Even before I turned it was rare to find a Dark Ranger. Our Code made if very hard to be Dark and a Ranger. Being Dark and reading over the Code, your head would spin....being Drow and reading over the Code, gave me a headache...how was I suppose to take on the role of a Drow and still be the Ranger I was?
The Guild stood a little differently now. Kelly had stepped down as Second to head the Royal Rangers, Light sided Rangers that would answer to the Human Queen and King. Park had been raised to Second of the Guild, and I still held my rank as Lt....getting more and more unsure of what the rank ever did for me....but I still liked it.
Park was soon to follow and join me with the Drow, but not cause her Sister had turned. Neither of us turned for our own reason I believe, we made that mistake...but she made a far better Drow then I ever did.
At the time, Arthur, Maya, Kelly, and Seat were Officers, Samo was a Trainer...Jacko would add Brice to the mix sometime later. But looking at how the guild once stood in question over if it was too "Good" to be allow you to be "Dark"...was thrown out the window. Now half of the ranking Rangers were Dark, two of which, Park and I led the Guild in Jacko's absence. Now no matter how much you press it, a lot of people starting out find it hard to wrap the idea that Guilds are neutral...if you have a guild led by a Drow, I would say that would intimated a number of people approaching you to join up. There were calls to have Park step down...then I would be sure to follow, but Jacko was good to squash this, he was good at backing us up no matter what path we took.
There was a time, when even I looked and wondered what the purpose of a Guild was, and how it could hold, but now I look back and understand Jacko more and more...the only difference was time, and understand.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Be Bad, Not Drow!
Just before I turned, Grace had gone back and revisited the Underworld and torn it up and started anew. She had placed a new Dragon Wyre, Vexxus' Tooth had been knocked off to a nub and the Underworld had been ripped right out of the ground. Now, instead of a dark foreboding swamp, and probably the best Underworld I have seen and terrified to enter...there stood a peaceful valley. Dwarves had to share the cliffs with the Orc camp just below, and then there was the Dark Cathedral, the new home of the Drow and Minions alike.
It was so wrong in so many ways. For one, no one was afraid to enter Dark land anymore...people wandered in, and were surprised and constantly ranting how unfair it was to end up captured/tortured/dead cause they had no way of knowing this was "Dark" land. Drow are meant to be underground...they had a good thing...now they were exposed. Elves hide on the ridges over the Dark Cathedral were always watching, now with an easy arrow shot of all minions without leaving their land. The only rule in our favor now was that we were the only ones that could start a fight on our land...that didn't stop Elves from shooting us from above, or the Humans from plotting raids.
I saw a new light, a new side, a new world when I went dark. It went deeper and further then I could personally take my character, I couldn't take myself there. For the first weeks after I turned, I hid in the Dark Valley....from those angry at me for leaving them, those shocked that I had done this, and those that wanted to save me. Almost as soon as I turned I wanted out, but just as I had done it for the wrong reasons, I stayed for the same and I faced all the anger, confusion, and sadness.
Even looking back, I never enjoyed being a Drow, still today, I would not put on that grey skin and white hair again and take on the roll. I do admire those that can play the roll, they are far better RPers then I if they can keep to the character. This doesn't mean that I couldn't be bad, I just couldn't be Drow.
It was so wrong in so many ways. For one, no one was afraid to enter Dark land anymore...people wandered in, and were surprised and constantly ranting how unfair it was to end up captured/tortured/dead cause they had no way of knowing this was "Dark" land. Drow are meant to be underground...they had a good thing...now they were exposed. Elves hide on the ridges over the Dark Cathedral were always watching, now with an easy arrow shot of all minions without leaving their land. The only rule in our favor now was that we were the only ones that could start a fight on our land...that didn't stop Elves from shooting us from above, or the Humans from plotting raids.
I saw a new light, a new side, a new world when I went dark. It went deeper and further then I could personally take my character, I couldn't take myself there. For the first weeks after I turned, I hid in the Dark Valley....from those angry at me for leaving them, those shocked that I had done this, and those that wanted to save me. Almost as soon as I turned I wanted out, but just as I had done it for the wrong reasons, I stayed for the same and I faced all the anger, confusion, and sadness.
Even looking back, I never enjoyed being a Drow, still today, I would not put on that grey skin and white hair again and take on the roll. I do admire those that can play the roll, they are far better RPers then I if they can keep to the character. This doesn't mean that I couldn't be bad, I just couldn't be Drow.
Monday, July 28, 2008
So Bad It's Good
I've met a lot of people in the year+ I have been roleplaying in SL...many with years of experience and practice. I have also found that having years of roleplay behind you doesn't mean you are a good roleplayer. I don't admit to being a good roleplayer, I have my faults and battle to keep things IC as possible. My roleplay started in Everwind, from the first day I wandered around with a visitor tag I learned to play it safe even then. I never really challenged my character or pushed the limits. My roleplay was safe, I did what I believed was right and good, and easy to go to bed with at night.
After the death of BlunderBeard there was continuing plot with pirates and a push for intersim roleplay into Algarond. After being disappointed with how the last epic ended and wrapped in my own little safe world of roleplay I wasn't interested in leaving a Realm I was comfortable in. Kelly and I were busy putting together new training for the Guild, she had also gone on to recruit and lead the Royal Rangers...we had a number of Rangers moving up within the guild as officers...it was a time of adjusting, but for the better.
I have told people that I am Katlin, she is me in every sense, if not more so, as I get to reflect more of what I would want to show through her. We are like and as difference in rl and sl, but my character through her has always been me, when I roleplayed I was just living through myself into her. This is both good and bad, good, it wasn't hard for me to roleplay, I knew Katlin and understood her...she wasn't just a character I played. Bad thing was, limiting myself to who I was meant challenges that turned my character up side down effected me deeply IC and OOC
Going "Dark" was about the worse thing and best thing I did. Bad, because I did it for all the wrong reasons, good cause in the long run it really taught me how to roleplay a character instead of living through a character.
Okay, so I made a mistake, I turned Dark because I wanted to please someone else, I put them before my own personal needs. Ouch! Kelly and I had been working so closely together it nearly broke the friendship we had into pieces. Others were so shocked over the transformation they wouldn't and couldn't believe that Katlin....I had gone Drow.
After the death of BlunderBeard there was continuing plot with pirates and a push for intersim roleplay into Algarond. After being disappointed with how the last epic ended and wrapped in my own little safe world of roleplay I wasn't interested in leaving a Realm I was comfortable in. Kelly and I were busy putting together new training for the Guild, she had also gone on to recruit and lead the Royal Rangers...we had a number of Rangers moving up within the guild as officers...it was a time of adjusting, but for the better.
I have told people that I am Katlin, she is me in every sense, if not more so, as I get to reflect more of what I would want to show through her. We are like and as difference in rl and sl, but my character through her has always been me, when I roleplayed I was just living through myself into her. This is both good and bad, good, it wasn't hard for me to roleplay, I knew Katlin and understood her...she wasn't just a character I played. Bad thing was, limiting myself to who I was meant challenges that turned my character up side down effected me deeply IC and OOC
Going "Dark" was about the worse thing and best thing I did. Bad, because I did it for all the wrong reasons, good cause in the long run it really taught me how to roleplay a character instead of living through a character.
Okay, so I made a mistake, I turned Dark because I wanted to please someone else, I put them before my own personal needs. Ouch! Kelly and I had been working so closely together it nearly broke the friendship we had into pieces. Others were so shocked over the transformation they wouldn't and couldn't believe that Katlin....I had gone Drow.
Yes proof, even I went grey and white haired once!
Funny thing was, not a week before the Drow King Chance had been trying to lure me to the Dark. OOC in IM he had been going on and on about how good it would be for me to be a minion for him and the Drow Queen Stormy. Now....I have a deep respect for Stormy and Chance and the roles they played as I did with Grace, Slip, and even Dream...they lead races, the fact that Stormy and Chance were both on my friends list made my head spin at times...I was just a simple Ranger...Lt even.
Then, I had told Chance that it was best for everyone if I stayed neutral. Little did I see I would be torn less then a week later and taking such a dive as to go against everything I had held to all this time. Not completely impossible, I have done things before for others without putting myself first and gotten hurt before. Bad reason, needs a good kick the the backside for that one, but looking back, it was the start of something beyond good, it was perfect! And I could probably get a kick in the backside for waiting so long.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A Quest That Never Was...
There once was a Pirate called BlunderBeard....
Who tried to take over Everwind....
*laughs*
But he was a sorry match for a Dragon named Zeno.
*sighs and shakes her head*
The Pirates was a great epic quest to start, I was looking forward to seeing it pan out. We first met Captain BlunderBeard one fateful day, he was running around, bumbling and talking as if he had spent too many days at sea in the sun without food or water. It turned out he was a wonderful actor as well, cause he fooled everyone, including the Queen. She had him behind bars and in hindsight, it would have been a good place to keep him a long time, but she released him and he threw a curse upon us all. Knocked out and crumpled on the ground and completely helpless he took the time to taint the water in the village fountain, before leaving us with his promise...to return with his crew and take Everwind as his!
Hail the new King of Everwind!....oh wait, not yet.
So we spend days watching for signs of the Captain and his crew, planning how we are to defend the Realm from such an attack. After being through a number of epic quests I was getting into the flow of things...I had a feeling we weren't meant to win this up and coming battle...we would have a quest to follow in order to bring down the Pirates.
The battle comes...we are all panned out across the Realm waiting for the pirates to show up. And the moment it starts I was already confused, cause with everyone in position the Pirates happened to be in the very human Castle, having not been seen even coming into the Realm. So bad roleplay, they POOFED into the Realm, didn't care how much time and effort everyone put into planning their arrival and got down to fighting.
I think the only good thing I found out this night was how useless bows or any range weapons are in lag. And it has come in handy ever since, as due to lag SL can't rezz prims, can't rezz the prims of arrows and no damage...WOOT! Good to know! *toses her bow, draws her sword and gets back to fighting*
We fought, finally gave up, but some didn't want to leave the fight even after retreat had been called over and over. It didn't take long to realise that BlunderBeard and all his crew were returning alternates from the Demon/Sorceress Epic Quest and others....they wore the same god meters and fast healing powers...we weren't meant to win this fight.
When the final few that had stayed behind to fight finally rose and joined us outside the castle as we heard the Captain's voice shouting for us to welcome their new King...him! Joy!
At this time a few of us that are willing and wanting to move past the battle and continue to the quest turn to Merrick one of the High Mages of Everwind and he is already talking sense. We can't stop the Pirates as is, they are protected by a powerful magic, we have to search the realm and start looking for their chest of gold,t he key to their power and their downfall if we can get our hands on it first.
At this time two things happen....BlunderBeard and his crew come down from the castle and the battle continues out into the woods. And those of us that are willing to listen to Merrick go off and start hunting for this chest.
A quest that never was....at least that is how it felt by the time the evening ended. We searched the castle, we divided up and retraced each other's footsteps looking for this chest. The whole time I keep an eye on my mini map and I can see the mass of green dots, and I know there must be a lot of people seeing red, and I am glad I am not in that battle, knowing the pirates must be at the center of it all.
Word comes that they have been captured, I don't know a lot of details of all that happened. I just remember standing on the far side of the fountain in the village with Merrick and a few others as we watch two of the pirates dragged up. BlunderBeard is taunting and angering one of the greatest dragons in the Realm, Xeno, who now stands near him in bi-ped form. As thing continue you know it can't be good...something is wrong, and in a fit of rage Xeno ends the Captain's rants and snaps the bound Pirate's neck.
That was the end of it, a few days of watching pirates in a cell and going on to escaping. Xeno was banished from the Dragon Wyre for his actions and meddling with human affairs and became a Drow. And some of us were left thinking...was that really how it was meant to end?
I am not really sure, but it seemed a rather empty ending.
Who tried to take over Everwind....
*laughs*
But he was a sorry match for a Dragon named Zeno.
*sighs and shakes her head*
The Pirates was a great epic quest to start, I was looking forward to seeing it pan out. We first met Captain BlunderBeard one fateful day, he was running around, bumbling and talking as if he had spent too many days at sea in the sun without food or water. It turned out he was a wonderful actor as well, cause he fooled everyone, including the Queen. She had him behind bars and in hindsight, it would have been a good place to keep him a long time, but she released him and he threw a curse upon us all. Knocked out and crumpled on the ground and completely helpless he took the time to taint the water in the village fountain, before leaving us with his promise...to return with his crew and take Everwind as his!
Hail the new King of Everwind!....oh wait, not yet.
So we spend days watching for signs of the Captain and his crew, planning how we are to defend the Realm from such an attack. After being through a number of epic quests I was getting into the flow of things...I had a feeling we weren't meant to win this up and coming battle...we would have a quest to follow in order to bring down the Pirates.
The battle comes...we are all panned out across the Realm waiting for the pirates to show up. And the moment it starts I was already confused, cause with everyone in position the Pirates happened to be in the very human Castle, having not been seen even coming into the Realm. So bad roleplay, they POOFED into the Realm, didn't care how much time and effort everyone put into planning their arrival and got down to fighting.
I think the only good thing I found out this night was how useless bows or any range weapons are in lag. And it has come in handy ever since, as due to lag SL can't rezz prims, can't rezz the prims of arrows and no damage...WOOT! Good to know! *toses her bow, draws her sword and gets back to fighting*
We fought, finally gave up, but some didn't want to leave the fight even after retreat had been called over and over. It didn't take long to realise that BlunderBeard and all his crew were returning alternates from the Demon/Sorceress Epic Quest and others....they wore the same god meters and fast healing powers...we weren't meant to win this fight.
When the final few that had stayed behind to fight finally rose and joined us outside the castle as we heard the Captain's voice shouting for us to welcome their new King...him! Joy!
At this time a few of us that are willing and wanting to move past the battle and continue to the quest turn to Merrick one of the High Mages of Everwind and he is already talking sense. We can't stop the Pirates as is, they are protected by a powerful magic, we have to search the realm and start looking for their chest of gold,t he key to their power and their downfall if we can get our hands on it first.
At this time two things happen....BlunderBeard and his crew come down from the castle and the battle continues out into the woods. And those of us that are willing to listen to Merrick go off and start hunting for this chest.
A quest that never was....at least that is how it felt by the time the evening ended. We searched the castle, we divided up and retraced each other's footsteps looking for this chest. The whole time I keep an eye on my mini map and I can see the mass of green dots, and I know there must be a lot of people seeing red, and I am glad I am not in that battle, knowing the pirates must be at the center of it all.
Word comes that they have been captured, I don't know a lot of details of all that happened. I just remember standing on the far side of the fountain in the village with Merrick and a few others as we watch two of the pirates dragged up. BlunderBeard is taunting and angering one of the greatest dragons in the Realm, Xeno, who now stands near him in bi-ped form. As thing continue you know it can't be good...something is wrong, and in a fit of rage Xeno ends the Captain's rants and snaps the bound Pirate's neck.
That was the end of it, a few days of watching pirates in a cell and going on to escaping. Xeno was banished from the Dragon Wyre for his actions and meddling with human affairs and became a Drow. And some of us were left thinking...was that really how it was meant to end?
I am not really sure, but it seemed a rather empty ending.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Big Bad Demons
Jacko was the brain child behind the Demon War....and out of all the epic roleplays I have done, between EW, Triskele, and now the Shire it has got to be the best, because of the way it simple consumed the whole realm. You didn't have a choice, if you entered the Realm you were in the roleplay, no options, demons roamed and they would gladly take you out if you didn't watch your back and get your backside into a shrine!
We all have moments during the Demon War that consumed us, and I want to hear things people went through. For me I have flash backs. I see and feel Dream as a Demon hovering over me and drooling down on me. I remember the dragons were not safe unless they hid in biped form and watching Xeno go down, and being taken. Earlier that day he had been flying overhead and watching over me as I ran from shrine to shrine, now he was outside the shrine calling and taunting us to come out.
I remember Chance telling me he had to hide from Stormy as she hunted the Underworld for him.
I would love to hear personal accounts...we were so close in those days, all facing the same fate if we weren't careful and yet divided into the shrines, each facing different demons and trials.
We all have moments during the Demon War that consumed us, and I want to hear things people went through. For me I have flash backs. I see and feel Dream as a Demon hovering over me and drooling down on me. I remember the dragons were not safe unless they hid in biped form and watching Xeno go down, and being taken. Earlier that day he had been flying overhead and watching over me as I ran from shrine to shrine, now he was outside the shrine calling and taunting us to come out.
I remember Chance telling me he had to hide from Stormy as she hunted the Underworld for him.
I would love to hear personal accounts...we were so close in those days, all facing the same fate if we weren't careful and yet divided into the shrines, each facing different demons and trials.
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