Prophecy finale.

[saxikath]

So the Prophecy 2 campaign is over. Yes, there will be some loose ends wrapped up in the spring, but the main story is over.

And what an ending it was. How did we manage to do all of that in one weekend? Destroy Hobitaud, banish the Devourer, remake the Ways to create the most amazing idea for a prison I ever heard of, finish Reax, finish Brevaine, finish the Weeping Killer, finish the Spiritist, and wrap up a lot of people's personal things as well. In just over 48 hours.

We lost people. Four PCs went to their final deaths, but they went valiantly.

It was frigidly cold out, but there was enough adrenalin going that it was dealable. Staff was also good about not leaving us waiting around outside for things. And thank goodness YOC's cabins are so well made -- they were quite comfortable.

• Seeing the Insane Costuming Project's results in action. (I've unlocked those posts, so if any players want to see how the Devourer and its spawn came to be, you can find them here, here, and here.) I was pleased.
  
• Creating the Way of Redemption. The prison, the Isle of the Dead, had to be destroyed because it was too corrupted to remain, and was housing Hobitaud. But we wanted to get the people off it -- many were innocent, and even those who weren't didn't deserve to be blown up. We did a ritual to produce a new Way which the prisoners would walk until their hearts were ready for them to be redeemed, at which point they would find the exit. This concept appeals to me personally, as well as to my character, so having that work out was a real joy.
  
• Resolving the Spiritist by reuniting her with her lost love. We did a lot of research and such to find his name, and her name, and were able to talk to her long enough for his spirit to show up. Her killing herself to be with him was not the ending I might have chosen, but at least she will be at peace and won't be troubling the rest of us anymore. It was funny -- we were talking to her about how it was the Feast of Remembrance, and we had called to her love, and trying to keep the conversation going, when Jackard came up and started to try to get my attention. I tried to wave him away, but then he pointed to the spirit with him and mouthed, "Lothair." That being the Spiritist's love. I said "Ohhhh." Then physically turned the Spiritist around to see him. Watching the two of them play out the scene was made the more interesting by knowing that the two cast members in question are newlyweds.
  
• Meeting my brother. My character's backstory was based on her family having been part of an elite order of warriors, but she, being a bleeder, couldn't be one, and the family more or less decided she wouldn't amount to anything. So this event, her brother showed up in town... and told her that everyone else in the family had been killed in the fall of the Mist Wardens' keep due to treachery. Ow. But he also told her that he was proud of her, and thought the family should have treated her better. Hello, emotional roleplaying. I hadn't ever done much roleplaying with Ben, the NPC who played him, and it was very well done. Pretty much from then on, the event was an emotional roller coaster. But it was useful in dealing with the Spiritist, as her lost love was also taken in that act of treachery.
  
• Fixing the Keystone of Commerce. I got to heal more Waytharn, which remains one of my absolute favorite LARP mechanics ever. Every NPC plays it differently, but it's always intensely satisfying to me when it works. And seeing a different side of Farek (one of those who eventually went to his final death), as he was patient with me as I cured them instead of just killing them. We still have one more Keystone to fix.
  
• The big fights. Messy, difficult, scary, dangerous, deadly, but satisfying. And we won. Having Farek save my life by physically pushing me behind him in the final escape from the Isle.
  
• The Coronation. That final tableau, with the nobility and court all up in front along with the priests, and the rest of us standing and watching. The blessings called out from all around the room, and "the blessing of the people" too (very nice touch, that was, John). Lucien's speech about the events of the weekend, his voice breaking as he told the story. Long live Rachenza!
  
• Using the Divine Sacrifice feat to bring three people back from Critical. After -- actually still during -- one of the big fights, I came into the room where surgery was going on and saw six bodies lying there. Then one of the surgeons told me that Lucien, who he was working on, wasn't going to make it. And then I heard a call from the other room: "We need more fighters, now!" And I realized that the bodies in the room with me included most of the best fighters. So I brought three of them back and died myself. But I had never died yet in game, so I knew it would be all right.
  
• Getting the "your goddess is really really happy with you" message on Sunday morning, and being asked what I wanted. Being offered the chance to make some sort of closer connection with her. I think something was supposed to happen with that, but we ran out of time. This is one of my loose ends to wrap up.
  
• Seeing four Green Folk of Maevesseroneth all at once.
  
• Hearing the Song of the Eight, memorializing those who went to their final deaths at the end of the P1 campaign. I didn't know any of them, but you can't hear that story and song and not be moved. People were sobbing. I wound up in tears myself.
  
• "Way triangulation" to figure out where to put the Waystone to connect the two sigils that were used to banish the Devourer. Neat combination of Way stuff and Selara's aquamancy and Torin's mineramancy.
  
• Encouraging Faela as she battled Kleiner.
  
• Laughing. reynaud has already got some of the highlights -- the cross-conversation about a capella singing and consummating a marriage had me laughing till my ribcage hurt! Samarra's mother proving that witty barbed tongues run in the family.
  
• Sorrowing. Grieving over my character's family. Trying to console poor Meegan after her sister Caitrin and almost-brother Bastian both died. Holding Samarra as she wept during the Song of the Eight.
  
• One of the most unusual requests I've ever heard called out at a LARP: "Someone give me a logical paradox! Now!" I came up with "This sentence is false."
  
• Dragging Samarra over and making her talk to the visiting elf baron. :)
  
• Making the Concordance giggle as we composed a goofy song about Stringsong. Poor Dave, trying to stay completely deadpan at 1 a.m. while we were singing about "fingering his instrument" to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel." :)
  

There will be more to come, I'm sure. I'm home today thanks to the power being completely out at my office, so I think a nap may be in order.

Comments

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Wow. That sounds like an amazing weekend.

[callenghast.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you had fun! Thanks for everything you contribute to Prophecy, and also thanks for the excellent costumes.

[deva-fagan.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thank you for posting all these great recollections. It's like getting a really great early PEL!

You have been an amazing addition to the P2 players. I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with for P3. And again, thank you for making the Devourer come to life so brilliantly.

[chris-warrior.livejournal.com]

my PEL is actually ready. *grin*

i'm just trying tod ecide how long to torture you with lj comments before i put it up in mine.

...

AND it's really long. ;)

[dharklady.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad you had so much fun there babe. It seems like they really went out of their way to make you part of the game which is always nice. Maybe next year's schedule won't be so crowded and I can actually give the game another shot like I wanted...

[dcltdw]

The Devourer's costume was amazing. It was such a "what the #$*& is THAT?!?" effect. Really really creepy. :)

The Song of the Eight was just *amazing*. Pam had such amazing delivery.

[tenderpaw.livejournal.com]

Thanks, though a lot of the credit should go to the author of that particular account; it lends itself well to a dramatic delivery. The song itself has had a powerful impact every time we've sung it, and it was even more poignant due to the surrounding circumstances.

That story is very important to my Domani poet since she was in Vaurendale as the 8 were preparing to go, and in the Abbey just before it fell in the battle that ensued after the 8 turned the key. Having the opportunity to read that account from a first-hand witness was not something she could let pass.

OOG, as one of the NPCs who fought in that battle it was nifty to read and know exactly who was being described.

[dcltdw]

The singing itself isn't what moved me, nrrr although I don't intend to damn with faint praise: that was rather moving in and of itself. It was your reading of the account that was the woah moment. It was the realization afterwards that I was completely lost in the character, in the moment.

[tenderpaw.livejournal.com]

Thanks, though I shall again claim it was la rgelybecause I was reading from great material.

I realized I was completely caught up in the character about halfway through when I read the name of Usvangor and immediately made a spitting sound (it certainly wasn't detailed in the script, I hadn't thought to do it in prior readings, and I don't generally do such things). Apparently Catalina couldn't refrain from that, though was able to move on with the tale.

I'm very glad you were able to join us for the full finale, and I hope you can make more full events in the future. You were also a great addition to the game -and somebody still needs to save the Queen :)

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Well, that sounds like fun! And also like pretty good narrative art.

[olivine-sidhe.livejournal.com]

Holy crap what you went through! I was so sad not to see the Devourer. At least I've sort of seen it now.

Great job!

[chris-warrior.livejournal.com]

i was sad i missed the Devourer, too. i think it suffers a bit for lack of Dave M's towering presence, but very, very, cool.

and thank you for making the last few games SO much easier for Samarra. man, i don't know how she would have done it without Sevi.

AND she/i forgive you for the dragging. ;) not Valena, though.... ;)

[saxikath]

Thank *you* for letting me into your plots! I had a great time playing with you. I was commenting to John B. at dinner yesterday that it speaks very well of Prophecy that the people that brought me into game weren't the ones I ended up spending the most time with.

And yeah, the costume doesn't quite have the same impact with me in it that it did with Dave in it! I hope there are pictures.

[worstwitch13.livejournal.com]

Thanks again for not only being so inclusive, but for taking care of me after tragic losses #1, #2, and reminder of tragic loss #3. Couldn't have stayed sane without you.

[saxikath]

My partner in family angst! Taking care of you helped Sevi cope with her own losses. I think she was thinking of her own little sister...