Only a few weeks remain until Rites of Spring and King Foster's Coronation. In celebration of this momentous occasion, the King has issued a Challenge to all of his subjects. This challenge will be multi faceted and the details are unknown to me, but I do know that Units that perform well have been promised dispensations of coin, lands, and titles in the Kingdom of Nova Regnus. But another matter weighs upon me. With the theft of the Grimoire from the Temple of Tharros, we are unable to activate the portal we disovered nearby the Mountain Run Winery. The Tharrosians believe this tome to contain the spell needed to Identify the Arcana and inner workings of the gate, but we have been deemed untrustworty to wield this power. And so Chronos and King Foster have decided to hold a Convocation of Wizards Friday evening in the Tavern at the Winery. A call goes out to all who have studied the Arcane Arts with Laya and I, to all that have learned on their own, and all who have interest in these matters. There we shall decide the fate of the Grimoire, and with luck, establish laws concerning Arcana and it's use. I do not expect such a meeting to go unnoticed by the Risa Fae. They have harried our efforts at every turn, and have promised us a visit from their queen. There is also the matter of the mysterious Dagger recovered by Kay the Mage at our last meeting. While in search of treasure lost to us through the caravan raids of Tamir the Bold, Kay came upon a tiny blade in the forest. Laya was able to detect Arcana eminating from the dagger, but was unable to determine the enchantment's effects. This too shall be discussed at the Convocation. So, come one and all to the Great Rites of Spring Challenge! Hone your blades, scrape the rust from your armour, practice your incantations, and bring your lockpicks for adventure awaits!

Osterra is a world fraught with danger and adventurers rarely escape unscathed. However, an odd side effect of the Everwar seems to be that nobody can permanently die. It is important to have a firm knowledge of how damage should be played and how it can be healed. Damage If you are struck in a limb with a one handed weapon, we refer to this as a wound. A consecutive strike to a wounded limb, a strike to the torso, or a strike to anywhere on the body with a two handed weapon we refer to as a mortal wound. Wounded If your arm is wounded you should drop your weapon or shield, or simply switch to your good hand. A wounded leg may be locked and dragged but never used to run or lunge. If you are wounded you should act as if you are in pain but can continue fighting. Mortally Wounded If you are mortally wounded, you must stop fighting and either take a knee or fall to the ground. We encourage theatrical deaths but not at the expense of safety when in rough conditions. If you are mortally wounded and are not healed before the end of a battle scene, you losing consciousness and all memory of the battle scene. You are unable to recall anything, unless quickly healed. If you “die” due to lack of healing, these memories of your death are gone. Healing Given enough time, all wounds will heal by themselves. This process is sped up on Osterra. If you spend 5 minutes resting, in camp or the tavern all of your wounds will be healed. You may be healed magically by those trained in the divine arts. The Tier One Minor Healing spell has a 10 second casting time, during which the healer must chant, pray, or some other roleplay. This heals a SINGLE WOUND. More wounds may be healed by continuing for a consecutive 10 seconds. Magic requires components, which may be of limited quantity. The number of times you can heal in a scenario depends on the availability of components and your tier. Your tier determines how many times per day you may use a spell, provided you have components. Your personal spell components can be anything you like. Bones, feathers, flowers, gems, even hand gestures. Anything that makes sense to the game theme. However some powerful spells may require specific components to cast or learn for the first time. Read the official rules document for more information on spells. Tier 1 Minor Healing may also save you from dying. You may heal yourself if you are mortally wounded and have the skills. It will save your life and you will retain memory but be wary or returning directly to battle. Depending on the tier and number of heals you receive, you may still be wounded. But even if fully healed, healing does not repair your armor. Mundane healing works exactly the same as magical. The only things that change are the components and Roleplay. A doctor should use props such as surgeons tools, bandages, and poultices and RP as a doctor rather than a divine priest. Scenario rules may sometimes change the way healing works and is explained below. Death and Recovery In Osterra, though death is temporary, it does still have penalties, and is painful, so should be avoided if possible. But there are various ways you can return. Generally, if at the end of a battle you have not been healed and die, you can wait 5 minutes to respawn, or return to the tavern and respawn there. Often battle scenarios will have their own healing rules. For instance, some fights have a healing pole or “rez point”. When you are killed, you can either lie in place and hope a healer saves you, or go to the rez point, touch the pole for the prescribed amount of time, and respawn. Scenario rules always supersede basic healing rules. Pay close attention to the event organizers for scenario specific rules. Osterran “Magic” Healing Magic and Arcane Magic are two different paths. We have noticed that some players have been learning both, and that is okay. However, there will come a time when a magician must choose one path over the other, as the higher tier magics will require more study and devotion. More powerful healing magic is rumored to exist, such as spells to fight poison, disease, and all other sorts of maladies, perhaps even to return a spirit intact to its body after death. These will be revealed in time. Keep these concepts in mind as you continue to delve into adventure and the mysteries of magic in the World of Osterra. You can always check with an organizer if you are confused. Remember that fair play is the most important rule of all!

I was free of the grasp of the Illithid, and our party was protected as well. There was no time to lose since we did not know how long the spell would last. Soon enough we found our way to the Illithid lair. Our scouts returned with dire news. Many innocents were under their control and guarding the entrance to their quarters. Apparently the Mind Shield scroll only protected those nearby when it was cast. We made the hard decision to cut them down. With any luck, our healers would be able to save them if we destroyed the fell thing controlling their minds. If not, well, they would have died for a good cause. We fell upon those we called friend only hours before. The odds were in our favor until a minotaur appeared from a hidden cavern and flanked us. Some of our fighters quailed at the sight of it, but we managed to rally. The healers kept us alive long enough to slay the beast, while the mangled bodies of our friends still attempted to reach for their blades, even while mortally wounded. A disturbing sight to be sure. We entered the lair to find not one, but three illithids! Now impotent in the presence of the power of the scroll, they cowered before us. Also among them was a large brain with tentacles floating in a pool of slime. Could this be an Elder Brain? I had heard tales of these, they were supposed to amplify the psionic powers of the Illithid. If there were three flayers and a brain, this was a full on invasion. We took the advantage and slaughtered them all before our spell winked out. In the aftermath, Rowan the Seer spotted something floating in the brine pool. Before I could stop him, he reached in and pulled out a leather bound book. I quickly confiscated the tome, unsure who to trust in this world. We headed back to the exit portal, which dissipated after we were outside. The Great Black Lion Tharros, Whose Name Means Courage fed well that day. I do believe that the Path of the Lion has led me to Osterra, and to the Everwar. War is work to a Tharrosian, and there is work to be done. After a preliminary study, the tome turned out to be a book of Arcane Spells. I am glad I had the insight to take it, as it is much too dangerous for those under the sway of malevolent forces. I shall seek the assistance of Laya and the Acolytes in reading the runes at our next meeting. There seem to be pages missing from the tome, but even the spells remaining shall increase your arsenal of arcana for use in the coming struggles. For Osterra! Tharros Hungers!

I grasped my head and howled in pain, behavior unbecoming of one trained in Neo Sparta but this was a sensation I had never felt before. It was as if some being was burrowing into my very brain and taking control from the inside. At this time, as Laya and the children worked hurriedly to decipher the scroll, I felt myself lose control of my body. I could see my actions unfold yet had no bearing upon them. An unsettling experience indeed! Meryn and Sir Lance spoke soothing words to me, assuring me I was among friends, but the thing occupying my mind was no friend to any of us! Rowan the Seer coaxed the cutlass from my grip just as I lost control. I could hear the children squabbling over the exact translation of the scroll as I saw my hand draw the secret dagger I kept for the throats of potential assassins. The Illithids were not only in control of my mind, but knew of the dagger as well. What other information have they stolen from us? I struck out at my own party with blade and staff! Meryn proved herself quite the shield maiden as she kept me at bay along with Vorn the Viking and Sir Lance. I felt their blades clatter against my plate armor. I watched as the Necromancer Geth watched in apparent amusement of the situation yet made no moves. I saw myself attack again and again, intent on slaughtering my comrades and destroying the scroll before it could be activated. Meryn and Lance mostly stayed their blades in hopes that the scroll would free me from the grasp of the Illithid mind attack, but Vorn struck out at me with ferocity. I can respect that he would kill me in that moment, for this mission was more important than any one person. Just as I felt my armor give way, exposing a gap that Vorn could seize for the final blow, I saw an acolyte stand and recite the scroll. I saw a flash of light and the ley lines swirling around myself and those present. I felt the presence in my mind banished and dropped to my knees...