RIP Guido
So... I don't often post about the events I go to. This is for various reasons, none of which are immediately relevant. However, it didn't feel right to not jot down a few thoughts about the recent Maelstrom. I couldn't have Guido's epitaph be complete silence.
So, I died at Maelstrom. Not the first, certainly, and defintely won't be the last. It was, however, my first character death at Fest level LRP. I've only ever retired characters in LT, and Guido was my .1 in Maelstrom. IT was a fairly sucky death, caused primarily by the incompetence of some other players (certainly not referring to JK, who did his utmost to save me). On the plus side, I had an awesome funeral. The power of Soul-Speech allowed an unusually two-way passing on of last words, and it was fantastic to do. I didn't see it, but I'm told that the Lower City tent was full to bursting - and I never thought that Guido had impacted on that many people! Guess you can always be surprised. Special thanks has to go to Chiara for the song (though I don't think she reads this, so if anybody that does can get the message to her...) - hearing that whilst passing on last words was heart-wrenching (similarly, if anybody has the words to that song, I'd love to see them - I don't have a particularly clear memory of it).
However, Guido had a fantatic last hurrah on his last day. Race change potions are a lot of fun (despite the absolute unhelpfulness of one particular trader - I honestly have had better service from British Gas) - I had a heck of a lot of fun as a Wemic, and I hope gave other people some fun too.
Thanks has to go to the members of the Lower City for a fantastic 5 years, the original members of House Cardini for inviting me into their group in the first place, the Huntress Church for being very welcoming once I started looking properly in that direction, and Flambard in general for being a brilliant colony to spend time in. Thanks also have to go to Jon and Ellis for letting me join their group at the last minute so that I would have something to do on Sunday.
Special thank, of course, needs to go to Cheryl - you were a fabulous wife and I'll very much miss roleplaying that relationship with you.
A strange thought about character death struck me when I was on the way home from this event - everybody except the player in question gets to mourn, because everybody else has a character that, presumably, is at least a little saddened by the death. Now, I never realised how attached I had gotten to Guido, but I will confess that I was somewhat bummed out by the whole ordeal. What made it even worse was that it was impossible (or I found it so, anyway) to be comfortable in Guido's old haunts. Having gone on to play an Upper City Flembic, we masked up and visited "Downstairs" in the evening - and I simply couldn't settle in to enjoy myself there, eventually going to bed early. That, I think, is when it hit me. Everybody else had, presumably, been through the sombre phase already and were partying. I wasn't in the mood to party - I hadn't had a chance to mourn yet.
Similarly, there is often a little bit of jibing thrown at people that get very upset at losing a character. As I said, I hadn't really been through it before, but I now find it much easier to understand.
So, to the future. There is only a year of Maelstrom left. I've been invited back to Flambard again and told that given a couple of season's downtime I could be made into something monstrous (so the fact there are only 4 events left will matter less), but I must admit that that doesn't really appeal. I quite happily confess that I don't like the direction that Maelstrom has gone in over the last couple of years, so I am of two minds whether to go back or not. On the other hand, I do have a concept for a character bouncing around in my mind (JK and DaveB - I could do with an opportunity to chat to you both about it to make sure it does actually work - JK especially), so I may return at Easter.
So, that was fairly rambly. Overall, I have to say I've had a good five years with Guido, largely down to the awesome people he tended to hang around with. And so I take this opportunity to say thank you all.
I may see you back in the New World next year.
So, I died at Maelstrom. Not the first, certainly, and defintely won't be the last. It was, however, my first character death at Fest level LRP. I've only ever retired characters in LT, and Guido was my .1 in Maelstrom. IT was a fairly sucky death, caused primarily by the incompetence of some other players (certainly not referring to JK, who did his utmost to save me). On the plus side, I had an awesome funeral. The power of Soul-Speech allowed an unusually two-way passing on of last words, and it was fantastic to do. I didn't see it, but I'm told that the Lower City tent was full to bursting - and I never thought that Guido had impacted on that many people! Guess you can always be surprised. Special thanks has to go to Chiara for the song (though I don't think she reads this, so if anybody that does can get the message to her...) - hearing that whilst passing on last words was heart-wrenching (similarly, if anybody has the words to that song, I'd love to see them - I don't have a particularly clear memory of it).
However, Guido had a fantatic last hurrah on his last day. Race change potions are a lot of fun (despite the absolute unhelpfulness of one particular trader - I honestly have had better service from British Gas) - I had a heck of a lot of fun as a Wemic, and I hope gave other people some fun too.
Thanks has to go to the members of the Lower City for a fantastic 5 years, the original members of House Cardini for inviting me into their group in the first place, the Huntress Church for being very welcoming once I started looking properly in that direction, and Flambard in general for being a brilliant colony to spend time in. Thanks also have to go to Jon and Ellis for letting me join their group at the last minute so that I would have something to do on Sunday.
Special thank, of course, needs to go to Cheryl - you were a fabulous wife and I'll very much miss roleplaying that relationship with you.
A strange thought about character death struck me when I was on the way home from this event - everybody except the player in question gets to mourn, because everybody else has a character that, presumably, is at least a little saddened by the death. Now, I never realised how attached I had gotten to Guido, but I will confess that I was somewhat bummed out by the whole ordeal. What made it even worse was that it was impossible (or I found it so, anyway) to be comfortable in Guido's old haunts. Having gone on to play an Upper City Flembic, we masked up and visited "Downstairs" in the evening - and I simply couldn't settle in to enjoy myself there, eventually going to bed early. That, I think, is when it hit me. Everybody else had, presumably, been through the sombre phase already and were partying. I wasn't in the mood to party - I hadn't had a chance to mourn yet.
Similarly, there is often a little bit of jibing thrown at people that get very upset at losing a character. As I said, I hadn't really been through it before, but I now find it much easier to understand.
So, to the future. There is only a year of Maelstrom left. I've been invited back to Flambard again and told that given a couple of season's downtime I could be made into something monstrous (so the fact there are only 4 events left will matter less), but I must admit that that doesn't really appeal. I quite happily confess that I don't like the direction that Maelstrom has gone in over the last couple of years, so I am of two minds whether to go back or not. On the other hand, I do have a concept for a character bouncing around in my mind (JK and DaveB - I could do with an opportunity to chat to you both about it to make sure it does actually work - JK especially), so I may return at Easter.
So, that was fairly rambly. Overall, I have to say I've had a good five years with Guido, largely down to the awesome people he tended to hang around with. And so I take this opportunity to say thank you all.
I may see you back in the New World next year.