I know there’s a thread for commending players’ IC behavior and RP, but I feel like I need to ask a bit of everyone’s time and attention here to commend some OOC awesomeness which I’ve been witnessing recently.

What happened to MazeOfThorns (Rith’tar) and Anatida (Oleander) this week was the absolute worst thing that can happen to PCs on Amia. They had intricate long-range plans and control of a faction area and lots of awesome IC authority, and it was all ripped away from them by a lynch mob. Make no mistake about it, that’s what happened: they got backstabbed by a bloodthirsty pack of savages waving pitchforks who just wanted to burn the witches. It was a shamelessly cheap shot, and had to have been just devastating, absolutely emotionally gutting, and there is a zero percent chance that they are anything other than massively furious, and they are right to feel that way.

That was four days ago. Since then: no tantrums, no tirades in /tells, no bitchy PMs, no sulky quitting the server, no stupid PvP harassment, no griefing, nothing. Just more of the same outstanding roleplay. It’s been observed many, many times on these forums that among the pitfalls which too many people fall victim to is the inability to gracefully accept an IC defeat, and Amia, I am here to tell you that I have never even seen an IC triumph handled with as much class as these two have handled what may well have been the worst week of their characters’ recent lives.

Amians, please take a lesson from MazeOfThorns and Anatida. This is the way to comport oneself with dignity and respect. I am so incredibly grateful to both of them, and even four days later I’m still awed that they’re able to RP at all, much less RP so very, very awesomely.

Sincerely,

Liz and Kaithan

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Winner of Amia's "Most Ethical Time Traveler" award 2026

Character Portraits!

I have to agree, Maze and Anatida you guys really do rule. I'm surprised you took it so well. I really respect you two as players.

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I think this is a good thread idea and won't kill anyone in it. Yet. More awareness of the player on the other side of the screen would go a long way in making this a more fun, stress free environment. But I won't hijack this thread from its intended purpose, so...

Some of you may know better than others that I have been following MazeOfThorns' and Anatida ' characters doing a particular path for a long time now, with some great support from Corbie as well. Although there have been snags and complications, If they don't know how proud I am of their general behavior through the several month ordeal I have put them through: I want them to know now.

But we are not done yet. And I thank everyone who gets involved in things with more than their own character or group in consideration. We all want to be the main character of our own stories, but I have been shown it is possible to do so while realizing you are part of a greater whole.

I look forward to more of it, from Maze and from the rest of you.

Yeah, you go you two. You both make me proud with the progress you've made and the outstanding output with other players. Many people do fall in these footsteps, but they are less known for it doesn't always happen on big scales like this. This was a long time coming, but like Merc said, it's really not over yet! Good job everyone, keep on keepin' on. This is what motivates us DMs to keep going, too.

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Thats the way it crumbles ... cookie-wise!

This was really great of you all to do.

My thanks goes to Mercedes and Anatida for being there during my "WTH do I do now?!" moments... or was that hours.... days? Anyway, playing a character that can't help but incur constant mistrust and strong dislike no matter what is challenging.

DM Alanna, DM DireCorbie, DM SamTheGiantSlayer you all have been valued partners in crime as well as providing great feedback and advice.

Passionate Shadow, I really appreciate your ability to slog through what turned out to be more than Matthew bargained for. Your generous nature as a player has made the RP between Rith'tar and Matthew more than I ever thought possible.

I think what I'm most grateful for is the ability of the players and DM's of Amia to be so kind and thoughtful OOCly. While Rith'tar is an arrogant ass most of the time simply by virtue of being a drow tool of Lolth for over 135yrs, and most characters rightfully treat him with caution, disdain and some with outright hostility I never got the feeling that it leaked out OOCly on MazeOfThorns.

So thanks to all of you who have RP'd with Rith'tar and remain my friends.

Cheers ~Maze

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2015 Mr. AMIA with the Fabulous Estara ~ 2015 Best Developed SOB Character: Rith'tar

I was paying attention to all of this for a while and there was SIGNIFICANT other issues (IC and OOC) at play that I will not go into. But fair to say its no black and white issue like you seem to claim. And you kind of take some cracks at the "offending" players that are rather unnecessary.

Every situation has its share of issues, TGE, but I think Maze or Anatida can definitely speak for themselves if they want to air any of that here. I don't think it's the place, to be frank.

I kind of feel justified in taking some cracks at them, because I was one of them. I know for a fact that you're correct, that there were people in that crowd who had more complicated motives. But on top of all those people with high-minded ideals, a rabble of uninvolved bystanders inserted themselves into the situation thinking they knew best, and once that happens, all bets are off. It's mob rule, until the mob has had its blood, and no amount of nuanced, sensitive RP can do a thing about it.

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Winner of Amia's "Most Ethical Time Traveler" award 2026

Character Portraits!

In this particular case I'm rather speaking against Maze and Anatida not FOR them, Not that I dislike player either at all, but the outcome was not unexpected and If I had been playing I would likely have pushed for a similar outcome ICly. However the entire thing had some underlying OOC issues as well and my one current character is still too underdeveloped to have made it make sense so I personally stayed out.

Having fancy stuff and grand plots and losing them is just as much a part of the game anyway. No need to bad talk those who were responsible or act like it they are savages or only "took away" RP for the sake of it.




Nuanced, Sensitive RP has a time and a place and so does Violent RP. Its perfectly legitimate what they did, and judging their actions based on ignorance of what their motives might have been is unfair to them and frankly its not up to You, Me (or anyone really) to judge their RP.

I have no idea where this is coming from as I haven't interacted with you in months (to my knowledge) and that was on another PC in the UD. I am aware that those that "took the Shrine" were not the only ones with things in the works against us, but don't be putting OOC blame on me - because I did not perpetuate any OOC issues. The way I read your posts you are saying some people had OOC issues with us that led to them trying to oust us - That is just FU. Frankly I wasn't even involved in this thread. Liz started it as a way to be nice, which I appreciate.

What I do not appreciate is being dragged into flame bait with your vague insinuations against /me/.

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Iim'mur'ss - Grandmaster Shadowdancer / Aaralyn - Diplomat / Oleander - Toxic Desert Flower

Well, I misunderstood. Sorry! I'm still sad at where the thread is going.

Yeah this thread isn't leading down a good road. Perhaps we should just drop it?

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My apologies Anatida for phrasing let me correct that. I didn't mean to imply OOC animosity or say that there was so OOC "cause" (Which is genuinely nice to see) rather the was OOC "Issues". Such at least two of your characters working for the benefit of the shrine, one of whom is basically the mate of Rith'tar (And leader of an entire separate faction) while the other Mulhorandi was helping lead the shrine.

There was also the issue of what amounts to one of the two main Drow locations and one that has long been the Goodly Drow starting area being far more heavily shifted to also focus on Mulhorandi character, which while driven ICly can also cause OOC problems since there is no real other good Drow areas meaning it is more than a "Faction" area.

Since you explained politely, I would like to do so also.

I spoke to the DMs about this several different times. I had them keeping a close eye on both PCs to make sure I did not cross any lines. Iim'mur'ss rarely visited the Shrine, and only did so to meet with Rith'tar. She had nothing to do with running the place, was not allowed to contribute skills or resources, and had no influence there. Oleander was the member of that faction, and I played it as such.


So, this is the part people don't seem to get either on an IC or OOC level, so I am going to explain my single source of frustration with all of this. The "Drow Shrine" had been dead for over two years. The DMs dissolved the faction, even closing their private board more than a year ago for lack of activity. While a couple of priestesses came and went, it was never a "faction" again. So yes, we claimed the area. Yes we tried to expand it to once again make it a viable faction area. With the low player count, and even lower Eilistraeean player count, it was both ICly and OOCly prudent for us to expand the scope of the "Shrine", but we thought we were going about it in accordance with Eilistraee's dogma. There are plenty of spoilers I won't give, but those I've listed here are the crux of the issue.

Additional influences could have been added without detracting from it being an Eilistraeean Shrine. Plenty of other places combine faiths and worship centers, including Kohlingen.

The Shrine is not more than a faction area, and never has been. The DMs made an official ruling on that over a year ago when we were discussion how to consolidate RP hubs and what would be considered a settlement and what was not. I wasn't aware that Good drow could actually start at the Shrine, but even so, nothing we did would have changed that. Nothing says a race has to have an area that is solely there's as a starting location.

So the issue, as I see it, is that things weren't maintained in the status-quo they had been for ten years, even though the last two years that status had been dead, and people got pissed off about that.

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Iim'mur'ss - Grandmaster Shadowdancer / Aaralyn - Diplomat / Oleander - Toxic Desert Flower

Thanks, I legitimately enjoy hearing your perspective and can most certainly sympathize having had to try to reboot factions to various degrees of sucess and failure myself.

In fairness the shrine thing 2 years ago was massive screw up, especially in the DM handling of it. It was a strong part of why I couldnt even stomach playing on Amia for over a year. The biggest issue of which was ever treating the shrine like a faction anyway. Its more or less a city stand in and then a faction.

The Shrine was dead in no small part because because it was made dead, even the area changes forcably implied that it was abandoned. And anyone who did have ties to the shrine or was a part of it basically had those cut. Not a good starting point, especially if you then change locks and basically entirely take hold of the shrines facilities, golems, etc. Since it blocks out others in many ways, especially those who previously had connections to that place.

By controlling the shrine you exert a great deal of control over any other Eilistraeen or even just non evil Drow, which means that if you run it as controlled as a faction generally it runs into issues,. Ideally it would be more open than a faction but more controlled by players than most cities. In essense seperating what the area is from any factions that might exist within it.




Edit: Also it ojectively is and has been more than just a faction area, since it both covers factions, a faith and a large chunk of a race all at once.

I want to give a shout out to azure luna, ninja clarinet, Raua, Nick aka Final judge, Tormak, Maze of Thorns, Kudark, Grimya, Broldi, Zultan The red, Lutra, Nivo, Rigs, Amarice, and Bobounderhill for being really great sports OOC keep up the friendliness guys! It's always awesome to play with you.

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