Camp of Lost Tales

[Valoryn]

"And they made a fire and sat close together around it to stay warm. And they began to weave tales among themselves, some of them based on real events from times long gone and others the product of their weavers' own wild imagination…

Tale telling is an art, one that can raise the spirit high or cast it down into the depths of despair, and therefore one of immense power. And such was the power of their stories..."

 

When fighting ceases and the day grows quiet, gathering around a fire to share stories can spark some activity during an otherwise tranquil time. Such is the purpose of this event and I hope it stands up to it.

The event will be held on every 12th and 24th day of each month (Days of Tranquillity), at specific times and locations announced both here and on the Mood Panel.

At this early stage, there will be no specific theme for story tellers to base their tales upon; all kinds of stories are welcome, provided that two conditions are met:

(a) the story respects MD rules and restrictions in regards to the kind of content that can be posted in chat and

(b) it's not too long to dominate the event and prevent other people from participating. I'm not going to impose a rule upon this (such a thing would be against the spirit of the event), since I'm optimistic that common sense will prevail.

 

If you have a story to share but can't attend the event, you can send me your story through forum PM preferably; in-game PMs are accepted as well, although they aren't as convenient. Make certain to mention in the title that you send me a story for the event, so that I don't miss it.

All stories, both those shared in chat and those sent to me, will be posted here on the forum regularly but not immediately after each session is over so as to trigger more participation in the event in game than limit it to mere reading of its aftermath here on the forum. will be carefully written in a (clickable) book, which will remain stored inside the Lore Manor. You will need to use the password LostTales (with no spaces), in order to access the stories. As time progresses and the book fills with tales, earlier sessions will slowly move from the Lore Manor to the Oak Tower for safekeeping.

 

Important! This event is not a quest: there are no contests, no judges, no winners, no losers and no rewards. If other people wish to reward certain stories for their own reasons, that's entirely up to them and has nothing to do with me or the event itself.

 

Depending on my own availability*, people's participation and interest, other days beyond the Days of Tranquillity may be used as well. There are also plans to evolve the event further, depending on the same factors.

 

First session: Improvised story telling on Day 328* (Thursday, 24 November), 9 pm Server Time inside the Defensive Quarters in Loreroot.

 

* Due to my currently poor health, I can't promise to keep up with the event's schedule as strictly as I plan to. I will do the best I can to hold story telling sessions as frequently as possible though. My poor health is also responsible for the short notice about the first story telling session and I apologise for any inconvenience it may have caused.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Valoryn
Updated the method of recording and safekeeping of tales shared during the event.

[Valoryn]

I would like to thank Sunfire, MaGoHi, Lintara and Ungod for attending the event, for the stories they shared despite the short notice for this first session and for all the fun we had.

The stories of this first session can be found inside the Lore Manor, since that's where all tales are going to be posted instead of the forum. The original post has been updated as well to reflect this change and to provide the information needed to access the event's archives.

[Valoryn]

"“Preparation is half the journey.”, he said, his words causing the disdain of his younger companions.

“Would you go into the middle of a battlefield unarmed and untrained?”, he asked them and none dared respond positively, “Nor should you go into the middle of the Road unprepared.”"

 

Continuing the preparations for our journey, the Second session of Improvised story telling will be held on:

Day 346 (Monday, 12 December), 9:30 pm Server Time inside the Defensive Quarters in Loreroot.

[Valoryn]

"Preparation may not truly be half the journey, that would be a waste of time better used in more creative ways, but its importance is undeniable. They were meant to venture deep into the darkness, both literal and otherwise, and they had to be ready for it.

Whether they would manage to see the dawn that follows was too early to tell. One thing was certain: the longest night lay ahead of them."

 

Although winter is the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the Winter Solstice marks the "turning of the Sun" and the days slowly grow longer. Celebrations of the lighter days to come and nature's continuing cycle have been common throughout cultures and history with feasts, festivals and holidays around the Winter Solstice.

So let this be the theme of the Third session, before the journey itself begins: stories about Light and Darkness, revolving around the Winter Solstice and traditions associated with it. And there is no better day to hold this session than the day with the longest night itself:

Day 355 (Wednesday, 21 December), 8 pm Server Time outside the Defensive Quarters in Loreroot.

[Valoryn]

"For the younger ones, it was a chance to see the world and experience what it has to offer. For the older ones, it was the opportunity they wanted to break free from their old bonds and begin anew.

So great was their desire to shed their past lives that the dangers that lay on the journey ahead didn't seem to bother them. But there was an even greater danger that most appeared to be oblivious of: themselves."

 

The coming of a new year is often seen as an opportunity to turn a page, close a chapter or a book and begin a new one, to leave bad experiences of the past year behind and make a new beginning.

Are new beginnings really new though? Or are there things that keep holding us back from changing that which we want or need to change? For the Fourth session of the Camp of Lost Tales, this shall be the theme for the stories to be shared.

Day 11 (Thursday, 12 January), 9 pm Server Time outside the Oak Tower in Loreroot.

[Valoryn]

Due to lack of participation, the Fourth Session will be held again on:

Day 23 (Tuesday, 24 January), 9 pm Server Time outside the Oak Tower in Loreroot.

[Valoryn]

"...He was the youngest in the group; eager to get involved in everything as a means to prove himself to the others, but also reckless and too quick to judge both people and situations.

That stance concerned the rest of the group, sometimes more than the dangers on the road ahead. Would he manage to learn something from the veterans in his company and mature through the experience or would his attitude risk tearing everything apart?"

 

Continuing the theme from the Fourth session, this time our stories will revolve around learning experiences and whether we manage to actually learn something from them and change in the process or not.

Day 42 (Sunday, 12 February), 9 pm Server Time at the Maple Road outside the gates of Loreroot.

[Valoryn]

"He was among the older ones in the group, grim looking and quiet when duty called; he had a habit, however, to sing while on the long Road. Nobody complained in the company about it, since a good song was sometimes all they needed to improve their spirits.

And he was skilled enough for his habit to spread among a few others like some kind of a mysterious contagion; the kind that none of them would want to get rid of..."

 

This Sixth session will involve stories that relate to two things: habits that occur so often that somebody can end up being defined by them and those that have an effect on others to the point that they spread to them as well. The session will be held on:

Day 54 (Friday, 24 February), 9 pm Server Time at the Loreroot Hidden Exit in No Man's Land.

[Valoryn]

"The day, finally, came when they left their homes behind. But before their journey truly began, they stopped at the first clearing they found and set a bonfire. And they began to sing and dance around it, like they had never celebrated before.

To an outsider, it would seem absurd to watch men and women of various ages celebrate in that way and in such a remote place. But for them it was an ancient tradition that survived to their time since the days of the first groups of adventurers who set out to seek their fortune into the wide wild world."

 

Continuing the theme set by the Sixth session, this Seventh session is more related to habits that pass from one generation to the next as traditions and, more so, about those traditions that manage to endure for many generations. The session will be held on:

Day 70 (Sunday, 12 March), 9 pm Server Time, outside Wasp's Totem in Loreroot.

[Valoryn]

"...and they danced for hours knowing that, in the long journey that still lay ahead of them, many would perish and, perhaps, none of them would return home.

It was fitting, therefore, to celebrate life like they did, to appreciate the life they were given with all the joys and sorrows, the dull and exciting moments they experienced, their dreams that came true and those that didn't and the hope that they would end their journey alive and renewed; just like the renewal and rebirth they had often celebrated with the coming of spring."

 

The Vernal Equinox (celebrated on 20 March on the northern hemisphere) is often associated with the end of earth's slumber and of hibernation, with rebirth and renewal and for some cultures it's directly connected to the beginning of the New Year. In some cases, it also marks the victory of Light over Darkness or Good over Evil since, during the Equinox, day and night have more or less the same duration and days lengthen further from that point onward till the Summer Solstice.

The theme for this Eighth session will be Rebirth and Renewal, Light and Darkness as portrayed in the Vernal Equinox and traditions connected to it. However, this session won't be limited to stories alone. Participants can also perform MD based rituals or do anything creative that fits the theme. The session will be held on:

Day 82 (Friday, 24 March), 7 pm Server Time at Wasp's Altar in Loreroot.

[Valoryn]

“And once the fire dissipated, the voices grew silent and the dancing stopped, they found an open space and sat on the ground, their eyes fixed towards the east.

Without exchanging a single word, even a single look among themselves, they waited to see the first light of the day and the sun rise. It was the sealing of their promise to venture through the endless darkness and bring the light back to the people they left behind, family, friends and strangers alike...”

 

The Ninth session of the Camp of Lost Tales will continue the theme from the Eighth session: Rebirth, Renewal, Re-awakening and the coming of Light after a period of Slumber, Hibernation and Darkness. It can also revolve around the obstacles, difficulties and hardships that can appear on our way before the coming of better days; days that tend to be like the light at the end of the tunnel or the dawn after a long night.

Like the previous session, this one won’t be limited to stories alone either. Participants can perform an MD themed ritual or anything creative that fits the theme. The session will be held on:

Day 113 (Monday, 24 April), 8:30 pm* Server Time at the Tranquil Plains in No Man’s Land.

 

*Some small delay might apply, depending on how merciful Real Life will be to me on that day.

[Valoryn]

"And they set out, as soon as the sun was up, on their long journey to whatever destination, purpose or end. Strangers among themselves, they had only one acquaintance in common: the eldest in the group, who they immediately declared their leader and made it a habit to go to him to solve any disputes they had with each other or to advise them on each step of the journey.

But he would have none of it. They needed to get to know each other, so as to act independently from each other, as one group or as part of smaller groups, depending on what each situation would demand. All the knowledge and advice in the world would never teach them that..."

 

This Tenth session comes with a seemingly odd theme: the role of an individual as part of a group, whether in a leading position or not. The session will be held on:

Day 131 (Friday, 12 May), 9 pm Server Time at the Maple Road outside the main gate of Loreroot.