Thursday, February 4th
[Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Aftermath] [Flu] [Lessons] [History]
I arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon in a plane full of pre-teen gymnasts, the same situation I heard from many others. The moment I walked into the Excalibur I was getting hailed by GM Breeland, and the weekend was off! A group of 10 or 15 people had gathered around the Jester's Lounge next to the registration desk at the Excalibur and started the weekend early. My roommates from Nashville went and waited in the mile-long registration line while I sat at the bar and talked with GM Breeland, Larisah, GM Gonk, GM Tjassie and the others gathered there. Us DragonRealms fanatics were off to a quick start. I left to get unpacked and settled and promised to see everyone later that evening when we were all scheduled to meet at The Minstrel Lounge.

The Minstrel Lounge in the Excalibur turned out to be perfect for us. It was a sectioned off area of the casino with a lot of lounge tables to sit around. During the couple hours I was there we had about 40 or 50 people going in and out. At about 9 or 10 o'clock a live band appeared on stage and played music that, though the songs were alright, was very loud, making conversation all but impossible. I left to check out the strip at about 11:00 p.m. and when I returned to the casino around 2:00 a.m. we still had people hanging around the lounge. This Thursday gathering was a great chance to meet people and find out who you might be hanging out with all weekend, and it went to prove that a fourth day at a DragonRealms convention is absolutely essential!

Friday, February 5th
[Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Aftermath] [Flu] [Lessons] [History]
11:00 a.m. rolled around very early on Friday, particularly for those such as Striderr, who were still feeling the effects of the Minstrel Lounge. We were headed for "Star Trek: The Experience" at the Las Vegas Hilton... and the toughest experience was getting there... and then getting back! The first obstacle came in the form of figuring out where to meet. Someone who had stayed at the Excalibur said there was a giant Merlin at which we could all meet. The giant Merlin was supposed to be unmissable. The giant Merlin had been moved. Most of our crowd met at the front entrance to the Excalibur but due to the mix-up a few people didn't make the trip.

Since there was a location problem and we didn't want to leave anyone behind, we waited towards the front of Excalibur until about 11:30 before heading over to the Star Trek exhibit. To get there we were all going to ride the trolley which passed right by the Excalibur. At the trolley stop there was a sign that said the trolley arrives every 15 minutes and exact change of two dollars and forty cents is required. Everyone frantically searches for a hiding place exact change, but it turns out there was no need to hurry, the trolley didn't arrive for 30 minutes.

Once on the trolley we had a chance to tour the entire resort strip of Vegas... one casino at a time. It took close to an hour to get to the Las Vegas Hilton, which is only about 3 miles from the Excalibur. We also managed to overseat the trolley by about 15 people. A trolley meant for 20 was holding close to 40!

At the Hilton we toured the Star Trek exhibit which ends up with us being "beamed up" to a simulated ride into Star Trek: The Next Generation. I'm not supposed to tell any of the details of the story for the ride, but it was very imaginative and, I thought, worth the money... which, incidentally, happened to be $5.00 more than we were expecting.

The end of the ride brought us out near Quark's, a lounge and restaurant run by Quark the Ferengi. And, as a matter of course, we managed to annoy a couple Ferengi and a Klingon. Only bout 15 of us had made it out of the entire exhibit in one group, so we all ate lunch together at Quark's.

After lunch we were again faced with the decision of whether to ride the trolley or not. Using very good logic, I convinced most people that if we had stopped at every casino on the way up here then the Excalibur would probably be the first or second stop on the round trip. When the trolley arrived we asked the driver how many stops, he said probably five, so about three or four people caught a cab, the rest of us made the unwitting mistake of boarding the trolley. Not only was it a lot more than five stops, but it took us another hour to get back to the Excalibur. All in all, the short trip to Star Trek turned out to be a five hour trip and got us home just in time to get up to the hospitality/registration area. At least it was five hours of meeting and really getting to know some good friends.

Since our hospitality suite was moved to the Luxor, registration wasn't supposed to be until 5:00 Friday night. Our Star Trek group showed up a little after 4:00 and the suite was already packed. Actually, it was just the entrance and the main room that was packed, there were bedrooms off to either side of the main room plus one huge bathroom which offered space to relax and chat. Everyone collected their name tags at the door from Cerridwyn and Namastae, the first two appointed door guards, and then journeyed into the party known as VegasCon.

The first night consisted of a lot of hugging and meeting and talking. Many small groups split off to get dinner or walk the strip and then came back to rejoin the party. After a while the place got settled into about six distinct areas:

1) The door, where people kept coming in, getting name tags, and picking up schedule sheets for the weekend.
2) The main room, full of couches, chairs, and a table, offered many places to sit. It was also the main thoroughfare for the hospitality suite, so it was the place where everyone had to squeeze through shoulder to shoulder to get anywhere. It also afforded a great view of the pyramid at the Luxor.
3) The mini-bar, where Marton and Teamarie set up shop with various liquors and juices bought downstairs.
4) The right side bedroom, designated for the smokers.
5) The left side bedroom, designated for the non-smokers and those looking for a quiet place to rest.
6) The main bathroom, designated for the anti-smokers and those who needed an even more remote and quiet place to talk.

Saturday, February 6th
[Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Aftermath] [Flu] [Lessons] [History]
8:00 a.m. - The Empath seminar. And you thought this was a vacation. As it happened, approximately 100 people dragged out of bed before 8:00 a.m. to hear GM Brigdha discuss the Empath Guild, the first seminar in a day full of seminars - all offered by the GameMasters. After the Empaths was a seminar for the Clerics, offered by GM Alnilam. The seminars went on all day covering topics from guild abilities, to underwater and ship-to-ship fighting, foraging and forging, roleplaying, and more. There was a lunch break from noon to 1:00, but if you just couldn't get enough you could sit in with GM Gonk as he offered a seminar at the McDonald's during lunch.

Outside the seminar room was another atmosphere of VegasCon. Twenty to thirty people were usually in the hallway and foyer talking and having a good time while the GameMasters divulged their secrets inside. The registration desk was set-up outside the door for all those who had not even shown up until Saturday morning, and Dazalia and Namastae worked to get everyone's autograph on the sign from our seminar room (a trend started by Zymira and Aldric). During the seminar time we (instigated by GM Breeland) gathered up a few dollars from anyone who wanted to donate to buy gifts for GameMaster Treveri (Brett Lathrope) and his wife in gratitude for making VegasCon happen. Our gift to Treveri was an ornate crystal sword, but I'm not sure what his wife received. The seminars and merriment continued for ten hours, until 5:00 came around and the Excalibur people urged us out of the area. That was okay because it was time to get ready for the Tournament of Kings.

I had 52 seats reserved for the Tournament of Kings going into VegasCon, but I had many people asking me if they could still buy a ticket. Saturday morning I managed to get us a total of 59 seats right next to one another. Throughout the day some people decided not to go while others were begging for tickets. After all was said and done we only had one person not able to go who wanted to and I didn't have to pay for a single no-show ticket. I found the owner of the very last ticket at the entrance of the Tournament of Kings (I almost sold her ticket before I got there - oops!).

Once inside everyone ignored their reserved seat and just sat anywhere within our section. We had almost the entire "Austria" section to ourselves. It was so named because we were supposed to cheer for the king of Austria during the Tournament of Kings. The seats were arranged like a stadium, but with a long table all the way around (yes, like Medieval Times).

The show started with Merlin teaching us all how to cheer, toast, and drink. During this time they brought out the first course, a bowl of soup... no spoon. The kings jousted, fought, and competed in different games of skill. The kings included King Arthur and rulers from different Medieval powers, such as Austria, Russia, France, Spain, Norway and others. As the show progressed, so did the dinner. We were each served an entire cornish hen, vegetables, twice-baked potatoes, and bread. Again, no silverware. For some this was good, authentic fun, but I think a few people would have preferred a fork and spoon (not me!). The show finished with Mordred and his minions battling against King Arthur's son and the kings. Throughout the show there was plenty of time for huzzahs, table beating, and toasting.

After the show we all made our way over to the Luxor hospitality suite for a little costume party. On the way there, and later on the way back to our rooms, most of us were mistaken for an Excalibur employee at one point or another. Xenon was standing near the front entrance getting pictures with all the tourists, and I was personally asked for directions about 10 times, asked to be in one picture, and asked to take two pictures. On top of that, I had two guards and one other performer mistake me for an employee at about 4:00 a.m. that night.

Once we were safe in the hospitality suite the boisterous party from the night before was renewed. There was much the same as the previous night, hugging, talking, and enjoying the company. About 8:30 someone decided it was time to do the guild pictures and started hollering for some guild or another to come into the non-smoking bedroom. Unfortunately the bed made an unstable surface for the pictures and there was hardly enough room to move back and get everyone in each picture. The mass-chaos that was the guild pictures lasted about 45 minutes, and I think everyone was relieved when they were finally over.

The action calmed down somewhat and the hospitality suite returned to normal, which is to say the smokers smoked, the main room was crowded, and Marton and Teamarie served drinks. Many people talked for hours and hours, both in the hospitality suite and in the lounge downstairs in the Luxor. When I finally left the room at nearly 4:00 a.m. there was still about 30 or 40 people there and I passed by a couple others who were headed back up. I'm sure it was a short nap for all those who would be getting up at 8:00 or 9:00 the next day for breakfast.

Sunday, February 7th
[Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Aftermath] [Flu] [Lessons] [History]
The final day of VegasCon '99 was a nice and peaceful conclusion to our over-energized weekend. Some people met at the hospitality suite at 10:00 a.m. to find breakfast together while others just went straight to the restaurants and ended up together anyway. Lhissa and I wandered all around looking for everyone, and we came across a few at a restaurant in the Luxor, a few at a pastry shop in the Excalibur, and then almost everyone else at the Sherwood Forest Cafe in the Excalibur. By the time we arrived everyone was already done and headed up to waste the day away at the Village Pub which, although it was closed, gave us the perfect area to sit, talk, and catch others who straggled by.

The day grew old and people came and went. Some groups wandered off to do a ride or visit a casino or other entertaining place, returning later to talk and eventually say their goodbyes. As evening arrived fewer and fewer people were at the Village Pub, and though you could still find a couple of DragonRealmers here and there, VegasCon '99 was at an end. It was time to return home and recuperate.

The Aftermath
[Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Aftermath] [Flu] [Lessons] [History]
What did we all get out of VegasCon '99? Well, most people got the flu. Many say it was Viani (she was monstrously sick while in Vegas), and I feel I may have also been responsible. Read more about VegasCon '99 and the flu.

On the serious side, conventions like these tend to do several things for the attendees. It brings many people back into DragonRealms who were not playing for whatever reason. These conventions also show you how much many of the other players are like you in their concern and love for DragonRealms. It's hard not to want to play when you find out how many great people there are just like you who love the game just as much as you.

The most important thing we got out of VegasCon '99 was, of course, all the new friends and the experiences and memories of a magical weekend. With VegasCon '99 being such a huge success, there is already talk of doing it bigger and better next year (if that's possible), and there is no doubt in anyone's mind that this will become an annual gathering.

The Suspects: GM Breeland, Kraelyst, and GM Viani

Much of the talk after VegasCon centered around a certain bug that invaded most of us in Las Vegas (although the GMs might tell us it was not a bug, but a "feature"). Some people would pin the blame to GM Breeland, affectionately renamed "Bubba" for the trip. The reason? Just because. GM Maelona went a bit further to say it's because "Only the Son of Satan could come to the Con and spread VegasPlague like Bubba did. Make that Beelzebubba."

My story is simply that I caught the flu in Nashville a few days before Vegas, when the epidemic was in its infancy. I came into Las Vegas downing cold and cough medicine and popping Tylenol like they were candy. By Saturday morning (after only a few days of illness) I had kicked the bug. I came home only to find out that almost every person who attended VegasCon '99 had caught the flu. Was it me, or maybe it was GM Viani. Majorly's story may shed some light on the subject.

A reinactment as narrated by Majorly
A lone lady saunters in with her hand resting on her whip. Off in the distance a name is yelled. She turns on her heel sharply causing the business end of her whip to coil around her ankles.
"Viani!" the voice says as it gets closer. A man dressed in white who we will call "Bubba" appears overzealous to meet this person. His smiling face and determination......seal his fate.

* Breeland was just struck down!

Slowly, with the soothing charm that can only come from years of luring her victims into her waiting grasp, She spies her next mark and lays on her act.
"I've always hoped to meet you" she says with a gleam in her eye. Unknowingly, her victim is doomed.

* Striderr was just struck down!

Still not satisfied, she scopes out the area for yet another fix. Her eyes focus on her prey now. It's a late arrival.
"Better late then never." she whispers to herself darkly before making her way into the crowd to meet this person.
"Viani!" the man says "Sorry I'm late. But better late then never!" He gives a little smile before flipping his ponytail over his should.
"My thoughts exactly, and by the way....."

* Rottcloar was just struck down!

With a sheepish grin, she stifles a small cough into the palm of her hand. A look of revelation crosses her face as she notices her last victim of the day.
"I was saving this just for you." Taking the hand she had just coughed in, she gently touches the thorn in her side.

* Majorly was just struck down!

It's been a long time since this Typhoid Mary of Vegas. But the memory and the body count will never again be repeated. For not only did her hapless victims suffer, but so did the crews that tried to aid those fallen prey to her ways.

Rumor is some of the more fortunate survived this meeting. But this reporter has only ever heard two reasons.

1) "I'm English, It's not proper to be sick in public."
2) "I'm just too damn stubborn to be sick."
They say though that she still wanders the streets out there. No one knows where and no one knows why. We can only hope that the next time she strikes, we are all like those two survivors.

Who is responsible? Can we lay all the blame on Breeland, Kraelyst, and Viani? Perhaps if everyone had gotten some sleep then their immune systems would have been working okay. And maybe the Vegas buffets had some small roll in this. Although I may be biased I think all the evidence points to Viani! The irony of it all is that everyone contracted the flu in Las Vegas and then went home and spread it about their own hometowns, creating a nation-wide epidemic. One county in Tennessee closed their schools because 168 teachers were out. A school in South Dakota did the same. Reports of impossibly reduced work staffs poured in from all over the country. The flu had struck and we were at the heart of it. Sorry, America!

• Being sick is a small price to pay for meeting all the great people.
• DragonRealms is not short on players who like to smoke and drink.
• Always introduce yourself to everyone. That person you think is too cool and too outgoing is just as insecure about talking to you as you are to them.
• Never take the trolley. Get a cab or a limo or just walk.
• You're not the only one circling slowly (I met at least five others averaging less than 10 circles per year over the past 3 years.)
• Character and item selling (for real cash) is out of control.
• The reason you have not been able to find your guild guru for the past 6 months can be summed up in two letters: P4.

  What Da Rock Learned

• GMs do from their heart, dey aint gettin rich offa this, its their hobby
• Alot of the women are really great ladies ::drool::
• Have as many pictures taken with babes on yer lap as possable
• Rememba ta sleep at some point
• Bring medicine and dont get sick like Quicknickel and Breeland
• Steela's woman is way too fine for him
• Dont EVA let someone do a charicature of ya

The idea was to do this gathering as cheaply as possible by choosing a central, easy-to-reach location and only offering the bare minimum, a place to gather. GM Treveri tried to set a price that would divide out the expenses evenly among all people. The estimate for 100 attendees came to about $25 per person (children were free), with the general agreement that if the expenses were more we would chip in a few extra dollars and if it cost less then we could get a refund. With almost 200 hundred in attendence, covering the cost was no problem.

We all sent our $25 in to GM Treveri and he took care of finding us a hospitality suite and seminar room for the GM-offered seminars, the only official event of the weekend. The process didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked since the Excalibur broke their contract with us and we ended up having to go somewhere else. Right across the street was the Luxor, who was happy to rent us a large suite, but our seminar room had to stay at the Excalibur. Fortunately everything worked out, but we ended up being spread out over two hotels: our rooms and the seminars were in the Excalibur and the hospitality suite was in the Luxor. A very convenient skywalk with moving walkways ran between the two locations.

With a place to stay there was only one question left, what to do while we're there. In contrast to SimuCon '98, people called for more talking time and less time listening and doing (more like SimuCon ][). With that in mind, the emphasis was placed on meeting and talking, and everyone suggested what they would like to do as a group. I (Kraelyst) put all these ideas together into an unofficial schedule, put them up on a web site (preserved here for history's sake!), and started a mailing list to update everyone on what was happening with VegasCon '99. The mailing grew to over 300 recipients and the schedule became accepted as the VegasCon schedule, including the gathering Thursday at the Minstrel Lounge, the Star Trek trip Friday, the Tournament of Kings on Saturday, followed by a costume party and guild pictures. The Tournament of Kings also required reservations involving everyone pre-paying, so I set up the reservations and gathered everyone's money.

The money collected, rooms reserved, and plans all made, we all prepared to go to Las Vegas for a fun and exhilarating weekend with our closest friends, those few people who can understand us, our fellow addicts of DragonRealms. The truth be told, it didn't really matter where we went or what we did, it's the people that matter. I know everyone is already looking forward to next year's trip to Vegas, and with the extra money from the donations for Treveri's gift and the excess registration fee, we already have a head start on VegasCon 2000.

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