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Holy Cow, Am I really the first to leave feedback of the event?

Overall,, I really enjoyed this event. The roleplaying I was involved in was very good, and wonderfully refreshing. Jared, you NEED to get out on plots more often.

I don't really have anything specific to the GM's.

I realize what I'm about to say will sound like a "mom" statement, but we all know I'm good at those. To the players, I feel like I need to say this. I know I'm not game staff, but healers watch a lot of combat. We can often see when cheating is occurring. Know your skills, if you don't understand them, ask. Counts are seconds, if you can't count seconds, get a time piece. And last but not least, if you get it out, put it away. If its trash, thow it away. If it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it.

Also, I apologize for my meltdown last night. I've had a long, hard few months. I was tired, emotionally strung out from the event, and got a voicemail from my sister that hit me kind of hard. I lost my Dad suddenly in December and things are still pretty raw. My dearest thanks to all who expressed their support and love.

Food and fellowship was, as always, amazing!!

I showed up a little later. and we left a little early. (7) So I don't know everything that was going on.

Food was amazing except for mine. Fun note, split peas don't break down in a slow cooker very well.

I don't know if I missed it but I didn't like anything was wrapped up. (i hope it happened.)

The plots were all very combat focused, which in the artic ice was awful. We needed some puzzles and some more role play. The four generals was too hard and too fast for a one day.

The cabin felt very small for all of us to be in.

the combat would have better not on sheet ice.

I can’t recall just how many times I’ve left feedback after a Final Haven event, but I can say that I feel differently about this one than any previous post.

The last one probably should feel different, I suppose.

I’ve been playing this game since September of 2003, and with the exception of a campaign event conflict in 2010, I believe I’ve attended every session. During that time I’ve played three characters, though one of which was only for a single game. The other two both provided incredible experiences for me and leave me with a whole host of thoughts and emotions. One was an honorable knight and Haven’s first Paladin, the other a grizzled, drunken mercenary with little regard for the sanctity of life. One man’s life was a story of hope, unity and brotherhood broken by betrayal; the other a tale of redemption colored by pain and the scars of a horrific past. One man ended his journey on the battlefield with his best friend using a blade of immense power to annihilate all he loved, the other stepped off-stage by donning a crown and realizing that becoming the kind of man he needed to be required one final change. It’s been an incredible ten years, and before I get into this event, I want to thank all of you who have played a part in telling these stories. Having you be a part of them and being a part of the stories you’ve told has been an honor and an immense pleasure.

That said, it was a great deal of fun coming into an event knowing that some significant portion of the player base was planning to kill me. Not fun for Korrigan, mind you, but fun for Taki. The plotting, planning and contingency-design of knowing PVP is a possibility takes me back to the old days of Haven, but coming at it as Korrigan brought a whole new dimension. I had no fewer than eight levels of contingencies in place for potential assassination attempts, actual assassination attempts and successful assassination attempts – at least three of which that would address and rectify my complete annihilation. Alas for Taki’s sake, nobody actually made the attempt. Korrigan, however, was pleased.

The event started with a great deal of emotional intensity as Korrigan had to confront Vaal about the rumored assassination attempt coming from the dwarves. It was fascinating to think back on these two men, both of whom were drinking buddies and compatriots in years past, now both Kings and flirting with bloodshed and war. Once it was made clear that Vaal had gotten some bad intelligence the matter was quickly put to rest, but it was certainly a way to get the blood pumping.

I found the fights with the four elemental Generals to be a great deal of fun, but I agree that a less-icy combat venue would have been preferable. As Korrigan was (as usual) kept pretty busy, I didn’t get a chance to see some of the smaller plots take shape, but I think everyone enjoyed throwing Aurora under the bus when her new Orcish lover came into town. Smitty shared the story of his fancy boots finding a home, and I found that humorous as well.

The highlight of the event for me, however, was the storyline surrounding Florick. Korrigan’s relationship with Florick was something special, as it was in many ways a symbol of the man he was trying to become. When Korrigan found Florick – the Master’s resurrected brother – he was faced with a choice. Either Florick was some plot of the Master’s and represented a massive threat to the Haven or he was the Master’s innocent brother who was killed needlessly and was guilty of nothing but being related to a very bad guy. The version of Korrigan who rolled into Haven six years ago would have gutted Florick in a hot second without so much as a thought, but his time in Haven has changed him. Korrigan has always loathed suffering more than anything else, but instead of seeing death as a clean end to the miseries of this world and gifting murder to anyone who crosses his path, he’s come to believe that building something and fighting for it might be a better way to reduce the suffering he sees. For that reason, Korrigan gave Florick the benefit of the doubt and brought him back to Haven, and when Korrigan saw him living a normal life and prospering, it solidified his conviction that his new philosophy was the correct one.

At least, until Saturday night.

After a day of dealing with intrigues and the elemental Generals, Korrigan found himself in the center of his town looking at the severed head of an innocent man who he had called friend. He didn’t have time to deal with how he felt just then, but his grief came out moments later when Sapphire appeared and began speaking. Korrigan didn’t really listen to what she said, but as soon as her lips stopped moving he stepped forward and started kicking her ass. The fight was good for him, as it helped him remember what he’d come to believe about Haven – that they could do great things and help minimize the suffering for countless people.

Upon arriving back at the Inn, however, Korrigan walked into a shitstorm involving three of the people he had come to rely on the most. Fionna, his co-monarch was trying desperately to sort out an assassination attempt carried out on Cirrus by, of all people, Rothek. Had Korrigan made a short list of people he thought he could count on before walking through that door, the only way for the incident to be WORSE would have been if Marcus and Nell were also somehow involved. Sitting down, Korrigan considered his day, threw a powerful magical artifact over his shoulder, took off his hat, and proceeded to go off.

The most amazing moment, however, was when Illund arrived as Korrigan’s rant was winding down. Florick’s words “May your faith in the good in people not only guide you, but serve as a guide for others” sounded like a gong in his head and marked the moment when he, as a man, forever changed. He knew, in that moment, that he was going to have to get over his own pain and become the kind of man… the kind of King… that Haven would require in the days ahead.

Kudos to the GM Staff for their timing and for allowing that scene to play out as it did. We’ve got some great stories to tell in the days to come, and though I’ll be a GM from here on out, I’m very much looking forward to living the tales of these remarkable characters. I’m also thrilled about the work we’re doing for both Final Haven and Winter Haven behind the scenes, and as a GM at both chapters I can’t wait for all of you to experience what we’ve got coming for you this season.

I enjoyed just about everything this event! Just not the weather, of course. The combat felt a little forced, but I was not involved in most of it. And I got some excellent rp moments with players and staff.

Thanks to all who participated!

I felt there was a big too much being packed into the one day. While I do enjoy that something is going on for a one day event, I like it a bit slower. It feels like you were trying to cram a regular event's Saturday into a one day. It was a bit much. Additionally, I will echo that for the temperature outside, far too many plots/interactions outside. I'm in favor of there being outside stuff/combat during a one day, but a good deal of stuff should be indoors too - which seemed to be severely lacking. Keep some stuff outside, but please make sure there's enough to do inside for those who aren't brave enough to venture into the cold.

I know it's already been said, but the cabin we used was a bit cramped. I understand that a number of factors may have been at play and perhaps it's the best that could be done. I'm not sure of the logistics, but I think the in game area should of been moved to the dinning hall (but maybe that was a bit pricy, or not available in the winter).

I wish I could say more for the plots for the one day, but part of playing Kami is that I rarely see or pay attention to the big picture overall of an event - and I'm okay with that. Sadly, my favorite part of the event was due to a player miscommunication issue...

Before dinner-
Hey, what's this terror staff thing? *Identify* Well, it's the staff of such and such. Well, it looks like we don't have to go to the crypt to get it now, because we already have it! YEY!

After dinner -
*people come in dead needing to be rezed* Yeah, we went to the crypt of such and such to get some staff. People died. Well, we made it inside but the staff wasn't there... I guess we already had it or something?

Another bonus was I got some Jim hugs.

This event was most fun. We stayed busy and the combat seemed perfectly balanced. Each encounter had its own unique flavor – every battle felt different. As combat went on, the healer group grew fat with the fallen, but we never had to retreat and recuperate. Nor, clearly did we ever roll effortlessly through our foes.

The even progressed nicely. Starting with the party games, then a ‘weak’ general, then two at once, then the most dangerous one at the end. The Lash Charm Dominates had me fearing defeat. I had just time to think “I hope Korrigan has something appropriate in his bag of tricks, or it’s all over” right before he started in with Lash Disenchants.

The ice severely limited maneuverability, and I went down multiple times when I couldn’t maintain distance from the bad guys. But the PCs were on the ball and did a fantastic job of collecting the wounded for the Healers, and the Healers had well-coordinated triaging.

The building was rather crowded, but that lent an air of festival to me. It felt like a party. I had little trouble getting where I needed to go, but then I try to play Alinar with an unhurried air, which surely kept the frustration down when trying to pass through a crowd. However, with the building crowded, plots really did have to be outdoors. Knowing what the weather was like, everyone should have been well bundled against it.

Which rather shocked me to see NPCs going about without hats, gloves, or even coats! Take care of yourselves – we need you for future events!

Food was great, as always, and the board games were fun. I had a great time, overall.

Overall, I had a good event:

THE BAD:

The Ice: I know I slipped and twisted my ankle a little bit. Not much we can really do besides not do combat on icey terrain.

THE NEUTRAL:

Sharing the Camp: All in all, it wasn't a horrible thing that other people were there. We minded our stuff and they minded theirs. Only downside was that there were a lot of cars.

Honestly, I wasn't super involved with the plots since I had other motives. I pretty much went on plots to keep tabs on my prey and find that perfect moment to stirke.

THE GOOD:

I want to give a shout out to all of you that gave me a double take playing "Craven" and didn't meta the situation. I had a couple people when they met me cock an eyebrow and ask "Ta'ruk?". So either you decided to go with it or I sold it rather well.

Taki: There was one moment when the thought of pulling the trigger occurred the entire event, and that was walking back from finishing the urn. The odds would have been three (plus the 40 some guards) on five. But as I have said before, I'm eager, not stupid.

Amanda: It was super fun RP'ing with Cirrus under the guise of Craven, especially after I learned that you were Korrigan's ears. I kinda wish I was a fly on the wall after the attempt to kill you.

Nate: I gotta say that my adrenaline hasn't pumped that hard in a while. The thrill of being hunted and a battle to the death was great. To the pain, good sir!

Final note: The food and company were fanastic as usual. It was great to see everyone again!

I thought the event was really great. Basically everything that I would describe as making it good has been echoed at least once in the posts above.

I think the best moment for me was when I demanded as to who would help me lay Florick to rest, and everyone just stared at me and made no move whatsoever. Wow, it was both empowering to be the one to step up, and saddening to realize that almost no-one in town cares about anything the way Marcus does. Only three PCs even came with me, on something that, if Haven were in real-life, would change an entire section of town visually for everyone that passed. I would love if it somehow made it into the fluff for the five year time-jumps, even as a quick mention.