Something To Consider

[Script Wrecked]

As and when you perm out a character (after previously taken the newly available One Last Chance Grateful Plea), please, please, please, post something so the rest of us know. Hopefully, if you were traveling in a group, one of your comrades will do this for you. But if you have the misfortune to die alone, it falls to you to blow your own trumpet.

We all appreciate that this is a tough time when losing a loved character (or even two much loved characters within 24 hours *cough* Dorax Windsmith (Anthony Moore) *cough*). However, after you've picked up the laptop from the other side of the room, or balcony, and/or replaced the pane of glass from the window, be sure to let us know.

Unfortunately, by playing here, you become part of the community, and your character(s) becomes part of Layonara, and as such part of its history. And history should be allowed to record the deeds of the fallen and honour their passing.

Regards,

Script Wrecked.

[Nehetsrev]

Except....  IF your character really did die alone, who -would- know? (Besides whatever monsters might've killed the character, and they probably aren't telling anyone, unless they're the type that would brag about it.)  Some heroes just go on a final venture and never come back, leaving people to wonder later what ever happened to them.  

Take Amelia Earheart for example, everyone knew she flew off one day, with a flight-plan and all.  However, she disappeared along the way somewhere and it would seem her plane-wreck was never found, nor may it ever be found.  The world collectively wondered for years over that.  Some people even speculated she might've landed or crashed on/near some tropical paradise and lived on a while longer to the end of her days.  Point is, that even though everyone knew of her departure, no one ever truly knew of her end.

My point I guess is this:  Sure, let your friends know Out Of Character, but let them work to discover In-Character if they have reason too and it's something their character(s) would do.  Sometimes a bit of mystery is good, and can lead to adventures for your friends that they might not have otherwise had.

[Script Wrecked]

People knew Earhart went missing. And so would the characters. That's the point.

[Nehetsrev]

Yes, but Earheart was pretty darn famous and under more scrutiny than most of our heroes in Layonara can likely be.  Think how many relatively unknown people simply slip out in the night and abandon their families, and no one knows for sure anything more than they're gone somewhere.

I still say, leave it to the characters to say, "Gee, so-and-so sure has been gone on that fishing trip a long-long time now... maybe we should go looking for them?"

[Script Wrecked]

Yes, but Earheart was pretty darn famous and under more scrutiny than most of our heroes in Layonara can likely be.  Think how many relatively unknown people simply slip out in the night and abandon their families, and no one knows for sure anything more than they're gone somewhere.

The scrutiny largely came from "the Press" (which, fortunately, Layonara is free of).

By level 20 (when most characters perm), most characters are pretty well known, if not actually famous, due to their participation in Layonara changing events.

Adventurers are not "unknown people", they are extraordinary individuals to begin with. Just by pursuing the adventuring life style, you stand out from the mass of (invisible) locals at each locale. Add of few levels of running to the bank every few weeks with great gobs of gold and you're going to be noticed. And all this by level 10. After that, your notoriety is only going to increase. Your participation in adventures doesn't occur in a vacuum.

I still say, leave it to the characters to say, "Gee, so-and-so sure has been gone on that fishing trip a long-long time now... maybe we should go looking for them?"

But how do you know the difference between that and the player being caught up in RL for a while?

[Nehetsrev]

But how do you know the difference between that and the player being caught up in RL for a while?

This was actually another point I was thinking of making, our characters -don't- know if their friends are missing due to an absence caused by something in RL or their friends suffering a final death.  But why should they treat any long absence any differently then?  If one of my friends in RL disappeared suddenly without notice to anyone for any length greater than a few days, I think I'd be putting in inquiries to others who know him/her, possibly filing a report with the authorities if their other friends/relatives didn't know where they were either, etc.

Obviously opinions on this are going to vary as ours do.  Opinions are just that though, and any other players should feel free to choose themselves whether or not they want to make an OOC post saying their character has permed, or let their friends start asking questions and forming investigations IC when they notice someone's been missing longer than they should be.

I don't mean to overly argue my point, but consider a character like Emwonk.  Sure, when he's not taking care to hide himself he stands out like a sore thumb, all that electrical sparking and all, and the fact he's shorter than most other halflings, and talks in such an odd way.  So, yeah, maybe peasants everywhere would take note of his passing by (if they managed to catch a glimpse of him not in stealth-mode).  Now let's say he's just crazy enough to try a trip into the Rift on his own, and he dies there and perms.  Who's really going to know asside from those who killed him?  Certainly no peasant is going to follow him into the Rift (again, assuming they could spot him and keep an eye on him for long), so the best any peasant might do is say, "The funny sparking halfling passed this way about so long ago, haven't seen him since."  But why would they bother unless someone asks?

[Xaltotun]

I think you both have made excellent points: unfortunately though, there is no right or wrong to this, as I seem to read you both implicitly agree on.

I think the answer is yes to both of you: the player can notify the community that they have indeed permed (which is what ScriptWrecked is getting at), and the PCs can then ponder their fellow PC's absence and wonder if it's worth investigating (which is what Nehetsrev is aiming for).

This way, the community will know, and the PCs can act as if in ignorance and do what people do under such circumstances.

[Dorax Windsmith]

Thank you Script Wrecked for acknowledging my loss as a player.

I should have posted something and I intended to, but as you pointed out this was very difficult for me.  I had to walk away from the game for a time and I even considered being done.  It is difficult to loose our characters, it's like loosing a part of yourself.  I apologize to anyone who wondered what happened to me.  I will try to pick up the pieces and move on, and get back into the world.  I've requested the return of Both Vladimir's and Trenton's final Soul Strands through the new Graceful Plea system and hopefully that will be approved.  (Thanks for implementing this by the way!)

As I've always tried to say....I really do appreciated what Leanthar and the team have created here.  This game is special, sometimes consuming, but very special and fun.  I've enjoyed the changes over the years that have been made and continue to be made.  I've enjoyed the players here, you are a fun group to experience.  I've laughed and I've really enjoyed playing my characters and it's nice to see that someone noticed.