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BattleMaster => Locals => East Island => Topic started by: steelabjur@aol.com on January 16, 2018, 05:09:31 AM
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RedHaven has seceded from Sirion, forming a new Xavaxian State under Xerarch Hector Serpentis Tandaros. Let the games begin! *Evil eyebrow wiggle*
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Did Tezokian quit the game?
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He's basically been inactive for, maybe, 3 months. Or something like that. We're actually pretty worried about the player. Ecthelion didn't respond to any IC or OoC letters sent to him during those months, even though he (or someone on his behalf) must have been logging on at least once a week to prevent loss of titles/autopausing before now.
It's hard to imagine that Brian/Ecthelion would play the game continuously for 14 years and then just up and leave without saying a word to anyone.
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He's basically been inactive for, maybe, 3 months. Or something like that. We're actually pretty worried about the player. Ecthelion didn't respond to any IC or OoC letters sent to him during those months, even though he (or someone on his behalf) must have been logging on at least once a week to prevent loss of titles/autopausing before now.
It's hard to imagine that Brian/Ecthelion would play the game continuously for 14 years and then just up and leave without saying a word to anyone.
Damn. I hope he is alright.
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!!!!!
Very exciting to see, and I love the name, who came up with it? I wonder how many redwings are left to heed the call? Will they refer to themselves as redwings or redhaveners or Xavax or something else? Super surpised to see this actually happen. While I am glad for all this, Im worried about Tezokian as well.
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May Redhaven prosper!
Looks like Aramon Abjur will be Xerarch, Kinsey is general [of course], Hector the Xenophon, and so forth.
Lionel's done a solid job obstructing our ["Goldwing"] attempts to create a Reformed Xavax state further south in Perdan, Fallengard, or Xavax proper -
not that everyone didn't expect it from the get-go. Our obsession with obliterating any potential deviation from the status-quo is both a boon and a curse. Remember that change is often a powerful force with stressful short-term obstacles but benevolent long-term rewards.
Do please change things up the second time around. Remember: the failure of Xavax is a direct result of our mistakes. IC we can blame everyone and their mother, but OOC, we must see past the chaff and realize that Xavax needs to change with the times. If you all behave the same way, pick the same fights, bear the same biases, occupy the same titles, pursue the same discourse, and effectively repeat history, you doom Xavax to fail just as before.
Please do as we designed Xavax culture to do: adapt and evolve. I'm hoping this doesn't devolve into a stagnant take-2 of old Xavax, for the good of all our mutual efforts.
We may hold different ideas of what Xavax is meant to be, but we derive our love of Xavax from the very same roots.
May all Xavax prosper, regardless of their political, ideological, religious, or national affiliations. A damn fine collaborative creation we've got here.
Lets keep this baby going strong for years to come!~
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I love the name, who came up with it?
That would be me. I suggested a few names privately to Hector, one of them being Redhaven (literally a haven for the Redwings), and he then suggested that name to the other Xavax. A few alternative names were kicked around, but most of the Xavax seemed to go for Redhaven.
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You sly fox, you! :) All-around solid name, kudos.
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Good luck with the new realm!
I hope Brian is well, but Erik would be like Augustus: "Give me back my Legions (my GOLD!)"
***
In time...
You are starting your career in Krimml, in the realm of Redhaven.
Welcome to Redhaven
This is a Monarchy realm.
This realm does not (yet) have a New Members Notice. Inquire within for local rules and laws.
My adv starting exactly where I wanted...
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Is that...!?
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May Redhaven prosper!
Looks like Aramon Abjur will be Xerarch, Kinsey is general [of course], Hector the Xenophon, and so forth.
Lionel's done a solid job obstructing our ["Goldwing"] attempts to create a Reformed Xavax state further south in Perdan, Fallengard, or Xavax proper -
not that everyone didn't expect it from the get-go. Our obsession with obliterating any potential deviation from the status-quo is both a boon and a curse. Remember that change is often a powerful force with stressful short-term obstacles but benevolent long-term rewards.
Do please change things up the second time around. Remember: the failure of Xavax is a direct result of our mistakes. IC we can blame everyone and their mother, but OOC, we must see past the chaff and realize that Xavax needs to change with the times. If you all behave the same way, pick the same fights, bear the same biases, occupy the same titles, pursue the same discourse, and effectively repeat history, you doom Xavax to fail just as before.
Please do as we designed Xavax culture to do: adapt and evolve. I'm hoping this doesn't devolve into a stagnant take-2 of old Xavax, for the good of all our mutual efforts.
We may hold different ideas of what Xavax is meant to be, but we derive our love of Xavax from the very same roots.
May all Xavax prosper, regardless of their political, ideological, religious, or national affiliations. A damn fine collaborative creation we've got here.
Lets keep this baby going strong for years to come!~
There is some good advice here. If you all want Redhaven to succeed, I'd suggest taking these words to heart.
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So here is my question.
What is the difference between this group and the other one(in Highmarch?)?
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So here is my question.
What is the difference between this group and the other one(in Highmarch?)?
It consists of mostly core members of former Xavax, including Selenia's chosen successor (Aramon) as Xerarch, the writer of it's laws (Godric), and it's general (Lionel). The "Yellow Wings" are mostly johnny-come-latelys to former Xavax.
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Now, now. Lets be objective and reasonable. This is the forum - where the players behind the characters may speak frankly.
At the heart of the matter is a universal truth even the willfully ignorant cannot refute. As the saying goes,
"Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results."
Since the dawn of Xavax, different characters (and players) have held views of what they believe Xavax was, is, should, and must be. As beliefs often go, contradiction and divergence fueled interesting events that evolved into the culture we came to love. Some nations/cultures choose to embrace change, while others choose to avoid it at all costs. In the beginning, Xavax was a place of change, of progress, of new frontiers. We were comprised of nobles from dozens of realms, each with their own uniqueness to offer. The shared desire to re-shape East Continent - to envelop our differences through the underlying threads that brought us together - these were the spark and tinder that formed our identity, our laws, and our faith.
Unfortunately, in an all-too-human response to betrayal and conflict, we lost sight of that objectiveness and doubled-down on what felt necessary at the time. Some of it was plain human nature, and some was Xerarch Selenia's particularly heavy-handed approach to power consolidation. In the interest of maintaining a solid grasp of power, much like Sirion has done [and been condemned for], Xavax curbed, ignored, or outright exterminated dissenting views by enforcing a strict set of rules that demonized anyone who broke from the mold. Like any foundation that refuses to bend the status-quo, it stagnated and inevitably failed because Xavax stopped reflecting the behaviors and beliefs that once made it prosper.
Diversity. Malleability. Progress. Opportunity. Evolution. Through the traumas of war, betrayal, and disorder, Xavax became the antithesis of everything it used to represent.
Rather than welcome the flexibility of diversity and multi-culturalism that made Xavax prosper, instead Xavax grew rigid - where one either adheres to the established template or faces widespread condemnation. We abandoned the all-inclusive attitude, the undercurrents of cultural progress, the passion for change embodied in the Phoenix archetype... We were designed to oppose the dogmatic and inflexible realms we viewed as culturally inferior, not because we held the supreme example of culture, but because we recognized that our differences gave us strength. We knew, then, that we could accomplish something truly beautiful by voicing our dissenting views and discovering the common threads that brought us to the once-frozen South. We created a counter-culture, both based on the old kingdoms and empires from which we had come, and in direct opposition of the flaws and mistakes we had seen them commit. We, as individuals and as a nation, vowed to do better than they did. We dreamed of becoming something this world had never seen before: a whole greater than the sum of its many parts, given strength through a cycle of rebirth from the ashes of the past unto the wings of a brighter future.
And yet... We became exactly the type of realm and culture we hated with a passion.
It is my [personal] belief that Xavax died the moment this came to pass. We all had great hopes for what Xavax could be. (Both IC and OOC.) It was, by all accounts, to embody precisely the spirit that birthed Xavax in the first place.
Yet here we are: a new realm played by old faces and the old rules that didn't even work the first time. If we see victim mentality for what it is: a convenient and childish deflection of responsibility for ones failures often developed in response to initial trauma - one might realize that Xavax exists in a state of denial, of victimism, in which we've been taught to avoid anything that threatens the belief that we had no part in the events that led to the collapse of Xavax. Its understandable to use this as an IC propaganda tactic against our rivals, but it seems many have been successfully brainwashed by the notion that Xavax victim mentality is anything but a clever ruse to avoid admission of our flagrant mistakes.
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As cosmic irony goes, we tipped the balance and turned the continent upside-down. We abandoned the moral high-ground long ago in favor of the very tactics and mentality we opposed on principle. In our stand against tyranny, the freedom fighters became the new tyrants. Those who came to Xavax later than sooner found a Xavax quite different from the one we embodied in the early days. Am I the only one caught between tears and laughter in the face of such irony?
Xavax has become an ultra-nationalist cult of personality whose pride is hell-bent on reliving a broken past best left dead and buried. We've dug up the Phoenix' corpse and stuffed it full of little white lies to give our anger a shadow of reason. Simple fact is: we've lost our way and damn anyone crazy enough to point out our foolishness.
Our rivals have become more like what Xavax was, and Xavax has become more like what our rivals were.
Post-Selenian Reformed Xavax culture is an amazing literary premise parallel to the historic decline of every major empire and ideology on Earth, sure, but its incredibly frustrating to see the very people I founded Xavax with now try to pretend the current Xavax culture is even vaguely healthy or productive.
Sure, with some minor tweaking it may eventually work out to your benefit, but you'll have made Xavax echo precisely the sort of broken system that sunk Atamara and exiled us here in the first place.
I feel a deep regret for not doing better as your Xerarch. Behind these RPs and OOC lay a passion born of a deep responsibility, bordering on shame. I wasn't strong enough to stop this misanthropic degeneration of Xavax culture when it was first set into motion, but maybe - just maybe - we can use the so-called "Goldwings" to counter-balance the Redwings and incite a rebirth of our beautiful community.
We all know its self-destructive to force adherence to a strict dogma in our realms and cultures, just like in the real world. Let history prove its ageless lesson: stagnancy and inflexibility destroy, where malleability and deviation incite progress through change.
So, while y'all are busy Making Xavax Great Again, us "Johnny-come-lately's" will try changing things up for the good of future generations.
Cheers and may fortune shine upon you.
---
Cut and bruised in various places, a thin line of blood trailing from his nose, Magnus smiles one last time as he begins to sing a somber, heartfelt tune - a final, personal prayer to the Blood Phoenix of Xavax: avatar of retribution, justice, and war.
"Oh - burning spirit:
By the flame's ascension,
Through the ashen tomb;
Of the frozen veil,
In the Southern womb
Unto the heart of righteous pride,
Lay stark the blind Carrion creed;
Whence vengeance struck true!
T'was the day dear Xavax cried...
By the flame's denial,
Through the shattered tomb;
Lay the parted veil,
In a sundered womb
Unto the body of bitter faith,
Whence stood tall the Carrion creed;
Fate took vengeance upon us,
Aye - t'was the day our Xavax died."
-Feb 5, 2016, 5:03:25 PM - Magnus Aurea,
First Xerarch; Founder of the Xavax Imperium
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Yea, I was lured by the appeal of activity, but I quickly left when I realized how strong the personality cult was...
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"Cult of Personality" when Selenia is gone and JeVondair has a character among our enemies. While being named her heir worked out for Aramon; Aramon isn't Selenia. Aramon doesn't have her force of personality or experience.
And yes "Johnny-Come-Latelys": Asher Renodin, Smiddich Fontaine, Sigrid Gudrun Auru'in, Ayden Torrarin JeVondair, (am I missing anyone?) as in their characters barely had any time in Greater Xavax (or none, in the case of CrypticCyper's Sigrid). Ironic you talk about repeating mistakes then quote your old character, who was disposed by his General/Marshal, Vice-Marshal, and both Dukes (was the Judge and Banker also involved? I can't remember who held those positions then), most of whom would leave to take up position of power in the realms you're now buddying up to (Vix and Perdan).
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The cult dates from way back when she was there, probably since very early in her reign.
Also, the new JeVondair is in Caligus, not with the rest of the Novus bunch in Highmarch.
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Aramon doesn't need her personality - frankly, it has little to do with Aramon. If you take personal offense to the blatant flaws of modern Xavax culture, as your defensive response hints, then clearly you recognize at least part of the problem. If you recognize the problem, then please do something about it. Easier said than done, of course. There is far more than your own ambitions or desires at play, especially now that the Saoi is pregnant [with twins, was it?]. Selenia ruled the way she did because she had to. Granted, her IC personality design influenced her reactions, but the general trend owed more to our history than her personality alone. Its far too convenient to blame Selenia for everything that went wrong, obscuring the responsibility and and flaws of the other powerplayers who influenced the ultimate outcome. I still say the biggest and most blatantly horrifying mistake y'all ever made was abandoning Xavax. Part of me wonders how y'all found some clever way to justify doing the exact opposite of what we had always said, embodied, and promised. From give no quarter, fight until the end, pride and honor, to tucking tail and fleeing north. Magnus was profoundly flawed, but he's not the one who abandoned and doomed Xavax. Sorry but hat one's on you guys.
A little behind-the-scene history lesson:
Selenia did not depose Magnus as you were led to believe. She was already Magnus' chosen heir, as they had discussed his abdication and planned for her Xerarchy long before the Alaran spy and Dodger's rebellion. Did no one find it suspicious that Magnus held no landed titles [unlike every ruler who expects to remain in power], casually handed her the capitol of the entire Imperium, command of its home duchy, patronage of its army, and later [toward the end of his reign] changed the Phoenix from a male archetype to a female and named her the Phoenix Reborn? She was the anonymous informant who provided intelligence on rebel discussions/plans which formed the basis of Magnus' accusations, and was explicitly ordered to take advantage of rebellious sentiments in order to secure her succession. Not the only informant, as those of you in the [early] secret Inquisition may remember. Numerous agents, both within and without the Inquisiton, were tasked with infiltrating their ranks. For a time, the Inquisition was a hotbed of activity - until a certain someone joined the Inquisition and we took it all to personal private channels. If you recall the Inquisition getting very quiet all of a sudden, you might just know what I'm talking about.
The rebellion was glorious. Frustrating as hell, but glorious. In a short span of time we went from wondering how to convince all the Selenia-haters to stand down, all the way to everyone immediately taking her side and voting her in with abandon. From public condemnation of any suggestion that Selenia, or in some cases a JeVondair in general, would ever dare be a candidate for Xavax rulership, to Long Live Xerarch Selenia in the blink of an eye.
Forgiving the rebels was a nice touch, but Selenia wasn't so foolish as to let sleeping dogs lie. She quite effectively dismantled the anti-Selenia faction that convinced Magnus to appoint Crownguard to Isadril. For those who may recall, or were involved, this was primarily the Ibladesh faction which formed the counter-balance to the pro-Selenia faction. For those who don't, they were led by a certain infamous priestess who opposed Selenia and called for a war to conquer Ibladesh and found the first of many planned satellite states in what was to be the Xavax federation. As was discussed [with those who mattered] at the time, the point of giving power to both factions, and particularly for the inception of a Lurianesque federation, was to allow for a more dynamic environment of rivalry and constant debate. Precisely like the Templar-Inquisitor rivalry of Obia'Syela. Unfortunately, the Alaran spy threw a wrench in the plans and they took it a step too far.
In the end, the ones who lost were the anti-Selenia factions and myself. Magnus was supposed to resign soon after he built the palace, quietly becoming the high priest of the Phoenix cult to bless Selenia as the Phoenix Reborn in an epic communal feast-style realm-wide RP arc. Instead, I had to deal with political drama and Dodger's constant insults instead of pumping out the rest of the RPs for my abdication. Not wanting to stall the process and delay Selenia's rise to Xerarchy nor the inception of the official Xavax faith, I ended up forgoing much-needed sleep in lieu of replying to a flood of annoying missives and lengthy [parallel] RPs just to get swamped, frustrated, and watch it all burn when I realized I couldn't dig myself out of it faster than I was being buried.
When !@#$ goes south, you ride the wave and go out with a bang. I'm not going to lie: I wasn't exactly the epitome of stability at the time. I was in the beginning of a !@#$ty divorce after our daughter passed away at birth and my marriage went to hell, my stepson - the boy I raised as my own - was in and out of the ICU, and toward the end I was living out of my car and posting RPs from a parking lot by Dunkin Donuts. (Free wifi is a godsend.) I was a mess and it bled over into my IC behavior. I definitely don't blame y'all for wanting to get rid of him, and thus me, but !@#$ happens and the past is the past.
Speaking of, I've not forgotten Iuz Vidar Crownguard and his star role in screwing Xavax twice-over. nor has Sigrid. FunFact: She came to Sirion to become an assassin and make his [and Robb Starfall's] life a living hell.
If someone convinces JeVondair to abandon the Goldwings and join the RedWings instead, she'll probably end up going back to that option.
Otherwise, me might just end up with a Xavax federation of rival city-states after all. What're the odds of it all going full-cycle? Puts a smile to my face, it does.
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We heard you guys didn't even have a proper celebration for your newfound independance! We were sad, so we decided to come party at your place. Hope you don't mind! 8)
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We heard you guys didn't even have a proper celebration for your newfound independance! We were sad, so we decided to come party at your place. Hope you don't mind! 8)
I have so many things to say, but I'll settle for "the arrogance of the new kid who joins the winning team"
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Aramon doesn't need her personality...
Our decision to abandon Xavax stemmed from pragmatics, we were separated from our largely inept allies and the southern realms (still) do not have enough nobles to take over the lands. By leaving we placed the battlefield closer to the rest of our allies, bolstered their forces, and cracked the First Oligarch siege. The Democrats seem pleased as punch but Oligarch has fallen, their momentum against Caligus is slowing, and Alara-Nova-Perleone are as useless as ever. Its a tough situation but all it takes is small changes (such as the fair weather friends in Highmarch leaving). I have tons of tactics ideas but there is resistance to their implementation.
Here is a Toren saying: "dead men fight no battles"
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On a totally separate note, OUCH! Krimml got nailed... Kind of expected Redhaven to become target #1 but bloody hell, that came earlier than expected.
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We heard you guys didn't even have a proper celebration for your newfound independance! We were sad, so we decided to come party at your place. Hope you don't mind! 8)
Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
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Our decision to abandon Xavax stemmed from pragmatics...
Aye. OOC, totally understandable and the smartest way to go about things. I commend Kinsey and y'all for playing it smart and making a hell of a tactical retreat the likes of which this continent has likely never seen. IC, its amazing that it happened at all. We never were a pragmatic bunch, to be fair. Had we been, we'd never have reached the point of needing to abandon Xavax in the first place. Nothing we can do about it either way. We played the hand we were dealt as we thought was best, and Xavax folded. I really dislike going against the Redwings [temporarily] but Sigrid believes what she believes, and the Redwing old-guard are the antithesis of what she was raised to uphold. Down the road things will mellow out, but for the time being, she's biting her tongue and trying to protect her people while remaining infuriated at the entire situation. The more Xavax fracture, the more they face defeat, and the longer Xavax remains a starved and depopulated rogue hellhole, the angrier she becomes. To her, the Redwing leadership failed and then betrayed the Xavax - no worse crime a noble can commit.
Sigrid is dumbfounded at the idea that Kinsey would dare make excuses for convincing others to abandon their homeland. Its just not something one does. Especially not the proud, warrior Xavax. To her, it spits in the face of everything Xavax is said to represent and serves as a glaring omen that the extant Xavax hierarchy is inept, jaded, corrupt, and traitors to the spirit of Xavax. She believes in going down with the ship, no matter the cost, and that anyone who doesn't is a spineless coward and traitor to their people. To her, the aristocracy of Xavax landed themselves in a lose-lose situation by virtue of their own foolishness and promptly abandoned 99% of the Xavax to be pillaged, murdered, raped, and enslaved. She's of the same mindset as her brother Magnus and their mother Alura: a noble is responsible for the innocent people he/she protects, and failure to do so is a massive stain upon one's honor. Granted, she's still youngish and somewhat naive, but I make a point of allowing her to echo the sometimes over-the-top pride and cynical idealism inherited from her mother ;) Befriending Serpentis made matters worse, or better, depending on your perspective.
Ps, she's equally pissed at Magnus for abandoning his "birthright", thus soiling the [secret-ish] dreams of Alura & Rynn, and handing Selenia the Xerarchy just to disappear off the face of the continent when the going got rough.
If she ever makes it back to Xavax and uncovers Magnus' body hidden in the catacombs of the old palace, y'all are going to love the resulting RP. Is it still criminal assault if the citizen in question is the corpse of a former Xerarch? :P
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Aye. OOC, totally understandable and the smartest way to go about things...
There was nothing OOC about the decision. Xavax was a pragmatic meritocracy. My character is not going to go blindly into death because I, the player, know he cannot die. This is truly what my character believed is best as a complex and real individual. Someone who is devout and understands he risks death by remaining in crumbling Xavax. There is nothing OOC about the retreat.
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There was nothing OOC about the decision. Xavax was a pragmatic meritocracy. My character is not going to go blindly into death because I, the player, know he cannot die. This is truly what my character believed is best as a complex and real individual. Someone who is devout and understands he risks death by remaining in crumbling Xavax. There is nothing OOC about the retreat.
The OOC tag distinguishes between my feelings as a player, and IC feelings of Sigrid the character. Never claimed its an OOC decision, only that it makes sense to me as a player who can observe and analyze the situation from a [partial] gods-eye perspective.
Right... I tend to forget that non-Heroes don't die. Where's the fun in taking risks when you can't lose? ;) Sigrid is my sole character who isn't a hero, and only because she can still become an assassin. Up the ante, become a hero and test the limits of pride and folly ;)
Funny that you used the word devout. I Guess our characters abide by completely different philosophies. Sigrid would be proud to die for Xavax specifically because its the right thing to do, as opposed to running in fear of death. To Sigrid, Xavax is life; and to serve Xavax is to have courage in the face of death. Abandoning Xavax to save herself would be tantamount to spiritual suicide.
She's a curious character. The amalgam of pride and honor produces intriguing results.
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Xavax was a pragmatic meritocracy...
(There's a lot of irony, sarcasm, and tongue-in-cheek statements in the following post, baring the thoughts and expressions of myself and a friend. Enjoy, and don't take anything to heart. [or seriously])
How profoundly and entertainingly ironic. I love this so much. Thank you for that, I really enjoyed writing the following post. Had a conversation with my best friend Anthony about the topic - allow me to point out a few observations we made. He used to read the Xavax RP's when I'd crash at his place, and really enjoyed watching the process of creating the realm. Some of his suggestions are part of established Xavax history/lore to this day. :) Never could get him to actually play, but he wants me to pass on his regards to all of you for having the patience to do all this. He said it was really fun to read and see things play out. If you can figure out a way to convince him to play BM, be my guest. I've been trying since 2012. Now, lets begin:
Pragmatic? Lets see...
prag·mat·ic
adjective
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
"a pragmatic approach to politics"
synonyms: practical, matter-of-fact, sensible, down-to-earth, commonsensical, businesslike, having both/one's feet on the ground, hardheaded, no-nonsense; informal hard-nosed
"she remains pragmatic in the most emotional circumstances"
relating to philosophical or political pragmatism.
Voting in a democratically-minded, [IC] inexperienced, out-spoken youngin' as the ruler who founds your entire realm is not exactly pragmatic. Granted, everyone thought Magnus would be easy to manipulate based on his passionate personality and fanciful speeches, but most failed to realize his behavior stemmed from being an ethical-pragmatist and obsessive perfectionist. Selenia knew [from us playing together and plotting to unite Terran-D'hara into an empire through our marriage], and immediately became his adviser, ally, and closest friend. Some people cleverly realized [others were explicitly told] that you could manipulate him if you did one of three things: cater to the logically optimal outcome of events that would best suit all involved parties; invoke emotional empathy and take advantage of his ethical code of honor; or obstruct the pattern of events so thoroughly that it removed all logical outcomes and turned into a shell game. In essence, he obsessively follows a specific pattern of behavior encoded in his personality that, if you figured out the code, made him the easiest thing in the world to toy with.
...Then further down the rabbit hole by effectively strong-arming newly-elected Magnus into becoming King [by taking advantage of both his democratically-minded ideology, ie that people's opinions should matter to a good ruler and serve as a driving force behind a ruler's behavior;]+[; as well as his desire for pragmatic-perfectionism, ie order and control by following the logical and optimal reaction to an event].
According to Anthony's logic: "Sure, lets take the new kid who wants to be a Democratic ruler for a little while and demand that he wield absolute power as a king, design the government from the ground up, name the realm, give it its icon (he meant emblem/flag, I think), and control the fate of all the older, richer, more experienced, ruthless, and ambitious nobles. What could possibly go wrong? You guys are nuts if you thought that wouldn't go horribly wrong and blow up in your face." (Sans the expletives and with slight editing)
...And on the first day, Magnus shrugged, wondered what would be cleverly ironic, and called himself Xerarch. He then equated Xavax with the spawn of a flame-winged Phoenix reborn on account of migrating from a dying continent, changed the realm name 3 or 4 times, got turned into a king, and annoyed the realm to death by asking them what they would like for him to do - in a fair and just manner with accompanying referendums - as opposed to just doing everything on whim and telling everyone to shove it.
Funniest part is, when Magnus finally started acting like a King and stopped "pestering the realm with missives about decisions the king should rightfully make on his own" as was demanded of him, people had gotten so used to him publicly debating and announcing everything under the sun that y'all [loudly, once again] complained Magnus was being *GASP* too secretive! Remember when y'all yelled at Magnus and told him to stop letting people vote on things and just do what he pleases because that's his right as a king and he should start acting like one? My friend Anthony and I still laugh about it to this day.
Don't even get me started on Selenia's response to the "bandit realms" rape&pillage, and numerous other events. Absolutely nothing pragmatic about it, though it was glorious all the same.
As for Meritocratic...
With much complaint from those who publicly and privately believed occupational merit should not trump [the tenuous "merit" of] wealth, political connections, seniority, and factionalism, it began as a Meritocracy at Magnus' constant urging. Hell, Magnus only became king because so many Xavax outright [and quite loudly] demanded it, instead of letting him be a temporarily-elected official of a meritocratic democratic-republic like he originally called for.
Xavax may have begun as a sort-of-meritocracy, but it sure didn't end as one. Sorry if this observation offends anyone's sensibilities, but imperialism, seniority, and factional cronyism does not equal meritocracy. In fact, its the exact opposite of meritocracy. In the true spirit of Meritocracy, we heavily researched the background of every one of the First Xerarchy appointees, [some of you may recall Magnus and select appointed investigators inquiring about the history of the Strategos/Arbiter/Dukes/etc, and some of you received a list of names and were asked who you would choose and why, and what you like and dislike about the individuals under consideration], all the way from region Lords to council members, and appointed them to their positions regardless of whether or not they liked or agreed with Magnus, his reign, or his ideologies, basing their appointment solely on their ability to bring something vital to the Xavax table. (part of this process included ignoring the numerous people who said I'd be a fool to put another Kinsey or JeVondair in power - and those are exact words in a few cases. Two of my favorite families to interact with! Pah.)
Ironically, Redwings successfully did to Sirion what the Goldwings wish to do with Xavax [in a more constructive, unifying way this time] - while the Redwings demonize the Goldwings for wanting to do exactly what they just finished doing to their ally. ??? Make sense to anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? ???
In light of all this hilarious irony, and a not-so-healthy dose of sarcasm, I'm going to share the following farcically self-righteous statement because why not:
Despite people complaining when he suggested them and then bemoaning them afterward, Xavax is full of Magnus' influence/ideas to this day.
8) You're welcome, by the way. ::) (Suddenly, highest bounty on the continent)
(Had way, way too much fun writing this post.)
FunFact for anyone bored/crazy/curious enough to read this far: Magnus, and his ideas for Xavax, were the culmination of the thoughts, ideas, feelings, and suggestions of my childhood friend Anthony (who I've known for two and a half decades); a few of our mutual friends; my [mostly annoyed] ex-wife; my friend Stephen (former BM player from 2012ish); and myself.
Plus anyone else who happened to be around while I was pumping out RP's or reading dozens of tabs of research to make sure things made sense and were done properly.
Xavax was a labor of love, man. ;D
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Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
I think our the celebration party is too drunk, and can't find the door. You are going to have to help us with that, you know. It's quite a terrible thing to be lost in such a strange city.
I have so many things to say, but I'll settle for "the arrogance of the new kid who joins the winning team"
To be quite honest, I was quite content to say little publicly. But then you had all those Redhaven nobles start to talk trash and utter threats to the nobles of the democracies and the "extra-xavax". The first message sent to everyone in Viseu was from Ka Habb, before the battle took place, threatening to torture and execute us. Others then joined him.
I didn't say much then, the big battle was in less than a day. I know this war is not a walk in the park, we win some, we lose some. But after that total defeat of the northern forces, which is stacked on the previous defeat... let's just say it was really inviting.
I didn't bring the Southern Alliance where it is now, and will never claim as much. It's a solid coalition, well-oiled, and despite not perfect pretty impressive all things considered. But this isn't my first war. And I'm pretty confident that if Garas was still in charge, we wouldn't be having a party in Krimml right now.
Took me a while to adjust to how the game changed since I last lead human realms against other human realms, but I'd say I'm just about up to level now. There are a few more kinks to work out, but I've got a pretty massive iron on hand.
Military issues aside, though, I must say I'm rather surprised by Redhaven's attitude. Most in the South showed great willingness to set anti-Xavax sentiments aside to deflect our efforts elsewhere, namely Sirion. Redhaven could have pulled that card, "we aren't Selenia", "we are something new", and tried to weasel their way, diplomatically, into a more advantageous position. But instead you put your capital right on our doorstep, you remind everyone how you are exactly who they hated, and you go out of your way to antagonize the South and thus alienate the nobles who weren't even there to hate you to begin with. Redhaven is the border, and you painted a huge target on yourselves. It's almost as if you want the Southern Alliance to destroy you.
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I must say I'm rather surprised by Redhaven's attitude. Most in the South showed great willingness to set anti-Xavax sentiments aside to deflect our efforts elsewhere, namely Sirion. Redhaven could have pulled that card, "we aren't Selenia", "we are something new", and tried to weasel their way, diplomatically, into a more advantageous position. But instead you put your capital right on our doorstep, you remind everyone how you are exactly who they hated, and you go out of your way to antagonize the South and thus alienate the nobles who weren't even there to hate you to begin with. Redhaven is the border, and you painted a huge target on yourselves. It's almost as if you want the Southern Alliance to destroy you.
Unfortunately, what you ask is impossible: Redhaven/Redwings can't take advantage of the [Goldwings' efforts to produce] neutrality with the south because they're ideologically against anything that doesn't end with the south's utter destruction. The oft-repeated rallying cry for the creation of Redhaven mostly consisted of leading the northern charge on the frontlines against the south. What many figured would happen is exactly what happened:
Giant, flaming target gets sandblasted soon after inception.
Goldwings (my faction) are the "we're not Selenia; try something new" group. Redwings of Redhaven are the Selenia-worshippers who despise the south on principle, and incidentally despise Goldwings for considering reformation or peace with the south.
Problem is, the remaining Xavax - scattered across the realms and continents - aren't going to join Redhaven and bolster its forces as some hoped [according to fruitless attempts in the Xavax religious Path channel]. Its just not going to happen. No one wants a recap of the past all over again, that's why they left in the first place. Redhaven may prove detrimental to the north. One more realm to coordinate its forces and sync with the rest of the coalition. One more nest of intrigue. One more headache. What exactly does this branch of Xavax bring to the table except more trouble?
If they had gone with my/our plan and helped the Goldwings settle in Fontan, they'd at least be able to take advantage of a multi-region Demilitarized-Zone none could cross for at least a whole year, thus moving the frontlines further west and eliminating certain avenues of conflict while the Goldwings negotiated as a neutral party between north and south.
Instead, y'all are partyin' it up in Krimml. For now, at least. Sad thing is, the more y'all focus on razing Redhaven, the stronger the north will get. Make one mistake and the script will flip.
One way or another, its bound to be an interesting time for the continent.
On another note, what the hell is going on in Fallengard and OI? Is anyone even alive in those realms anymore? I don't seem to see any activity whatsoever from either realm.
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People can't seriously be entertaining a scenario where Xavax city is reclaimed militarily? I hope?
The war is far from over and it's too early to tell how things will look like in the long term, but Greater Xavax had how many nobles when it died? Dozens at least. And it was solidly anchored in their regions. Redhaven has 15 nobles, most of them seemingly inactive, with just about a few nobles and 4k CS making it to the front. I can't lie, I view the secession of Redhaven as a boon to the SA on all accounts. Seceding with the its capital on its southernmost tip is of dubious legality, but it's not gonna matter much if it can't do any better than what it did in this last campaign. The odds of Redhaven getting utterly slaughtered is infinitely more probably than the odds of the Northern realms ever managing to pull off a military campaign all the way to Xavax city to then found a realm there that will be sustainable.
Kazahk or Avamar might have made military sense, but I have a hard time seeing Redhaven achieve its objectives out of where it is now.
The SA isn't invincible and we are likely to suffer more setbacks in the future. But I can't foresee the North achieving anything more than a stalemate at best. Since I arrived in Highmarch, I've only seen the North's military continuously erode. Refit times are longer, order compliance is lesser, coordination is failing, the number of blatantly inactive nobles is increasing. The statistics page confirm my observation, the number of "active" characters the North has is in constant recession.
Krimml was a display of strength. We can't stay there forever, we don't care to. But it's only the beginning of something new. I've won wars where we were terribly outnumbered in terms of economy, CS, regions, number of realms, and yet came out winning. This huge coalition we have? It may not be invincible, but it's more than I ever aspired to lead.
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People can't seriously be entertaining a scenario where Xavax city is reclaimed militarily? I hope?
Everyone and their dog claims to be a military genius in BM. We'll see how it plays out.
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Everyone and their dog claims to be a military genius in BM. We'll see how it plays out.
True enough. But I mean, that'd be like claiming the SA could colonize Slimbar. Doesn't matter what genius you put in charge, that ain't gonna happen.
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Why am I always late to the good conversations?
1) Start to "finish", Xavax history is documented headline/bullet style. So just facts. All the "flavor" of inidividual insight and experience I pretty much left out, Abjur my friend, please feel free to use whatever is there.
2) Mostly for our friend Cypher, you give Selenia and I too much credit. Most of what we did was in reaction to events in the moment...a fancy way of saying "flying by the seat of our pants". And its always cool to see how we experienced/percieved the same events so vividly. I can (and have) go on and on about that. but your latest question was how Selenia sold the Path of Ashes. Long story short, Lionel beat her over the head for weeks about having an exit strategy. Publicly, privately, even on weekends. She eventually agreed on one of his proposals (he convinced her to go to Sirion over Oligarch), insisting to present the idea as her own so as to not undermine or inhibit his command as it would be him leading the army north. She took full responsibility, and all the backlash, when Iuz defected (again) and defeat switched from possible to certain. Better, in her mind and mine, to try and ride the wave instead of drown under it. Since I've had to summarize before on other threads, I'll just post some content that may better elucidate. Some of that backlash you may remember. She had to kill someone over it...
Letter from Noiram Kah (2 days, 12 hours ago) message to all nobles of Greater Xavax
Lords & Ladies,
Our queen has led us to ruin and dishonored us all. Accordingly, I have challenged her to a duel to the death.
In Service to Xavax, - Noiram'Kah Noiram Kah Knight of Enubec
star [reply to sender] | [ignore] | [userdetails] | [vulgarity] Letter from Noiram Kah (2 days, 12 hours ago) Message sent to the Rulers of East Continent (14 recipients)
Monarchs of the Eastern Continent,
Selenia Jevondair has led Xavax to ruin and dishonored the realm. Accordingly, I have challenged her to a duel to the death.
Respectfully, - Noiram'Kah Noiram Kah Knight of Enubec
Letter from Noiram Kah (1 day, 5 hours ago) Message sent to the Rulers of East Continent (14 recipients)
Monarchs of the Eastern Continent,
You do well to despise the Queen of Xavax, for she despises her own people. As is the right of any member of the Xavaxian nobility, I challenged her to a duel for bringing terrible hardship and loss upon us. Rather than accept my challenge and meet me in honorable combat, she has sent an assassin in the night in an attempt to kill me in my sleep. Treachery! Cowardice! Under such leadership, Xavax falters.
- Noiram'Kah Noiram Kah Knight of Enubec
Duel (18 minutes ago) Selenia JeVondair, Xerarch of Greater Xavax, Royal of Greater Xavax meets her challenger Noiram Kah, Noble for the agreed duel till death. Noiram has decided to use the 'defensive' strategy while Selenia has chosen the 'overrun' strategy, giving Noiram the advantage. The duel goes as planned, then badly for Noiram. He suffers several slight wounds, then a final, fatal blow. The healers hurry, but they are too late.
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The Path of Ashes
Roleplay from Selenia JeVondair (9 hours, 33 minutes ago) message to all nobles of Greater Xavax As the Phoenix Court convened, Selenia was uncharacteristically silent. Even Gia's good-naturedness eventually wore off as more and more noblemen entered the pavilion. She and her wolf Lupa eventually padded off to join the crowd as ranking members of Imperial High Command claimed their seats adjacent to the Xerarch.
Selenia watched and acknowledged a few of those who entered. Dame Serina was one, the wolf prince Hector was another. Before long, the Court was fully convened. Idle chitchat died down as the Xerarch stood. Selenia was not a tall woman, but with so much attention on her, she seemed larger than life. Her gaze tracked back and forth, strafing through the eyes and faces of men and women she'd bled beside for years. There was as much said, in those met glances, as an entire evening of talk might have been. After a long time, the Xerarch spoke.
"Over the years," she began, "I have tried my best to show the world that we were the best." Affirmative sounds rumbled through the court and her voice charged with emotion as she went on. "We have fought, bled, and suffered, aye,. But at one point or other, we've defeated most every major army on this continent, even three or four at once! I was there when we sacked Semall. I was there when we brought Ibladesh to its knees. I was there when time after time we snatched glorious victory from the jaws of imminent defeat."
By now, the crowd of nobles had been charged with her energy. Yes! Xavax was, and had always been, strong. Yes, no other people could do as they had done. And Yes, standing before them was the warqueen that had lead them through thick and thin.
"And yet-" Selenia's voice subtely sank, betraying her inner thoughts, - "And yet I was there to watch Uthred the Undying be cut down. I was there to watch Jarvin cut down, and Jayden, and Gilth. I've seen love blossom only to be snatched away by the deathly pale hands of war. I've seen countless refugees, orphans, victims of bandits and invaders and starvation in equal measure. I have seen Hell itself-" and everyone in that pavillion knew she was referring to the event of her own death. She paused, not for a breath, but to again gaze around the gathered faces.
"-but I have not seen an end. Not one in which your sons and daughters grow up happy beneath the Redwing. Not one in which our many enemies are cast down. Not one in which all learn to walk the Path of Paragons...at least...not so long as we remain here in the South. By now you will have noticed that I had Talon Lionel range the army farther north than has ever been in our history. It is because you are not going back to Xavax."
Immediately there was uproar. Oaths were sworn and voices raised in protest, but the Xerarch carried on. "This was MY decision. Not my idea, no, but my final decision none the less. All my life, I have only ever wanted to create something that would outlive me. I tried once before with the Ivory Vales. I thought to try again with Xavax. For the longest time, wrapped up in all of our power, I thought I had succeeded. But I was mistaken. The Imperium will not be my legacy to this world...you are. Each and everyone of you that has seen what I've seen, felt what I've felt. Spilled blood and been bloodied. Loved, hated, strived, tasted the sweet success of victory and the bitterness of defeat. You've been with me, many of you since the beginning, many more of you I knighted myself. All of you have proven yourselves Xavax time and again. And through you, no matter where you are, for as long as you are together, you are my greatest achievement and lasting gift to this dying world. You are Xavax. Not me, you."
The silence that followed was near-absolute, broken only by the crackling of the central bonfire and the occasional whine from one of the inexplicably large number of wolves in attendance. Selenia, their Empress, surveyed them all and then nodded to herself as though pleased. Taking pride in her people, even at this juncture. "As you may surmise, I have elected to stay behind-" Her words were immediately greeted with graons of denial and malcontent. She stilled these with a hand. "Yes, I have lead Xavax virtually since our founding, and so I will remain to share in the city's fate, when the bandits again come for me, they will find me on the battlements with a sword in my hand and a storm in my veins."
"But don't let that lull you into the mistaken belief that I've embraced defeat. The fight is not over, it is merely...changing. I charge the Phoenix Court with a Sovereign Quest: You will journey to Sirion there to take up residence. You will teach their people our way of life, preserving our culture and faith and traditions. You will teach elves and man alike the ways of a true war, a southern war, preparing them for the sequel we'll all be waiting for. You, my people, will turn Sirion into a war machine that will shake this continent to its foundations. And one day, when you are covered in the glory of victory, you will ride south again and raise this phoenix from its own ashes."
"This is my Will."
And with that, Selenia tossed the rest of her drink, goblet and all, into the fire. The flames shot up in brief, brilliant thanks as the Xerarch left the gathering of nobles. A moment passed after her departure before pandemonium shattered the quiet in her wake.
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The Day of Black Sun
The Eyrie was the tallest building in all of Xavax and had served as the royal residence since being built by Xerarch Magnus as a palace in the earliest days of the Imperium. Greater Xavax was new then, filled with hope, and the spire’s architecture reflected this with sound grace. Though surely lovely, it was unadorned save for the most pragmatic of accoutrements as it was not a defensive structure and the martially-minded Xavax preferred military investments over grandiose embellishments. From the arched gateway entrance through the halls and up the many, many stairs is said to take an average man 15,782 steps. Even getting to the Throne was meant as a trial for the strong, the strong-willed, and the stout of heart. After and up all that way sits the Phoenix Throne, a highbacked greatchair worked with antlers to give the appearance of an avian nest and crested with the image of a phoenix reborn wrought in gold flames, was the only chair in the room. The Throne sat upon a dais raised high enough that a seated figure would still be a head and shoulders above even the tallest man and flanked by ever-burning braziers. It was Selenia who added the braziers…believing that any who sat in “The Hotseat†should remain ever aware of the fire’s symbolism as well as the burden of the braziers oppressive heat to prevent the throne from ever being “too comfortable†in her words. The Throne itself was backed by Great floor-to-ceiling windows whose westward faces let in the rays of the noon-to-setting sun and arranged in a crescent arch ringed the entire throne room, which itself was large enough to comfortably fit 100 people. To look at the seated Phoenix Queen was to take in a vista that held the whole of Greater Xavax in view. Beyond the windows were balconies that allowed the nobles of the Imperium to survey their domain just as the winged figure they took as their symbol. The only entrance was flanked by a contingent of the Xerarch’s mountainous, crimson-clad Royal Guards. The throne room took up fully half the Erie spire’s circumference, festooned with trophies from past battles won, the rest being walled off to form the Royal Apartments servants quarters, and gallery that began the long journey back downstairs.
Today, however, was not like other days. Though it was high noon and clear outside, darkness had fallen across the city of Xavax. In the skies above, the moon had blotted out the light of the sun.
The Phoenix Queen sat upon her throne in full regalia beneath the Black Sun, watching as her remaining nobles filed in. She’d chosen a dress instead of the elven chain or dueling leathers she normally affected. It was the same dress she’d worn only once before – an artwork of deep crimson and startling gold that she’d greeted High King Zinar in on the fateful day she’d owon Caligus to the Imperium’s side and briefly changed the tide of the Xavax Wars. Her garb matched her station in every respect. She wore the Phoenix Laurel, which served as her crown, proudly upon her brow. Her dress left her arms and shoulders bare, cut in a V-shape in the front. Her lips were full and made for smirking, her features were evenly spaced, and there was a dignity about her that commanded respect. She appeared to be in her mid 30’s, although it was well known that she was approaching her 60’s. Such was an affect of the many magics that had been worked upon her, for good and for ill, over the years. She was powerfully well built and clearly in top-athletic form, indicating to any with eyes to see that she was clearly a practiced swordswoman, and if her tone alone was not enough, the light white of faded scars would reveal her for the warrior she was even with the shapely curves hinted at by the curves and planes of her dress. One of those scars, faded with time but still a large and ugly mar of her flesh, was situated just to the right of her heart and above the swell of her breasts – a memento from Minas Nova from the lance that had been driven through her chest, killing her instantly. Seeing her now, alive and glowing from the braziers light, it was easy to understand how this woman had mothered not one but TWO empires and killed both generals and traitors in duels to the death.
This was her first public appearance since the Path of Ashes. She had even failed to acknowledge the recent execution of Corvo Attano, who, it was whispered, served as one of her Black Flames. Whispers permeated the Phoenix Court and beyond that perhaps the Xerarch was ill. Perhaps she was dying. Perhaps she had been broken. Even Imperial High Command, it was said, had only heard from her via intermediaries. The truth was that no one really knew what had happened to Selenia, whether she was well or dire. She’d shut herself off from the world and hadn’t left the Erie since the Battle of Abadan some weeks prior. The firelight from the braziers made it harder, rather than easier, to discern her features from far away. But one did not need to see her face to sense her mood. And the renewed determination emanating from her seemed strong enough to replace the missing sun in the sky. It was a subtle thing hinted at by the way she sat immobile upon the throne with her shoulder’s square and her eyes focused on nothing in particular, how she seemed cool or at least resigned to the oppressive radiation of the braziers that bathed her in ruddy-gold light. But for that, she might have been cast from iron for all she revealed.
Nobles congregated, staying a respectful distance from the throne and the blazing heat of its twin braziers, whispering among themselves about the eclipse and the Xerarch’s ominous summons. Those who had female captains leading their units had brought these captains with them, filling up the space left by the nobles who had departed north. None approached her, knowing better than to do so until she said her piece, and knowing that she would not speak until she could be sure her words would be heard by her entire court. Even Sir Andross Blint, the first to arrive and an obvious favorite of the Crown, did to encroach. Hushed murmurs, the swishing of robes and the clanking of steel boots on stone echoed as the Imperium’s noblemen milled about whispering to one another about the Black Sun and its portents on the timing of their Queen’s unexpected summons as they waited on the last stragglers to arrive.
Soon, the black sun would reach its zenith, the total eclipse would align perfectly with the placement of the Phoenix throne as though crowning Selenia in a dark, fiery halo. She was clearly waiting for this moment to speak her words.
Words of Fire that affecting the rise and fall of empires.
When the shadow of the moon before the sun fell fully over the Phoenix Court, the Xerarch stood at last, her very movement commanding the silence and attention of the room. She had something in her lap and unfurled it to reveal a Redwing, the first Redwing, sewn for Selenia's banner by the fallen hero Jarvin (THE Redwing) Bedegar himself. It's very presence a reminder of all blood of Xavax heroes that had been spilled in this war. "I have been defeated." She began, her eyes swept back and forth as she spoke, pausing briefly here and there. "Despite the righteousness of our cause, despite the warrior spirit in our hearts, despite the gods themselves sending me back to you from beyond the pall of death. I was defeated. And in defeat, I was ashamed, for who deserves the mantle of rulership over so worthy a people as the Xavax without bringing them victory? Never mind the odds, nor how well we fared against them for so long. Never mind the treachery, the deceit, the sabotage, for what does a Phoenix do if not rise?"
"But after everything, beloved friends and vassals lost to the toll of war, the creeping sickness of betrayal, armies of enemies closing in from ever side, all felt lost. Everything we'd worke to build and maintain for so long against such impossible adversity was slowly being torn from our grasp. Foes closing in on every side, it had never been more clear that I had failed you, failed all of Xavax, and in my weakness, failed in my ultimate responsibility...I failed you, my people. And so I returned here," she said with a gesture that took in the entire city, "to wait for the end. Waiting for the final swing of the blade like cattle, like prey." She said that last with the disgust and vehemence of a frustrated hunter, she paced back and forth along the dais like a caged lioness. Firelight danced in her eyes as she projected her voice. "Until I was reminded of the words I told your countrymen when we breached the defenses in Abadan not long ago. Do you remember? I told them that Xavax is not just some pile of stone or a bit of red splashed on a map somewhere. The Xavax are a people. The Xavax are my people, and the real failure, the real betrayal, would be to continue as I have, quietly resigned to my fate. I thought I was choosing the hard road, going down with her ship as a Captain must." She ran the Redwing flag through her hands, playing her fingertips along the stitching. "In truth, I was being a coward because I know now that simply waiting here was the easier choice. It will be harder by far to keep struggling, to keep fighting, to keep moving forward toward the dream of a peaceful and powerful Xavax."
"I was wrong" she continued quietly as though to herself. Ears strained to hear her now over the pop and crackle of the braziers at her side. At the farside of the room, the sunlight began do grow as the eclipse started to pass. She held the throne room captive with her eyes, locking briefly with Sir Andross Blint and Dame Elessa Raven who had been the first to arrive at her summons. Peppered among the crowd were soldiering women, Captains who'd been invited at the Xerarch's command. They were here because Selenia was the one who had decreed that anyone who can lead and fight should do so. It was because of the Xerarch that there were any female captains at all, and the reminder spurred by their presence fortified her. "It is not going well for our people." She said simply. "There, in the north, they are fractured. Weakened without is, devolving into strife. Months may pass, maybe years, but eventually they will loose themselves to their circumstances, forget who they are, where they come from. They will forget that they are Xavax. And therin lies the true defeat, the final defeat, that which the Southern Alliance longs for. And hear in my self pity, I was about to gift-wrap my enemies greatest desire: A ruined and forgotten Xavax."
"I am done waiting for my fate to come find me. Instead, I will ride out to meet it. So long as there is breath in my body I will fight on." As her gaze swept the room the last shadows of the eclipse were chased away. The noon sun returned, bathing the assembled nobility in its full, golden glory. Selenia basked in the warmth, her expression changing from morose to one radiating the heat of renewed determination. "Prepare yourselves for a journey and battle. We are abandoning Xavax City. We ride north to join our countrymen. There we will continue the fight against the Southern Alliance until we win or until I've no life left to fight with." She held them captive with her eyes, her expression laden with purpose. "I cannot promise you victory. I cannot promise you a new Xavax. I can only promise you a Hard Path. But I can promise you one thing: Hard though the Path may be, it winds through fields of glory."
"Will you choose to follow me boldly into this new and uncertain future? Will you place your faith in me, your Xerach who was raised from the ashes of death and trust me to find a way to raise Xavax from the ashes of defeat?" She'd placed her hand over her heart - and the ugly scar, a visceral reminder of her harrowing tale. "They, our enemies, and I, your Xerarch, for once made the same mistake...we'd forgotten the most crucial symbol that holds the very fabric of Xavax society together...one that has more than once brought our foes to their knees. I summoned you all here to remind you of what that thing is..."
The shadow of the moon was fully gone now, banished, with the sun glowing brilliantly as though it had never been obscured. With deliberate poise, she wrapped the Redwing banner as a shawl across her bared shoulders, literally wrapping herself in the flag of her beleaguered nation. "We are the Phoenix," she said, opening her arms to their full span to include all of the assembled nobles. "We will rise. We will always rise. Follow me, and our sacred fires will burn throughout the north."
(Fun thing about playing with a JeV is we tend to save/document the juicy bits. This one was on Selenia's page.)
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Anyway, sorry for all the text. i know here isn't really the place. but TL;DR that's how Selenia sold the Path of Ashes to the Xavax. Whenever CC or BB talk about Selenian Xavax I feel like i'm in a college history course about a dead empire...which feels surprisingly cool.
That said, I don't like the term "Cult of Personality." It's insulting. In her reign, while she had final say on all non-military issues, there wasn't much "non-military" going on in Xavax at any point. Even so, every decision that did manage to fall into her lap was run by her advisors in IHC, the ruling council, Cornelius, etc. You had a lot of great players pouring in a lot of hard work to build the culture that Xavax developed. Now, when we say Xavax, a whole list of traits and characterizations come to mind. Their solidarity didn't come from Selenia, it came from being hammered together by shared suffering. he Xavax had identity, built on history.Entirely unique. Just like Outer Tilog or Luria Nova have their own identities. Case in point, the Xavax are still Xavax IG years after Selenia went into exile. Don't say Cult of Personality. It's lazy.
Second, this isn't the first time I, and/or Selenia specifically, has been referred to as a powerplayer. That is even more insulting. I put my all into my characters, working with other players to make things happen. I went out of my way to involve my players. So even in jest or passing, it isn't funny. Stop.
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That said, I don't like the term "Cult of Personality." It's insulting. In her reign, while she had final say on all non-military issues, there wasn't much "non-military" going on in Xavax at any point. Even so, every decision that did manage to fall into her lap was run by her advisors in IHC, the ruling council, Cornelius, etc. You had a lot of great players pouring in a lot of hard work to build the culture that Xavax developed. Now, when we say Xavax, a whole list of traits and characterizations come to mind. Their solidarity didn't come from Selenia, it came from being hammered together by shared suffering. he Xavax had identity, built on history.Entirely unique. Just like Outer Tilog or Luria Nova have their own identities. Case in point, the Xavax are still Xavax IG years after Selenia went into exile. Don't say Cult of Personality. It's lazy.
I know it's cheese to pump that I agree with JeVondair... But I do. One of my favourite BM things I've done is the Codex Legibus Xavacis, the Xavax Book of Laws. In it is probably the most comprehensive foundation for a true nation-state in all of BM. Greater Xavax is defined. There are lands we aim to hold. We've enshrined fair laws and standards of taxation and military service. Decorum and respect of noble traditions. Reparations for lives lost. Our realm doesn't exist simply like most other realms, for the purpose of its own propagation or as the plaything of a tyrant, GX existed to administer the lands it defined as Greater Xavax. Godric was going to press for Ibladesh to be released as an independent state as it held no ties to Xavax. Semall was never going to be conquered as it falls outside the cultural zone.
Godric coming in and listing the crimes of the invaders was apparently threatening everyone with death and dismemberment... It's kind of jarring to have your crimes listed, no?
Another important aspect of the Codex is that nobles own their lands. Their laws are paramount within their estates. That is why I wrote the elaborate arbitration system to reconcile the laws between estates. Xavax empowered every noble to really feel like nobility: the Imperium was an amalgam of nobility of various backgrounds working within the context of meritocracy and justice.
I repeat it ad nauseum with Godric: Xavax was a land of laws in BM when most realms are the play things of oligarchs.
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One of my favourite BM things I've done is the Codex Legibus Xavacis, the Xavax Book of Laws. In it is probably the most comprehensive foundation for a true nation-state in all of BM
...snipped...
I repeat it ad nauseum with Godric: Xavax was a land of laws in BM when most realms are the play things of oligarchs.
You must've never been in Melhed during its republican days. There's a few other very comprehensive legalist realms in BM history. This is not meant to put down your achievements, at all, in fact I endorse them for the variety of experiences they provide BattleMaster. Just pointing out its not as singular an achievement or experience as you made it out to be.
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You must've never been in Melhed during its republican days. There's a few other very comprehensive legalist realms in BM history. This is not meant to put down your achievements, at all, in fact I endorse them for the variety of experiences they provide BattleMaster. Just pointing out its not as singular an achievement or experience as you made it out to be.
Yea, I thought the same thing. Don't mean to lessen what you did (haven't even looked at it yet), but Melhed... was something special. It had already done everything you mention.
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Equally Highmarch is becoming a great example of a truly democratic system of governance in BM where oligarchy is actively prohibited. By all accounts GX was remarkable and unique - but it wasn't exactly unsurpassed either. And it most certainly does seem to be pretty oligarchical nowadays...
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You must've never been in Melhed during its republican days. There's a few other very comprehensive legalist realms in BM history. This is not meant to put down your achievements, at all, in fact I endorse them for the variety of experiences they provide BattleMaster. Just pointing out its not as singular an achievement or experience as you made it out to be.
I encourage you to read the Codex and see the differences. GX wasn't democracy, it was feudalism.
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I encourage you to read the Codex and see the differences. GX wasn't democracy, it was feudalism.
The comparison is not for the ends of the laws themselves, but their extensiveness. Republican Melhed, under Aldo, was uniquely legalistic. That guy was an encyclopedia...
So you mean this thing?
http://wiki.battlemaster.org/wiki/Greater_Xavax/Laws
Certainly more exhaustive than most.
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Then I led a rebellion in Melhed and restored the monarchy because, just as when I wrote and compiled a Constitution for Sirion, no one really cares with a lot of beautiful laws that are never followed.
I'm a bad strategist, but I've already begun to move to cheer things up north. As soon as I firm my position on Sirion, Brock is my next target for long beachside conversations under the setting sun. If you can not count on inactive and slow nobles, you have to learn to deal with them for your benefit or simply focus on who works and get the most out of it... it's always been like this, things are just quiet now because Garas dragged Sirion to a long and futile battle for Oligarch. And well, Ecthelion went through long months of inactivity until pause. Sirion lost much of its identity and vigor, but nothing that can not be recovered. Besides, as always, Sirion remains safe while Xavax fight like rabid dogs.
Look at Ehrendill Eyolf Serpentis, the young dragon who will integrate the northern colonies and lead them to glorious rebirth... if I find a decent General. 8)
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People can't seriously be entertaining a scenario where Xavax city is reclaimed militarily? I hope?
Militarily, probably not anytime soon, if ever. Diplomatically, maybe.
Sure, it'll be a massive headache to bring the area back to snuff after being depopulated from genocide and hordes, but its more of a roleplay goal than a strategic one. Homeland, and all that.
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The Day of Black Sun
The Eyrie was the tallest building in all of Xavax and had served as the royal residence since being built by Xerarch Magnus as a palace in the earliest days of the Imperium...
(Fun thing about playing with a JeV is we tend to save/document the juicy bits. This one was on Selenia's page.)
<3 One of my favorite bits of yours, and a damn powerful one at that.
One day I'll find a way to restore my old harddrive and pull up all our missives from the origins of Xavax. It saddens me that so much of the earliest days isn't mentioned in the wiki, or your own page. You were utterly on FIRE in those days, and if only people could read some of your bits from our discussions. You were unstoppable.
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Anyway, sorry for all the text. i know here isn't really the place. but TL;DR that's how Selenia sold the Path of Ashes to the Xavax. Whenever CC or BB talk about Selenian Xavax I feel like i'm in a college history course about a dead empire...which feels surprisingly cool.
That said, I don't like the term "Cult of Personality."
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Can't speak for Chenier, but when I say cult of personality I mean the textbook definition. The fact that people don't all love Selenia doesn't take away from the fact that our culture is one of hero worship and ineffable pride. Its one of our greatest traits, but a dangerous one all the same.
"A cult of personality arises when a regime uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods such as government-organized demonstrations to create an idealized, heroic, and at times worshipful image of a leader, often through unquestioning flattery and praise."
As for my complaints, I mainly refer to the Sirionite Xavax experience: namely the Saoi's supposed dominance of all things Xavax; the silencing of discontent and deviation from the established narrative through the use of insults, gaslighting, and excommunication; Lionel's intervention over Xavax affairs whether by influencing Selenia or betraying Asher to foreign law; and especially the somewhat hilarious way Hector is caught between Sirion-Xavax, Red-Gold, and Saoi-Sigrid-Asher-Lionel-Aramon-etc's pull.
We're so busy keeping the past alive that we're powerless to change at all for fear of losing our drive. A natural reaction to our traumatic severance from Xavax and gradual loss of manpower, but we could really use some rejuvenation to keep the flame alive.
The Phoenix flame can but wither - without breath renewed and ample tinder.
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Then I led a rebellion in Melhed and restored the monarchy because, just as when I wrote and compiled a Constitution for Sirion, no one really cares with a lot of beautiful laws that are never followed.
I'm a bad strategist, but I've already begun to move to cheer things up north. As soon as I firm my position on Sirion, Brock is my next target for long beachside conversations under the setting sun. If you can not count on inactive and slow nobles, you have to learn to deal with them for your benefit or simply focus on who works and get the most out of it... it's always been like this, things are just quiet now because Garas dragged Sirion to a long and futile battle for Oligarch. And well, Ecthelion went through long months of inactivity until pause. Sirion lost much of its identity and vigor, but nothing that can not be recovered. Besides, as always, Sirion remains safe while Xavax fight like rabid dogs.
Look at Ehrendill Eyolf Serpentis, the young dragon who will integrate the northern colonies and lead them to glorious rebirth... if I find a decent General. 8)
For a system of laws to maintain vigor, is must provide an agreeable advantage to its constituents. Melhed's laws being comprehensive doesn't equate to providing nobles with reasons to care about said laws. If anything, things get lost in translation (and laziness) the more comprehensive you get.
Just look at your typical technical manual, or even better, the Terms of Service on all those applications and websites we adore ;) I'm one of the few lunatics who actually read the damn things, and even I get frustrated by it. Not from the process of reading, but from learning just how broken, disjointed, unfair, and ridiculous it all is. Ignorance is bliss, because if people actually read ToS's, they'd never download another app or join a website again :| The things we agree to upon checking a box is... terrifying.
Xavax law worked because we all agreed to start with a foundation of utilitarian, meritocratic, and pragmatic practices that regularly, critically, and effectively impacted the well-being of our nobles. Only after the most vital bits were successfully outlined, tried, and proven, did we go further and complicate things for the sake of completeness.
Sure, the Codex is quite comprehensive, but its foundation is straightforward in approach - catering to what actually mattered at the time; as opposed to arbitrary laws we'll never get to use.
We wrote laws as issues came up. When the first duel challenge took place, debate ensued and laws were made. When we had our first Xavax citizen jailed/accused of criminal activity, laws were debated and made. So on and so forth.
Xavax law was, and likely remains, the most practical reflection of Xavax methodology and the logic that governed our behavior.
You can learn a lot from the laws of a nation. So many of its strengths and weaknesses are on display within those rules and regulations, speaking volumes about topics that would otherwise bask in silence.
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Militarily, probably not anytime soon, if ever. Diplomatically, maybe.
Sure, it'll be a massive headache to bring the area back to snuff after being depopulated from genocide and hordes, but its more of a roleplay goal than a strategic one. Homeland, and all that.
Bingo. Long term goals yo! I fully expect (assuming Redhaven survives long enough for it to become reality ;p) for the old Greater Xavax to become a sort of "Holy Land" for new Red Haven "Crusaders" to fight for. My character might not be there with them (being a Hero and all), but I've laid the ground work toward leading them to the "promised land" (although Alara did help out by declaring Hatred against us, it'll be easy to sell them as "The Enemy").
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Bingo. Long term goals yo! I fully expect (assuming Redhaven survives long enough for it to become reality ;p) for the old Greater Xavax to become a sort of "Holy Land" for new Red Haven "Crusaders" to fight for. My character might not be there with them (being a Hero and all), but I've laid the ground work toward leading them to the "promised land" (although Alara did help out by declaring Hatred against us, it'll be easy to sell them as "The Enemy").
...And in this endeavor, the rebirth of our hallowed homeland, the Goldwings will stand beside you as brothers - for despite our ideological differences, we both desire the very same end result: Home.
...And damn ANY who would dare stand in our way. If the Goldwing realm is founded and Alara pulls a similar stunt due to their hatred of Xavax, against the wishes of the southern coalition, they will incur the wrath of the united south, AND give us a beautiful casus belli to fight then 1 Vs. 1 - except, they'll also be fighting the north, and possibly even the south. Byebye Alara.
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Renodin *points at Aramon's post about crusaders* Look familiar? :P
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Then I led a rebellion in Melhed and restored the monarchy because, just as when I wrote and compiled a Constitution for Sirion, no one really cares with a lot of beautiful laws that are never followed.
As with most golden nuggets in BM's history, pearls of uniqueness get buried under the sands of apathy.
There was a time where those laws actually mattered. Where Melhed was viewed as a beacon for enlightenment, awe-inspiring book-keepers, where one could go to obtain secret or otherwise long-lost knowledge. Aldo was the pillar of this culture, though, and when he left BM, well... apathy swept it all under the rug.
Same thing happened with the Republic in D'Hara, Machiavel had to constantly fight to keep the unique culture of maroccidentalism and D'Haran republicanism alive. It quickly eroded into a bread and butter monarchy when he left.
SA, Luria, and oh so many other realms and institutions were once something to behold, only to eventually decay into blandness.
But some of those glory days lasted a very long time. And Melhed's lasted very, very long. Just because nobody followed the laws anymore, doesn't mean they were never important, or that they didn't matter very long.
Militarily, probably not anytime soon, if ever. Diplomatically, maybe.
Sure, it'll be a massive headache to bring the area back to snuff after being depopulated from genocide and hordes, but its more of a roleplay goal than a strategic one. Homeland, and all that.
Sure. Diplomatically, who knows. It's fine to have long-term ambitions. And there are a few means, albeit implausible, that could make it happen. But a military conquest from Redhaven to Xavax is not even remotely feasible.
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Honestly, Redhaven probably agrees.
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Bingo. Long term goals yo! I fully expect (assuming Redhaven survives long enough for it to become reality ;p) for the old Greater Xavax to become a sort of "Holy Land" for new Red Haven "Crusaders" to fight for. My character might not be there with them (being a Hero and all), but I've laid the ground work toward leading them to the "promised land" (although Alara did help out by declaring Hatred against us, it'll be easy to sell them as "The Enemy").
So proud. I shouldn't be surprised that Araman became the Next Xerarch, but I am, and pleasantly so. build your legend, friend!
As for the Redwing vs Goldwing thing...I think the whole situation is really cool
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So proud. I shouldn't be surprised that Araman became the Next Xerarch, but I am, and pleasantly so. build your legend, friend!
Aye - looking forward to what Aramon brings to the table. I may levy [constructive] criticism, but I admire Aramon all the same. One of the players that made my time in Xavax a memorable experience. Thank you for your contributions to this beautiful culture.
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As for the Redwing vs Goldwing thing...I think the whole situation is really cool
<3 Together we'll build an entertaining and dynamic environment for all sorts of players! :)
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Aldo was the pillar of this culture, though, and when he left BM, well... apathy swept it all under the rug.
Also was definitely the pillar, but it did continue for the next few rulers before apathy finally swept it away.
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Also was definitely the pillar, but it did continue for the next few rulers before apathy finally swept it away.
As it often is.
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In other news, the Saoi of the Path of Paragons - official faith of the Xavax of Redhaven - has fallen to slumber/illness/bills/life.
Either someone quits the battlefield and dons the cloth, or the faith collapses. May as well throw Sigrid's name into the pot and see what happens.
Worst comes to worst, Hector refuses and the Path dies like an ember in the path storms.
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In other news, the Saoi of the Path of Paragons - official faith of the Xavax of Redhaven - has fallen to slumber/illness/bills/life.
Either someone quits the battlefield and dons the cloth, or the faith collapses. May as well throw Sigrid's name into the pot and see what happens.
Worst comes to worst, Hector refuses and the Path dies like an ember in the path storms.
This is why I highly encourage a few (2-4) religions per island (the opposite of my encouraging many realms). But folks all want to do their own thing instead of cooperating with others. Religions are meant to span across many realms, not to have a religion per realm.
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This is why I highly encourage a few (2-4) religions per island (the opposite of my encouraging many realms). But folks all want to do their own thing instead of cooperating with others. Religions are meant to span across many realms, not to have a religion per realm.
To be fair, the Phoenix faith (pre-Path) -was- supposed to be adopted by Alara and a number of nobles from other realms, as well as my planned Xavax offshoot colonies. Never happened due to !!POLITICS!! but such is life.
Anyway, I'd go so far as to claim the religious aspect is integral to the full Xavax experience.
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You can have 10 religions per continent or 10 per realm, doens't matter when no one want to play Priest anymore. While I always loved how religion/priests worked, it's not working anymore and I cannot see how it will work with less and less players.
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Being a Priest is fun though! With all the massive hordes and weird combat mechanics these days, it really kills players' desire and ability to take on non-combat roles :\
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Yes, someday, someone with a better English and more time will formulate it to the Devs... how everyone is always using the same tatic because the archers like to aim a single unit.
For now, it's better just build a guild and forget about religion.
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Creating the Redhaven Wiki. Please PM or email me if you have material you'd like to see in the narrative, or bits such as interesting/humorous quotes. Thank you :)
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Redhaven has a Adventurer Guold already?
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Ugh, you're shooting yourself in the foot when you create realm-only advy guilds. Cooperate with neighbours for greater success!
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Ugh, you're shooting yourself in the foot when you create realm-only advy guilds. Cooperate with neighbours for greater success!
Single-realm guilds, single-realm religions, it's all the fad!
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Ok... let's try again...
There's an adventurer guildhouse located in Redhaven? I don't care if it was founded by Redhaven or Sirion or Perleone or Batman. I just want to know if there was one.
Forget about it... I will just ask IC again. ;)
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There's a Highmarch advie guild that supposedly pays advies gold to work. There's also the Sirion-based Adventurer's Guild that seems pretty universal (across the north, at least)
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Where in Redhaven is the guild based?
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I know this is skipping over a lot of comments that have come previously to talk about what was said a couple pages ago, but I would like to point out that Selenia's rise to popularity had less to do with cultivating a "personality cult" and more to do with the way the character both fought tooth and nail for the realm, and the situation that led to her rise to power. Namely the betrayal of the previous ruler and a subsequent hugbox of all other nations around them trying to destroy Xavax preemptively.
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I know this is skipping over a lot of comments that have come previously to talk about what was said a couple pages ago, but I would like to point out that Selenia's rise to popularity had less to do with cultivating a "personality cult" and more to do with the way the character both fought tooth and nail for the realm, and the situation that led to her rise to power. Namely the betrayal of the previous ruler and a subsequent hugbox of all other nations around them trying to destroy Xavax preemptively.
Aye, a number of folks stated something along the same lines. Simple fact is, we became what we had to be to survive.
Again, can't speak for the other individuals', but my "personality cult" comment was an observation of what it became as a result of those circumstances. The only reason no one calls OI/other plausibly stagnant-insular realms a personality cult is because no one [outside those realms] gives a damn.
I was absent for a long while so I can't speak about what went on internally during my absence, only what led to it, and what came after.
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Aye, a number of folks stated something along the same lines. Simple fact is, we became what we had to be to survive.
Again, can't speak for the other individuals', but my "personality cult" comment was an observation of what it became as a result of those circumstances. The only reason no one calls OI/other plausibly stagnant-insular realms a personality cult is because no one [outside those realms] gives a damn.
I was absent for a long while so I can't speak about what went on internally during my absence, only what led to it, and what came after.
I don't know OI specifically, but being stagnant is not the same thing as having a personality cult. I've been in a number of stagnant realms, and very few of them had anything close to personality cult, but GX totally did.
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Honestly I don't see a problem even if it did, so long as it was other characters being devoted to Selenia the character. I mean it is a roleplaying game after all. If personality cults were looked down on character-wise, you'd never have seen the craziness that an Allison (from Dwilight) brings to the table. Not that I'm equating the two either, as Allison was on the extreme end of the spectrum IC-wise.
It's actually REALLY useful for getting the ball rolling for interesting stuff. Besides that, the hugbox against GX was forming before Selenia even became ruler. It's the very reason my character defected from Alara to GX, because he completely disagreed with the path Alara's ruler was going and believed that attacking Minas Nova would have been a better choice. So if anyone says that it was some action that GX or Selenia took to cause the massive war in the South, that's pretty much hogwash, there was a whole bunch of political shenanigans going on long before then.
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Well, weeeeeell aware. Alara played friendly with Magnus(me) and had a dagger at our back all along. I caught Alara promising to screw Minas only for them to change their mind and join up to gank GX, after spying on us. It was a massive clusterf-ck and Alara's leader pretty much lit the fuse for the entire southern conflict over the pettiest situation. Quite sad, really. Seems things went from bad to worse later.
Should have wiped Alara off the map at the get-go and avoided the whole problem in the first place.
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Well, weeeeeell aware. Alara played friendly with Magnus(me) and had a dagger at our back all along. I caught Alara promising to screw Minas only for them to change their mind and join up to gank GX, after spying on us. It was a massive clusterf-ck and Alara's leader pretty much lit the fuse for the entire southern conflict over the pettiest situation. Quite sad, really. Seems things went from bad to worse later.
Should have wiped Alara off the map at the get-go and avoided the whole problem in the first place.
Huh, it would be interesting to get to know your side of the story then, as my character was the one that kicked off the whole series of events which eventually ended with your character stepping down. I'm not nearly as annoyed with Alara though, as the realms that were at war with each other starting out would have made for at least a relatively even fight. It was Perdan and friends jumping in that made things absurdly unbalanced.
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Should have wiped Alara off the map at the get-go and avoided the whole problem in the first place.
I tried.
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Huh, it would be interesting to get to know your side of the story then, as my character was the one that kicked off the whole series of events which eventually ended with your character stepping down. I'm not nearly as annoyed with Alara though, as the realms that were at war with each other starting out would have made for at least a relatively even fight. It was Perdan and friends jumping in that made things absurdly unbalanced.
Not sure you understand what relatively even fight means. GX was slaughtering southern realms until Perdan and Vix joined.
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Not sure you understand what relatively even fight means. GX was slaughtering southern realms until Perdan and Vix joined.
Because the southern realms were not very good at coordinating. They had relatively equal combat power if they actually bothered to bring it all in one spot, but they didn't. Even just Vix joining in wouldn't have been a horrid overbalance. But once Perdan came in things were just ridiculous. So please, don't blame failure in a war solely on the size of the realm, because that had very little to do with what happened.
GX's military is what happens when you have competent, active players coordinating with each other. They punched above their weight not because of superior economy or number of nobles (the number of nobles was even and both Alara and especially Perleone had much higher gold per noble. I've checked repeatedly), but because they actually moved together as one force with relatively good discipline. It's why the war lasted for so long even after Perdan joined in.
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Because the southern realms were not very good at coordinating. They had relatively equal combat power if they actually bothered to bring it all in one spot, but they didn't. Even just Vix joining in wouldn't have been a horrid overbalance. But once Perdan came in things were just ridiculous. So please, don't blame failure in a war solely on the size of the realm, because that had very little to do with what happened.
GX's military is what happens when you have competent, active players coordinating with each other. They punched above their weight not because of superior economy or number of nobles (the number of nobles was even and both Alara and especially Perleone had much higher gold per noble. I've checked repeatedly), but because they actually moved together as one force with relatively good discipline. It's why the war lasted for so long even after Perdan joined in.
So if you see an army of 1000 armed soldiers vs an army of 1000 armed peasants you call that even because the numbers were the same? Sounds like solid logic. Of course they were bad at coordinating. It is quite difficult to coordinate with multiple realms. That is a well known fact of this game. There are even better examples than that of GX. Sirion for example lasted years against multiple realms or Fontan which fought largest realms on the continent by themselves with their infamous lions.
It is better to have one large highly concentrated realm instead of 2 smaller realms with 2 capitals sitting few regions apart. And what about having equal number of nobles? Alara+Minas Nova+Perleone did not have the same number of nobles as GX. GX always had at least 5 more. Alara and MN actually lost nobles over time while GX gained even more. Only when Vix jumped to aid them things started to become somewhat even. When Perdan joined, it finally tipped. Let's not forget Fallangard actually joined GX's side as well. Then Caligus on top. So stop giving me this bull!@#$ about GX and south being on the even ground. If you really believe that then you are just horrible at being a general.
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8)
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So if you see an army of 1000 armed soldiers vs an army of 1000 armed peasants you call that even because the numbers were the same? Sounds like solid logic. Of course they were bad at coordinating. It is quite difficult to coordinate with multiple realms. That is a well known fact of this game. There are even better examples than that of GX. Sirion for example lasted years against multiple realms or Fontan which fought largest realms on the continent by themselves with their infamous lions.
It is better to have one large highly concentrated realm instead of 2 smaller realms with 2 capitals sitting few regions apart. And what about having equal number of nobles? Alara+Minas Nova+Perleone did not have the same number of nobles as GX. GX always had at least 5 more. Alara and MN actually lost nobles over time while GX gained even more. Only when Vix jumped to aid them things started to become somewhat even. When Perdan joined, it finally tipped. Let's not forget Fallangard actually joined GX's side as well. Then Caligus on top. So stop giving me this bull!@#$ about GX and south being on the even ground. If you really believe that then you are just horrible at being a general.
Honestly you seem deadset on holding this opinion that everything was GX's fault. I'm not going to be able to change that if you're so stubborn, so let's just drop it.
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Fallangard was a non-issue due to standing agreements by GX with Caligus, and Caligus didn't get involved militarily until Vix and Perdan did. Ironically, if Fallangard had gotten involved offensively, Caligus would have declared war against GX, due to long standing disputes between Caligus/Fallangard, so our nearest ally was limited to defensive/protective actions only.
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Huh, it would be interesting to get to know your side of the story then, as my character was the one that kicked off the whole series of events which eventually ended with your character stepping down. I'm not nearly as annoyed with Alara though, as the realms that were at war with each other starting out would have made for at least a relatively even fight. It was Perdan and friends jumping in that made things absurdly unbalanced.
There's a lot that goes on in ruler channel and personal missives that realms, and even councils, miss out on. If you think I said a lot with RP's and public posts, you have no idea how much discussion was going on with certain rulers and power-brokers I'd become close to. I had been spending at least 4-5 hours a day, every single day, sending missives to keep up with all the strings I was pulling (and being pulled by, eventually). It just got crazy, but if it had worked out we'd have achieved great things.
Not to steal your limelight but Robb Starfall did a pretty effective job of sowing chaos on his own, even without you getting thrown in the mix. Sucks because we had gotten pretty damn close and discussed practically everything on a daily basis, both IC and OOC. At one point I had secured a trade deal for them to feed GX at pennies on the bushel, as well as a soon-to-be-signed treaty allowing our soon-to-be priests direct and exclusive access to spread the Phoenix Cult in Alara, and slowly convincing certain key members to consider a full-on-merger with GX in the future.
My own damn fault for not being more of a King and less of a democrat. Robb did apologize once, saying that this conflict is not what he had wanted, but that he had to do what must be done or lose his crown, and I did and said the same, but I wasn't so sure after-the-fact that it wasn't bs. To be fair, he probably thought I was lying through my teeth too, so I guess I'll never know.
When you jumped in, and Dodger later lit his powderkeg, there wasn't much that could be done to alleviate the already stretched situation. You gave Robb the perfect excuse to distrust me and renege his promises, and Dodger just forced me to abdicate before I had a chance to set certain things into motion to avoid future issues down the road. It went from an Alara-GX future merger a-la-Riombara to threats of war in the drop of a dime.
From my perspective as Xerarch, Caligus started the entire !@#$show. Can't speak for anything that went on afterward, but I should have ignored Dodger's camp and kept moving forward with my negotiations. The second I listened to the GX-against-the-world faction and pulled out of negotiating alliances, it gave everyone the opportunity to gank us.
After all, you're either with us or against us. Not wanting to become allies is an instant, clear signal that you're a target, and anyone with a hint of common sense would take that as a premeditated declaration of war and start making friends to ambush you with.
From what I've been told from a few former rulers from Magnus' time, Selenia was no Magnus. All the favor and mood I'd curried quickly flew out the window due to Selenia's vastly different methods of diplomacy. Not that there's anything wrong with that, its just different is all. Some liked it, some didn't: hence losing Fallengard as allies, Garas going from someone Magnus liked deeply to an enemy of (some) Xavax, and Xavax now being allies to literally everyone who wanted to murder us when Magnus was Xerarch, not to mention us joining Sirion despite Selenia and Magnus having planned to wreck Sirion and usurp them as the top-dogs on the continent. :P
If things had gone as I had been working toward, we'd have united the south and burned the north to the ground. A true Imperium - before (purposely, once we got too strong) collapsing into feuding Greece-like city-states with similar-but-divergent Lurianesque versions of Xavax culture.
Instead, we're a northern satellite realm fighting the south. Funny how that works out.
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The Fallengard-Caligan equilibrium was understood by all parties right when we became allies. Caligus made it pretty damn clear, as did Fallengard. The only way around that would have been to ally both and broker an agreement between them.
If we had allied Caligus, do you things may have turned out differently?
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Is anyone keeping rack of Redhaven's history?
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I tried.
I tried also.. I like to think Leatho + Selenia were a combination that caused an immense amount of dread for Alara... Especially since I betrayed them, and knew where they liked to rally and where the milita was...