This is fewer favorite moments specifically since I don't feel comfy sharing a lot of IG private items on the forums, and more an overall event love letter:
* "Sister! You look like one of us, come here," said The Eld to Lola exactly 2 seconds after she was summoned into the setting. Some private words spoken by
Doug's PNPC also within those first few minutes.
*
Friday night at Eld Camp: Not a single word was spoken out-of-character that I can recall -- such immersive and great roleplay from Team Eld! I really felt like I was getting introduced to an old group of close companions who were real people, who knew each other well, who had inside stories together -- and their own tales. No way did I get any impression that these were people just figuring out brand new characters -- great job putting everything together, Eld!
*
COSTUMING! Like Jesse said at Closing Ceremonies, everyone really brought their A game on costuming! Some shout outs:
Zesh: Loved how regimented and matchy-matchy you were.
Mark, you looked like a textbook paladin/crusader!
Jurin: You all looked so scholarly, and like there were even fashion trends within your own society.
Hannah, in particular, had a series of simply gorgeous, highly detailed outfits.
Cea: Wowee! When you had the mask down -- shout out to
B because her work is always exquisite -- You looked so otherworldly and truly not human at all, just entrancing!
Alex: You looked like a dark Jedi, very scholarly and mysterious!
Eld: You were the mud-covered savages I hoped for and expected! I loved the rough, patchwork elements of all your outfits.
Josh: Your eyes were so very disconcerting! I loved the effect of feathers below your eyes as well.
Dia: I particularly thrilled to the subtle details of your costume with the elaborate network of braids, and the gold-traced scarification on Shekka's face.
Jerilyn: You might be my new favorite dryad -- and there's some real competition there! Your whole head was this beautiful explosion of nature!
Ian: Even knowing what you planned for warpaint, I was still surprised by the effect, and impressed with it - You hit the nail on the head!
Sarr: I'm so sorry that I don't know anyone's real name here, but all of the sarr players went to town on their racials, and you all looked great!
*
ROLEPLAY: Immersion was super thick this event. I loved getting to see so many players really show off their range as actors when we got to meet them as new characters.
Juliet, Bobby, Hannah, Amy, Leora, Doug, Dia, Vincent (but there was zero chance his name would NOT appear on this list, talented as he is!),
Casey/Puck, Siadak, Zach all really showed off something special. What I noticed, and particularly appreciated from each of you is how you changed your entire posture and body language from the characters I know already. If you'd been standing in jeans and a Metallica T-shirt, I could have easily seen immediately the difference between your character(s) this event and your Acarthian PC. Great job, you guys! You make me more cognizant of wanting to step up my own performance!
*
Food. ZOMG. Laughing with Noah showing up for - I kid you not -
sevensies at breakfast on Sunday morning cracked me up! Thanks a million to
Izzy, as well as
Ellie,
Fodder, red haired server with the great sense of humor, and the other helpers whose names I sadly don't know, I'm so sorry for that! Food was delish -- I especially loved the extended meal hours, the availability of snacks in between (to cover lunch, especially!), and all the drink options -- chilled fruit water?? A-MAZING!! Thank you for all your hard work! (Izzy, please count me in for Wed/Thu night help before July; I'll be in touch.)
*
Friday night: Interaction with Tayma (sp?), the hunchback monster face spirit dude.
Who was that? Jesse? John Fawkes? I have no idea since the mask and kit and your body language was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the super creepy interaction in my own cabin, however brief that was. Great job, actor!
*
Saturday night Dreaming Hour mega-battle: Loved the A-team last minute tactical setup in the tavern from the PCs! Great pace of battle, nice and safe OOG, statted and played just right by NPCs -- balls to the wall, but not so overwhelming as to threaten fun. Kudos, btw, to
Siadak, Jenn, Jesse, Taylor, for fast responses for Marshal activity and other OOG clarifications. Thanks for keeping the pace going!
*
Saturday night possibly quite late night Dreaming Hour #2: There was some mother ------- with some... I don't even know...
whistle? What the hell was that?? Some kind of instrument that produced this
unearthly, unholy wail... and the monster raked its claws or whatever on the outside our cabin in Larkspur. That woke me up out of a deep, drugged sleep, and scared the BEGEEZUS out of me!
I LOVED IT! I really felt then like I was in this foreign, dangerous place where we're never really safe. It was a simple gesture, and I sure as **** did not open the cabin door to find out what was out there! It did so much to really establish the setting beautifully.
*
Jeff as the stone elf from the Jurin, debating with
Isis from the Eld, among others, in the tavern on Saturday afternoon. I really enjoyed that IG throw down and the chance to learn more of the dueling banjo philosophies of the legacies -- very well presented in that encounter!
*
Offlanders: Won't go into details here, but I enjoyed all the private conversations among the various Offlanders, trying to compare notes, and find out what happens next. Great roleplay, lovely surprises (OOG) from your character reactions, and I'm really eager to team up again! (
Juliet, please cancel sleep, or breathing, or whatever it is that you need to cut out in July to make time for Alliance, because my experience will certainly be diminished without you at that event!)
*
Saturday night, middle of the night pondering: I always know the sign of my great enjoyment of the immersion and quality of game atmosphere when I wake up
in-character in my thoughts! Woke up in the middle of the night wondering if other PCs were lying and planning a betrayal, and plotting out my to do list of investigation. Now we're talking immersion!
*
Sunday afternoon's last battle, and
Mandy's role -- Intrigue, choices, tactics, different physical structure from the traditional central field battle but we didn't lose that, either.
I want to encourage all my friends who missed this event to make plans to join us in July.
Ray, Mike and all the Bayenna crew: Prepare to be nettled! You'll really enjoy the stuffing out of this setting, and you don't want to miss this!
Trace