GOAL REACHED.
I just...I am stunned and humbled that came together so quickly, hardly even a day later.
I'm full of so much hope and positive feels and it is a HUGE weight off my shoulders, holy shit.
Thank you, everybody who gave or even thought about it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I hope I have the chance to pass this amazing kindness on soon. 
Batman was always a Republican.
He's an obscenely rich man with an entire city as his personal theme park where he can play dress up (with a ridiculously advanced arsenal no less!), beat the impoverished and the mentally ill within an inch of their lives, then catch and release them through an incompetent and crippled healthcare system so he can do it all again.
@Ghost said in TS - Danger zone:
Is it an IC romance scene, or two human beings on opposite sides of an internet connection getting each other horny?
I'm in the camp that thinks it doesn't particularly matter if it's both, as long as what's happening is comfortable for all parties involved. I've also always felt like TS was something that could be enjoyed OOC on an intellectual level (ie, "oh dang, that is spicy") and an emotional level (ie, it is very cathartic to see two characters with a lot of chemistry connecting and being intimate) without it being some weird level of self-insertion, or being odd/shameful that you're enjoying it as a person and trying to make something your writing partner also enjoys.
Being ashamed or overly worried about what it means or says about you is what is very weird to me. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Walking into a scene with high hopes but a little nervousness because it's gonna be with strangers aside from the fuckin' AWESOME person who organized the whole thing (<3!!!), and then having those hopes exceeded in every way possible.
Just like, CRAZY great RP that happens in a very novel way, shocking revelations that somehow fit your character and the other characters perfectly and leave so much to dig into, the realization that you just made new instant game buddies...
What a great night, I am going to be gushing for weeks 
When another character can walk circles around yours because the player is just that good. Like, nothing to do with social dice, they just know exactly which buttons to press.
It's simultaneously the most humbling, slightly frustrating, and impressive thing.
I love it.
I've gone from being painfully lonely to not really giving a shit.
People kept telling me this is the secret first step to finding someone so...maybe there's hope yet???
¯_(ツ)_/¯
@bored said in Regarding administration on MSB:
Sure, in a very chain-of-consequences kind of way. But I don't think the average (again, sane) person writes a * yelp review thinking 'ahhaha I'm taking these fuckers down!'
I will be honest, it really does seem to me that a lot of us are working at cross purposes here, there are a lot of people who are not here with an average yelp reviewer attitude, come on. WORA had the reputation that that is where you go for "justice," and "throwing back the curtain," which in our community played out a lot like throwing a screaming, crying tantrum a lot of the time.
I've seen that less here, but that attitude still exists - shoot first, ask questions later, make as much noise as you can to wallow in the chaos OUT THE EVIL THAT HIDES AMONG US!!!! and all that. I am not pointing fingers or trying to call anyone out, but it seems to me like there's a prevalent attitude or perception that conflict resolution is about making the conflict as public and ugly as possible as the very first step, which turned this place into such a goddamn dumpster fire for a few weeks, with people gleefully squirting gasoline on it because that is just what they come here to do.
So I have a pitch and I'm looking for feedback before I start seriously investing time and effort. Feel free to make comments and suggestions!
--
The Celebrated Company of Mongrels is a game in an original dark fantasy setting, and also the name of the organization the game will revolve around.
Taking place in the ancient kingdom of Goëtika, society is extremely rigid and (on the surface) honor-based, with no upward mobility between classes and a lot of corruption in the court; this is compounded by both its relationship with the Church of the Crimson God, a fanatical religion that was elevated to the official faith of the realm by a devout king hundreds of years ago, and the subjugation of non-humans that happened nearly concurrently.
Getting denobled, defrocked/excommunicated, stripped of knighthood, etc is fairly easy in the current atmosphere of the kingdom and tensions in all corners are high given that the last king allowed his vassal lords the freedom to openly war on one another, and several small to middling conflicts have burned across the land for a generation.
All players are former nobles/knights/priests/priestesses, non-humans, or commoners who have been disenfranchised or left the service of a noble army to join the Mongrel Company, an extremely egalitarian group of independent contractors where rank is granted based on merit and the past hierarchy is largely ignored.
The themes of the game are unrest, determination in the face of despair, and uncommon or unexpected fellowship. The focus will be on how the Company as a whole will survive/thrive as the kingdom grows closer to outright civil war and other possible conflicts, including the brewing prospect of a commoner revolution in the face of an inept monarchy and religious persecution -- and the growing threat of a neighboring assortment of barbarian clans to the north waiting for a moment of weakness.
Players can take contracts on behalf of the Company, politick with local villages and nobles for support, and generally adventure -- the kingdom is full of old ruins to explore, monsters to hunt, etc.
Because we'll be using Fate, each PC starts on pretty equal ground -- the system's premise is that everyone is competent at what they do and should expect to make a difference.
--
And, a peek at the org itself:
The Celebrated Company of Mongrels
Banner: Several hounds of different coats and colors, pulling a scrap of meat from different corners, on a field of yellow.
Nicknames: Nobles of the court have referred to the company disparagingly as "Nikolev's Dogs," even though the former Captain Nikolev has been dead for several years now; this is said to be due to the fact a commoner -- and rumored half-elf -- is the current Captain Lillian, so it is meant to be dismissive and insulting of her command and the Company all at once. Members of the Company, however, are proud to call themselves Mongrels or "Lillian's Dogs" interchangeably.
Organization: The Company consists of roughly a dozen regiments each under a lieutenant, every three reporting to a Commander, who then serves under the Company Captain. Founded some fifty years ago out of the surviving remnants of several other bands and smaller companies, however, new recruits are often surprised to learn that rank is a somewhat informal affair. While the Captain and then her Commanders collectively have final say in any given dispute, and can give general orders that are expected to be obeyed and/or call the entire Company to battle, each regiment is largely autonomous and free to pursue whatever contract or interest they please -- with the friendly but non-negotiable understanding that the Company will take its cut of any profits.
Culture & Law: While each regiment has a variety of expectations in regards to behavior, and many different traditions and oaths that have survived the test of time, the one consistent and unbreakable oath across the Company can be summed up in a common saying among them -- "We Do Not Harbor Rabid Hounds." This means that any member of the Company regardless of seniority, service, or rank found guilty of abhorrent crimes (especially against one another or the common folk) will be swiftly and unceremoniously put to death.
This is a point of extreme pride in the Company considering some other mercenary companies in the kingdom are hardly better than brigands, and any member who questions or tests this oath quickly learns better or dies.
--
What I'm imagining with this is that while the highest ranks (the Captain and Commanders) will be NPCs, players are free to lead individual regiments as basically sub-orgs with loose internal rankings, and come up with their own cool backstories, uniforms, etc. Every regiment is assumed to have a large number of NPC troops so that players can play as leaders or grunts, whichever they please.
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns?
@too-old-for-this said in MU Things I Love:
The sea battle. That scene was EPIC and BADASS.
That was literally my first scene on the grid with this character I had just picked up on a whim after being away from Arx for like, a solid year? I had absolutely no idea that was going to happen. I logged in the night before for the first time and House peeps were like, "so, gonna go to the war tomorrow?" And I was like
Lol.
But holy shit, it reminded me that, wow, this hobby can be tremendously fun and tense and challenging, and like every single player there was on their A-Game and staff did an amazing job. Good stuff.
Severe depression means for me that I usually have very little interest in food, and normally eat pretty mechanically if I remember to eat at all.
Today my mom dropped by and helped out with groceries, and got me and the kiddo two big ol' pomegranates, because she remembered me saying like ten years ago once that I liked them. I hadn't had one in forever and genuinely didn't even remember telling her I liked them, so I was a little wary but grateful.
On a whim, I ate one of them tonight and I fucking destroyed it. Like, just tearing into it over the kitchen sink, snarfing down those little pip things by the handful, juice in my beard and dripping all over. Oh my god, pomegranates are so good.
...It's the little things that help you get by, right?
Midnight MUSH is an original horror game, tentatively set in Santa Monica in 1983. The game's tone will be intended to reflect both modern retro and classic horror media from the 80's and 90's, with influences like Stranger Things, Lost Boys, Near Dark, Carrie, An American Werewolf in London, and Hotline Miami, as well as a dash of the more absurd like Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Wolf Cop, etc.
Players can make characters who are pure mortal, mortals with curses or strange powers, and monsters of all stripes. Monster characters will have a very informal hidden society, and there will be a Veil-Lite that prevents the masses from being aware of all the things that go bump, but several clued-in mortal organizations will exist. The game will use FATE Core with some modifications for a horror setting, and will be a largely open, Build Your Own Demon-style CG, with lists of stunts and powers as well as premade templates for players to use either whole-cloth or as examples.
There will also be a metaplot that kicks off with a bizarre solar eclipse that is somehow only local to Santa Monica, and has already lasted for weeks. (Monsters normally weakened or harmed by sunlight are suddenly discovering that they can come out and play, and word is spreading fast...)
What I'm Looking For:
A few people who are excited by the setting, the system, or both. I want to brainstorm out the fine details and plot, so there is a lot of room for big ideas and collaboration. I'll also obvs need builders, and probably someone familiar enough with code that we don't explode anything, though AresMUSH is super awesome and easy to utilize so far. A wiki-fu master wouldn't be amiss either.
I'm using Ares' FATE plugin, which actually means there isn't a ton of coding left to do, though I still need to clean up chargen and sheets. Building and hammering out theme will be the bulk of the work.
If you're interested, PM me here, or come on down to midnight.aresmush.com port 1983 and chat!! I'm usually on during business hours or later evenings on weekdays, puttering about!
@kanye-qwest said in Regarding administration on MSB:
You have lost your damn mind.
I disagree, and listen, I like you. I like @sunny. But you're both kind of making my point. If you're this upset right now, you're not in the right state of mind to be talking about any of this. It doesn't help.
I got the J&J microchip last night!!
It's such a load of anxiety off my shoulders, knowing Bill Gates is looking out for me.
Plus, the side effects are p minimal so far. A little achey, fatigue. The day after the flu poke was much worse, and I don't need a second dose.
It's really, really nice!
@Akurel said in Welcome to Fallen World MUX!:
Guestave? Gueston?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOONNNNE
QUITS LIKE GUESTON
WON'T MAKE BITS LIKE GUESTON
ASKS WEIRD QUESTIONS ABOUT GYM CLASS MISFITS LIKE GUESTON!
When you finish a scene and you just feel...good. Like, it went better than you were expecting (and you already had high hopes for it), everyone was engaged and super engaging, and it feels like you learned something important about each character including your own, and it just leaves you craving more with them.
Hahaha um. I don't know how we can follow that up.
But my kid drew the face? XD
@peasoupling said in Arx's Elevation Situation:
If everyone is a Great House, no one is.
This is like, the majority of the stink over elevations in my opinion and TBH it grinds my gears a little because it
A) Would not even be remotely true, PC houses aren't the majority in each realm
B) It has such a flavor of "stay in your lane" in it that really does not sit well with me.
As long as Dominion brings in mechanical representation of NPC vassals, honestly what genuine reason would anyone have to be so upset over PC houses elevating?
Honestly I would be absolutely thrilled about the potential to elevate everyone to an even playing field politically. Alliances would be that much more important, big massive changes we saw like the Compact having to pick sides with foreign powers would have been that much more intense and involved for everyone, internal wars between PC Houses would suddenly gain a lot more weight and risk and be that much more interesting.
What is so godawful about it?
I am so angry I am shaking. Our new neighbor and his family were outside when my son went out to play in the yard by himself, and when Kiddo saw the dude wasn't wearing a mask he said that he should, and the guy cussed him out. A grown man, to an eight year old kid who was just trying to make sure everyone was safe.
Kiddo didn't confront him and came home right away, and I've tried to make sure he understands that he's not at fault and I'm glad he did not get upset back, but I do not know what to do with my anger. Confronting the asshole would be pointless at best, I already know this. Just...goddamn it, I fucking hate people sometimes.
Picked my kid up from school today and I was floored to discover that nearly every single parent and child there walking around in the parking lot and on the grounds was not wearing a mask. This was easily fifty or sixty people milling around in close quarters and we're not even at 25% of our adult population fully vaccinated in this state.
And then I spot my kiddo making his way through the crowd, still wearing his little mask because I have patiently explained why it is still important, even if he pointed out his friends and their parents don't bother anymore.
I almost cried in a mixture of gratitude and frustration right there in my car. God, I am so tired of this.
