By: The Eye & Whisperer Like the last Oracle chat, the most recent was brimming with teasers and portents. Among other things, participants were treated to a pair of excerpts from the upcoming Mysterious Isle (shown below). The player issues were diverse and ranged from questioning the power level of Paradox to concerns about Hathor dependency. While changes to Paradox seem unlikely there were some general hints that a “cure” might be made available. The Oracles also expressed agreement regarding the tendency of non-Hathors to stall out due to anima constraints. Concerns for game and path balance have hindered any progress in that area, but they are “working on it”. The Oracles also established a sequence for the updates, listing the Mysterious Island as Mod 2.9 and the Distant Wasteland as 3.0. Also mentioned was Mod 4.0, which should include more dominion abilities as well as path-specific areas. As promised players were allowed to battle the Oracles, and when a perfectly understandable (could happen to anyone) hiccup took Thebes out of the fray, Isis brought the smackdown instead. The chat ended with a bang. Mod 2.8, the Nexus, was launched in the final fifteen minutes. We hope to bring you more on this mysterious new area in our next issue. Excerpt #1: A day of sailing finds you at the shore of a mountainous island. Amid the susurrus of breaking waves, the breeze carries faint hints of alluring feminine voices in song. Shrouded in fog, the peaks are beyond your vision and lush overgrowth obscures all else. The beach is littered with debris and wreckage, but exploration yields reward. An hour’s walk reveals a small heathen outpost, doubtless a supply station for the invasion. Near the encampment a path leading further inland has been cut into the tangled foliage. Excerpt #2 For hours you trek the path without incident before coming to a fork. Here two smaller paths branch off to the right and left while the main path continues forward. Again you think you catch wisps of music and the sounds of turbulent waters, coming from the right path. Ahead the sky is dominated by the island’s jagged and veiled peaks. Apparently infrequently used, the wilderness threatens to reclaim the left path. A crudely crafted sign stands in the center of the convergence. Translating, one of your slaves reads aloud, “East to the bloodstained Beach, West to Lamassu territory, North into the Labyrinth, and South to safety.” By: The Eye Retribution began forty three minutes into the month of Epeiph. Moved to action by the use of Desecration, the Shadows, Light, and eidolon dominions launched a joint attack against Iron Maiden. The unprecedented conflict opened with a battery of Paradoxes by Nefret and Kaphkha (both Shadows) that disabled the entire Iron Maiden dominion. By 6am four Condemns, fourteen Judgments, eight Dooms, and countless Exhausts had thoroughly crushed Giorgioh (N: Iron Maiden) and his minions. At the time Nomrach, Aer Capello (Shadows) would add to this a series of successful invasions that would culminate in a loss of approximately ten million of the dominion’s favour, knocking Iron Maiden decisively out of the #1 position. This would be made possible by the innovative use of Redeem by Nefertiti (Light). In a public statement (posted by Nefret) the alliance cited the unjustified use of Desecration as the reason for the attack. The declaration was signed by various members of the aligned dominions a group which has now become known as “The Fourteen” (listed below). The declaration also detailed the process by which the hostilities would be resolved, setting a time frame and establishing a topic for the discussion of terms. This was met with almost immediate outrage by various members of Iron Maiden who claimed to be innocents. Their cries fell on deaf ears as virtually no dissenting voices were raised in their aid. The Fourteen and their numerous supporters answered the claims of non-culpability citing guilt by association and approval by inaction. It’s important to note that Akhenuraeus was spared judgment. The self-dubbed “pretender Ankhet”, spoke out against the desecration early on but refused to resign from Iron Maiden out of loyalty. Now a rising star among the negotiators, Akhenuraeus appears to have gained both the respect and credibility on both sides of the chaotic political field. Now as before Giorgioh’s words seemed to resonate. An era had ended. A new era, in which dominions could be held accountable for the actions of their members, seems ready to dawn. The heated negotiations culminated with an oath by Giorgioh to succumb to Ennui and series of strict limitations on Reign. The latter refused to Ennui on the grounds that he would lose too much. We may never know, gentle reader, but this reporter wonders what Euplicitous Arophram would have said to that. The Fourteen: (Shadows) Aer Capello, Baltar, Kaphkha, Kendaer, Nefret, Shenti (Light) JenniferEmily, Nefertiti, ThuSaynte, Werebear (Eidolon) Em, Pakaran, Sloopie, Smooth Pappa By: The Eye The conflict between “The 14” and Iron Maiden served as a backdrop for yet another Desecration. At 14:05 on Epeith 2nd, Ako attempted to use the “ultimate attack” on Pakaran (eidolon). By way of justification Ako offered only that his victim was exhibiting thrall-like behavior. Ako was quickly slain by Cyno (eidolon) but would ultimately succumb to ennui on the 3rd. Pakaran, who was spared irreversible destruction by his Imperishable Ka, publicly denounced the capricious use of Desecrate while acknowledging his own sporadic participation in the forums. Ako had been one of the only players to openly oppose the actions of “The 14” and some speculate that both his use of Desecration and Ennui were meant as protests. With the rash of Hathor violence showing no signs of abating, Hathor must be wondering if the world really has had enough of silly love songs. By: The Eye And ChipDoc saw that the Light was good. And Chipdoc separated the Light from the darkness. And things have gone downhill since. Labeled as either a “sister” or “puppet” of the Shadows, the Light dominion has struggled to find its identity and place in the realm. Light’s troubles began when Chipdoc (founder/Nomarch) assumed his traditional role of mentor and scooped up several younger players. Unfamiliar with the unique nature of Ankhet’s forums, these newcomers quickly earned ridicule for prolific spam-like messages, provocative attitudes, and a poor work ethic. The dominion responded admirably by pulling together and successfully working on the skills and the perceptions of its members. Things were looking up. A second wave of scandal and speculation would befall the passive dominion upon accepting the notoriously aggressive Euplicitous Arophram (freshly out of eidolon) into its ranks. The surprising move distanced the Light from the Shadows but it also shattered the dominion’s reputation for peaceful interaction. Internal support for the inclusion of Arophram remains the subject of debate, as the brawler was generally abandoned to his own fate in battle. The scandal would only deepen when Jumsy, a recent addition at the time, was caught and disciplined for running a zombie named Ra. The downward spiral had only just begun. JJdude would join in the announcement frenzy to decry Iron Maiden, an act that would ultimately set the stage for the permanent destruction of Arophram. Things would continue to deteriorate as Illuminate666 boastfully and repetitively crossed the fourth wall while other members were bogged down in a quagmire of endless public arguments. Things finally seemed to hit rock bottom on Payni 26th. On the heels of the massively controversial desecration of Arophram, JJdude would take the spotlight once again. After quitting the dominion and attacking Skote4, JJ would once again pollute the announcements. Among other things, the tasteless and embarrassing announcements slammed the Light for internal conflicts, censorship, and disorganization. Going from bad to worse, later that day “Do or Die” would post a message as Illuminati666 sparking a frenzy of zombie accusations and reprisals. Illuminati would ultimately succumb to Ennui amid a maelstrom of adolescent melodrama and JJ would go on to form his own dominion Twilight. Light is defiantly down, but it isn’t out. In fact, the dominion may be poised for major comeback. With the more aggressive and erratic elements removed, what remains is a core of strong and dedicated players. Only time will tell if the Light can capitalize on this opportunity to reinvent itself. Their greatest weakness might also be their greatest strength. The Light is a dominion that takes chances and sooner or later that will pay off. Dear Miss Mummy, I can’t find Selket! What can I do? Signed, Tanned Thothy Well, Tanned, the best advice I can give you is to be persistent and keep an eye on your vitality. From everything I’ve seen and heard, Selket seems to be pretty fickle and will reveal herself to you in her own time. If you just can’t wait, another route does exist. You’ll need to get to the Deep Jungle, find some Kuk Charms, find the Deranged Hermit, and then search the Venerable Reliquary. Of course, by the time you do all of that, you’d have found her in the desert anyway. Best of luck, Tanned! Bequeath is a good way to help the people in your dominion. However, it’s cheaper to have your friend take anima from the dominion shrine. As an added bonus, it doesn’t clutter up the Heralds log. Here is the list of Ankhets as of 4 Epeiph, 2755 (Bold indicates a change from the previous issue) Ahmose: Baltar (66 – N: Shadows) Amin-Ra: Nefertiti (71 - Light) Ammut: HEdwards (41 - eidolon) Anubis: JenniferEmily (40 - Light) Bast: None Hathor: Archinta (71 - eidolon) Menthu: skote4 (50 - Light) Sekhmet: Emau (71 – Experiment X) Thoth: Thothmes III (54 – Shadows) Dominion: Shadows (43,000,001) At one point during the week Iron Maiden had surpassed the Shadows for the Dominion seat. Then the war came. The battle between “The 14” and Iron Maiden had a visible impact on the Ankhet list. All three of the new Ankhets hold positions that belonged to Iron Maiden last issue. While the Light seems stable, recent turmoil (including the resignation of founder/nomarch Em) may threaten eidolon’s staying power. “i am nova, and i have no intention of being a thrall.” –Nova (on resigning from Iron Maiden) Underworld: The End of an Era: Post #152 “When somebody of authority says stop, please stop” - JJdude (regarding frivolous announcements) Announcement #106 (the 10th of 11 announcements posted by JJdude in a roughly 24 hour period) “This is to announce that the Scuttler Kaphkha has left these Halls.” – Khap-Ra (on retiring Khaphka) Announcement #122 “But at this point, I do not ever see myself returning.” - Illuminati666 Halls of Initiation: Ciao Everyone: Post #1 “22:06 - The gods rejoice! skote4 defeated the Ammut Aeon in battle. All hail skote4!” – The Heralds (Skote4 was level 45 and unassisted) 29 Payni 2755 “We, members of Light, eidolon, and Shadows utterly reject the Desecration of Euplicitous Arophram.” – Nefret Underworld: The Leveling: Post #1 “I even am grateful for what happened with EA. Overjoyed in fact.” – Emau Underworld: A Proposition: Post# 24 “Unfortunately, I cannot so easily apologize for my actions against Euplicitous. Do I now regret them? The answer is a resounding Yes.” – Giorgioh Underworld: The Leveling: Post# 183 Interviewed by: Cyno. His name has become synonymous with unchecked ambition and controversy. Giorgioh, the Nomarch and founder of Iron Maiden, has a history of provocative actions and deeds. Our reporter caught up with him to get his take on the desecration, his reputation, the thrall issue, and more… Did you find the community response to the desecration to differ from what you expected? Good question. I very much expected a retaliation that would be orchestrated by those players that were close to Euplicitous Arophram. This has since been realized as members of Light, eidolon, and Shadows have pulled together and avenged his desecration. As far as the specifics go, I did not believe they would subject all members of Iron Maiden to the Judgment of Ra. My prediction was that they would target only those directly involved with the desecration. Your detractors have described you as arrogant, confrontational, and a master of thralls. How would you describe yourself? Yes those are the players that do not know me very well. Sometimes disciples who are unafraid to voice their opinions, regardless of what the community response might be, are unfairly labeled as arrogant or confrontational. There are those in my dominion that do not necessarily agree with the actions I take, but those that do side with me do it because they share my beliefs, not because they are required to. Just as they are not required to post for or against me. What did the Desecration of Euplicitous Arophram accomplish? Euplicitous Arophram, in my opinion, stood for many things. Most of all, he represented the idea that it is perfectly acceptable to bully players who are new or under-developed statistically. Euplicitous was greatly known for this, and more importantly few ever dared oppose his tyrannical behavior. Whether this was out of fear or respect, I am not sure, but the desecration suggests that his philosophy was not and should not be supported by all. I still firmly believe this. You have said the desecration of Euplicitous Arophram was the "End of an Era". How would you describe this ended era? What differences does the future era hold? Yes, the end of having to be afraid of oppression, injustice, and censorship at the hands of our realm's biggest offender: Euplicitous Arophram. Veteran and new players can now roam freely without fear of stepping on Euplicitous toes and thus suffering multiple deaths and decimations. Lastly, I hope that other players who have considered emulating this style of play will be dissuaded from doing so. How did you break the issue of desecration to your dominion? In retrospect do you think you should have discussed the desecration with your dominion more before hand? Firstly, I want to emphasize that only reign and I were aware of the campaign to Desecrate Euplicitous Arophram. All other members of Iron Maiden had come to know about my grievances against Euplicitous and were under the impression that the multiple duels would be the extent of the attack. Those who were online at the time of the event (Frey, Kahncept, nova and Luthien Tinuviel) were surprised to see the heralds when this 'ultimate ability' was used. My intention was to maintain the smallest number of culpable members as possible, but unfortunately much of the community feels that all of Iron Maiden is linked to the Desecration. Which is why now, I believe that I should have discussed the possibility of this event with everyone in our dominion more thoroughly. I also admit that I could not foresee that the community's response would be of this magnitude. Your dominion is criticized for its member's lack of participation in the commune. How do you respond to this? As you might know, I am responsible for recruiting disciples for Iron Maiden. Upon joining us, they are expected to contribute to our database, to the shrine, and by tithing whenever it's feasible. Everything else like to which paths you may convert, to which level you may ascend, to how active or inactive you may be in the fora, etc. these are the options that are left to the individuals. Ankhet has many aspects that each appeals more or less to certain types of disciples. I cannot be expected to control or force my fellow mates to delve into the facets that do not interest them. This, however, does not mean that I do not encourage them to experience it. What are the key elements of your and Iron Maiden's meteoric successes? Iron Maiden, I like to see it as a group of individuals in pursuit of statistical honor, unexplored discoveries, and the largest collection of rare artifacts. If you mix ambition with devotion and resilience, you are likely to produce something successful. Furthermore, I've noticed that other dominions generally prefer that accomplishments should be completed unassisted. We believe in the power of teamwork, and understand that our statistical growth is a result of our cohesiveness and unselfishness. Recently you surpassed Shadows in dominion favour. This is quite an accomplishment, as it has only been done once before, and for a very short period of time. Now that you have had the highest favour dominion, what are your goals? Maintaining the top rank dominion wise will always be a goal. Even when you're on top, it can be a struggle to remain there, but the benefits of being number one are nice to have. Other objectives on the agenda? I would like to see our numbers grow with an influx of diverse player types. I would like to see our reputation among the community improve. These are the priorities for now. Last but not least.. All too often we overlook the actual name of the dominion. What inspired you to name your dominion Iron Maiden? Well, I was initially planning to choose a name that related to Ancient Egypt. After pondering the myriad possibilities, I concluded that I was taking this name choosing process too seriously. So, I opted to go for the name of the band I had been listening to. After further contemplation, having a dominion named after a 'torture device' seemed fitting or just plain cool, and thus Iron Maiden was founded. Thank you for this opportunity, it is greatly appreciated. Thank you for answering our questions. Last issue we said that the Shadows were the Ankhet’s second dominion. This was an error, they were the 1st. Oops. If you’d like to be heard, please send any questions, comments, or submission to AnkhetGazette@gmail.com. Previous Issues can be viewed by using the Archives button below. Enjoying TAG? Want to see it continue? Contribute! Would you like to write for TAG? We’re looking for articles on the following subjects:
All submissions are due on the Monday of each week. View Archives |
||