Twinheim takes a quick look back on Con of the North 2024, as one of our writers / editors for the site reflects and reminisces on epic experiences, cherished memories, and event successes.
When I initially wrote this, my brain was buzzing with sheer post-event vibes.
You know that sensation you get when you participate in an amazing ceremony or event? It begins with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, and ends with a pure feeling of relief and triumph. Now, imagine that, but in unison with a group of dedicated geeks hosting a collaborative table-top RPG extravaganza.
So, sit back, and allow me to share with you the saga of Con of the North 2024, through the eyes of one Dungeons and Dragons Adventurers League DM as we take a victory lap, and reflect upon what makes an event like this truly special.
The two epics chosen for this year (Friday and Saturday evening) were Assault on Myth Nantar, and Drums of the Dead. Both of these are officially released DnD epics by Wizards of the Coast.
Assault on Myth Nantar is a nautical and underwater adventure amid a battle against the Red Wizards of Thay, hellbent on stealing a powerful artifact known as the Librarian. The higher-level characters (Tier 3) were tasked to defend the artifact, cutting through monstrous creatures and the Red Wizards themselves. Meanwhile, the lower-level characters (Tier 2) took on the duty of gathering allies and engaging in the main naval battle head-on.
As for my role, I had the honor of DMing for a squad of Tier 2 adventurers, and guiding them on their journey. The Tier 2 experience had several missions, allowing the party to engage their enemy on the high seas. This included ship-to-ship combat, infiltrating vessels under cover of darkness, sabotaging battle plans, or playing negotiator to recruit others to their cause. While there were multiple missions our valiant troupe engaged in during this epic, but allow me to share one fun memory from a particular moment of negotiation and uncovering a vile scheme!
Together, we sought to convince a tribe of Locathah (Forgotten Realms ever charming fish-folk) to join our plight against the Red Wizards. When we arrived, a band of guardian sea eels awaited us, hissing and threatening our rowboat. Through our finesse with animal handling, we managed to soothe them, and make them friendly and playful. We were quickly welcomed to descend to the coral reef, and into the secret village below.
Two sea-elf ambassadors were already present, seeking to sway the leader of the village to their side. However, treachery was afoot. They urged the leader that the Red Wizards of Thay were not a threat. Despite the danger nearby, they claimed that the Emerald Enclave themselves could assure of it. This is a slight deviation from the written version, but I felt it fit the table well.
After an antagonistic debate with the party, with multiple rolls of persuasion, one of our more insightful adventurers became suspicious. They decided to cast Zone of Truth in the middle of the argument. Amidst their rabble, the ambassadors gaffed, giving away their real identities! … They were Red Wizards of Thay!
It was a hilarious moment for the table to witness my voicing one of the sea elves, going from saying:
“the Emerald Enclave believes you are safe, and on your gills, there is no threat”
to saying
“as I said, the Red Wizards believe you are scum, and we will kill, with no regrets.‘.
All the while, they were double-taking and scrambling to roll back their words. After faltering and failing to the point when they gave up saying “ah to hell with this”, they unveiled their true selves, and started attacking the party.
Then, there was Drums of the Dead, a zombie invasion-themed epic taking place in the jungles of Chult. A ritual to destroy the undead had backfired, unleashing a new plague of undead. Meanwhile, the lich Szass Tam would rally the infected to conduct a siege on Port Nyanzaru.
Our tier 1 and 2 tables worked to clear out the jungles and assist/defend victims while finding a cure. Meanwhile, tiers 3 and 4 were tasked to destroy the Crawling Palace to stop the source of the ritual. One of our volunteers dressed as Szass Tam would drift from table to table, antagonizing the players, and complicating their journey with debuffs, more undead, and other negative effects.
Meanwhile, the enigmatic Volothamp Geddarm (our very own Justin King) himself drifted from table to table, providing boons and positive effects to the players and the battle field to even the stakes.
However, by far, one of the most creative uses of the multi-table epic experience came in the form of plague infection mechanics!
Each player was susceptible to contracting the plague each time they were struck by a zombie. If they failed a CON save, they would receive a card face-down. They were tasked keep it until the clock passed a certain time after their initial infection. Once the clock ran out, the infection would take hold, and they would flip over their card and read.
Each card had stats for a type of zombie. Once flipped, they would stand up from their seat, move to a neighboring table, and attack the party of that table in the midst of their adventure. Whether a Stinking Zombie, Puking Zombie, or Exploding Zombie, the chance of spreading the plague was high, contributing to even more zombie players.
My favorite memory came in a final mission at my table to hold the line at Camp Venture. Our table spent twenty minutes preparing for multiple waves of zombies in a good old-fashioned zombie tower defense scenario. Half the party was tasked with setting up barricades, and traps, preparing spells, and drawing zombies toward their position. The other half would slip down into an abandoned lab, Mission Impossible style, to raid its interior for cure samples. … It was the icing on the cake; the thing that zombie invasions are made of!
After the last epic ended, the room was filled with accomplishment and thrill. After spending the next 30-45 minutes packing and wrapping up for the night, the Dungeon Masters went out for late-night drinks. Our team was ecstatic about how well our experiences went, how pumped up everyone was, and how it felt to kick some zombie butt.
These are the kinds of experiences that keep me coming back to Dungeons and Dragons, and to Twinheim as a volunteer. Amazing peers, excited and engaged players, and fantastic adventure experiences that last a lifetime.
And to think, we did this all in service of the community, and an amazing non-profit; Gillette Childrens.
During the event, amongst donations, purchases, auctions, and other activities, we managed to raise $3,260 towards Gillette Childrens, through Extra Life. A new record for the event! … All just from running games of Dungeons and Dragons.
It’s a truly fantastic thing to be a part of, and I recommend playing in a Twinheim event if you ever get the chance.
Greetings adventurers! I hope you enjoyed my account of Con of the North 2024.
I’m glad to be one of the newest writers and editors for Twinheim. If you want to check out some of my own content, you may also find me at https://www.chaoticanwriter.com, where I post about TTRPGs, world-building, writing, and other geeky topics.
Happy Rolling,
Matthew Allan Olson (Chaotican Writer)
