All right, players. It is time for you to understand something from the horse's mouth.

We have traditionally had a discussion on this server about the manifold roles of players, DMs, continuity, fun, fair play, etc. It never goes much of anywhere because you're all different people with varying degrees of what is and isn't fun or fair. That is where DMs come in: we inevitably have to bring a line down somewhere, regardless of what kvetching it may cause, but we at least do so respectfully, and with great advance warning.

Here is your advance warning.

The long-standing plot revolving around Cordor, which is not exactly mapped out and is very heavily informed by player actions, is reaching some very dangerous stages. I have, up to this point, tolerated people who are enemies of the state and invented reasons to keep their characters alive so that the players can continue to enjoy the characters and have fun with them.

This causes more trouble than it is worth for those players who are turning those people into the city in order to take care of them. Once and for all, as it may be. Their actions are suddenly utterly meaningless.

This is your big, glowing warning that if you choose to fight the man, if you choose to be rebellious, if you choose to pit yourself against the powers that be in a city that is commanding quite a lot of power and authority lately, you place that character's life in fate's hands. If you commit a specific calibre of crime - or are even falsely accused of that crime and find yourself mired in overwhelming evidence that would almost assuredly come from some degree of culpability - expect that execution or "permanent incarceration without parole" will be likely responses, and the people are savvy enough to know how to ensure that the character doesn't come back.

If your whiney sense is tingling and you think I'm hinting at that word "permadeath", well, you're right!

Some players thus far have been very, very considerate in understanding that punishment takes its toll. Sunkinsheep for one, but Ego as Richard Johnson, in particular. Other players have felt themselves to be in this position from the very beginning, and that is excellent, and I feel gratified that I never had to say anything - they simply accepted the risks involved.

The downside to making an announcement like this is that I risk instantly ostracizing a bunch of people who don't want to put their characters and risk, and that I "unfairly" affect how they would react to certain things IG.

My response to that is unflattering, but should not be taken as rude: if the thought of risking your character's life causes you to not want to be a part of something, so be it - that is one less person in the many, many people I already have to keep track of, which is more than I can keep track of as it is.

For 90 out of 100 of you, this warning means nothing. For the percentage of you debating taking strong action, or who are debating taking strong action in the future, be wary - the rewards of success may be slim, but the cost of failure is steep.

I'm also locking this because no discussion is necessary. This is not a discussion, it is a proclamation, and it is how things will be going. If you don't like the risk, don't risk anything. Continue living your happy vanilla life. But I will no longer overturn and bend the actions of a great number of players involved in this for the sake of a few, when those many players are doing what they do with the intent that consequences will be delivered that have a lasting impact.

Do not PM me with questions of clarification - this is all the clarification you're going to get, and it is intentionally vague. You may PM me with your thoughts and opinions if you're so inclined, but don't hold your breath for an answer. They are distractions from the more serious work I do. Do feel free to bitterly grumble under your breath about what an elitist prick I can be, or, alternatively, to praise me for at least having the guts to be experimental so that in the end I can say, "Well, I did it this way, and here is how it worked out..."

^^

This is also applicable to any and all of my events!

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