Player Profile: Ceilidh MitchellNovember 2nd, 2017

How long have you been playing?: Since January of 2017 and I’ve attended every event since for the past 10 months.

Describe your character: Helene Briar is a friendly, happy-go-lucky Terran merchant. Peaceful and known for her signature sweets. Like most of her kin, she enjoys crafts, food, ales, parties, and the giving and receiving of presents. She is perhaps a little naïve to the surface lands of Novitas but full heartedly believes with hard work it can be made better. When in need of a bit of brightness, her bakeshop is always open.

What was your favorite in game moment?: Out of character, it was a night out on the trails playing a lowly skeleton to bait in for an ambush. When no one was taking the bait, I instead made a unearthly screech and got to chase one of the more fearless players in game around a dark trail for a bit.
In character it was one snowy night snuggling up by the fire under a pile of cloaks with adorable players and telling horrible puns.

Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: It’s a golden community. The rules are well balanced and the game welcomes all sorts of people & playstyles. It allows you to make your own paths and play your own way within reason.

Who is your favorite PC?: Tetsu Shimo no Kiba. My character’s steadfast guardsman and snarky friend. His passion for game and dynamic role playing as a PC or NPC is always great to roll with.

What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: My concept was based on Hobbits & the old folk tales of the Briar Rabbit. That is still her driving force, unrelenting kindness, cleverness, and never fighting what you can outwit.

How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: She is only 4 events old but getting to play Helene is amazing. She has her own successful bakeshop, a household of fantastic ladies around her, a guardsman loyal to her side, a team of Templars, and countless Freelander folks to share treats with. Playing your first character can be a WILD ride but it’s worth every step & swing you take. I’m excited to see what the future brings.

Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Gilbert OcasioOctober 19th, 2017

How long have you been playing?: My first event was July of 2014, so more than three years now.

Describe your character: My current main (since we all know I love alts) is Bàn. Bàn is from Vlean, though he cannot recall this due to his amnesia. Bàn worships both the Elemental and Nox, for without both he would not be able to make his poisons. He is free spirited and a ladies’ man (in his own mind). Bàn, due to his amnesia, kind of takes it day by day, and he is overly honest at times when he really should not be. One thing he has a hard time understanding is why people think he is shady as he has been honest about his affairs. Bàn runs Bàn’s Botanicals, a local poison shop. Though to people he might be shady, he takes his shop and reputation as a merchant very seriously.

What was your favorite in game moment?: I would have to say the first time the Rhinos fought a Minotaur. Back when I played Ulysseus, the founder and original leader of the Rhinos, we were on our way back from patrolling the woods on the secret trail when we saw the beast. None of us had ever fought one before, but Butcher being Butcher and Ulysseus being a Grak worshiper, we decided to try our hand at it. We made a half-baked plan and charged in. Let’s just say it hit harder than we thought. After about 3 minutes of fighting, I looked at the tree line edge and noticed half the town was watching. It felt like they wanted to see what the Rhinos were really made of. After about another minute we killed it. This moment sticks out because I feel that that is when a lot of the town folk accepted the group.

Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: I came from Amtgard (another LARP), and after my first event seeing all the work that went into Novitas, I was amazed. After the event, I heard tales of other PCs that just blew my mind. The main reason was what Dustan said to me, “You can be and do anything you can think of, as long as it’s safe.” Just the thoughts that ran through my head after…

Who is your favorite PC?: Easily “Geoffredo” (an elderly Septon). The dedication Al Ferro had to his character was amazing. Walked slow, talked slow, gave sermons, and gave Ulysseus advice before he died (though if he had talked to him one more time maybe Ulysseus wouldn’t be dead now lol). Honestly just a great PC to be around.

What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: Originally Ban was going to be a botanist that secretly worshiped Nox, however I realized that that was too boring for me. I did want Bàn to have amnesia, that was certain and I stuck to it. Overall, Bàn was supposed to be a coward who stayed in his shop with his plants and herbs. Now, he’s an open Nox worship who is unpredictable and naive to the world, and to how deep his roots go with Nox pre-amnesia.

How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: All in all I have had 3 PCs. Ulysseus, my first PC, died in combat partly because of another PC and partly because of a Wraith. I decided to just end him there and refuse a revive, as I wanted to do more things with newbies and during this time we had scheduled shifts. Traygard was my second. Traygard is a very strict, upstanding follower of the Knight, basically the opposite of Bàn. He’s an old man who collapses from exhaustion sometimes, and has a strong prejudice against elves. Everyone loves Traygard and he’s still around, but I haven’t played him much lately due to interest in my third and final character (for now) Bàn, everyone’s favorite neighborhood Nox worshiper.

Posted by Julie

Player Profile: MaryKate BensonOctober 5th, 2017

How long have you been playing?: I started playing in Fall of 2008, so… *does some math* I've been playing at KoN for 9 years now. 

Describe your character: My current character is Dwyn, an elf who was stolen as an infant and raised as a house slave by various Dellin tribes.  She was passed between tribes for over 200 years, generally as a gift, to help cement alliances and peace treaties.  Her last Master was the notorious Black Mountain, leader of a large Dellin horde that invaded the Freelands about 5 years ago, give or take.  When he was slain by the residents of Pinedale she found herself with no Master and freedom that she didn't know what do to with.  She came to the Freelands to find his murderers.  She's still not sure if she intends to thank them or seek vengeance.  At her core she wants nothing more than to belong – she's not quite and elf and not quite a Dellin – and The Black Mountain, a man who broke with societal norms (and who she loved), held the promise of belonging for her.  So, unsure what to do with herself and gifted with the patience of 200+ years, she has taken up mercenary work with the Owl & Ore General Store.  She's also decided that it's time to take on an apprentice to pass on all the knowledge and skills she learned in her years in the tribelands.  It should be an… interesting apprenticeship. 

What was your favorite in game moment?: So there's a lot to choose from here, so I'm going to do a two. 

When Belladonna (played by Ann Aumick) gambled for memories with a Dark Fae so she could win back those lost to it by a fellow party member, Ambrose (played by Richard Baldwin).  It was one of those moments where you felt real life bonds being formed because of in-character actions.  The group we were all in at the time, The Oddfellows, blurred that line a bit and the familial bonds formed by those characters has bled into our personal feelings for one another.  I still consider those Odds as some of my dearest and most cherished friendships.

Again with the Oddfellows, but this one is a sad one.  The death of Ajax.  He was the founder of our little group and had been our leader.  He was also brutally murdered right in front of us by fringe religious zealots.  It was one of the most gut-wrenching moments I have ever experienced IC.  So why is it one of my favorites?  Because it drove so much plot for the group and other groups for years.  His death had fallout – he had friends who grieved for him – he had friends who sought vengeance for him – he had friends who sacrificed the last bits of his remains to forge a sword that would be used to defeat the Avatar of Darkness – he became a hero of his people with statues erected in his honor.  I mean, that's just amazing to me.  This brief moment, a death that happened in an instant, spiraled into something world changing. 

Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: So community is the easy and obvious answer.  I love these nerds.  They are my nerds and I will love them and hug them and keep them forever.  That said, I also love the story we're telling together.  The cooperative story-telling that happens at KoN is pretty amazing to me.  When people buy-in to someone else's story line and you get to see the ripples of that story spreading to other players, whether through their PCs or through the GMs responding with plot – it gives me warm fuzzies.   

Who is your favorite PC?: This is hard, especially with the new influx of PCs we had this last year, but I'd have to say Thaerion (Laura Buchta) is my favorite.  Thaerion confuses the heck out of my PC, so we always have really interesting role play.  She's completely unpredictable and seems to always be getting into (and amazingly, out of) trouble.   The thing I find most impressive is Laura's ability to throw herself into her roleplay.  In real life she's one of the bubbliest and cheerful people I've ever met.  In character, I'm only about 10% sure she's not going to stab me at any moment and I think she likes my character, so… that's… fun. 

What did you think your character concept was?  What is it now?: Honestly, I think I've managed to stick pretty close to my concept.  I initially intended Dwyn to be a bit crankier than I have been able to maintain (it's hard to play cranky when you're happy playing with your friends).  I also intended her to be a bit darker than I've played, but I have plans to fix that.   Oh, did I mention Dwyn is looking for an apprentice?  Yeah.  Anyone interested?

How many PCs have you had?  What happened to them?: I'm on number 4, technically.  Here's the quick and dirty:

My first PC was Maeve, a Septon healer.  She got married, got pregnant, had King Quartzhammer buy her and her family citizenship and an estate in Civen as reward for her part in defeating the Avatar of Darkness and saving the Terran people (see Ajax story above).  She's in Civen now, raising her family with her dearest friend, Belladonna, while her husband (also a Septon) is out doing the work of the Sept. 

My second PC was Agatha, an elderly Wise-woman from the Shari Nai tribe.  She came to Pinedale to die, but instead ended up adventuring for a few years with a group of ruffians known as the Brave Companions.  A few years ago, she returned to her tribe and actually did die (from natural causes!).  Parts of her remains were sent to her companions in the Freelands to be consumed so that she would be with them always and they would gain some of her strength.  Yay! Mortuary cannibalism!

My third PC was Antigone, a travelling Judge from Civen.  I only played her for a few events before retiring her.  When the game moved towns to one with actual law enforcement about a year after I retired the character, it made sense to bring Antigone back as an NPC Constable of Maplewood.  In my head she's not really a PC, but technically she was, so…

Now there's Dwyn and I have no idea what's going to happen to her.  Figuring that out is half the fun!  

Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Dustan WeidmanSeptember 21st, 2017

How long have you been playing?: First event was April 2014.

Describe your character: My character Jacevial, often called “Jace” for short, is currently a Wildrunner whose primary area of operations are in the Freelands. Faithful to the clan leader, Lord Ithvendish, (See Bryan Graham’s profile) he finds himself slowly ascending Wildrunner ranks.
 

What was your favorite in game moment?: 5000 Mummies:
It was near the end of shift, Draug, several Rhinos, and myself were near the graveyard having just dealt with a wraith. A massive undead horde was making its way towards us. The Rhinos recognized the horde as too large and ran to signal the town. Draug and myself dropped into the shadows in the graveyard and lied prone. When the horde had just passed we popped up and flanked the horde, which was well on its way to Pinedale at that point. Slowly, we made our way through the horde as we whispered “4 elven steel, 4 elven steel.” The bodies slumped, one by one, to the dirt. As we finished off the last of the horde out comes heroes of Pinedale that the Rhinos have gathered. What they saw was a pile of bodies and the two Wildrunners walking into town, sheathing their weapons.

Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: Simply put, the community.

Who is your favorite PC?: I’m going to leave this answer blank. I have missed a lot of games in 2017 due to work obligations. Fortunately, that should not be an issue moving forward. The reason I choose not to answer? There are tons of new faces and I would like to see all of your character concepts and how you play them.

What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: Originally, in Pinedale, I was planning to play a merchant, but not produce items to sell, rather procure them from monsters. That has changed once I joined the Druids group. Eventually starting training to be a Wildrunner, which we RP’d for about 2.5 years of games before completion.

How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: Just this one.
 

Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Amanda DAugust 31st, 2017

How long have you been playing?: My first game attended was February 2011 so, six and a half years. I brought in my first PC Eliana at the very next event, April 2011.

Describe your character: Eliana was my first PC, a human Vleanoan. I imagined her as a Disney princess in naivety and care for others. My husband explained to me when I was building my first PC that healers don’t have bodypoints, they have friends. I made Eliana not too dissimilar from myself so I eventually grew bored of her and gave her a magical brain disease from her backstory to write her off, but because of those friends I had made while playing her, people started to get interested and invested, which put off her death. She ended up helping a lot of people, getting married, and having children, none of which she ever planned when she came to the Freelands. Eliana died without resolving her backstory, in the most fantastic way I could have ever hoped for.

Autumn has always been my alt. She is a gender-norm-breaking warrior elf who is deeply traumatized and on the run from her tribe for murdering the man who raped her, which is how I justify her coming in and out of game so frequently. Autumn hates elves because while she is an elf herself, her tribe was expelled from the Great Forest long ago and she’s only known life growing up around human Dellins, so she tends to get along with most of the Dellin PCs.

Valora is an earthkin paladin. She believes in doing the right thing because it is right, but always with the least amount of casualties possible. If the offender has clearly demonstrated they will take more lives than if she were to simply take theirs, that seems fair and balanced to her. She believes in her role as a representative and extension of Lord Aurumn Goldwright’s good will to Freelanders. Valora is still haunted by the grief and loss of her past but is more focused on the present and her future.

What was your favorite in game moment?: It’s really hard to beat Eliana’s death. I didn’t know much about what Chris Tesorio had planned for that, but I trusted him because he is a dear friend of mine. I thought it was perfect that Eliana, a good Vleanoan citizen with admittedly racist views on the “other”, had three faekin (two of them elves) acting as midwives when she went into labor. I knew she was supposed to die. No viable solution to her magical illness had presented itself in-game. Anyway, baby came out and Eliana started dying. The whole cabin exploded into chaos. So many characters were blowing all of their healing magic and consumables to try to keep her alive, but nothing was really working for more than a few minutes at a time. When the baby died, there was yet another explosion of chaos and then, from behind my closed eyes, I saw a light which I was later told were the Asteri who had never been represented in game before. They explained that there was no saving Eliana because her spark was in tatters from the disease but they’d ferry her safely to the Well, where no one could ever harm her or her spark ever again. They also explained that the baby’s spark was too bright, and so they magically created a twin. One had purple hair, which was the girl Eliana had been having visions of. The other was named “Elliot” after his mother by Cass, who acted as one of the midwives. The Asteri spoke in a rare language to Odric who was there to record everything, who then relayed everything to Baldisere, her husband. He had been praying with the old septon Geoffredo who declared, “It’s a miracle!” when the Asteri arrived. Ithvendish, one of the midwives, was furious he had failed Eliana. Narene said his final goodbyes via his medium ability. Sidhan mourned in his own way, calling Eliana a “stupid girl.” It was all just incredibly great and emotional.

Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: I love the community. I’ve seen people really do for each other and care for each other at this game over the years. When tragedy befalls a member, we do what we can in resources or deeds. Many have told me that in big ways and small, KoN has changed or even saved their lives. I think what I love about this game is that no one ever really feels lonely if they truly embrace the community.

Who is your favorite PC?: Man, this is so hard because I really love so many PCs and I hate playing favorites. I guess I could only be really fair by saying Baldisere. I got to know his character the best because I played his wife, Eliana. As his in-character wife I got to see a different side to him than pretty much anybody else gets to see. Pat is really dedicated to a consistent portrayal of his character, and seeing that character develop over time in a natural way was really great. Sometimes I really miss playing Eliana because of that great RP dynamic we had.

What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: Eliana was supposed to be a Disney princess healer who because an overly emotional, more broken version of me. Autumn was supposed to be a hard-hitting warrior who became more of an outlet for my anger and fear of commitment. Valora was supposed to be a paladin and I have some things brewing in her backstory that can change that.

How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: I’ve had three. Eliana died. Autumn is still on the run from her tribe, and will occasionally pop into game because she’s had the most fun in her time away from her tribe with this particular collection of Freelanders. Valora is the most active one I have right now, and she’s busy pushing the gospel of Lord Aurum Goldwright.

Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Bryan GrahamAugust 17th, 2017

How long have you been playing?: I believe I have been playing since Feb Feast 2011, but I’m unsure on the year.  Sometimes it seems like it has been forever, and other times like it has only been a few short years.

Describe your character: I find this question extremely difficult to answer.  One the one hand, Ithvendish is harsh, opinionated, and stubborn as a mule, and on the other hand he has an absolute commitment to his people, his own moral code and belief that he is in fact doing the right thing. 

Many other players consider him to be “Grumpy” and there’s been other comments tossed around in the past – however, what most players don’t see is Ithvendish’s other sides.  Where he freely provides for any of his people, whatever they might need.  Or how at great personal loss to the party he used the mass ley lines ritual to ferry those from Pinedale to Maplewood that might not have been able to make the journey on their own. 

I guess to simply put it – Ithvendish is complicated. 

What was your favorite in game moment? I find myself torn between two moments in particular, the first being the night that I killed the PC Odric (Played by Ryan Staring) and the death of Amanda D's character Eliana.

Odric’s murder stood out to me because Ryan had already dropped game when I sent one of my companions to go and find him. He was out of garb and ready to go to bed.  When he found out that I was looking for him, he made the choice to get back into garb and to come see me, knowing full well what was about to happen. To this day that kind of gumption impresses me.  Not everyone has such a strong commitment to Roleplaying that they march to their own death in that fashion.

Eliana’s death on the other hand wasn’t in my hands like Odric.  Her character had been in childbirth, and Ithvendish one of the Master Healers in town, and a friend had been asked to assist.  I went into the cabin with a casual attitude and put on my best bedside manner face.  All seemed well at first, and then things took a turn for the worse.  After she gave birth to her children she started to die and there seemed nothing we could do.  Several Master Healers spent spell after spell, and consumable after consumable as the atmosphere in the Cabin changed.  Part of my mind went elsewhere as we all sunk deeper into the scene.  We tried every scenario that we could think of as we tried to save her – only for me to realize that I had a solution in my bag of rituals that I had asked one of my companions to hold outside the cabin while I delivered the baby.  I yelled for them over and over…they never came.  Finally, someone went outside to fetch them only to find out that they had gone to take care of another plot. And she died…that is a weight that Ithvendish carries with him to this day.

I have personally never been so wrapped up in a roleplaying scene – at the end of it I had to excuse myself as the frustration of failure was enough to make me emotional.  It was as if I, myself had failed in a spectacular fashion and I needed time to get my head wrapped around it. 

Both of these scenes I found to be extremely powerful, and are my favorite in game moments.  Not because my character was the hero and saved the day, but rather because of the commitment to roleplaying that the people of Novitas make every time they change into garb.

Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: Why do I love Kingdoms of Novitas? I love it because of the commitment that all of us are willing to take to make this world real and enjoyable for everyone.  Over the years I’ve had the privilege to be on staff and see some of the behind the scenes work that goes on for our game, and I could not begin to count the number of hours and work that goes on between games.  Our volunteer staff is amazing at what they do to make Novitas a home for everyone.

Along with our incredibly hard working staff I also have to say that our player base works just as hard to bring our game to life.   It is their work playing their characters, and the NPC’s that make up our world which allows our staff’s behind the scene work to truly shine. 

These two parts, combined together have created a culture in itself that just doesn’t compare too many things in the outside world.  Simply put, our people are amazing and the world we create while working together is something unique and that is what I love about the Kingdoms of Novitas.

Who is your favorite PC?: Abel.  Fred’s PC Abel is simply the best PC to observe and interact with – at this point I am unsure at the amount of detail that I should go into at this moment about his character, so I simply am going to say that his commitment to his character is simply incredible and the fact that he’s been doing it for so many years is a testament to Fred’s skills as a role-player.

What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: When I came to Novitas I was unsure of who, or what I wanted to play so I took a year to just play as an NPC so I could observe, and play a character that I thought I would do well as.  During that time I settled on wanting to play a Wood Elf Noble.  At the time there were a few Wood Elves in game, and they did very well on their own, but I wanted to do something different. 

So in examining the lore that we had at the time, I discovered that the Northern Clans of the Great Forest were more warlike, due to their proximity to Gersh and the raiding that happened up there.  So I decided to create a character that was a Soldier from a more warlike Clan, one that had to find ways to defend themselves in a way that would drive off the Northern Raiders in ways that hopefully limited his own losses.  To that extent, Ithvendish came into game as a much harsher character then most.  He was willing to do things that many other characters (his own party included) considered to be savage and immoral – but that was the only way Ithvendish knew to stop the constant Orc and Bandit raids on the town. 

Needless to say, it didn’t work and caused no small amount of tension between him and the town, and even his own companions.  So over the years Ithvendish has been slowly mellowing out, despite an attempt to seem unchanged on the surface.   He is far less savage and unforgiving then he was before, but he is still always ready to make the hard choices when they arise.

How many PCs have you had? What happened to them? I’ve only had one character to date, Ithvendish.  Currently he’s still alive and coleading the Druids in game. 

Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Caitlin UJuly 20th, 2017

How long have you been playing?: My first game was last August, so I’ve almost been coming for a year now.

Describe your character: My character, Laelia Sittia Caldus, is a prostitute from Civen who ran away with the help of a traveling band of performers. She is independent and confident, but she doesn’t handle rejection very well. She is also very loyal to the people she cares for, and at this point in her life she is struggling with moving to the Freelands and coming to terms with her sister’s death.

What was your favorite in game moment?: I think it would have to have been at the end of my first event with Lia. A large undead fight was happening below, and Lia was watching from a hill with Sabine, the woman who helped her out of Civen. As we were watching the PCs struggling with this hoard, we saw two shapes come running up the hill towards us. Thinking that they were undead, we bolted to the Maplewood cabins and hid. The fire was going, so it was hard to see anything past the cabins, and we knew that the two figures were out there, but we had no idea where they were. I had a dissipate potion in my hand, waiting for them to attack. Finally, they entered the light to reveal that they were 2 PCs who were running to find help.

Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: There are two main reasons I love Kingdoms of Novitas. First, the people are great. The more everyone gets into the larp, the better it is, and everyone is so honest and open about their dedication to the world. I love how much people put into this, and how accepting they are for new people. I felt like I fit in from the first event, and I always had someone offer to help when I looked confused. I love how detailed a lot of the garb is, and how much of a blogging community there is. Things don’t stop when we all go home after an event.

The second thing that I really like is how many different roles there are as NPCs. It really gives another level to the world, and it’s great having the opportunity to try completely new things, or to do things that I wouldn’t even consider doing in other situations. 

Who is your favorite PC?: I really like Poe. As NPCs, I’ve had some pretty funny interactions with him and how he handles monsters. It’s kind of unexpected to have a PC approach a dangerous situation with little to no intention of killing the creature, and that has made the interactions fun for me. As Lia, I had a neat conversation with Poe about whether anything deserves to die based on its nature, which is something I hadn’t expected to be talking about. It adds a neat perspective, and I am looking forward to future interactions.

What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: I had wanted to have a character that pulled me out of my comfort zone, and that’s where the confident prostitute idea came in. I had initially planned on having her from the Dellin Tribelands, and I hadn’t really thought about her motivations. Then I thought of a single secret that she would have, and her entire backstory became based around this secret. By the time I brought Lia into game, I had most of her life up to that point planned out as a set of stories that I would put at the beginnings of her blogs.

How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: Lia is my first and only PC. I don’t have a real plan for her, so we’ll just have to wait and see what ends up happening to her.

Posted by Julie