Victorian Gaslamp LARP
Monster Shifts are denoted as (M)
Tavern Shifts are denoted as (T)
Please sign up for a Volunteer Shift. Failure to complete a Volunteer Shift will result in a forfeiture of XP for the event. Read more about Volunteer Shifts here.
[sign_up_sheet id=14]
Hope everyone is doing well. This week on DON’T BE THAT PERSON we have a lot to cover. For starters, unless you get the one-shot vaccine sadly you are past the point of getting started being vaccinated and being allowed to come to event. However, if you couldn’t get the vaccination process started in time for this event that just means next event is primed for your presence. Everyone else, if you know someone or have a friend that is vaccinated that you want to enjoy your secret love with, now is the time to get them to sign up.
As a reminder we will not be allowing walk one players this event. That means you will have to preregister to be allowed on site. That’s preregister, not prepay; you can still pay for game on site (as well as add money to your tavern tab, donate, and all buy all the fun stuff).Speaking of buying things we have a list of things we are doing different starting this event.
First off: visiting shops. Listed below is a list of general good items that general players can find and the prices for said items. These items can be purchased BEFORE event and you will get the items during check-in (more covered on that later). This list’s pricing is only good until the Wednesday before event. All items attempted to be purchased after then will be ignored and be void. Prices are subject to change as time passes and from event to event.
Shopping at event will be limited to players with appropriate skills or Guild connections. If you do not know what that means then that means you are not included. As a last note on the subject: quantities are limited and items can sell out, so first come first serve basis!
Black Powder 3u each
Cordite 21u each
Lime Lotus 2u each
Pipe Lotus 11u each
Potassium Nitrate 2u each
Essence of Arsenic 17u each
Glowworm Jelly 1u each
Poisonous Material 2u each
Steam Parts 1u each
Electrical Material 1u each
Metal {Low} 1u each
Non-Metal {Low} 1u each
General Alchemical Materials 1u each
General Engineering Materials 1u each
Pure Sand 8u each
Leaf of Monkshood 5u each
Copper Rod 11u each
+25 Body Elixir 95u each
Anti-Disease Tonic 48u each
Anti-Toxin 48u each
+5 Body Gas 22u each
+10 Body Tonic 13u each
+5 Body Tonic 7u each
+5 Body Bandage 5u each
+1 Body Bandage 3u each
Small Arm Ammunition, Caseless 3u each
Small Arm Ammunition, Cased 4u each
Long Arm Ammunition, Caseless 7u each
Long Arm Ammunition, Caseless 8u each
Slug Shot 13u each
Buck Shot, Full Shelled 12u each
Bird Shot, Full Shelled 10u each
Buck Shot, Paper 10u each
Bird Shot, Paper 9u each
Strength +1 Elixir 47u each
+1 Blade Oil of Slicing 29u each
5 Flaming Pitch 30u each
1 Acid Orb 22u each
15 Flaming Pitch 101u each
15 Electricity Globe 99u each
Invisibility Tonic 1170u each
Currently we are looking at about 25 people on site, which is a small but safe event. I am fine with this. Honestly, I am good with about 30 but for a starter event would not want more. So, if you know anyone that would want to monster or play and they are qualified, let them know to pre-register! Also remember to submit your vaccination card. I believe we have most of you, but just a general reminder. It is required!
Alright, time to NOT BE THAT PERSON! Opening ceremonies will be at 9:00pm Friday. If you are not there you will miss the format of the event and be out of the loop on the changes that have occurred from previous live events. Crab monsters will raid your cabin at 5am. The Twilight will infect your dreams. BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN if you are not there and available to go directly to the REQUIRED safety course for all players. It’s been over a year since we swung foam at each other. Everyone needs to retake the course as a refresher. Directly after that we will be going into a series of Island devised mods. How will this work out? What is the in-play connections? No clue, you will have to NOT BE THAT PERSON and show up to find out. Not being part of all these key events, starting at 9:00pm, will require you to wait until the next slot of things happening so you can jump in. You will be required to wait. You will be out-of-play, you will miss loot, you will miss out on role-play, you will not get to go on some of the mods, and you will not get you check-in stuff until you get a slot and get in on the action. So… DON’T BE THAT PERSON!
Of the things that are different one will be discussed now: volunteer shifts. More then 75% of the fifty plus LARPs available in the Southeast require a three-hour shift. After a decade of varied amounts depending on the job (2 hours for NPCing, 3 hours for Tavern, and 4 hours for Clean-up) we are going to the standardized three hour required shift across the board. Sometimes we will have offers for doing things for less time to count towards more time given, but if you want to know more about that you will have to be at opening ceremonies. We will say that each of you will do at least 30 minutes to an hour of quick NPCing Friday night, thus leaving you with only needing to fulfill 2 hour shifts for the rest of the event.
We will be having pre-sign-up for Saturday for NPCing and Clean-up. There are 25 shifts available, and the list will be posted up next Monday, the 17th of May, at 7:00pm. A time frame everyone should be okay with logging-in, looking things over, and signing up for a shift. We will have a form made up to accommodate this.
That was a lot of information this week. We are almost there! We are going to get to LARP again! Between buying things and the NPC sign-up announcement we should be able to tell that everyone has been reading these so we don’t get the “well, I don’t read the ___” excuse from “that person”. DON NOT BE THAT PERSON! We miss you all and can not wait to get to see you all again. Everyone stay safe! More information on things next week, and then… GAME ON!
Good morning all! Twenty-five days until the event!
As an update, cards are (mostly) up. However, on your way to see your card, you might notice we have removed the Forums link from the static page! We are transitioning away from the Xadune Forums. This means a few things:
Additionally we want to remind everyone that opening ceremonies will be at 9:00pm on Friday. All players, I mean all of you, will be required to retake a combat safety course before allowed to go in-play. After our mass safety course(s) we will then be transitioning to a collection of separate mods as a reintroduction to Xadune and LARPing. This is a change from our normal event schedule, but we are treating this more like our first event with a hand in getting us back into the swing of things.
Missing the safety course or mod train will mean you will be required to wait till the next slot to get into play. THERE WILL BE NO ONE ALLOWED TO SHOW UP AFTER MIDNIGHT AND JUST GET IN PLAY. You will have to wait for an open slot for a safety course and then a open slot to jump into the mod-train. SO SHOW UP ON TIME! From how it’s looking we are guessing “game-on” will be around 10ish or so. From there we will be doing the mod rotations that player will be on. We are scheduling for about an hour to an hour and a half rotations; so if you miss that train you might have to wait till 11ish-midnight to get on the next set. DON’T BE THAT PERSON!
More to come as we get closer to the event! Have a great week everyone!
Get ready, Xadune is hosting an in-person, live event!
After over a year, we are finally hosting an in-person event. Not to say the Virtual Events weren’t awesome, but I think we are all incredibly excited to get back to what we do best: hit people with foam sticks.
We are requiring proof of full vaccination to attend this event. This means two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. There will be no exceptions to this. Failure to provide proof of vaccination will result in expulsion from site. Moreover, if you have experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive in the past two weeks, you will also be asked to leave.
While that sounds all scary, there is a Medical Information Form where you can upload an image of your vaccination card! The Medical Information Form will also ask you about allergies or chronic diseases that the Medic team should be aware of, should you require medical assistance on site. Everyone needs to complete a Medical Information Form prior to selecting a cabin.
We are limiting the event to 45 players. With our Staff and Storyteam, this will mean a maximum of 50 people on site. While the CDC does not give direct guidance on mass gathering sites, given the size of Daniel Morgan, we feel this event size will allow for proper social distancing.
For this event, we will not be allowing walk-in players. You MUST pre-register (different from pre-pay) for the event, or you will be turned away. To pre-register, you will be required to complete the Medical Information Form and upload an image of your vaccination card. There are no exceptions to this. Safety is the utmost importance.
We are asking players to chose their cabins based on their pods. No more than 8 players can be in a cabin.
Additionally, we will be blocking the road into Daniel Morgan after Opening Ceremonies. We will be closing (not locking) the gate after all Pre-registered players have arrived. this is to prohibit lost campers from wandering on site.
All players will be asked a series of questions regarding COVID-19 symptoms and exposure at Check-in, and will have their temperature checked via touchless thermometer.
We will have soap and paper towels available in all restrooms, and we encourage players to wash their hands regularly. Hand Sanitizer will be available at multiple locations around site. Additionally, Makeup Races will not be required to paint their hands. Moreover, we are encouraging all players to bathe during the event.
Boffers, Foam Blasters, and shared costuming (read: monster clothes) will be sanitized after every mod with sanitizing wipes and/or spray. Boffers and Foam Blasters will additionally undergo UV sanitization as an extra precautionary measure . High touch areas, such as tavern tables and mod buildings, will be sanitized regularly.
Based on CDC guidelines for vaccinated individuals, we are not requiring (but heavily encouraging) mask in general play areas.
However, all players must bring a mask. Tavern workers are required to wear a mask at all times. You may be asked to wear a mask in enclosed spaces (such as mod buildings). We will have Xadune cloth masks for sale at Check-in and a limited number of disposable masks available.
In an effort to ensure you get the most out of your Xadune experience, we are moving Opening Ceremonies to 9pm on Friday. This means players need to be on site, checked in, dressed, and in the Tavern at 9pm. Due to the below Safety Refresher Course, late arrivals will miss content. If you arrive late, you will not be allowed to be in play until after a Safety Refresher Course and until a group is available. This could be a while – showing up at 9:30 might put you out of play until midnight. Please plan accordingly.
Because it has been so long since we last played, we will be conducting a safety refresher course that all players are required to attend. We will go over the basics – headbands, physical roleplay, and safe boffer fighting – as well as boffer sparring to help get everyone readjusted.
We haven’t been able to LARP in person in a year, and it’s time to get in shape before the next in-person event.
Ward 5 is never really a calm place, but recently the random muggings have at least decreased. It makes a person feel safe to walk around without worrying too much.
Which is why when you turn the corner and spot a rather large gelatinous cube making its way down an alleyway, it comes as a bit of a shock. The square hunk of goo notices you, and begins to make its way towards you. Inside, you can clearly see the body of what appears to be bones of something… human-sized. You could run away, but leaving this creature loose in the Ward doesn’t seem like the smartest idea…
Rules:
Choose which level of creature you want to fight.
Deal your normal damage with each exercise.
Can be completed individually, or in a group of up to three – but he XP will be divided across the group.
Must record your workout and send it to Xadune Staff as proof of completion (these will not be made public).
You can only gain experience for one defeated creature per week.
Example:
Alara comes across a Gelatinous Cube! She chooses the Level 3 (100 Body) to fight.
Alara deals 5 Normal Pierce with a Spear; 5 Flaming with a spell at 1 Skill Point; and 20 Accurate Pierce with a firearm at 10 Skill Points.
Emily then does 10 Squats (10×5 Flaming), a 10 second Plank (1×20 Accurate Pierce), and finishes it off with 6 Lunges (6×5 Normal Pierce). Alara spent 20 Skill Points, well within her Max Skill Points.
By Ashley Naron
It was late in the afternoon. She’d been sitting and sunning herself, but the sun was not shining as strongly as it could be, the breeze was cooler than she would have liked, and her bones hurt. She was getting old. One of the pups – her daughter’s second youngest son, she assumed (who could keep track?) – scampered up yipping about something his sister had done. She growled and clacked her jaws at him, and he skipped away. She thought about chasing him down and biting him, but thought better of it. Such things were beneath her dignity.
Her dignity, ha. Not so old, yet. She laughed a bit to herself. Not so old as to be complained at by a pup. Did she appear so weak? Was she a leader, or not? She had more important things to do than referee a fight between the young – they should sort it out for themselves. They were nearly old enough to begin training for war anyway.
The smell of blood and death wafted through her nostrils. Such a sweet smell, and so welcome – but just a memory of days past.
Yes, the war. She did need to attend to business. Using her scythe for support, she lifted herself from the ground and made to head back inside. She had reports to consider. With the blockade, they were running short on supplies. Her people were not starving – not yet – but soon enough it might become a more pressing concern.
Her grey jowls shifted into a snarl; a thin string of drool dripped from her jaws.
And besides, she did not want to die cowering with an empty belly and aching bones. She longed to die with her enemy’s blood filling her guts, their life spilling out onto cold ground. She longed to do battle. Longed to snatch the lives from the bodies of those invaders. Longed to teach them an important lesson – not to fuck with her world. Rage began creeping its way up her spine – the red-hot sting of it welcome in sore muscles. She let out a cackle and forced it away.
But she was old, and she had to lead her people to battle. She had learned that sometimes leading meant doing what was best in the long run, and not what felt best right now. Death dealing could wait for the opportune moment; she needed to consider the rations more presently. She stretched, her muscles pulled taut, and her aches receded. She scratched at one notched ear with her bad paw, and yawned wide, showing a fearsome mouth with only a few missing teeth. To business, then.
The first wail sounded loud and long as she reached the doorway. She froze. Her heart hammered. She had seen and felt and known and delivered enough death that she knew grief when she heard it. She turned, and ran towards the sound.
“But the enemy hasn’t made it this far, yet!” She knew that – the reports on their movements came in not even one day ago.
“We hid this site for a reason! We needed to breed more warriors! They can’t know where we are!” She knew that – she’d been the one to select the location.
“My oldest is guarding! They could not slip by her so easily!” She remembered the first time she saw Fisi laughing in battle – remembered how proud she was as she saw her firstborn daughter cleave an enemy’s head from his neck like she was born to it.
And she was born to it, like her mother before her.
The first of her people she saw fall that day was a child. She dropped her weapon – the first time in her life that she had done so without thinking – and knelt next to it’s small body. She rolled him over and saw that it was one of hers – the young pup. Was it a grandson or a great grandson? She struggled to remember. She could not think what he was called. But she knew those spots, as surely as she knew all of them.
She knelt on the cool ground, and cradled him. He was still warm. Blood ran from the corners of his mouth, his eyes, his ears. So much blood – his fur was wet with it. She had seen that before, yes. Tasted it. Reveled in it. But there was no wound! No reason for this death! It was a waste! He stared sightlessly upward, his unblinking eyes reflecting her visage.
A thud, to her left. She turned in time to see another child fall – this one a bit older; this one a girl. The pup thrashed on the ground, clawing at her own throat, heels kicking the red earth, eyes bugging out of her sockets.
“It looks like she’s drowning,” Shujaa thought.
She lunged for the living child, paws digging in her pockets, hoping that she had though to bring any supplies with her. Please, let her have anything on her that could stop this!
She did not have anything that could have stopped this.
More wailing, more thuds, the sounds of panic, fear, chaos. Music to her on the battlefield, but not here. Not for her people. Not like this. There was nothing worthy in this.
She felt bile rise in the back of her throat. Tears stung the corners of her eyes. Was she going to be sick? Was her constitution going to fail her like this – now? She had laughed when they cut her mate down in front of her, cackled when they robbed her of her first son, ripped the throats from their warriors when they dared to threaten her village. She would not heave her guts over a few dead pups!
No. She tasted blood bubbling at the back of her throat. Her breath began to run short. She gagged, spit – blood on red, red earth.
Not like this, not like this. She had never been afraid to take the long walk, but not like this. She had prayed to die in battle – and not like this. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and her paw came away red. She inhaled deeply – and her lungs burned. She looked towards the sky, and suddenly found it hazy.
The air did not smell right. It was not right!
And then, she knew. She knew what the elves had done. What retribution they had wrought. She laughed – her war-cry filled the air – something in her twisted and turned and burned. And it was pain. Oh Gods, it was pain. More pain than the time a pinky’s sword sliced through her leg – more pain than losing her right ear. More pain than all the wounds and all the aches she’d accumulated over her long life. She never imagined being in so much pain.
She crawled her way over to the pup as it continued to kick and thrash. The girl tried to reach for her, though the muscle spasms made the gesture impossible. Shujaa felt her own muscles beginning to twitch, but continued onwards. She coughed wetly, felt more blood in her mouth and on her tongue. She reached the pup, and brought it into her arms.
“It will only hurt for a moment more.”
She covered the child’s eyes, and drug her dagger across the pup’s throat. The blood splattered her face, and it was warm. The child kicked once more, and lay still. Would that she could do it for all of them, but she did not think she had the strength to move further. Knew she did not. Her body contorted without her say-so, and she drew in on herself. The dagger dropped from her grip.
While she could, she prayed. To Goddamas, to Echpen, to Grim, to Regality, to Relanegi. And, to Armadel. Let each one of her people’s deaths be a sacrifice. For each one of them that dies, let ten, or twenty, or a thousand of those fucking elves die in response. Let them be avenged.
“Please, avenge us.”
But she could not pray for long. The pain overtook even her. Black and red crept across her vision, the smell and the taste of her own blood overwhelmed her senses, and her mind became consumed by pain.
She laughed. Blood-tears sprang from her eyes, ran down her face, and the cackling poured with it from between her gristle-soaked lips. It did not stop until her soul lifted free.
(Written by Ashley Naron)
John Night was born April 11, AFS 051 on a stormy night in the then small city of Piston, Barboroy. From childhood the always enjoyed to watch, study, and observe the people and creatures of the world. By the age of twenty had had already reached world fame with the publication of his first book that explored the night creatures of the Western Kingdom. Though much of the material was speculative and opinionated from outside source, Night went on to study more creatures, places, and cultures throughout Xadune. He was quoted in June of AFS 076 that his life goal was to rewrite this first novel and with firsthand accounts and illustrations.
Shortly later he was drafted to serve in the War of 080 as a scout and corridor. Thankfully he survived, and with even more vigor and enthusiasm towards his love. Throughout the next 30 years Night traveled the world documenting the weird and mundane creatures, people, cultures, and societies that Xadune has to offer. In October of 099 his lifelong dream was answered as he was granted limited permission into the Western Kingdom. The reprint is highly sought after amongst collectors.
Currently Night is still doing what he has dedicated his life to doing. His latest goals include exploration and documentation of the Northern Frontier along with a write-up on a Gatherer. Night has had fourteen failed attempts to reach the Northern Frontier and has yet to witness first hand a Gatherer.
Below and to follow are excerpts from Night’s collective works throughout time. Most have been printed in some other form or fashion in local papers or event the Xadune Herald Tribune. Others might have been something skimmed over in a school or class, but most are what people now might consider common knowledge around Xadune.
Servlings
Throughout my years I have observed these creatures and their habits. In the beginning I believed them to be indigenous to Pha, but as I ventured the world I came to realize the they were indeed used all across the world. I say used because that all they are: a tool. In the wild these creatures normally dwell underground in borrows that are self-made. I’ve only come across three situations were “free-roaming” servlings have been observed. Most all other cases have been while in the servitude of a master, which is the meaning of their name, and seems to be the true nature and purpose for the creatures.
Servlings are relatively small humanoid creatures, standing at most at four feet tall if they stood up straight, but instead hunch over slightly placing them more at the three to three and a half feet tall. They are normally very lean in size; not once have I seen one that could have weighed more than fifth teen pounds. But this small size often takes most people off guard and they should not be underestimated. Three notable features about servlings are as follows: There faces normally appear smooched in, and they lack an actual nose. Instead they have a concaved open cavity where most all other humanoids have a covering that we refer to as a nose or snout. The second most notable feature is their yellow glowing eyes. Though not very notable during the day at night they are almost unmistakable. Though a few other creatures share this rare feature, one can almost always safely bet that if more than one set is seen in the night that they are servlings. Lastly is there skin coloration. I have recorded over 6 different colors of servlings in my travels: brown, black, gray, blue, green, and red. Though throughout the years these are the only colors I have seen, I do not believe it is the extent of their coloration. Skin coloration is most notable because it tends to reflect the true purpose of a servling. Each type has its own set of attributes and abilities special to them.
The apparent nature of their life is to serve. Normally their masters send them out on errands and whatnot to retrieve something or just generally cause a ruckus. Though often destructive along their course to achieve their set goal, one should never truly fear a servling unless they impede them in some way, taunt them, or are part of their preset mission. As mentioned before, they should never be underestimated. When in combat they typically use hoard tactics to outnumber a foe and deal with enemies one at a time, normally swarming one person until they are dead then moving on to the next. They are also very resourceful in looting their surroundings and victims for weapons and items. Their grunts, whines, and broken speak often also serves to confuse targets, but communication amongst each other seems to happen seamlessly. In the end however they are no more special then the next humanoid. Their skin is still soft and easy to puncture, and normally one or two well placed bullets can put one down. Though their natural defensive capabilities vary from type to type they all do have some type of vulnerability.
Pyglins
I have seen many incredible creatures in my travels and I make full note of each and every new being I come across. There was one particular incident that I recall when I was fairly young in my travels. It was a rainy evening and quite cool, so I decided to take residence in a cave I found right on a cliff of the Nigean Mountains. When I wandered to the back I heard a serious of small noises, curiosity got the best of me and as I crouched down in the back of, what I thought was a bear cave, I watched a most peculiar small creature.
From what I could tell they resemble goblins in every way, standing approximately 2-3 feet in height and they have pale yellow skin instead of green… Also they are extremely barbaric and tribal in nature, they seem to always be in packs. When they speak, it is in grunts and chirps, never really anything comprehendible or so I believed. They always wear elongated masks, colored very oddly, with long eccentric noses covering their own pointy noses.
They seemed to be stalking a Quittle, or cave cow, as they are commonly referred to, at that very moment I was observing them. Some carry with them javelins and others blow dart guns. Most of them carry small rusty daggers, though, and don’t seem very strong while they are alone, but, when they attack it is with the entire pack, and they seem to take down larger creatures quicker than they should. I shall refer to these as Maulers. There were a few that were larger than the others, standing closer to 3 1/2 feet and they seemed to be bulging with muscles and appeared to be very strong, these I call Brutes. Then came the Spitters, 2 very small Pygmy like goblins… Pyglins if you will, and one carried a torch. OH MY! He just spit on the Quittle and its flesh is searing! OH BY THE POWERS!!!! The other spit through the fire and ignited his own saliva! I left shortly after, fearing my own safety. This is indeed has been most fascinating thing I have ever witnessed….
Hawksray:
Getting into Darken Wood was hard enough but word travels fast of those who are involved in education and discovery. Once the peoples of this place learned of who I was they accepted me easily enough. The look of amusement on their faces was enough to unsettle any man’s heart. Regardless, I look forward to the adventure!
The first creature I had come across what was referred to as the “Hawksray”. It is near impossible to get close to this creature to get precise documentation while it is alive and during the day – as they are nocturnal creatures. Coming across a carcass of one I took measurements myself, but I had to do so quickly to keep from being in harm’s way in these woods. This massive bird stood as tall as a human, about 5.5-6.5ft.
The species has stout, strong legs and large feet which allows it to walk with ease. The bill – large, rather slender, and had a hooked tip with a wide gape. The wingspan of this monster was between 19 – 26ft in length! The length of the body itself was around 11 feet, give or take and I imagine the weight of it to be around 150lbs.
What I have noted about this creature while alive and still breeding is they flew mainly by soaring, using flapping flight only during short periods. They are carnivorous beasts and will feed on anything of lesser size than themselves. They can often be detected through the night by their screeching bellow. Their shrieks echo through the night to make any man’s or animal’s skin crawl. It sounds as if the world was being ripped open by the means of magic or some other dying force of nature.
With all of these things in mind, I am sure that I will never take to venturing in Darken Wood alone from this point on. As I would hate to be whisked away by this bird before my studies are complete. What an animal!
Pigmys:
Now that I have acquired a team of sorts to go through Darken Wood, I feel better about proceeding with my studies. The creatures I have been excited to cover in the woods are the Pigmy. Truly something that was only told about in stories but never documented. Although hardly an animal, they are small humanoid-like creatures that stand three feet tall. They travel in packs or sometimes even alone. They are frail looking things that are debatable whether they are indigenous to Darken Wood or if they travel here like every other race on Xadune to escape the world.
To look upon them without being outright attacked is a difficult in-itself. So to gather any information on these creatures was a task. I decided to approach cautiously from stilts made of bamboo, which is found around some parts of Darken Wood and is great material for many things. That was a failed attempt as they merely hacked at the stilts and easily maneuvered around, even started up the stilts to try to get to me. I unlatched myself and while in safety conceived another plan. I had never thought that they would be so agile and strong to make it up so high in such a short span of time!
This time I decided to head for higher ground at a distance. Sitting in a convenient spot in a tree, some distance away, I could see the on goings of their “tribe”. They spoke in a broken language that sounds as if it could be related to our common tongue. Pigmys come in different types, but they are hard to distinguish from each other. Maybe with more investigation we can uncover the hidden truth behind these creatures. They are a site to behold that is sure! They have narrow faces, much like the dying breed of Elves, squinted eyes and slightly pointed ears that look worn as if a moth got to them. Their bulbous nose reminds me of a dwarf and has me wondering about the genetics of these creatures. Are they of either species of Dwarf or Elf? Or are they merely a resemblance of either and they are a different breed? Is this another race on Xadune? Can they truly be cultured enough to be civil?
From the looks of their actions, I think not. They quarrel with each other, don’t speak civilized tongue, they take what they want without any question or regard, run about naked and hunt anything that moves. They are truly one wild race.
Ottmorrow Stinger
They warned me not to venture off without a guide. The Western Kingdom is nothing less of an unforgiving maze of what seems to be shifting trees and ground. I had come from the Eastern Faction, I now find myself in the Southern Faction, also known as Silent Wood. I was about to settle down for the night, it had been a long day of adventuring and data logging, then I heard the terrifying howl of something. I quickly stumbled to my feet and hid inside one of the large trees near by. I watched nervously as the sounds got closer and closer. Then I saw it, standing nearly 15 feet tall when not on all floors; black coarse hair with purple stripes here and there. Quills sprout from its back 1-2 feet in length, they look extremely dangerous. Tusks protrude from its jaw, curling back wards, as do its 4 horns that sprout from its head. Its paws could easily cover my entire upper body and the claws to match could effortlessly shred my flesh. A leather like webbing stretch from its elbows to its waist, I am unsure as to why those are there, please tell me this thing cannot glide or fly. Lastly, the feature that stood out the most was it’s tail. About 10 feet in length, its tail is covered in purple flowers that change to the color orange as it reaches the center of the flower projecting from the middle is a thorn, red in color, almost throbbing it seems. I better stop writing, its heading this way.
Sharktopus:
I once had the pleasure of swimming with the elegant and beautiful Water Elemani and through one of their alchemists I was able to gain the ability to breath underwater. I had a pair of engineered fins made for me by a gnome friend of mine, so I was able to keep up fairly well with these beautiful creatures of the sea. Their colony was located off the coast of Pha in the Raspin Ocean and I saw many beautiful creatures of note while in the depths of the sea. But it was when I noticed the elemani signaling me to surface and they had a look of panic about them that I began to really look around. I was unsure of what was going on… and then I saw it as it swam directly under me. It was about 30 meters in length, longer than most airships, and probably weighed close to 150 metric tons. It was beautiful, and I was frozen in aw as this beast glided through the sea. It had the head and upper dorsal fin of a shark, but the body of an octopus. The main tentacle, which formed just past the dorsal fin, was where most of the length of the beast came from, it was probably close to 20 meters in length, and on the end of it was the tail fin of the shark… quite peculiar, I thought to myself. The other 7 were much short in length, around 10 meters each, and moved the beast through the water at surprising speed.
I looked around and saw the elemani tribe floating in place, trying not to bring any attention to the beast. It was here that we saw a chance of escape, a large whale was off in the distance, it was about half the size of the beast under us, and a companion water elemani began to cast a spell, which in its own, underwater, is a sight to witness. He fired a projectile through the water and it struck the whale, we could see traces of blood seep into the water in a cloud like effect. This definitely got the beasts attention; it veered its course and bolted towards the doomed creature. As it got close it surprisingly flipped its body and began to wrap the beast with its much longer tentacle fin, much like that of a large snake. The whale struggle in a futile effort, but was no match for the oversized beast. As the tentacle fin squeezed the life out of the beast, the head began to rip the flesh away and devoured it. It was quite a fascinating sight, I thought to myself as we swam back to the colony, definitely a memory I will not forget, especially when I sail the open seas.
AFS 129, August 20th
… a shuffling noise is heard accompanied by the grunts of an elderly man as he sets up a small tripod contraption in the back of the Broken Rabit Inn. This should come as a surprise of many due to the fact no one really saw him enter. The man is dressed in what looks to be heavy flowing robes shaded in deep blues, has a neatly trimmed beard, but wildly overgrown hair. Astute observers would notice the small name tag he wears which reads, “MagCon 129, Kinsley; Hello my name is Archmage Grindill” . After setting up the tripod he opens a small hand bag and pulls out a rather large sized billboard and puts it on the stand.
The sign reads:
The Magical Wonders of Portals.
Seminar starts in 5 minutes.
He then starts to pull out many small metal contraptions which he assembles into what eventually resembles a Bunsen burner with a pot on top. He rudely and seemingly carelessly ignores all questions or people in the tavern, seeming to be completely entranced in what he is doing. He seems to add a few ingredients to the pot and including some liquid from a small jug. All these items he pulls form his bag which can in no possible way hold all these items. After a few moments he pulls a small cup from his bag and then pours what many can recognize from smell as coffee from the pot.
After what is almost exactly five minutes from when he set up the sign he takes a sip from his coffee and seemingly enjoying it greatly, pulls a wand from his sleeve and taps it on the closest table. Upon doing so all the lights in the pub dims so that only a few lights around him are at full power. With a confidence and an authoritive teaching tone he begins his speech:
“A portal is ANY thing that can make an archway or portal. This includes, but is not limited to, doorways, arches, windows, rubble that has fallen over to make an archway of some sort, or pretty much anything that could be considered a fully encased opening you can fit through. Portals are not limited by their size however; a portal can appear in the largest known opening to a hoe the size of a pin prick. As long as it makes an area that is surrounded on all side but one can walk, crawl, or fit through it can be a portal. Portals do not appear out of thin air out in the middle of a field. They appear in the forms I just mentioned.”
The words from the sign fade and give way to a whimsical stick figure with arrows showing a man walking through a doorway and entering a different environment. The elderly scholar takes a sip from his slightly steaming cup, and then continues on.
“Okay, moving on: so to open a portal you need a port key or keys, and these can be anything. For example: a cup of cold coffee and something blue. It doesn’t matter if the person was trying to open it or not, if they have the keys on them it opens unless it is magically locked. Keys can also be none tangible things such as sadness or a child’s laughter.”
The pictures change to different scenarios where a person walks by a opening but nothing happens, than another walks through with a certain item that active the portal and they pop out in a different place.
“Port keys can be one time use; meaning they disappear or get ‘used’ once it works, or can be used infinite times. It all depends on the portal. Portals can also be set or random. This means that a known portal could lead anywhere at almost any given time, or it could always lead to the same place all the time. One time portals happen, but very rarely. Normally if you find a portal and it goes to place X, it will go back there again if all the stipulation of the portal opening back to that place is met.”
Once again the pictures change to help represent that some port keys get “used” while others do not. There is also an example where a figure has to wait for a certain time to open a portal.
“Portals also normally only stay open for a very short time after opening. One would say on average, ohhh, maybe 2 to 5 seconds or so. So be careful. Many portals also only allow a certain number of people through at a time. OH, and yes, when a portal opens up here it opens up there as well. SO be careful; sometimes things will come through this side you wish never did.”
He once again takes a lengthy pause as he sips from his cup again and mumbles to himself. While doing so the pictures change to show a group walking along and unknowingly opening a portal. While half the party makes it through the portal snaps shut leaving the other half behind. Another example shows a portal opening and people racing to make it through as the attempt to example a hideous monster. One doesn’t make it in time and meets a grisly demise. He straightens is robes in an aggravated way and looks back to the tavern populous and goes on.
“So, portals go anywhere. What about getting back? Getting back can require the same key or keys, that is if the portal is a two way portal… You can imagine the slight dangers in that. To quickly answer a few common questions: Yes, if you go through a portal from the other direction it could lead somewhere else. Yes if you close a double door it is now a different portal. Yes the possibilities are almost endless.”
The images go through almost countless examples of what seems to be endless possibilities to portals, their destinations, and how they can work. He thinks to himself for a moment, seeming to attempt to gather all his thoughts.
“Aw, yes, getting home. There are many known set portals in every Ward that lead back to different nation’s home cities. These portals have keys that are ‘a person of origin’. Meaning if you were born there you are the key. If you live somewhere that you were not born I suggest you find a buddy that has a key to travel back and forth because the portals only work for said person. These portals are two way portals for the most part, BUT, the key to get back is ‘a person from origin that has been during shut down’. Shut down is a time period that happens where these portals do not function. This occurs about once a month and lasts for two to three days on average. We experienced one of these not too long ago. This means new random people tend to not randomly pop in. Other than those portals almost every other portal requires a key of some sort. If you got here without being here before via portal you had or have a key on you. That is an irrefutable fact.”
The pictures change to people going up to portals and walking through to what one would assume to be there home land and being happy and joyous.
“If you have any more questions your Charter group can answer any and all your questions, for the most part.”
With that his image along with all other things he brought in starts to distort slightly and fade from sight. The sign is the last thing to fade in which it reads: “This message has been brought to you by the Guild of Paranormal Mysticism.” And as it finally fades from sight the lights raise back to normal level and it was if he was never there.
The skies in Southern Kinsley were sparse with clouds that day, although some tufts of cotton floated up there it was a clear day. The weather was cool and lovely, as it always does when autumn is around the corner. Outside enjoying the nice breeze as I was doing my chores, I noticed a speck that was fat like a beetle in the sky. It was far off in the distance and as dawn broke not that long ago, it was still hard to tell what it was or how long it was there. Studying it for a moment or two, I finally concluded what it was well into the afternoon. Astonished as excitement slowly welled up inside of me, I stared in amazement at the wonders of magic that would hold such a massive structure in the sky, as if it were a bird. Here in Kinsley we aren’t privy to a lot of information concerning the other countries of Xadune. We only know what we read in the papers, but even then, it isn’t all that much considering what they choose to leave out. Although we are ignorant to the new ways, it isn’t uncommon to have heard of the famous air fleets or naval ships of the world. We all know what we have to deal with if it came down to warring. Regardless of how I knew what this amazing thing was, I wander off topic.
I dashed out of the door, letting it bang on the wall; I looked up at the early evening sky. Dark hues stretched across it. Blues, deep reds, purples and oranges; like a rainbow bedding down for the evening. There she was, approaching at a speed greater than I have ever known; having only used my own two feet to travel, I longed for something quicker. A horse, mule, even an ox would do if I could travel more often. But alas, traveling was out of the question when I had a farm to tend to. I had supplies shipped to me once a week on Wednesdays to prevent the idea of wandering off of my land. One cannot be away for far too long or they gamble with their lives’ work and means of living.
The beauty and wonder of watching an airship as it elegantly drifted across the sky was like a dream. Although something looked amiss as it seemed as though it were sitting higher in the sky earlier than it did now. Maybe it was a trick with my perception; we common folk do not know such silly things as longitudes and latitudes by the mere glance of a structure. As the sky grew darker I decided to finish my chores around the house before I turned down for the night. Just as I was finishing up in the kitchen I heard a rapping on my door. It had startled me enough to break my dinner plates as I was drying them. Mourning the loss of one of the only few nice treasures I own, worry brewed inside me as the knock came again. Who would come way out here? I wondered to myself. This day kept getting stranger and stranger as it progressed.
A robed figure stood in the doorway, clothed in dark shades of what looked to be black from the dim lighting of my abode. The large figure moved forward, forcing me back a step, entering my home. In a hushed, yet honeyed tone, “Water.” Was all that came from the man. Startled, I hopped to serve the man water, as he requested, only hoping that soon after the man would leave. Grabbing a glass from the cupboard clumsily, I dropped it and watched the glass break around my feet with wide eyes. Slowly turning my head towards the man, he just shook his head and seemingly sighs. Walking towards me, I backed into the counter, stepping in the glass, hearing the crunch under my feet I cringe. He extends a wrapped hand towards me with a flask and repeats in the same tone, “Water.”
Taking the flask with shaking hands I grab the water pitcher and refill his flask as high as it would go without spilling over. He moves the flask towards his shadowed face to drink the contents empty. Shoving the flask towards me again for more. I repeated the gesture, refilling it to it’s brim and watched as he swallowed some of the contents. Capping his flask off this time, he opens his coat and shoves it into an inside pocket. He turns his head back towards me and the feeling of wanting to run crept in as I felt his eyes burn through me. Finally he turns on his heel and starts to make his way out. Stopping at the door frame, he says softly, “I was never here.” and walks out into the night.
I stood with my mouth agape for some time, I’m sure. Something unlady like that I would never truly admit to another soul, but if any other were in a situation the same as this, who wouldn’t react the same?
I woke the next morning with the worst headache of my life. I turned my head to look at the empty wine bottle sitting on my nightstand. Huffing at my misfortune of finishing off the most expensive liquid contents in the house. Getting out of bed to go out to check the garden, grabbing my robes before I walk out the door. There it was again, yet landed a hundred yards from the house. The balloon still inflated, steam billowing into it to keep it aloft, the boat was tied down with a folding staircase leading up to the deck. A man sits on a small folded out chair fiddling with a small trinket between his two hands. Looking up through dark brown, chin-length tresses he pops up to his feet. “Morning.”
Grabbing the top of my robe, I close it to try to keep my dignity. “G-good… morning”, I respond trying to keep my calm. The man’s skin was of darker tone and seemingly cheerful. Trying to be good-natured, I approach warily. “Why do you have your boat parked outside of my house, sir?” He just smirks and pushes his hair out of his face. “How about we start with introductions since I was so rude last night?” He quirks a brow, and a flush pops across my face, “Oh…I…well….” He cuts me off, “Here, let me start.” He gestures, “I’m Corrwyn and you are…” He half bows, flourishing his coat to reveal his dark blue pin-stripped vest and brass pocket watch chain. Feeling severely under dressed I held my rob around my body tighter, “Jul…Julie…” Cutting me off again, “Well, nice to meet you Julie! We are here to get some supplies.” Confused as I take a look around my large plot of land, the city not but a days walk away. “Why here when you can park at the port in the city?”
He takes a few steps closer and smirks, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Well now… That, my dear… is something I’d like to apologize to you about…”
Stuttering I swallowed hard, not knowing what he meant, but also out of curiosity I responded meekly, “F-for?” He looked down at me with a broad smile as he steps closer and with that I black out.
My eyes blink rapidly into the darkness, trying to find focus on something. THERE! A glint of metal shown me briefly that I was in a small room, the reflection of light from a small hole somewhere above my head promised escape. Turning to try to find the exact place above me that it came from, my head was in excruciating pain. Curling into a ball in on myself, I realize that there was more things wrong with me than right in my present state.
I didn’t know where I was.
I didn’t know how to escape.
Or if I could even escape due to my medical condition.
What kind of condition my body was in.
What was it that was binding me.
Upon thinking on the latter, I realized that I couldn’t necessarily move freely. Ignorant as to why I tried to move my hands around to feel for something familiar. A texture, an object, anything that would give way to how I was here. Not being able to move as freely as I would like, my desperation starts to set in. Pulling my body left to right, trying to pull whatever that was holding me loose, to no avail. Sweat beaded on my brow as I focused on the one thing I noticed prior. Hoping the light would shine again to illuminate the room, even briefly was nearly the only hope I had left.
Although I didn’t feel hungry, another mystery in itself, my stomach hurt from a slight pain, a slight soreness, as if I were doing a lot of physical labor. Confusion started to set in as tears well up in my eyes. I didn’t know what to think, I wanted something familiar, anything….
A door swung wide open and someone stumbled into the darkness, closing the object behind them. The light around the figure was jarring, blinding yellows and oranges, the silhouette was a somewhat large frame and the heavy steps that approached matched what I briefly saw. “…H-hello?” I called out to the figure, hoping to get more of an indication of where they ended up. Silence answers my question until a large hand clasps down on my shoulder suddenly, making me scream out.
“Shhh…” A gentle male voice soothes, running large fingers through pieces of hair that fell across my face. “Too loud…”
Lover’s Day
February 14, AFS 130
Written by William Stivers- Priest of Neltēveye
I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of what this day means and to remember what the path of true love stands for, and that there are times that it is difficult. This is a story that has been passed down through the church of Neltēveye throughout time itself, and I thought it to be appropriate as we entered the new decade here on Xadune that I share it with the world.
Verym, a human from South Kinsley, was not a rich man, he did well for himself, but he did so as a blacksmith, a lower class profession in the large town he grew up in. He ended up falling for a girl, Beverlyn. It was love at first sight from both ends. Beverlyn was from an upper class noble family and that family did NOT approve of her relations with Verym. But this did not stop them from seeing each other. They would go on picnics ever Thursday of the week and Verym promised they would run off to the other side of the world and get married and live together forever, but he could not afford to do so with the money he had… this was his dilemma. That is until one day when he and Beverlyn were walking through the woods when something caught his attention, something glistened to the right. He immediately changed direction, Beverlyn asking what’s going on, but Verym remained silent while he guided her to that glisten. They came to a clearing that looks as if the earth itself had been burned and in the center were ruins, in the center of the ruins what appeared to be a gem-encrusted alter. Verym smiling, thinking his prayers answered rushed over and took four of the gems off, a red one, white one, blue one and a green one. Beverlyn pleaded him to stop, said that this did not feel right. It was then that he saw the largest diamond he had ever seen, it was as big as a fist, he began to try and pry it off, Beverlyn came to stop him, he argued and there was a struggle, the struggle ended when Verym pushed Beverlyn and her head struck the diamond, killing her instantly. Verym couldn’t believe his eyes, he went mad trying to revive her. When he realized what he had done, he took the knife he was using to pry off the gems with and plunged it into his heart, killing himself. Verym and Beverlyn’s love for one another was so strong that it had caught the attention of Neltēveye,and this was a test from him to see if that love was stronger than that of greed. When he entered the Twilight he was met by Neltēveye and found this out. For failing this test and killing the one he loved, Neltēveye cursed Verym, gave him immortality and the knowledge that he will never love again…
Moral of the story
There are 3 great things in this world: The first thing is for you to love someone. The second thing is for someone to love you back and the third greatest thing is for the first and second thing to happen at the same time… Remember that love is a test and it should be the light that guides you. Do not let the greed of man get in the way of Neltēveye’s love. Love brings true happiness, not money.
Happy Lovers Day