Thu Feb 16 17:37:30 2017

At 3 o'clock AM, Day of the Sun, 13th of the Month of the Dragon
on the Theran calendar Zurra perished, never to return.

Deormdel was avaialable for about ten minutes, total, in two seperate interactions, across four months. He answered zero notes and one email. That took him two months. Although it did correct the mistaken impression I was under for most of this character's life that I was partially empowered and would need to talk him about a task I was given for more.

He was known for the first half of this character's life, in wizlist, as something like, 'around often nearly every day', and in the second half, 'Some hours between 5-9 as time allows. Best to note/email as well as pray'. In each of our interactions and in email, he said he would be available more, or at some specific time, and wasn't. It's hard to express exactly how frustrating this was. But very.

I had fun with this character in spite of the empowerment experience doing everything it could to ruin it, basically.

Good: You were very pk successful and had better than average RP a lot of the time. Team Fort was lucky to have you as a powerhouse in the mid levels for the time you were there. The good moments were really quality.

Bad: You seemed to only really care about PK and even went as far as to perform a handful of what could be considered "bad" RP things. One that sticks out the most was how you would boast about being the most deadly paladin in Thera or other assorted things that just don't really jive with being a great paladin.

Unless I am mistaking the timeline, you created after Empowerment became optional. If that is the case then why did you even continue to pursue the religion when it was getting you nowhere (and also seeming to steal the joy out of the char)?

The limitations placed on un-empowered characters mean that empowerment is not actually optional at all.

Some of the PK success was me impaling my sad sack duergar on her. Woe is me.

Out of curiosity, what are the limitations of non-empowerment?

As a paladin, you don't gain access to virtues (which you won't get anyways with an awol imm) and your sups commune at level -1. I think the only other quirk with paladins is for monks who lose the ability to do all the "cool" transcend affects without empowerment.

Also, healing sups are reduced effectiveness.

1) Healing through supplications has been reduced by 30% for any communer who is not empowered.
2) When not empowered, ALL level 21+ supplications are communed with a -1 level penalty (e.g., ignoring other modifiers, an umempowered L51 paladin would commune wrath at level 50 instead of 51).

Also un-empowered Paladins get no virtues, shamans get no paths.

So whilst technically it is optional, it realistically isn't. It shows how little the Imms actually spend, you know, playing the game instead of whacking people with their rulers.

Guessing Deormdel was doing something other than ruler-whacking.

>Bad: You seemed to only really care about PK and even went as
>far as to perform a handful of what could be considered "bad"
>RP things. One that sticks out the most was how you would
>boast about being the most deadly paladin in Thera or other
>assorted things that just don't really jive with being a
>great paladin.

This sounds like you are saying the only way to play a "great" paladin is to be humble...

Is not a paladin the ultimate instrument of smiting the #### out of evil? Assuming you aren't playing Joe Humble, wouldn't it be perfectly acceptable to walk around like the badass evil destroyer you are (especially when it is true, AFAIK in this case)? If only evils can be PK successful and have any pride in it... that would be good to know.

Also virtues are far from optional from the paladin class, which, in my opinion, is seriously broken in a not fun and bad way.

I personally have an incredibly high, perhaps unrealistic even, expectation of what *I* think makes a great paladin. I am okay with that but in this characters instance, I am not the only person who made notice of his "poor paladin" behavior. When other people are commenting on it, then there probably is something that could be considered a real concern.

Humility is sort of built into the class. I always kind of found it to be implied through help files & such that it was the case. I think being confident of your pk chops is one thing but bragging is another. Maybe that's what they sort of meant? Cb talk of x being dead and or weak etc feels fairly unpaladiny to me. Idunno if that happened though so Wtf do I know.

He was literally going around badmouthing Deormdel IC constantly and saying he deserves empowerment because he is the best killer in the Fortress. I mean straight bragging about PK prowess is def against the Creed as written, it specifically states Maran don't kill for recognition and Pride in the act is a sin.

But at least the negative title he got for it made him get a rank closer to hero after several weeks.

But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I imagine it was more prevalent toward the end when the frustration of building a character that requires Imm intervention to be all it can be and having that process fail you bubbled over.

I can certainly empathize with that frustration, though I'd never stick it out as long as he did.

If you are RP forbidden from being a badass that knows they are badass as a Maran, then we've RP enforced this trope, "evil will always triumph because good is dumb".

Basically, you're forbidden to enjoy killing or to take pride in it.

Maran kill because they need to, not because they like to. But if you spend your free time bragging about how good you are at killing people, you're probably starting to stray towards the path of killing for the wrong reasons.

Almost every Fort interview has a question along the lines of "What's our biggest risk/fear/concern?" The answer is always "Becoming like those we kill." That's one of the reasons Acolytes even exist, IC (to keep an eye on the Maran and keep them on the right path. Boasting about killing is a step in the wrong direction, IC.


Basically, it's about good and evil not just being Team Gold Aura and Team Red Aura. You should be able to tell the difference based on what they say and do.

This is the Maran RP I was trying to get at in your shrine when you're like 'No, you make active choices intentionally that lead you to evil. It doesn't just happen gradually, you have to be trying.'

Its subtle and you don't see it coming and that is why there's Acolytes to help you from becoming that which you hunt. Its not just a 'Nah I don't become that which I hunt because I don't really want to.'

Ignolmeer's religion is base on the freedom of choice and that mortals are fated to make certain ones in their life. If it is one thousand SUBTLE choices or one earth shattering decision, it is still a choice to act. If you talk yourself into going down a slippery slope of, "well this isn't THAT bad," and then find yourself at the pit of evil you can look back and see the path which you chose to come down. Ignolmeer holds the weight of decision upon the individual. So you DO have to be trying.

Just because the emperor puts a dagger in your hand and says you must choose to kill your mother or father doesn't mean you are bereft of the guilt or sin in choosing one of them. Those were not your ONLY choices.

I hope you see my point here, and leads you to better understand Ignolmeer's religion.

..no Maran is going to CHOOSE anything that leads them down a dark and evil path. It takes them subtly and slowly without them noticing. Acolytes are there to notice these things and guide back to the proper path. That is the fear and RP schtick I was going for, 'What if X happens and I don't notice? What if I start to turn? Will you be there to guide me?' 'No, if you make bad decisions that is your own fault.' 'Oh. Okay. Nevermind. Bye.'

I think he's saying that the Maran isn't choosing to be evil. But he might be making smaller choice here and there, and the end result is "Holy ####, now I'm evil".

Sounds like Ignolmeer's religion is counter to the Acolyte purpose of guiding people away from making those small bad decisions that can ultimately lead down that path though. Nothing wrong with that. All kinds of religions/cabals/beliefs aren't entirely in sync with each other. Not sure how how that works out IC if he's the main Fort Imm though.

You're the only guy here who understands Fortress and Maran really indepth. Think of the irony.

You almost make me want to roll one. Almost.

Trolled Jalim. TROLLED

Maran are not infallible, and they will sometimes choose an option that may be overtly evil or it may be insidious. Where the disconnect is where one thinks Ignolmeer finds the Acolyte to have no purpose. They will forever be the guide back to the right path, and an anchor that tethers the Maran from the vacuum of evil. Ignolmeer sees this perfectly well. All people will ultimately CHOOSE what they do cognitively or subconsciously through repetition or complacency, and Ignolmeer will hold them accountable to it all.

If no maran would ever choose evil actions then one of the prime directives of Acolytes is moot.

Does that clarify the disconnet and put us on the same page?

*edit typed from phone.

Hey! I had a lot of fun discussing everything with you. Sorry about the whole "Eyes" thing. . .GLWYN

I observed you many times as I looked for leadership potential in the Marans. Your PK list was admirable, but I rarely saw RP out of you. It was good when you decided to do it.

In light of your attitude though, it was soured player bleeding through.

While Destuvius does have a HIGH standard of paladins (and IMHO everything - which isnt' bad), the following are clear cut lines you crossed as a paladin.

From the Paladin Code help file (as it has been for decades):

1. Live to be the guiding light for all to follow and look towards. Your beliefs must be as solid as your loyalty is to your god.

7. Be fair of speech and actions.

10. Do not become like those you fight. Respect, Integrity, Valor.

Bad mouthing your god, a being that is the core of your reason to do what you do, is blasphemous and extremely hypocritical. It is counter to everything a paladin is.

When given an open forum to speak your mind that does not mean a paladin should be disrespectful in tone and speech. Especially when the one giving freedom to speak was both a leader of the Fortress and a god.

If being able to kill evil was the ONLY task of a paladin you would have been at the top of the list, but it isn't.

There were so many glimmers of potential, an example being you taking other Maran/Squire to task about the second order effects of being wanted. I hope to see more of that stellar RP in your next character.

GLWYN

I really liked Zurra, FWIW.