Fourth edition

The fourth edition was special for us, due to the SARS-Cov2 virus pandemic, it had to be held online. Many difficulties stood in our way, but we bravely overcome them and provided you with an annual portion of Earthdawn entertainment.

Orichalcum, on-line version, took place on 3-5 July 2020 under the aegis of two coordinators. The convention was made for you by:

Monika ‘Auraya’ Czyżowicz

Her mother addicted her with the reading, her friends with fantasy and Earthdawn addicted her with RPG. Seemingly Obsidiman, in the depths of her heart she is a windling. Player, Game Master, organizer of the Cytadela and Twierdza conventions, judge of the Puchar Mistrza Mistrzów. In her free time, which she doesn’t have, she writes stories and blogs on https://aurayablog.wordpress.com/

and

Michał ‘Kosmit’ Kosmala

Earthdawn is a system from which he started his adventure with “Named” RPG’s. He describes himself as “casually Game Master”, because … others in his team did not want to gamemastering.

During all these years, he matured as the GM and held sessions in competitions for players Gramy!, Nerd and Archipelag. He put his steps in fandom together with the Master-mind lecture group, which led to the creation of the Kosmit Paczy blog and the organization of three “Kosmitkon” microconventions. He is an ED maniac but he does not avoid other systems. He experiments with connections between the worlds of Earthdawn and Shadowrun, which resulted in his “Shadowdawn” session at last year’s Toporiada. Recently, you can meet him at the Warsaw “Champions Evening” and “Time for an adventure”.

---

The program of the convention was very rich. Despite the fact that the Multisession did not take place because the coordinators decided that running it on-line would spoil the atmosphere, the participants could not complain about the lack of interesting points on the program.

FASA representatives visited us again, conducted sessions, panels and allowed to be interviewed about the publishing plans 😉

There were also several sessions (in Polish and English), lectures and unique voice work workshops conducted by the Karczmarz.

The convention was visited by over 100 people. They took advantage of not only the program attractions, but also open discussions around the fire 😉

Despite the coordinators’ concerns, the on-line edition turned out to be a success 😀 Below you will find the full program of the convention.

Thursday

6 PM (UTC+2) – LECTURE – ” What is it with?” – Monika ‘Auraya’ Czyżowicz

Have you heard of Earthdawn but you know nothing or little about it? Would you like to participate in the points of the program but are afraid that your knowledge is not enough? I invite you to a lecture in which I will tell about the history of the world, the basics of mechanics, I will describe races and basic Disciplines. And if we have enough enthusiasm (and time) I will show you how to create your hero’s character.

language: polish

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Wiata

Friday

6 PM (UTC+2) – LECTURE – “Deeper secrets and Mystic Paths” – Morgan Weeks

Q&A with Morgan Weeks (Panda) responsible largely for the mechanical part of the Fourth Edition.

language: english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Campfire

7 PM (UTC+2) – SESSION – “Shilo’s Mother’s Plea” – Andi Watson (FASA team)

The Wastes? Who would go there? That’s not safe or sane. Heros that’s who goes there! Are you willing to enter the Waste? Bring your own 3rd or 4th center character. Survival is never guaranteed…

language: english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Tent 6

7 PM (UTC+2) – SESSION – “Josh’s Mystery Game” – Josh Harrison (FASA team)

Developer Josh Harrison has agreed to run an Earthdawn game. He won’t tell us what it’s about (we suspect he doesn’t know himself), but it’s sure to be fun! Maximum 6 players, pre-generated characters provided, in English.

language: english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Tent 7

8 PM (UTC+2) – SESSION – “Azure Lake” – Hubert ‘Jankoś’ Jankowski

You receive a quest to find Gorthim, well known dwarven sage who went to explore the ruins in Scythian Mountains. Seasoned adept often traveled alone, but he always got back on time and in one piece to his dwelling. Now his apprentice, worried about two-week absence of his master hired a group of brave adventurers to find him.
Knowledge about the system is not required but welcome.

language: polish

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Namiot 1

8 PM (UTC+2) – SESSION – “The Creation Rites or When the Music is Over” – Rafał Pośnik

Horrors often find the suffering of others most amusing. Especially at the Badlands. They take their kind and Namegivers to “performer” their communal in their haven. They test the individual Namegiver’s pain resistance. This ritual is used in doing so. Each Horror may vary the ritual slightly, but overall it is the same. In it, all those chosen to drain the Namegivers of their hope and then given a small amount of power from other members of their kind. The Horrors then bludgeon the chosen Namegivers unconscious and bury them. Those who claw their way to the surface are knocked out again. They are taken to the secret of the Horrors, where they are Awakened and their new status is explained.

language: english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Tent 8

Saturday

10 AM (UTC+2) – LECTURE – “Chamber of Dwarven Sage [Various lectures]” – Michał ‘Kosmit’ Kosmala

(all day)

I invite you to the land of knowledge and wisdom of Merrox, retired Master of the Hall of Records. For several hours I will talk and answer questions about the world of Earthdawn and individual editions. The plan is: the history of Barsaive, stories about the Barsaive’s races, places in the province worth visiting, talks about disciplines, or discussions about changes between individual editions. I will answer all questions about the universe, so if you want to explore the world of Earthdawn – I invite you!

language: polish and english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Komnata Rejestrów

10 AM (UTC+2) – SESSION – “Tough Journey Ahead“ – Sebastian ‘Basti’ Wawrzyńczyk

Five days ago you hired yourself out to protect the caravan going from Throal to Kratas. It was supposed to be a calm journey, at least that’s what Kardim the dwarven merchant said. It was like he said till the day before yesterday, when you stumbled upon your first orcish camp burned to ash. Then you found a couple of fleeing groups, some begged you to take them with you, and some ran away from you. Yesterday you were attacked all of the sudden and Kardim now lays unconscious on the first of five wagons. Looking to the west you see a vague outline of the Servos Jungle, and only Kardim knows the safe route to your destination. From the north-east, group of few hundred orcish nomads is coming your way. You hope they haven’t spotted you yet and that they are focused on the airship you saw among the clouds. Now it’s evening and it started to rain. Tomorrow will be a hard day no matter what decisions you would make.

language: polish

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Namiot 1

12 AM (UTC+2) – COMPETITION – “International competition for knowledge of the world of Earthdawn” – Monika ‘Auraya’ Czyżowicz, Michał ‘Kosmit’ Kosmala

Scholars of Barsaive! The Great Library of Throal is proud to announce the inter-provincial competition for knowledge of the world of Earthdawn!

The competition will take place on Discord and will be available to all speakers of Polish and English dwarven dialects. Everyone can compete, but only the three with the most knowledge will go to the finals. Do not be afraid and take part, because testing knowledge is the best way to expand it – at least that’s what Merrox, former Master of the Hall of Records, claims.

Elimination test

language: polish & english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Campfire

1 PM (UTC+2) – LECTURE – “EDPT – Book of Tomorrow – Homebrewing” – Svenn Tore Mauseth (Jollum)

Q&A on projects, history on what EDPT (Earthdawn Publishing Trust) was and are. Little info on our project Wastes (Earthdawns Poland area!).

language: english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Shed

2 PM (UTC+2) – LECTURE – “Voice work” – Marcin ‘Karczmarz’ Rausch

How to use voice work during RPG sessions? How to build atmosphere, pace and climate? How to keep players interested? How to play independent heroes? Voice work is a key tool in the narrative.

language: polish

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Wiata

4 PM (UTC+2) – LECTURE – “How to run Earthdawn properly?“ – Sebastian ‘Basti’ Wawrzyńczyk

Every one of us sees Barsaive a little different. Every one of us interprets rules of the system differently or makes little changes in it. In addition, There are several editions of this system, some of them are on different mechanics. How we run our sessions? On what we focus the most? Which elements of this world we show, and which ones we try to forget about? Let’s talk about different perceptions of Earthdawn.

language: polish

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Ognisko

5 PM (UTC+2) – LECTURE – “Everything You Need to Know about the Earthdawn West Marches” – Gregory Stuart Pettigrew (etherial)

Do you want to explore Barsaive in the early days after the Scourge? Play Earthdawn with dozens of people all over the world from the comfort of your couch? Team up with Adepts of every Circle to confront Horrors, Mad Passions, and the looming threat of the Theran Empire? Come find out about our Living Earthdawn Campaign, Earthdawn West Marches.

language: english

Discord: https://discord.gg/Sacr7sF channel: Campfire