UO:2001-03-26: Heroes & Legends Festival Brings Out The Best


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Great Lakes Edition


Heroes & Legends Festival Brings Out The Best

Author: Quill McMartin Published: March 26, 2001



Jollier Fairgrounds, east of Skara Brae, held well over three hundred people during the course of the three night, two day Heroes & Legends festival. Citizens came from far and wide to enter games, gamble, and don complimentary festive party hats.

The myriad activities provided entertainment for the group. There was something for everyone, from tamers to warriors. Some amused themselves by tending bar or making use of the gaming tables. Games of chance were presented by representatives of the Cap and Dagger Casino. On Saturday and Sunday, there were groups of adventurers who braved the depths of the ancient wyrm's lair to collect his vast treasure.

One of the popular games of the weekend was Pann's Challenge. Teams of four would enter the arena and face off against creatures as formidable as dragons and ice fiends. Those who lived to tell the tale walked away bursting with pride.

A number of groups sponsored events. Mr. Jollier and the festival staff would like to thank: River's End, Treasure Hunters of Britannia, Riverveil, The UnRuled, The Noble Houses of Britannia, The Cap and Dagger Casino, and the Sisters of Enchantment for their contributions to making the festival a success.

River's End hosted three scavenger hunts, one each night of the festival. Each of these hunts had dozens of teams competing to be the first to solve each clue and return with the item. Winning teams received gold, a fireworks wand, a treasure map and other goodies. Scavenger hunt winners were:

Hunt I

Torrent, Joque, Lady Genie, Lord Zeke

Hunt II

Aryn, Astrid Nightwind, Lyndsey Flamefist

Hunt III

Blackheath, Mike the Tamer, Lord Zeke, Lady Frostbite.

A massive group turned out for Saturday's treasure hunt. Representatives of the Treasure Hunters of Britannia were on hand to lead the expeditions and were overwhelmed by the response. Giving the group their best efforts, they ensured that no one went home empty-handed.

Riverveil sponsored an Edible Artwork competition. Contestants were each given a small wooden chest and had one hour to artfully arrange edible and non-edible food items into an attractive meal or snack. Judges were hard-pressed to select winners from the amazing entries that were submitted. In the end, Lisa Valorite took home first honors, winning a personalized sash and a bank check for 10,000 gold pieces. Second place went to Miranda Aleana, and third to Ethereal.

The UnRuled's Iolo was Master of Ceremonies for the Storytelling contest. In the end, Mark Anthony was judged to be the winner, with second going to Ocelot and third to Kayla and Odessa, who performed a skit. Prizes varied from gold to fishing nets.

Richard Cypher, a Grandmaster Bowyer, provided the bows for the Best of the Butte tournament. Competition was fierce. The determination for the prize came down to the final arrow. Caprial hit the bull’s eye to claim the first prize of a sash and bow of vanquishing. Arcus, second place winner, received an archer set of valorite crafted by Lord Blake Steelarm, donated by Lady Shannon.

Zef of the NHB assisted Evie Vandergellen in hosting a competition for tamers, The Running of the Bulls. Speed taming was the tactic, with tamers racing to control the selection of bulls placed in the arena. Meg and Eleven went head to head in the final round, with Meg claiming the victor's sash for first place and Eleven the crook of power for second place.

The sinfully delightful Sisters of Enchantment participated as the enchanting hostesses of the contest for mages, Faster Caster. Pyrate proved to be the champion here, earning the first place prize. OneAdamTwelve and Karianna were second and third, respectively.

Unfortunately, the bardic competition, The Great Bard Off, had to be cancelled. Witnesses reported that there was interference from spectators that prevented the integrity of the contest.

The glowing reports about the festival show that it was a special time for everyone involved.