I've always thought of Layonara as a never ending movie where we the players get to puppeteer the stars, but what does puppeteer really mean? Well, I believe that when one plays a character, regardless of how much effort is put in, we are exhibiting characteristics of our own mind, personality and soul. There is so much depth to every single one of us that is often left completely undiscovered. Some people prefer to not explore themselves and so we only get to witness a sliver of their true self but the ones that do explore are often the ones that pour themselves into their RP and do so over the course of more than one character.
While we all tend to act differently in RL than our characters IG, even in RL we are playing the role of our real lives with real stakes at hand. This is why RL Always Comes First.
While Layonara is Just a Game there is none-the-less a bond that's seeded, nurtured and grown through the life we breathe into our characters. I like to think of this bond being represented by the 10 Soul Strands. When a character is first created, the bond is fresh, new and full. As we explore the world through the shoes of the character we're able to learn about ourselves in ways not available to RL. We are given the opportunity to explore the truth and consequences of our actions in a setting where when it really boils down to it, there's absolutely nothing to loose and everything to gain because it really is Just a Game.
As the strands wilt over time [be it short or long] we are all hit personally with that pang in the chest and burning of the heart. We are tangibly loosing a slice of that bond between our heart and our alternate self; the character. Having that bond broken by a permanent death will inevitably impact the RL self to some degree. Sometimes the break can be so extreme as to bring one to the point of rejecting the mere thought of allowing one's self to grow another bond. This is natural, we are only human and our hearts can bleed in more ways than one.
However, we must always remember that with each and every permanent death; a void is born in the world and a new chapter in the history of Layonara is waiting to be opened. Regardless of how big or small the chapter is, there is a new slice of your self just waiting to be given the chance to see the first light of a new Layonaran day. Rejoice in the accomplishments of the past slices, learn from their mistakes... where there was an avenue blocked from your exploration due to alignment or other RP restrictions, perhaps now that avenue can be explored through a new slice of life in Layonara.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with maintaining the characteristics of a past slice in the new personality. In fact, I'd highly encourage it. Take the best aspects of every character you've ever played and imbue them into a new one. Inevitably this will cause a new mix of experiences which bring out new traits you'd never even thought of before.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm speaking for myself and I'm not trying to hype Layonara up or push anyone to continue playing when they in fact do not wish to do so. All that I want to do with this posting is to share with you all how I feel about the inherent impermanence within the realm of Layonara. It forces us to come to terms with emotional transitions in-game that mimic similar emotional cycles and transitions found in real life but in such a way that allows us to adapt [and / or harden] ourselves to the realities of real life in a positive and relatively risk-free environment. I've always loved D&D of old for this and in our modern day D&D has given way to learning opportunities on a massive scale with the advent of multiplayer RP games.
Hoping this made sense to someone out there,
OneST8
