Gen Con UK this year moved to a new venue out of London. For the first time in four years the roleplaying fraternity eschewed the bright lights, dodgy streets, expensive taxis and pretentious beers of the capital for a more traditionally British convention experience.

Living Greyhawk of course was strongly represented at the show. Delegates could choose from a bewildering array of premiering and special events including COR4-15 War of the Dust, COR4-16 The Frozen Spire, ONW4-03 The Greatest Enemy, TSS4-03 Woodland Trail, TSS4-04 Crossfire, ONWS4-03 Gates of the Gildenlea, and CORS4-03 Castle Greyhawk. In addition the previous parts of the Children of the Dust series, COR3-01 The Hidden Fortress and TSS3-04 The Prisoner were made available for those who wished to play the various story arcs in order.

All in all, over 130 tables of Living Greyhawk were played at Gen Con UK this year, accounting for two thirds of all tables offered by the RPGA.

Highlights of Gen Con UK included:

• Several sharp actions around (and under) the Gates of the Gildenlea; a series of vital fortifications in Onnwal baring the progress of the Free State’s army on Scant. When the dust settled and order returned to the battlefield Onnwallon forces once again controlled the gorge and its impressive defences. Reports from the front are stilled gabled but it seems that heroes of rebellion fought a number of fiends in the catacombs honeycombing the cliffs and more mundane soldiery on the gates themselves. It is also rumoured that an important Brotherhood mage met his end defending this area. While some laud the army for its heroic efforts, others point to the seeming ease of the Free States’ victory and wondering if this could all be a Brotherhood trap…
• Castle Greyhawk was also the site of much activity with at least 35 different adventuring parties spotted in the vicinity. One group, emerging victorious from the ruins had collected 30 keys in the process of their explorations. Other groups were nearly as successful collecting 27, 27 and 24 keys respectively, while others didn’t emerge at all…
• A spectacularly successful Open region slot was run on Sunday which saw over 80 PCs traversing the Flanaess in search of adventure. As a special “thank you” to the volunteers who stepped forward to run those events the RPGA put on a special subsequent Open slot for GMs of the previous slot.
• Adventurers came from far and wide to gain fame and fortune. Individuals hailing from Onnwal, Sunndi, Ekbir, Dullstrand, Naerie, the Adri Forest, Furyondy, the Theocracy of the Pale and Geoff were all spotted fighting the forces of evil.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank* A Coutts, Adam Douglas, Andrew Bourne, Andrew Glenn, Andy MacPhee, Barry Horwood, Bas Vermeulen, Ben Allen, Charles Etheridge-Nunn, Clive Essery, Dave McAlister, David Dipple, David Maple, Duncan Wilson, Elizabeth Major, Erno Sombroek, Graham Rockett, Greg Hollyman, Guy Robinson, Hanbury Hampden-Turner, Iain Reid, Ian Hambly, Ian McHugh, Jason Summersgill, Jayne Linton, John Ratcliff, Jospeh Lawrie, Karl Goodjohn, Kayleigh Wills, Kurt Wagner, Lori Hutchison, Mark Stubbs, Martin Jennings, Martin Weezepoel, Michael Colao, Michael Combs, Mike Hinds, Nick Barnes, Paul James, Pedro Fresco, Pete Dixon, Peter Simms, Pieter Sleijpen, Richard Bray, Robert Kerklaa, Robert Wills, Samantha Brigg, Sampo Haarlaa, Sandy Douglas, Simon Butler, Terry Thambipillai, Thomas Ralph, Tom Humber, Wouter Scheepe and Paul Looby who made not only Living Greyhawk but all the RPGA-sanctioned events such a success at Gen Con UK; without their contribution literally thousands of gamers would have had no where near as much fun as they did.

* My apologises for any omissions or misspellings.

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