The View From Valehaven - May/June 2010

Prose, announcements, and information on Shield Construction, as well as an article about what you'll need for your very first Character in the Realms!

Table of Contents - May/June 2010

  • Advertisers and Sponsors

  • Letter from the Editor
  • Archivist Annals (The Realms: 5, 10, 15, and 20 years ago)
  • Announcements

  • Welcome Wagon - Advice for New Characters by Callahan Marsden
  • Stitch & Smith - Shield Construction Tips by Jay Bonci
  • Librams and Tomes - "Fabulous Feasts"
  • To Soothe the Savage Beast - "Welcome to Stonewood" by Travis Wilcox



    This Month's Advertisers (click to view!)


    The Onyx Tortoise Bathhouse



    Letter from the Editor


    Well, here we are, end of June, in the thick of the summer season. I've been hearing a lot of news about events, and even managed to attend some! Big thanks to the folks at 'Feast of Chimeron' and 'Green and Gold' for letting me see some of the things that go on behind the scenes of an Event. So much has to be done, to take care of business, that players just do not see. However, when that work does not get done...You can be sure that your players will know...and talk about it!

    I'm still working on nailing down a stable schedule, but I plan on a July issue. Additionally, the first printed Quarterly magazine is in the pipeline. This will be a full color full-sized publication, with pictures and all the articles thus far. Also, collections of past views, scanned at high resolution, will be available. As always, all monies gained will go to the upkeep of The View From Valehaven.

    I'm looking forwards to attending a few more events, so I hope to see you on the field!

    --Brian C. Johnson
    Editor

    The Annals of the Realms - 5, 10, 15, and 20 years ago...

    5 Years Ago, May/June 2005:
    Douglas Fisher was the Editor/Publisher this year, and he announced the winner of the Valehaven Art & Writing Contest in May. Missives were online, but some were published in The View. Much in-character fiction was published, as well as Interviews and "Rankings", a list of "The Best Of" in categories such as Florientine Fighting or Pikes and Polearms. The ranking was done by Stephen Johnson and Steven Matulewicz. Two articles of note, "You know you're too involved in the Plot, when..." and "You know you've been in the Realms a really, really long time, if..."

    10 Years Ago, May/June 2000:
    Alas, no Views in the Archives. Got some you'd be willing to donate? Let me know!

    15 Years Ago, May/June 1995:
    Steve and Amy Johnson helmed the View, and "The North-South War" was announced, fifteen years ago. Think about THAT. Missives flew hot and heavy, a limit of one missive per character per month was already in place. This was the year of the linked "High Magic" Events, accompanied by much wailing and gnashing of teeth. And missives. And boycotting. Live Steel and Weapons Inspections were problems of note, as well as the issue of weapons at "Feast" events, and in-character Religions.

    20 Years Ago, May/June 1990:
    Shannon Slate was Editor, The Third Annual Duke of Glenndale was announced, the first Pig Roast event was to be held in July, and a couple of Darkvale Tournaments were announced, hot tubbing afterwards! Lance Hunter also announced an Arthurian Quest, and Gladdenfest. It is noteable that, as of this "Battle Cry!", there were 7 events on the Calendar. All but one were run by Lance, or by someone in Lance's group, Darkvale.

    This issue was also a major turning point for the Realms, as Shannon Slate voiced his displeasure over a variety of issues, from Charging and Hard Blows, to the lack of communication. "... the Realm is in dire need of work."

    Announcements:

    A reminder that the Festival of Val Dara will see the introduction of The Onyx Bath House. Be sure and set your Event Calendar for "attend", and bring your swimsuit.

    The View, of course, is always looking for Writers and Reporters. Want to write for the View? Drop me a line, and I'll happily give you an assignment! We've got a lot of ground to cover!

    Don't forget to check RealmsNET after an event, to see the event reviews! Click on an event, and scroll down. And, if you've attended, write a review! The feedback is very, very helpful for EH's.

    Several versions of the 2010 Omnibus are now available. In addition to the printable version on RealmsNET, a Web-Viewable PDF is hosted here on Valehaven, and an HTML-ized version is also available.

    HTML Version:: http://www.cjlms.com/David_Hayden/2010_OEC_files/omnibus2010.html

    Web-Viewable PDF: http://www.valehaven.com/VHPDF/2010%20Omnibus%20Web.pdf

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