Player Profile: Dan MeerschaertApril 27th, 2018
How long have you been playing?: When I was 12 or so, my brother dragged me to a “medieval reenactment” group called the “Empire of the Imperial Magistrocracy” which, when I look back, I’m pretty sure is a cult for people who don’t get fun names in the SCA. After some years (I was 14) we had a feast event that was invaded by bandits! Those bandits were visiting from a LARP in Buffalo called Adventures in Mid-land! Mid-land had an age limit of 15, so after a few months I headed out there and it was fantastic. For those of you who don’t know, Mid-land is kind of Novitas’s parent. KoN has grown an incredible amount, but many of our core concepts are due to the work of our predecessor organization. Anyway, driving from CNY to Buffalo every month was getting old, and the Mid-landers were transitioning to Dagorhir so my attendance to their games went down. The thought came up that we could host a local mid-land event, “Mid-land East” and get much the same game but less driving. We (and by we I mean Dave H, Jim R, and others) hosted the first event at VK May 2004. Shortly afterwards Mid-land said “No we don’t want to do this dance. You can use our rules but you can’t be Mid-land”. So that summer was spent world-building and September 2004 I went to the first KoN event. TLDR: I’ve always been playing.
Describe your character: Atticus is all the things Dan wants to be: Wise, worldly, smart, strong, capable. He’s a hero who doesn’t care about glory or money. He’s an excellent fighter, a master wizard, a powerful druid, and a terrible thief. If you’ve got a problem, Atticus can solve it, and sometimes that means Atticus is going to show up and tell you what the right thing to do is.
What was your favorite in game moment?: This is a hard one, so I’m gonna cheat and list a handful. The first time I soloed an encounter was eye-opening and exhilarating. Every time my party is together and out adventuring it’s always a blast. Once upon a time Atticus decided what the town was doing was stupid, so he sat on his porch and waited for them to do whatever it was; the downside was that while the town was out, a swarm of undead moved in. Atticus made a terrible bargain with a Nosferatu that he wouldn’t step off of his porch to help or hinder anyone, in exchange for the undead not bothering him. (Atticus used to be kind of shady) I vividly remember one time shortly after we added the spell Ruin: there were bandits who took some local farmers as slaves. Atticus walked up to one side of their shield wall, cast Ruin and Abomination, and melted all the bandits in seconds. At VK, our shift structure was different so we had the time to go hide loot in the woods. We were walking down the trail and I got the sudden feeling to go check inside a stump about 20 feet of the path. Boom, loot chest, and Loot-dar (loot radar) was born. The short version is that Every in-game moment is my favorite, because KoN is awesome!
Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: KoN has always been there for me. It’s helped me grow from awkward 20 year old to whatever I am today. I’ve seen people gain confidence and translate it to their real world lives, I’ve seen people fall in love, create beautiful works of art, and watched people encourage all of their friends to join this community. It’s the best game I’ve ever played.
Who is your favorite PC?: I can’t answer this. Every single PC is a beautiful work of art. Someone put their whole self into creating something you can interact with, learn about, and even add to yourself.
What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: My initial concept was to just take healing spells. The idea was that since healers were necessary, they’d funnel loot to me to keep me alive. Easymode for gathering loot! Now though, uh… I guess “Guardian of the Freelands” is a bit pompous, but also the most accurate. If there’s a wrong, Atticus will try to make it right.
How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: Two. One was back at Mid-land: Vert Bigolo: Goblin Gigolo. I thought I was real edgy at 16. The other one is Atticus. Atticus actually started at the last few months of Mid-land. When we transitions from Mid-land to Novitas we allowed character transfer so I think he came in at level 6 or something.
Posted by Julie
Player Profile: Amy BelawskiApril 12th, 2018
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How long have you been playing?: I came to my first event October 2016. I brought my first character in the following summer.
Describe your character: Oma Blake is an old, grandma-like character. She's lived a long, less-than-comfortable life. The last several decades of her life she's been leading the Merry We Meet branch of the Bless the Mask Players. The thought of settling down into retirement so she can work on alchemy and weaving is extremely attractive. Maplewood with its "safe zone" should be a good place to retire to, right?
What was your favorite in game moment?: Oh, so many! It's difficult to pick one favorite.
These are some of the most memorable:
· Daitoro creeping up on me and scaring the ever-loving bejesus out of me my very first game.
· Organizing the First Annual Maplewood Talent Show with Sabine (Tiffany).
· Moving Glory (a Dryad) into Elf Town while it was vacant. Heh heh heh…
· Just a couple events ago Oma was in the Bazaar and was super excited to be able to watch Orcs from the "safety" of the Helix. I mean, how often do you get to watch savage creatures in their natural environment? The orcs encroached the edges and Oma started yelling, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU CAN'T COME IN HERE! THIS IS WHY I MOVED HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! GET OUT!" Onyx came FLYING from the Spinning Jenny and cast Sanctuary (thank you Onyx) and saved Oma's life. It was a perfect moment that truly captured Oma's personality. Oma was super grumpy for the rest of the shift.
Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: For the people! I've never met so many big-hearted people in one place. I love my nerd family. <3
Who is your favorite PC?: My personal favorite PC is my wife's character, Sabine. The amount of background and depth that she put into the character is amazing. I love her garb as well as her energy.
Oma loves a bunch of people and has the urge to take care of everyone, except Ivan (sorry Dave – Ivan's proven he can take care of himself). The entire merchant group is a blast (Illivandros, Esspernash, Flint, Johan, Helene, and Crispin). The Bless the Mask Players are fun to roleplay with (officially Marcella, Winora, and Sabine).
What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: Initially I wanted to play a witchy character, who was like a female version of George Carlin. I developed Oma's look with this concept in mind, but as I began to play her she developed into a much nicer person than I thought she would be. Suuuuure, she's a little crabby, but she's more likely to feed, clean, heal, and protect people, than stab them in the face… or back.
How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: I've only had this one character. She's still living just outside Maplewood proper, near the Bazaar, minding her own merchanting business.
Posted by Julie
Player Profile: Alexander DavisMarch 15th, 2018
How long have you been playing?: A year and 4 months, I think. I started in November of 2016.
Describe your character: Augustus Felonious Drinkwater, is the head strong, loud, Leroy Jenkins of Novitas. I can’t count the number of times he’s run into a battle, yelling whatever his chosen battle cry of the day is, and running ahead of everyone, no matter the enemy, just to end up dead. But to him, it’s all worth it for “guts and glory”.
What was your favorite in game moment?: Now this is a tough one because there are so many, but it has to be when Drinkwater and Fe the Butcher took on three waves of enemies in the door way of the Slap and Tickle, shirtless. I believe Fe wasn’t wearing shoes…
Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: It’s three days of me in a fantasy world. I get to forget about my day to day adult stuff and just have fun with a bunch of cool people. I’ve met so many amazing people at KoN this last year alone and hope to meet many more.
Who is your favorite PC?: Hands down, 100% Cwestor–that sneaking little shit. He’s amazing. How a guy in all black with that creepy little mask and NO WEAPONS hasn’t died a horrible death is beyond me. Props man, props.
What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: So different it’s scary. So I’m one of the few people who rolled a PC his first day at KoN and has been every game since. At my first game, I wore a fluffy pirate shirt and was going to be “Stavros the pirate”. Then I found out what happens to pirates at KoN. Then, I bought about 40 pounds of steel and Drinkwater was born.
How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: So for only one: Drinkwater, but I’ve got something cooking. Stay tuned.
Posted by Julie
Junebilee!March 1st, 2018
Junebilee is our annual out of character campout!
The date for Junebilee 2018 is July 14th. JULY JULY JULY!
Junebilee 2018 will be held at Brown Tract Pond: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24456.html
This is an awesome campsite with a private lake/pond that has no motorboats allowed. There's a rock island in the middle you can easily swim out to, with some 20 foot cliffs over the water you can jump off. They have rowboats and canoes for rental. Is super fun.
Plenty of campsites are still available (30 before I reserved mine), and campsites are $18 per night.
It's about two hours from Syracuse or Albany, about three from Binghamton, and an hour north of Utica. This is a true Adirondack campsite, with bears and whatnot!
More information will be coming on the day's activities soon, but expect it to be much like last year: arts & sciences classes, fighter practice, a tournament, working group meetings, and a cookout. We'll also be doing another fundraiser auction, and a short State of the Game address from Dan and Dave. Finally, a wee bit of a party that night.
Posted by Julie
Player Profile: Rachel GarropyMarch 1st, 2018
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How long have you been playing?: I have been playing on and off since 2009. I've been going regularly since November of 2013.
Describe your character: At first, second, and third glance she's a snooty book elf. She's got a temper and will almost always tell you what she's thinking. Does not play nice with others is an understatement. She does have a soft spot for her friends though.
What was your favorite in game moment?: I have two that are tied. First would be standing shield to shield with Arbor fighting off waves of undead as one of the phylacteries of the Al' Cairn were destroyed. No one got past our side and I've never felt more bad-a**! The second was the time the BC's bought every single pierogi from the inn one night just because we could. I don't know if I've ever laughed as hard as I did that night.
Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: It's the whole package. The players are by far the best people I know. The atmosphere is immediately immersive and encompassing. The characters are all well rounded, independent, believable individuals. The storylines pull you in and keep you engaged. The world building is exhaustive. There's something for everyone and I really like that in our game. The fact that it is OUR game is also a big draw for me. Players can really impact the game's world through their story-telling and role-playing. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?!
Who is your favorite PC?: Definately Arbor. She is a perfect balance of compassion and chaos. I love watching her interact with the world and others in such a unique way. She's a good counterweight to Miria's reserve and sometimes indifference.
What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: My character concept was a scholarly book elf who was going to come to Pinedale and write a monster manual. When I brought her in, she met at least 5 other people doing the same thing. So that was quickly scrapped. Through some seriously awesome storylines she's grown into a more well-rounded character. She's more of a learn-by-doing type of character instead of observation. I'm excited to see where she's going to end up.
How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: Miria is my first and only.
Posted by Julie
Player Profile: Jordan BellassaiFebruary 16th, 2018
How long have you been playing?: I started the first full event of 2005 at 15 years of age. At this point an event was 14 people and the only Elven Steel was 12” and I had to swim for it.
Describe your character: My current character I have had for over 6 years. He is known as Micah, the Master Gem Merchant of Pinedale. He is everyone’s friend from his Merchanting, to his support on the line, and his gambling makes some friends and some enemies. He first came to Pinedale to learn how to fight with all different types of weapons and see the beasts that were found there. After a few years I got bored with him and thought of retiring him. Then I formed a new group and set new goals. It made me fall in love with this game all over again.
What was your favorite in game moment?: When I played Durum who was part of the Slatestones we had a strange welcoming to town. One of our early events the town of 18 other Player Characters marched on us because they heard we were up to no good. This was the same event my father came to see what I do once a month. He got so heated by J.C. attacking me that he began to swing for max damage and backed J.C. into an old rusty car. J.C.’s metal armor even got dented. That event he also witnessed heated conversations with Snow Goblins. To this day he still talks about his visit.
Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: Over the years it has been such a great support structure for everyone who attends. The ability to clear your mind and just forget about the real world is something I look forward to every month.
Who is your favorite PC?: Birch was my 4th PC and he was a Druid that would never harm a fly. It was hard at first to not play a fighting character but as time went on it made me be more creative with how I handle situations. Even when the town (David H.) sent a bog lurker into the Inn to attack me I stunned it and carried it over my shoulder to the outskirts of town.
What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: Micah wanted to find magic through stones and gems. Now he is exploring other sources of power he never thought he would.
How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: Nai: Retired into the sunset to follow the soldier/knight Durum: Died 10 minutes before we changed the final rest rules so we burned down the whole lodge and everything that was in it. Micah: Current main PC Birch: Alt PC when I stop having so much fun with Micah.
Posted by Julie
Updates!February 5th, 2018
- Effective immediately, Friday night GAME ON start time is again 9 PM! Shift will end at 2 AM.
- No sleeping in Logistics
- Shift Balance updates
- Reminders from the Operations Group:
- 1. Please be careful on the ice this event. Please also remember to avoid the small fissures in the parking lot.
- 2. Please SLOW DOWN. This is a major thing the Ranger worries about. 10 MPH or less all the time, especially up and down the big main road hill to the camp.
- 3. DO NOT attempt to open the windows in the cabins, disirregardlessly of season or reason.
That's it so far folks! Click the links for more information.
Posted by Julie
Player Profile: Katlyn HJanuary 25th, 2018
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How long have you been playing?: Less than a year. I started playing March 2017.
Describe your character: Joy Strifeborn is an eternal optimist and vocal worshipper of the dragon/moon god Draconus. She approaches every situation with a smile and an accompanying jingle from her coin headpiece. Joy is a fortune teller known for her eerily accurate predictions and has on more than one occasion scared other characters. She’s free spirited and prone to walking alone at night much to the dismay of her husband and friends. She travels with her group, the Guardians of the Sacred Truth or GoST, when she’s not carelessly wandering off. Joy loves mysteries and views solving them as a form of worship for her deity.
What was your favorite in game moment?: My second night of playing Joy I was told that someone’s master wished to meet her for a reading… outside the “safer” area. Joy being Joy happily accepted with no hesitation. It wasn’t until another PC, a merchant named Oz, overheard who she was visiting that Joy was able to have a much needed heads up. Without that her meeting with Reginald the Nosferatu vampire would have been an entirely different experience. It was a great roleplaying experience and exercise to show Joy’s commitment to helping others… even if she’s suitably frightened. Just keep smiling!
Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: This was my first ever LARP and I love how supportive the community is to new players. I’ve probably asked a couple hundred questions so far from rules to world clarification and everyone has been very helpful. The people that make up Kingdoms of Novitas, staff and players, are phenomenal and I’m happy to call them friends.
Who is your favorite PC?: My favorite PC earned that title even before I started formally playing! Months before I was able to come to KoN in person I spent my time reading Ellenor’s hundred plus blog entries. Not only did the blog give me a firsthand look into the world and character but it endeared me toward the ever dramatic Ellenor. I love how far the character has fallen and changed over time! I’d recommend reading Ellenor’s Letters to find out for yourself about her and her various mistakes in pursuit of power.
What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: Originally Joy was going to have a lot more to do with spirits and helping the dead. That’s why when I first made her I took Medium (the ability to see ghosts) at level 1. Other than that I wanted her to be optimistic and a fortune teller but didn’t have much direction. Of course I had the stereotypical “tragic backstory” and threw in a curse for good measure but it wasn’t something I immediately focused on.
Joy ended up being far more religious than I intended and views herself as an intercessor to help guide others. Having no experience in fortune telling I was surprised at how many coincidences have happened, but that’s only solidified her otherworldly gifts. Joy has become a catalyst character and I love helping other people progress their stories. By far the funniest surprise about the character has been the number of people frightened by her. Then again I’d probably be afraid of a lady that sometimes deals cards with people’s faces on them 😉
How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: Joy is my first and only PC. A lot has happened to her, most recently her curse nearing fruition, but I’d say she’s had mostly positive experiences. But that could be entirely due to Joy’s outlook on life… In any situation you can choose whether to smile or frown.
Posted by Julie
Player Profile: John SpencerJanuary 11th, 2018
How long have you been playing?: I have been playing since July of 2013 and I have enjoyed every event and work day since then.
Describe your character: My current character is Flint, a Terran of former nobility, exiled from his homeland for various reasons. Later spending time in Pinedale searching for gems and a specific Succubus, becoming a merchant to better learn more information on the answers I seek. Now in Maplewood and making a goal for a more permanent residence near town.
I also have an innkeeper known as Yurick, he is a caretaker of the land, helping run the inn, the farm that helps supplies the inn, and cut wood for the town.
What was your favorite in game moment?: I’ve been playing for so long that I cannot pinpoint one exact favorite moment. One of my more recent ones is listening to the interactions with the Rhinos and the lovers quarrel that they were dealing with. Secondly, another moment that I have had fun with is as my innkeeper Yurick, trying to be convinced to marry a beautiful young woman. I already have a wife and children, I offered for her to come and meet them back at home and her and her sister lost their minds.
Another wonderful moment is nearly every time I hang out with Ivan drinking and encouraging his sexcapaids.
Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: This is a great question. I have had many great reasons for loving KoN. One of the major reasons is that the people and community. The friends and family that I have made over the years are priceless and I would not be the same person without them. Secondly, I love the ability to get involved, I have been doing everything I can in the past few years to give back to the community and it has really paid off. Lastly, being able to leave the real world and enter another for a weekend where I can choose my own fate is incredibly freeing and relaxing.
Who is your favorite PC? I have to say that Odric Velrin is my favorite PC. I have to say that because no matter what the situation, whether I am in trouble with other PC’s, getting hunted by fiends, turning into an undead ghoul, or just trying to make a large profit, he is always there to help me out and bring me back to the light when needed. Saving me numerous times from most certain death and many other awful situations.
What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: My original character concept was relatively simple. I was a gem crafter in the family that crafts the royal jewels of Terra. I married a slave and was sent above ground with my title and name striped. My wife was killed by a succubus and I chose to hunt it. Bringing my path to Civen and then to the Freelands. While in the Freelands, I have made many friends and become a Merchant, Master Craftsmen, and Savant. I have become more of a merchant than savior of the town, though I am known to help when someone is in need. Especially if it is a friendly creature is in need of shelter and care. I have turned into a caregiver in my older age trying to make up for losing my child while I was younger.
How many PC’s have I had? What happened to them?: I have had two PC’s, with a third on the way. My first was Saber Markov. He was a barbarian that wanted to kill any and every orc that was in the Freelands. Later being sent to the great forest to train as a druid and fight off an orc tribe that had taken up residence there. My second and current main character is Flint, as described above. Finally, I am planning on bringing in a drake in the near future. No spoilers for that one yet!
Posted by Julie
RP Skill AdvancementDecember 29th, 2017
Big news! Plot and Continuity will be meeting in the coming month to review submissions for individual RP Skill advancement.
What are the RP Skills?
RP Skills are the closest thing we have to a dedicated character class. They grant access to certain kinds of story and let us in P&C know that you want to be involved in these longer mini-meta-plots that often span between multiple groups across several games. They also include access to unique abilities that go outside the bounds of many basic skills and abilities in the rule set. The RP Skills are Chosen, Druid, Medium, Merchant, and Status.
You may only apply for one level of an RP Skill each cycle, and we only run two cycles per year. The current limit is two RP Skills per character with a total of seven ranks between them, secondary skill currently capped at two ranks. If you don't quite have enough to convince the relevant staff you've earned another rank yet, that's ok. Just be sure to include your accomplishments for the past cycle when you apply again over our summer break.
Friendly reminder: We care about what you've done IC at game during play sessions, and between characters most. Free writing in blogs isn't considered as part of your advancement.
Anyone wishing to advance in a RP Skill or gain an RP skill for your character please PM myself (thunderstave) or Nomerebutterfly (Amanda) your request as follows:
Player Name:
PC Name:
Current RP Skills (Level):
Why advancement or new skill?: Please highlight plot interactions, PC-to-PC interactions, character history, and any other relevant information to help us understand the whys of approval/advancement.
_____________________
Plot will meet to discuss so please get your requests in by Thursday, January the 25th at 11:59 PM.
Good luck to all our applicants! We look forward to hearing from you.
Posted by Julie
