Adam has requested a separation of parts of the Library's information. I'm hoping to keep everything under the wiki using the additional features already available. This is an attempt to keep the groups' history and General Announcements in the wiki as Blogs.

2008 December 1

First, I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving.

If you haven't noticed, the wiki moved once again…and the entire site will soon follow. This past weekend I realized that the problems with the original installation were not due to server issues or file access issues. The hosting web server was hacked. It happened again this past weekend. In a way the timing works to my advantage. The current contract is up in February so there's not much lost.

I am in the process of reviewing available web hosts to determine where to move the Library.

2008 October 30

First, Happy Halloween. The haunting hour is almost upon us, currently 9:30 pm.

I am posting to inform those with newly registered accounts, that the rights have been updated. Please modify/create responsibly. If there are any broken links, please let me know. I have noticed some changes in the way the wiki software handles links. In some cases entire sub-directories will appear broken until they are fixed.

2008 October 15

Good news and bad news. I have updated the wiki. In the process I had to move the wiki to http://dokuwiki.libraryofhighmoon.com, which you're currently reading. The original wiki at http://wiki.libraryofhighmoon.com no longer exists. Somehow the directory structure corrupted within that sub-domain. I am still looking at getting recovering everything. I may not be able to get everything back. If you need access to the wiki, please email me immediately (sorry for the inconvenience).

Now for the Good News….Everything on the previous wiki was recovered from the original wiki site and has been moved. I am still working on determining which plug-ins work with the new version of dokuwiki.

2008 August 28

Sorry everyone. The past month as been busy for me. Trying to get Kyra ready for school, extra work around the house, and just a general sense of malaise.

I have the complete backup of the wiki made…and the upgrades for the wiki ready to be installed. I'm seriously hoping that I'll be able to get this done during Labor Day weekend.

2008 July 28

I have recently discovered that this format does not work in several browsers. I will be working to fix the issues over the next couple of days.

First step is to bring everything up to the most recent code base. I will be making a back up of the entire wiki before upgrading.

I have already started the back up of the wiki. Current readings show I am 1/3 of the way through the file system as of 2:21 am. Hopefully it finishes without error.

2008 January 06

I finally added an additional group which should give all of the regular members the ability to edit most of the pages. Since we trust everyone with access, there are few limitations on the ability to edit pages. Certain sections are still marked read-only, but all the campaigns and world information is editable.

All links removed from news due to massive changes in the websites.

2007 News

2007 December 19

(pghkitten) Just finished moving EVERYTHING over from the WetPaint wiki. All information is present and accounted for, albeit sometimes in not the best shape format-wise. There's some stuff that still remains to be moved over on the Library and some decisions to be made about what to leave there, but other than that, this wiki is ready for totally new information. I'm going to make a post on the Tower Inn community about it at some point soon, which will (hopefully) lead to an influx of people wanting to contribute here. The WetPaint wiki has been emptied, and if it remains inactive, will delete itself after a set period of time.

blacksol: I wouldn't say its completely ready for all new information. I'll be working on moving the rest of the Histories over from the Library forum this weekend. Also if I'm correct there's a lot of information in the character bios that needs to come over.

(pghk) If the histories are moving here, are there still going to be forums for that on the Library as well? Most of the character bios are moved over; I didn't move Sol's because it's complex and I figured you'd be better suited to do so, and I think Anthony also hasn't been moved over yet.

2007 December 18

The wiki is coming along nicely. Pghkitten has been adding 2-3 pages a day it seems.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I finally removed the hanging folders that were driving me insane.

Blacksol

(pghkitten: Work has been slow lately.)

2007 August 23

Library of Highmoon is making the move to a wiki format.

2007 April 14

Removal of Email Addresses

As requested by several users, the email addresses have been removed from the Contact Page.

Also a reminder for all gamers, the forum is open for business. It should prove a useful addition once we start posting campaign news in there.

2006

February 26, 2006

The ads and search box are complete. I also answered the call from several users to remove music from all pages. If anyone would like the music restored to their character pages, please email me with the page affected the music to be played.

To listen to music currently available on the site, please visit Music.

February 24, 2006

Addition of Ads

As you can see, I have finally gotten around to adding Ads on the site. This will also include a search option that will appear next to the menu at the top of each page.

I doubt the proceeds from the ads or the search box will amount to much, but every penny will help to offset the charges of keeping the site up and running.

2005

September 11, 2005

User WebSites

If you have any comments or suggestions for the site, please let us know. At the bottom of each page is a link to a form that anyone can fill out and send to the webmaster.

We are currently looking into means to host sites for members/players.
Return to main page

September 6, 2005

Update to Layout

The entire design of Library of Highmoon has been revamped. Improvements will continue. There exists the possibility that I've missed a few links, images, etc here and there. If you find something that doesn't quite look right, please let me know. On a side note of links, none of the links in the archives currently work. All of these links direct you back to the previous version of The Library. These links will be updated in time.

Hopefully in the near future, we'll start displaying Advertisements under the menus. The Advertisements selected will hopefully be of interest to the majority of our users. If you have any suggestions on the types of advertisements, again...please let me know.

2005 February 8

New Server Host and Domain Name

As you can tell, we have moved homes once again...and for good. With the registered domain name, this will be the last address you see Library of Highmoon using.

Unfortunately, due to the change in hosts, many of the scripts previously available are not yet operational. The same applies to the menu system. All of these features will be coming online within the next couple of days to weeks. That is when the fun really begins. Once the existing pages are corrected to work on the new host, we will start adding new features to the experience.

Enjoy.

2004 November 16

Link Corrections

The following pages had links corrected:

old_announcments.html
contacts.html
arms.html
2nd.html

There is also a new coat of arms on display in Coat of Arms section of the Library.

2003

July 31, 2003

Second update for today: Made revisions and corrections to Faerie Group page, Titles and Nobility, Coats of Arms, Contacts, Lost Campaigns, Solo Campaigns and Characters, 1st Group, 2nd, Group, and the Library's main page. Also added the new Mirago Group page.

July 31, 2003

Finished the Orange Group Quotes Page and updated the Club Doom quotes page. Links in the previous update.

July 30, 2003

Added the Club Doom Quotes Page, which contains all quotes to date for that campaign, and began the Orange Group Quotes Page, although that's going to take awhile to finish. More quotes coming there tomorrow.

July 29, 2003

Hi, all. It's been awhile, but a number of things have changed on the site. The key changes:

1) Chuck has added new pulldown menus in the corners of many pages allowing for easy site navigation. Thanks, Chuck.

2) The Master Index of PC Characters on the main page is open, and anyone can post a bio of their character there, following the format already seen. Just click on the "Add a character" link. Eventually, I hope to have a brief bio of every PC character from Galon and Kaerith here.

3) The Contacts page has been updated to include all current players and characters they have played; pending characters have been left off at this point.

4) The new Club Doom page is open! Suggestions and submissions are welcome.

5) Numerous small updates throughout the site, such as more info on character creation.

Coming soon: New fiction by Wendy and Justin; new character bios; updated feats and skills; a downloads section, so everyone can have easy access to the latest skill, feat, and spell lists; and whatever else I can dream up. My new job allows me a fair amount of time during the day to post updates, so I should be able to add more to the site for the forseeable future.

One last note: it is with a mixture of sadness and excitement that I must announce, to those who haven't heard, that White Wolf is ending the World of Darkness line of games. They're evidently going out with a bang, though, and actually publishing a series of books and supplements detailing the end of the world and how to play it in your campaigns. They say a "new" World of Darkness will be unveiled in August 2004, but no details are yet available. This means, sadly, the end of an innovative and consistently creative game line that has revolutionized the gaming industry, and provided countless hours of pleasure for thousands of campaigns worldwide. And while its passing-- at the peak of its poularity and sales, no less- will be mournedI take my hat off to them for having the guts to fulfill the promise of the end of the story they've been telling for 12 years now, and look forward to seeing how it's done, and what will follow.

2002

August 27, 2002

Hello, all! Just a quick update on a few new featurees that have been added during the last few months:

1) The Orange Group page, complete with bios. Orange Group has also recently welcomed two new guest characters, Minisia Semberly (played by Paul), and Elis Corrigan (played by Wendy)

2) A new piece of Kaerith fiction. The Flamekeeper's Daughter by Stacie details the summoning of Tagnox of the Stone Hammer by her fire elementalist Flontara the Red during 2nd Group's captivity in the Imperial Arena in Talagran. The link can be found on the Fiction page.

3) The all-new Northgray Group is up and running, and can be found on both the main page and the Online Campaigns page. A partially completed Guide to Galon is also available to complement the new campaign, and a Guide to Elves is connected to the Northgray guestbook itself. A Guide to Northgray will be available soon.

Numerous other little changes to the site have been made, including a few new coats of arms, character list updates on the Contacts page, and other little features. A lot has been added the past few monthsm and more is forthcoming. Keep checking for new posts, and I'll soon award XPs to all those who have contributed.

August 25, 2002

Welcome to the New Site
Welcome to the new version of The Library of Highmoon. There have been several additions to the site since it was moved from Geocities.

1.The PC Masterlist may now be added to by all Player Characters. If you have any questions please contact Chuck online or at c.frankert at attbi.com

2. The Orange Group page is completely up and running with two character bios.

3. There are several other modifications and new files available (some in rough draft) that were not available earlier.

Upcoming
1. The Spell Lists, Feat List, Non-Weapon Skill List and other Technical Data is still in the process of being added/updated on the site.

2. Chuck is working on a Menu that will allow easier Navigation to all areas of the website.

3. 3E Character Sheets will soon be available through the website. If you have any that you believe are organized, easily maintained and set up in Excel or Word, please send them to Chuck.

Sorry for the long delay in updating news.

January 3, 2002

Happy New Year, all. Several announcements today:

1. Two new 2nd Group character bios posted, both by Chuck: One for his old dwarf Sol Blackstar, now active in the Dwarf Group online campaign, and one for his most recent addition, Anthony Grandolin . Sol's bio in particular is accompanied by a rich body of other information, including campaign info on Dol Geldar, and a journal of 2nd Group's adventures after Sol's arrival. Excellent work, Chuck; 500 XPs for Anthony's bio, and 1500 for Sol's and the associated information.
2. Two new pieces of fiction. The long-awaited Part 2 of Psion, Sage, Rat, and Kender by Laz is finally available for public viewing, concluding the latest chapter in the Sage Chronicles. Also by Laz is a more serious piece, a Kaerith story called The Walkers , which I am told is a preldue to much more advanced Irelia-based stories to come. Great job, Laz; I'll assign XPs soon.
3. Two new coats of arms on the Arms Page , one each for Zree of 4th Group the Galon NPC Sir Allen of Brevar. Beth designed the former, and I the latter; 400 XPs to Zree for the arms.
4. The home page for Orange Group , the newest Kaerith campaign. Little to be found there yet. Character bios will soon be posted.
5. A few links, spelling errors, and other minor corrections.

In the near future, the Library will be moving to a new server with a lot more room and cgi capacity. I'll let you guys know when that happens.

2001

December 26, 2001

A few updates tonight. Aside from some minor changes to the Soloists and Lost Campaigns pages to account for some heretofore forgotten characters, I also made a little structural change to the main page. I've created a specific page for the online campaigns , with links directly to both current ones and one forthcoming one. The Dwarf Group and Dreambook Group pages can be individually accessed from their headings under the Kaerith column on the main page as well. I also removed the redundant Kaerith Guide link on the main page contents, since it's also found below in the Kaerith column. The Galon Guide, incidentally, should be up soon.

In changes to old content, new quotes were added to the 2nd Group Quotes Page , and Steve has replaced his old Tyke bio page with a new, updated and revised Tyke bio , revealing interesting facts about one of our oldest characters. Steve, I'll give you XPs for the bio when I give them out for all recent contributions to the page soon. New content includes yet another piece of new fiction. Psion, Sage, Rat, and Kender, Part 1 (of 2) picks up the Gimble and Rat saga where Laz left it off, with the terrifying addition of his old kender and Athasian dwarf soloists, Kraz and T'willic. Definitely worth the read. Expect Part 2, and several more Laz stories, very soon. Steve also tells me he's drafting a tale about the war in Tarsk, and Justin one about the various ex-PCs of 1st Group . Keep up the good work, guys; you've inspired me to renew work on my old Galon stories and begin serious work on a 1st Group novel.

Speaking of 1st Group, they met the other night for the first time in five months, with resounding success. Amber Chappars played live on Galon for the first time that night, taking the role of the NPC cleric Lumos; we look forward to seeing her play again. More sessions will hopefully occur before everyone scatters back to colleges.

The Dreambook recently saw a burst of activity, including two new PCs, the noble rake Toumas Sinestrin and the mysterious (and anonymously played) actress Kiana Rincondell. Welcome, both; hope you enjoy your stay, and please don't grow impatient waiting for Oswald or another character to interact with. If anyone knows who Oswald really is, please tell him to post soon; our new players are by the inn and await his reply.

Two public announcements: Steve, thanks for the new DMG; it's terrific. And secondly, to all gamers: if you've not yet seen Lord of the Rings, do so at your earliest convenience. It is exquisite, and worth any price you pay for a ticket. This is a great time to be a gamer in the public eye; let's give this movie our wholehearted and much-deserved support, and Harry Potter for the same reason.

Coming in a day or two: More character bios, the Orange Group page, and new fiction. Merry Christmas/Yule/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Festival of All Life to you all.

November 24, 2001

Today I added the 2nd Group Quotes Page , which is not yet complete but contains a fairly comprehensive list of many of that campaign's more memorable lines. 2nd Group met last night for the first time in months, with all members save Paul and a guestappearance by Melissa, who playeed Jean-Luc's squire Herman; further developments expected at the enxt session in December.

I've also updated the Contacts Page , putting in the latest email addresses for everyone who has not requested them to be withheld, and listing all known characters for all of you. If any of you has played a character that is not on there, or created an unplayed character that is not on the Lost Campaigns page, let me know.

The Dwarven E-Group has begun again, with a recent post by Chuck and a new character just introduced by Justin, Flood Irongate. Keep up the good work, guys. Meanwhile, the Dreambook still languishes; where are you all, people?

Soon to come: A page dedicated to RPs we've played in or run other than the ones I DM, more fiction, and the Forbidden Magic page.

November 22, 2001

Several site updates to report. First, new features: Not one, but two works of fiction have bene posted. LAZ's latest Kaerith short story, "Songs of Praise, Things of Beauty" , tells the story of a Nuartan wizard whose life was shattered by the Nethenist coup of Irelia and his own consequent sins. Also available is my own long-promised Sycron story, "The Collector" . Both can be found on the Fiction Page ; check them out and let us know what you think. In other fiction-related news, I have begun work on a series of Galon novels detailing 1st Group's adventures up to the Twlight Times; I'll keep you guys posted on progress.

Another new addition is the long-awaited Whatever Happened to 3rd Group? page. The fates of Mace, Gylph, and Caelie remain undocumented, however, so if you played one of them, please contact me sometime so we figure out what became of 3rd Group's last three members.

The Kaerith Dreambook Campaign seems to have fallen totally silent. Does anyone still check there? At the other end of the spectrum, kudos to Chuck for making a new post to the Dwarven E-Group campaign, and keeping it alive. That campaign, and the Dreambook, both still welcome new players.

Speaking of new campaigns, a few have erupted. The long-awaited Galon E-Group has actually begun play offline albeit with only Wendy and Stacie, but will soon return to the net as Mirago Group. Stay tuned.

A successful new campaign began about a month and a half ago and has met four times so far. Orange Group, a Kaerith campaign based out of 2nd Group's tower in the Free City of Serin, has been a great success so far. It currently includes only three PCs, played by Justin, Stacie, and Steve, but further growth is anticipated. Expect to see their home page and character bios here very soon.

The forthcoming and as-yet-unnamed Galon campaign got a sneak preview recently at the first Hallowen session in two years, when Justin and Steve came in costume to play their new Galon characters for the first time; pictures will be available soon. Joined by Stacie's 4th Group witch Rina , the three found themselves guests at a Grim Meet on th slopes of Hawk Mountain, where the Man of Mists, Kelidno, was annointed heir to Dengolath's throne of evil. His plans remain unknown, but are unlikely to be good.

Forthcoming projects include a guide to the lost, evil, and forbidden magics of Galon and Kaerith; a character creation guide; and the Gaming Hall of Fame and Shame. Stay tuned...

September 16, 2001

First off, if you haven't read "A special message" on the main page, please do so. It concerns a matter of importance to all of the civilized world right now, and if you can't spare time for that, you can't spare time for anything else I have here.

At long last, I have made a few updates, adding characters to the Contacts Page and making a few changes to bad links and such. The most significant change has been the long-awaited addition of the Highmoon Group Page , meaning that we now have a page for every currently open offcial campaign. Right now it still shares its Quotes Page with 4th Group and has no current session updates posted, but that will be remedied soon. Highmoon Group will also be having its first offline session in several months later today, albeit sans Jason.

Given the recent movings and shakings of people I've known, I thought I'd best give a brief explanaion of where all current campaigns and active solo characters stand. Soon I plan to create a Campaign Updates Page listing this sort of information, but for now, here are the relevant standings:

1st Group : Currently on hiatus as its members are in three different states, but still an open campaign. Character bios are still being encouraged, since this is the oldest campaign I run and elss than half of the currently active characters have bios posted right now. The party is presently at the Tulmishi border in early November of 687 PD, ready to enter the country and seek out the elven high general, father of party ranger Brick Aurthor. Next anticipated session: December 2001.

2nd Group : On hiatus for the same reasons as 1st Group; still technically active. The party is currently in the Tiny Nation of Winnebago, semi-captive in the home of Brent Maverick, Lord Protector of the nation and apparently an exact replica of the persona created by party thief Bono Fosbury . The game date is sometime in January of 54 AL. Next anticipated session: December 2001.

3rd Group : This Galon group is offcially closed. Several of its characters have been active since then and their fates are known; I am putting together a "Whatever happened to 3rd Group?" page that will list the fate and/or whereabouts of every character currently or formerly of that group. To that end I still need info on the fates of Gylph, Caelie, Mace, Thorton, and Steve;s ex-Amazon, Natalia.

4th Group : On indefinite hiatus due to geographic separation of its members. The group was last left in the tiny village of Devil's Eye in the Banshee Wastes, training in the use of their strange powers. The game date was sometime in September of 687. Next anticipated session: Unknown, but probably online.

Highmoon Group: On hiatus for the same reasons as 4th Group. The group is currently in hiding at the Temple of Hermes following a near-escape from the legendary slaver Stovepipe Jack. The game date is September 4. Still seeking a bio of the one member of the group who lacks on, Sabodan Kondran, and the completion of Cordelia's bio. Next anticipated session: unknown, but probably online.

Faerie Group : On indefinite hiatus for the same reasons as 4th Group. The group, which left off in late October 53 AL, has been planning with locals in the Bernish village of Redfang (formerly Bornhem) to overthrow the orcs dominating the town. Next anticipated session: Unknown.

Dreambook Group : This online campaign is still active, albeit slow. The current party members are now in hiding from Baron Randolph's Greymen at a temple of Britigit. We're still seeking the identity of a long-absent anonymous member, Ytanna Lonserr. Anyone know?

Dwarven E-Group: Long inactive and barely active to begin with. LAZ, Chuck, can we get this thing rolling?

New Campaigns: In the next few weeks, three- count'em, three- new campaigns will be starting. One of these will be an online play-by-mail campaign, open to anyone who feels like joining, set on Galon in the Mealdrish city of Mirago. Two characters from this campaign have already played a bit offline, and at least two more possibles are known. Anyone wishing to join, email me and ask. I'll be setting up the Yahoo Group from which that campaign will run very soon.

The other two will be local to the Pittsburgh area and open to gamers living here, although visitors who are currently elsewhere are always welcome to guest-star when the plot allows. One each will be set on Galon and Kaerith. The Kaerith campaign, tentatively named Orange Group (inside joke; ask if you don't know), will be based out of the Free City of Serin. All characters must be beginners (0 or 1st level preferred) and native to Kaerith. The Kaerith Guide on the main page lists relevant information about the world; I'll post a guide specifically to Serin and its surrounding enemy Irelia soon.

The Galon one, as yet unnamed, will have a somewhat unusual premise: A group of individuals, gathered together by a powerful patron, to perform quests in his name and gaing glory and fame. As such the campaign will have no sepcific starting setting. Characters may hail from anywhere on Galon except Zaratan and must be low level (3rd or less) and approved by me.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for new updates....

April 30, 2001

Well, after over four months away, I'm back working on the Library. That probably has something to do with the enormous amount of other work I have to do right now. In only three weeks I'll be graduating, and I plan to utilize my first more or less free summer since college began to expand and update this page a great deal. A move to a site with more space is a possibility, but that's still a ways off.

The page has had several significant updates. First and foremost are the new sections, largely made possible by Jason's HTML brilliance, for which he is getting a healthy pile of XPs. In response to frequent demands for technical information, I've posted the Weapon Proficiencies Page , the Skills Page , and the Feats Page . Each of these pages contains, or will soon contain, the complete rules for handling these topics in my campaigns, as well as my expanded and modified lists of skills, feats, and weapons. Links on the Skills Page also provide access to related topics, namely the Skill Specialties list and the Languages Page . More technical information soon to come.

I am, I must confess, once again revising the spell lists. This is a necessary accomodation to account for 3E changes to the rules, however, not one of my usual meddlings. As part of this, I have revised the lists of spells according to which schools and spheres of magic they belong to. The changes should affect very few of you, and in a few cases may give you access to spells you lacked before. Most of my modifications to the spell lists this time will consist of adding new spells, and making a few minor shifts and name changes. I'll post the revised lists as soon as they're available.

One of the significant new changes you'll note here is the addition of the homepage for our newest campaign, Faerie Group . This lighthearted Kaerith campaign, set in the Whitelands, features Stacie's 2nd group cameo character Nathlia Angell , Jason's cowboy archaeologist from freshman year, Teslo Rankoot , and Wendy's first IRL character, the scruffy rogue Nara Dillis . The campaign is fairly new, but has been fun for all involved, and thanks to Wendy and Jason's efforts already has a presence on the site. Be sure and check out the new page.

Drew has hand-drawn a rather striking picture of his 4th Group storm-raiser, Chris Callahan . It's on Chris' bio page and well worth checking out. 500 XP to Chris for the effort, Drew.

The Kaerith Dreambook Campaign has recently found new life with the addition of two anonymous characters, Edgar Skullbane and Heineken the Wererat. Welcome to both of you; glad you found the campaign, and hope you enjoy your stay. Everyone in the Dreambook has been very active of late; thanks, guys, and keep up the good work. The roster has been changed in other ways: Bull Dungham (played by LAZ) has left the campaign indefinitely; Vissia Clesprin, Oswald Potemkin, Ytana Lonserr, and Wilf Trendle have vanished, with no forseeable return; and Kaila Tharsdatter is out on hiatus until Lisa returns from Ireland. Dirk Xavier is also still on hiatus until Prashant has enough time to play him.

The Dreambook Player Characters Page , while still in need of updating, has been enhanced with the addition of the first player-written bio, that of Amatae Winter by Wendy.

The Galon E-Group , while not yet active, is still very much a possibility. I have one complete written character bio so far, two verbal ones, and assurances of two more to come; that's a good start, but anyone else who wants to be involved is still certainly welcome. Send me your information, folks, so we can get that campaign off the ground.

Jason has been working hard on his own character's pages. In addition to the new Teslo page and several impressive updates to the Al-Quaban Page (including a bio/timeline), he's created what I hope will eventually be a comprehensive database of Galon's mystical plants. Flem's Flora Guide is now available; the link is found under Flem's bio on the 4th Group page.

That's about all the news for now, but there's more fun stuff to come. Let me know what you all think of the changes, and what you want to see here next. And for those of you who have made contributions recently, my thanks go out to you; you're helping keep this site dynamic, and there will be XPs forthcoming for your labors.

2000

December 23, 2000

Today's main update concerns the Fiction Page, where there's a new story available. The December Snow , by Justin Cryder, is a great story about the early life of his thief Bono Fosbury, and also pays homage to a long-forgotten Lunch Group character, Beranek Naslund. Check it out and post your reviews in the Library guestbook. 1000 XPs to Bono for the tale.

I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge some interesting character events. Two old PCs from other groups have visited 4th Group : Solarius Lonlowynn, formerly of 3rd Group , and Bishop Kathryn Janeway, formerly of 1st Group , made cameo appearances in a 4th Group adventure set in Northgray, marking the first conjunction of characters from 1st, 3rd and 4th groups ever. 4th Group also recently had a cameo visitor in the form of Prashant's newest Galon character, a ranger named Jonathan Falcon-Friend, who helped them defeat a corrupt svirfneblin and two trolls en route to the mysterious town of Devil's Eye. Hopefully I'll have some info on these characters to post here soon. Oswald Potemkin, long absent from the Kaerith Dreambook , has also returned; welcome back, Oswald, and we hope you stick around. Incidentally, all necessary updates to the Dreambook have bene made and that campaign is up and running again; hopefully soon we'll get some posts.

The plans for the Galon E-group are well underway, and it looks to be the biggest Galon campaign ever, with perhaps as many as nine players. Anyone interested should email me or leave a note in the Guestbook. I'll soon be distributing info on that campaign through the Library's E-Group mailing list; anyone else interested should contact me. Soon I'll also be adding a link to the E-group here so anyone who wants to can join.

More updates soon to come.

November 6, 2000

After such a long hiatus, largely due to classes, I actually have little to report. I've added a new picture to the main page, and the wallpaper there will be changing soon too, as well as the midi. Any suggestions for new background music?

I've updated the Dreambook campaign homepage to encompass all campaign events and characters up to the present. The Dreambook campaign is being restructured; soon a new Bravenet guestbook will be available which will be more attractive, user-friendly, and less limited in maximum number of entries than the first Dreambook. The plot will pick up where the last campaign left off, and hopefully we'll get some new members soon. Important Dreambook campaign note: Don't start posting in the new guestbook just yet, even though the link is up on the Dreambook homepage; I've still got to finish editing it and setting it up. I'll let you all know when it's clear to start posting there. Thanks to everyone who's continued to participate through the dry spell; although the Dreambook has no XPs, I'm, giving each of you 500 anyway.

Some belated character announcements: nearly every campaign we run has recently gained a new PC or two. 2nd Group acquired its first ranger in the form of Anthony Grandolin, Chuck's first human character, and Paul has adopted his first human as well, the Ganlian warrior Jonathan Silkblade. Highmoon has seen the arrival of Lin Mei, Drew's first character in that campaign and the first user of martial arts in any campaign I've run. And the Dreambook has gained a new player as well, Kaila Thardatter, played by my Scottish friend Lisa Cunningham. Welcome to all new characters; hope they work well.

Several new 3E elements are beginning to work their way into our campaigns. 1st Group has heartily embarced the 3E no-THAC0 attack roll system and ability score changes, and we'll be outfitting them, and hoepfully 2nd group, with revised skills and feats over the Thanksgiving break. 4th Group and Highmoon, while opting to keep THAC0, have adopted the feat system and 3E skill system with pleasing results. My 3E policy is going to be as usual for me: I'll check everything in the new books and make sure it doesn't need tweaking before we use it, and some stuff we'll just have to playtest. I'm also not going to force anyone to change if they don't want to, but as far as I can tell the specific ideas I like best (the revised skill system, readjusted ability score bonuses, feats, and attacks without TAHC0) will work to everyone's benefit without making things too much more complex, and in a few cases will make play much easier. I'll be posting more 3E stuff here in the near future.

Over the Thanksgiving break, I'll be doing a major overhaul of this site to include a lot of new material. So let me know what you most want to see here, and I'll make efforts to put it up. Currently, the minimal list will include up-to-date session updates for all active campaigns; some basic information on 3E changes, including skills and feats; the beginning of a "Whatever Happened to 3rd Group?" page detailing the fates of that group's characters; a new guestbook campaign along the theme of "Survivor," and/or a Galon guestbook, depending on what you guys want; some new entries in ther Kaerith Guide and possibly the beginning of a Galon Guide; and my latest short story, "The Collector," a tale about the Lord Mage of Highmoon. Hopefully some of our other writers may have time to add on a bit of their fiction in the near future as well. So let me know what else you guys want to see, and I'll do my best to make it happen while I have some time on my hands.

August 29, 2000

Today's updates are few and simple; more tomorrow. I've updated Al-Quaban's page to include Jason's latest modifications to his bio, and added thr coat of arms of El-Dorado Loraz to the Coats of Arms page; it's worth your time to check out. The newest issue of Dragon magazine included information on the rules of heraldry and all the proper terminology, so soon I'll be able to post guidelines on how a coat of arms is made, as well as providing a blazon (formal description in heraldic terms) for the ones already posted.

The 3rd Edition of The RPG Formerly Known as AD&D (now back to D&D) has been released, and I've been gradually going through the new Player's Handbook to see what works and what doesn't. I'll be implementing a few changes, and different groups may do things different ways. I'll post things here for everyone's approval before I make any official changes to the way we work, so reply in the guestbook and let me know what you think of them. Don't worry; we're not switiching fully to 3E by any stretch, but there are some good ideas there I think we can benefit from (and half the changes they made we already do anyway).

Dreambook folk: Where are you? The plot seems sort of stalled again. Dvorak, Ytana, Amatae, and Wilf have been silent for weeks, and poor Kerman is still unconscious on the floor...is anyone going to pick him up?

Tomorrow: Hopefully some session updates and a new feature or two. Stay tuned.

August 5, 2000

Okay, I've finally made a few updates, although most are relatively minor. I've added three new bios to the Soloists Page , changed the MIDI on tha main page (how's the new one, guys?), and updated the Contacts Page to include every named character everyone's played (LAZ, I still need the name of your 1st-Group halfling). The Dreambook homepage has also been updated to include all recent events and new characters. I've also done a little spot editing here and there to the rest of the site, trying to chase down the various typos. More new information is forthcoming.

The Dreambook campaign has been slow of late; where is everybody? One notable exception is the addition of a new and presently anonymous character, the apothecary Wilf Trendle. Welcome, Wilf; we're glad to have you, and hope you enjoy your stay. Hopefully posts will pick up soon; we haven't heard from Vissia, Dirk, or Ytana in ages, and poor Kerman is still lying unconscious on the floor.

What do you guys want to see here next? I've heard that Justin and LAZ have fiction in the works, and so do I, but what else does the site need soon? Let me know.

July 9, 2000

After being away for a few days, I have a few announcements to make, most of which pertain to Jason Laprade's 4th Group cleric, Flem . Jason has dramatically expanded Flem's profile, and it's worth everyone's time to check out the changes. In addition to making updates and adding new background music to his bio , Jason has also added several auxilary pages, including Flem's Sack , detailing the cleric's collection of unusual possessions; The Turtle Page , an unfinished page dedicated to the wisdom of Turtle, the reptile emissary of Meriadar who has offered wisdom to both 1st Group and 4th Group ; Flem's Temple , which includes a detailed floorplan of the temple of Meriadar Flem dreams of building; and Flem's Coat of Arms , found both on its own explanatory page and on the Coats of Arms page . Thanks for your efforts, Jason; I'm still calculating the XP valuer of them, but suffice to say that it will be more than enough to give Flem the 55 XPs he needs to rise a level, but I'll be doling it out to you over time so that Flem doesn't leap drastically ahead in the campaign from out-of-session activity. Conisder yourself to have an immediate bonus of 400 XP for the coat of arms, though.

I've taken down the announcements for May and June, including the list of XP awards made for activity here on the Library prior to the beginning of July. If you need any information from there, let me know.

In other news, I'd like to officially congratulate LAZ on the birth of his second son, Joshua Rider Laslo. Mother and son are both doing fine, and we wish the whole family the best of luck.

Other updates include some editing to the fiction pages , including the addition of Justin's bio of Myron the Bum . I haven't had much time to work on the new Galon stories recently, but I'm getting into a writerly mood again and I expect them to move ahead fairly soon.

Coming in the near future: a "Coming attractions" page so I won't have to take up space here saying what's coming soon, and XP tables for all classes, as well as current XP totals for all active campaigns and soloists.

July 2, 2000

Only a few changes to announce today. First and foremost, I've created a Kaerith Dreambook Campaign page, describing the characters, plot, and seting of that campaign, as well as explaining how it works, some basic etiquette for playing in such a campaign, and how to join. If you've watched the Dreambook from afar, played in it, or are thinking about doing so, this page will help you catch up on what's going on withour reading through reams of old entries. Dreambook players, if you have any suggestions, additions, or comments on the new page, post them in the Library guestbook or email me. The Kaerith Dreambook page is located in the Kaerith column on the Library's main page .

I've also added Greynor Dragonbrande's coat of arms to the Coats of Arms page; check it out. LAZ put a lot of effort into creating it from a modified file from the Dragon magazine CD-ROM archives; 450 XP to Greynor for a job well done.

That's all for now; my next update probably won't be till after the 4th, but there'll be more new stuff forthcoming after that.

Forgive me, all, for dropping out of character for a few minutes. This is a gaming site, not a personal page or a news briefing or anything of the kind. But it's my venue, and it's the only place I have to publicly post the thoughts I'm having.

I was a bit bewildered when my fellow TA, Dave Stump, came into our shared office at the Univeristy of Pittsburgh at a little after 10 AM on September 11, ignored my greeting, and began writing on the blackboard on the back wall. He stepped away from the board after a few moments, allowing me to see the chilling scrawl: "World Trade Center: Gone. Pentagon: Burning. Capitol Complex: Burning. National Mall: Burning. Planes Hijacked: 6."
"What's this?" I asked.
"The news," he replied.
"You're kidding," I said. I didn't believe at that point, and my emotional radar had not gone off. It was too impossible.
"I hope," he said. "Either that or it's a huge media hoax and all the major stations are involved." He sat at our shared computer and activated Netscape. "Now you're going to look at this with me, so I know if I'm dreaming."

So we went to CNN.com. We looked. We looked at each other in silence. We looked again. And the alarms began to wail in my mind.

The next few hours will be forever burned into my memory as a phantasmogoria of one horror after another, as the news coming in got worse and worse. My office mates and I debated what had happened and what to do next in almost hysterical tones, as if it were up to us to solve the most heinous peacetime crime ever committed. Posvar Hall was filled with small clusters of dazed students, trading rumors, shaking heads, crowding around anyone with a radio. I couldn't fathom how I would be able to teach my lesson that afternoon. It was just as well; the University sent us home at noon. I fortunately found Stacie right away, but unfortunately had to be the first to tell her that the world was ending. We couldn't get a bus home, and the walk didn't help. Neither did the news programs, which stayed on in our apartment from then till 11 that night. The Towers collapsed. Another plane crashed, chillingly 80 miles south of where we lived and even closer to where I grew up. Palestinian crowd cheered at America's comeuppance. Rockets went off in Afghanistan, probably unrelated, but who knew? There was information aplenty, but few reassurances and no answers.

In thirty years, our generation will ask one another where we were the day that the Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon was attacked, and a pilot chose to sacrifice his craft and passengers to prevent a deeper tragedy. And I have no doubt all of us will know, to the moment, where we were when the black news came. It was like a story out of a Tom Clancy novel, a fanciful tale of a terrorist attack on the unassailable monuments of our nation's success. But this was no movie set, no thrill novel. Fighter jets were flying over my peaceful city, patrolling for danger. Countless thousands lay buried in a concrete and steel tomb. America had grounded its aircraft and closed its borders. This time, the nightmare was real.

The disaster was, unbelieveably, not as bad as it could have been. At least one plane never reached its intended target, and the one that struck the Pentagon did relatively little damage. Early rumors of fires at the Capitol and half a dozen other hijacked aircraft still circling proved false. In my own selfish world, I was relieved that no one I knew had been harmed, although close friends of my family have lost several people dear to them. No one is rioting or looting; there is relative calm in the streets. Schools are reopening, and airplanes are getting ready to fly again. Our government, our people, are showing an unexpected solidarity, one not seen in this nation for many months. Life is, in many ways, struggling to get back to normal.

But the change is written on every face, heard in the eerie echoing silence of classrooms and corridors and buses where no one was talking and everyone carried a newspaper. Something has changed in America, something that has touched us all, and it's bigger than the loss of buildings we thought would stand forever, bigger, perhaps, than the unspeakably horrifying loss of thousands of innocent lives. Something is making us weep in the night and wonder what went wrong, making us think every other problem insignificant by comparison. We have been violated, and the wound of the violation will be a long time in healing. The scar never will.

I am tempted to do many things...to cry out for vengeance, to pray for deliverance for the living and the punishment of the butchers responsible for this deed. But I know this will do no good. I remind myself that blood cannot be washed out with blood, and that the righteous cry for vengenace may well have precipitated this act to begin with. So I will not pray for revenge. I will listen to what happens. I will offer my moral support to those brave men and women who work even now to save lives, help the injured, and comfort the dying and the living. I will try to help how I can...by counseling those who need help, by giving blood, by striving to go on with life. And I will pray for us to learn from this tragedy, and by learning, to keep its like from ever again striking our world.

This web site is the home of worlds we visit, in part, to escape from the one we live in, a place where the problems and crises are worse than ours and evil, in the long run, will be conquered by good. It will remain so. But for now, I hope that you all, friends and strangers alike, will take a moment to remember that sometimes the best way we can strike back is to stay our hand and heal rather than harm. Let us save the heroic quests for revenge and justice for Galon and Kaerith, where they belong. Out here, let us take the Ceridwan rather than the Markiran path, and help and heal in any way we can.

~Adam Wells Davis
12 September 2001