Phantom Orchid

Thy quest, this anniversary, were one of simplicity - and I affirm that simplicity and elegance were key.

Give form to the above winged-being, with guidance proceeding:

Of its lore, one paragraph. This should be consistent with the above story, although thou'rt encouraged to elaborate further, with artistic licence. Points shall be awarded for well-written lore, consistent with the aforementioned tale and of its character in combat.

Of its character in combat, one sentence. The statistic, nor the vitality of such a creature were of little consequence - this sentence should merely explain of a single unique ability. Points shall be awarded for elegance and simplicity, as well as how it may usher a change in the present strength of rituals.

Of how it doth change combat, within the realm - one paragraph. I do note quite the preponderance of rituals that do use the Freeze-Aura, and I encourage those that enter to think of how one may counter a multitude of Freeze-Auras, that may restore balance to combat thereof. I do note that presently, the Anti-Freeze-Aura were in fact nullified by the Freeze Aura, if one doth freeze the holder of that aura, and thus it were presently an inadequate counter-ritual.
Points shall be given for the following:
- How it may counter rituals with multiple Freeze-Auras (especially if one canst counter it without making those rituals stronger, if one doth add this new creature to it)
A small bonus shall be awarded if there are interesting interactions with currently existing abilities of the realm.

I should like to offer a Lorerootian Root Warrior to the best entry, although I would that those who do give rewards of the Anniversary of the realm should appropriate a prize in its stead.

Entries to this competition shall be open to the end of the Anniversary. One may enter multiple times, of which the best scoring entry shall be used.

I know this thread is uncalled for, but, the "worst thing about mur" is completely unbalanced. :)
 
I'm calling out to each and every one of you, especially the ones who posted in the other thread, to throw your best snowball of appreciation for what you consider the best thing about Mur to be.
 
I'll start.
 
I appreciate how you challenge us, how you so artfully put just enough order into chaos to hint at the shadowy outlines of each layer of MD patterns/symbols. You are never one to give answers, or really anything, away.  And even if it does not appear to be so, there are always reasons (and methods) behind your "madness."

Hello,

First off, this thread has gone [i]way[/i] off-topic. None of this has anything to do with discrimination. However, as it appears this issue has now become a spectacle (ugh), I have posted below my latest PM response to DST.

------------------------------------------------

Sent Today, 11:12 AM
DST,

Look. Today has been a really *****y day for me, and my reaction towards this has less to do with you than what's happening in RL for me.

I admit that the 'joke' was meant to be insulting and hurtful - that was my reaction for you using, in my opinion, the PL for non-PL related things. It is my understanding that the PL is to be used for character description/interactions. Saying that Nikki is an alt and not to praise her because of it does not, in my opinion, fit the intended use of the PL. Your remarks were not in-character.

I was not insulted (if ever anyone should try to insult me - good luck with that one!) as I am not an insecure person. However, I was upset because of it.

On a side note, I respect your character (I am quite fond of villains, actually) and apologize for the insult of my words. Because of that, I have removed the PL entry.

I am trying very hard here to make amends. Do what you will from this point, but just know that I would rather we put this energy towards Roleplaying instead of fighting out-of-character.

Take care,
Poe

I'm still locked away from you, but I remember the illuminating warmth of our reverent memories, forever cherished.
 
If I could sing to you, I would.
 
Fondly,
PO

[quote name='dst' timestamp='1345303223' post='120401']
Why?

Simple: Fang tried to revive fenrir (or at least took some steps in that direction). POE doesn't want fenrir alive so she plotted and acted in that direction aka killed the only person that so far did something about the revival.
[/quote]

You write wonderful fiction, dst. However, it is not too convincing.

And what does this have to do with the topic of this thread?

"Anything" is possible so long as the one/s deciding chooses to make it happen. And in that regards "nothing" is possible for those who have garnered their disfavor.
 
I will not attempt to be involved with such decisions again in MD; however, the CoE does have a rich and varied history.
 
There are still memories rich like gardens; rituals, lesson, and song. Sacred places.
 
The CoE lived before before we had badges, as, in spirit, it has 'survived' afterwards. It's just unfortunate that many of my kin have been run out of the realm by a certain weasel with powerful strings.

Due to outside interference, this quest was postponed.  Those elves are splayed bloody and cold amongst rusted hamster wheels. Sorry. I had plans to get this going once I got out of jail, but now I am dead for the second time since then - which kinda makes it hard to continue considering that I can't even move..

Thank you for writing that Tarq.

I have seen this happen over and over again, and am definitely guilty of falling into this trap myself, where in-game conflicts are leaked out into out-of-realm (ie forum, YIM) issues. As you have alluded to from time and time again - conflict is necessary for growing, making mistakes, learning, collaborating with friends and conspiring against foes.

But when we do not allow our characters to play out potentially awesome roleplay/combat potentials, and instead choose to cast them aside in favor of handling them from an outside perspective (out of character), we forfeit the uniqueness of our characters which many of us have worked so hard to build and whose identities were not created for or intended to involve anything 'outside the box.'

When we moan (to use the word of the week) about in-game things on the forums, we rob our characters identity from having to deal with these things and things become static (aka dead). We rob ourselves of balance. We rob ourselves of imagination.

~ Day: 189 Year: 9 ~
watering and remembering
[spoiler]: *Eagle Eye* wakes up
: *Eagle Eye* looks around
: *Eagle Eye* good morning Garden
: *Eagle Eye* good morning Rumi
: *Eagle Eye* Clean the soil
: *Eagle Eye* We miss you Rumi
: *Eagle Eye* Get a tank of water and gives to the Garden[/spoiler]

Poe, did you or did you not send Council an email pointing the lack of members in Crafters alliance?
Did you or did you not know that it means the alliance should be disbanded according to the rules?
 
So why did you do that if not meaning for the alliance to be disbanded?
To make Council look biased and show yourself as a victim in their plots?
Well, Council did what they should have done. They contacted the alliance leader and talked to him giving him the opportunity to gain more members like "past about two guilds that had 1-2 active members" did.
He decided otherwise. It was his choice and I respect it. More than once he said that Crafters shouldn't be part of any land affiliated alliance.
But you, like it or not, did play your role in disbanding alliance that used to be your own.
And now you play victim and share jokes...
Not that it matters much, but I for one am disappointed.

The CoE badges were taken when there were 6 core alliance members still active... and multiple attempts were made to 'earn' the badges back (even though they were taken nefariously, but that's another issue). When Pip hijacked the alliance, I cursed it in game, but I was in a way thankful for it. It solidified our resolve, plans were developed and hatched to reclaim them, and we began performing more rituals. However, despite increased activity, and despite reaching out multiple times to 'the gods' of MD with a list of active players and activities, we were never given the opportunity to reclaim them.
 
Because the system is rigged, and the gods favor the favored. And Chewy, we're talking about the viability of the CoE badges coming back - please stop trolling.

"Anything" is possible so long as the one/s deciding chooses to make it happen. And in that regards "nothing" is possible for those who have garnered their disfavor.
 
I will not attempt to be involved with such decisions again in MD; however, the CoE does have a rich and varied history.
 
There are still memories rich like gardens; rituals, lesson, and song. Sacred places.
 
The CoE lived before before we had badges, as, in spirit, it has 'survived' afterwards. It's just unfortunate that many of my kin have been run out of the realm by a certain weasel with powerful strings.

I have written it, as promised and I received no objections to posting it for public viewing. I decided to post it in a new topic, for the sake of clarity. I hope it's readable - I wrote it in a google document and formatted it nicely, but the forum might break some of the formatting.
 
Constructive criticism is welcome. It may not be perfect and there may be issues that escaped my mind or that I did not phrase properly, so please suggest improvement (how and where to do it), if you believe it is necessary.
 
Also, I will update this first post with a list of people currently interested in committing themselves to this journey of bringing the CoE back.
 
Player List:
Aeoshattr
Powle
Darry Dabby
StrongWilledLegna
Ciphla
 
 
 
 

Who am I?
 
I am Aeoshattr, former Knight of the Full Moon. CoE was the first alliance to open its arms to me. I have learned much from it and I have loved it, yet due to a temporary divergence in opinions, I took the decision to leave, long ago. Nevertheless, my heart remained with the Eclipse for a long time. I have been wandering around searching for another home since, yet I am now fully devoted to Loreroot and to bringing it back to its former glory - which, in my view, involves restoring the CoE. I have been a citizen of Loreroot, but I have also been a member of the Shattered Illusions and of the Knights of the Bell for a short period of time in the past.
I have decided to begin this journey as I believe that I can serve Loreroot as a whole better by doing this; as a citizen of Loreroot, it is my duty to ensure I serve the Land as well as I can.
 
Why revive CoE?
 
Loreroot has been reduced to the Guardians and the Woodcutters. While there is more than enough space to accommodate newcomers in these alliances, it still leaves a gaping space open which must be filled in order to restore the Root to its former glory. The Root will not be complete if part of its heart is torn away from it, no matter how many nourish and tend to it. The Eclipse will open new possible roles for the people of Loreroot and those that wish to join it - thus providing us with the room to grow in variety not only in numbers.
 
The alliance was, indeed, more than just a branch of the Root that stretched out, beyond the forest. Its purpose was both to guide the growth of the Root under the light of the Moon, defend the land, retrieve valuable information from lands far away and even delivering retribution when necessary. The Knighthood and Priesthood were valued halves of this Alliance which I wish to preserve, as their complementary relationship proved successful in the past.
Furthermore, I believe that the community as a whole (I am referring to all players in MD) could benefit from the presence of this alliance. I hope that the sermons and the ceremonies that will be held will inspire others and provide insight to those that attend them; pilgrimages will provide players with goals and help them shape their roles. I believe the community needs something to bring it together, even if just for a few hours at a time, something to keep it going and provide people with an opportunity to listen, talk and think and - who knows - maybe spawn new plot lines that will drive the Adventure Log forwards and help other players advance their roles and wishes.
Do we need the CoE? Yes, I dare speak for Loreroot, we do. Our Guardians are strong and the Woodcutters are meticulous. The Forest is defended and tended to, yet there is a sense of guidance that seems to elude my perception for the moment. The Root needs to know that the Moon has not abandoned it, so that it may grow under its cold, gentle light as well as under the strong, warm light of the Sun. The Forest is incomplete without the Eclipse and thus it will not flourish as it once did without the Eclipse.
As I stated, it is my wish to see Loreroot restored to its former glory and I cannot see this done without the CoE. Therefore, I am willing to take this burden onto myself, in an attempt to prove that I am worthy of bringing back and leading this once beautiful alliance.
 
tl;dr: A set of roles cannot be fulfilled without the CoE. The Guardians of the Root are military by default and the Woodcutters are harvesters. It's not stopping people within them from researching or plotting or pushing forwards RP, but the CoE would be vastly more dedicated to this and more suitable, avoiding the creation of "mottled" alliances.
 
What will the purpose of CoE be?
 
Its purpose will retain most of its past goals. The scope of the Cloister shall be to worship the Moon, the Sun and the Stars, share our wisdom with whoever is willing to listen, provide guidance and blessing in dire times as well as in times of joy. There will be ceremonies to be held, pilgrimages to be taken, offerings to be given (which I will detail in a “Book of Rites” that has yet to be compiled from old sermons and new ones).
Overall, I am doing this to bring out the Lore of Loreroot to its people and those outside, which I do not see being done currently and, in my view, would be an enriching experience for everyone.
 
tl;dr: Heavy focus on Roleplay that involves many players (gatherings, pilgrimages, etc) and that hopefully will bring life back to the community, but also on research of Loreroot and hopefully gathering enough influence and resources to push forwards implementation of new features in MD. 
 
What will change? How, why?
 
Following suggestions, I have decided to remove the Knighthood (to avoid unnecessary mottling of the alliance and creating redundancy), except for a few select spots in the alliance. The CoE will be a roleplay-research alliance with very little, if any, military involvement. We leave the defense of the land in the hands of the Guardians and will assist with our power in times of need, but our goals are not military by default.
The Clergy of the CoE will be referred to as the Cloister.
I have changed the number and frequency of ceremonies to be held; ceremonies held by the Eclipse are not mundane events and should not be considered as such (thus their quality must step up a notch) and hopefully this will help draw more people to attend them and make them have a greater impact upon those that attend. The ceremonies will be rarer, in order to enable people to plan so that they can attend and to allow more time for their preparation. I believe this is more important at the moment.
The changes regarding the Knighthood are mainly concerned with a personal opinion that I hold. The land of Loreroot is not a spiteful, expansive land. We will be adamant about guarding our boundaries, but should not seek to actively expand them. Thus I deemed the need for a powerful offensive force unnecessary and removed the Knighthood.

The ranks of the CoE
 
Cloister
Seer (1): the leader of the Cloister as a whole, finding balance between the Moon and the Sun. The Seer must provide guidance to the Cloister and counselling to the Prior, as well as to Loreroot to an extent. A Seer is revealed to the Eclipse rather than chosen by its people.
Sun Dancer: priest(ess) which hears the voice of the Sun, feels its warmth and vigour. Their souls must match the youth of the Sun and their actions must reflect this. (Regarding game mechanics only, you will be expected to aid lorerootians to gain heat.)
Moon Chanter: priest(ess) which hears the voice of the Moon, matching its calm and cold nature. Though empathic like the rest, the Moon Chanters are the best known as the secret keepers of the Eclipse. (Regarding game mechanics only, you will be expected to aid lorerootians to lose heat)
Silent (1): The Silent is the right hand of the Prior, involving in affairs that the Prior would otherwise be unable to attend himself. Thus the Silent is only held responsible for his/her actions directly to the Prior.
Prior (1): The Prior is the leader of the Eclipse, revealing his/her will only to the people of Loreroot. He/she plays a balancing act between gazing into the darkness and basking in the light, communing with the Cloister and with the Covenant as well as with the other people of Loreroot. The Prior is elected from the Eclipse by the existing Omen and Seer, but also by the two Consuls.
The numbers in brackets represent the number of available positions for the respective rank. I will update it accordingly (I do not remember the maximum number of members for CoE) 

 
The Code of the Cloister
Empathy – a priest(ess) must empathise even with the enemy and guide the Eclipse accordingly.
Secrecy – a priest(ess) must never give away the secrets of the Root outside the Forest. What is deemed secret shall be made known to the Cloister by the Seer and the Prior, or even the Consuls of Loreroot.
Counsel – a priest(ess) must share his/her advice to those who come to seek it and help guide them accordingly.
Liturgy – a priest(ess) must conduct the rituals of the Cloister as mentioned within the ritual, regardless of whom is attending or any other needs.
 
The Seer
The Moon and the Sun have revealed themselves to you. None are worthy of judging or deeming what your duty is, which is why you must let the Moon and the Sun guide you down the right path, for your word weighs heavily in the Eclipse.
Your presence is required for special ceremonies during Solstices and Equinoxes.
The overruling duty of the Seer, however, is to initiate the other members of the Cloister and supervise them throughout their journey.
       
The Sun Dancers
You bring warmth and light to the Forest, radiating youth and joy. You must dance for us in times of sorrow and need, but dance even more in times of happiness. Spring and Summer fall under your wings and it is your duty to perform ceremonies to praise the Sun and what it brings to the Forest. (Once per week during the mentioned seasons and every Full Moon in the rest of the time)
Empathy is your overruling duty.
       
The Moon Chanters
Your dim, soothing light ensures that the Forest and its inhabitants are guided down the right path. Your songs keep the forest and its inhabitants safe during the long night – you are needed in times of pain, to keep the Children of the Eclipse bound together and keep hope lit in their hearts. Fall and Winter are under your spell, thus it is your duty to praise them and the Moon. (Once per week during the mentioned seasons and every New Moon in the rest of the time)
Secrecy is your overruling duty.
 
 
The Code of the Prior
Balance – a Prior must show balance between the two halves of the Eclipse: maintaining equilibrium between the Sun and the Moon, between Light and Darkness, between the Covenant and the Cloister.
Diplomacy – a Prior must be diplomatic, as his/her voice weighs in the affairs of Loreroot and in external affairs as well.
Devotion – a Prior must be devoted to Loreroot and he/she cannot decide to take action against his/her own land, unless it is demonstrated that it is for the good of the Land.
Stoicism – a Prior’s decisions are irrevocable, thus he/she must stand by his/her word until his/her last breath. Furthermore, a Prior must acknowledge that his/her decision weighs heavily and thus not give his/her judgement lightly.
 
The Prior
The Prior is the leader of the Eclipse; as the Eclipse’s main purpose is to serve the forest, the Prior is elected from the people of the Eclipse, but must have his/her role confirmed by the two Consuls of the Land, or the current leaders of the Land. Under special circumstances, the Prior may be elected without the blessing of the Consuls (such as there are no Consuls alive, etc), however, once the situation is remedied, his/her role must be confirmed by the leaders of the Land.
The Prior’s main purpose is dictated by his/her Code and, as he/she holds authority over the Eclipse, few are in the position to judge his/her decisions. Thus he/she must show a sense of Justice and Balance and, furthermore, any infringement of the Code must be dealt with by the Consuls and the Judges of Loreroot.
Within the Eclipse, the Prior’s purpose is to guide as he/she sees fit, but also to initiate and supervise the work of the Omen and of the Seer, who are directly subordinated to him/her. Regardless, the authority of the Prior can be questioned and disputed by the members of the Eclipse, with a rite that shall be mentioned in the Book of Rites.
 
The Silent
Your duty and loyalty lies with the Prior before anyone else – you carry out tasks that concern the fate of the Forest, beyond its boundaries. Like your mission, your shackles are long and loose, yet remember you are accountable to the Prior and to the Consuls, should you forget where your heart and soul truly lie.
Your Devotion must be unwavering.
 
 
Disciplinary actions (offense by CoE)
Should it be proven that one of the Eclipse has broken the Code, they shall be judged by the Omen or the Seer, then by the Prior, and finally by the Consuls, varying with the severity of their actions.
Minor offenses shall be judged by Seer. These include but are not limited to breaking one of the rules in the Code, except for Secrecy. This also refers to a first-time offense of the above-mentioned severity. These offenses shall be dealt with as deemed appropriate, though the offender will not be removed from the alliance.
Major offenses shall be judged by the Prior together with the Seer. These refer specifically to breaking Secrecy, however are not limited to it. This also refers to repeated breaches of the code, regardless of their severity. The punishment is usually the retirement of the offender’s badge, yet may be more or less severe.
Capital offenses shall be judged by the Prior together with the Consuls only. This refers mainly to Treason but is not limited to it. Murder or grave injury of any Lorerootian by a member of the Eclipse is considered treason, as well as revealing compromising information to the enemy, regardless of the current diplomatic status (even in times of peace). The Prior and the Consuls have right of life and death over a traitor and if their decision is to spare the offender, then the decision is final and the offender is banished from the lands for eternity.
 
The Silent constitute an exception as he/she is only held accountable for his/her actions directly to the Prior and only under extraordinary circumstances will he/she be brought to justice together with the Consuls or the Judges of Loreroot.
 
 
Alt accounts policy:
I am welcoming alts to join my cause, however I will be unyielding in regards to one issue: no meta-roleplay. You are expected to keep your alts 100% separate, no exceptions under any circumstances. Information that I share with one alt should not be shared with another alt or used by another character other than the one I shared it with. This includes everything, even if I just tell you what I had for breakfast! I know it must be difficult sometimes, but I will make no exceptions. This will be a role-play alliance (mainly), thus avoiding meta-roleplay is of the utmost importance. Breaching of this will result in a prompt boot to the butt and I reserve the right to kick people that breach this rule without notice.
 
EDIT: Added Ary's suggestion as mentioned in his post
EDIT: Updated, considering Granos' suggestions. Added some tl,dr in green text, to highlight some stuff. Hope I didn't miss anything

I understand there are other Alliances to such an effect, and look at the state of things--stagnation. For things to move forward there has to be a change of ideals. That said I am not condoning RP, but merely stating that there needs to be a reasoning behind it, a purpose that makes sense in regards to what MD is. And for clarification, there are Alliances, and then there are Guilds, guilds are the ones with coded purposes.

Just because something else exists does not mean something else should, MD is about that unique set of perspectives, if there is a reason behind it which there usually is (although may have been lost over time--which is another discussion all together) then it is fine so long as it sits grounded in the foundations of MD. As Dst pointed out, you do not need an alliance to RP.

There is nothing wrong with having fun, but an alliance is making a visible impact on the realm, therefore must have a purpose. An alliance that has lost or blatantly failed its purpose should not exist, case and point the Necrovion Sentinels.

I would like to see this succeed, but it has to be for the right reasons. (publicly or privately)

You can have fun and rp WITHOUT an ally.

Ok, originally, I like the purpose of the CoE.... But this, no offense, seems like a load of nonsense. You have a lengthy explanation detailing a lot of things which is great but ultimately pointless. It seems you are saying a lot without saying anything at all. It panders to pointless RP with no real purpose to the realm. Say if you were to legitimize and study the night system and become authorities and push and fight for it to be fully implemented like the original CoE was aiming for then yes, I see a point. But in so far as to what is actually here, it is all just a bunch of RP for the sake of RP and pandering positions for the sake of ego.

- An Alliance for the sake of just role playing for the sake of role playing with no basis is pointless.
- You need a real purpose, IE the night system.
- Have one focus not multiple IE a military for the sake of a military aspect. One focus is what is needed there are other alliances for that.
- Just because it was like this in the past does not make it good, it died in the past for a reason.


This may seem harsh but ultimately less is more.

Poe, why not answer them publically? since you enjoy making such a fuss publically, why not do so the same when actually confronted?

Please note that I speak now as the guy who is looking at stats and facts. My views are based on numbers not what I would like or not.
 
From numbers perspective, currently:
 
1. MD doesn't have the capability of holding any other alliances, due to lack of players
2. Creation of new alliances, might lead to disbanding other
 
Out of numbers and from a player perspective:
 
I would love to see lands more inclusive. They should treat new players as part of them, without any hard requirements. If players find themselves involved in something, if they feel part of something and they feel important, they will stay and MD will have glorious times again. I'm so angry with Kings and land rulers currently. They are more dead than their lands. They should be searching for new players for their lands, they should be hunting for them since they begin the game. We need more spice in the game, something crazy happening. Lands should compete to see which can do x or y thing better, start a war or just do something to make people interested in them.
 
The past is the past and as long as you keep thinking on the great things that happened before and forget thinking on the great things that can be done, you will miss moving ahead and nothing great will happen. Kings and land rulers have the power of changing the status of the game, even before the major changes we are expecting from development and code perspective.  You have in your hands the ability of making your lands interesting again. The questions is, will you?
 
A little example to prove my point:
 
Why having alliances that are "DEFENDERS" or are "KNIGHTS" if there's nothing to defend or attack?
 
Eventually, and this is what is happening, people gets bored of being in a place that is not interesting and doesn't involve him/her with a purpose to fight for, and this finishes in them leaving the game.
 
 
B

History has a nasty habit of repeating itself. As well as mistakes. In my experience with MD, people don't really learn from other's mistakes but from their own. If they hit the wall themselves, they will know. If somebody else hits the wall that somebody will be: laughed at/pitied/etc/etc  and soon the reason as to WHY the wall was hit it will forgotten. They will however remember the wall and start whining :D

The CoE badges were taken when there were 6 core alliance members still active... and multiple attempts were made to 'earn' the badges back (even though they were taken nefariously, but that's another issue). When Pip hijacked the alliance, I cursed it in game, but I was in a way thankful for it. It solidified our resolve, plans were developed and hatched to reclaim them, and we began performing more rituals. However, despite increased activity, and despite reaching out multiple times to 'the gods' of MD with a list of active players and activities, we were never given the opportunity to reclaim them.
 
Because the system is rigged, and the gods favor the favored. And Chewy, we're talking about the viability of the CoE badges coming back - please stop trolling.

The CoE badges were taken when there were 6 core alliance members still active... and multiple attempts were made to 'earn' the badges back (even though they were taken nefariously, but that's another issue). When Pip hijacked the alliance, I cursed it in game, but I was in a way thankful for it. It solidified our resolve, plans were developed and hatched to reclaim them, and we began performing more rituals. However, despite increased activity, and despite reaching out multiple times to 'the gods' of MD with a list of active players and activities, we were never given the opportunity to reclaim them.
 
Because the system is rigged, and the gods favor the favored. And Chewy, we're talking about the viability of the CoE badges coming back - please stop trolling.

Then you don't have to try and help. Others can and I applaud them and will help them do so. Much has changed since then Phantom, Have you?

As for "Please stop trolling" I'm being deadly serious, I will give the badges and alliance back myself if I see some effort and it looks like this time it will actually happen.
 
Just because you failed to appease the previous rulers doesn't mean it will not change. Previously council and now I have set out specific guidelines to reclaim it. You didn't get involved with this previously and as mya said, they talked to CoE members but no one actually got back to them.

The CoE badges were taken when there were 6 core alliance members still active... and multiple attempts were made to 'earn' the badges back (even though they were taken nefariously, but that's another issue). When Pip hijacked the alliance, I cursed it in game, but I was in a way thankful for it. It solidified our resolve, plans were developed and hatched to reclaim them, and we began performing more rituals. However, despite increased activity, and despite reaching out multiple times to 'the gods' of MD with a list of active players and activities, we were never given the opportunity to reclaim them.
 
Because the system is rigged, and the gods favor the favored. And Chewy, we're talking about the viability of the CoE badges coming back - please stop trolling.

Whats the difference between not trying, for fear or failing, and failing?
 
Nothing at all. But in actuality if you dont try, you never have the chance to succeed. By all means follow Phantoms logic, but that is the reason she will never accomplish anything else in MD. She reasons that because she will probably fail, she shouldn't try. This is the attitude that will kill MD. Not people like Aeo trying things.
 
For that I salute Aeo. He has my greatest respect.

"Anything" is possible so long as the one/s deciding chooses to make it happen. And in that regards "nothing" is possible for those who have garnered their disfavor.
 
I will not attempt to be involved with such decisions again in MD; however, the CoE does have a rich and varied history.
 
There are still memories rich like gardens; rituals, lesson, and song. Sacred places.
 
The CoE lived before before we had badges, as, in spirit, it has 'survived' afterwards. It's just unfortunate that many of my kin have been run out of the realm by a certain weasel with powerful strings.