Topics

The streets of Alowca were crowded, the mobs baying for blood. At last, a young woman was drug from the dungeons, flanked by the Harbinger's guards. They held chains, and walked alongside Valentina as she crawled along, unable to stand due to her restraints. The crowd hurled stones, rotten food, and dung at the Halcyon noble. A woman screamed "My son died defending your lands, and this is how you repay his sacrifice!" Based on the attitude of the crowd, she was not alone in her rage. The crowds swelled and the hate was palpable. The only thing holding them back was their respect and fear of the Harbinger. Valentina endured this gauntlet for a mile, her knees raw and bloody, blood and dung running into her eyes.

The procession arrived at a small platform erected by the Blood Moat, and Valentina was bodily lifted and restrained on a wooden "X".

The crowd roared approval, and suddenly everyone was silent. The Harbinger emerged, flanked by his assistants, who were laden with his tools, various knives and items for cauterizing. The Harbinger quietly announced the sentence.

"Valentina Goldhammer, you have shared your art with the Dominion. I will now share mine with you." A small table was set up, and a leather bundle unrolled, knives glistening in the sun. Myles' s hand hovered over the knives, and he thoughtfully selected one. He held it aloft, inspecting it as a painter would inspect a brush. Satisfied, he approached Valentina and considered the first stroke of his masterpiece.

Myles reached up and began to peel the skin off of Valentina's pinky, and her screams rang out in the square. The Harbinger hummed along to the melody, a master artist enjoying his craft. Inch by inch, Myles flayed Valentina's skin from her body. Brands were applied to staunch any bleeding, but the Lord Flayer was truly a master of his art, and after an artfully long period of time, not a scrap of flesh remained on Valentina's body.

Valentina had run out of screams, but still writhed in agony against her restraints. Myles set down his knife and plucked a lemon from a bowl. He sliced it open, and squeezed it over Valentina's fleshless form, eliciting screams again. He bit into the sour fruit, and grinned.

"Nail her to the wall. Have the skin treated and sent to the Fashionista to be made into a garment."

Public Execution
message to everyone on Colonies - 18 hours, 29 minutes ago
Messengers bring news of a public execution in Alowca earlier today.
Valentina Goldhammer, a noble of Halcyon, had been banned from The Dominion of Aren as a traitor on 22nd January, 2019. When she was later imprisoned, Lord Flayer Myles Vilanova of The Dominion of Aren decided to make her pay for her treason.
Background info on this family.

Title: Bring back penalties for old age.
Summary: Bring back penalties for old age

Details: Previously, older characters got less hours every turn, and took longer to heal. I propose this be brought back, but perhaps set back the age when they start to accrue. Used to 35, I believe, that characters dropped to 7 hours per turn. Perhaps push that back to 40, or further.
Benefits: Encourages turnover. Older characters used to retire or step aside for younger blood when they got too old. Now we have characters over 100 running around like their younger counterparts, and there is no incentive for old characters to make room for new blood, leading to stagnation. Opens the door for people to see older characters clinging to power removed by having them wounded, and provides incentive for people to retire gracefully, die in a blaze of glory, or be forced out by new blood, keeping things from stagnating.
Possible Downsides or Exploits: Could lead to old characters sitting around doing nothing while clinging to power, but honestly, this just gives people more incentive to remove them.

Adolphus moved along the wet ground, his footsteps light and silent, like a wraith. The wind blew, masking his approach. He paused and waited, silently waiting for a group of Mordok cultists to move. He dropped down from the ledge he had been perched on, and approached the manor house before him. He shimmied his way up to the second floor, and eased the window open.

Adolphus dropped in through the window, catlike, and made his way down the hall. A few coins had revealed to him where the Empress was resting. He slowly opened the door, and approached the bed where the Empress lay sleeping.

"Angela Barrett." His voice was quiet, but his helmet gave it a harsh, metallic, but oddly distant quality. The Empress's eyes shot open, and she reached for a dagger... Too late. Adolphus plunged his short sword home. The blade was forged of Apokh Iron, pitted and marked. The iron forged poorly, but was toxic, poisoning the blood of those it cuts. Two thrusts into the Empress's torso, and the job was done. Adolphus made his way out of the manor and was shocked at what he found.

Adolphus looked about, and a crowd had gathered. His work was yet undiscovered, but this group of cultists... Knew. They attacked, and Adolphus drove his blade home, again, and again, but the cultists were too many, and they landed several blows with their clubs. Adolphus reached into a pouch and flung a handful of pellets at them, which popped with a loud snap on impact, and smoke erupted from them. Adolphus turned and fled, gingerly holding his ribs.

A goose came flying towards Mordiggian, honking madly, clearly out for blood, as was normal for the vicious birds. The Reaver cold clocked the bird, and bent over to secure the message. He read it, and bellowed!

"TO ARMS! IT IS A GLORIOUS DAY! TO ARMS!" Horns blasted, and geese began to fly. Screams echoed, as the geese claimed victims. Soon the entire Arenese encampment was alive with activity. Before long, they could see the Lukonites, and more horns began to blare. Drums began to beat as the Arenese watched their enemy assemble and form up. The Lukonites paused, disturbed by the sound of maniacal laughter coming from the Arenese camp, which was quickly replaced with a deafening chant.

"BONE THRONE BONE THRONE BONE THRONEBONETHRONEBONETHRONE!" And as the rapid chant finished, the men came charging from their trenches. Mordiggian followed behind his pack of gibbering, slobbering ghouls, who had begun to meep excitedly.

"Meep! Meepmeep!" The spine chilling noise rouse from the creatures and Mordiggian cracked his whip. Arrows and missiles began to rain down and Mordiggian bellowed,

"HIT THEM WITH THE SONG!" And just like that a series of men following along with Mordiggian began to join him in singing as they pressed into melee.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we were older
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long?
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong?"

Mordiggian's whip wrapped around a man's neck and drug him to the ground, screaming. A pair of ghouls descended on the Lukonite, feasting on the man. His screams seemed to be in harmony with the continuing song...


"You know it's gonna make it that much better
When we can say goodnight and stay together
Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new?
And after having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through?
Happy times together we've been spending
I wish that every kill was never ending
Oh, wouldn't it be nice?"

Mordiggian held out the last notes, his arms spread to the sky, blood spraying on his face. The ghouls had been driven off, and he now stood alone.

"RANGED UNITS! UNLEASH THE GEESE!" He bellowed, defiantly staring down the remaining Lukonite special forces. The Lukonites experience a mixture of horror and bewilderment. They had never experienced the horrors of fighting Aren before. Suddenly, a deafening chorus of honking drowned out the screams of the dying, and the sky went black as the Urban Renewal Committee unleashed their geese. The birds flew into the ranks of the Lukonites, maiming and killing as they went, honking their bloodchilling song. The remaining Lukonites fled before the avian horror, screaming.

Do you find yourself being accused of being too "barbaric" and too "brutal"? Tired of people shedding offended tears when you order your men to kill, rape and burn? Tired of endless moral and political debates when all you really want to do is drink from the skulls of your enemies? Do you find Outer Tilog's sense of decency too restrictive? The Dominion of Aren is your answer. Service guarantees plunder. Would you like to know more?

via Imgflip Meme Generator

Duel
(Personal message) - 3 hours, 11 minutes ago
Luarin Bowker, Duchess of Sun Hall, Margravine of Shinnen meets her challenger Sevastian Schwarzherzig, Legatus of Luria Ferrata for the agreed duel till surrender.
Sevastian has decided to use the 'trick moves' strategy while Luarin has chosen the 'defensive' strategy, giving Sevastian the advantage.
The duel rages for quite some time and superficial wounds are suffered on both sides. Finally, a deep blow strikes Luarin down and her second declares it a surrender.Since there was a bounty out on her, Sevastian gladly collects.
Sevastian, although the winner, has also suffered a light wound.

"Legatus, it is time." Sevastian's Tribune dutifully announced. Sevastian exited the villa he had commandeered as his headquarters and made his way to what would serve as the duelling ring. He shrugged off his cloak and breastplate, which were dutifully taken by a servant. Queen Luarin arrived just then, and he offered a smart salute with his sword.

"Your Majesty, you caused me insult by disobeying a command that was lawfully mine to give, and left me to face the monster hordes alone. It was in this very field I was wounded as a result of your turning from battle. I do not wish to harbor a grudge, but my honor demands satisfaction for this affront. Let us bleed away bad blood upon this very grass, so that we may again walk in friendship." Sevastian intoned, and stepped into the hastily marked ring.

His opponent did the same, and Sevastian's second counted down, and gave the signal to begin. Luarin took up a defensive posture, and Sevastian carefully closed the gap, feinting a thrust and following it with a high slash. His technique showed considerable experience and skill, and it was clear he had the advantage... If only just.

The two traded blows at an increasingly furious pace, Sevastian's feints and maneuvering failing to draw Luarin from her defensive posture. Sweat beaded on Sevastian's brow, and he knew he couldn't keep this pace up for forever. He began to force himself to breath heavier, and held back on his blows to give the impression he was tiring, and then with a dramatic flourish... He was exposed. Luarin thrust home, hoping to finish the match, but Sevastian had been waiting for this. He stepped into the thrust, catching the blade in his thigh. He cried out in pain, and Luarin's eyes went wide as she tried to pull the blade free... But she was too late. Sevastian thrust his blade home, and she crumpled to the ground, bleeding... But still alive.

The Queen's second called for a halt and healers rushed onto the field. Sevastian had the sword removed and his leg bandaged. He began to limp off the field when a strangly dressed man appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"Legatus Sevastian Schwarzherzig?"

"I am." Sevastian replied, his piercing eyes sizing up the man before him.

"Sign here." The man intoned, holding out a quill and a piece of parchment.

"Luarin Bowker had a price of 2,000 gold on her head to whosoever kills or incapacitates her. The prize is yours."

Sevastian looked surprised but happily signed the reciept.

"2000 bonds in your name, which can be redeemed at any Ferratan bank. Take care." The man tipped his hat, and was gone again. Sevastian's Tribune shot Sevastian a puzzled look.

"Legatus, who was that?"

Sevastian shook his head.

"Bounty Comisssion Official. Strange bunch."

I was talking with a friend who plays the other day, and we were stunned to realize the depth of the butterfly effect and how it has affected the East Continent.

So you see, once upon a time Vix Tiramora wasn't too terribly involved in the Northern War. About half the realm ignored it, and the half that did participate mostly just sat around on defensive actions. The realm was in serious debate about entering the Perleone/Alara conflict at that point, to ensure a swift end to hostilities. Then, one day, following the lead of Mathias Chenier, Highmarch changed sides in the war, instantly galvanizing Vix Tiramora and rededicating the realm to fighting the war with the North. Talk of intervention in the Perleone/Alara conflict ceased, leading to the present state there today. During the course of this conflict, Highmarch took over Abadan. Vix took it back, but before a Lord could be elected, Highmarch corrupted the region back.

This act of corrupting the region, lead to a bill in Vix being passed, entitled the Emergency War Powers act. Behind the scenes a minor feud was taking place over control of the granaries of the realm. One single lord refused the banker, me, access, and this banker wanted control... Mostly just out of spite. So he proposes a bill allowing lords to be appointed to newly conquered regions, bypassing the traditional election system in order to counteract the corruption tactic. He also works into the bill a section requiring all lords to open their granaries to the banker... Nobody at the time knew it, but it would have dire consequences. The defiant lord in question refused to obey this law, even after it passed a popular vote. The feud kept on quietly for some time, until an accusation was made of Vixen food being sold to Alara to prolong the conflict. This brought the granary issue into the public. The defiant lord continued to refuse to obey, and the judge ordered the lord to obey or step down as a duke. The duke stated in no uncertain terms that he would not follow the law, and he would not obey the judge. The Duke was banned, and defected to the North.

All of this chaos can be firmly laid at Chenier's feet. If he had not pushed for Highmarch to flip North, Vix would likely be fighting in the South, no pretext would have been given for the fateful granaries law, and Nivemus wouldn't have territory spanning almost the entire length of the continent. Good job Chenier. :P

Aquila grinned ferociously as she took her place in formation with her men. She gripped her barbed sword in one hand, and a meat hook in the other.

"The Solstice came early this year! More skulls!" She roared, and grinned with a feral glee, seeing the enemy line up, up close. "The fools want to die quickly! Oblige them!" She shouted, and her captain blew on his horn, signalling the advance to begin, whilst the Tilogian troops cowered and hid. Arrows flew, and the cavalry charged, and the Abyssal Rejects pressed on in a tight column, chanting as they went, and then they were upon the enemy. The Abyssal Rejects crashed into the Blackpikes, and the column quickly broke the box formation before them. Men spilled out of the column, screams of rage in their throats. Pikes were battered down, and the Rejects fell upon their foe, butchering the men of the Blackpike. Aquila was with them, and with a bloodthirsty roar, she laid into her foe, her barbed blade ripping the man's throat out. She pivoted, and was face to face with their commander, Dame Elena.

"I'm going to make your hide into a new pair of boots!" Aquila roared, swinging her blade in a wild arc, which Elena blocked, throwing her off balance, and Aquila stepped in, sinking her meat hook into her armpit, the point finding a seam in Elena's armor, and piercing and ripping flesh. Elena screamed, and at that moment the Blackpikes broke, fleeing, and Elena took the opening to rip free, and flee with her men. As the Blackpikes fled past, one of them drove his pike into Aquila's back, her armor keeping the pike from sinking too deep. Aquila cried out, a mix of pain and ecstasy, and she dropped her meat hook to the ground, her left arm hanging useless at her side.

"Get back here!" Aquila screamed, hacking at the fleeing men with her sword.

"Onto them!" Aquila bellowed, and she and the Abyssal Rejects surged forward and into the Fitz Roberts Almogavas. The mixed infantry was already having trouble with a mob of angry peasants, their commander already wounded. The Abyssal Rejects cut a swath through them, the Gothicans falling like wheat under the scythe. Aquila spotted Hedwiga, Gothica's Necromancer, limping away from the fight.

"No you don't!" She roared, breaking ranks, and throwing herself into the fleeing commander. The two women tumbled to the ground, and Aquila wound up on top, ripping off her foe's helmet. She raised the helmet and brought it down on Hedwiga's face, causing a sickening crunch as Hedwiga's nose exploded into a mist of blood. Aquila brought it down again, and again, screaming "BOIL MY HEAD! NO, BOIL YOURS YOU INCOMPETENT TART!" Aquila brought the helmet down again, and stood up, glancing around. She flexed her left hand, and laughed. She already felt better, the wound on her shoulder rapidly healing itself, thanks to the blessings of the Pyre of Plenty. She continued to giggle, and looked at the dazed and bloodied form of Hedwiga Fitz Roberts, and spit on the stunned noble.

"Bring me a chain!" Aquila barked, and fastened the chain around Hedwiga's neck. "Take her weapons."

Her men quickly stripped the Gothican noble of her weapons and armor. Aquila snarled, and pulled on the chain. Hedwiga, recovering from her daze, tried to stand. Aquila kicked the Gothican hard, in the ribs, taking the wind out of her.

"Crawl, like the worm you are." Aquila barked, kicking the Necromancer again. Aquila began to drag the Gothican along, until she finally found her bearing on all fours, dragging her past the jeering crowds of Arenese and Halcyonian troops.

Title: Troops set to evasive shouldn't attack fortifications
Summary: it doesn't make much sense to have troops who are evading combat, or attempting to, attack fortifications. As ot stands, if troops fail to evade in an enemy region with fortifications, they'll prefer to suicide against said forts. I mean, seriously, how are troops hiding behind a palisade going to spot troops sneaking by? Much less force them to attack.
Details: Either make it impossible for defenders to engage evasive troops when in a region with fortifications, or make them have to leave the fortifications to pursue. Restore common sense!
Benefits: Prevents immersion shattering nonsense battles.
Possible Downsides or Exploits: Could be used to force defenders to give up fortifications if it were decided to have defenders leave fortifications to engage the defenders. This could be countered by not having them engage if set to normal/defensive.

I'm flattered guys, really.

New Knight of Nid Tek   (7 minutes ago)
message to all nobles of Luria Nova
A new knight has emerged from among the ranks of the Luria Nova nobles. Raziel V Himoura has taken up the vacant Haven estate in the region of Nid Tek and started his career today.
He comes from an unknown noble family (OOC: 0 days in game), and may need some assistance to get started. Please help him out.
You can check the background of this family or send a welcome message.

Letter from Raziel V Himoura   (6 minutes ago)
message to all nobles of Luria Nova
hey I'm a douchebag

I powergame a lot in my rps! but tell no one

Raziel V Himoura
Knight of Nid Tek
star | [ignore] | [userdata unavailable]


Out-of-Character from Raziel V Himoura   (5 minutes ago)
message to all nobles of Luria Nova
I was told repeating those two sentences would make things a lot better for someone. Guess I was wrong.
star | [ignore] | [userdata unavailable]

Knight Deleted   (just in)
message to all nobles of Luria Nova
The player of Raziel V Himoura has left the game, the character is therefore deleted.
Due to his departure, he loses the following:

    His unit, "Douches", is set up as a local militia unit in Nid Tek.
    He vacates his estate in Nid Tek

Well BM, you've done it again. After a few years, I have decided to return. Any other oldies still about and have some recommendations where to start up?

***Warning: Contains graphic content***


Leofric is drug out in front of a jeering crowd in Masahakon, two trails of blood, like tears, running down his cheeks. His eyelids had been removed. An official, wearing the grey robes of the Order, looked at the condemned and spoke.

"Leofric de Vere, for the crimes of High Treason, multiple counts of attempted homicide, and assaulting the person of the Grand Justiciar, you are condemned to die. Your privy parts shall be cut off and burnt before you, then you shall be hung until you are half dead. You will then be drawn and quartered, your individual parts to be scattered across the realm as it please the Grand Justiciar. I would ask if you have any final words, but I am not going to remove the gag to let you poison the minds of these good people."

The man motioned for the guards, and they shackled Leofrics arms and legs to posts, and a hot knife was used to castrate Leofric, and then cauterize the wound. A bucket of water was thrown in his face to revive him, and then the remains of his manhood were placed in a brazier before him and set ablaze. When the flames died down, Leofric was unshackled, and a noose fastened around his neck. A heavy set man wearing an executioner's hood took hold of the other end of the rope and pulled, lifting Leofric into the air, so as not to break his neck. Leofric kicked, and struggled, and turned blue, and was let down. He was then dragged into the square, and ropes fastened to him.

"Allfather, we ask you lead this black and wretched soul straight to the judgement of Hel." the official intoned, and as he finished speak, the horses were slapped on their rear ends, and they took off. Leofric's limbs stretched, and then came unattached in a spray of blood. The horses ran for a ways, until their attendants were able to stop them and retrieve the limbs. The man in the executioner's hood  hefted an axe, and in one swift stroke removed Leofric's head from his torso.

Magnus looked at the series of blindfolded prisoners that had been kept in the cells beneath his manor in Edairn. Twenty Imperial soldiers stood shivering against the unseasonably cold winter. Twelve Arcaeans, four Sorrainese, and four Zonasans huddled together, unaware of what was about to begin. The first soldier was brought up to the platform, his blindfold removed. Magnus looked coldly at the man as the noose was fitted around the prisoner's neck. The man began shaking and weeping uncontrollably as what was happening dawned on him, and a yellow puddle formed at his feet.


"Allfather! We offer you this sacrifice!" Magnus intoned, and the man was raised up into the tree, and the rope tied off. There would be no neck breaking. They would strangle and choke, like Odin.

"Give the Sorrainese to Hel." Magnus commanded the inquisitor presiding with him, and the man shepherded the Sorrainese to their final destination, four stakes in the ground. They were tied to them, some resisting, some bleakly accepting their fate, and their blindfolds removed.

"Light the fires." Magnus said, and four torches were thrust into the faggots surrounding the stakes. The wood quickly caught, and the screams of the Sorrainese caused panic amongst the remaining prisoners. Magnus turned to Edairn's Godi and nodded.

"See the rest hanged. It is vital to ward off the evil that is approaching, don't mess it up." he said, and returned to his place at the long table overseeing the Blot, and poured himself a bit of mead.

Roleplay from Raziel IV Himoura   (6 days, 8 hours ago)
Message sent to everyone in your realm (17 recipients)
The men had been firing from afar as the Darkan cavalry raced forward, into the ranks of the enraged peasants who had taken up arms. Raziel shook his head sadly as most of them were ridden down and killed. The Cavalry now reformed and picked up pace from a walk to a canter as his men rained death upon the enemy with their great crossbows. The men fired, dropped the end of the crossbow and worked the winches like men possessed until the enemy horse, now a tenth of their original number, broke into a run, attempting to drive the charge home.

"Hold!" Raziel barked, his harsh voice giving then men confidence.He watched the cavalry close, and when they were too close to break off, he bellowed "Now!" and the men in the first rank of the square knelt and picked up winged spears, planting the butts down into the hard ground. The men in the second rank loosed a volley at a murderously close range, reveling in the whet 'thunk' sound the bolts made as the struck home. One horse went down, crashing through the first rank, killing several men. Another horse went down, dragging its rider with it, trapping him underneath its dead weight. He screamed in agony until one of Raziel's men silenced him with a spear, the blade tearing the Darkan's throat open. The man began to rifle through the fallen horseman's saddlebags. The final rider swerved, and looked like they were safe, when suddenly the rider was unceremoniously ripped from her saddle, screaming, a mancatcher holding her neck. She landed on the ground and Raziel rushed forward and kicked her in the head, her helmet having been lost in her less than graceful dismount. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she saw no more. Raziel spit on her.

"Darkan bitch." he swore at the unconscious noble woman at his feet. He looked at the family crest on her tabbard, now filthy with dirt, and grinned. He turned to his men.

"You bloody rogues have done it this time. Assaulting the Royal Treasurer of Darka is a capital crime." He said with a grin, and the men cheered before returning to plundering the corpses of the Darkan cavalry.

    Title: Making Religions More Important via implementation of morale penalties for indebted nobles.

    Summary: We already have morale penalties for Lords of a different religion and pagan lords, so why not Lords who are grossly in debt to their faith. Peasants should care if their Lord (and in turn the peasants in a Knight's estate, etc) is in good standing with a religion, and should be disheartened if he isn't. By implementing a morale penalty for regions with Lords/Knights who are in debt to their religion, suddenly a religion has more power over nobles.

    Details: A check is made every turn to see whether or not nobles are in debt to their religion. If it yes, then their region takes a hit to morale. A larger hit for the Lord, and perhaps a smaller hit for Knights (representing that a Knight only controls a portion of the region). The longer a Lord/Knight is in debt, the larger the hit becomes, and eventually the region will need maintenance.

    Benefits: It gives a reason beyond just RP for nobles to remain in good standing with their religion, and makes the Grant/Fee system actually meaningful in a religion, as opposed to a minor inconvenience at worst. From there, religions accumulate more gold and are able to use this towards expanding the religion, or its influence, making religions have a more realistic feel for the time period. It should be easy and straight forward to implement.

    Possible Downsides or Exploits: A religion could get rid of fees altogether, or give everyone grants, but a religion that does that can easily find itself quickly out of money and find its infrastructure collapsing quite rapidly, especially the larger religions. This might encourage knights and others towards paganism, but by simply upping the regional stat penalties for pagan lords, and perhaps implementing a penalty for pagan knights, this could be overcome.

Thain sat in his cell patiently. He could be free with a word, his family had more than enough gold to pledge his ransom, but his mind was set. He had sent away his son Skarn with his sword Arken to go fight alongside Magnus, Skarn's twin brother. He heard foot steps coming down the hall, and when they stopped, he looked up with is one remaining eye, having lost the other decades prior while fighting Soliferum.

"Sir Thain Himoura, for your crimes against the Arcaean people and for your treason you are sentenced to die. Please, come with me." the man said, opening the cell. Thain followed him out and another guard moved to shackle the old priest.

"There is no need for that child. I won't try and escape. Were I of a mind to those wouldn't stop me anyway." Thain said, turning to the other man. "You are young child, but you lack courtesy. If my life is to end you could at least address me properly. I am the Seer Thain Greybeard, Slayer of Nefrentine. Titles of honor far above the trifles of Kings and Emperors." Thain gently reprimanded the man. "Lead on. "


Thain followed the man out of the dungeons and out into a square, where the gallows were waiting. Thain walked proudly, clad in the grey robes of an Order priest. He was lead onto the platform and the first man announced "Seer Thain Greybeard, Slayer of Nefrentine, you have been found guilty of treason, and are sentenced to hang until you are dead. Any final words?"

Thain nodded and stepped forward to the edge of the platform. He looked at the crowd, there were no small number of Order followers in the crowd.

"Odin once sacrificed himeself to himself, and hung himself upon the world tree. He hanged for nine days and nine nights, pierced upon his own spear. He did so for wisdom. The wisdom he gained is seen in everyday things around you. The blue of the sky, the green of the grass... Death did not stop Odin, nor will it ever stop any of his faithful. I go now, and I will feast and fight again with my father, with Stormrider Alpha, Valius Hendrix, the Prophet, and my wife. Do not mourn my passing, for I will return. All of us who enter Valhalla will return. Normally one enters Valhalla with a sword in hand and a cry in their throat. I enter Valhalla from a different battlefield. One you must now take to in my stead. The battle for our souls. For the lapdog Velax is but a puppet of Sartanian witchcraft and evil, who has subverted, perverted and polluted the noble cause started by Jenred Bedwyr and poisoned his dream of a noble Empire. I am going now, I shall see many of you soon." Thain said, walking towards the noose. As it was fastened around his neck, he sighed, looking towards the sky. His body ached, covered in numerous scars... As did his heart. He had longed to be reunited with his beloved for so long, the loss still felt as fresh as if it had happened the day before. "Deinarah..." he whispered, and the platform dropped out from beneath him. He fell and the rope went taut, snapping his neck cleanly, and Thain knew no more.

Days like today, not even Tom can convince me BM is a "lightweight" game. In the last 24 hours-ish I have:

-Been banned for treason for being a religious leader who doesn't take kindly to threats from secular rulers. Then took my region and defected to an enemy state in the middle of a TO of an allied city.
-Lead the allied forces in a game of cat and mouse that has resulted in sacking aforementioned city.
-tried my hand at wizardry
-staged a coup from behind the scenes
-been put on trial for heresy

My thoughts are this:

I see a lot rule lawyering trying to justify this merger. I've played the game for around a decade now, and seen a lot rules come and go, the implementation of the social contract, and read Tom's thoughts on these things. The general gist of Tom's stance is there are written rules and there is a spirit behind the rules. If you violate one or the other it doesn't matter in Tom's eyes, its a violation. Rules lawyering and petty justifications, sesrching for loop holes is stuff Tom despises, and seeing as its his game... Don't do it. If you have to justify something with some loophole in a rule, its still a violation of the rule. The guilt here is pretty clear, and it is a second offense.