Wed Mar 6 16:15:37 2019

At 8 o'clock PM, Day of the Great Gods, 26th of the Month of Winter
on the Theran calendar Akanis perished, never to return.

This is going to be long, and probably not very thrilling. If you don’t like reading endless, self-reflecting “what I did wrong” posts, I won’t be offended if you skip it.

This character was just kind of a time-waster. Going full pickpocket/arcane as a magistrate was not as useful or exciting as I planned, since I was only able to successfully steal away cabal items twice in my entire life, even though I took quite a beating whenever I tried to get into position to steal the scales/fetish away. If I could have done it again, I would have gone binder or poisoner so I could at least handle myself in a fight, or just played an assassin. I was just completely outmatched in every criminal or outlander fight I got dragged into, no matter how many preps I took first, and they all seemed to have a spammable way to pull me out of the shadows. I didn’t go out of my way to grief anybody, but it was satisfying being able to completely clean out the rare outlander or criminal’s inventory when they never even know I was around. It would have been even better if I was remotely able to defend myself in combat though.

About thieves - The benefits in being a master thief do not carry over to such a small player base when my skills are worthless against 99% of situations I dealt with. Since even trying to kill mobs for gear was a struggle, I just wore the exact same set of gear throughout my entire life and didn’t bother myself much with worrying about upgrading items other than stockpiling limited scrolls or trying to get the felar-specific gear when I could. Since I was often weighed down by scrolls and potions, I rarely had inventory space to steal much from people. It was all a vicious cycle after awhile of playing so I could get preps, so I could keep playing to get more preps.

In the Spire department, I’m not sure what went wrong. It just all felt terribly boring. The hours on duty seemed to go faster in the old days when there were a lot more people to interact with. Instead I found myself often just sitting idle in a city for an hour or longer where nobody even walked through, let alone had criminals to deal with. I don’t think I even got to place my first wanted flag until nearly 100 hours into this character’s life. I thought maybe I could help out if I got higher up the leadership chain, but honestly the tedium of just never having anything to do other than throw my life away trying to retrieve at the refuge, where it was usually guaranteed suicide for a city ties thief, just was not appealing anymore. Really, the Blood Tribunal needs an overhaul to account for the diminished player base. I think it is time to convert it into something less about sitting around waiting for crimes to happen. People’s time is too valuable to have to sit in a city doing nothing for hundreds of hours to really get ahead as a magistrate, and many of the boring law enforcement duties could easily be automated.

Once I messed up and accidentally flagged Ajakirahuut for trying to retrieve from the Spire, I found myself having to decide if I would double-down and try to RP my way out of it, or just own up to it and retire so I could use it as an excuse to get out. I’m kind of glad I retired, because the Spire really seemed to fall apart around then and I’m not sure I could have done anything to keep everybody from abandoning ship. Good luck to whoever is still there in trying to rebuild the Spire again, it is going to be a struggle for awhile.

As an aside, I thought I would make this my big RP effort to rejoin the imm staff after a 12+ year hiatus. Turns out I wasn’t quite ready after all and didn’t have the support I was counting on with the current immstaff to let me come back. Maybe I’ll try again in a year. Time will tell if I get a shot at modernizing the Mausoleum/Frigid Wastelands to bring them up to the current area standards.

For people I’ve interacted with, I’m not calling anybody out by name since I doubt I made a really big impression due to my quiet and overly-cautious nature. Feel free to chime in if you wanted to say hey or good riddance.

See you in the fields,
Khargqwzxdds/Lloth/Jezral/Karakan/Iukulli/Nivult

After the purge, I was the first shadow inducted a week before anyone else (Stormshadow). I don't know if it was you, but I had just accidentally poison smoked my guildmaster and gotten killed. Then the guildmaster spoke and inducted me I think. Was very fun.

Also, you appeared to Boltar, Stormshadow and another char leveling in Emerald Forest. Gave them both tats, but not Stormshadow! Why? Why?!

Anyway, good seeing you again. Thieves have some issues. I've had success as a Rager/Thug/Defender as a half-drow (24 dex). Wasn't a bad fighter. GLWYN!

and his homestar descendent Fhqwhgads

"In the Spire department, I’m not sure what went wrong. It just all felt terribly boring."

Yeah 3 chars, 1000 hours. Most of it sitting around bored with a uphill battle. Slightly better as a provincial. A bit more of a step up with provost.

Had to do a lot of PVE to offset the boring cabal stuff over the past year. Easier to do as pallies, specially with bard friends. Trying to just do tribunal only and have fun is something I deem to be impossible. I usually surfed the web and watched netflix while on duty...


I enjoyed it when you ravaged Bellins inventory and he would vent about it to me Funny times. Sadly the one funny thing I see in the spire is its members seldom work well together or at all... *cough* Don't think we ever fought side by side once.


PS I love the maus and the wastes as is. Those were my two favorite areas!!