Roleplay

[Algernon]

Many thanks indeed.  Personally, I find the RP sooo much more interesting than the repetitive cycle of bash bash bash fight fight fight pent ship def up bash bash bash fight fight fight.  (I'm not putting down the fighting itself - just the danger of monotony.)  RP provides so much seasoning to the meal.  One of the most vivid memories I have of playing so far has been a single moment of RP with Narissa.  This section promises to be great fun! 

[Maud]

If people really enjoy RP, why don't we see more of it, more often?

[Narissa]

If people really enjoy RP, why don't we see more of it, more often?

And the responses...

Catlania: "Im a bit dismayed, I was telling the young of our city, that Thakrians can be evil, but
their Princess had a decent head on her shoulders... Then i got the log"
Catlania: "I dont care what you call it, its fucking sick"
Catlania: "Even in roleplay, its fucking sick......... I was SICK TO MY STOMACK IN REAL LIFE"
Catlania: "I abhore the fact that that kind of roleplay is even allowed... If i had the guts, which i
dont... I would quit this silly game"
Catlania: "If roleplay means chasing people out of the game... More power to you"
Fatalus: "I read the log of your fine show of a ritual and roleplay. I'm sure it made an impression
on the young, perhaps as endearing as a gang rape. Not that I'm threatening such a thing myself,
just using it as a relative comparison. Perhaps you'll remember it fondly too."

Message #10194.
Date: 30-3-2007 at 4:20.
From: Herbalist Zilveren Epicurean, Restorer of Life [Freewoman].
To : Everyone.
Subj: Leaving.

I was brought aware today of certain rites that are being practiced by members of this city. As an
animist I was most horrified to find out exactly what they were. As a member of a guild and
profession that keeps life upheld as a most sacred thing, I cannot condone what is being done. It
goes against every single belief and ideal I have. I am going back into the woods. I can't live here
knowing things like that are happening. If you need my help or aide, ask and I will do what I can.


Zilveren

Written by my hand on the 15th of Hindyear, in the year 1183.

3715/3781:ELDERS
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Message #3716.
Date: 19-4-2007 at 4:27.
From: Proteus, god of the sea [God].
To  : Everyone.
Subj: Scary Roleplay.

I know the time of the incident has passed a little, but I wanted to address the issue of Narissa's
torture of Liam in Xanthe's temple.


Many are up in arms about whole thing and it is said that is why Liam left the land. There are some
particulars people may not know about regarding the incident. Liam actually addressed me at the time
calling attention to the fact he was being tortured. Seeing that it was all being emoted, etc and no
real damage was being inflicted and his belongings weren't being stripped, I told him I could not
exert any power in Xanthe's temple.

The truth is, I was watching the proceedings very closely and would have intervened had it actually
turned sadistic. I was ready to jump in when Narissa ordered him killed until I noticed Liam had
been given a life potion and at his level the experience loss was pretty much nil. But again, if
people started taking turns killing him, Liam would have found himself wisked away and perhaps
replaced with something very powerful and angry.

Though it may dismay many of you, I have to say I support such events and hope similar things will
occur in the future. (Though they don't always have to be negative, calling down divine blessings on
a stalwart knight would be nice too.) +

Part of the problem is that the best opportunity to scare someone is when they are young and don't
have the ability to flee. When Grundy was a young lad, he was the guest of the sorcerers exitless
torture chamber a few times and was part of attempts to free people from said chamber. It wasn't
until much later he realized his captors had been taking their sweet time draining his health
allowing him the opportunity to drink potions and erect defenses as he wriggled wildly trying to
escape.

And that was nothing next the Diabolus who would take married couples to the torture chambers beneath
Gharran and promise to let them go if one revoked their vows of love for the other.

It may dismay you even more to learn that I favoured Narissa for going to the effort of putting on a
good show.

However, it occurs to me that perhaps there might need to be some rules and understandings
established if these things are to continue. First seems to be the issue of holding these events in
a god's temple where rescuers not only have to battle their enemies but tempt the disfavour of the
deity for attacking people in the temple.

The other thing is that you may want to ask a god deity to monitor the situation you are about to
create so that any claims of sadistic behavior can be refuted by the deity. I am not going to speak
for any one else's willingness to keep an eye on things, but I obviously am.

Responses? Discussion?

Proteus, god of the sea

Message #3719.
Date: 20-4-2007 at 0:04.
From: Fatalus the Scrounger.
To  : Everyone.
Subj: Art or Pornography.

For our first few months in this realm, it is ALL scary. We serve our newer members well as we build
bridges to add to that sense of reality. It gives them purpose to accomplish what we hope will be
great deeds and to leave
 their indelible mark upon the land.

My first impression to reading the ritual log was that it was a circle jerk. Yes, I could see the
participant's performance as role-play, but I would consider the total environment before passing it
off as some great  cultural piece of artwork to be repeated. I judged it to be a bridge too far.

Liam is (or was) a stout fellow just off of LW status in a realm where his side is at severe
disadvantage. Having been coerced and then jumped, he was quite dazed and struggled to make sense of
it all. Eventually, he  understood he had been made a fool.

Now insert yourself here at this age. Your own skills at retribution are minimal at a one on one.
Your comrades are relatively few and far between, quite outnumbered so even a team counterjump for
-insert favorite  roleplay reason here- is out of the question.

Yes, Liam with chin up and what pride he could muster told us all he was leaving for RL reasons. But
let's not kid ourselves folks. Liam left just days afterwards for being absolutely humiliated and no
hope to redeem himself.

Hindsight is 20 20. I perhaps made a mistake here for not inventing some counter roleplay reason
myself and invoking some DF to his defense and honor. I rather doubt it would have been received
well on the other side if  I had.

I won't say don't run the quest again, but in this man's opinion, choosing the absolutely youngest
possible member off of LW status showed completely poor judgment. The net effect is that this ritual
with young Liam as the victim had as much artistic value as a fraternity organized gang bang.

Written by my hand on the 30th of Eleuthral, in the year 1185.

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Message #3720.
Date: 20-4-2007 at 0:16.
From: Orielle, for wanton mischief.
To  : Fatalus the Scrounger.
Subj: Role Play.

I am going to agree with you ( and trust me this is roleplay!! I never agree with Fatalus!)


I think it is fine to have a marvelous bit of roleplay - evil or not. What I do not agree with is
taking a small player to do it with. If you want to roleplay something like was done then do it with
someone your size. Who at least has a chance and knows what is going on.

I say this having been one who was raped by Panaideos. But not as a child in the land. Even he did
not choose a small player to do this with. And he was a total definition of "evil". Choose someone
next time who can "fight back" instead of a "slam dunk."

Of course this might not end up as well from the "roleplayer's" point of view. But it would be more
honest.

Orielle

Written by my hand on the 1st of Mournsend, in the year 1185.

Message #3722.
Date: 20-4-2007 at 8:05.
From: Catlania.
To  : Everyone.
Subj: Roleplay Incident.

I am just glad that Avalon and roleplay give an outlet to these sick, evil, twisted folks!


Written by my hand on the 8th of Mournsend, in the year 1185.

And that, folks, is why RP rarely happens in Avalon...

QED?

[Algernon]

Zilveren's response would be consistent with RP - an animist character could react that way.  But I won't speak for Zilv. 

[Narissa]

Yeah, her's is RPd. The rest though...

[Maud]

Thanks Narissa for the reply.  I agree with Algie -- Zilveren's post is proof that she never really belonged in Thakria (sorry Zil).  Maybe it just took a bit longer for her to realise how evil it was designed to be.

One of these days perhaps we'll see the other cities stepping out of the shadows into TRUE, unique roles in the land. Perhaps then they'll have something to offer novices.

[Narissa]

Agreed. I may be hated, but I like to think I'm pushing Thakria back into the evil place it needs to be in. It's not a fun task (don't bash the damn orcs!), nor an easy one (ahem, we don't snuggle people, remember?!), but it's something we've needed to remember, even if it is at the cost of losing citizens. Some things are more important than sheer numbers and power.

[Maud]

Just another reason why, from a roleplay perspective, I don't understand why an animist might ever follow along and "heal" a player going bashing against another entity.  If a youth is walking around the Greenwood and gets attacked by an orc scout, that I could understand -- that's not really bashing, that's an attack.  But to go heal a bunch of knights, et al when they're "bashing" orcs or monks, come on now.  Just call it for what it is: a macabre assault.

Here's a question for the forum, what are you doing to promote roleplay within your own guild, order, city (respectively)?

[Amaraz]

Oh, oh, I know. There was this one time, when I was a novice, when I stole on of Rhiannon's pots and used it for a helmet, cut down a wooden sign and made a sword, and sheered all the sheep I could find for padded armour and went off to play knight. I came across this unsuspecting rabbit you see, he was totaly clueless....until I wacked him with my wooden play sword. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy, and he literaly kicked my ass(pun intended). After that, I got upset and said I would never get my ass kicked by a rabbit again..........that was when I went off and joined Knights. -chuckle-

[Algernon]

To Maud's question, above, one example of using RP within the guild.  Sadly, it isn't logged, as it was improvised while using a javalon computer.

We had an apprentice mage who did not remain in Avalon for very long.  Early in her life, she switched cities to join the mage guild, and her old citymates indicated strong displeasure with her move.  One elder of that city went so far as to threaten her, and punctuated the message by slaughtering her mount. 

We got her a new steed, and used emotes to create a humorous scene around the gift.  I met her in Cass Square, and conjured an image of her assailant.  Then I turned said assailant into a frog which began to hop around Cass Square.  I made the young mage follow me, and we chased the frog all the way to the mage guild, where her new steed was waiting.  Of course, the end of the show came with the horse stepping on the phantasm frog.  Squish. 

Sorry I don't have the log.  It was lots of fun.

[Amaraz]

Damnit, I never get to have a good RP anymore.

-sits in a corner and sulks, sharpening his swords and occasionaly sending dramatic bouts of flame spurting from his fingers to lash at anyone foolish enough to get close-

[Every Seer in Avalon]

Maybe that's because you keep claiming to be some sort of mythical creature that doesn't exist in avalon?

I mean, we've had some half-elves and crap before, but they always see why it's a bad idea. It's not that kind of game - get with the program. And try to act like less of a dirtbag in-game!

[Amaraz]

So I should take your example and act like one out of the game?

This is something I spoke to Genesis about, there might be changes for such things in the future. No need to get all high and mighty, when you aren't.

[Maud]

The closest thing to elves I think Avalon has are probably the Eose and the Alessandrians.  I used to think it'd be neat if we had character-driven races but seeing how we all handle ourselves as humans, what makes anybody think we can roleplay other species?

And now for something completely different...Amaraz, what in the h*ll is that thing on your profile picture -- a transformer?  a tarantula?

[Narissa]

an....Amaraz? *flee*