The Harbinger of Ferocity

Post a random fact about yourself.

Of the many things I am partial to and would ask for more of if time so allowed, eve more sleep would be welcome. There is something truly freeing about it that is a relief from all other thoughts or dreads. A place where there is only just that and if not, perhaps more fantastic and greater than life itself. More sleep would be good in life.

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Different game success.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I retain a firm belief in the supernatural and unexplained, namely because when I can research something so in-depth to find a plausible answer and raise only more questions, none of which are normal, I tend to confirm some things are not so limited to regular expectations. I have admittedly witnessed everything from extremely unusual aerial activity and behavior to objects and other articles not obeying regular convention. Just what it all means I leave up for debate, but generally it bothers me none; if anything it only makes me more curious to experience it or even attempt to answer, if not duplicate it.

How and why do RPs die?

The majority of cases I have witnessed or experience regarding game death can be cut down to two major, critical components. These two elements are relatively clean, solid deathblows to a roleplay and they are complacency and excuses. Both are detestable things in a social game, inherently poisonous. While there are other factors outlined above, my experience has always been that other players become complacent and or then develop excuses.

What do I mean by complacency? Say that a topic has a new post in it and there is something a character can reasonable do about it or interact that would in some way further the story and the plot, even individual plot and development. Unless it would be all fluff for the sake of posting why not post? But complacency is not just limited there either, it incorporates the issue of having a post due by a player in some time and them repeatedly putting it off, telling themselves, "Oh, I can write that later." or "I don't feel like writing now... tomorrow then..." This becomes a habit of procrastination and does nothing but infect the topic with that mindset. When is a tomorrow that never comes? One day becomes two, two three, four, five and so on. Some players may leave you behind, but generally people become complacent themselves when they bear witness to complacency and that others might excuse it.

What comes next is a component of the never ending issue of procrastination, in the form of excuse. Everyone on the forum and the world at large has some extent of a life to attend to, one good, bad, or mostly likely somewhere in between filled with trial and complication. We all exist in this world and we all are, by the numbers, adults or young adults. Excuses are a form of social token or currency, something dropped into the awaiting hands of others when something promised to be done or realistically due is not. Generally people accept them, because in turn they produce these coins themselves and hand them off; some have more, some have less, some accept more, some render more. The issue with this is, is that everyone has them. They are plentiful and thus devalued, meaning that an excuse is little more than a hollow admission one did not budget sufficiently or extend the effort or time to compensate for a shortage of opportunity.

A post takes anywhere from some fifteen minutes to at most, absolute most realistically, an hour to write in one of the most advanced sections or topics. For the majority, those casual, I believe it is fair to say a post will take only some fifteen to thirty minutes if one sits down and dedicates to it there and then. It might not be the best work, it might even be subpar for your standard, but roleplaying is a social exercise. People have lives of their own and expectations, failing this has greater consequences than the self. In fact, I would wager the sheer amount of complacency and excuses, most infamously of "I was busy.", to be the major negative factor in most topics if I were one to bet.

However, that is just my experience and I have a very low threshold, abysmally low one, for tolerance with complacent people or the excuses of man. I do everything in my power to strike back against it, to the point I will tolerate and turn blind eye to other issues that are more minor so long as it keeps the activity going. Though ultimately those are the two consistent killers of topics I have met first hand.

How do you know it is time to come back from a hiatus?

As others have told the time best to return is when you want to return, not when compelled or overwhelmed by the sensation or thought that you should be. Instead it should be a desire, a want, an egging, growing experience where on wishes to participate again and return to the endeavor because it has personal value. The other component I would say to this is, is that beyond question it should be something one can legitimately dedicate to or afford to do in time. There are all too many instances where people return only to drop out again because of a lack of time or another excuse. It is one thing to fail yourself in your wants, but it is another to fail multiple other people and put at jeopardy their enjoyment of something. Thus I stand by the notion that if one cannot commit to a game, thus others, they should not be doing so in the first place.

Ultimately between these two factors, I do not believe there is much if any real criteria beyond them. Everything else does not really apply in the sense that you either have the interest and the time to do so or you do not. One can always add more criteria to it, but I find that to be excessive. Review these two objectives for yourself and you have the answer you seek.

Post a random fact about yourself.

There are a select few characters of mine who are nearly as old as I am. They have remained fairly consistent and true to form even after years of refinement. Unfortunately these same character I have almost no means to incorporate into roleplaying topics. Uniquely, there seems to be some relation to the age and evolution of such characters that at some point they gain a semblance of agency, to the point writing for them is at best described as "channeling" their mindset and activities. I suspect that is because I have been portraying them for several decades.

Post a random fact about yourself.

If we were to describe ourselves by fantasy character alignments, I am a stalwart Lawful Neutral. I abide by and live by a personal code and ethos, one not particularly adopted by any if at all, and hold people to the highest accountability possible. While I acknowledge and believe in tenants of good and evil, it is more a question of if they abide by my understanding of them or if my ethics allow for them. Interestingly as a component of this, I tend to find just law most appealing, as well as the concept of Natural Law and Nature as a philosophical concept. This however, leads me to be a cynic at my best and a misanthrope at my worst.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

The weight of the familiar sword bound in leather at its grip was a welcome sensation to the man, an all too welcome one at this time. At the heft of the blade and the pat of the savage's hand, the man could only grin in the dark. There was an eagerness to the weapon, a conduit of the person who bore it and its atypical design at that; simultaneously ceremonial and mystical. It was that voiceless voice that spoke to him and had him so adorn it with inscriptions, the same sensation that returned to him when it rest in hand now. Only this time it would be adorned in the lifeblood of the cult - perhaps not here and now on this night, but in time coming.

Accompanying the sizable sword was the blade and the bow, along with a quiver of arrows, which the outlander soon shouldered in quick succession, tightening the broad belt across his chest and joining it with the string of one of the weapons. So too did the knife fall into the sheath upon and belt, leaving Brannor once again as armed as he ever was, nodding to Orchid.

"A good start." He muttered softly, turning to depart, unaware he might be well accompanied. Sharing one last glance to them, he shrugged, "We will see if they can be freed, if at all. Let's not forget why we were here in the first place."

@Hekazu@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher@Gordian Nought@Norschtalen

Post a random fact about yourself.

I prefer dark color schemes and layouts on my various websites, namely because the brightness or white quality of most are painful to read due to their brightness. On a related note, bright light and bright sound are two things I am not particularly fond of. Internet use however, is one of those few things I will willingly tolerate. No less a dark theme for websites just feels more natural, one reason or another.

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Almost no progress.