Thank you!

Vyxsis

a little on the late side, but better late than never(?)

i'm aware the chaos war completely displaced a lot of plans from the moment it started back in october. there was a lot of scrambling at the time, and while it took some time to come to a conclusion, i think the event we ended up with was... really pretty impressive. yeah, i'm still bummed the indorani guild is gone. the new chaos plane, though? it's amazing. i love that we now have completely unique chaos lords that each have a bit of personality to interact with, the mazes are fun, and i'm looking forward to the faction unfolding soon.

i thought about esteeming folks in the pools, but honestly? i don't really know who all worked on it, and i'd feel bad if i missed anyone. i hope it suffices to say that i'm really appreciative of the work that went into it. thank you to everyone who made it happen.

p.s. thanks, also, for largely tolerating my return... i know it must've evoked some, er, mixed feelings.

Tekias

Vyxsis said:

i thought about esteeming folks in the pools, but honestly? i don't really know who all worked on it, and i'd feel bad if i missed anyone. i hope it suffices to say that i'm really appreciative of the work that went into it. thank you to everyone who made it happen.

I know it's been said here before, but tagging anyone in the Pools sends it to -everyone- in the Pools, so you wouldn't miss anyone unless you intended to call out names.

Keroc

You can now specify POOLS in an esteem to let everyone know, if such is your preference.

Vyxsis

Tekias said:

Vyxsis said:

i thought about esteeming folks in the pools, but honestly? i don't really know who all worked on it, and i'd feel bad if i missed anyone. i hope it suffices to say that i'm really appreciative of the work that went into it. thank you to everyone who made it happen.

I know it's been said here before, but tagging anyone in the Pools sends it to -everyone- in the Pools, so you wouldn't miss anyone unless you intended to call out names.

to everyone? huh, i didn't know. duly noted, thanks.

Ehtias

@Mjoll for letting me constantly annoy you, plus the Mjollductions.

Akaryuterra

Thanks to everyone who was hanging around the Burly Chest still when I decided to wander in for spontaneous RP. There were a good few, and I can't remember all of the ones I interacted with, but the brief scene was fun, so thanks @Rasani, @Mjoll, @Iesid, @Didi, and others. Sorry others, there were lots of people, and the four mentioned above did the most direct interacting.

Felt a bit inspired by the end of the evening, actually, which is a feeling I miss getting from Aetolia.

Iesid

@Mjoll , @Rasani , @Lirael and our wonderful audience that moved in and out - thank you for a splendid night of roleplay. A drinking contest where the rules had to progressively get more ridiculous was quite the scene.

Mjoll

It was entirely way too much fun. Thank you everybody

Rasani

I've had the good fortune of having a lot of fantastic rp in my tavern lately! I wanted this to be a place people from all tethers would feel comfortable rping, and it seems like we've gotten there! Thanks so much for indulging my little shop!
@Mjoll @Iesid @Kanivara @Akaryuterra @Isia @Arista @Steele and MANY others!

Agothaxl

I've been in a weird place, even with my alt, where I'm having a rough time keeping interested in playing. Been like this off and on for a few months. So, I just want to take a minute to thank several people who have made those happier/entertaining moments happen. Some of you have also been essential OOC, checking in on me and whatnot. I'll probably forget some people, too, but know that I appreciate peoples! Each of you have been great in your own way, so please keep at it.

@Mjoll @Iesid @Rhine @Kaiara @Church @Oonagh @Aouri @Aros @Mazzion @Corvo @Tekias @Cayn @Nava @Skiva @Drystin @Ayuna @Serrice @Seraphina @Ensis @Fezzix @Sklax @Ciarcadh

Drystin

Recently I've had a few blunt reminders of how short life is. We play a text based game and often times that makes it easy to forget that there is a real person behind the few characters that make up our names, makes it easier to treat one another poorly, etc. Whatever tether you're a part of, I wanted to say thank you to those who have been so welcoming to me in and out of character. I appreciate each of you very much.

@Tatia @Fezzix @Marin @Skiva @Mazzion @Rhyot @Aros @Aouri @Mjoll @Aloli @Ansidia @Robyn @agothaxl

Rebra

@Chakrasul thank you for making me quake in my chair in real life.

I'm sorry for the barrage of thoughts, probably mostly useless.

The time you spent with Rebra is treasured, and I am very, very grateful!

Rijetta

Echoing Rebra's thoughts on @Chakrasul

Absolutely best Goddess of all time.

Benedicto

Thank you to this game.

I love this game and I have done for over a decade of playing. It has it's ups and downs and quirks, but I play it because I enjoy it.

More than a thank you, this is an apology as well as a request? An olive branch?

The polarization between tethers is in the worst state I have ever known it. There was always back and forth spats, as there will always be between two sides in competition with one another. There are always winners and losers. However, over the last 18-24 months, or rather, post Mitrine War, relations between to the two tethers have slumped to an all time low. Not only that, but relationships within the same orgs are fractured. I feel like things are extremely splintered at the moment, but that's just from my perspective.

I'm not here to name names or point fingers. I've had my own part to play in it, as a leader of Spirit, just as much as anybody else. What I'm asking is that we put the brakes on now. If anyone, from any aspect of the game, feels that I have been vindictive, purposefully spiteful or anything else, then I apologize. It's not who I am. I like to pride myself on fairness and equality above all else.

I will admit that with the current slump that Spirit is undergoing, it has got to me. As someone who I trust and whose opinion I value said to me, I tend to don Spirit like a set of armor and shoulder much more of the responsibility for its upkeep than I need to. When things start to go wrong with the tether, it bothers me. Like any responsible leader, I'm protective of the people that I lead. That's just who I am as a person. Unfortunately, this has made me less patient, less caring and less thoughtful then I would normally be. Those who have known me through this game for a long time (I hope) would confirm that those are usually the qualities I value and try to encourage.

So, thank you in advance, to those who want to see our game thrive and reduce some of the toxicity that has filtered its way into our community. I know that I have removed myself from a lot of arenas where I could be put into communication with Shadow folk. However, if anyone wants to reach out to me to talk things through, it would be extremely appreciated and welcome.

Agothaxl

I want to take a minute to thank @Benedicto specifically for the above post. We've already re-opened communication, as I (and many others I speak to regularly) agree that there is way too much polarization lately. We all need to do our parts to try to stave it off, even if it's sometimes hard.

So, I'm going to offer the same thing on my end. Communication is key and, while I do often give up on trying to when I feel like I'm hitting a brick wall, I promise to get better at that and keep trying instead. Anyone can feel free to ping me on Discord (or add me if you can't) via zortania#7038.

Let's try to all be kinder to each other and make a community that we enjoy. Remember - we're all human beings, this is a game, and we all have lives outside of it. We come here to retreat and have fun, not snipe and gripe about one another. We can be better, so let's be better.

Oonagh

I want to echo this.

It’s been a long while since I have been so inherently frustrated in this community that I have lashed out at someone and I did that recently probably the first time since I played Aarbrok, which for those who were around back then I used to get very emotionally charged when I played him and I didn’t like that aspect of me as a player and subsequently retired him.

Recently there has been a huge polarization between tethers and I have acknowledged it as I have characters on both sides with incredibly different personalities and perspectives. I also have many friends in the decade and a half in IRE that play both sides of the game, so I see the frustrations on both sides. Sometimes that frustration devolves into personalities that are inherently toxic and detract from the main goal we seek as leaders and that is community.

Sometimes people want to vent and that’s okay, but my frustrations lie in specifically sharing that venting with people for the sole purpose of creating drama and riffs in our community. We all have frustrations in role play, pk, game politics and real life. However when we purposefully arm ourselves with others frustrations we are adding flame to kindling and producing the catalyst to drive that wedge deeper in our community.

Let’s be free to vocalize frustrations but let’s also remember that we’re not the teenagers we were when we started this game and remember we’re adults with jobs, husbands and wives, children, pets, and real stresses that we find escape in a fantasy world to just have fun and escape from that once in a while.

I’ll echo two of my friends above to reach out to me if I have done anything to upset you IC or OOC I want to work to make this rift close and really build up our community and this is the first step in that. Communication

Aloli

Edit: ...

Iazamat

I am VERY THANKFUL for the recent shapeshifter hood changes. Thank you, Tiur!

Cayn

I'm having a blast lately and it's all thanks to you lot.

For seriously delightful roleplay: @Zaila, @Haven, @Nihalak, @Ayuna, @Lexen, @Marin, @Alathesia, @Phoenecia, @Agothaxl, @Nerakh, @Gyana, @Culex, @Rak, @Eratian, @Qelres, @Tatia, @Hawa, @Rebra, @Stine, @Carnifex, @AnyoneelseImissedsorry.

For sincerely appreciated company: @Ayuna, @Mjoll, @Agothaxl, @Rijetta, @Mazzion, @Validan, @Hawa, @Rhyot, @Rebra, @Desidora, @Tatia, @Thelatenightwebregulars.

For genuinely fun encounters and wonderful community spirit: @Vahn, @Aeryx, @Ipz.

Thank you, Aetolians. More, please.

Seraphina

After some long days, I was finally encouraged to make the final push...

Closing your eyes, you begin to concentrate upon a distant, focal point. Just faintly, you suddenly feel the nuances of the shifting essence within you. Tilting your head skywards, you take in a desperate gasp of breath to relieve the growing pain in your chest. However, it does not ease off but rather, continues to climb. The essence within you roils furiously, eliciting a sharp, agonizing pain to the center of your chest before exploding outwards, sending a burning wave of force rippling down your limbs. Before your very eyes, you see the structure of your body change and alter as the energy sweeps downwards. Feeling abruptly contented and filled deep inside, you finally realise that you have embraced your new form as Yeleni.

A visible ripple of energy flashes across the skies above, celebrating the ascension of Seraphina to Yeleni.

So many thanks to @Rhine, @Kaiara, @Iesid, @Xavin, @Stine @Kjell, @Church, @Eratian, @Marin and all the rest of you lovely people xoxo

Seurimas

Whoever was Seghula(?), thanks. Always a treat when an alert mob shows up and quite hilarious when they come asking about things two recently returned players had 0 idea about.

Didi

yay interaction and knowledge

Mjoll

@bamathis
Thank you for helping me to find Mj's place and voice in the order, I was struggling there for a while and you came in and blapped it all into place. Thank you so much for that.

Katie

Hot dang, y'all. I cried at my computer yesterday. Thank you to everyone I got the pleasure to RP with.

Cayn

A huge thank you to the onlookers at Landward Gate today, who were such immensely good sports while @Haven, @Nola, @Zaila, and myself were all being SUPER DRAMATIC in big walls of text. It was so much fun. I especially enjoyed the unexpected contributions of gems like @Serrice and @Melantha. Thank you thank you!

Haven

Shout out to @Bamathis, @Ethne, and @Chakrasul too. You have all been great putting up with my shenanigans and putting your own spin on things.

Aros

Really, I have plenty of people to mention and I don't think I can at the moment capture everyone. @Tatia @Fezzix @Phoenecia, Tanixalthas to name a few!

But I can honestly say that I've never had such a warm welcome back to a game, it's really made me appreciate the community and people around. @Skiva most importantly for keeping Aros alive when I couldn't be playing. You're amazing

Skiva

and i gotta thank @Aros (and probably also tani) for coming back! Skiva can be hyped again!

Iazamat

I know I've already said this in an esteem, but thank you to @Qelres. You took a chance and have given me such a great story so far. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Lin

I'm just gonna toss out a bunch of names, and hope I caught everyone. It's just like an Events post! Look for your name!

@Bruin @Aloli @Sekeres @Iesid @Rhine @Serrice @Benedicto @Aisling @Rasani @Isia @Rijetta @Liarra @Nerakh @Tythos @Haven @Aishia @Ayastia @Omei @Bamathis @Chakrasul @Ethne

I wasn't sure about Aetolia when I came back - people a bit snippier, people a bit snugglier, but hey, I've changed too. It's been surprisingly easy to adapt and get along with the place again. I'm really trying to turn over a new leaf, branch out and interact with new people, instead of just holing up in like 2-3 private homes with the same characters.

And it's been wonderful! We all have our different styles, and I'm learning that my antiquated idea of Lin "not being compatible with certain characters" doesn't really hold any water.

I think I'm sticking around! Thank you again!