RQ Con Down Under Reports
by Michael O'Brien,David Dunham,
Pam Carlson,
Dennis Hoover
David Hall, Greg Stafford, Michael O'Brien (photo by Dennis Hoover)
The con is over, the last of the thirsty Brits have left my guest room and departed for Blighty, and life has almost returned normal. Bayswater Primary turned into a real school this weekend; some of the kids at school have already asked me perplexed questions about the weird things that were going on on the oval over the weekend!
Personally, I am very happy with the way RQ Con Down Under went, and many people remarked to me that the con had a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere (if only they knew of the frenetic work behind the scenes!)
Some of my personal highlights include Wes Nicholson's 4 year daughter wiping out the opposition in the Live Action Trollball; the buzz in the Home of the Bold area straight after the dinner break, with 88 people all intent on winding up their various subplots in the time left; and learning that our would-be canteen robber early Saturday morning was thwarted-in-the-act by "Grip" and "Fang", two of the Victoria police force's crack team of Rottweiler attack dogs!
Lowlights would have to include the Bayswater Pub's curious closing times; John Hughes paying big money to buy back his donated copy of Duck Tower (again!); Nick Brooke's tuneful rendition of "The Red Vexilium" during the Lunar Tunes seminar; and Greg e-mailing me a week before he's due to arrive to say his passport has expired and the US government is both under 16 feet of snow and closed because the Republicans have blocked the budget (some nervous nights followed, I can tell you!)
Finally, thanks to my co-organisers Andrew Bean and John Hughes; Andrew especially for running all over town fixing up this 'n that the week before and John especially for the wonderful job he did on Questlines.
P.S. Cons Past and Future with a major focus on RQ & Glorantha. Get in touch if you want further information!
*subsequent RQ Cons will be called Glorantha Con, but retain the numbering.
My wife Elise also enjoyed Home of the Bold, but both of us swore not to eat another meat pie for the rest of our trip (Andrew, the canteen was actually very fine, despite the untimely loss of the snakes).
Here are some random notes from other sessions:
Greg read a bit about Harmast (the first human to perform the complete Lightbringer's Quest), illustrating the personal suffering caused by Lokamayadon.
Greg's address detailed the story of the Red Goddess before Time, as she passed through different stages (Verithurusa, Sedenya, Gerra, Nysalor, the Red Goddess). When the Seven Mothers brought her back to life, they were surprised at the results. She came riding on the Crimson Bat -- the bat symbolizes death to Dara Happans.
It was great actually meeting many of the south-of-the-equator names from the Digest (and many others who don't post). Thanks to MOB for the parties, and to Andrew Bean for the crash space. Everyone was friendly, and we'd do it again in a flash.
The story telling contest was judged by traditional Orlanthi means - screaming approval for your candidate. To be fair - I could hardly tell the difference in acclaim - all readers were well received. Let's hope the next contest isn't judged by Dart War!
On Friday I enjoyed MOB's whimsical "Rune Metal Jacket", during which I discovered that other people are far more outrageous and creative than I am at making up new characters on the spot.
Later Greg gave a memorable Heroquesting talk outdoors beneath the Southern Cross on the school's cricket oval. My first reaction was "Not Greg on Heroquesting again!". But each time I attend one of these sessions, I get new insights into Glorantha. The big one this time was that by being reborn as a human, the Red Goddess (we need a simple name for her now that she's not always red) acquired free will and was able to heroquest to make herself greater and ascend into the sky.
My Saturday was entirely taken up with Home of the Bold and with the search for an open pub. I was so busy as Gordius Silverus that I have very fragmentary recollections of what happened during the freeform. I remember that Temertain was a royal pain in the butt. He kept crashing meetings in which we were planning the annexation of the northern third of Sartar by Tarsh and dropping his unpaid bills on my desk. I also remember they gave my daughter a very thick checkbook (new with this running of HotB) with which she could draw my funds at will. In each running of HotB the Lunar tax collector has been played by Gordius' real-life wife, and I must say that Barb was no more accommodating to me than the other wives were to the Gordii before me. Naturally I was critically short of funds as the freeform neared its climax.
Gordius was especially ably served by his loyal aides, Lemidus the Scribe (Liam Routt) and Publicus the Punctilious (Saravan Peacock, who gets my vote for the best real name at the con), without whom I'd have been lost.
One scene I remember especially well happened on the evening of the Sartarite rebellion. I had discovered a plot to assassinate me. My daughter's nurse was going to let Vamastal, King of the Sambari, Tamara Threeslice (the Starbrow supporter), and a Humakti (I forget his name) into the Lunar HQ while the Lunar military types were occupied with the uprising.
Fortunately Lunar incompetence came to my rescue. Moments before the uprising, a lunar Inquisitor pops into my office a presents me with a warrant removing me from office. Normally I would have ripped it up and had the man executed, but Leonidas (High Priest of Moonson Imperator and of Yelm) happened to be there with one of his aides and promptly declared himself Provost. Just then my general Lergius came in with all his aides as well as Harvar Ironfist and all his loyal kings. A vociferous argument ensued as to who was the rightful Provost. I declared martial law. Leonidas declared, "you can't declare martial law. I'm the Provost. I declare martial law." Lergius kept complaining we didn't have time to argue, but he wouldn't back either of us Provost.
Just then I noticed Vamastal, Tamara, and the Humakti come into the headquarters. Finding the dozen or so most powerful Lunars and Lunar supporters surrounding me, Vamastal and Tamara turned around and walked out. The Humakti began is death song, but I have no idea what happened to him. I guess he left too. Shortly thereafter I followed suit, through a bolthole with trusty Lemidus.
One other noteworthy (at least to me) thing happened during HotB. During a momentary break I was running through the rain to the toilets when I failed to scan an iron bar blocking my way. My cracked rib is still rather painful. Reminds me of an old joke. "A man walked into a bar...Ouch!"
Other highlights of the con, mostly on Sunday, included Stafford's Address, the Lore Auction, John Hughes' strutting and drumming during the storytelling, Nick Brooke's soulful singing voice, Andrew Bean's HotB costume, the real-life Trollkin during Trollball, and the moans and groans of the hard-core Orlanthi whenever Greg revealed things about the Red Goddess.
Best Lore Auction question
Q: Does the Red Goddess have a sibling active in the middle air?Worst unasked question
A: Yes
Q: Who is it?
I'm ready for the next Aussie con.
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