Posts Thanked By User

1

General Discussion / For what it's worth...

« on: June 10, 2007, 07:52:00 pm »

To those who may have noticed, to those who may care. I've decided to pull almost completely out of this world. Wilwarin will be around here and there, maybe and I'll keep abreast of things on the forum, but I've made the decision that investing time into a character that will be gone in a couple of months is just not worth the time, especially when character progress is so very slow in the first place.  The NWN engine is a crippled old man trying to run a marathon and I don't blame those who have sustained this place for all this time for wanting to find a better set of legs. It is hard for me to make this decision, I am attached to the community here -- community is always the first thing I look for when I game, it's why I stayed active in  a text MUD for years after it made any sense. I'm hoping to see most of you again when Layo the game is born. Till then, keep the faith, try not to laugh too hard at that little old man in his running shorts. Peace out, Redhawk/Coyote Red

2

General Discussion / Goodnight, Tonight...Goodbye

« on: June 04, 2007, 11:06:57 pm »

Normally, it is considered quite tactful, and in most cases respectful to post something like this in a private forum first before making it public.

At this time however, I feel that I need no such restraint and have no desire to show such propriety.  

This can be considered my resignation as a DM, community member, player and contributor to Layonara.  All those who have requested me to act in a DM capacity for a CDQ, or WLDQ must find another DM.  All other projects, will stay on my hard drive and an alternate version should be used if any are even desired at this point.
 
I ask at this time that all contributions I have made to this point, up to and including all writings and stories I have composted related to and resulting from DM quests, Character Development Threads concerning the following:

• Branderback
• Miko Millspaugh
• Xeen
• The Vine
• Ranalea
• Boo
• Prantz
• The Administration
• Broegar
• Caliessa
• Odlithaner (a.k.a. The Mouth of Broegar)
• Oom Kaayrk
• Dregar
• Orc’s Watch
• Fort Rael
• The beginnings of Prantz
• Sunset’s Dawn

be withdrawn from the handbook before it’s publication and not be used in any current or future works published by Layonara Studios or any of it's affiliates.  They are not part of the Layonara Intellectual Property, nor do I wish them to be any longer.

I myself heartily disagree with this migration/subscription, and I do not want a part of it.  I was not asked, nor approached in any way shape or form by any member of the staff regarding this project until I found out about it during a forum crawl on June the 3rd. I was told that I had to give written consent to use my writings as per the copyright notice for Layonara Intellectual Property found in several places throughout the various staff forums.  I did not respond to that post, although my silence was taken as consent, which at the time I was fine with.  Recently, I have been sent a release form to be filled out, signed, and then sent back to the Layonara offices, I have not, and will not do so.  I find it reprehensible and underhanded that I was not told that what I write may or may not be used in a proprietary endevour started in secret by select members of the Layonara team.
 
Yes, the possibility existed for me to have gotten paid for this, that does not placate me, nor should it make it morally right. I did not become a DM, or a writer for the possibility of royalties, fame (infamy), or to have my name on a cover.  I did this for fun, to share, to meet new people.  The prosepect of money and paying customers changes all of this, and makes it unpure to me and I no longer wish to participate.

But why did I give my initial (albeit silent) consent?  I did this thinking that I was writing for this incarnation (meaning, the free to play one) of Layonara, and for the next edition handbook which I did know was going to be published, and for which I would receive royalties for.  I didn’t really like the idea of monetary compensation, but I rationalized that it’s for a book that nearly everybody will, in some way shape or form (My DM quests, random RP with either my PC’s or NPC’s, etc) be able to benefit from.  I planned on framing my first royalty check, and then donating the remaining ones to the server.  Now however, being the person that I am, I heartily dislike being deceived and having the true purposes of my labors unknown to me..  I refuse to be anybody’s mushroom (second definition), I deserve better treatment then this, not as a DM, or community member, or contributor, but as a human being, and therefore, I desire no further part in this moronic mess.

I have watched this community go into a slow decay, longtime players and friends have been leaving at a consistent rate.  Veteran players are constantly overshadowed and left wanting in favor of those who go against what I thought the spirit of this server was (You all know who they are).  My online experience has slowly degraded until it has been a chore to log on as either a player or DM. I’ve watched the player base go from a small close knit group of friends and cliques into a huge group of quest whoring, XP hungry, selfish, inconsiderate, unruly, disrespectful people.  I’ve seen DM’s become scared to run events the way they wish because of the whiny poor attitudes of players.  What was deemed as an RP-Action server, has basically lost the RP and is now left with –Action.  That’s minus Action, like minus world from Super Mario Brothers.

Although this migration may be deemed as necessary, and I can even barely see where it is desirable, I do not see where it will improve the “quality of life” for those participating in the server.  The problems in the community cannot be fixed by a magic wand of a new system design.  My experiences in mechanical engineering, systems design, programming, and game development, a system (or machine) designed to accommodate everyone cannot, by nature of it’s shear breadth and scope, excel in every area if it even manages to excel in any one area at all.  It is the nature of the people that made this community great, and they are now in a small minority, to cater to them cuts off the larger portion of the players (customers, whatever).  To acquiesce to the majority alienates the minority.  To add compromises sullies your original purpose, to force the majority to act like the minority by rewarding the minority for doing what you perceive is “right”, will be deemed as “unfair”.  All of these things will only narrow the small niche market for this product further.  This doesn’t begin to address the issue of those great players who cannot afford to pay a reoccurring subscription fee at all or the increased stress of a staff that now has to deal with customers instead of players.

As a last caution as you venture bravely into this new world.  Remember, this not an enterprise, it is not the be all end all of your existence.  You get no rewards at the end of the month (unless you’re one of the select few being paid), and nobody will knock at your door to congratulate you for killing that balor prince in 5 rounds, so please, have fun, it is just a game after all.

3

General Discussion / Just a Thanks to Dorg

« on: May 27, 2007, 12:33:31 am »

I wanted to say thanks to Dorg for taking the time to change my character's name and description and doing all that jazz Really, it's great that a person is willing to go through and do all that for another, and I just wanted to say it's appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to fix or change or reimburse each person/character that requires it

4

General Discussion / *sings* "Every player is sacred..."

« on: May 22, 2007, 05:59:13 pm »

You know that movie? :-)

Seriously.  Every single player, whether they've been here from the beginning or just for a week, is sacred.  We're a community in a growing desert; anyone that finds their way to our oasis needs to be treated like royalty.  The "elders" of our own community need to be treated even better!

I am imploring all of you to take a moment and thank the other players that surround you.  Sent them a tell ingame, "((I like what you've done with your pants!  Want to go slay orc?"

Our home here on the Layonara servers has changed dramatically in the past few months.  More changes, I have no doubt, are waiting in the wings.  Let's shore up our fellow players by attending their player quests, listening to their back-stories, and being respectful of them as people.  Let's support our team by exploring their landscape.

I, for one, feel lucky to have a place to see and share tales.  See you in there!

5

General Discussion / Why Do You Play on Layonara?

« on: May 11, 2007, 01:25:41 am »

[SIZE=16]Maybe you play on Layonara because you love the unknown...[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Or perhaps the adventure draws you in...[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Maybe you're looking for peace and quiet...[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Or perhaps just a pleasant place to call home....[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Or simply a place to meet some friends...[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Perhaps you enjoy the majesty of civilization...[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Or maybe just the majesty the lands offer...[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Maybe you love the thrill of great battles...[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Or just maybe... a glutton for punishment?....[/SIZE][/U][/B]
 
 
 
 
 [SIZE=16]Whatever the case may be... one thing is clear.  Layonara is the world for all imaginations, and it is on us to live those dreams.[/SIZE]
 [SIZE=16][/SIZE]
 [SIZE=16]V3.  Still on the rise....[/SIZE]

6

General Discussion / Positive Vibes

« on: May 03, 2007, 04:17:30 am »

I've seen an incredible amount of motivation from numbers of people in the past few weeks.
 
 I don't care what anyone says, it's there.
 
 The issue, and this whole declining attitude, is that everybody is feeding off each other's negativity.  All the while, the folks working incredible projects or more importantly working miracles of roleplay in game are keeping their mouths shut because they're either too busy or too complacent.
 
 There are incredibly fun things going on, and it has to work on all sides to make sure everyone feels it.  The people having a great time in game need to spread it around.  They need to realize the motivation they give each other in a bright spark of good roleplay, and probably divert their attention to making sure it's there for others.  The people who are acting a bit edgy in game need to snap their fingers near their ears and wake up.  And hey!  I'm not innocent!  Next time I'm in game and find myself off on east by myself doing nothing but wailing god knows what, I need to snap my fingers near my ear!  We all do at times and we all know how things could be better.  We've all had the glowing moments.  You just need to get that smile on your face because you know inside what this game can be like if everyone just snaps their fingers at once.  Because we definitely feed each other's moods, and it's a quick spiral downwards if folks stay down, and the opposite is just as true.
 
 I'm not ignorant, I know things come in waves.  And I know everyone has their time to shoulder the burden of keeping spirits up.  You think it's anything new that in a time of server changes there's a decline in motivation?  That the people usually on the forefront of maintaining excitement are perhaps so nose-deep in things that they're not out there with constant reminders of how great things have been, are, and will be?  Heck no!  It's always like this, on every update, change, and evolution on every server I've been a part of.  And there shouldn't be one shred of surprise in this.
 
 But I will say this, and it is a pointed statement.  It's the best of communities that keeps it together and picks up slack.  It's the best of communities that doesn't come bickering to the forums about some player or group of players but instead heads out with open arms to that despised person or people and instead tries to bring them into the fold.  It's not hard.  We weren't all born unto roleplay greatness and internet morality.  It takes some time and it takes a good community to help *everyone* find their place.
 
 I could post up pictures of this that and the next beautiful thing to come, but they're all empty areas, and monsters without theme, meaning, or any real reward... without people that are happy to be here.  And heck yeah I'm excited about these things people are working on and getting ready to put out there, but it all breaks in one swift blow over our knee if the motivation of the community isn't there when it comes.
 
 Be positive, show your best, spread the vibe.  I'm no hero in this sense but I'll try a bit harder too.  It's a fun ride uphill if we can just carry each other.
 
 And I sincerely thank every single person who is already working at this or reads this and maybe goes in game and tries to get things going positively, or remarks on IRC with things that will keep the positive vibes circling around.  It takes a village, and there are no exceptions.  We are all one community.

7

General Discussion / Plot - Dragon Storm: Suffering

« on: April 08, 2007, 11:13:25 pm »

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you and welcome. This is a two ‘part’ post this being the first part and only vaguely related to the second. As an effort to spread information and be fair to everyone I will be making ‘visible’ record of the Dragon Storm campaign. This first occurrence will be noted as you see it in the general discussion. However all future occurrences will land in the CDT I opened on Ozymandias. In the case of the later, this, past and future posts are meant to be read and used as a role play tool. The information I do not wish to be used I simply will not post.
You can decide for yourself how you come across this information. Perhaps you overheard things on the subject in the local tavern your character frequents, or you heard it off some bard trying to make a true. Whatever the reason consider it a valid tool to talk with others about.
The reason I am doing this in this manner is because I consider my previous method, in the Soul of a Lost Ancient a dismal failure. It was boring, reward less, and required many more hours doing nothing than I would like. Furthermore many people were left out as I had to sleep at some point, or work, or do other activities. So I am going to try this method where I spin a few rumors that might be heard in a public place. Then you the player, armed with even rudimentary knowledge can seek out those that participated. While for those of you that could only make part of a quest, either by real life or by group selection, are not left with the ‘left out’ feeling.
After all it is one thing to be expected to ask questions, it is another to not have any idea what to ask. So in that interest of fairness, in the interest of my sanity, and the interest of community spirit in the since of working together. I shall try and provide something you can work with in game.
Now enough of my gibbering lets get down to part two which you are really interested in.

In the last eleven years a certain sight can be found in most port towns. Entire villages with what belongings they could bring flocking there and boarding ships all to seek a life in ‘better lands’. Few find success in their endeavors but many will try to find a place to live a better life for their families. The stories are the same of crops failing and sickness running rampant, the gods having abandoned the people and horrific stories that Dragons have returned.
Roomers abound though of bandits and brigands growing more and more common. Some say they have turned from robbery to outright murder of their quarry robbing them of their scant goods and their lives. The roads no longer safe while the so called Heroes of Layonara live like royalty safe and sound from the horrors of the world.
Yet despite this it is still said, that perhaps the Heroes have not given up and that people here and there. Sometimes one, or sometimes just a single village are brought from the plight of the world. That certain parts of the world have become safer if only slightly because of their restoring of order. These instances seem few and far between in recent years. The world is suffering and so are the people that dwell within it.
In the Land of Kings the heroes made themselves known in the City of Twins; Lor. As people fled from the poverty and despair that had engulfed the north, the rich merchants demanded their due. A kings price to ship people away to a better land, yet the heroes stepped forward and paid it in true and one small group felt a time of reprieve.
There are reasons for everything, families are not torn asunder for no reason. A cult was rising and growing in this time of darkness. Armed, armored and wielding fearsome magic they displaced many and slaughtered others. They were called by many names, some cried that they were the black hand, others the iron hand, a few even said the hand of blood. Yet no mater what these individuals were called, they seemed to revel in the destruction and called themselves the hand.
Perhaps there are still heroes, maybe not as many as tales say. Some may be content to live in their homes as nobility while others suffer. Yet there may be some left willing to fight to protect those truly hurt by this time of darkness. In the Land of Kings those so called heroes gathered and moved to attack the brigands calling themselves the hand.
In the broken mountains the groups fought, heroes within desecrated valleys and caverns filled with decay and death. While this new cult of brigands channeled their twisted creations with joyous abandon. Willingly forfeiting their lives and accepting no chance to surrender. The battle raged and the earth moaned as twisted things fell returning to the earth with their passing.
Yet as the brigands were slain they called out that this was not the end. They were but a single digit of the full fury. Perhaps the heroes had brought the first blow to the bandits but it was certainly not the last. In the end the heroes were the ones to leave the twisted caverns and corrupted pass, yet questions yet many remained unanswered. Especially one that falls heavy on all minds, what does this group have to do with dragons that have returned?

All right an unexpected part three to this post. I think this tells you enough. I suppose we will just have to wait and see what unfolds and what each other have learned. Share information, spread it around, you never know when it will be important to remember. Anyway good luck I hope this post and this method prove more successful then the last method I used.

8

Roleplaying / RPing Intelligence

« on: April 06, 2007, 09:34:07 pm »

Had an interesting conversation with another player last night about a character's intelligence.

I was playing a PC with an intelligence of 10 .... average. This character had concocted a plan to deceive some others that was reasonably involved/intricate.

I received a tell (good naturedly) from this other player saying that this plan was more appropriate for a character with a much higher intelligence. My initial thoughts were along the lines of probably so but the more I thought about it, the more that I begged to differ. I (RL me) had thought of this plan and I couldn't say I was more than average intelligence as measured by DnD standards. Afterall, I can barely speak one language let alone an additional 3-4 which is the quantifiable benefit from a high intelligence!

It amused me that we (I?) tend to think of ourselves as RL intelligence of 20+ and we (I?) have to dumb down our (my?) own intellect/rationality to play a character of less than 20+ intelligence. I don't believe we need to play characters with 'average' ability scores as less than average. Now I just have to work out how to RP my character with 16 intelligence ....

My point? None really, just struck me as an interesting idea, thought i'd share. : )

9

General Discussion / Zelda1, Some Clarity, Layonara Balance

« on: April 01, 2007, 05:35:57 am »

Okay this is a combination of quite a few things so bear with me here.  For some reason I decided to keep them all together though it's kind of three posts in one.

Many of you were left wondering just what the heck was going with regards to this thread:

http://www.layonara.com/general-discussion/114789-messenger-bad-news.html

I've been in communication with Zelda1 and she had a few things to say and a few confessions at the same time and has asked me to relay them.  First off, in regards to the mentioned thread, she insists she has no idea where that came from and was no part of it.  So we're still a bit up in the air on just where that all came from.

But Zelda1 does want to clear the air on some things anyway and has asked me to relay them.  She originally came to Layonara and was instructed to pretend she wasn't as young as she is. She, like many of us have had at times, got a little too caught up with her character, but also the persona she had taken up and decided to take a break. She returned again but due to some more conflicts left once more.  She returned in V3 and the new forums under a new username to set the record straight on her age and who she was but that never came to fruition before this event with the alleged coma took place.

She is upset and sorry for the grief she may have caused for this mistaken identity, she didn't realize how caught up one could get.  I have asked that she focus on her studies and keep in touch, but she will not be playing.  I believe also she has a few friends to contact to set the record straight.

Layonara is going to leave this episode to those who are very closely involved and step away from it.



Now onto a few of my thoughts...

I thought about some things and while my initial anger probably was a fuel for the harsh tone I had in my post that closed that thread, I think in retrospect I should have handled it better.  Obviously there were some people who would be feeling great emotion if they have been going through this thinking it's the full truth and for me to "slam" the door with terms such as "sick joke" might not have been the best.  I think a more calm "Something is not adding up here and I fear some people are not hearing the truth as the evidence of this story's fabrication piles up" might have been a bit more sensitive.  So to those who I may have offended in that regard, I'm sorry.

I also want everyone to know that we have a protective nature here as well and are looking out for the best interests of the community and we'll use all the information that is available to us to protect Layonara and it's community.  

Some of you may not know but when you connect to the forum you leave a trace of your internet connection. This sort of information is viewable to the Administrators of the forum who can be viewed on the User Groups Page.  

When you're in game you also leave this information and Dorganath, OneST8, Leanthar, Nibor21 and myself have access to that information via the database and Pankoki and EdTheKet through server logs.

One person asked me about Forum PMs. OneST8 and myself have access to this information only via the database though, there's no "Read this person's Private Messages" or anything like that.  It's on a database, it has to be stored somewhere... But that's the risk you take when you submit most information over the internet.  That is why you should always make sure your network admin gets cookies.  With that said, we're not going to read your PMs.  Unless a law enforcement agency asks us for them or we have an extremely strong suspicion that you may be guilty of something illegal or very detrimental to the Layonara community.

All poll voting is private but the information is stored on a database so once again OneST8 and I have access to that information.

No one can see tells in game.

No one can see private IRC communications.

I want everyone to understand that even though to some it may not seem so evident recently, we do really care for the players here.  Our number one goal is for you to have fun and enjoy yourself.  We want you also to meet new and interesting people in a family friendly environment where the magic of our fantasy world can help us feel young and creative and for us to be able to take out some of the real world woes on monsters.  Emotions can flow in every single direction when a group such as our playerbase joins up.  Many relationships have evolved from Layonara; great friendships, confidantes, mentors, coworkers and even love.  

Alas these emotions bring along other ones though.  There is indeed a Balance to the Layonara community too (oh no here comes the Plen!), and things go on tilt. Scores of differing opinions rise, rumours flow, relationships end, people fade, deception behind the computer, envy, frustration pile up then to add to that, there has been a lot of change recently to Layonara.  Very balance upsetting!  I've talked to a few people who are concerned about this and I find a rather large irony in the fact that these people approached me much like I think characters would approach Plen. I as a person can do for the community what Plen has tried to for the game.  Because like the cycle of Layonara's Nature, there is the one with the Layonara community and I intend to help keep that balance in whatever capacity I can

-orth(y)

10

Roleplaying / Rant rant rant

« on: March 18, 2007, 10:11:22 pm »

This is an official rant thread.  If you are not ranting, then please don't respond.  Also, I am not posting this because I am upset about anything, I am posting this because I have been quietly brainstorming for about a  week now, and it's starting to rain.  My purpose is not to make people feel defensive, it is to encourage character development onto a new level of RP.  

First of all, I would like to thank Gary Gygax for making D&D in the first place.  Second of all I would like to quote my sister Tai, "An entire generation of roll players has suffered because roll playing was conceived by war gamers and not by cultural anthropologists."  You might be asking yourself what this means.  It means that the system we use to govern our characters personalities is a  stupid and archaic system that was made up by a war gamer.  I swear, the only reason Wizards did not make a better alignment system for D&D 3.0 is "If it aint broke, don't fix it."  It's not a bad system for beginners but it has way way too many limitations.  Good characters should have the flexibility to do things, on occasion, that are malicious, vengeful, greedy, and vindictive.  Evil characters should have certain weaknesses where they behave in a generous manner.  A good example of this is when Raistlin Majere demonstrated love and compassion to a gully dwarf. All you RP elitists talk about something not being realistic to a character's alignment, and you miss the point that alignments are incredibly unrealistic.  No one, and mean no one fits into any one alignment perfectly at all times.  In real life, we call actions and comments that are out side of our normal personalities, "mistakes"  or "moment of weakness" or "I was drunk" or "Christmas spirit"

When I make up a character, I do not chose an alignment and then make up an appropriate personality.  I make up a persona and then pick an alignment that best fits that persona.  When I RP my characters, I never think about alignment.  I always think of my characters personality.  I don't think, what would I do, I think what would my character do.  Some times it comes down to my characters experiances when deciding what they say, and how they would react.  Never once though, since high school, has anyone accused me of not playing my alignment.  Now is it that I don't care about alignment, and I never think about alignment, but my characters RP fits with in his alignment?  Answer, I made the personality first and chose the alignment that fits that personality, and I do stay true to that my  character's personality.  Hmph, we should just throw that old arcait alignment system out the window, and evolve to better roll playing.

My next rant, is Power gaming.  You know, it took me a long time to figure out why power gaming is a bad thing.  It is pretty ¤¤¤¤ natural for us to want to be the best at things.  We want the strongest, fastest, smartest, wisest what ever character in the world.  The hardest to kill, and deals a punch that legendary.  There is a problem with the power build.  It is called game balance.  The more uber your character, the harder it is for a DM to create encounters that are challenging.  Encounters that are too easy are boring, and encounters that are too hard are frustrating.  When all the stats significant to your class are maximized, every feat works perfectly to maximizing damage dealt and minimizing damage received, then you have just set yourself up for a bad time.  Either you are bored, or you are dead.  Never did you stop and think about what is most fun.  You ever notice that most encounters just seem to get harder.  I blame power gamers.  We have players soloing the rift, and what happens, the rift gets made so difficult, only power gamers have business being there.  In the time I have been playing here, I have seen this as a continuous trend.  The more players power game, the harder the DMs make the encounters, the more players feel like they have to power game in order to not get DTs.    The answer to this, is to take feats that do not work best for your character, but take some good RP feats.  Do not get the very best equipment you can possibly have, but allow your character to have some weakness.  Weaknesses and disadvantages generate good RP, and allow DMs to create fun and interesting encounters that challenge parties.  My gut feeling here is that if we the players make conscious efforts to not power game, then the DMs will balance our game world accordingly.

Where power gaming is most painful, is how it effects new players.  In the Amber roll playing game, Erick Wugic writes, "If I put a 200 point character in the hands of a  novice player, and a 100 point character in the hands of an expert player, the 100 point character will kill the 200 point character every time."  Notice that if you power build build your character, you are relying less on your own skill as a player, and more on the brute strength of your character.  By this you not only handicap your skill progression as a player, you handicap your personal enjoyment that you get from playing.

Now, what happens on Layo is that new players start playing.  They do not have enough playing experience to create a power build, and they lack technical skill.  They enter into a game world that is balanced for highly skilled players with well built characters.  Bad time.  We as players need to turn this around.  We need to be patient.  Not rush to get as many kills as possible.  We need to embrace new players, and coach good RP and technical skills.  We need to build characters that are well balanced, and then avoid areas that are too dangerous for a non power built character.  Only then will our changes be recognized and certain areas re balanced to be more fun for everyone.

AeonBlues

11

General Discussion / Stormcrest Guides: Pre-launch Announcement

« on: March 15, 2007, 01:52:46 am »

STORMCREST GUIDES
 
 
 Hello Layonara Community! I'd like to go ahead and announce a new project on the very near horizon with us standing at the introduction of v3 for Layonara. Nestled in the trees between Fort Vehl and Port Hempstead there will soon be a small cobble path that leads to a small rickety old shack built into a tree. This is the Stormcrest Shack, a cozy tavern at the crossroads of the server start cities.
 
  What is this shack and why is it there?
 
 It's a gathering point mostly. A group of characters have decided to participate in a guiding service. This isn't any grand guild or organization, it's a simple meeting place where sponsored guides will often just hang out, offering maybe to guide someone around, or to a particular destination your character may have in mind. They work for nobody, and pay no dues, so what they charge you is what they deem appropriate for the destination you have in mind. The tavern is owned by a one eyed dwarf some may know, though he's donated it up to just about any of the guides to make use of it to get a client, and the doors are always open to get a drink.
 
 Now, Stormcrest Guides work on a pretty free flowing premise: That the participating guides can work when they like, for whatever amount they like. Even if its just buying them an ale. That said, there are some rules:
 
 - A guide can't be contracted out for resources, or any other goals that are at an unreasonable challenge for your character. More simply, anything that seems to not be in good spirit of the server.
 - Distribution of gold and items found on your travels is at the guide's discretion for distribution.
 - That the only people working as guides are sponsored by Stormcrest.
 
  Who are these guides?
 
 Well currently the participating characters are:
 
 Talan Va'lash, Lalaith Va'lash, Varka Cleaveson, Jennara Creekskipper, Acacea Thistletongue, Quillwem Laylluanilm, Triba Gues, Jacchri Abianca, Ireth Telrunya, Ketilbjorn Svadi, Lillian Dartforth, Daeron Stormcloud, AnnaLee Ohtartel'selu, Kavil Yodin, Ozymandias Llewellyn, Connor Garvill, Rhizome, Bilvikki, Remiel Delmir, Rodlin Serim, and Katrien Hommel (with the full acknowledgement that she is apt to getting lost).
 
 More guides will be added perpetually as time passes. The requirements for getting sponsored by Stormcrest will be posted up in due time following the initial launch.
 
  So why does Stormcrest Guides exist?
 
 Well, for starters, it'll be fun. It's an easy way for everyone to meet each other. It's an easy way for us to find a convenient collection point for roleplay and good times. It's a means for anyone out there to walk up and ask to go adventuring with someone who has their footing on where things are, the lore of the lands, and generally the storylines all around you as you travel around. Playstyles can be shared between players that generally wouldn't party together because of level spreads or the like. It's just a good way for us all to get together and party responsibly, mostly.
 
  So how do you get a guide?
 
 Well, the easiest way is to simply hang out in the comforts of the Stormcrest Shack, or lounge by the campfire at the pond outside. There is a torch outside the shack that will be lit when there's a guide about who is up for taking someone out. Alternatively, you can PM me, Chongo, to try and set something up in advance.
 
  What sort of things can you do when you get a guide?
 
 Once you get someone as a guide by hanging out at the shack and asking, there's all sorts of things you might do. It's really up to you as the character wanting to see or learn more of the world. You could wander local lands to get a handle on your surroundings if you're unfamiliar. Or you could travel to an exotic destination that you've been yearning to go but feel you could benefit from someone who can maybe show you around with a bit more flavor. Or maybe you want to be shown someplace so you can learn the lore shaping its history. It's really up to you as a character and what feels fun. Every character in this game has a lot to share, and getting a few of these older hands with lore up the wazoo on every blade of grass can be quite fun, especially when you're part of learning something new with them. The things we're not out to do is go get you high end items or resources. That's just against the spirit of Stormcrest, and while getting an emerald is fun, it should never be the spirit of the goal.
 
 
 Layonara has a wonderful community that is ever changing and still growing. Make use of the people around you. Come hang out at the tavern or at the campfire, at the crossroads of Fort Vehl and Port Hempstead. The sign will point the way there. Cheers.

12

Introduce Yourself / Hello from Leanthar

« on: March 11, 2007, 10:20:40 am »

Hello Everybody!
 
Who am I? Hmm....just a normal every day guy that had a fantastic group of Pen and Paper players that were enjoying a tiny place called Layonara. Then I brought it online....what a difference and what growth!
 
I am a father of four wonderful children (18 (Heather), 17 (Skyler), 15 (Sierra), and 4 (Raylynn)) who are so very talented and smart in thier own ways. *smiles* Yes, those are the words of a proud father.
 
I also have the best wife in the world. Beverly is just fantastic! She supports me in all I do, she encourages me and she helps out when and where she can. Brilliant, talented, and beautiful, she is a great lady!
 
I like in Oakhurst California, just 10 miles south of Yosemite National Park, in the Sierra Mountains. Essentially right smack in the middle of the state if you are ever looking for it on a map.
 
I can't say enough about the teams that support Layonara. We have all been blessed to have found so much talent, quality, genuine friends, and intelligence here at Layonara. Without them (all of the teams) we would not be what we are now and where we are going.
 
Layonara is the third world that I created as a Game Master for my Pen and Paper players. It actually combines parts of all of the other worlds and all that I learned as I was creating things from before. I enjoy the creation process if one didn't realize that by those statements. *smiles*
 
Remember: If it feels off or wrong it probably is and you should think before doing it. Help us to help the community, do what is right in all you do.
 
Enjoy the community and the world!