picnic" tomorrow. I do get to "kill" two orcs, though! And we have a battle cry; it is Für Wissen und Weisheit ("For Knowledge and Wisdom"), later on often parodied as Für Whisky und Weißwein ("For Whisky and White Wine" - it only works in German)...
Shouting a collective battle cry is disturbingly satisfying. Ah, the faschistoid tendencies within us all...
When the Golden eventually manage to break the gate of the Orc camp and steal their ark, we all return to our camps. News reach us that the Red and Black "destroyed" the Chaos camp. Suddenly, we find a small host of Orcs marching towards our camp. Which leads us to the QOTD:
Sentinel: ... we need someone from the Academy!
Tar'whatever (the Drow leader of the Academy): Here! Here!
Sentinel: There's twenty Orcs at the gate.
Tar'...: Erm?
Sentinel: They want to learn how to read and write.
Tar'...: ......... send the druid?
Mëanor (the druid): ... hey!
After that amusing incident, there's nothing for a while. At that point, I have to realize (and admit) that I'm a bad LARPer during the times at which nothing happens; I find it tedious to be in-character with nobody but my brother to play with, and him having a character mostly incompatible to mine, it's even less fun and just makes me emo. I suppose for those times one has to be in a group that always keeps busy, or to be less shy than I am so one can just go and chat up the strangers' characters. Oh well.
Later on, we return to the town - my brother for a job at the Alchemists' guild, me just to see if anything's happening there. I get invited to a mead testing. The mead is good and cheering, and I somehow end up with three bottles for later (in fact, they make it home unharmed). When we return, it's already growing dark, and there are bad news: The Chaos created some artefact that prevents the dead characters from passing through Limbo back to their original camps, instead making them slaves of the Chaos. We're supposed to capture the priests and magicians before they bring the artefact to their camp, so we can destroy it; but by the time we finally march out, they've already made it, and we just get to fight against a few drow and more zombies, including a few that paralyze people when they touch them, and another few that spray poison when they're "beheaded" (which is usually the only safe way to get rid of an enemy at least for the time it takes them to make their way through Limbo). I manage to "kill" one of those that only paralyze (without getting paralyzed myself, too!]], though!
When it grows too dark, we retreat, carrying a lot of wounded and poisoned with us. At least we have a company of healers in our own camp and don't have to call the M*A*S*H; but we do have to go and ask for a bunch of alchemists and healing draughts (or rather, herbs). (We have a few herbs in our camp's "garden", but many are not the ones necessary for antidotes. Besides, we need those for a Quest we received earlier this afternoon, the brewing of the Potion of Insight...) We don't get enough herbs for enough healing draughts, nor can the Alchemists' Guild in the city help with more than a few more bottles, so I suppose some of the poisoned ones get to do the Limbo round and are turned into Chaos zombies. I fail to understand everything at some point... and it's not the mead! In between, a guy dressed up in hakama and keikogi adresses us in comprehensible Japanese and perfect English (which implies that he's Dutch) and asks for our commander to bring him important news ---
Eventually, I return to bed and try to wrap the blanket and the dead sheep around me in a way that keeps me warm enough. I am, very authentically, wearing the clothes I wore all day for bed, too. Bad Lyra! I fall asleep to the distant sound of the Orc drums.
Friday, August 4th
And I wake up to the Orc drums still drumming.
Over night, the Alchemists' Guild burned down due to an experiment going wrong, "killing" the Guild leader.
As I learned from yesterday that too much idleness only breeds emo, I go to search for herbs again. This time, I find two lonely little cocktail umbrellas - neither of them the herbs I'd need, but still. Later on, we go out on a herb-seeking expedition with a few more people from the camp, including a Hobbit armed with a latex pan, a fish and sausages. As it's a collective effort, the GMs reward it with four herbs found per person. Yay.
After we return, we're called to arms almost immediately; the Drow of the Chaos camp are up at the ritual place and summon Lolth, or somesuch; at any rate, we have to go and disturb them before they finish the ritual. We actually manage, despite all efforts to keep us away by magical means. Due to myDF-bred natural aversion to Drow, I take particular joy in slaying one of their Priestesses. Yay!
The rest of the day I spend in the "library" which our Pharaoh has set up (at least nobody can doubt his genuine love for wisdom now...) copying some healing herbs and helping the voluntary librarian to sort through the scrolls. At some point, our ark is shifted from one side of the tent to the other for whatever reason, causing an inkpot to fall over and spilling ink all over the furniture and the newspapers (luckily not all over the "valuable" scrolls). When Yoris (my character) snaps at the offenders, my brother apparently believes I'm being OOC for whatever reason and bitches (yes, he bitches!) back OOCly, too. Grrr. - Oh well.
Our Avatar shows up to ask about our plans for the big battle tomorrow. Mostly in joke, the camp suggests that the Grey will demand a leading role in the battle, i.e. claim the rule over the Dragonlands for the coming year. (This year, the Orcs rule.) We don't really expect anyone to accept that claim, though, seeing how the Grey didn't even exist the last few years - too much discord in the first year resulted in the "death" of the Grey Camp, and we're only just reviving it.
Due to some necromancy (by summoning the ghost of the above-mentioned dead Alchemists' Guild leader), herbology and magic, the Potion of Insight can finally be brewed. I have no idea what "insight" it brings, but it earns us a dragon-egg (you can earn four dragon eggs altogether, and of course that'll get your camp important points).
Later in the evening, I joing the Academy for the first time. I should've done so earlier; they have lovely "classes" (i.e., whoever feels like it can give a class on whatever topic suits their character) such as "Non-verbal communication for small tactical units". Right now, Rufus the Red from the Blue Camp (a camp that seems to exist completely by virtue of Pirates of the Carribean and maybe Master and Commander - up 'till last year, the Harbour Quarters of the town were sufficient to contain the few sailors and pirates, but by now, they need a Camp of their own - and it's full of clones of a certain pirate CAPTAIN played by Johnny Depp) explains how to properly strike the bell on a ship. It's quite entertaining and educational too; especially as most of us didn't bother to buy the "count/calculate" talent for our characters. We figure that we can all count as far as we have fingers on our hands, though, which is more than sufficient for nautical calculation. In the beginning, there's a lot of confusion, but eventually we manage to remember the times of the different watches and the counts of the bell.
Afterwards, there's a brief class on how to make mead, and another testing of the results of the lecturer's efforts. Both the "ordinary" and the quince-apple-mead are delicious. Even my brother, who normally shuns alcohol, drinks it happily. Accordingly, I have to bear with a half-drunken brother - he isn't used to the stuff, after all - who walks like Captain Jack Sparrow and apparently lost the ability to shut up. He especially keeps on babbling about how he wants a girlfriend and how he doesn't dare to talk to any of the two girls in our camp that impress him. (I can half understand him; one of the two girls is a very pretty one.)
A heavy thunderstorm cancels the Drow lecture later on. Oh well; probably they'd only have taught us to say "I love Lolth!" or "I am your humble slave, oh noble matriarch", or the like - the sort of stuff you need when encountering Drow - anyway...
Most of the storm goes off above the villages beyond the woods. Nonetheless, nobody feels like doing much after that, so we go to bed again.
This night I don't wake up because of the cold - I finally found out just how to wrap the fur and the blankets and my cloak - but because of an Orc attack. As most people are already are asleep, and even the few who wake up at the alarum bellincluding me are either unable (like me, in our lightless tent) or unwilling to get into gear and fight, the Orcs overrun us. Technically, by the rules, we should all go to Limbo, but Limbo seems to be out of order for some reason, so technically we're all dead for good. I decide not to care and fall asleep again. It's not actually allowed to overrun a camp at night without notifying at least the Avatars prior to the attack anyway - night fights within the palisades are too dangerous. The panicking scouts in our camp already fall over enough ropes and tent pegs as it is. (It's actually quite amusing: *hasty footsteps* "The orcs!" - *sound of somebody falling* "Ouch!" - *somebody scrambling back to their feet and running on* - "are attacking! - Ouch!" - "our ca- ouch!" - "camp.")
Saturday, August 5th
The Orc attack has, apparently, been without further consequences - we're not sent to Limbo collectively, at any rate. Instead, we find that our power-player magician managed to gain us another dragon egg. By means of a discourse about wisdom in general, we chose the Bearer of the Book of the Grey - which gains us another egg byGM divine intervention. We also have a red dragon egg for some reason, and soon we're out in armour and arms again, marching towards the Orc camp. We're not there for fighting this time, though; the ark is carried in front of us. We offer to exchange the red egg for a grey egg which the Orcs apparently stole - so many things I didn't know! - and the Orcs not only agree, no, they even fulfill their part of the trade! So do we, of course (we merely fail to inform the Red that one of their eggs is with the Orcs). Now we have all four dragon eggs, because we rock just so much! And there's a staff fighting tournament to chose the Champion of the Grey Camp. It's won by a guy looking disturbingly like Chakotay from Voyager.
The plot GMs don't show up for a loooong time, though. Instead our Avatar drops by again to let us know that the Grey's claim was accepted; Silver, Steel, Green and Black will follow us into battle and support our claim for the reign of the Dragonlands. Chaos, Red, Blue and the Great Host will stand against us. The Orcs won't fight because they ruled this year; apparently, they have decided that the land needs a year of rest before they can rule again. Therefore they'll fight each other this morning instead of marching into the great battle this afternoon.
We're all rather astonished from so much reason from such an unexpected side. And we all gather at the palisades later on - along with people from the farther camps brining picnic blankets and chairs - to watch the epic orc battle. It's brilliant. The entire camp lines up on two sides. The huge Uruks perform a haka (blame Sala Baker and Lawrence Makoare for the haka being inextricably linked to the orcs...), and when they're done, the two sides storm against each other and slash and hack mercilessly. It looks brilliant: It's worthy of a movie. Or, as Yoris puts it, of a ballad. (I'll actually have to write that for next year. Damn.) Everybody cheers; by the time the last Orc has fallen, people demand for an encore. The train of Orcs marching towards Limbo is heralded by loud cheers and applause from all other camps. Best show ever.
With a bit of this and that, the rest of the time before the battle passes swiftly. Almost without warning, we have to peal ourselves into armour. As it's the One!Big!Battle!, I add Jörg's Roman armour. Thomas wears his, too; he'll serve as an archer, which hopefully keeps him out of the worst, but better safe than sorry. We father at the gates and then march out. The skies are beginning to grow cloudy.
We have to march for half an hour before we reach the actual battle plain. The chainmail is easier to bear with armour over it, but as the armour is cut out for a man, I have to get used to my ribs not being able to expand properly when I breathe at first... and it's still quite hot. Our Elvish fan-wavers have a lot to do.
That changes once we've reached the battle plain (which is littered with spectators from a) the surrounding villages and b) the Orc camp): While the armies are still getting into position, it starts to rain. The battle itself is a somewhat more violent version of Capture the Flag, and I end up being in the last squad protecting the banner (actually, the Dwarves were meant to do that, but once the battle begins, they just march on along with the others. Suddenly, we have ill news: Silver and Steel have decided to claim the reign for themselves and no longer wish to follow us. As that means that we have to fight on two fronts, there's a lot of anger in our rows. After all, Silver and Steel are supposed to be the most honorable camps of all, and now it turns out that even the Orcs had more honour than them. Promptly, a small troup of Orcs come running over and line up with us. Nobody will be surprised to hear that the shouts of "Uruk! Uruk!" rise up again...
Just before the battle starts, Silver and Steel are suddenly on our side again. Green and Black still stand, and a part of Gold apparently is in our lines as well. And then the Chaos suddenly decides to begin on our side, too - but then, the Chaos switches sides all the time anyway. Much more impressive is the actual beginning of the battle; our oni and front lines march forth, and at the same time, the rest of the watching Orcs jump to their feet and charge down the hill towards the red camp.
My squad only gets to watch and advance and retreat with the banner for a long while. We're finally sent in to support the lines pressing against the red. We close in onto the troup protecting the banner, and in the end the GMs declare all within the enclosure dead - fighting things out at that point would be too dangerous. (I understand the safety regulations, but I also understand how frustrating this must be for the Red...) By the time the fight recommences - against another partition - my neighbour in the lines suddenly is a complete stranger in pirate dress who asks what happens now.
QOTD 2:
Piratey guy: So, what do we do now?
Me: ... that depends on which side you're on?
Piratey guy: I'm Tortuga, baby!
Me: ... welcome aboard?
Well - in the end, we win gloriously. I lose two of my armour points (out of nine) and one of my life points (out of two), which means I get to limp back to our glorious side, but all flags are behind the grey one in the end - at which point Steel mutinies again. Nobody would have followed Grey anyway, we wouldn't have won the battle without Steel, and so on and so on. The discussion is cut short by another thunderstorm, which causes all the people in armour to flee from the lightning. Me too. The armour already got me the offer of an Elvish backrub, though, so I can't complain, even though I don't take the Elf up on the offer in the end. Firstly, it isn't our camp's Maglor (yes, we have a Maglor!); secondly, I have a boyfriend at home...
Later that evening, a Steel delegation in full armour, and fully armed, stands before our camp demanding the three flags we gained and put up at our gates. Time is running out, a decision has to be made by sunset - which is about ten minutes away. Steel and Silver demand that Grey sets aside all claims for the reign. The reason? The Steel and Silver Avatars agreed to follow Grey without asking their camps. The camps would never have agreed, so our victory is, according to them, worthless. Of course, we do not accept - it may be wise to yield, but we fought hard for this - and if Steel threatens to take the flags, and the victory, by force, let them. In the end - after considering Green (unjust, they already reigned a few years ago), and Black (often maligned) - we decide to hold on to our claim, lay down our weapons and open the gates; if Steel marches in then, they'll have to "kill" us all to win, which will prove how dishonorable they are. (Silver and Steel are the camps representing Honour, Truth and suchlike.) So we lay all weapons aside, gather in a semi-circle around the banners, and open the door. The sun is only just setting, and - the siege as gone. Apparently, we discussed too long for them. And thus, Wisdom vanquishes!
The end ritual doesn't take place due to the lasting discussions between GMs and Avatars, but we don't let that dampen our spirits. Instead of the solemn rituals, one of the ladies from the "brothel" takes the stage and keeps animating random guys to duel. In between, a red-capped GM shows up and throws level cards into the air. Even though they're no longer worth anything, people scramble for them. Me too - at least now I'll be able to pull rank... ;)
The duels grow more and more entertaining as the pirates and some random 18th or 19th century soldiers join in. And just when there are no more duelists left - which takes a long while - the orcs appear with their drums. And all I can say is - they ROCK. They rock the stage (while the pirates and some random rangers dance like mad) until Fabian (one of the organisators) shows up. He declares Grey the official winner but refuses to release us into our usual OOC state. So the party goes on. Some guy who just proposed to his girlfriend of five years (and what choice does she have but to say yes!) buys mead and wine for everyone. As the Drachenfest can't end without the proper ritual, a few random people from the audience eventually re-enact it (some people have been there often enough to know the wording by heart).
- Sleeping, packing and driving home is boring, so I shan't bother you with writing about Sunday. So let's end this with another quote that doesn't translate properly:
From the Steel Camp: Franken! Ruhm und Ehre! ("Franconians! Glory and Honour!")
From the Blue Camp, in reply: Piraten! Rum und Hering! ("Pirates! Rum and herring!")
- yeah. As I said, it only really works in German.
- will be updated when I remember more. Now, time for bed.
Wednesday, August 2nd
We leave later than planned, due to a few unforeseen incidents including but not limited to the coin press not working, a forgotten shovel, and the general packing and loading, and make our way through the pouring rain and on some detours (due to the still-blocked interchange at Westhofen, remember it from last weekend?) to Diemelstadt. Having arrived there and actually found our camp, that of the Grey Dragon (which symbolizes Wisdom and Research), which is more difficult than one should think due to people who're already in-character usually ignoring the OOCs (as they should later on in the game, of course), we put up our tent - or rather, I put up our tent - surprisingly enough without rain for the moment. It is dark by the time we finish, and it's a tad difficult to furnish the tent and get into dark, as our only lamp is a bit on the weak side.
It's too late to explore the grounds, too, so we slowly make our way across the fields to the ritual place. As it turns out, it's already overrun with people waiting for the official kick-off. We end up somewhere behind the lines where we can see next to nothing. Well, for now, that's because nothing is happening, anyway. Eventually, one of the more extensively costumed Chaos demons storms the stage and says "Well, you all know there's dragons of all sorts of colours, and if you ask me, we're in-character now." That, of course, doesn't suffice, so we get to wait a bit more until the actual "ritual" finally begins. The Avatars of all camps are formally summoned, the metaphorical rules of the festival are read, and then we're dismissed to our respective camps. I'm tired and cold and no good at pub tours anyway, so I don't join the crowds in the tavern tents but go to bed, where I spend a cold night full of interrupted sleep. Damn in-character bedstuffs!
There was some pretty damn good QOTD, but I didn't write it down. Woe.
Thursday, August 3rd
The Grey Camp is a mixed bunch. As far as I can see, we have all sorts of creatures pursuing Wisdom: Humans (among them a horribly annoying troup of mercenaries), Elves (both elfin and Elvish), Dwarves, a group of oni, two mummies, a horde of wolf-people, even a few Orcs and Drow and an ogre. Accordingly, there's a lot of commotion when it is time to find a leader for our camp. Eventually, we elect one of the mummies (the Pharaoh Apokentis whose name I keep forgetting or mixing up with other pharaohs most of the time), and the leaders of two groups of human warriors. At once, discord arises; the dwarves won't follow an undead, and some of the mercenaries won't either. In the end, the mercenaries get ignored and the dwarves accept the mummy in exchange for giving him a dwarvish advisor.
Thomas and I walk to the organisation quarters for check-in - it was too late for that yesterday, too - which takes us through the "town" of Buntattabunipah (no, I have no idea who came up with that name either). I buy a pretty (latex) dagger at one of the stalls; it's fairly simple and not as lavish as some at the other stalls, but it's solid work and the stupid elf in my head says I'm to choose this one, so that one it is.
After check-in, I also buy a fur so the next nights won't be quite so cold. Shocking, I know!
Our camp is pretty much in the middle of everything; it's placed right in the middle between the Orc camp, the Great Norman Host, the Blue Camp and the City, and we can see most of the other camps from where we are, too. The wolf-people, lead by Ragnar, have taken up guard and inform us about the movements in the other camps. The Great Host is marching against the orcs as it is, but they don't accomplish much and eventually return to their camp. I go out to search for "herbs". I do not find any whatsoever - that is, I do not find any IC herbs, which are symbolized by the little paper umbrellas usually found as cocktail decorations - but I find a lot of 'actual' healing herbs, some car wrecks (really true!) and a couple of the tiny blue butterflies that flutter around everywhere engaged in passionate tiny blue butterfly sex. When I return to the camp, the Orc host is besieging the Norman camp. I watch from the sidelines with some others when suddenly the Grey Camp makes an excursion against the orcs. I hurry back to my tent, of course, to get into my chainmail and pick up my sword. By the time I get to the battlefield, the orcs have withdrawn to their camp and are besieged by the Silver, Gold and Grey host. I join the latter. There is mainly a lot of standing around and shifting lines to protect the other hosts - the "Voice of the Herold", the official newspaper, will call it a "battle picnic" tomorrow. I do get to "kill" two orcs, though! And we have a battle cry; it is Für Wissen und Weisheit ("For Knowledge and Wisdom"), later on often parodied as Für Whisky und Weißwein ("For Whisky and White Wine" - it only works in German)...
Shouting a collective battle cry is disturbingly satisfying. Ah, the faschistoid tendencies within us all...
When the Golden eventually manage to break the gate of the Orc camp and steal their ark, we all return to our camps. News reach us that the Red and Black "destroyed" the Chaos camp. Suddenly, we find a small host of Orcs marching towards our camp. Which leads us to the QOTD:
Sentinel: ... we need someone from the Academy!
Tar'whatever (the Drow leader of the Academy): Here! Here!
Sentinel: There's twenty Orcs at the gate.
Tar'...: Erm?
Sentinel: They want to learn how to read and write.
Tar'...: ......... send the druid?
Mëanor (the druid): ... hey!
After that amusing incident, there's nothing for a while. At that point, I have to realize (and admit) that I'm a bad LARPer during the times at which nothing happens; I find it tedious to be in-character with nobody but my brother to play with, and him having a character mostly incompatible to mine, it's even less fun and just makes me emo. I suppose for those times one has to be in a group that always keeps busy, or to be less shy than I am so one can just go and chat up the strangers' characters. Oh well.
Later on, we return to the town - my brother for a job at the Alchemists' guild, me just to see if anything's happening there. I get invited to a mead testing. The mead is good and cheering, and I somehow end up with three bottles for later (in fact, they make it home unharmed). When we return, it's already growing dark, and there are bad news: The Chaos created some artefact that prevents the dead characters from passing through Limbo back to their original camps, instead making them slaves of the Chaos. We're supposed to capture the priests and magicians before they bring the artefact to their camp, so we can destroy it; but by the time we finally march out, they've already made it, and we just get to fight against a few drow and more zombies, including a few that paralyze people when they touch them, and another few that spray poison when they're "beheaded" (which is usually the only safe way to get rid of an enemy at least for the time it takes them to make their way through Limbo). I manage to "kill" one of those that only paralyze (without getting paralyzed myself, too!]], though!
When it grows too dark, we retreat, carrying a lot of wounded and poisoned with us. At least we have a company of healers in our own camp and don't have to call the M*A*S*H; but we do have to go and ask for a bunch of alchemists and healing draughts (or rather, herbs). (We have a few herbs in our camp's "garden", but many are not the ones necessary for antidotes. Besides, we need those for a Quest we received earlier this afternoon, the brewing of the Potion of Insight...) We don't get enough herbs for enough healing draughts, nor can the Alchemists' Guild in the city help with more than a few more bottles, so I suppose some of the poisoned ones get to do the Limbo round and are turned into Chaos zombies. I fail to understand everything at some point... and it's not the mead! In between, a guy dressed up in hakama and keikogi adresses us in comprehensible Japanese and perfect English (which implies that he's Dutch) and asks for our commander to bring him important news ---
Eventually, I return to bed and try to wrap the blanket and the dead sheep around me in a way that keeps me warm enough. I am, very authentically, wearing the clothes I wore all day for bed, too. Bad Lyra! I fall asleep to the distant sound of the Orc drums.
Friday, August 4th
And I wake up to the Orc drums still drumming.
Over night, the Alchemists' Guild burned down due to an experiment going wrong, "killing" the Guild leader.
As I learned from yesterday that too much idleness only breeds emo, I go to search for herbs again. This time, I find two lonely little cocktail umbrellas - neither of them the herbs I'd need, but still. Later on, we go out on a herb-seeking expedition with a few more people from the camp, including a Hobbit armed with a latex pan, a fish and sausages. As it's a collective effort, the GMs reward it with four herbs found per person. Yay.
After we return, we're called to arms almost immediately; the Drow of the Chaos camp are up at the ritual place and summon Lolth, or somesuch; at any rate, we have to go and disturb them before they finish the ritual. We actually manage, despite all efforts to keep us away by magical means. Due to my
The rest of the day I spend in the "library" which our Pharaoh has set up (at least nobody can doubt his genuine love for wisdom now...) copying some healing herbs and helping the voluntary librarian to sort through the scrolls. At some point, our ark is shifted from one side of the tent to the other for whatever reason, causing an inkpot to fall over and spilling ink all over the furniture and the newspapers (luckily not all over the "valuable" scrolls). When Yoris (my character) snaps at the offenders, my brother apparently believes I'm being OOC for whatever reason and bitches (yes, he bitches!) back OOCly, too. Grrr. - Oh well.
Our Avatar shows up to ask about our plans for the big battle tomorrow. Mostly in joke, the camp suggests that the Grey will demand a leading role in the battle, i.e. claim the rule over the Dragonlands for the coming year. (This year, the Orcs rule.) We don't really expect anyone to accept that claim, though, seeing how the Grey didn't even exist the last few years - too much discord in the first year resulted in the "death" of the Grey Camp, and we're only just reviving it.
Due to some necromancy (by summoning the ghost of the above-mentioned dead Alchemists' Guild leader), herbology and magic, the Potion of Insight can finally be brewed. I have no idea what "insight" it brings, but it earns us a dragon-egg (you can earn four dragon eggs altogether, and of course that'll get your camp important points).
Later in the evening, I joing the Academy for the first time. I should've done so earlier; they have lovely "classes" (i.e., whoever feels like it can give a class on whatever topic suits their character) such as "Non-verbal communication for small tactical units". Right now, Rufus the Red from the Blue Camp (a camp that seems to exist completely by virtue of Pirates of the Carribean and maybe Master and Commander - up 'till last year, the Harbour Quarters of the town were sufficient to contain the few sailors and pirates, but by now, they need a Camp of their own - and it's full of clones of a certain pirate CAPTAIN played by Johnny Depp) explains how to properly strike the bell on a ship. It's quite entertaining and educational too; especially as most of us didn't bother to buy the "count/calculate" talent for our characters. We figure that we can all count as far as we have fingers on our hands, though, which is more than sufficient for nautical calculation. In the beginning, there's a lot of confusion, but eventually we manage to remember the times of the different watches and the counts of the bell.
Afterwards, there's a brief class on how to make mead, and another testing of the results of the lecturer's efforts. Both the "ordinary" and the quince-apple-mead are delicious. Even my brother, who normally shuns alcohol, drinks it happily. Accordingly, I have to bear with a half-drunken brother - he isn't used to the stuff, after all - who walks like Captain Jack Sparrow and apparently lost the ability to shut up. He especially keeps on babbling about how he wants a girlfriend and how he doesn't dare to talk to any of the two girls in our camp that impress him. (I can half understand him; one of the two girls is a very pretty one.)
A heavy thunderstorm cancels the Drow lecture later on. Oh well; probably they'd only have taught us to say "I love Lolth!" or "I am your humble slave, oh noble matriarch", or the like - the sort of stuff you need when encountering Drow - anyway...
Most of the storm goes off above the villages beyond the woods. Nonetheless, nobody feels like doing much after that, so we go to bed again.
This night I don't wake up because of the cold - I finally found out just how to wrap the fur and the blankets and my cloak - but because of an Orc attack. As most people are already are asleep, and even the few who wake up at the alarum bell
Saturday, August 5th
The Orc attack has, apparently, been without further consequences - we're not sent to Limbo collectively, at any rate. Instead, we find that our power-player magician managed to gain us another dragon egg. By means of a discourse about wisdom in general, we chose the Bearer of the Book of the Grey - which gains us another egg by
The plot GMs don't show up for a loooong time, though. Instead our Avatar drops by again to let us know that the Grey's claim was accepted; Silver, Steel, Green and Black will follow us into battle and support our claim for the reign of the Dragonlands. Chaos, Red, Blue and the Great Host will stand against us. The Orcs won't fight because they ruled this year; apparently, they have decided that the land needs a year of rest before they can rule again. Therefore they'll fight each other this morning instead of marching into the great battle this afternoon.
We're all rather astonished from so much reason from such an unexpected side. And we all gather at the palisades later on - along with people from the farther camps brining picnic blankets and chairs - to watch the epic orc battle. It's brilliant. The entire camp lines up on two sides. The huge Uruks perform a haka (blame Sala Baker and Lawrence Makoare for the haka being inextricably linked to the orcs...), and when they're done, the two sides storm against each other and slash and hack mercilessly. It looks brilliant: It's worthy of a movie. Or, as Yoris puts it, of a ballad. (I'll actually have to write that for next year. Damn.) Everybody cheers; by the time the last Orc has fallen, people demand for an encore. The train of Orcs marching towards Limbo is heralded by loud cheers and applause from all other camps. Best show ever.
With a bit of this and that, the rest of the time before the battle passes swiftly. Almost without warning, we have to peal ourselves into armour. As it's the One!Big!Battle!, I add Jörg's Roman armour. Thomas wears his, too; he'll serve as an archer, which hopefully keeps him out of the worst, but better safe than sorry. We father at the gates and then march out. The skies are beginning to grow cloudy.
We have to march for half an hour before we reach the actual battle plain. The chainmail is easier to bear with armour over it, but as the armour is cut out for a man, I have to get used to my ribs not being able to expand properly when I breathe at first... and it's still quite hot. Our Elvish fan-wavers have a lot to do.
That changes once we've reached the battle plain (which is littered with spectators from a) the surrounding villages and b) the Orc camp): While the armies are still getting into position, it starts to rain. The battle itself is a somewhat more violent version of Capture the Flag, and I end up being in the last squad protecting the banner (actually, the Dwarves were meant to do that, but once the battle begins, they just march on along with the others. Suddenly, we have ill news: Silver and Steel have decided to claim the reign for themselves and no longer wish to follow us. As that means that we have to fight on two fronts, there's a lot of anger in our rows. After all, Silver and Steel are supposed to be the most honorable camps of all, and now it turns out that even the Orcs had more honour than them. Promptly, a small troup of Orcs come running over and line up with us. Nobody will be surprised to hear that the shouts of "Uruk! Uruk!" rise up again...
Just before the battle starts, Silver and Steel are suddenly on our side again. Green and Black still stand, and a part of Gold apparently is in our lines as well. And then the Chaos suddenly decides to begin on our side, too - but then, the Chaos switches sides all the time anyway. Much more impressive is the actual beginning of the battle; our oni and front lines march forth, and at the same time, the rest of the watching Orcs jump to their feet and charge down the hill towards the red camp.
My squad only gets to watch and advance and retreat with the banner for a long while. We're finally sent in to support the lines pressing against the red. We close in onto the troup protecting the banner, and in the end the GMs declare all within the enclosure dead - fighting things out at that point would be too dangerous. (I understand the safety regulations, but I also understand how frustrating this must be for the Red...) By the time the fight recommences - against another partition - my neighbour in the lines suddenly is a complete stranger in pirate dress who asks what happens now.
QOTD 2:
Piratey guy: So, what do we do now?
Me: ... that depends on which side you're on?
Piratey guy: I'm Tortuga, baby!
Me: ... welcome aboard?
Well - in the end, we win gloriously. I lose two of my armour points (out of nine) and one of my life points (out of two), which means I get to limp back to our glorious side, but all flags are behind the grey one in the end - at which point Steel mutinies again. Nobody would have followed Grey anyway, we wouldn't have won the battle without Steel, and so on and so on. The discussion is cut short by another thunderstorm, which causes all the people in armour to flee from the lightning. Me too. The armour already got me the offer of an Elvish backrub, though, so I can't complain, even though I don't take the Elf up on the offer in the end. Firstly, it isn't our camp's Maglor (yes, we have a Maglor!); secondly, I have a boyfriend at home...
Later that evening, a Steel delegation in full armour, and fully armed, stands before our camp demanding the three flags we gained and put up at our gates. Time is running out, a decision has to be made by sunset - which is about ten minutes away. Steel and Silver demand that Grey sets aside all claims for the reign. The reason? The Steel and Silver Avatars agreed to follow Grey without asking their camps. The camps would never have agreed, so our victory is, according to them, worthless. Of course, we do not accept - it may be wise to yield, but we fought hard for this - and if Steel threatens to take the flags, and the victory, by force, let them. In the end - after considering Green (unjust, they already reigned a few years ago), and Black (often maligned) - we decide to hold on to our claim, lay down our weapons and open the gates; if Steel marches in then, they'll have to "kill" us all to win, which will prove how dishonorable they are. (Silver and Steel are the camps representing Honour, Truth and suchlike.) So we lay all weapons aside, gather in a semi-circle around the banners, and open the door. The sun is only just setting, and - the siege as gone. Apparently, we discussed too long for them. And thus, Wisdom vanquishes!
The end ritual doesn't take place due to the lasting discussions between GMs and Avatars, but we don't let that dampen our spirits. Instead of the solemn rituals, one of the ladies from the "brothel" takes the stage and keeps animating random guys to duel. In between, a red-capped GM shows up and throws level cards into the air. Even though they're no longer worth anything, people scramble for them. Me too - at least now I'll be able to pull rank... ;)
The duels grow more and more entertaining as the pirates and some random 18th or 19th century soldiers join in. And just when there are no more duelists left - which takes a long while - the orcs appear with their drums. And all I can say is - they ROCK. They rock the stage (while the pirates and some random rangers dance like mad) until Fabian (one of the organisators) shows up. He declares Grey the official winner but refuses to release us into our usual OOC state. So the party goes on. Some guy who just proposed to his girlfriend of five years (and what choice does she have but to say yes!) buys mead and wine for everyone. As the Drachenfest can't end without the proper ritual, a few random people from the audience eventually re-enact it (some people have been there often enough to know the wording by heart).
- Sleeping, packing and driving home is boring, so I shan't bother you with writing about Sunday. So let's end this with another quote that doesn't translate properly:
From the Steel Camp: Franken! Ruhm und Ehre! ("Franconians! Glory and Honour!")
From the Blue Camp, in reply: Piraten! Rum und Hering! ("Pirates! Rum and herring!")
- yeah. As I said, it only really works in German.
- will be updated when I remember more. Now, time for bed.
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Date: 2006-08-07 06:46 am (UTC)Wir sollten mal Rollenspielen - spielst du in Chats?
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Date: 2006-08-07 06:10 pm (UTC)Da fällt mir ein, mein coolstes Drow-Erlebnis auf dem DF hab ich sogar vergessen:
Ich ging also des Abends zu den Klo-Containern (eindeutig OOC durch die Klopapierrolle in meiner Hand) und kam am "Friedhof" vorbei. Da sah ich statt der üblichen zwei schwarzen verhüllten Statuen fünfe und blieb stehen. In dem Moment drehten drei der Statuen ihre tiefschwarzen Gesichter, umrahmt von weißen Haaren unter schwarzen Kapuzen, synchron zu mir. Das war schon beeindruckend...
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Date: 2006-08-07 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-07 07:11 pm (UTC)Ach ja, und ja, ich spiele auch manchmal in Chats... ;)
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Date: 2006-08-07 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-07 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-08 05:42 am (UTC)Aber sag mir doch mal, ob und wann du gerne spielen wuerdest.
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Date: 2006-08-08 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-08 06:58 pm (UTC)Ansonsten koennten wir uns gerne mal eine Runde am Freitag oder Samstag ausmachen - da kann ich dann auf jeden Fall laenger.
Was: womit hast du denn Erfahrung? Falls du ein geleitetes Spiel willst: ich leite gerne, aber nur freies RPG. (In diesem Fall braeuchte ich von dir eine kurze Char-Beschreibung - muss nichts langes sein, nur ein paar Angaben zu Aussehen und Vorgeschichte und eine ganz kurze Liste der Faehigkeiten, damit ich den Plot entsprechend anpassen kann)
Ansonsten koennten wir die Chars einfach in einer normalen Fantasy-Umgebung (Stichwort: Ein See, eine Lichtung, etc) aufeinander treffen lassen und sehen, was passiert.
Spielmoeglichkeiten: IRC (klappt erfahrungsgemaess sehr gut) oder ein Browserchat (da haette ich auch einen auf Lager).
Achja: Und bitte Bescheid sagen, ob du weitere Mitspieler haben willst oder sogar selber welche mitbringen moechtest.
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Date: 2006-08-09 09:40 am (UTC)Per Chat habe ich bisher immer nur Ungeleitetes, Ungeplantes gespielt - die "Treffen lassen und schauen, was passiert" Variante ist also gewohnter. Wobei wir uns, denke ich, auch da vorher über zumindest ein paar Hintergründe (der Welt/Gegend, wo die beiden sich denn dann treffen sollen, z.B.) einigen sollten...
IRC ist ok.
Weitere Mitspieler - hätte ich nichts gegen, wenn du da welche an der Hand hast. Ich kann auch mal rumfragen, ob da von meinen Bekannten noch jemand mitmachen mag.
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Date: 2006-08-09 12:25 pm (UTC)Alles Weitere aber besser per Mail, oder? Meine Adresse steht in meinem Profil :)
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Date: 2006-08-07 07:02 am (UTC)But congratulations to belonging to such a splendid camp: All hail, Grey Camp!
(Though I must admit I'm very fond of the Franconian battle cry... *g*)
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Date: 2006-08-07 04:33 pm (UTC)Is the Drachenfest an annual event, do you have to be a member of some club or something, how much does it cost? :D I'd really like to do that too.
And Hel is whining about how you dislike Drow and 'killed' a drow priestess. *rolls eyes* Just ignore him, but he insisted that this be mentioned.
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Date: 2006-08-07 06:06 pm (UTC)- oh, I don't dislike all Drow. Our Academy Drow was very nice, for example. And the "evil" Drow were cool, doubtlessly. Nonetheless... ;)
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Date: 2006-08-07 08:53 pm (UTC)*seufz* So Berichte machen mir immer Lust, irgendwann doch dem LARP nochmal 'ne Chance zu geben ...