Matcon

Secrets of the Old Kingdom

Matcon 37
Summer 2018

It is 918 TA. It is the 100th Year of Adventuring in the Third Age!

From Hylax's humble first foray into the Tomb of Zombie Lord in 818 TA, it has been quite a journey for our adventurers!

Ten years have passed since the end of the Second War of the Reaches and the sealing of the Wolfshaunt. It has been a prosperous time for the Reaches. Lurking just below the surface, however, sinister forces have been gathering strength. Rumors persist of the Old Kingdom preparing for an invasion. Dark and strange beasts have been seen in the forests, hills and seas. The key lies with the secrets of the Old Kingdom. Sharpen your swords and dust off your spellbooks - it's Matcon time again!

Schedule of Events
Travel, Room and Board

Dungeons & Dragons: The Secrets of the Old Kingdom

Vince stares at the parchment. He walks to the window.

It is the last day of 917 TA, the Feast of Shadowfest, the Day Between Years. The moon is dark, and so are Vince's thoughts. The snow is deep outside as he looks out from the high tower. Below, the streets are filled with merrymakers - for it has been a decade of unparalleled prosperity. Long forgotten are the threats of the Old Kingdom, the yellow powder, blowing up the city.

Vince shakes his head and returns to his desk.

He shouldn't complain. The Eastern Reaches are still overrun with vampires and werewolves, although the Wolfshaunt has remained sealed. After ten years, storms are still raging in the Inner Sea. And yet the Ranger King can't quite clear his mind from the thought that tomorrow the treaty with the Old Kingdom ends. Rumors have been rampant - many gathered by Fuzzwort who seems to have taken to his role at the Consulate in Whitecliff. Some evil is brewing. Vince can smell it in the air.

A cork pops behind him.

Ah, Hylax has just sent one of his exploding bottles of bubbling wine. Terrible stuff, Vince thinks. He should probably tell the little gnome that someday. And, like clockwork, the party appears in the room - Hylax, Fuzzwort, U-Gene and Ernie. All dressed gaily for a night's celebration of drinking and storytelling. Is that a flower woven into U-Gene's beard? Vince's mood lightens. Surely nothing sinister could happen at midnight - now only minutes away.

Matcon 37 Puzzle
Adventurer's Logbook
Characters

Other Diversions

While D&D has always been the focus of Matcon, a number of diversions have been created over the years. These have been thoughtfully blended into the campaign: Witenagemot and Warmaster providing a large-scale focus on the campaigns of kingdoms and generals; MTG Menagerie providing special one-time spells for characters; and even dwarf poker providing a way for dwarves to lose their warchests to the forces of evil. Matcon will continue to evolve over time providing new challenges from the twisted mind of CM the DM.

Dwarf Poker
Witenagemot
MTG Menagerie
Golf

Tales of Matcons Past

Invite to the first Matcon - May 16, 1980

Matcon has been taking place since 1980. From our annual gathering many, many tales of adventures and misadventures have followed. The richness of the campaign is not just in the complexity and depth of the story, but in the interaction between characters and players. Some of those memories are presented below.

Past Matcon Winners (1980-present)
Matcon 36 Photos (2017)
Matcon 29 Photos (2010)
Starter Dungeon (2009)
Realm Risk (2007-2010)
Matcon 25 Photos (2006)
Ode To A Celestial Pegasus Lost (2006)
Warmaster (2000-2005)
Matcon 24 Photos (2005)
Matcon 24 Fun (2005)
Matcon 23 Photos (2004)
Matcon 22 Photos (2003)
Matcon 22 Fun (2003)
Grim's Last Stand MTG Variant (2003)
Matcon 21 Photos (2002)
Matcon 20 Photos (2001)
Matcon 20 Cover (2001)
Acorn of Channeling (2000)
Matcon 19 Fun (2000)
Matcon 17 Fun (1998)
Clubs of DM Control (date unknown)
Matcon 15 Fun (1996)
The Pool (1995)
Four Brothers Invite (1994)
Matcon 13 Invite (1994)
Champion's Chalice (1993)
Matcon 12 Photos (1993)
Matcon 12 Invite (1993)
Christmas 1992 Invite (1992)
Matcon 11 Victor (1992)
Matcon 11 Invite (1992)
Is U-Gene More Massive Than Ernie? (1991)
Matcon 10 Invite (1991)
Adventurer's Ale (1991)
The World's End Pub (date unknown)
The Willows (1991)
Matcon 9 Victor (1990)
Matcon 9 Invite (1990)
Why You Don't Do A Draft Via Mail (1990)
A Yuletide Tale (1989)
Why You Always Break the Code (1989)
An Audacious Wager (1989)
Matcon 8 Victor (1989)
Matcon 8 Invite (1989)
Falstaff Has A Bad Dream (1988)
Matcon 7 Wrapup (1988)
Matcon 7 Invite (1988)
Famous Quotes (1988)
Matcon 6 Victor (1987)
Matcon 6 Invite (1987)
Rock-Dwelling Predators (1987)
Champion's Quest 1 Results (1986)
Matcon 5 Invite (1986)
Hylax Sheds Many Tears (1986)
Falstaff Is Dead (1986)
Introduction to Fuzzwort the Cleric (1986)
Journey to Lost Pine Woods (1986)
Sound Mind, Body, and Buttplate (1985)
Champion's Quest 1 Invite (1985)
The Mighty Kansy (1985)
The Matcon 4 Storyboard (1985)
Matcon 4 Invite (1985)
Hylax Binds the Demons - Second Anniversary (1985)
A System of Magical Research (1985)
The Draft (1984-present)
The Night Before Matcon (1984)
Matcon 3 Fun (1984)
Matcon 3 Invite (1984)
Hylax the Storyteller (date unknown)
The Ballad of Hylax (Our Journey to Mt. Todd) (1983)
Zephaniah's Tour Guide to Hell (1983)
An Introduction to the New Party (1982)
The Misadventures of CM the DM (Part 3) (1981)
Parties of the Third Age (1981)
Matcon 1 Results (1980)
Matcon 1 Invite (1980)
How It All Got Started (1980)
The Life of Brian (1979)
Who Came First, Arthur Bucheroni or Sir Brian du Bois (1979)