IllyCon 2018 Rundown

I just wanted to start with a mountain of thanks to all the attendees of Illycon 2018, we had such a fantastic time meeting all of you and getting to know you!  Most of us traveled a long way to get to Northern Ireland, but the trip was well worth it as i'm sure everyone will agree.  A big thanks also goes out to SirTwist for lighting the spark of Illycon; without his aid none of this could have happened.

It was a weekend full of fun events and sightseeing, so here's a rundown of everything that happened!

We started off with an evening at the pub.  It was a night of laughs, drinks, good food, and perhaps revealing some Illyriad secrets.  We started at a great placed called Joe Macs in Portadown and eventually wandered our way down the street to Schvargo's for more drinks and banter!   It was a really great way to kick off Illycon...to be honest i'm surprised I remember as much as I do.

Early the next day (perhaps too early for some of us shaking off a hangover) we took the bus up North to see a few of the wonderful sights Northern Ireland has to offer.  We took the scenic route up along the North East coast to take in the beautiful countryside.  

Our first stop was a hearty jaunt to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, known to many Game of Thrones fans as an infamous Iron Isles locale.  Not all of us had the will to cross the bridge, but those of us that did were treated to a spectacular view of the coastal cliffs.  

After yet another brisk hike back to the bus, we embarked for the finale of the tour: Dunluce Castle.  A personal favorite of the tour, Dunluce castle sits atop a cliffside overlooking the ocean.  The location emanates history, no doubt many epic stories came from these ruins.   Even though we got a bit drenched from a steady rain, our spirits stayed high from the spectacle of this great castle.  Game of Thones fans will recognize this castle (with a bit of CG touch-up) as the House of Greyjoy on the Iron Isles. 

We concluded the day after a long trip back with a special Illyriad reveal that only attendees were privy to.  More on that to come!  

Those of us who didn't have to travel back home on Sunday decided the best way to end Illycon would be to shoot at each other with tiny plastic pellets at The Mill in Portadown.  We enjoyed two intense hours of adrenaline fueled combat with 40 other local combatants.  Even though we all had very visible welts the next day, it was an incredibly fun time.  

The remaining few, pushing through the exhaustion of the weekend, convened at the Bann Riverside to enjoy some Pizza and Irn Bru.  We even had a special 4 legged guest called Strider join us.

Illycon 2018 was a very memorable experience for the Dev Team, and we hope that everyone who attended had a wonderful time.  Thanks again and we'll see you next year!