Version 3.50 is coming!

• AoE Improvements for Storm of Vengeance, Web, Grease, Stonehold
• Fix some of the Goblin creation logic for player Goblins
• Fix Harpies producing TMIs
• Acacea's Irrestible Dance should not work on those immune to mind spells
• Removed Greater Sanctuary from creatures
• Properly close all colour tags on items/placeables/scrolls so the colour doesn't bleed
• Quill System "undo" command was fixed
• GMs no longer "suffer" cold, heh, also cleaned up a lot of their logic to ignore hunger/thirst/cold
• Make quill system persistent across resets
• Fixed some weirdness with the house key dialog showing that you didn't have the right key even though you did
• Rebalancing Mistone Deep areas

• The crates will never eat your gold, all gold will always be accounted for and returned after resets. If you deposit a stack with more than 50,000 gold pieces it will be split upon the next server reset.
• Weirdness with stacks is no longer an issue. Stacks are added and removed and logged appropriately with number in the stacks. Players may notice if they remove a stack from a crate it will not merge with a stack they already have when they first receive it. They can stack it right after they remove it though once it's in their inventory.
• Sometimes the server would think you were too far from a crate when on horseback to do the right thing, doesn't happen any more. You probably shouldn't be managing crates on horseback, but I prefered not having weird things happen if you were
• Bank crates now show their contents and transaction log per character upon examine
• Crate and chest appearances can be changed using =c setapp CrateName to # where CrateName is the name of your crate and the # is a value anywhere between 1 and 21. Players must leave and return to the area to see the change though!
• No more bank chest in use bugs!

• Dynamic Name System - Read Here
• Random NPC Quest System - Read Here
• Added ability to remove Charles Dawson's Book if you don't want it, use =c noneed chuckdbook
• Use nwnx SetCurrentHitPoints to change PCs HP when logging in instead of the old way that did magical damage
• Added journal entries for using voice activated emotes, sounds and actions
• Updated Mountains of Madness and surrounding areas
• You can store unidentified items on your ox now
• System checks for banned players before they can even login.
• System checks for players attempting to play from same IP and same Client Port and disallows
• Players can set their character's description any time they want. Title any parchment "My Description" then write on it and use =c setmydesc and your player's description will change to what's on the parchment.
• GMs can rename areas.
• Introduction to area tracking logic for PC diversification system coming in a future update
• GMs can now create transitions wherever they want. Whether its a "hole" showing up in the middle of Center or a doorway that leads to a Quest Area, they can plop them down on the fly.
• Use PlayAnimation instead of ActionOpenDoor for player housing as it's quicker and doesn't need to wait for a queue, also made the door stay open a bit longer.
• Player's bic file and portrait are now stored on the db for nicer integration with the web site
• Updated the portal FX

• Remove old unused scripts and resources
• Clean up OnActivate script to be faster
• Login is much faster polling the db a lot less when first coming into the world, you should notice the difference.  Also removed a two functions that were rerunning through every step of the login process (17 times!)
• All strings have been replaced with string references, this improves bandwidth and performance. Think about it this way, when you're in a party of 6 people whenever a PC would damage a Forest Giant Feller of a Broken Glade Clan the server would have to tell each client the name which is 43 bytes of data (43 characters in his name) to 6 players. Now it just tells the players to look up string reference for example, 16774043 from the layonara TLK which is 4 bytes of data. Multiply this by many names and many activities happening and you can see how this improves things.
• The new server's CPU has been isolated so it's completely dedicated to nwn
• The DB has been vastly reworked and improved in performance and integrity. Before many queries to the DB would look up things based upon your Bioware name and Character name. All players are assigned an ID and it's this ID that is used throughout the code now.
• Use new nwnx GetSystemTime() to get epoch instead of polling the db for UNIX_TIMESTAMP(now())
• Removed some unneeded heartbeats
• OnSpawn is faster for creatures as the checks for loot drops have been made more efficient.
• OnAcquireItem is faster for creatures, makes spawning quicker too
• Improved performance so houses being opened won't lag the server
• General improvements in areas where logic should be ignored for GMs
• Move some unused areas out of the module for now
• Creatures don't use up their buffs on module load
• Logic to give the WL their quest items no longer needed as they've all been handed out

Slogging it alone on a group friendly server is fun for all of 3.2 seconds... yes I've timed it.... and after the hundreths and some odd trip thru the redlights alone... its time to find another way.

I am looking for people who want to do stuff weekdays from Noon CDT to around 3PM CDT = 1PM EDT to 4PM EDT. Then again on some nights after 8 to 9 PM CDT to say Midnight CDT/

My characters who I'd like to use are:

KoiganAxechucker
Level 8 Barbarian Dwarf - Voraxian

Raghnall
Level 11 "Sledge" or Acolyte of Dorand
Member of Cailomels
If he isnt crafting its a good bet he is out getting materials to craft!

Dot
Level 19 - Rogue(7)/Fighter(12) - Working on becoming a WM (bastard sword)
Selfish & Mouthy, but she can back it up too!
Works for Saddlebag Pawn
(no deity )

I also have and can help with my other characters:

Enzo Reynolt
Level 31 - Ranger(23)/Cleric(8.) of Folian S'pae
Retired "Commander of the Wood" with the Wolfswood Ranger corps
"The Green Ranger" and renowned server of pies on trips thru "the deep"

Myrddyn Reynolt
level 13 - Ranger(12)/WM - Rapier(1)
Son of Enzo trying not to live in his fathers shadow.
(no deity listed but he pays respects to both Mist and Folian)

I havnt listed Andraia (19 Cleric of Kithairien) She may be on the chopping block soon.


My play style is probably on the bashy side with RP tossed in as things go along. That being said... I'm glad to help people with quests, getting to CNR, and just slogging it out to get to that next level.

If you see me on please drop me a PM if you're interested in doing something. Please understand outside of these time windows my answer will most times be I can't go... because RL will have me being MR Mom... making supper, chauffeuring etc. So dont think I'm not interested when I say I cant... its cause I dont have the time needed!

The main thing I don't like to do is travel with someone who isn't a fit with my characters(s) due to deity clashes. I dont like doing the whole "enemy of my enemy" so it must be ok thing. But even this rule I become flexible on when we have such a limited amount of people playing anymore. Aside from that... let's just see where things go!

See ya in game!

G-452


.

Here's the idea I came up with during my vacation. It's based partly on some perma-death servers from the past, as well as mixafix's suggestion about level range.

The Concept

The world is rife with uncertainty and unrest. The common folk are struggling for their very survival on a day-to-day basis. With resources scarce, some are offering up the only commodity they have, themselves. Forced into situations outside the norm, some of them discover a tenuous link to the heros of lore. Some succeed in this new life, many more fail and return to more mundane lives.

An unknown group, powerful and well-funded, begins to take advantage of the situation. They begin gathering these misfit commoners into a cohesive group, imposing strict, some would say military, order. The result is a small fighting force, right now but a seed but with the potential for powerful growth.

What will this growth result in? Who is orchestrating the dance of this force? Good or evil, helpful or power hungry?

The Rules

• Must be 1st level to join. The first month of play, levels may be gained at will up to 5th.
• One level gained per month at most after the first month. The idea is to keep a tight level range within the group.
• Each player may have up to two PCs in the group at a time.
• Only one soul strand to lose. The loss of a soul strand will trigger the PC's inherent self-preservation, forcing them to return to the mundane life of a commoner. The PC must be deleted. This is meant to build in some turnover of PCs within the group. (Should this be changed to five deaths instead of a soul strand?)
• No gear allowed beyond what is for sale in Center's NPC shops. Recovered items from drops are not allowed either. Magical items will be awarded for service and leveling.
• All travel must be done in groups of three or more. This is an RP group, not a leveling group. Travel is unrestricted along routes and in areas that are non-combat (eg. travel between Center and Hempstead and Vehl is allowed so along as combat is avoided).
• Grouping with non-Misfit PCs is allowed with the following restrictions: Three Misfits must be in the group, and the non-Misfit PC(s) must hire their services.
• All expeditions must be put on calendar, with a follow-up trip report posted. (Details to follow.)

The Goal

To establish a framework that fosters adventure with an emphasis on RP and character growth, rather than levels.

On the anniversary of the Great Fires of Prantz from during the early days of the Sederra Kuhl war Lord Rael has appeared to give a speech during the celebrations.

In a suprisingly lengthy speech the self titled benevolant leader spoke to a huge crowd in the city's main square.

During his speech Lord Rael outlined several key points:

1/ He reaffirmed the alliance and the gratitude his nation has for the continued presence of the Rofireinites and their lawful ways. He affirmed the continuing acceptance of them by the Sulterians.

2/ He thanked the people of his nation for being stalwart and supportive during the long years of trouble during the wars. Both the Dark Elven invasion and the Kuhl-Sederra conflict and including the ongoing battle in Hilm.

3/ He once again extended an invitation to Castle Mask and Lor to rejoin with the greater nation for their better security and to share in the rising abundance that the Raelites are enjoying.

4/ He announced that every man women and child in Rael would soon receive a document that grants them full citizenship within the nation and every year forth they can present their document and receive a refund of 10% of the taxes they paid that year. Failure to produce the document of course means no refund. Holders of the document will have greater benefits within Rael.

5/ As part of the new Rael Citizenship benefit scheme Lord Rael has ordered a census of the people to be held in two months time where every person living in Rael must return to their home town to register themselves and their families.

6/ Finally, he announced that Rael would lend Sedera half a million true in order to help support the rebuilding process.

Greetings Layonara Community,
 
As we have done now and then through the years, we are bringing some changes to Layonara.  Some of these are significant. Others are simple clarifications of what already exists.  Regardless of the case, from this point forward, a new set of policies and conventions will be in place for all, from the new player on up to the GM team.  These changes have come after a good deal of consideration, proposal, discussion and refinement over the course of several months.  They take into account those things that we, as a community, do well and those things that we, as a community, could do better.  The full details of all these things are too much to list here, but they will either be covered with some detail elsewhere or be evident in the way things are done by the GM team.  Don't worry; the changes are all aimed at a more positive experience for everyone.
 
What I will do here is summarize these changes and then offer an agreement between the community-at-large and the GM team. The latter is offered because in order for this all to work, it requires cooperation between everyone, whether one is “just a player” or our most experienced GM. Afterall, we're all working toward the same goal: a rich and enjoyable experience for everyone.  
 
[SIZE=18]Summary of Changes:[/SIZE]
 As mentioned above, the details of all the changes are too numerous to list here, and much of them get into administrative details.  To list the major changes in summary:

• We are creating a world lore     publication fork. This is different from diverging NWN lore from MMO     lore, but it will still allow for some greater freedoms for GMs and     players while protecting those players who eventually wish to     achieve World Leader status or undertake a similar effort.  There     will still be opportunities to “change the world”, leave one's     mark and the the like. World lore is still important, but there will     also be flexibility.  This fork is considered to begin with the     conclusion of the last lingering matters after the world plot finale     quests held in May, 2011.  As things stand, this will coincide with     the wrap-up of Briardusk.
• This publication fork also opens     up possibilities for GMs to run events which may not fit into world     lore.  Such events will be considered “unofficial” and     unsuitable for character development.  They are intended for player     entertainment and education...and perhaps GM entertainment as well.     GMs will clearly state when such an event occurs, so there is no     confusion on the part of players.
  
• CDQs (and     GCDQs) are getting a significant change in terms of things like     waiting periods and other policies, with individual GMs being     allowed to set their own policies for the most part. They will also     be the domain of lore-friendliness, meaning a CDQ need not directly     deal with world lore, but neither should it violate it or conflict     with it. Everyone should read the updated CDQ policy, found here.
  
• The world plot     will be handled in a different, more “organic” way. With the     wrap-up of Briardusk, we're taking a small break to get organized.     We will put out a “state of the world” description so everyone     knows the setting for moving forward. From that point forward, we     will be operating on a new methodology.  There will be opportunities     for world-level involvement on many levels, even when something     isn't marked as a “plot” event. To a large degree, what happens     moving forward will be up to the community.  More details will come     out over time.
• The Character     Approval process is undergoing a shift, and we will be clarifying     some things as well. It is important for everyone to read and     understand this new policy, as it will affect all character     submissions from this point forward. Everyone should read the     updated CA policy, found here.

[SIZE=18]Agreement Between Players and GMs:[/SIZE]
  In order for everything to work well, we all need a reminder that there is a need for cooperation between both players and GMs.  Without it, there is nothing but difficulty, and anyone who has been around here long enough has probably witnessed the occasional period of problems and tension.  We recognize these will never be truly eradicated, but we can all take steps to minimize them and work more constructively when problems do arise. In that spirit, I offer the following agreement to be held between players and GMs.
 
 Players agree to...

•     ...have fun, but never at someone else's expense.
•     ...engage in RP as much as possible. Encourage the same in those     around you.
•     ...keep in mind that GMs are your partners in RP here, not your     enemies.
•     ...not spread rumors about favoritism or unfair treatment. If     there's a concern, bring it to Leanthar, EdTheKet, Dorganath, Rowana     or a Lead GM.
•     ...try not to use words like “bother” or “inconvenience” (or     some form thereof) when approaching members of our various teams.      We choose to do this.  It's OK. It's not a bother or an     inconvenience.
•     ...never be the reason for another player leaving the world or     abandoning a character. This has happened, generally through     behavior that has made a person feel uncomfortable or threatened. We     know it has happened.  It is unacceptable.
•     ...avoid telling other players how to play their characters,     alignments, classes deity/dogma, race or some other significant     defining characteristic, which also includes concepts like the     Heartsong or the Al'Noth.  If there is a concern, bring it to a GM.     Otherwise, unless a player specifically asks for advice, let it be.
•     ...work toward a better level of communication between everyone     here, whether it is with one of our various teams or with general     members of the community.
•     ...remember that GMs and especially the lead staff have a lot     invested in Layonara.  We sometimes want to participate in     discussions. Our words, unless specifically stated, are not     generally the end of the conversation.
•     ...understand that at times, the GM team must say “no” but this     should be respected rather than gossiped about, back-talked or     flamed.  “No” is rarely given without a reason, though if it is     (such as cases where we cannot immediately give one), it is not an     arbitrary decision.
•     ...join the GM team in our respect for and observance of world lore.     As part of this, keep in mind that if we approach players with     matters or concerns about lore, we are only seeking to encourage and     maintain a consistent environment for everyone here.
•     ...remember that GMs are players too.  Sometimes we just want to     enjoy ourselves just like everyone else.
•     ...maintain respect for everyone here, from the newest player on up     to Leanthar.  This applies equally whether in-game, on IRC or on the     forums. We're all people. We're all gamers. We're here for the same     reason. Do not hide behind anonymity.

In return, the GM team will...

•     ...provide a fair, open and enjoyable experience for everyone.
•     ...provide a rich and interesting environment to support, encourage,     inspire and reward RP for everyone.
•     ...attempt to communicate clearly and accurately with the community     on various matters.
•     ...be open and available, as our time permits, for questions,     concerns and ideas. We may not be able to accommodate all requests,     but we will make reasonable efforts where it is appropriate to do     so.
•     ...be as fair as possible. We are still people. We will make     mistakes, but the goal remains.
  
•     ...try to communicate as clearly as possible at all times.
•     ...respect, support and enforce world lore as appropriate. In doing     so, we may bring forward concerns or problems to players that are     intended in the spirit of our established world lore. Please give     these due consideration and respect our comments and the reason     behind them.
•     ...provide a “clean slate” for all players moving forward from     this point (more on this below).

The above agreement is offered in the spirit that we're all here trying to play the same game.  We're all people. Many of us, whether player or GM, have a lot invested in this game world. Some arguably have much more invested than others, but for the most part we all have a significant emotional attachment to this place.  With such attachments often comes a sense of ownership, and with that sense sometimes there is a sense of entitlement or a way of doing things that is “better”.  It is usually these sorts of things that cause the most problems. We're all different.  We all have different ideas and perspectives.  These things are truly great, but we also need to remember that we're all here trying to get enjoyment from the same place, and this place has its set of rules and guidelines that everyone needs to follow. One person should not take their fun at the expense of another's.
 
  In understanding our various differences, let us also remember that each of us is only human.  The above agreement is a goal, and regardless of which side we're on, no one expects perfection. We do, however, request that everyone keeps these things in mind when playing here. Most of us here are adults. Let's remember to act like adults.  Speak to other players. Work out differences person-to-person, and ask for help if there are problems doing so.
 
 [SIZE=18]The “Clean Slate”[/SIZE]
  Under the GM section of the agreement, the concept of a “clean slate” was mentioned.  By way of explaining this, it is necessary to mention the oft-misunderstood “Player Watch List”.  Many players may not know if this list, while others may have the wrong idea of it.  
 
  The Player Watch list is simply that...a list of players to watch. A player may get onto the list in several ways, which can be summarized as bad or questionable behavior. Such behavior can take many forms, whether it is a complaint by another player, minor rule violations or any matter that seems of concern. We use this as a communication tool between the entire GM team, such that we may all know of issues that may require a closer eye on a player in order that they do not cause problems for others through such behavior as we may document. A player will remain on the watch list for a period of six (6) months, after which time, the thread will be moved to an “inactive” archive, assuming no further issues during that time. If necessary, an archived thread may be made active again if there are repeated issues for a given player. These threads help us determine when administrative action or more direct intervention may be necessary, and they serve as long term documentation.
 
 It bears stating, unequivocally, that the Player Watch List is not a list of people that the GM team “does not like.” This is actually quite far from the truth. It should also be said that just because someone is on the watch list does not mean the player is in trouble. In order to illustrate a little better what the list is and isn't, here are a few examples of why someone might appear on the list:

•     Player A is seen repeatedly luring or using terrain features to     trick creature AI or is otherwise abusing creature AI to     disproportionately lower the challenge posed by a creature or set of     creatures.
•     Player B is observed camping CNR or creatures in excess of what     rules allow.
•     Player C is reported by Player D for some inter-personal matters     that make Player D uncomfortable or which impact Player D's     enjoyment of the game.  In this case, both players might receive     posts for tracking purposes.
•     A GM comes across something that brings questions to mind about     Player E.  The player in question is not available at the time to     speak to about the find, and there are no other GMs around who might     be able to offer clarity. The GM posts a thread seeking attention     and comment from other GMs regarding the find. (Note: in such a     case, the post may be removed if it is determined that there is     ultimately nothing wrong or questionable.)

There are surely other reasons for appearing on the watch list, but these are among the most common.  In most cases, a GM should make contact with the player who is being listed to discuss the problem and request an adjustment in behavior.  However, whether due to time constraints, RL obligations or the player logging off of the server before such an opportunity arises, a GM may not be able to do so in a timely way. In such cases, the GM may still post in order to mark the incident for other eyes. A GM may also post to raise a player concern with the rest of the team in the absence of available information. Again, it should be stressed that someone being on this list is not automatically in trouble with the team.
 
  To enact the “clean slate”, from this point forward, any and all active Player Watch List threads are now archived permanently. Any past incidents or disciplinary actions, except for permanent bannings of course, are hereby forgiven and completely in the past.  If a player who has been the subject of one or more Player Watch List posts in the past has a new incident worthy of the Player Watch List, such incidents will be considered new, and past incidents will not be taken into account.  Repeated incidents after this point will, of course, be handled as we have in the past, with each thread serving as a historical record for future reference.
 
  This gives everyone who may have come in conflict with server rules in the past or who may have caused difficulties for other players to start fresh and without bias. It is our hope that in this environment, people will seize this opportunity to be better members of the community as a whole and remember that this is not just a single-player game and that our actions affect other players, either directly or indirectly.
 
 [SIZE=18]So let's get started![/SIZE]
  Without further ceremony or description, let's all start moving forward and continue making Layonara the best environment for RP and enjoyment it can be. For good or ill, we've all contributed to what Layonara is today.  As we go on, we will continue to shape it. Let's make it good!

Mar 12, 1486
 
 Emwonk paced the floor in the common area near the fireplace in the Silverbuckle Inn.  A miniature lightning storm flashed and crackled about his person as he waited anxiously for Sister Bernice to arrive.  This would be the day she would begin treating him, and he still had doubts about her nature, and whether she may or may not serve the Wardens in all actuallity.  Elohanna sat nearby reassuring him that Sister Bernice would arrive soon and could indeed be trusted.  Perhaps he was simply fearful of what might be hidden in the depths of his own mind that had caused him to become as he was now.  He needed clarity and control though, this he knew above all the turmoil going on within himself.
 
 The woman, Sister Bernice, arrived.  As before she was of frigid personality, and detached, refering to Emwonk as "the subject" even in his very pressence.  It irritated him that she seemed to think of him as mothing more than ... what?  An object?  A sick animal needing tending?  A puzzle to be worked out and forgotten when finished?  It seemed the woman chose her words and actions precisely not only to provoke Emwonk, but Andrew as well, and perhaps even Elohanna.  As Andrew helped get things set up in a room upstairs, the woman even asked him to bring -his- favorite red chair from downstairs for herself to sit in.
 
 Then there was the blue and white pill with a "D" upon its surface that she'd given Emwonk.  He couldn't help but wonder if the "D" wasn't there as a provocation of paranoia from the woman who'd once hunted him and called herself Destiny.  Yet he took the pill anyway, as Bernice had claimed it was a sedative to help him reach the relaxed state he'd need to be in for treatment, and he couldn't tell otherwise after his brief inspection.
 
 They receeded to the room he'd be treated in, the four of them together.  Himself, Andrew, Elohanna, and the stern woman Sister Bernice, whom Emwonk thought lacked any iota of bedside manner.  The sedative pill hadn't been enough to effect Emwonk much to her surprise, especially given his diminutive size even in comparison to other Halflings.  Perhaps his special qualities interfeared with it in some way?  Perhaps it was simply all the roiling emotions and tension he had within himself about all of this so called treatment about to take place.  In any case, because the pill hadn't done the trick, Sister Bernice produced a vial of a blue liquid that Emwonk knew to be much more potent to the point that he questioned the safety of it.  It didn't help that because of the blue color it reminded him of the "Bad Soup" the Wardens had forced upon him years ago, though that had glown blue and had felt like liquid ice going down.  This concoction merely made Emwonk go nearly limp and sink into the bed upon which he lay.
 
 He saw a butterfly fluttering it's way around the room on velvet wings as his mind drifted further into numbness.  Then he could hear Sister Bernice talking in a near chant-like voice telling him to go back to his childhood.  Again and again, and again her voice intoned and seemed to get more distant, yet no less audible.  Darkness crept in from all directions until Emwonk lost sight of the room around him, his friends, and even the butterfly.
 
 He stood then near a river, or stream.  A young Halfling girl came running towards him.  He noticed he seemed young again himself.  What was this place?  Was it a memory?  He didn't know, and everything felt so strange.  The girl spoke, presumeably to himself.
 
 "Dante!," the girl skipped toward himself and then stopped to giggle as Emwonk looked around in confusion at her, and his new surroundings.
 
 "Current, unidentified entity...," he greeted her, but something about the words didn't seem right.  "Umm... nikki," he added.
 
 The girl seemed amused and responded.  "Dante!," she laughed, "What the heck are you babbling about!  I've been looking all over for you!"
 
 Who was this person?  He decided to ask her, "Who are you?"
 
 "Betti, you dope!  You know... your sister.  What the heck is wrong with you?"
 
 The name didn't ring any bells to him, for all intents she was still a stranger, but he answered, "I... don't know?"
 
 "Mom was right, maybe you are losing it!," Betti giggled and began floating a small fireball in her hand playfully.
 
 "Losing what?," Emwonk replied, his mind still clogged with confusion by the whole of it.  "Mom?," he asked, not remembering his mother, and wanting to know more.
 
 Bettie looked at him with a hint of exasperation, "Oh brother," she laughed again, "Come on the people will be here soon!  From the special school!"
 
 He paused to think in the moment about this new information, but still nothing struck him as familiar.  "What school?," He asked Betti curiously.
 
 "The one for the gifted kids.  The ones like us!," she paused only to take a breath and continued, "I'm so excited!"  She truly did look exuberant, and bounced on her toes with barely controlled energy.
 
 Emwonk thought about it all for another minute while Betti waited on him, perhaps too distracted by the fire she played with to even wonder what took him so long.  Nothing was familiar.  He felt he had to find out more and decided to start with his location.  "I don't know where I am," Emwonk stated plainly to Betti.
 
 For a moment Betti regarded him with curiosity, as though wondering if he were sincere, or merely playing a game with her.  Finally she pronounced, "What do you mean?  We're right here, near the village!"
 
 It wasn't good enough, he wanted to know something more specific.  A name for the place, he needed to know.  He asked, "Which village?"
 
 There was a sudden flash of light, and he felt as though he'd been kicked in the head by a mule.  He blinked his eyes shut hard reflexively and clutched at his head.  When the pain subsided as quickly as it had come he opened his eyes once more to find he was elsewhere.
 
 It was dark, and wet.  He stood chest deep in water covered with a layer of green scum.  Twisted trees grew up out of the mirk in all directions.  To one side he could see a patch of relatively dry ground, and on it a large ring of mushrooms.
 
 After his tongue rambled off it's initial questionings of "What?," "Where am I now?," and "Betti?  Where are you?", he paused a moment and regarded the patch of mushrooms.  He began slogging toward them numbly, "Mushrooms..."
 
 Just as he reached the edge of the mushroom-ring there was another flash of light and sudden pain in his head.  The sharp stabbing of it nearly caused him to crumple this time.  "Aah!," he shouted from the pain.  Yet he kept his feet under him after all and opened his eyes to yet another new place.
 
 He stood on the grilling of a metal walk-way.  Below him the distance was obscured by a bed of thick fog.  Other walkways, some bent and twisted as though torn apart by some gargantuan beast stretched off into the distance in an almost labyrinthine way.
 
 "Hello? Anyone here?," he questioned the twisted metal walkways and the fog all around, "Where am I?"  There was only silence, eerie, and devoid of any sound at all aside from the faint echoes of his own voice and perhaps the static sounds of condensation dripping off the metal and falling to somewhere far below.  "Helllooo?," he called out again and waited.
 
 There was another bright flash, and knife-in-the-head pain, but then when he next opened his eyes he was back in the room upstairs in the Silverbuckle.  Andrew sat asleep, Bernice watched and scribbled, bent toward him observantly, and Elohanna smiled down at him as though a burden had been lifted from her mind.  Emwonk's own stomach rumbled protest at being left empty overly long in it's opinion.  After finishing with rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Emwonk patted the complaining tummy with one hand while he looked around in continued confusion.  The room almost seemed like a dream itself still, and the fog in his mind wasn't clearing as quickly as he'd have liked if he'd been more alert to notice it.
 
 Andrew hadn't quite been asleep after all, or the rumble from Emwonk's belly might've woken him, because he asked if Emwonk were hungry.  Emwonk merely pointed to his pack laying in the corner and nodded.  Once Andrew set the pack onto the bed within his reach he fished out some dried fish and a canteen and began to nibble and sip.
 
 Elohanna and Bernice both continued to watch him and Bernice asked whether he was alright.  Maybe she wasn't all bad after all, he began to think.  She instructed him he could remove the bandage from his arm if he liked, and then asked questions about what he could remember of his dream-state.  Emwonk still groggy from the experience explained what he could.  Andrew seemed to think the name Dante fit Emwonk well, and seemed pleased.  Elohanna was surprised to hear he had a sister, and Sister Bernice was pleased with all the detail he could describe, stating that she thought his progress for this first session was "a success" and even smiled as she offered to help him continue to really dig deeper into his mind.
 
 Emwonk himself remained doubtful that any of what he'd just experienced would help him gain control of his mind, but he knew he needed to continue to know for certain.  Focus on the goal in mind, he readilly agreed to see this journey onward.

....Samantha Clerin passed away this last week in one of the work rooms on the Temple grounds in Spellgard. Her body was discovered by her granddaughter when she was arriving to delver afternoon tea. The older woman was in the midst of her works when her heart apparently gave out.

... Her age wasn't known precisely but her work in the temple began over seventy years ago and she contributed a great deal to the Lucindite community.

... In accordance to her wishes her body has been dealt with and no funeral has been arranged. It is apparent that she seemed to know her end was coming as a good many arrangements had already been made.

....Rumor in Spellgard is her work room had to be locked down until the appropriate faithful could be found to dismantle the spells left at work at the time.

Dear Layonara Community,

We are aware that there continue to be issues with the forums, and efforts continue to bring them back to the proper level of functionality, including the visibility of posts made prior to last night (US/Canada time zones). It is pretty much a forum-wide problem that affects everyone equally, including those of us with higher-level access.

A side effect of the database problem affecting the forums is that the NickServ, ChanServ and aragen services on IRC are also down.

All I know about is that the forum database experienced a couple of crashes over the last couple of days, requiring a repair process.  Last night, orth indicated to me that the database in question was quite large and he did not know how long it would take to run the repair completely.

At this time, I can offer no information as to when these services will be back in full operation or whether any data has been lost and/or corrupted due to the crash.  I do not yet know the root cause of these problems either.

We are aware that this causes an inconvenience to people and a difficulty in conducting various RP and social functions for Layonara.  We're also aware that this has likely suspended things like Character Applications, as the CA team cannot access the threads to comment upon or approve them.

So please bear with us as we work to sort this out.  As more information becomes available, someone will update everyone.  Until that happens, please assume that things are not working properly and assume that we are working toward a fix.

Was just reading akata's post and Dorg's responses ... to be truthful, got me a little disheartened. One of Layo's longest serving players (and world leaders) obviously not happy about some things ... anyways, you can read that thread.



I really want to write a long, well-written post with lots of good ideas and an accurate, sensible summary of some of the thoughts that are in my head ... that said, I don't know where you guys get the time!



I was going to jump on tonight and had a peek at the server status .. again, only 2-3 characters on across both servers. I ended up watching TV and playing Bejewelled on Facebook. Unfortunately, that is becoming the preferred option more and more often - and it seems like not only for me?



Why?



I have my thoughts on the matter ... forgive me they aren't couched in loquacious (*nods to darkstorme*) paragraphs. Hopefully the gist is clear.



1. More scheduled quests please! I know GMs are doing it on a volunteer basis, I get it, I do. I did it for a couple of years and know sometimes you really can't be bothered or RL is busy or you'd rather jump on as a player ... but 2-3 a month is achievable, no? How can you incentivize the running of more quests for GMs? Give them XP for their chosen character for their time spent running quests? I certainly wouldn't begrudge a GM earning the same XP for one of their characters at the same rate my character does attending the quest they spend their time running. I don't know ... maybe others have got some ideas to encourage GMs to run quests?



2. Please change existing areas every now and again. Just a tweak, that's all I need. Does it take that long to shift a spawn two inches over? Add another goblin archer around the corner there, some warhounds with the hobgoblins there, a trap in the minotaur caves, a vampire in with the mummies, a treasure chest here, a carrion crawler there, whatever ... I contemplated making (another) new character the other day and had the thought if I have to run them through the same 100 areas that I have done literally hundreds of times previously with other characters I will seriously do myself in. I'd do it myself, honestly I would but ... *hugs his Mac*



3. Less rules, more fun! I have played here for over 4 years and I don't know the rules anymore. If people wanna make a goblin to join in on Lonn's gobbie night, go ahead! The will system and inter-character transfer of assets and house remodels and restricted classes and 4 CDQs to move from A to B and 2 CDQs to change from Y to Z ... I dunno, maybe it's just me but i'd rather play with 20 people, half of whom play as NG when their approved alignment is LG than play with one person who plays their alignment by the letter of the law. If someone is ridiculous with relaxed rules, kick em out ... but do the excesses and abuses of the past have to erect these impossible barriers for entry for new players?



4. More positions for characters! Ongoing responsibilities! Ability to change the world! I know this has been gone over numerous times elsewhere ... don't think there is an easy answer and I understand the lore books are to be released at some point and lore needed to be crystallized at some point and for various dramas lore has had to be re-written but it is a little demoralizing. I think Acacea has written about it elsewhere, all the challenges of the world are these new things that for whatever reason weren't a danger to everyone last week? WLDQs especially. I don't want to go into the ins and outs of all the WLDQs of the last few years but prior to Blood's fall the WLDQs run seemed to affect existing plots and people ... now it seems as if each WLDQ tackles a newly introduced foe so as to not affect existing lore? Fenrir's mithril-eating Balamti? Never heard of them prior to his WL. Daniella's unhappy God. Was it a concept that was created for her WLDQ? Alandric's child of chaos? Never read about him in lore. If other WLs agree, maybe this topic is better taken into the WL forum for dissection?



5. Re-attachment of DTs. Again, it's been spoken about to death elsewhere ... but again I keep coming back to how many of those players/characters now gone due to their character perming would have remained versus those people who remained because of the existing DT system? I'd put money down that the former is more numerous than the latter. Ark is on 9 tokens, if/when he loses No 10, there (most probably) goes yet another player.



Please read this as written from the perspective of a player who wants to get excited about Layo again. Do they read as criticisms? I don't mean them to be. Read them as from a player who wants to look at the server status of a night and jump on and go for a run with a dozen others on west or a different dozen on central.



Dorg, I don't need a response from you individually addressing these points, it's cool.