OK, after a couple of days to try and recuperate from ALL THE SORENESS... Some of these may be repeated from Closing.
- The event was a blast to run. I really enjoy running an event every few years, and it's been about 8 since I ran the last one. Lots of fun to hang out on the NPC side for a full event and help keep things moving. It was great to see the last 2 months of preparation play out almost exactly as planned. It was a huge, immense team effort that really came together over the weekend.
- On the subject of preparation: I will admit some serious personal satisfaction in having the entire event run on time. We had a half-dozen or more timed events over the course of the weekend, and all of them went off on time - from starting game and the initial portal entrance right on time Friday night all the way through the Sunday morning "Escape From Aberwick". It required a lot of prep, and buy-in from both PCs and NPCs, but having the full event run without resorting to "adventurer time" felt amazing.
- Ben running up and forcing the Undead Drake to its first Resolute... all by himself. If he'd had backup, that fight would have gone a LOT quicker. As it was, though, that was a super awesome move to watch happen.
- Clan of the Raven crashing a mod that wasn't scaled for them. It might have been costly, but they survived when the odds were pretty seriously stacked against them!
- Brent starting the "Volcano" chant wasn't planned ahead of time, but definitely added to the ambiance of the Lava Elemental fight. That, combined with Amy's prep on the PC side, made the battle feel really epic, at least from within a 3 foot tall mask and a big ol' rocky suit. It definitely helped once I figured out how to throw packets without tipping my head, too
Special callout to Bjorn Resisting a "250 Elemental Flame!" right to the chest to start off the fight and let the PCs get an idea of what they were facing.
- The entire NPC crew was awesome. Made everything tick along well, and it meant a LOT that we could trust folks to run things without oversight due both to all the aforementioned prep and the general coolness of the NPC group. People were willing to help out whenever we needed it, whether it be with going out as crunchies, helping set up / pick up lights and special effects, or smash dry ice and throw it in a bucket on my head.
Side note: I think Stephen enjoyed that last one - and the hot water followup - a little too much.
- The PCs were great, too! It was immensely gratifying to see the PCs invested/engaged enough that, so far as I can tell, every single PC on sight was up and at it on Sunday morning in time for the exit mod. That mod itself ran great, and the PCs did awesome as a group getting pressed harder and harder as it came down to the last few. Watching PCs try to catch those who had been Feared before they could start their escape was really cool (we got at least a couple Feared out of the portal!), and seeing Eli, Zeth, and Tantarus fighting side by side to defend the last few people fleeing the portal was super great and felt suitably epic.
I'm still tired and sore but had a good time and hope everyone else did too! Thanks to everyone who made it and joined in!
-Bryan
