November 2024 - Checkmate.

[Z]

Thanks everybody for attending the finale, what a fantastic game, now go post your memories! I'd love to see them!

[Callum Parcs]

Friday night

- our nerves are on edge with Nero on our doorstep, always have someone watching the front gate, oh and it's pouring rain. Lovely atmosphere. F*cking Titus walks in so gotta try and get as many people out here to help as I can. Apparently, he just wants to talk, so he's led in and has a chat. I made sure to watch the gate in case he's not alone. Come back after to find out Theo destroyed his sword and Lexicus tried to throw him into the faerie ring?? F*uck yeah get his ass. He needed to pop his recall necklace so win win. Oh, he also warned us of an attack coming.
Head back out and keep watching the gate, start to hear blubs and fish sounds turn to see weird aquatic creatures coming from the direction of the water circle, everyone's called out and the fight starts. I borrowed a blend of lexicus after the first wave to find the source of them. They're coming from the river. People are calling them the Cold Cuts or something, they're bikbuns people... he was taken by the collective. Fight two more waves before The Queen Of The Sea decides to come out wearing some sick-ass f*cking armor. I blend off of Theo to move around and be ready to get the jump on Bik or then other cold cuts. Dimitri, like the badass he is, challenges Provy Bik to a one-on-one that seems to be an even fight. During said fight, Bikbun says he can see me which is terrifying, but the fight ends with both standing just a spar it seems. We talk for a while till what I premise is Nero in his ear and our two forces clash ending in three dead on our side and the cold cuts dead and Bikbun has been brought down but not killed. We bring him in and remove the armor (after a while of figuring out it worked) and the guild has me Stasis him and they take him away. We move all the armor into the attic which has slight bends due to the weight of the armor.

Saturday

Morning
- Really early morning we were all up for like 7 for breakfast and after that, we head to the psychic circle for Kez's ritual to help kill Titus and his Myrmidons. Mostly not quite sure of the end goal but it doesn't matter as he appears from the sky and bombs go off all around us, we barely push Titus and his men away with Teek's help and I steal one of their swords. We slow recovery and head to the inn before we find more bombs at the Faerie circle as they go off as well. Not sure about the after-effects of that one.

Afternoon
-I barely remember when they started but it just became wave after wave after wave of collective members. What I do remember is Mid-fight Gull pulling me to the side and saying how he has a way to save the collective after Nero is dead so they do not unravel with him. He explains how Nos is talking to him and told him to find a person to sacrifice with himself to save them. After about 30 seconds of internal conflict, I decided to join in this ritual. We head back to the fight which all goes well... Till Declan and Aerith show up. The fight rages and I have the Nullifies scroll ready for when their weapons drop but before I get the chance, while in a fight with Declan in the earth plan he breaks my legs then while saying " I commend your fight ability and spirit" suppresses all of my awareness then leaves me there. After fixing my legs I'm called over to shut down Aerith's sword, sadly I could not do it myself but the sword is down and broken completely. Next is Declan. After more fighting, he's down and his axe is destroyed. It's dark now and we're starting to tire but we keep going as we feel a single collective fucking with the circles. Me, Ceredwyn, Emilia, and Ari head down to the earth circle to check on it blended with earth. Ari and Ceredwyn drop out to look on the material as Emilia and I pull back to keep an eye on the surroundings when Titus and co appear and drop the two on the material immediately popping into the earth to get Emilia and I. I feel Emilia fall and I play dead. They start killing all of us and before I can react I'm the only one alive as I watch a sword swing for my head I teleport away and warn town of what's happening. We prepare to head into the woods to hunt Titus and find the bodies of the dead as we make it close to the circle we hear cries from the inn. We rush up to see Titus has gotten in and is killing or has killed almost everyone. We push in and after we kill two of his Myrmidons (and I get frozen in ice) he retreats. We regather our strength and eat supper.

Night

-I don't remember when but were attacked again (not Nero) and Taka breaks the super infini-psychic necklace and starts heading out imparts like candy. I end up with over 150 states. Tensions are much higher now as we prepare for Nero himself to show. Drixar gives us a motivational speech and we are all now very hyped and motivated. Finish our preparation and have a few sing songs with Gull and Francis.

- It's time and he's here. I give Gull a look of acceptance and readiness as we all head out to finally end this war.

- we rush out and see Nero and the Confluence standing there, we rush in and Nero vanishes within the Confluence and lights and tentacles come out to defend it. We rush to dispatch them quickly but more spawn. The lights start controlling people and making them attack each other. I fell to their tricks a few times but recovered or was snapped out of it. The tentacles hit like a truck and threw people into the air before smashing them into the ground. When Nero came back out and was hit by the anti-Nero oil we had two minutes where we could hurt him, and that we did. A few rounds of us swinging for the stars on Nero and him retreating to the Confluence. He eventually had to use his ultimate rending soul ability, luckily we were prepared and only a few were knocked out. With no confluence to retreat to and the lights and tentacles dead everyone rushed Nero. Right before we had him down I heard the voice of NOS asking what I was willing to sacrifice, and I responded with the only thing I could think of, Everything. With that we landed the final blows on Nero and as he faded away to nothing I felt the deal I had just made take hold as I lost all strength in my body and I felt multiple people hold me up as I fell. Next thing I know I'm in the inn looking at Gull the both of us saying “We did it we saved them.”

Sunday morning

It's all over and we are free, so I'm sleeping in a thing the rest of the world is too lmao. Breakfast is amazing and while my soul feels weakened I can at least walk on my own two feet. I'm still not sure if the whole ritual worked or not but then Bikbun appears in the inn alive and healthy but with his soul damaged. I sent a dream to Titus and Julie (A Collective member I met in Providence when I visited) to confirm how many Gull and I saved. (now we wait for the math to be done!) Also, the merchant is here and wants what he is due. We already have the finns needed to save Sofie’s life but he's also got another deal for a gem that can restore someone's soul so it's on to collecting finns or else we lose Corkin. 6 more and he’s safe.

[Briony Damaris]

Friday
- I am so incredibly eepy sleepy that I sleep through Bikbun fight. It's okay though bc I get a lot of entertainment out of watching the absolute downpour of rain before going to bed! Very glad that rain wasn't present Saturday night
-
- When Titus comes in for discussions I wonder whether or not it's a good idea to show him our memorial for the other Heralds. I decide not to approach him.
-
- I watch from the deck as Lexicus brings Titus to the faerie ring totally honest and not lying about him being 100% safe, nothing will go wrong!
-
- I go to sleep zzzzzzz


Saturday
- This day is a blur at this point, but I'll see how much I can remember!
- Early rise, eepy Briony
- Many bombs, why are there so many bombs in Holdfast oh my god
-
- I sit down with Rook and teach him my shout song, Little Wolf. He adds some beautiful harmonies to it, and Gull joins us with a harmonious chorus as well. It's an incredible moment between bards that I cherish as I become more and more attached to bardic magic and the effect my song can have on people.
-
- Z returns!! How exciting! I haven't seen Z in two years, so I'm eager to give him a hug but first wake up Rosco to let him know he's here. Then Z tries to eat a chicken wrap to no avail with his hand preoccupied with holding off the confluence for Teek while she rests. Merric AND Dog both try to wrap Z's wrap for him (and fail) and Dog almost knocks over the entire plate. I'm near tears from laughing.
-
- I lend my voice to Corrin multiple times to help them smith faster, which makes me feel like a very good friend. Same for Rosco and Rudi as they heal. The aid I give to my friends through the power of my song makes me incredibly, incredibly happy.
-
- Aerith and Declan show up for battle. I know no one will be coming inside to be healed, so I finally take initiative into my own hands for once and muster the courage to join my fellow Holdfasters on the field. I set and mend as many broken arms as I can, throw earth mana for heals like it's no one's business, and save Merric as he's bleeding out on the ground. I go down myself (owchie my hip) but am brought back up and my adrenaline is up to my ears. We win the fight, for now.
-
-Somewhere else in this there's devil shit?? Rosco's involved in it and my heart aches for him. I try with Dog, Diodia, and Drix to comfort him as much as possible as Francis and Gull attempt to deal with it. Devil shit is bad, guys.
-
- Time goes by and people run to check on the earth circle after Ceridwynn gets a bad feeling about its safety. We hear salvation calls and that people are getting executed down there, so nearly the entire town runs down to check on the circle. This, unfortunately, is exactly what Titus and his myrmidons wanted. A split Holdfast. Myself, Lady Val, Corrin, Diodia and others stay in the inn. Since I have given Rosco my last mana I run to the keeper to get more, but as I leave the bunkroom a myrmidon attacks me from behind and I go down. I manage to get up a few times, healing my friends as they're downed one by one around me, but am knocked into my bleed again as Lady Val is beheaded in front of me. I come to as the rest of Holdfast returns to take back the inn from Titus and his crew, but I'm left more shaken than ever before at the damage done. I barely escape the encounter with my life. I cry (a lot) and am comforted by Merric and Gull before returning to my job, sitting with my recently deceased cousin and Rudi in silence as we process what happened.
-
- You can't keep Holdfast down though. Myself, Gull and Rook buff the town as much as we can, we prepare and brace ourselves for what is to come. Nero and the confluence arrive, and this is it. Our final stand. I'm so blinded to the carnage and avoiding the confluence's bright light that I don't even process my own sister, Diodia, getting killed in front of me. (Thank god tbh because that would've been some ROUGH RP). Thanks to some blessings from Sebastian, I heal to the height of my abilities with all the earth magic I can muster. Merric dies and I scream very loudly, but luckily Drix gets him revived in quick time (thank you so much Drix). When the SW Psychic coma calls happen, I know I might not have much time left on my feet with less SW Physic than most people on the field, so I run as fast as I can and heal as many Holdfasters as possible in what I believe will only be a minute left on my feet. But then, we do it. We get his ass. Nero is defeated. I weep with relief and joy as we all return to the inn, exhausted, but victorious.
-
- Lexicus gives a speech that makes me incredibly emotional. As he lies down on the ground, prepping for a deep sleep, I thank him for everything he did and gave for this fight. He tells me that if my faehood hasn't been restored by the time he returns, he will do everything he can to help me. We share a few tears, and I thank him again.
-
- I go to bed for a second then return in my Briony pyjama fit *patent pending* to have victory cookies with my Holdfast family before finally heading off to a well deserved sleep.

Sunday
- I wake up to find Lexicus crawling on the ground outside after his staff has exploded, very sad, sorry my friend
- I look directly above this to find Rosco, Diodia and a Skeleton doing a yippee circle and it looks REALLY fun
- Myself, Merric and Dimitri debate the colours of the elements and I somehow accidentally having to debate the sky being brown. Dimitri now believes I was colourblind as a halfling and am only seeing colours correctly for the first time now that I'm human. VERY funny (I think this was Sunday but truly can't remember at this point lol)
- Theo tells us that he is leaving Holdfast for the foreseeable future to be Rincewind's full time student. I'm sad he's leaving, but just don't understand why he's so buddy buddy with Rincewind. I don't trust Rincewind farther than I can throw him, but I'll miss Theo nonetheless.
- I play Johtzee with Merric and Rook (very fun game!) while Ryn tells us she's gonna be gone for a while in the circle. I'll especially miss Ryn - my fae sister who sacrificed just as I did, and someone I can always go to for a hug.
- IT'S SNOWING AS GAME IS CALLED YIPPEE!!!!



What an incredible game and season, thank you so much to everyone involved, everyone who participated, everyone who ever said a word, kind or otherwise, to Briony: it means the world!!

[snow_gnoble]

Saturday Night Final Showdown
(I'm putting it in as Snow because it's funnier)
I don't really know how the battle with Nero and the Confluence is going. I've been to war before, but only as an observer for the University.
That doesn't matter. I know the battle isn't over, and I look for ways to be effective.
At the very start of the battle I shot a bomb arrow into the group of enemies, but they are powerful. I'm not sure how effective it was.
There are many targets, but I discover quickly that most are difficult to hit with my bow. Nero also iseems unaffected by my efforts. But the brain... it's a large target and it doesn't seem to enjoy being shot. I focus my efforts there when I'm not being attacked by monsters or my own mind controlled friends.
I try to use my medical training where I can, but most are dead before I lay hands on them...
Then I see Corkin and Emellia laying on the ground with some others. They are not moving. My heart stops.
I run over, and finally someone isn't fucking dead. I see Grimmdellgar there as well. I had only really just gotten to know him the past day or so, but I knew him enough to feel my heart break at the sight of him. Fortunately he could also still be saved.
I do a quick triage and start on Emellia. I'm trying to get her up but she's in bad shape. It's hard to see as tears rim my eyes.
No time for that now.
She begins to come around and immediatly instructs me to help the others. I refuse, and to calm her I to tell her that if I heal her first we can help twice as many people. She finally calms and I continue to tend her wounds. She finally sits up by her own strength just as the Confluence sends out another blast. I tilt my head down so my cap blocks my eyes and I quickly reach out and cover Emellia's, who reacts in confusion. She quickly catches on, and we are both safe.
In proper Emellia fashion, she picks herself up and runs off to help others. From then on I only see streaks of her as she runs around helping anyone in need.
Then I turn to Corkin, likely the bravest person I've ever known, and tend to him as well. He is in bad shape, but is anxious for me to get him back in fighting conditon. He's laying face up, there are screams all around us, the world thrums with power and the earth shakes beneath our feet. Our faces are painted with worry, I continue to put him back together, and then Corkin lets out a fart that can be clearly heard over the apocalyptic battle raging directly behind us.
We stop. We look at each other. We begin to laugh all the way from our bellies.
It rallied me, and i believe Corkin, in a way that cannot be measured.
Who would have thought that someone passing gas could allow you to face such danger with such vigor.
The encounter showed me I will never undestand how the mind works, and I will never understand why Corkin insists on eating cheese before a battle...

[Z]

Friday
-Bikbun and the Cold Company goes super well, fighting in the rain felt very cinematic for that mod, especially fighting against a former friend
- I genuinely thought you guys would take the Parley and go for a bloodless battle if possible, dear god

Saturday
- Time to hit that ritual, shoutout to the mole for planting our explosives and letting us know when to show up
- I thought that mod would be deadlier, pretty relieved it wasn't, y'all fought excellently down there in the green corridor
- get nap #1 in before lunch
- Lunch! And time for Z, nice to be able to swing in even if only very briefly and in a not-entirely-real way, but also to lend a hand!!
- Connect my ritual sanctum to the one Ryn set up, and get a quick bite to eat, and take some reprieve in the fact that I am helping Teek hold up the weight of the world.
- Say my fond hellos and goodbyes, I'll do my best to be home soon!

The Beginning Of The End
- We start our first attack waves, town did good funnelling us through the main gates! Excellent work with the spiders!
- I show case the Subjugator puppet early so there'd be less confusion later on, had a good bit of fun mind controlling a few people!
- We take a brief break, then a wave goes out without 2 of us while we kit up
- Declan and Aerith arrive to fight, god I remember walking in and hearing the calls go out that we had arrived and the slight panic and nervousness that we brought with us
- The time for talking is past, and we get to business and fighting. Ceridwynn is on my ass almost immediately and I quickly learn I can do almost nothing to him, goddamn boy got some buffs, with some quick thinking and evasion I am mobile and taking targets where I can
- Eventually I see Aerith across the field lying on the ground and know it is not going well for us
- At some point Callum attacks me in the Earth Plane and after breaking his arms and legs I do commend him for his bravery and ability before suppressing his awareness
- Other highlights include nullifying Merric's sword, breaking Dimitri's arms and then pushing him down, and just the fight in general, you guys got me with some heavy stuff and I was on the defensive a lot
- Eventually only one of my soldiers remained with me, and I see Krond grab her and start choking her out, and rush across the field to try and save her, arriving just a moment too late and exposing myself in the process
- There are too many of you, and I soon see my last, the Axe gets dealt with almost as soon as I go down, and at least 10 or so of you all called that killing blow
- After that, there is some heavy, lovely rp down at the Faerie Ring, and then the Earth Circle, genuinely it was such a highlight of my game and I cried a lot at it, thank you to those involved
- I go lie down for nap #2 while some more skirmishes are ongoing
- I get up and get filled in on what I had missed, and we look at doing some more but supper is starting shortly instead, mmm lasagna
- After supper we get kitted up and head out for Titus and the Myrmidons, I am the one to set the trap, and head into the woods to hit some circles and draw people out
- I then end up going on a goose chase trying to catch up to our forces since I was the only one separate, took a little bit but I linked back up with them in the Inn and it is a bloodbath, many lie dead or bleeding and I only help with that, Corin runs some really good interference on that with the snail hat, excellent work there
- Get hit with a freeze and Titus dispels the state, throw back a void kills or two
- Highlight of this fight for me was fighting Dog, and I get in close with the mace and grab his sword with my free hand while hitting a disarm and toss the sword away, no hesitation he starts punching me, was fucking awesome tbh
- Dimitri tags me with fast poison and follows it with a rapid burst of other alchemy, I reach into my pocket and I'm out of mana, and after a minute I collapse almost directly in front of Titus, rip
- I go oog and hop into the kitchen so I'm not at risk of being stepped on or anything, and Titus sounds the retreat pretty quickly after, was really cool to have you guys pushing into the inn
- We get a final 30m rest or so before setting up the Confluence and and arriving with Nero
- This is it. All or nothing Holdfast.
- We fight like hell, the Crusher Tentacles going after people, the Subjugators turning townsfolk against each other, the Confluence doing AoE effects, and Nero throwing out Monstrous Strength killing blows and mind controlling people himself
- You fight like hell, secreting alchemy from your body, healing with your voices and granting vitality, everybody has a dozen clarities and more, magic flows like never before as 2 champions pull their necklaces and unleash fury
- In the end Nero falls, and unravels. The purple light that has loomed over Annwm for so long faded, and the people of the collective are forever changed, with Callum, Dimitri, and Gull.
- Good game everyone, take the rest of the night, and tomorrow morning to unwind, and collect yourselves
- 2 down, 5 to go, see you next year!

[J'Rasé // Ryuo]

November 2024 : Checkmate!

Keep in mind these are jot notes and I possess proverbial goldfish memory

I spoke to kondor/Dane and had some really good RP about Ras growing as a person and joining the snurch so that saa can heal me!

Titus showed up and I apologized for killing those two guys last month!

I have a serious conversation with Theo about how we need to strategically decide when we start killing collective members.

My soul shatters as lexicus comes in 2 minutes later...

I think at this point I go pledge to saa! Snake hugs are nice :3

Some fish and coal guys show up?

Badbun fights Demetri!

Badbun remembers what lexicus did to tidus

I get killed by a fish in the rain

Ras brain goes "okay so I got killed by collective, Saa forgive me, for it is on sight"

I proceeded to stay awake until like 5:40 and woke up at 7 for breakfast!

We wait like so long to go try a ritual!

The ritual happens! However we get jumped by Titus!

I get teleported to the citadel, but so did others so I lived!

They start attacking the circles!

They eventually attack the snircle and due to blind Loyalty I defend it with my literal life, I die meters away from my circle, due to instant death poison.

After sulking and lashing out a little at Demetri (sorry Ian, Ras was feeling edgy), and getting the most terrifying describe scene the moment I enter my bunk room...
I hang out oog until I go temp cast for a little mod.

Casting was VERY fun, strategizing what we're doing to get town riled up was great.

Big memories of casting were being .2 seconds from killing Luis is a hallway fight

And getting to a killing blow 4 count on gull when we attacked the circles!

After casting Ras came out and I think we ended up fighting Declan and aerith at this point??

Real fun fight and then like 10 of us turned Declan into a pin cushion.

Rest of the day was a blur until Nero showed up!

Absolutely tore my voice apart yelling "SAA HEAR MY PRAYER, AND INTENSIFY MY FLAME! WITH FIRE I HEAT YOUR CONFLUENCE!" Like 7 times as loud as I could. While ineffective it still felt super cool.

Then I did my best to not die until I realized it was time to jump Nero. He almost got me with a monstrous strength killing blow, but I had one single sudden clarity so I did not die a third time!

Once Nero died I played telephone a little with Alex and Sharon to see if any Nero residue could be eaten in the name of Saa!

There wasn't.

Rest of night is blur, but I remember not wanting to celebrate, it didn't feel like we won, just survived. Kondor came back bloodied, and we lost a lot of people. Ras didn't feel like making merry.

Sunday morning was chill, I remember some fun stuff with Emilia's sword.

I had a great game despite literally dieing twice (I got better)

((Also I'm like 99% sure that on Saturday night after the Titus fiasco, I (due to having like an hour of sleep) hallucinated losing my red ribbon, then woke up after a dogbed nap and I just like, had it so idk))

Also! Ryuo, my other character, was simply in Autumn shade spending time with wife, they heckin love their wife guys you have no idea how excited I am to get wife crpd in next year.

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