Calyx of Isis

[quote name='dst' post='32579' date='Jun 2 2009, 07:30 PM']Actually the dojo is as a romanian saying says () with one foot in the grave meaning it will be gone pretty soon if someone doesn't start working for it. And to be honest I am sooo glad it will be gone. Really glad.[/quote] Actually, the Dojo is more likely a permanent fixture. In his announcement, Mur more or less acknowledged this just as he acknowledged the training ground at Golden Globe Gazebo. It has been my observation that since late February or early March, the Dojo has been one of the mostly heavily used locations in the game. I have seen it more densely populated than Willow's Shop and Later the Gazebo of Equilibrium. It continues to exist because most players value it. I am well aware of how hard you and others have campaigned to have the Dojo eliminated, but it is in the hands of the players now, and they desire it's survival. As Sage suggests, please do not post (in this or other Dojo threads) opinions likely to confuse players.

[quote name='tinylips' post='30433' date='May 6 2009, 12:46 PM']Greetings, I am willing to help in the Dojo in any position required. I am on quite a bit here of late and willing to learn. Contact me if interested. Thank you[/quote] I will look for you in game. I try to go idle in accessible locations so people can PM me.

[quote]From the [i]Dao De Jin (Tao Te Chig)[/i] Chapter 31, Goddard's first translation. Even successful arms, among all implements, are unblessed. All men come to detest them. Therefore the one who follows Dao does not rely on them. Arms are of all tools unblessed, they are not the implements of a wise man. Only as a last resort does he use them. In propitious affairs the place of honor is the left, but in unpropitious affairs we honor the right. Peace and quietude are esteemed by the wise man, and even when victorious he does not rejoice, because rejoicing over a victory is the same as rejoicing over the killing of men. If he rejoices over killing men, do you think he will ever really master the Empire? The strong man while at home esteems the left as the place of honor, but when armed for war it is as though he esteems the right hand, the place of less honor. Thus a funeral ceremony is so arranged. The place of a subordinate army officer is also on the left and the place of his superior officer is on the right. The killing of men fills multitudes with sorrow; we lament with tears because of it, and rightly honor the victor as if he was attending a funeral ceremony.[/quote] The existing king (Yrthilian) attacks a visible target (Raven) for his request to have similar status. He would hold the entire land, every player in the game, hostage to his narrow desire. In the process of attacking someone not an enemy of his land, he creates true enemies, Further he does not even target the right player(s). I once thought Yrthilian wise and temperate. Apparently I was mistaken, Let us prepare of the funerals required to slake Yrthilian's unquenchable thirst. Let the musicians rehearse the funeral dirge. Those old enough will remember a fellow who in 1939 said, "oh please, I only want this one tiny little country, you won't hardly notice and it's all I want." Only he wanted another and another and another... Regardless of Raven's deficiencies, will Raven and Loreroot simply giving in to Yr will truly stop this? And regardless of how the next leaders of Loreroot will be chosen, will they they not still be GG's hostages? Who will Yr target next. He will say none other, but so did that funny little man with the mustache in 1939. When will it be your homeland's leaders that Yr decides to depose? Think what you will of Raven, but examine Yrthilian as closely. I do not want this war, I have issues with the leaders the land I call home and which I have served, but the more I think of what Yr is doing the more I recall real world lessons. Appeasing bullies is a bad idea. It leads to long periods of appeasement and effective slavery to the bully. The bully wins because no one know what he wants or will attack next.

On this day I have promoted Sagewoman and Kragel to Honored Guide of the Dojo. Gremlin has been made Dojo Staff. Titles and or descriptions have been given or updated everyone Dojo Staff or higher.

Yes, Raven. Ive found you to be level headed and trustworthy. I voted for you.

[b]Staff training[/b] will be held at least twice a month. Each training will be held at at least two different times to enable more people to attend. Attendance of at least one session a month is [b]mandatory[/b]. If you cannot attend send a PM to Calyx or Jazira, or post here. Failure to attend one meeting a month will result in being reduced in rank or dropped from the dojo staff. These will be general meetings to to make sure we are handling things in a uniform manner, to discuss problems and offenders. In addition there will be sessions covering the principles which guided the creation and development of the Dojo. It may not always be visible, but there is an ulterior motive to the Dojo. Training fighters is less important than enriching souls, teaching compassion, charity, cooperation, self mastery, and self restraint. While I will be teaching the Dao in the university, what I teach here will be focused on issues that arise in the dojo and service roles. The first sessions will be on days 84 at 19:30 and day 85 at 07:00.

I truly appreciate all the ideas and suggestions coming forward. The technical issues of locking people out or simply preventing them from attacking are not so bad due to a change Mur has in mind that I am not permitted to speak of. I hope it is as beneficial as we thing it will be. Neither Mur's idea nor banning can be done so long as a dojo is in the middle of traffic as all three locations presently are. The dojo will be moved to a location with only one entrance, so it will not be in the path of traffic. This makes any number of things possible. Those of you who have been around for a long while know I hate punishing people. It's just not the right way to deal with things. And being the only one who can take real action is a terrible grind on me. I am no more anxious to be banning people than I am to be punishing them in some other way. But at least this will give staff a chance to deal with things as they happen, not wait for me to take action hours or days later. It is my belief that the ability to expel people for a brief time will give all involved time to rethink their positions.

[quote name='cryxus' post='27091' date='Mar 13 2009, 09:53 PM']banning people for breaking dojo rules is simply too excessive...[/quote] Please note, this is not a ban from the game, but a ban only from the dedicated Dojo location we will soon have. I asked for bans of 3 hr, 6 hr, 12 hr, 1 day, 3 days. I have asked for the spell to expel the person from the Dojo and keep them out for a period. Most bans will be brief. What Mur will do, I do not know. What is excessive are players that make repeated attacks in front of staff, are abusive to the staff, and go "nyah, nyah, you can't touch me." It is very hard on the staff and even harder on me and my second in command (presently Jazira). Many real world responses to such players and events are not possible in MD. We cannot see an attack before it happens, so we cannot prevent it. We cannot see a fight as it happens, so we cannot break it up. And we cannot even see the fight after the attack unless it is reported. Some, for instance, Renavoid, have suggested that when persistent offenders enter the dojo the be mass attacked by all present. However, this may not be possible given varying MP levels and alliance affiliation, and it is just not the right response — it amounts to vigilante justice which is quite error prone. So, just what are we supposed to do!? In the real world such people would be ejected and prevented entry until they had calmed down and shown they deserved another chance. We have no effective ways to post guards at the gates to the dojo. The eject/ban spell seems to be the most sensible way to handle the problem. It is also the only way that denies bullies the rewards they get when they attack without permission. Long term banning is excessive in almost all cases. In the seven months the dojo has been in existence, only one player has earned a spot on that list, JesusFaction. It's tempting to put Ledah and a few others there, but at this time they are not candidates for that list. And even there I want the option to take people off the list as well as put them on it. I am constantly trying to adapt to the evolving situation. I am looking for solutions that can be put in place at the time attacks occur, meaning spells that can be give to accredited staff member. Longer bans require staff at higher levels, and long term banning only in my hands or the hands of whoever succeeds me. Short terms bans are the first idea I've had that I think Mur will support. He has been quite responsive to this issue in the last few days.

[quote name='dst' post='26657' date='Mar 8 2009, 08:03 AM']So, let me understand: you put on that box the list the offenders? Then what is that hypocrisy about "players who want to be attacked in the dojo"?[/quote] The must be a misreading here. If you check the dojo sign you will see that you are not on the list of offenders, just on the list of those willing to be attacked without warning in the Dojo. I do not think there is hypocrisy there. Only one persistent high level player is on the offender list, JesusFaction. I unilaterally put a few players on the "attack w/o permission" list based on past discussions. Right now I can think of only DST and LightSage, but there may be one or two others. If it is no longer your intention to attack any and all MP5 and MP6 in the dojo I am willing to remove you from this list if you so desire. The list is my attempt to compromise with those high level players who need more targets in the days of drought. I still argue that all MP levels share in the protection of the dojo if they are not idle, however those of any level may shed the dojo's protection may do so by asking to be on the list. I hope this is a satisfactory answer.

WoW! Many new candidates here. I see [b]Gremlin, Kratus Rey, Miidorii, Blu, Macnia, Tankfans,[/b] and [b]Meow.[/b] [color="#A0522D"](I added you all to the dojo sign).[/color] I hope we can take you all in. As Jazira has said, Since late September 2008 it has been a requirement that all full staff must be LHO (player support). While I can create LHO's it is best if it is mostly or entirely done by Jonn. However.... [list=1] [*]Jonn has a long waiting list [*]MP4 is a requirement [*]the Dojo needs it's own training program [/list]To deal with this I am going to consider creating a special training program for would be staff of any MP level. We will ensure that MP3's learn the answers to the FAQ (Frequently asked question) and make sure that all know what is expected of them in the dojo. In addition, starting next week I will hold classes for all staff and trainees to make sure we are all on the same page, all using the same PMs and chat "signs." Consistency on our message is very important. In addition, I would like to start actually teaching the ideas and concepts I have that guide me in making decisions about the dojo. These are things we should be teaching. I should have been doing this a long time ago, but I think I am finally able to do this. [b]Any who want to become dojo staff need to be seen helping and need to develop a strong relationship with either Jazira or myself so we know who you are[/b] (I mean, who you are inside, what's important to you and how you handle different kinds of situations). [b][color="#CC0000"]Hold the press![/color][/b] I was just talking to Jonn. We have revised the agreement about dojo staff as follows: we may have non-LHO staff, but the may not rise in responsibility unless they are LHO. With this agreement we can have MP3's on staff. There will be two basic staff titles "Dojo Staff and "Dojo Staff / LHO".

[quote name='Grim Angel' post='23957' date='Jan 19 2009, 05:55 PM']I am, quite frankly, dissapointed. I was put in a dream for 24 hrs+ by Calyx. I mean, what does a guy have to do to be put on the list?[/quote] [b]What's the deal, you guys want to be on the Dojo's shit list? If so, just tell me and I will be happy to oblige you.[/b] However... the Dojo is moving to a location with an actual open air dojo scene and those on the shit list will be banned from entry. No more dreams, no more chasing after you. You just won't be able to come in for varying periods of time, perhaps permanently. I have been discussing these thing with [color="#CC0000"]Mur[/color] and banning is something he is working on. If you want, I can arange for this, too. Wish you guys wanted to cooperate and work with other as much as you want to be disruptive simply to upset people.

[quote name='Jazira' post='26783' date='Mar 10 2009, 03:29 PM']Also, it may be easier to try staffing one Dojo at a time, and when we get more trainees, start staffing the Road of Battles, then Defensive Quarters...Sound good?[/quote] Everything sounds good Jazira. I wish I could give fixed times, however I've had difficulty maintaining a regular schedule recently. For me it generally works best if those who want to work with me request a day and server time. Then I have something to focus on. I am going to make an effort to work with all of our trainees and staff. I will start a separate thread for requests to work with me. This will get me into the dojo more and ensure I get to work with all of you.

Well, not being a shapeshifter nor an exhibitionist except when dancing or for certain rituals, I think I will wear my Dojo Kimono throughout the festival. It is quite beautiful and GlorDamar's 3D rendition of the traditional Yin-Yang symbol os quite wonderful. [attachment=823:DojoSymbol.jpg]

First... On many occasions since creating the Dojo I have publicly stated that I do not want the dojo to be 100% safe. People value what they have to work for, what they have to defend. Something that is totally free is not valued in the same way. This said I do want the dojo to be safer and less chaotic than it is. I have long anticipated nihilistic response to the dojo. I do not intend to let the dojo to be torn apart simply because some have the need to rebel or destroy established things. The real problem has been having the right tools in the right hands, I do dreams several times a week in which I haul in all the repeat offenders and try to talk to each of them individually. In the past I have had a high success rate with this. However, if you know how many repeat offenders there are and only one of me, you will know that this is totally out of hand. The dojo [b]IS[/b] being relocated and we will be able to both eject people from the dojo and ban people from entering. This comes a lot close to what would happen in the real world. Much as I am tempted to ask for the ability for long term banning, being able to ban people for periods from 3 hours to 3 days may be adequate. Mistakes and a certain amount of rebelliousness will be tolerated for short periods, but anyone who makes it a way of life will have problems with me and my staff. In the last few days I have had an email from Mur about this and discussed it with him directly earlier today. I do not know exactly what he will do, but I strongly believe we will have much better tools by the end of the festival.

[quote name='lightsage' post='26559' date='Mar 7 2009, 01:14 PM']I don't think I volunteered for that list... It's a combination of both atm[/quote] LightSage, you did not volunteer for the attack anywhere list. However, given our discussion and your vehement belief that MP5's should not have dojo I added you. If you have a compelling reason why I shuld remove you, I will. However your inclusion here seemed logical given your point of view. [quote name='dst' post='26564' date='Mar 7 2009, 01:32 PM']Same here. I did not volunteer for that list. Nobody asked me. I don't mind being there. I mind that nobody *cough* Calyx *cough* put me there by default. I am thinking of asking to be removed just for the fun of it...[/quote] DST, your continued argumentation that MP5 should not have the right to train in peace automatically nominated you for the list. If you do not agree with the dojo rules rules, then fine, you are not entitled to protection and will stay on the list. This is not a joke or a game to me. You cannot have it both ways. If you truly believe you you have been saying to Dojo staff, Mur, Shoeps, and everyone else, the you should be honored to represent you point of view and inclusion in the list. My staff and I have made it clear from the beginning: actions have consequences. This is one of them. [quote name='Jazira' post='26558' date='Mar 7 2009, 01:12 PM']I was thinking that if a player continuously attacks in the Dojo, that we should put their names on a list on the Dojo Sign Post. The players listed there can be attacked at any time, like the other list of volunteers. Only, this list would not be volunteers [/quote] Actually, this is not open to discussion. In addition to the "attack anywhere" list, there will be a list of ofenders. They will be categorized as "under investigation," "confirmed and notified," and "pending addition to Attack Anywhere." I have a concern from past experience that not all reports of violations are valid. People have been branded as violators who were not. I try to contact and talk to all persistent violators. Some get dreamed to make it possible for me to notify them or talk to them. This is one of the reasons I was given the dream control. The "Attack Anywhere" list is an experiment. If it helps reduce reduce chaos in the Dojo we will keep it. If not, by end of festival the Dojo will have a new location with guards at the door to prevent entry to persistent offenders. It is my hope that this ability to ban from dojo will be available to all high ranking dojo staff. Mur is presently considering the best way to handle the problem.

We will most definitely be moving to a new location. I had hoped the new location would be close to the current one, but this is not happening. The dojo is moving to a location being made East of the Plains of Deceit. This is No Man's Land squeezed in between Marind's Bell on the North and Necrovion on the South. There will be a single entrance to the dojo. There will be a way to ban players from the dojo. They will simply be unable to enter the dojo for some period of time. I do not know how this will work. I have requested the capability fo myself, Jazira, and King Bull at a minimum. There will be some other changes which Mur wants to announce himself. So this is all I can say for the moment. I have put in a request for similar artwork for a Loreroot dojo. In the mean time, I will try to get Mur to erect a sign like the ones at Marble Dale Park, Williow's Shop, Saage's Kepp, etc.

I have added comments in red in a few of the prior posts. Please make a quick scan to see if I have left you a comment. I most definitely approve! I am so very pleased with Jazira's initiative on this.

[quote name='Parsifal' post='25874' date='Feb 23 2009, 01:38 AM']Maybe this will be helpful: [url="http://magicduel.invisionzone.com//index.php?showtopic=186&h"]http://magicduel.invisionzone.com//index.p...topic=186&h[/url][/quote] This does clarify things. The weapon and armor enhance your skills. Pray power is how much of yourself is invested in the combat. Are you running on auto-pilot or are you totally present and using everything you have ever learned? The answer to that gives the percentage of your skills inherent with each creature or "shape" you take. Remember the creatures reflect the ways you as an individual do combat. There are magics where a a fighter conjures up copies of herself to confuse and do battle with her opponent. Our army of creatures is like this. We either take a single form and invest all of our pray power into that one form, or we divide up into 2 to 6 forms. This requires concentration. As we are maintaining multiple shapes each gets only a fraction of our pray power. Each "shape" we take on has it's own inherent advantages and disadvantages. These are reflected as the creature's base stats. The fighter's skills and vitality, enhanced by the armor she is wearing and her weapon, are then divided into each of the forms we assume for the purpose of combat. Mur's point is that we all learn to do combat in different ways. Sometimes we are very aggressive and brutish like grassans, other time we stay at a safe distance like archers, other time we simply shelter ourselves like trees. Sometimes we use multiple tactics simultaneously. Then we appear as an army.

[quote name='King Bull' post='24577' date='Jan 31 2009, 02:49 PM']... when Khalazdad the Black Merged with Khalazdad the White at the House of liquid Dust there was a cube there held by SageWoman in this Cube the merge had to take place for Khalazdad to become the Grey. I believe this cube to be made of diamond. I have heard Khalazdad speak of a Gold Cube. this Gold Cube may hold a soul and Khalazdad spoke about this Gold Cube to be lost in Loreroot, but was unsure. I know where this diamond cube is and it is safe.. The Gold may hold the soul of Marind Bell since we all have a cube given to us in the story a little wooden box.... a wooden cube! i believe the shades have the cube but do not know how to use it...[/quote] I've not heard of the gold cube. From this context it may have been the cube holding Khalazdad the White, originally called the "white box." As Khalazdad the Black was fracturing, the White was able to escape and go about MD only while Khalazdad was sleeping. On the last day of the September 2008 festival the final showdown occurred. Two important players failed to appear, Yrthilian and GlorDamar. Yr had taken the box and hidden it when Wodin turned his back and was supposed to bring the box to the final showdown. SageWoman and I knew that Wodin had had the box until just before festival. However I never asked Yr the right question so I did not discover he was the box holder until after the festival. I have never asked Glor about the role he was supposed to play. I think White was supposed to come with him. In any case two things happened that were not supposed to. The white box did not show up and Morrel and Gargant simultaneously struck Khalazdad with fatal blows. When Khalazdad disappeared into the House of Liquid Dust we all thought he was dead. SageWoman and I received the news where we were hiding in Golemus. We had a frantic 15 minutes trying to figure out what to do. I suggested the Principle of Imagination and rewriting the ending. She had received a large diamond days earlier from an unrelated roleplay. I suggested that the diamond could hold the soul and under the right lighting might look like a gleaming white box. SageWoman the recalled other role play during the week including hints she had received about sacrificing herself. She had exacted a promise from Khalazdad. At that point she made me promiss not to interfere with her next role play, her self sacrifice. Khalazdad was having the same problems we were. And though he PMed SageWoman a few times he never said he was also rewriting the ending. As a consequence Khalazdad the White appeared before SageWoman and I arrived on scene. For the purposes of the recorded story in the archives, Yami and I decided to write the TRUTH, the diamond arrived before White did (our memories are merely a little flawed due to MD's magic). Conclusion: The white box and the diamond are one and the same. I do not know if they it even still exist or have relevance to the search for the second cube. The Gold Cube may be equivalent to the diamond / white box. I suspect only Khalazdad can tell us.

To the writers -- I am enjoying the current story very much. I'd love to be part of it, somehow, especially since visiting the graveyard. Very enjoyable. Keep up the good work.

After rereading Manu's post (above) I wish I could remove my reply. The best I can do is replace it's content. This is off topic, but very beautiful. If the word Christ offends you replace it with a name that does not offend you, God, Jehovah, Great Spirit, Krishna, Allah, Vishnu, Buddha, Nirvana, etc. [indent][color="#8B0000"][size=3][i]From this time forward, Christ has no body on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which His compassion will look upon the world; yours are the feet with which He will go about doing good; yours are the hands with which He will bless others.[/i][/size][/color][/indent] [size=3][color="#8B0000"]St. Teressa of Avila Spanish Nun, Mystic and Writer, 1515-1582[/color][/size]

I, Calyx of Isis, Priestess of Isis and the Root, holder of secrets for Loreroot, desire to undertake this challenge. Also, my friend Siala Lone Wolf, Ranger, Herbalist, and J.O.A.T. of Loreroot would like to undertake this quest. As she hasn't her own forum account, she asked me post her name. ====== A friend asked me to add more information: Calyx is a diplomat, one who does with words what others do with swords. Thus I created the dojo and changed the way people see this world. As priestess of Isis I am a force for the light, a powerful healer and shaman. As Shaman I fight the dark forces that invade this world with my spiritual power. I have been inducted into the secrets of the Root and know and wield the magics and power's of the trees, plants, minerals, and waters of Loreroot. Siala asked me to paste this in: I was born in Loreroot and have lived in its woods and fields all my life. As a ranger I know all the paths and all the animals, plants, and herbs. I have spent my life practicing archery, learning to set bones, heal with my hands, and discovering the powers of herbs. My herbal blends are known around Loreroot and in Necrovion as I am now Married to Khalazdad. Loreroot is my home, I am sworn to protrct it. If there are parts I have never seen, I want to gain access to them. Also, I am a J.O.A.T. -- Jill (Jack?) of all trades. If it needs to be done, I've probably done it or can figure out how to do it in no time flat. It's what I do. (And yes, I clean windows and toilets if that's what needed of me!)

I was a friend of Tarquinus and Mieche before Meiche even create Penny. I remember fondly when Penny and Tarquinus found each other and the time when their shared dream became the Children of the Eclipse. During the festival Penny became PWR and was promised spells to control the phase of the moon. Shortly after festival, about the time Penny lost access to the Internet, the current story chapter [i]The Inner Sun[/i] began. Between the promised powers, the new story chapter, and other events I knew Penny and Tarquinus' dream was to become a reality. Even before Penny was forced to leave I knew she and Tarquinus had been promised an alliance. The promise has not been forgotten. It is time to honor it.