Fetch It, Fish It, Race It

Fetch it, Fish it, Race it… that just about sums up summer festival! 

Unlike some festivals where tokens flow like water (Farmer’s Faire and Fall Festival), summer tokens are more difficult to obtain. Oh sure, I still got everything I wanted. However, there were no new deeds and I did all the consumables deeds last year, so the only summer goals I had were to get all the new things and let the lildanas play.

The “keg race” did not actually launch this year. The summer festival is drawing to an end, and the dwarves have yet to make one drinking race. It feels like going to Disneyworld and the Pirate’s of the Caribbean ride is closed for repairs. The thing is, last year, the dwarf keg race and hobbit food race worked great. They were non-instanced, in the open environment. I actually liked it much better. Such is progress, and by next year, I will start to forget that it wasn't always instanced and will find ways to enjoy the new version.. assuming that the keg race works by then.

I got good feedback on the “scrapbook” style format I used in the past. Since that is one of my favs also, here are a few pictures from Summer festival.

Danaszar races toward the Pond in Bywater, ready to do some fishing.

The festive Bluepop shoots off some fireworks for the crowd in the hobbit food race.

Danaish gets a chuckle out of the “good intentions”, where hobbits were attempting to make a quick path from the Party Tree area to the Taste of Hobbiton. This path did not make it into the summer lineup.

Curalot visits the Taste of Hobbiton to try to guess which hobbit might eat the fastest.

Danaish goes fishing for Amberjacks in Thorin’s Hall.

Danadalyn criticizes her technique, explaining that the best way to attract the good catches is to “use your body”... so she immerses herself into her fishing. Danaish remains unconvinced, not wanting slimy things touching her.

Dalyn scoffs at Jorfi, the dwarf race trader who says, “The races occur all the time during Summer festival!” Yes, you poor thing… forced to read from the script, knowing full well that no races will occur at all.

Dalyn has better luck at the hobbit races. She has her fishing rod in hand just in case Burdy needs backside “motivation” to race well. (We think Dalyn was in a mood... we do not condone caning hobbits, even those that need it.)

I had the pleasure of meeting the extra nice Miriama who was out fishing one evening. May she catch a good selection of Drums in Chetwood. I was sure to pull out as many of the weeds and goldfish as I possibly could within 20 minutes.

With both Farmer’s Faire and this Summer festival, I really have enjoyed the animated barter goodies!

Danaonar, Chief Housing Decorator, shows off the selection of the four new animated campfires we brought home from festival.

Here is the Feast Day Cook Fire, roasting a nice juicy auroch over the open pit.

The Glowing Bonfire. Very glowy, perfect for toasting marashmallows for s'mores.

The Modest Cookfire. The hobbits kept burning themselves trying to see what was cooking in the pots.

The Smoke Bonfire. That one will be good if sickle flies try to invade Falathlorn. Which fire is your favorite?

DanaHorn gathered up the newly acquired festival clothes, and with a spark of creativity, she decided to get a jump on Yule postcards. Here is the Summer festival dress and hat, dyed red. 

Summerdays Horse, and Defeat of Chieftain Taun

Summerdays Horse

Summer Festival is here! Finally!

Read the CSTM guide. Go. Do. Enjoy. I will talk more about it soon. For now, here is a pretty picture of my new pretty horse. He is already in the Horse Gallery; go see some of the rest… All the Steeds

I have an exciting tale to bring you. One I have been waiting FOREVER to write.

Defeat of Chieftain Taun

(last mentioned in steed-of-burglar-and-cheating-in-moors)

It was the 22nd of August and the horde had overrun the Ettenmoors. I had joined forces with the Free People in hopes of holding back defeat a while longer. As I approached the Lumber Camp, there were twelve Free People, mostly defeated, and I saw the horde as thick as night. In reality, their numbers were nearly double ours in the area. I saw no creeps fall before I was cut down and had to retreat.

Whispers came that there were spies in our midst. Apparently, there had been “lurkers” following the movement of the freep raid and reporting on strength and position. The raid leader gathered our forces. The creeps had every single position in Ettenmoors… where should we go? What should we do?

I sent a message to raid leader HeartofFire that the creeps would never expect us to attack the main stronghold of Dargazag and claim victory over our Gift of the Carrock while they had every keep and outpost. I did advise HeartofFire that my military strategy was lined with an ulterior motive. I had a personal vendetta and deed that I was hunting the elusive Chieftain Taun and I knew that he was comfortably protected deep within Dargazag at that moment. A friend had told me not 15 minutes prior that though there were a half dozen friends here tonight, the Creeps were a wall of enemy and we would be cut down before we made it anywhere near Chieftain Taun.

No words came in reply to my request, but I suspected (no, I hoped very much) that we might make an attempt, even though success was slim. Third Marshall Ballblitz took the rest of the team on a circuitous path south and west. Patient. Waiting. Going in circles. Sloughing off spies. Crossing further into enemy territory quickly and waiting. We were alone. The calls came out from the spies, “Where had the raid gone?” The queries were met with silence or misdirection. The known leader HeartofFire was being watched; so he waited at Ost Ryngdyr, watching across the battlefield as our team approached the enemy stronghold.

We struck quickly from our secret position and moved rapidly through Dargazag. Every orc and troll in the place wanted to make our entry more difficult, but we were committed and could not turn back. Surprised, Taun met our team at the final hall.

As the creeps were alerted to our presence, our team of Macmerkin, Nidh, Ballblitz, Memyr, Lillyn, Dischord, Jaremir, Vickson, Chiefbigbow, Kitarald, Ozman, Ironhands, and myself defeated the notoriously elusive Cheiftain Taun!

With spiders and dogs working around the corner, Tyrant Durgrat also fell, then a hard fought run back across the Ettemoors brought glory to the Free People! (…at least for the moment.)

For our effort, seven of us that had never met all the Chieftains before (me), shall now be known as “Conqueror of Dargazag”. Yay team! Yay deeds!