I'll be attending the California convention.
I was wondering... what is going to actually occur? While I've been playing RPGs for over 25 years, I've never been to a con.
e
There will be lots of small 4-6+ player games, a raffle for Ars Magica books and other cool stuff, and a lot of discussion and hanging out, getting to know each other the first night. So far we have about 15 attendees, which might be enough to run a freeform live-action game with all of us, and I have Fallen Fane prepared just in case, but more likely we'll have more fun splitting into groups and playing smaller games.
Did anyone write up what last year's Grand Tribunal was like anywhere?
Excellent!
Is the idea to come with pre-generated characters, ready to run?
Do you have your storytellers lined up?
I for one will NOT be able to run a game.... to much going on in non-mythic work right now....
eric
If you bring pregenerated characters, the storyguides may or may not allow them in their games. They probably will, because it's not like a weird character will dominate the whole saga that much. Many of the adventures I have run or played in had pregenerated characters. But Mark Shirley ran a game where we all just took characters out of the front of the ArM5 book.
Several folks have volunteered to run things, but it's kind of casual. If anyone wants to run something, there will probably be players for it. I have several things I can run, I think Niall is preparing something, and I seem to recall John had something he could run too. Plus I can pass any of mine to other players, if someone wants something fun to host.
Thanks. I was wondering what was expected. Don't want to show up empty handed if I'm supposed to have a character or two.
Looking forward to the con!
e
For one, there's CJ's report in this thread. Another source of nostalgia is Neil's article in Sub Rosa Magazine issue #2, also featuring the beautifully painted lineup of some of the participants.
Most entertaining CJ! Thanks for posting that. My excitement mounts for the California tribunal meeting......
There, I'm all booked. 
Excellent! Well It's next weekend, so any last minute bookings? 
I have updated the wiki schedule with the first few games planned...
cj x
I am not sure how many delegates here in the UK, but indian food, pubs, David Chart spoke, Sivier gave a paper on flying ships and CJ was flustered and slightly drunk. Going well but no revealtions so far!
Hope all is going well in CAlifornia too!
cj x
This far in, I feel safe in outing myself as the person who mentioned the Ambercons on the Berklist.
I thought that given the level of "If we all die, then the Australian will win!" that I shouldn't tell people that having you all conglomerate at two easy to target sites was part of my Cunning Plan. BWAH (coughs) erm, sorry.
Here in the Berkeley Tribunal, we're waiting for more magi to rise Saturday morning so that we can be quorate. Praeco Angus Macdonald is wearing suspenders and wielding his creepy-looking talking stick, "Mr. Talkie." Niall Christie has been leading discussions about medieval Islam, after running an epic eight hour game last night, and we are currently discussing the Tremere political structure in the East vs. the West and talking about our different takes on Iberia.
6pm GMT live link up hopefully...
cj x
And Mr. Talkie had a grand time, indeed!
Thanks for all the work, Erik! We all had a splendid time!
I had fun too! What an awesome bunch of people. Thanks again, Erik.
GIGGLE
Errm ... do thos in The Lands Beyond The West know what "suspenders" are over here?
Visions of Angus Macdonald in full "Rocky Horror Picture Show" costume...
I believe we call those 'garters'.
Oh dear, I'm so embarrassed. Sorry Angus! And after you went to the trouble of saying in email that I could find you wearing braces, as our transatlantic brethren call them. 
Hooray, we did manage to make that work, though alas we didn't prepare any good questions for David, which felt like such a wasted opportunity. Thanks again David, for sitting and talking with us, and thanks also to everyone else at the Cheltenham site who came into the little room to wave and scry on us while we waved and scryed on them! For a short time, the incredible wideness of the world seemed pleasantly smaller.
Well, I used to do a quite passable RiffRaff... 
Braces to you, suspenders to us poor benighted soul on this side of the Pond. 